Selective Eater Wins Again

So yesterday Becky was watching something on the PBS Kids’ website and suddenly announced that she would love to try plums and broccoli one day. Gregg and I were floored and Gregg decided that though plums were in season, he could go get some broccoli and cheese right then and there. After a quick trip to the store and popping a mini-dish of broccoli and cheese into the microwave he presented Becky with the dish. She snubbed it. Gregg sighed deeply. The selective eater wins again!

Nicholas SPEAKS

This is one of those spine tingling moments that I wouldn’t have actually believed if Nicholas’ nurse Dan-Dan and his oldest sister Daisha hadn’t been standing right there watching it happen with me!  We we’re yattering on and on about home refinancing for like 20 minutes and suddenly we realized on the floor in pristine order was HOME from Nicholas’ magnetic alphabet letters.  Daisha thought Dan-Dan had spelled it.  And then we realized Nicholas had spelled it.  We just couldn’t believe it.  Then we all stood around him stunned as he spelled SHELF and then OVER.  We were all clapping and cheering and asked him to spell dog.  He calmly picked out the letters DOG.  Then he said “jet” and spelled JET and then changed out the J for W and spelled WET.  We literally all screamed in unison — If I could figure out how to download my video cam stuff we’d show you all the whole thing! — Nicholas never ceases to amaze me!  Thank you, thank you…little man for being so amazing!

School Daze

Nicholas had his first day of school last week – well, that is, after all the fires in La Canada settled down!  The schools kept pushing out the “first day” due to all the smoke fall-out.  Nicholas’s nurses were very kind and kept him off-site – away from the area while the smoke cleared out.   Oh…But that first day of school, even, when it’s his 4^th time around, I still get all misty-eyed.  There he is, sitting in his little plaid rolled up shirt (ala the 50’s) all cleaned up and eager.  He sat down in his little wooden chair and sang the “Good Morning” song and I just turn to mush!  Here’s the thing.  If I put him in all special needs school, Nicholas would be one of the higher functioning kids, and in this class-room he probably falls at the end of that range.  But I will do anything and everything I can to make “integration” a reality.  It’s because he was integrated last year, as well as having his Springboard Speaking Device, that Nicholas has finally learned to communicate purposefully.  I have great hopes for his school year!  He’s in first grade and I am one proud Mama!