Bo's thoughts on Cookie

I was stressing a little bit this morning because Chinny is in San Francisco this week visiting Eric. I forgot that she'd be gone all week, so I would have 3 kids to worry about during Nikko's Developmental Therapy today. Fortunately, I put Audrey down for a 10:30am nap and I had only Ronin left to keep busy. I put the Cars DVD in the portable player, set it up by the window, and he was entranced for 30 minutes before he touched a button that made things FF so he came to bother us. I wasn't sure how the session would go because Nikko didn't want to put together the first animal wooden puzzle. When we started singing cleanup, however, he helped put all the pieces back into the bag, then signed that he wanted More. We took that to mean More toys. Bo got another toy, a peg board with colored pegs that he was supposed to line up by color. During this, I asked Bo about her son, when he started talking and if she did anything to help him learn, since she indicated to me that he had developmental delays (but not autism). She said he started talking on his own, but it took a while. I then started telling her about my cookie scenario with Nikko the other day, how he cried and fought for it, and in the end he gave up after all those tears, and still didn't get the cookie. I felt bad that it happened. Bo must have felt bad for Nikko and told me that she would have given him the cookie in the end, knowing that that is exactly what you're not supposed to do, because she didn't think it was worth it for him to be crying and crying so hard for just a cookie. I told her I was trying to get him to say Cookie, and he shook his head NO as if he understood what I wanted but didn't want to say it. Bo said, "How would you like it if someone tried to make you do something you didn't want to do?" I said I'd be mad, and then she also said, "If Nikko is trying to communicate with you by using signs, or pulling you toward what he wants, you should accept his attempts to communicate." Bo's words made me think that perhaps I pushed him too hard... then I told her that I thought that if I didn't try to challenge him, he wouldn't improve. Bo looked at me and shook her head, and I began to think that perhaps my reasons for pushing him were because I am anxious that he still has no words before he starts preschool. Maybe I'm pushing him for my own reasons, so that he can talk, and maybe he's still not ready to talk yet. Reading that book (I still think it's a good book so far) just set a fire under me to try to get him talking. I think I'd better take it slower, however, by encouraging the signs, modeling the words, and perhaps going back to using the pictures more. The rest of the session went well. Nikko worked on a Mr. Potato Head, and when he put the arms in he started giving him high fives, just like how Bo was giving Nikko high fives. We tried to feed Mr. Potato Head some pizza, then Nikko saw the tea cup and gave him some tea. That was so cool! Later on, Nikko's interest waned, but the session was finished so I let him go. We have ONE session left with Bo. I am dreading the end of therapy all over again. :(

After lunch, it took me a long time but I finally got everyone ready to go to Costco. I debated around 1:30p because Audrey was finishing a bottle, it was a half hour before Ronin's scheduled nap time, but if I put Ronin down then both Audrey and Nikko would be awake and making noise. It would also set me back when I really needed to go to Costco, especially for formula. I chose to pack up the kids in the car with the intention that at least Ronin would sleep for an hour. Which is exactly what happened. Costco was ok, but when we got home and I was unloading stuff, Ronin was out of my sight so I called out for him. I think he got scared that he was alone because he came racing to me from the backyard, screaming, and then kept screaming even though all I wanted was to be able to see him while I unloaded the car. I got everyone inside and snacking. Denis came home early to take us to the pool, but unfortunately it wasn't hot outside. It was in the lower 70's, which I normally love, but it truly wasn't pool weather. We chilled out in the living room instead and Nikko climbed on top of me as I lay on the floor. He flipped over facing the ceiling, and then he fell asleep like that while on top of me. The poor kid didn't nap all day. While he napped Denis told me to go to the grocery because I expressed the need, and I went, even to get a break from Ronin. Our evening was late because when I got home, all the kids were outside because they wouldn't sit still for dinner for Denis. Apparently they were all protesting and calling for Mommy. Doh. Nikko and the kids were put to bed, but even as late at 10:45 I could still hear Nikko talking to himself. Don't know what time he fell asleep.