As Promised

We walked back down to the horses yesterday and this time I remembered my camera.

On the way home it started sprinkling hard on us and we had to run home. I do not like to run!! By the time we got back to our patio Kinley and I were gasping for breath and could barely talk and Landon was still going strong. He wasn't even breathing hard. It was very warm and Kinley asked if they could play in the water...why not :-). I can't believe it was that warm yesterday and today it's in the 40's.

Here's Landon playing with Spade, a neighbor's dog who decided to spend the day with us :-)...and the night. He slept at our back door. The kids were disappointed to see that he was gone this morning. I really do need to get them a dog!!

Three Day Weekend

We've had a very nice day so far. The kids didn't have to go to school today so we get a three day weekend :-). We got to sleep late, which late for us is 8:00. I think the kids were up by 7:30 but they were quiet and let me sleep.

After breakfast we went for a bike ride. The weather is SO nice and there was a cool breeze blowing. We rode down to see the horses and feed them and played some in the little barn. They love playing on the hay. I was so mad at myself for not taking the camera. I told Kinley we may go back down there later with the camera. We stayed 45 minutes or so and then came home and started cleaning the back yard and patio. I picked up all the trash, Windexed the glass table, dusted the rocker, swept and now the patio looks inviting and I can sit back there and read and watch the kids play. While I did that Kinley cleaned up the playhouse and fixed it up nice. It felt so good to be outside!

Now we are inside resting and Kinley is taking a nap. Landon has gone back out to play in the playhouse.

We don't have any plans for the weekend, which is fine with me. Kaylyn is with a friend and Jose' has to work some this weekend. If the weather is nice we'll be outside a lot, I'm sure. Next week will be busy because Stephen is getting his tonsils out. Unfortunately his doctor wants to do the surgery on Wednesday and Jose' has a barge coming in so he probably won't even get to be there :-(. That bothers him, I know. So, my sister, Lori, is taking us. The good thing is that I didn't even have to ask...she offered. She's so good about things like that and I appreciate her SO much!! I don't know how long the surgery will take or how long he'll have to stay afterwards but it will be nice to have her there.

That's about it...boring entry, huh? If we go walking later I'll edit this and add some pictures :-)

Have a good weekend all!

A Girl's Best Friend

Kinley wasn't feeling good last night. Looks like she caught her daddy's cold :-(. I gave her cold medicine and before long she was out.

Feels Like Spring :-)

I don't usually like springtime but for some reason this year I'm looking forward to it and summertime. It feels so good being outside with the kids and I always feel great after a bike ride or walk with them. It makes them so happy when I say "let's go". I'm glad we live in a neighborhood where we have plenty of places to walk or ride bikes with very little traffic.

I love how there are so many boys in our neighborhood for Landon to play with. Two of the boys are in his class. I just wish there were some little girls for Kinley to play with.

When we got down the road his friend's grandmother was about to walk around the big block with four boys so we joined them.

Landon with his friends. The two little boys on the ends are the ones who are in his class.

Kinley and Landon love feeding this horse. He loves them and when he sees us coming down the road starts running to the fence. They feed him grass and onions that he can't reach from the other side of the fence.

Kinley with her walking buddy. She was scared of him the first few times but now likes him. He follows right beside her, unless the other dogs come along wanting to play with him.

We didn't get to walk today because it was too cool...maybe tomorrow. The kids don't have to go to school :-).

Back in School

After a two week break, Landon is back in school. His teacher called me last Friday and asked if I was bringing Landon back. I told her I just didn't know what to do and I felt torn. I felt like he was doing great with his school work but was feeling guilty about taking him from his friends and the only real social interaction he was getting. He needs that, especially since social issues are a big part of Asperger's. He has made friends with his classmates and they like him and missed him. I want him to stay with these kids all the way through school. I was seeing him regress after only two weeks of being home with me. When we would go to the school he would cling to my leg and not want to talk to anyone, even his friends. I don't want that. I felt like all the progress he had made socially was slipping away.

His teacher told me she missed him and that his classmates asked about him every day...that they were worried about him. She asked if I would just come in on Monday and talk to her and the principle about some alternatives and some changes that would be good for him. So, that's what we did. It was hard to get Landon to go in the classroom to play while I talked but he finally did. What we worked out is that he will go in at regular time because they actually get good work out of him for about the first 45 minutes of the morning. Around 9:00 the aide takes him down to the computer room and lets him do some learning games on the computer and unwind. He's doing well with that. After the morning recess his teacher does 30 minutes one on one time with him while the aide tends to the rest of the class. After lunch and recess I pick him up, around 12:30. They said we can do half days until we feel that he can handle more.

The first day back I was worried because he woke up saying he just wanted to stay home with Mommy. I had trouble getting him up and around but once he was dressed it was like he was back in his routine and he was fine. He picked a toy to take with him and when we got to the school he got out, told me bye and he loved me and walked in with Kinley with no tears. His teacher said he did great, like he had never left. When I picked him up he seemed happy. When we were leaving he ran back and hugged his teacher and said "Bye Miss Cherie, I love you...thank you for teaching me". ***Big Sigh***

This is all new to me and I'm never sure I'm doing the right thing but I feel good about this and like I'm doing the right thing for him. This is also all new to our school but they are trying and that means a lot to me.

One day at a time with this child...we will get through this!!

Happy Birthday Landon!!

My Landon turned 6 years old on February 6th...SIX!! If I really think back it feels like he's been here that long. Actually, it feels like he's just always been here. But, if I think back to all I went through to have my reversal and then to the day he was born it feels like yesterday. We got out his birth tape on his birthday and watched it. It was just as weird to see my other three kids and how young they were as it was to see Landon as a newborn.

We had his party on Super Bowl Sunday...like we always do. He's not comfortable being in a crowd so I still don't do big parties with his friends. There were 12 here, though...Jose' and I and our four kids, Sherri and her three kids, Kaylyn's boyfriend, my mother in law and for a while one of Kinley's friends. Jose' made shrimp dip, a sausage dip, those little barbque wieners that you put in the crock pot and cooked chicken wings, mushrooms and boudain on the grill. I made cupcakes and decorated them with football stuff. We did the cupcakes and gifts at halftime of the game, otherwise there would be no way to get the guys in there.

Some of us played cards during the game...

I couldn't let Landon's actual birthday pass without doing something. So, my MIL made supper for us and we went to her house. It was just her, my FIL, me, Jose', Kinley and Landon. Kaylyn and Stephen had gone to a basketball game. My MIL made tacos and tostadas.

I made him a cake...I think I did okay :-). We had already given him his big gift, Guitar Hero, at his party. But, I wanted him to have something little to open this night so we got him a football and MIL and FIL gave him $20.00.

He was so cute here watching his MawMaw sing "Happy Birthday" to him. It was a good night and I loved that we got to spend it with the in-laws. I think Landon had a very good birthday :-).

Trying Something New

Things have not worked out well for Landon in school. I really thought things were getting better but the last few times I talked to the teacher she said he was falling behind, won't stay in his chair and that something had to be done. The only reason I've kept him in school as long as I have is because of his teacher. She cares about him, she's good with him and she wants to help him. But, I just think he's got to have some one on one time to get caught up. So, last week I took him out of school and will be home schooling him through the rest of Kindergarten and hopefully can get him ready for first grade.

The principle called me this morning and asked if I would be willing to come in for a couple of hours a day and help with him. Of course I said I would. However, when I talked to his teacher today I didn't get the feeling she was okay with that. She said she wasn't sure it would work out. I felt crushed...I didn't expect that. But, I do understand. That is her classroom and I respect that. I will continue to teach him here. She gave me all his workbooks and books...I appreciated that. My only regret is that he won't be with his friends. Today when we went up there they were all so happy to see him. The ones who were in the hall went running into the classroom saying "Landon's back, Landon's back!!"

Last week I started with A and will take one letter a day or more than one day if he needs it until he can write the big and small letter prefectly on his paper, between the lines. He's doing great and has A, B and C perfect. We then work on reading, sight words and math. I give him long breaks between each so he won't get frustrated and because he's just not able to sit still for that long.

We even got the chance to do a little Science. He got this playing Bingo at my niece's birthday party. It was a dinosaur egg made out of dirt and buried inside were dinosaur bones. It came with a little pick to dig with and a little brush to brush the dirt away. He tried to dig it out by himself and did a little but it was hard. So, Kinley and her friend helped him.

When they got all the bones out we put them together.

So, I'll just take this home school thing one day at a time. I know I can help him. I know I can teach him to read and write. I just worry because I don't like him not being around other kids. I'll have to work hard to make sure I get him together with his friends sometimes. I just want to do what is right for Landon. I hope I'm doing the right thing.