Doctors and such

Last Thursday, we met with April from the P.L.A.Y. Project, and we have more goals to build upon with Max:

1. In his play, increase the interactive range of affects and emotions when problem solving (like bad acting). 
2. Use pretend play and drama. Use the stuffed animals for fighting.  Make sure ideas are guiding the play.  Enter Max's ideas through his make believe world as a character in his drama using words and actions together.
3. Play tag.  Freeze tag.  Simple motor play.  Simple rules.

We also received a write up of all the pre-assessments they had done prior to accepting us into the program.  They will compare this baseline information with re-assessment at the end of our time together.

All of these goals build upon things we do a little of, but we need to step things up a bit.  There was a lot April talked about that we can do in play that will prepare him for how to handle peer interactions in school.

Yesterday, Max had his Kindergarten physical.  Silly me, I thought, for the first time with either of our kids, that I would let Scott take him.  I was still scarred from holding him down when they tried to find a vein for his bloodwork, I figured I had earned a time off just this once.  I tried my best to prep Scott, but he did let his guard down in between rounds of shots.  Max actually bent a needle in his leg when he slapped it about.  Also, Scott and Dr. Farinas had some conversation regarding vaccinations, and Max came home WITHOUT having been given his MMR.

{pause to let that sink in}

Let me give you more of the story.  I was at Zumba and Scott called from the Dr.s office and suddenly told me he wasn't sure about the vaccines.  To which I replied, "Just get the vaccines.  The vaccines did not cause the autism.  Plus he HAS autism!"  So, I call back an hour later to hear about the bent needle and the chat he and the good doctor had.  Apparently Dr. F. wasn't that big of a fan of giving so many vaccines at one time.  That did not help the situation.  So now we have this form stating we knew about the vaccines but we opted out of one of them.  Eventually, I am sending someone's A$$ back to the doctor's office for the MMR. 

I am not an irrational person.  Had we discussed this prior to the eleventh hour, and decided it together, it may have turned out the same way.  It's just that, when I relinquish control to someone else, and this happens, it sets me back on the whole delegation thing.  Plus, if he gets measles, mumps, or reubella, someone better be ready to bail me out of jail.  Enough said?

So today's appointment was seeing the eye doctor for Kindergarten.  Amazing, isn't it?  Dentist, physician, optometrist...all before Kindergarten.  I believed, again, that others had control of this, and I would take a back seat to the professionals.  I didn't need to control the situation.

{pause to let that sink in}

Well, I should have known when the assistant pulled up a string of letters and asked Max what letters he could see that I was in for trouble.  Or when they had him look at a picture of a clown and several other things and asked him what he saw... yes, again, I needed to step in and instruct.  The doctor herself was not bad.  Just a few cues from me, and she got it.  Have my son, whose expressive language is a year delayed, POINT to a PICTURE of what he sees.  Voila!  20/20.  It was a rocky start, though.

So, now Max is set for Kindergarten, as far as the medical/paperwork requirements are concerned.  Just one, big roller coaster ride.  Lots of hills.  I need to scream at the top of my lungs more, though.  I think that's what's missing...

A few pics for the week

In addition to being downright freezing, this week had its firsts. Ignatius had his first Scholastic Bowl match against Metcalf. HTJH lost, but put up an admirable amount of competition. Ignatius got a toss up right, as did a couple of his friends. It was fun to see them in a different environment than last week's birthday party. The match was on Ignatius' 13th birthday, so another first was he entered the world of teenager.

Still another first was that I changed my own windshield wipers. I had an issue with the driver's side wiper coming off from the blade. This is not the weather for that. So, I purchased some blades at Wal-Mart, believing my husband would help me. It didn't make it to his list of priorities, but seeing out of my windshield during a storm was right up there on mine. So, I found a video from Monkeysee.com, and I changed them myself. And they still remain on my car!