First Day of School

Cedric started kindergarten yesterday; a new school, teachers and bus drivers. Cedric did much better than his mom with this transition! He was so happy to get on the bus again. He does have a tendancy to take off his seatbelt if he knows the driver can't see him, so he sits in the front. Cedric was great for his am bus driver...but he knew his pm driver really well...lol he pushed it a little so the locking mechanism for the seatbelt goes back on! I am sure after the honeymoon period with his am driver the lock will be on then too.

We had taken Cedric to his new school a few times and talked to him about what would be happening on Monday. But being an over-anxious mommy I had visions of him not getting off the bus when it got to school. I should have remembered his charismatic personality and knew he would be fine. So about an hour after school starts I was over at the school to meet his teacher and check-in on him. His teacher told me Cedric got off the bus and was falling into the routine just fine. Yay Bubba! So we talk a little bit more and I pushed it too far. Cedric's radar kicked in and he came around the corner in the classroom to find mommy. We had major fallout. Just after I finish telling his teacher Cedric's tendancy to try and bite if transitioned from a task he likes to something else too quickly...I'm going out the door, Bubba is trying to follow me and crying with all his might, his teacher steps in to keep him from the door and Cedric goes to bite him. His teacher is a trooper, he is a great man I know from when my adopted brother had him as a teacher. So I get out the door quickly and hope to goodness cedric calms down. Well I never got a phone call to come and get him so I guess all went good.

Cedric has been going to school (preschool) for about 3 years now, I find it strange that kindergarten has me in such an anxious state. All day yesterday and even a little now as I am writing this tears are welling up...
Maybe it is the "big" school now but truly I kinda chuckle...how anxious will I be when it is high school.

My core goal for Cedric this year is his communication. He has been working great with the PECS system at the Mary Jane Rees foundation in Sacramento and I want that coordinated and followed all places; home, school, and therapy. I also want his academics done in the PECS style, I have made my own worksheets up to facilitate that. Here's hoping that I can convey this to the powers that be. I know his attention span is short but I also know that this little man gets bored easily and I really believe in his capacity to learn and more important his desire and interest to understand new things.

I enrolled Cedric in private music lessons with a fab-u-lous woman! There are studies that show even though language is learned on the left side of the brain after you hit the age of 5 years that window closes a little. But there is still a window of opportunity in looking at other means of language learning. Right side of the brain is of course our creative side, so that was my thought with the music lessons. Right now I am happy to say that at his last lesson Cedric followed his teacher in 5 consecutive movements without any prompting from mom. 5! I am thrilled! It is interesting to note that his response to the music was huge, we had been using fun children songs, eh ok...then switched to classical music mmm little better, but when native american drumming music was turned on that is when he had his moment! Native American drumming (now this is my understanding, if I am wrong my apologies) is based on the heartbeat. It makes total sense to me, Cedric is big on deep pressure and heavy working of his muscles it stands to reason that this music would (no pun intended) strike a chord in him!

Days of Summer

Wow summer is moving fast! The weather has been lovely here and my family is loving every minute! We have been spending A LOT of time out in the sunshine, water fights are a great way to cool off. Cedric's aim with the water hose is becoming very accurate! I also get to enjoy doing yard work while the kiddos play. However there has been much complaint since I cleared the blackberry vines from the fig trees! It was great seeing such purple stained mouths and hands! An update on the Baclofen: all is going pretty well except for a spike in insomnia. I find it interesting we went almost 5 yrs with his sleep problems before we started meds. Now 2 weeks with this insomnia and I feel beaten up, yet I lasted years before...lol I guess I am getting old. So we are going to tweak his night meds and see what happens. There is another med we could try in place of the Baclofen but the results (minus sleep problems) have been to awesome to risk a change. The other day at the park Cedric, without his braces, walked up 3 stairs ALL by himself, not even a railing to hold onto!!! That was the coolest. We have also noticed some loosening in his mouth, he is playing with his tongue more, running it over his lips and making clearer sounds. Just last night he pointed to the ceiling fan and made the clearest "fffff" noise ever! We finally got the recommendations from the neuropsychologist we took him to see, I am glad I did NOT sign his IEP, the start of school this year will be very very interesting. The school district will probably not like us, but oh well...this little man of mine deserves every chance possible! And shunting him off to no man's land is not an option. I am sure I will have more on this later!

Heading off a Surgery

Well we finally got Cedric in to see a great doctor in physiotry. Cedric has been in braces since he was about 2yrs old, because he walks on his toes. Unlike most kiddos his age his braces have to be made out of adult grade plastic because of his strength. This can be hard over time on his muscles, bones and tendons. The biggest issue is to preserve his ability to walk and while the braces have been awesome, as he grows his tendons will get shorter. So we have started him on Baclofen to help relax his muscles. (http://www.drugs.com/baclofen.html) In starting this medicine we hope to stem off his heel cord lengthening surgery until he is 8 yrs old. I am pleased to say it has been working! Cedric is back to tolerating his braces better, especially the right one. Also, while he is out of braces he is standing with flat feet and walking much flatter...in all his years in braces when the braces came off he never did this. We are so excited to see this change!

A Day in the Life with an Angel

Routine....Routine....Routine

As with any kiddo, there are good and bad days, and routine seems to be the answer for all.

Cedric usually gets up at about 6am after sleeping through the night YAY, and first things first we want out Thomas the Train. This lil man can build his tracks all over, sometimes I think we should get more but we may find Thomas heading to another country! After he has woken up his sister, Alyssa, his other main objective! We dive into the day :)

Breakfast has become a lot easier now that mom gives him a choice either cereal or eggs, we are becoming quite proficient using a fork, but sometimes we still like using a spoon. Clean-up is fun, Cedric loves to help, whether mom wants him to or not.

Getting dressed is always exciting, Cedric is very capable of undressing (a milestone reached loooong ago) but we are getting better at dressing, occasional hair-pulling and running away always keep this activity full of giggles. I am always amazed at his grip, one would think after 5 yrs I would know better.

If it is a therapy day, Cedric is way happy he loves riding the bus! There have been many times when mom is chatting with the bus driver only to hear very unhappy noises from Cedric because as far as he is concerned, if I am on the bus, it needs to be moving...this is my time mom! The minute that engine starts up laughter and clapping commences. Cedric used to make his unhappy noise whenever I took him to therapy, life has been easier since we are able to bus him. My lil man loves his independence!

Once Cedric is home from therapy, it is time for lunch. Sometimes mom lets me help in the kitchen. I can get the peanut butter and jelly and have so much fun squeezing the bread. I also like to get into anything else I can find, someyimes mom is quicker than me but not by much!

Cedric has school in the afternoons. I was not thrilled with this, he did have morning school but that changed this year. Cedric is usually at his best attention wise in the ams, but we have done pretty well this year. Once me (mom) got over this routine change! Did I say routine was only for kiddos! :) Of course school means another bus ride! Cedric with help up first step is now walking up the rest by himself and gets into his seat. Wish he was this good getting into our car.

On days when we don't have school, Cedric plays with his sister. He loves of course going out back for water play. This lil guy makes the best mud pies! It was a hard time for mom to get over all the dirt but I got her trained, plus I get a bath after playing outside, life is great!

Mom keeps talking about potty training but I already have her trained...wonder why she still needs help with this!!

Dinnertime is mealtime at its greatest. Refer to other mealtimes and add in a lil man who is done with his day of maintaining. I have been thinking of adding in more brushing and joint compressions because I think his lil system is on overload.

Bedtime, yuck! Cedric hates picking up his toys, but hey most kids do too. Mostly I try to get him to participate for some of it. Alyssa, his sister is a dynamo at picking up...she is very particular at where and how items are put away. Slightly OCD in my opinion but well there are worse skills. Cedric always has yogurt with his meds, usually I can use yogurt as a way to keep him on task...depending on both of our patience level. Cedric loves to watch "Jakers, the Adventures of Piggley Winks" it is a cartoon on Sprout. Then it is story time. Daddy is the bestest story reader. Then finally my sister goes to her room after I have given her my love (ie hair pulling with a strong hug!) and I get daddy all to myself for my brushing.

Off to sleep I go, getting the rest I need to give mom and dad oh and my lil sister a run for their money the next day!