"Jesus, Will You Be My Best Friend Forever?"

It was another trip to Easter Seals. What was once a quiet van ride only filled with the music of The Go Fish Guys, was now becoming Ethan's time to ask me questions about God. I was starting to look forward to these trips. Not only was it nice to have a "typical" back & forth conversation with Ethan, it was interesting to hear what questions he had for me. Almost like an inside peek into how his amazing mind works.

The day before my sister told me that her little girl had asked Jesus to be in her heart. This was something that I wondered if Ethan would understand or even WANT to do, but I had been praying for since he was created. And this is a pretty typical up/down feeling for a mom of a child on the spectrum. Most of your friends' kids are hitting milestones & achieving progress.......first steps, saying "Mommy," reading, writing, developing relationships, etc......and I am always so genuinely happy for them. I love seeing the kids in my life growing up....I love being Aunt Wo in my family or Miss Jessica at church or Mrs. Wolfe when I teach. But then there is ALWAYS a punch in the gut that comes with it. It's another reminder that my child is a bit different. That my precious Ethan may never achieve the milestones his peers are reaching. Up/Down feelings.....another quiet prayer in my heart.....my infamous broken record....."Please Lord, I want Ethan know you at an early age. And I want him to love you & serve you the rest of his life.

Discussing God with Ethan

What does God eat?

What is his favorite color?

Does he go potty like a big boy?

What do you ride on to get to heaven? A rocket?

LOVE. These are some of the questions that Ethan has been asking me about God, Heaven & salvation. On our 2 times a week drive to Easter Seals, we have a good solid 30 minute drive. Ethan, never being much for conversation in the car, prefers to listen to music. Our favorite groups of all time is The Go Fish Guys. They are a group of Dads that create Christian music...and some silly songs too....specifically for kids. BUT....they don't drive you crazy. I actually really enjoy them as well.

Something wonderful has happened this past month during our drives. Ethan has been asking a TON of questions about the words in their songs.

Puzzle Piece Rewards System

Weeks of sticker charts!
DLTK's Custom Chore Charts!

For a long time, we have been doing the typical sticker chart to encourage Ethan to use manners, maintain good hygiene and become more independent. After a sticker chart was completed, Ethan would get $1 for his bank. That worked for awhile but then the novelty wore off. Getting a sticker for brushing his teeth was no longer worth it to him....and the battles returned.

So, we began to up the ante! Each night, we would count his stickers & he would earn 1 coin per sticker. And when his sticker chart was full, he would still earn a dollar.

Want to know a secret? I would just re-use coins already in his bank, so it didn't cost us any extra money. Shhhh....don't tell Ethan!


Well, that worked for awhile, but soon that began to wear off too. The battles were beginning to start again....fighting to brush teeth, fighting to self dress, and I was losing my currency with Ethan!

24 piece puzzle from Dollar General. 

And, once again, the Changing Challenging Behaviors Workshop from Easter Seals came through for us!!! Ms. Dona, leader of the workshop & Ethan's ITAP program, showed the class several strategies & examples. Corey & I immediately knew that we had found our solution.....puzzles.

How do puzzles work in place of a sticker chart? For every demonstration of desired behavior, Ethan earns one puzzle piece....instead of one sticker. Once Ethan has completed a puzzle, he gets to pick a prize/toy out of the prize bin I've put together. Things from the dollar store, happy meal toys, garage sale finds....nothing that costs more than $1 each. ETHAN LOVES IT!!!!

In the middle of a puzzle!
Almost time for a trip to the prize bin!

It has been working longer than anything we have tried before! He loves gaining a puzzle piece, loves putting the puzzles together, loves digging for toys in our prize bin! Initially, I was cutting up the cardboard boxes of his fruit snacks, cereal, pop tarts, and other recognizable logos. But once Ethan got the hang of it, we needed to go to more puzzle pieces so he wasn't earning a toy EVERY day. 

I am thrilled to report that this is STILL going VERY well, and he loves earning puzzle pieces!!! Now our battles are diminishing! Picking up toys, brushing teeth, turning off the computer, trying new foods, behavior in new places, and other issues are able to be a managed so much better with this new form of "currency." HOORAY FOR PUZZLES!

Therapy Dog, Payton, Helps Ethan

Ethan attends a 2 Day a Week Preschool at Easter Seals called ITAP (Intensive Autism Therapy Program). Several months ago, a paper came home with Ethan....a permission slip to include a therapy dog, Payton, into Ethan's class. I was excited for this opportunity because Ethan has a slight anxiety regarding dogs. But I knew if anyone could help Ethan overcome this fear, it would be Easter Seals.

Since then, Payton has made several appearances to Ethan's classroom. Not only has Payton helped alleviate his fears regarding dogs, but something else amazing has happened....

Ethan is riding the elevator at Easter Seals!

Ethan with Payton on the elevator.

Why is this amazing? Ethan HATES elevators. If I could think of a stronger word for hate, I would use that instead. Every time we walk up to one, Ethan WIGS OUT & climbs me like a tree. Once on the elevator, he screams the ENTIRE time. It's awful. Last fall, we went to visit my grandpa in the hospital, and the route to his room included 3 different elevators. We managed the first one, but after that....Ethan was NOT having it. He became impossible. So, we took the stairs. By the time I got to my grandpa's room, I was EXHAUSTED...physically & emotionally. Thank goodness my visits with my Grandpa were always uplifting. Man, I miss that man. He would really have enjoyed hearing this story.

He's Eating New Foods!!!

The last several posts (click #1 or #2 to read them) have been leading up to some very exciting news! ETHAN HAS BEEN EATING NEW FOODS THIS WEEK!!!! Pinch me 'cuz I think I'm dreaming!

 The food issue is sooooo maddening to me.....a girl who literally loves all food. I don't understand this "picky-eater" thing AT ALL! And I used to REALLY fight this battle with all my might. But, whether good or bad, I just grew tired of fighting with Ethan at EVERY meal. I just decided to focus on what I could help him with....table manners & sitting at the table LONGER than a minute. We also eat in our living room a lot now because we have an eat-in kitchen & the smells are too much for Ethan. In fact, we have even moved our dining room table INTO our living room!

But THIS WEEK....THIS WEEK ETHAN HAS EATEN & ENJOYED SEVEN NEW FOODS!!!

Beef Stew

Pizza Pocket made with crescent rolls

Pringles

Jelly Beans

Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits

Spice Cake

Chicken & Noodles

Ethan & I "cheesing it up" at dinner!

He also TRIED cheesy scalloped potatoes & LICKED apples slices in therapy at Easter Seals. This is from a child who wigs out whenever he sees apple slices approaching the dinner table! However, when we went to the new Chick-Fil-A restaurant & was served WAFFLE fries, he wouldn't touch them. Fries are not shaped like waffles. Oh, that kid cracks me up!

Now, I realize that all of these foods are not SUPER healthy, but they are foods that he would have NEVER tried in the past....and now he is willingly eating....and loving them!!! CRAZY AWESOME PROGRESS!

This just reiterates that doing sensory play at home as well as having Ethan in occupational therapy is paying off big time! I can't wait to see what new foods he will eat this week! I'M SO EXCITED!!!!

***OH YEAH! One more thing! Ethan's school occupational therapist has told me that Ethan is able to zip up his own coat, but he has NEVER done it for me. It was always a frustration/trigger that would set him off, and I would end up doing it for him. Recently, we dug out a "new to us" hand-me-down jacket for Spring.....and ETHAN HAS ZIPPED IT UP EVERY TIME HE'S WORN IT!!!!!! WOO-HOO!!!!!!!

Yes, No, Maybe So...

Whether it's due to him getting older, having additional therapy, or being the only child in our home (I have stopped watching my sister's kiddos) or the combination of these things, Ethan has been making huge progress over the last several months. HUGE! And while I have noticed these changes, I was curious to see if the family could tell any difference. All of my family members have pretty much said the same thing......"We can tell that he is talking more & interacting more with us. We can also tell that there is something different about him lately, but we can't tell you exactly what it is."

I am THRILLED to hear others say this about Ethan! I am with him more than anyone so if anyone is going to see differences, it would be me. However, for others to notice, that is even more amazing. Yet, I too, haven't been able to pin point a lot of his changes, so I have really tried to pay more attention....and I really noticed something today.

One of Ethan's challenges has been that he answers, "YES," to every question....even if he doesn't mean yes. One example was when a therapist was evaluating him, and she asked Ethan if there was an elephant in the room. He answered, "Yes." Then, she asked him if the elephant was standing on the table, and he answered, "Yes." To be clear......there wasn't an elephant anywhere in the room.

For us, we noticed it was almost like Ethan was AFRAID to say, "no" to something. So, we had to almost give him permission. We began wording our questions to him differently. Example: "Ethan, are you hot? Yes or No?" or "Ethan, are you hungry? Yes or No?"

Overtime, he has gotten better at actually telling us is real answer....but usually only when we give him options following a question. But I've noticed this is changing......for the better......

A couple weekends ago, we spent the day at my sister's house to celebrate my Dad's 60th birthday. When it was time for us to go, my brother-in-law asked Ethan if he had fun playing with his cousins. He didn't provide options for Ethan to pick from....just an open ended question. In the past, I would have been able to tell you what Ethan would have said......always, "YES." However, that night Ethan answered, "Yeah No." WHOA!!!! He actually said NO without being given "permission" to do so!!!! Then, my brother-in-law said, "Did you have fun playing with your oldest cousin?" And Ethan said, "Yes." Then, he asked, "Did you have fun playing with your youngest cousin?" And Ethan said, "No." The whole family laughed & laughed.....it was a very funny moment.

However, this caused me to start paying attention to his automated "Yes" responses. And I have noticed that it is less and less. Not only that, but Ethan has started answering questions with words that are NOT any choices we have given him. For instance, today on the way from Easter Seals to Preschool, I asked Ethan if he was "hot or cold." Two choices for him to pick. Guess what he said?! "I am just fine." I almost wrecked my car!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!

And these are just a couple of stories of what our Ethan has been like over the last several months. His back & forth conversations are growing longer in length and are less scripted than previously. I have noticed that he is using 2 hands for tasks instead of just one.....something we have been working on for a long time. He is initiating conversations with us as well as others....including his peers! He is showing a desire to be more independent. His tolerance for loud noise is SO much better than ever before. He WANTS to play with me all day instead of asking, "Mommy to go (away)." Now, it's, "Mommy, will you play with me?"

And guess what MY automated response is to THAT question! YES!!!

Filling Our Jar

Even before we had an official diagnosis of autism, we knew that Ethan was developmentally delayed in several areas....including his speech. As Ethan's mom, I personally felt responsible for this delay. After all, I was not only the majority caregiver as well as a former teacher, but Ethan was my only child. If he had developmental delays, it was because I was not doing a good job as his mother. (I now realize how ridiculous this thought is, but that is how I felt at the time.)

So, I researched (& researched & researched) what I could do in order to help Ethan developmentally catch up in all areas, but mainly his speech. I so desperately wanted to communicate with my child that I was willing to do just about anything. And so, I found all of the standard advice.....read to your child, sing to your child, play verbal games such as peekaboo with your child, talk to your child even if they aren't talking yet, etc.

Well, I did all of these things 100%, and Ethan was just NOT interested in ANY of it. He just wanted me to leave him alone & let him play with his toys. So, as a result, most of my days ended up looking like, what I called, Jessica's Cooking Show. You know how on cooking shows they say what they are doing it as they are doing it & why they are doing it.....well that is what I would do most of our days together. It was exhausting....especially when it seemed like Ethan wasn't hearing a word I was saying.

One particular piece of advice was to talk about what things you see with your child while you are in the car or on a walk or in the store. So.....of course......I would do this, too. And I'm sure I looked pretty ridiculous talking to myself, but I was desperate to do all I could to communicate with my child. I can vividly remember the last 2 summers.....taking walks with Ethan in his stroller & talking about the trees, the cars, the wind, the birds, the grass, and everything else. The first summer, Ethan just seemed locked in his own thoughts to even look around at his environment. Last summer, Ethan was aware, but only was interested in the cars coming & going. He would become intensely upset when cars were no longer driving by us....he wanted to see and hear the cars moving all of the time.

Well, folks......I have a picture to share with you......

This is Ethan's nature jar of things he has been collecting on our walks this week. THIS summer, Ethan has been EXTREMELY interested in the things around him....smells, sounds, things, which direction we are going, and so on. We talk back and forth to each other the entire time we are walking! He is excited to find things for his jar. He is describing things....pointy, hard, purple, loud, etc......and he is pointing things out that I didn't even notice. During one of our walks, the sun and the moon were both out......and Ethan thought that was HILARIOUS! It was so wonderful! Communicating with my child! Having him be vividly aware of his world! Laughing that the moon & the sun are both out at the same time! AND HE IS ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD!!!! Look how far we have come in just 2 years!!!

Two summers ago, I would come home from our walks discouraged and usually....crying. It was so difficult to be doing all that I could and yet see no change in Ethan's speech. To wonder if Ethan would ever talk or even be interested in the world around him. But tonight, as we took a family walk, which means Daddy comes too, I am moved to tears for the exact opposite emotion. I am overjoyed to walk AND TALK with Ethan. To discover things anew through his fascinating mind.

When I thought about motherhood, this is what I envisioned, and I'm so blessed to be experiencing this with Ethan. In fact, at one point during our walk, my husband made the comment that he wasn't going to be able to talk to me because Ethan was chattering my ear off! And we both laughed as our hearts were rejoicing at this moment. And I privately sent up a prayer of thanks. My deepest prayer has been answered. After four years of heartache, I am able to communicate with my child. And there isn't a jar big enough to hold my joy!!!

Overcoming an Obstacle

Anyone heard of Monkey Joe's? It is a fun place for kids to play.....they basically have wall to wall inflatables that kids can jump, slide and play on, and most kids LOVE it! However, these inflatables are constantly being filled with air by blowers.....which adds noise to the already noisy room. Not only is this place very loud, but it is usually very crowded with people. Lots of people & lots of noise.....these are 2 MAJOR triggers for our little guy who deals with sensory processing.

Last year, a Monkey Joe's opened up in our area, and it is now the newest place to take your kid for fun. When I first heard about it, I was so excited, and couldn't wait to take Ethan! Jumping, bouncing, flopping.....he loves all of those things! But then I heard about the crowds & noise, and I, once again, added something to the "we can't do that" list. And every time I add something to that growing list, I am thrown back to my initial emotions of this journey. Yet another reminder that, "Your child has autism."

Then the birthday party invitations started coming.....most of them held at Monkey Joe's. At first, I was determined to not let this be a road block for Ethan, so I agreed to try & attend. Well, then I got sick, and we couldn't go. After that, I just decided I wasn't quite ready to tackle this place just yet. Soon, but not yet.

Well, guess what folks......we finally did it! Last week, we met my aunt & cousins who were visiting from Texas at Monkey Joe's. And Ethan did GREAT! No sound-proof headphones, no major meltdowns, a few bumps & bruises but nothing out of the ordinary! It was great!

Yes, it was crowded, and that was a little overwhelming for Ethan, so he mostly played on 2 inflatables that were in the back room in the far corner. Yes, it was loud, but the blowers to the inflatables gave it a mostly white noise effect that tends to be soothing for Ethan. He made it about an hour and a half, and then he started crying at every little thing......an indication that he was at his max. So, my husband took him next door to Big Lots where he requested a box of Pop-Tarts. This kid LOVES Pop-Tarts.

This isn't probably something we will be able to do often, but Ethan kept saying how much fun he had at Monkey Joe's. I jokingly asked my husband if we should have Ethan's next birthday party there, and he just gave me a "Are you kidding me?" look. However, I think we will be saying YES to any future birthday parties held there.....and that is HUGE for this family! We are taking Monkey Joe's off of the "can't do it" list! AWESOME!

Here are a few pictures of Ethan having a great time at Monkey Joe's!

Need A Few More Reasons To Support Easter Seals?

What a great day we had yesterday at Easter Seals! I can't wait to tell you all about it!

When Ethan & I first got there, we were approached about completing Ethan's end of the program evaluation. It was a yes/no type quiz that I answered at the beginning about 7 weeks ago, and they were administering the same quiz to see where Ethan has improved. Before the administrator of the quiz got to me, the director of the preschool program spoke with me. And guess what....

Ethan will be able to continue in this program throughout the upcoming school year! YEAH!!!

I figured that this would just be a great program to do during the summer months while Ethan's Early Intervention program was on break for the summer & help keep his "skills" sharp. However, they told me that they still have some openings for the MORNING session, and then Ethan will still participate in our school's early intervention program in the afternoon! YEE-HAW!!!!!! I was so excited that I almost started crying right then & there!!!

Why am I so excited? Well, recently someone from the Easter Seals Walk With Me event asked me to jot down a few of the improvements we have seen from Ethan since starting there this summer. Well, you know me, I had to go on & on about Ethan! Here are the amazing changes we have seen from Ethan in the last 2 months alone!

1. He is more independent. He seems to have somehow gained the foresight to make decisions on his own (like physically getting out of bed in the morning by himself instead of us giving the "ok") as well as having a desire to WANT to more independent (such as putting on his own bookbag/shoes, buckling his seatbelt, etc.)

2. He has become a CHATTER BOX! We love it & it is hilariously different from what we have been used to out of him. Although it doesn't always mean he is conversing with us, he is still talking all day long....it is awesome! He is even picking up on slang words. Instead of a scripted, "thank you," he is now saying, "thanks." Instead of a very scripted, "Yes," he is now saying, "Yeah." We love it....although his speech therapist may not. :0)

3. He is playing with toys OTHER than cars. For years, that is all Ethan has wanted to play with for the most part. But now, cars are just one of the toys. In fact, instead of them being the first toy he gets out to play with in the morning, he is now playing with the Little People or the pretend food.....cars still come out to play, but not as the one & only toy. It is great!

4. He has initiated conversations several times....and not just with us, but with aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and so on. He length of back & forth conversation is getting longer too. It now is going beyond the scripted, "Hi. How are you? I'm good." In fact, he had a pretty lengthy conversation via the phone with my mom yesterday....and we were both impressed because he has NEVER talked on the phone other than to say HI into it.

What really blew me away happened this same day at Easter Seals. We were waiting for the classroom door to open, so Ethan was playing in the toy waiting room. One of the other little kids from this same program came over to the area where Ethan was playing & watched Ethan. Ethan NOTICED HER, and said, "Hi Name of Girl! Will you play with me?" A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! This is HUGE!!!!!!!

I have also met some wonderful parents & some new friends. It has been nice to talk with people who understand so much of what your daily life is like because they are experiencing it as well. I have really connected with this same little girl's mom & grandma who drive about an hour to come be a part of this program. This summer program has been such a blessing to our family in so many ways, and I am OVER THE MOON that Ethan will continue during the school year!!!!! We are so blessed!!!!

Sleeping & Map Updates!

I recently talked about how Ethan was entering a new phase of getting out of bed on his own in a post titled A New Sleeping Challenge. I LOVE that he has this new independence, but we were very worried for his safety. One morning, I woke up to....what I thought was....a prowler in our basement. When I got up to investigate, I realized that Ethan wasn't in his bed. I instantly went into crazy mama mode thinking someone was taking my child. As I quickly & non-rationally made my way through the house, I was met on our basement stairs by a very scared Ethan....who was crying & said to me, "Oh Mommy! There you are! I lost you!" Not only was I super sad that he thought he lost me, but our basement at the time was in no shape for him to be unsupervised due to us converting it into a sensory playroom (update on that later this week). This sent us into action that day.

A couple of weeks prior to this, Ethan began a summer preschool program at Easter Seals. The drive is about 35 minutes, and he would get very anxious on this "long" drive. So, I came up with the idea to give him a map to help him realize where he was at in his journey. You can read more about this on my post titled Maps. Since that first map, we have created many more, and we now have a variety for Ethan to choose from....although he loves to receive a new one.

Who knew that these two situations would collide?! In order to help Ethan understand what he should do if he gets out of bed before his parents (which is happening nightly....about 3am), my husband built off of our map idea! Since he does the bedtime routine and is excellent at explaining things to Ethan, he introduced Ethan to his new bedtime map. Corey also does vinyl work as a hobby so he used a couple of leftover pieces to cut out shapes for our floor & create a path for Ethan to follow....just like on his map! (Stickers or colored tape would work too!) It's hard to explain in words, so here are a few pictures....

Here is our collection of Maps to get us to Easter Seals. Ethan will play with these even on days when we don't have class!

Here is Ethan's nighttime map. It's very worn because, again, Ethan will play with it during the day. It leads Ethan from his racecar bed, to the bathroom & then to our bedroom to find me. Notice the white stars & the orange circles.

Here, Corey laid out a path of white stars from Ethan's room to the bathroom & then orange stickers from the bathroom to our bedroom.

A closeup of the sticker paths.

We also installed extra locks on the doors that we don't want Ethan to get into....we placed them high enough so even with a step stool, Ethan can't reach them. We did this the day we found Ethan in the basement. I'm just so glad he didn't go outside!

This nighttime map has been working GREAT! In fact, I don't even think he uses the map anymore....he knows what to do now. But he still likes to play with it during the day.....line his cars up on the paths or practice the routine. I'm not quite ready to remove this visual aid quite yet, but that is more for me....I don't want to find him crying & scared because he can't find me!

He is still getting up in the middle of the night most nights, but we just pull him into our bed....which may be why he is doing it. :0) But, in a weird way, I almost sleep better after he comes in....I know where he is & know he isn't roaming the house. Eventually, we will have to put him back in his bed....I know that will be the next step.....and then maybe he will stop getting up in the middle of the night....who knows. But until I know things are cemented into his mind as to what to do in the middle of the night, I am more concerned about his safety & knowing he is ok....even if that means more cups of coffee during the day.

Feeding Frustration & Fortune

Popcorn, poptarts, bacon, chicken nuggets, chips/crackers, fruit snacks, applesauce, and Spaghettios. These are the things that Ethan will eat faithfully. That's it. So, I KNOW that he isn't getting the amount of nutrition that he needs in order to have healthy bones or to help with his muscle development and other things growing boys needs. I have talked about this before, and I did find a few ways to sneak in the healthy stuff. To read about that, click here.

But the NEW issue is that Ethan doesn't WANT to eat.......he wants to play. So now he isn't even eating the 8 things I know he likes! I was telling all of this to my sister while we were cleaning up Ethan's birthday party. He didn't eat much during the party because he wanted to play. And then he was crabby after the party because he was hungry.....but didn't eat when the rest of us were eating. It is so frustrating for me. As I was telling this to my sister, Ethan comes up to me & asks for a poptart. I just wanted to scream! NOW he was ready to eat, and he is gonna eat junk. Great. Here's my mom of the year award down the drain! :0)

My sister, I'm sure sensing my "limit," scooped Ethan up & took him to her fridge. She opened the doors & asked him what he wanted. He immediately spotted a logo that he recognized.....Motts. As in Motts Applesauce. The surprising part is not that he picked applesauce or even the logo.....the surprising part is that he ate is all......and it was PEACH applesauce. I about fell over in my chair. Unbelievable.

So, my new thing that I'm trying out is not feeding Ethan until he ASKS for food.....and then give him choices of good things. I also had him pick out what flavor/brand of items while at the grocery store due to a tip from my sister....the only person that has gotten Ethan to eat a strawberry. (She took a picture otherwise I wouldn't have believed it! And, PS Rachel - he picked out Mott's PEACH Applesauce at the store!)

I've done it all this week, and it seems to be working great! He is getting more fiber, protein & fruit (still no veggies) and less carbs & sugar. I was able to sneak in some yogurt in our grocery cart because it has Cars on it, but he still didn't like it. Oh well. Baby steps. I'm just glad he is eating & getting better nutrition. And of course he is still getting his multivitamins.

It is still a challenge because everyone in my family is eating at different times, so it makes dinner time at the dinner table a little hard, but I guess that will be my next challenge. Or maybe we could "play" dinner table & use that time teach table manners as well as sitting at the table for longer than 5 minutes. But that's for another time. For now, I'm just so thankful that Ethan ate OATMEAL today! WOOHOO!

***Update - I generally write my posts days before they are published. Since writing this post, Ethan has eaten a bigger variety of food than every before! Including TILAPIA fish! This is really working for us!

Ethan's First Field Trip!

Last Friday, Ethan's entire morning preschool went on a field trip! I was so excited because parents were able to go too! So, I took they "day off" from watching my sister's kiddos, and headed to the park where the school buses filled with excited 3 year olds were going to meet us.

After I paid my entrance fee, I found Ethan & his class, signed him "out" to my care, got our animal feed (inside an ice cream cone that the animals could eat as well), and we were off! This particular park is a place full of barn yard type animals. We saw ducks, rabbits, chickens, horses, cows, goats, pigs, sheep, and a turtle.....which upon closer inspection was actually a floating clump of dirt in the water, but we will say it was a turtle.

To say that Ethan loved it would be an understatement.....he was ECSTATIC! He kept saying, "Let's go see ANOTHER animal!" It was so cute! Here's a short video.....

I was so impressed with my child during this field trip. He was getting right in there....in the midst of all of the kids.....and looking at the animals, playing on the playground, going down an ENCLOSED slide, and just being a kid! All of these things.....ALL OF THESE THINGS.....he wouldn't do at the beginning of the year. He was too terrified. He would be so overcome with anxiety to do any of these things that he would either cling to me or have a meltdown. So, I would have to do these things with him. BUT NOT TODAY!!!! YEAH!!!!  I just watched in amazement as he did every single thing on the playground all by himself!....and was having FUN!!!! We did every single thing there and NO MELTDOWNS!!!! IT WAS AWESOME!

Before we left, Ethan wanted to feed the rest of his animal feed & ice cream cone to the "Big Horse." When we made our way over to the horse pen, someone was already feeding the big horse. So Ethan just threw his cone inside the pen, and was ready to go. It happened so fast that I didn't even realize what he had done until one of the park's volunteers retrieved the cone & handed it back to him. She took Ethan's hand & helped him feed the small horse the entire cone. She was telling him how to hold it while keeping her hand over his on the cone. She was very encouraging & calmed Ethan's nerves of feeding the horse as well as being so close to someone he didn't know. Ethan was laughing & smiling by the time the small horse ate every morsel of that cone. I am so glad that I had my sunglasses on because my eyes were red with tears. The kindness of this stranger is rare for us. Usually we encounter looks of confusion or stares of annoyance or smiles of pity....but not from this sweet young lady. She kindly took Ethan up to the horse without asking him & happily held his hand in place while they feed this horse.....and Ethan loved it. Here are some pictures of this wonderful moment.....

It was a great field trip, and I'm so glad I was able to go with Ethan's school. Ethan has asked us every day since last Friday if we could go to the Farm Park. He even had an entire spontaneous conversation with my mom about it! (Spontaneous means Ethan came up with his own words.) I am thinking we may be making many trips to this park & probably the local zoo as well. I love to see Ethan so happy & so independent. I never thought I would see him do the things he is doing.....and that calls for some celebration! Let's get another cup of coffee while we look at some more pictures!!!!

Holding his animal feed & excited to see the animals!

He's not chasing the ducks...he is waving & saying hi.

Watching the rabbits

Checking out the chicken coop!

 

He wanted to climb in with the baby cows.....future Dr. Temple Grandin???

This calf wouldn't go near the group of kids but came straight over to Ethan. He was so excited to pet her!

His favorite of the day! Baby pig!

 

Playing in the barn with the stuffed animals

He WANTED to wait in line AND go down the curly slide INSIDE a silo! AWESOME!

Playing in the old school house

Resting for a bit...

"Say Hamburger!"

I was so excited to see him get right in there with the other kids & PLAY!

Having a great time!

YES folks! He is playing WITH other kids!  YEAH!!!

I just KNEW that he would want to play with this!

The cutest little cow I've ever seen!

Road Trip

Last weekend, my dad graduated with his Doctorate of Ministry degree. He has been working towards this goal for as long as I can remember. I remember going to his graduation for his Master's degree when I was in high school....that was more than 10 years ago. Well, I was NOT about to miss this momentous occasion.

The question was whether or not to take Ethan. Traveling long distances with Ethan in the past has not been the easiest. It is hard for him to sit for that long. But we decided that we should try. So, being the annoyingly organized & plan ahead type, I got to work. I was reading & doing all I could to prepare for the trip. I bought & wrapped dollar store toys for Ethan & his cousin to open every hour (or as needed). I bought new DVDs of Dora (his new favorite show) in order to keep him entertained. I packed an abundance of OT items. I even got some great advice from the mom's at our church's weekly playgroup. I was ready for anything!

And guess what! ETHAN DID AWESOME!!!! He barely needed his OT items except for sleeping & during the graduation festivities. But traveling in the van, he didn't have any behavior problems! He just chewed a lot. But, he was super content with his DVD player (which is strange because he doesn't really watch TV at home), and his iPad games/books. I am so glad that we took him with us! We had a great time, and it was a victory for our family! YEAH!

Here are some pictures from our trip!

Corey driving & Uncle Scott navigating

Aunt Rachel reading & Ethan. He has a pacifier because he was chewing on his fingers & this was the only oral toy that I had in my purse at the time.

 

Ethan watching his DVD player. The cookie sheet idea was from my friend, Jessica. She directed me to this website where you can do all kinds of things with the cookie sheet for travel. It was the BEST IDEA EVER!

Ethan's cute feet!

 

Both of the boys had their own DVD players & headphones. Here they are enjoying a snack (with magnets on the bottom of their snack containers to keep them from spilling) while watching their favorite DVDs.

 

My nephew hamming it up for the camera...I love it!

Both boys were restless before the graduation ceremony started.

Corey took them for a walk around the gym's walkway.

Ethan playing with stickers during the graduation. He only needed his headphones during the music.

Dad is showing Ethan the words on his degree cover...and Ethan is reading it! We were trying to get Ethan to stand next to them for a picture.

The whole clan!

Stamping It Up!

One day this week, Ethan woke up VERY early. We typically don't have much time to play in the morning before school, but we did that day! Although Ethan really wanted to play with play dough, I just didn't feel like getting all of that out. So, instead I suggested playing with the overhead projector. We play with different things on the overhead, but here he is playing with yellow transparent numbers 1-100. It's hard to see, but here is what I mean...

This was taken on a different day, but this is how he plays with the overhead. We shine it on the white board by the front door.

After he was done playing with the overhead, he asked to play with stamps. This is amazing because I am always forcing encouraging him to do anything that would fall in the "Messy" category. Finger painting, water beads, shaving cream, silly putty, and......stamps. He just doesn't like his hands to be messy. (He gets that from me.) So, when he ASKED for stamps.....I QUICKLY got them out before he could change his mind!!! I took a few pictures & even got some video of Ethan VOLUNTARILY playing with stamps! He is doing so well!!!!!!! What a blessing!!!!!!