Sorry no post yesterday. There aren't enough hours in the late evening, I hate to say. After the kiddies go to bed I have a slew of things to do, and too many other choices. The coolest thing that happened yesterday (Saturday) was that we went to pick up the Little Tikes Cube Crawler from a lady in Lisle, IL. The entire transaction seemed to go off without a hitch, although we haven't put the cube together yet. We will, though, and the kids will love it. I'm just waiting for warmer weather and I think that will happen mid-week.
Today was Easter. We ended up going to mom's house for "lunch" and hanging for just a little bit longer before heading home. I hate to say it but we didn't color Easter eggs or make Easter baskets. The reason being is that Nikko just doesn't get it right now, and it's too much of an activity for Ronin, so I decided not to do the whole mess. I also didn't take any pictures this Easter, so that's probably a bad thing. I know someone will tell me it's no big deal, that the kids will appreciate it next year, but seeing other pictures of kids and eggs is starting to make me feel guilty. And the realization that Nikko doesn't get it, and might never get it, is getting me depressed. In fact, at the end of the day Nikko was extremely whiny. It's as if he and Ronin took turns being crabby and whiny, practically without letting up between intervals. Denis and I were both tired and irritated by their whining by day's end. It's so hard because neither kid can communicate well, or with words, so they whine and push. It is very hard to stay calm when the whining is coming from all three at the same time. Even two is a lot.
Nikko is showing that he has a good memory for things. He watches when I open the kitchen cabinets. He has seen that sometimes we stash Denis' homemade cookies in one, and so he runs up to us and signs More Please. Or he'll see me open the one with the Ovaltine in it and signs More Please. Both he and Ronin take the kitchen stool and drag it up to the counters now to see what we are eating, or keeping from them. Sneaky little devils. But I am keeping two sets of eyes on Nikko because lately I have been feeling anxious about him, about his behavior.
AN ASIDE: he came home from mom's house with a bruise on top of a lump on his left shin! I have no idea when it happened or where. It seems painful because he won't let me touch it, but he's not limping. He can't tell me about it, so this also worries me.
For some reason, I have cracked open more books on ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and have been reading the blogs more often. I don't know if the whole transition into preschool thing is subliminally affecting me, but that's a possibility. I haven't switched his diet or done anything medically to him, but wonder if that is a route I should venture on. I'd rather keep him drug-free. But if that's the case, then how can I keep pushing forward, keep working his mind so that he will be able to connect? That's a question I jotted down: if autism is a neurological disorder, what can I do to help him bridge the gap? What can I do to help improve his comprehension and his speech? Or will it only develop in its own time? What specific activities can I do with Nikko? I think this is where we need a specialist or two. OK, now the red flags are waving again, I've got to move on those applications to see a behavioral therapist, or the pediactric therapist.
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