Our vacation as been great so far and the boys are all doing wonderful, Kodi is enjoying every minute of each day being with his cousins and grandparents. He is making wonderful choices and we have only had two melt downs while we have been home.
As a family we usually don't go out to restaurants for a couple of reasons, the first being the noise and second we have a 2 year old who doesn't always listen and loves to run around. We decided to take them with us to TGI Fridays to go and get my childhood best friend and her family. We had told Kodi that when everything became too much for him to let us know. We pulled out the "guys" I brought with us and let the boys play while we ordered and ate our food. Just as she brought our food and started to eat Kodi tapped Aaron on the shoulder and said "dad I need to jump" "Ok buddy we can go do that" outside they went no questions asked no yelling and melting down by Kodi they went out twice during dinner and on the third time Kodi asked to go to the car and just sit, Aaron stated "than we are not coming back buddy this time is that OK" "yes daddy that is fine" Kodi very nicely answered.
I couldn't believe how great both boys did, Kodi was able to tell us when his body had enough and needed some time to regroup.
Last night was for us a very great break through, my parents have a giant swing set in the back year and Kodi loves to swing I would let him he would swing all day long and that great big smile would stay on his face. You see pure joy when he is swinging. So Aaron pushed Kodi on the tire swing and he spun and spun until Aaron found a bug for Kodi and he jumped off, and was actually dizzy from the spinning. I couldn't believe it this is something that never happens that he is actually processing the spin. Aaron and I just smiled and I was so very proud, that we are making process. Of course he didn't know why we were so very happy but it was a very great moment for us.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Traveling with the boys
We have made it finally to Minnesota, and I have to say for all my boys being in the car 13 hours a day was a very long and boring two days but they all did great. Kodi was wonderful we only had a very small issue.
We made it to MN finally Tuesday night and he fell right back into his old routine at grandma's house which was very nice. He even asked if he was going to therapy and didn't really get that we were just visiting and we don't' go and see his therapist when we visit.
The Lion face is still doing wonders for us, I also have been noticing that when I am around and he goes into his fits I just make it worse. Yesterday I had to take our youngest Peyton to get his pre op done for his surgery on Friday and Kodi was melting down big time. Too much excitement at the cousins and he didn't want to leave. So I had to go but within 5 minutes he was ok with my hubby and his aunt. Where if I am around it goes until for 30 to 45 minutes.
Also being here we are able to play outside since it's not so blasted hot. Being outside is so much help, last night the boys stayed with my parents and just played and ran around out back. It was a much needed break for all of us.
I also have to wonder why it's taking the therapist so blasted long to for us to get an evaluation in VA it's crazy I have us on 3 different waiting lists. But really not even a phone call in the past three months so I will have to call them when we get back home.
We will see how our day is today since we are going to the Mall of America, if we have melt downs or not. I also know that Kodi feels our stress and our emotions much more than a "normal" kid would. After his melt down yesterday he told Aaron (his dad) that he was scared and worried about Peyton going away for surgery and didn't want Mommy to drive the car. Now did he tell us that no he just screamed and cried and tried to pull me out of the way and out of the car. We are telling him that it's ok and that he has nothing to worry about Mommy and Daddy are taking care of things and he doesn't have to worry.
We made it to MN finally Tuesday night and he fell right back into his old routine at grandma's house which was very nice. He even asked if he was going to therapy and didn't really get that we were just visiting and we don't' go and see his therapist when we visit.
The Lion face is still doing wonders for us, I also have been noticing that when I am around and he goes into his fits I just make it worse. Yesterday I had to take our youngest Peyton to get his pre op done for his surgery on Friday and Kodi was melting down big time. Too much excitement at the cousins and he didn't want to leave. So I had to go but within 5 minutes he was ok with my hubby and his aunt. Where if I am around it goes until for 30 to 45 minutes.
Also being here we are able to play outside since it's not so blasted hot. Being outside is so much help, last night the boys stayed with my parents and just played and ran around out back. It was a much needed break for all of us.
I also have to wonder why it's taking the therapist so blasted long to for us to get an evaluation in VA it's crazy I have us on 3 different waiting lists. But really not even a phone call in the past three months so I will have to call them when we get back home.
We will see how our day is today since we are going to the Mall of America, if we have melt downs or not. I also know that Kodi feels our stress and our emotions much more than a "normal" kid would. After his melt down yesterday he told Aaron (his dad) that he was scared and worried about Peyton going away for surgery and didn't want Mommy to drive the car. Now did he tell us that no he just screamed and cried and tried to pull me out of the way and out of the car. We are telling him that it's ok and that he has nothing to worry about Mommy and Daddy are taking care of things and he doesn't have to worry.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Why does everything come crashing down on sundays
I should have known from all three boys getting up at 5:30 that our day was going to be a rough one. But I just thought it would be a good one, or at least I was praying it would. Things for Kodi started off good, yes he was up at 5:30 but he was doing good, ate breakfast watched some TV and played very well with his brother while we were getting ready for church.
I even let him slide down the stairs a bunch of times getting some great input but still he started to melt down when it was time for me to get into the car. This meltdown was a huge one, I was doing everything our therapist had told us to do. I was not talking to much to him, I was keeping myself calm breathing and having Aaron breath as well. He had crawled in front with me and started to push so I let him push putting his legs on the dash and allowing him to push as I pushed back, some very good pressure for him.
But that did not do it, he just fought me harder, than he would get a good swing in and pull my hair and he bit me twice. Finally I got out of the car and let him scream and yell and I told him that I would not allow him to hurt me and I walked away. That seemed to start to calm him down, and things from there started to go better. Needless to say we were late for church. But while I was walking around the yard with him and talking to him we could hear a train blow it's whistle and he covered his ears and it was very painful for him.
He is in total defense mode and we are doing our best to help him. I have been doing more and more reading again and I am thinking he is under stress from us trying to find a school for him, he feeds off of our feelings and we have been very stressed over this problem and I do believe that is some of the problem.
I also posted for some help on www.sensory-processing-disorder.com about his meltdowns and someone gave some great advice about making some yoga pose lion face. So I looked it up and it so far worked. Both boys love making the face.
Let's hope tomorrow is better since we are leaving on vacation for a couple of days :)
I even let him slide down the stairs a bunch of times getting some great input but still he started to melt down when it was time for me to get into the car. This meltdown was a huge one, I was doing everything our therapist had told us to do. I was not talking to much to him, I was keeping myself calm breathing and having Aaron breath as well. He had crawled in front with me and started to push so I let him push putting his legs on the dash and allowing him to push as I pushed back, some very good pressure for him.
But that did not do it, he just fought me harder, than he would get a good swing in and pull my hair and he bit me twice. Finally I got out of the car and let him scream and yell and I told him that I would not allow him to hurt me and I walked away. That seemed to start to calm him down, and things from there started to go better. Needless to say we were late for church. But while I was walking around the yard with him and talking to him we could hear a train blow it's whistle and he covered his ears and it was very painful for him.
He is in total defense mode and we are doing our best to help him. I have been doing more and more reading again and I am thinking he is under stress from us trying to find a school for him, he feeds off of our feelings and we have been very stressed over this problem and I do believe that is some of the problem.
I also posted for some help on www.sensory-processing-disorder.com about his meltdowns and someone gave some great advice about making some yoga pose lion face. So I looked it up and it so far worked. Both boys love making the face.
Let's hope tomorrow is better since we are leaving on vacation for a couple of days :)
Saturday, August 21, 2010
A little bit on overload
Overload for both Mom and Kodi, we have been trying to get him tested for school with his speech, and this state is so frustrating. Because Kodi just turned 5 he is suppose to go to Kindergarten, but he is not ready. He just turned 5 this month, and is emotional not ready. I have explained this to the school and along with his SPD he is behind and needs another year in preschool.
Well they did not like that answer, last week we had our special ed meeting and they are going to test him, but I am sure they will get the same scores as Minnesota did where he than falls short of getting help, but that is not the whole story. They need to watch him interact but they won't be able to because they do not have a pre-k for 5 years.
Which makes no sense to me, the kids who are just not ready are falling behind and they don't care. You either go to school at 5 or you don't get any schooling, they have no pre-k at all for 5 year olds.
We did find a private school and loved it but once again I do not have the 19k for tuition crazy.
Anyway some exciting things Dad finally put up the two different swings for the boys. So now they can swing whenever they want. We also have a very cool light in the swing room with a wave that plays when the light is on. Very calming, now only if I can get him in the swing room when he is having a melt down. That is my goal to have him learn where to go when he is screaming and trying to hurt me. Melting down is at least once a week and I hate it.
He gets so very mad and is out of control, I just want to take that pain over for him and do it for him, but I can't.
He has to learn how to channel that anger into a ok form of display. So we found a karate class for him to be in and he is very good at it and loves going. I am praying this is the answer we have been praying for and he will learn. We also have been getting out our OTIS yoga cards and doing them. He loves to do this "yoga"
I also have been trying to do more sensory diet during the day, we open our day with some very good oral input with breakfast, than we do some jumping and rough play, than some movie time, back to more oral input he loves to eat popcorn and drinking out of straws so we do a lot of that.
But we are hitting a wall with a those meltdowns, I don't know how to help him.
Yesterday we came home and a car was blocking the entrance to the road so we went the back way to get to our house and he flipped out. Crying kicking yelling, how to I help him. We even tried to drive out and back in the right way but it was no good.
We have put a call into a therapist for him, but we are still waiting. Just like with OT and speech he has been out of service for 3 going on 4 months, because of our move. I have him on three different waiting lists and still nothing.
So what can I do to help him with those meltdowns?
Well they did not like that answer, last week we had our special ed meeting and they are going to test him, but I am sure they will get the same scores as Minnesota did where he than falls short of getting help, but that is not the whole story. They need to watch him interact but they won't be able to because they do not have a pre-k for 5 years.
Which makes no sense to me, the kids who are just not ready are falling behind and they don't care. You either go to school at 5 or you don't get any schooling, they have no pre-k at all for 5 year olds.
We did find a private school and loved it but once again I do not have the 19k for tuition crazy.
Anyway some exciting things Dad finally put up the two different swings for the boys. So now they can swing whenever they want. We also have a very cool light in the swing room with a wave that plays when the light is on. Very calming, now only if I can get him in the swing room when he is having a melt down. That is my goal to have him learn where to go when he is screaming and trying to hurt me. Melting down is at least once a week and I hate it.
He gets so very mad and is out of control, I just want to take that pain over for him and do it for him, but I can't.
He has to learn how to channel that anger into a ok form of display. So we found a karate class for him to be in and he is very good at it and loves going. I am praying this is the answer we have been praying for and he will learn. We also have been getting out our OTIS yoga cards and doing them. He loves to do this "yoga"
I also have been trying to do more sensory diet during the day, we open our day with some very good oral input with breakfast, than we do some jumping and rough play, than some movie time, back to more oral input he loves to eat popcorn and drinking out of straws so we do a lot of that.
But we are hitting a wall with a those meltdowns, I don't know how to help him.
Yesterday we came home and a car was blocking the entrance to the road so we went the back way to get to our house and he flipped out. Crying kicking yelling, how to I help him. We even tried to drive out and back in the right way but it was no good.
We have put a call into a therapist for him, but we are still waiting. Just like with OT and speech he has been out of service for 3 going on 4 months, because of our move. I have him on three different waiting lists and still nothing.
So what can I do to help him with those meltdowns?
Friday, August 6, 2010
The Doctor
The past coulpe of days have been a change for us. Kodi is throwing more and more fits when life doesn't go the way he wants to. The more step back and watch the more I think he is trying to see if Mom and Dad are really going to put our foot down and do what we said.
I just wish his "time out's " would be more "normal" than what he does. He loves to destroy his room try and hit us, bit us and right now his favorite thing is to pinch us. His little fingers just get the right amount of skin and he Pinches and boy does it hurt.
We are making sure that we don't go back on what was said and he is seeming to understand. The biggest thing for us right now is that he went to a Neurologist and he says Kodi does have SPD but over all is "normal" he sees more normal than the SPD which we were happy to hear. I would have been find if he had more of a SPD than normal as well. He also agreed with me on that Kodi's needs another year of preschool and not to put him in kindergarten he is just not ready. The hard part is trying to find the preschool everywhere down here says he has to go to kindergarten but that is not the case. We have an appointment with the Principal of the school he is suppose to go to on Monday so we will see.
I just wish his "time out's " would be more "normal" than what he does. He loves to destroy his room try and hit us, bit us and right now his favorite thing is to pinch us. His little fingers just get the right amount of skin and he Pinches and boy does it hurt.
We are making sure that we don't go back on what was said and he is seeming to understand. The biggest thing for us right now is that he went to a Neurologist and he says Kodi does have SPD but over all is "normal" he sees more normal than the SPD which we were happy to hear. I would have been find if he had more of a SPD than normal as well. He also agreed with me on that Kodi's needs another year of preschool and not to put him in kindergarten he is just not ready. The hard part is trying to find the preschool everywhere down here says he has to go to kindergarten but that is not the case. We have an appointment with the Principal of the school he is suppose to go to on Monday so we will see.
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