Flash

The above is Bennett on September 12th showing off his "shirt that makes me super fast." He is completely convinced that if he wears one of 3 particular pairs of socks, this shirt, or his white shin guards (during soccer), he is faster than he normally is.

Actually, he IS getting speedier and more coordinated when running. Someone at his soccer game today commented to me that he is "small, but scrappy!" Scrappy?! I like it! (I'm pretty sure he meant that in a good way.)

He had a GREAT game today, including a fantastic defensive kick that moved the ball 3/4 of the way down the field and led to the set up of a goal. He played goalie for a quarter and made an awesome stop too. Almost made a goal kicking the ball through 2 of the opposing team's players, but it went just on the wrong side of the goal post. UGH, I wish I had pictures of all this action! I had my camera, but my SD card was sitting all by itself on the kitchen counter, leaving my Nikon just an empty shell of an electronic. :-(

This was the last soccer game of the season, but there will definitely be more to come. Recently, Bennett informed me of the following, "My three sports are soccer, basketball, and golf." Nevermind he has never played basketball and has only mini-golfed, but apparently, this is what we're in store for in the next 12+ years. He was so excited to sign up for basketball, and that starts next month. I will be sure to bring my Nikon AND my SD card.

Barking-hole-digger.

This is Stewart.

He's part Beagle, part Collie and all "barking-hole-digger". I think that should be his breed name, since he's officially a mutt.

I suppose I love him. ;-) He's almost thirteen, and has been with us for 10 years. I got him from the Summit County pound the day he was set to be euthanized. I've never known a more affectionate, appreciative animal. He still acts like he's a puppy, running around the yard like a maniac and jumping over small objects for sport. On the other hand, he also knows how to relax, and can sleep for hours without moving a muscle.

Stew is famous for digging holes underneath our fence and escaping to roam the neighborhood, eventually ending up at Nick's parents' house, getting a biscuit from them, and then carrying that biscuit a quarter mile home to eat it in the comfort of his own living room.

He's the reason that I cannot sit down with a kitchen full of dishes after a meal, even if I wanted to. He barks and barks and barks until the kitchen is clean. (He is under the impression that there's a chance I'll give him some remnant from a plate if I'm not cleaning things up immediately.)

Poor Stewart lost his best friend back in April. Our other dog Ruby's death hit us all a little harder than we thought it would. Stewy wouldn't eat and was very lethargic for weeks. He lost weight. But gradually, he's regained some spring in his step. More on Ruby when I go back and cover what I missed this spring.

The best Stewart story of late is from over this summer when he ran through FRESH TAR on one of his excursions about town. He returned home, with a front paw that looked like he had dunked it into a bucket of tar, and little bits all over his belly/chest (from running with the tar-laden paw) and on his whiskers (from trying to lick the tar away.)

He came into the garage, I opened the door, and was happy I censored expletives as B happened to be standing right behind me. I said, "STEWART!!! Are you kidding me?!" And Ben said - "Yeah, Stewart! Are you kidding me? Are you kidding us? Are you kidding EVERYONE?!"

Isn't that awesome? So, when "are you kidding me?" just doesn't pack enough wallop, "are you kidding everyone?" really fits the bill.

Back to the tar - 2 hours of cutting, using Goo-gone, and Go-Jo hand cleaner, Stewy was set free from his tarry prison. I used the Goo-gone prior to reading the bottle, which said something like, "avoid prolonged contact with skin, contains chemicals that are toxic and flammable, never ingest." I read that, and then glanced over at Stewart who was licking his paw, completely soaked in the Goo-Gone.

But what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger, and Stewy emerged triumphant over solvent toxicity and fresh tar. What a dog!!

Raspberries

Bennett and I can make ourselves sick on berries. We eat strawberries, blackberries, and red raspberries by the pound. No joke. My attempt at growing our own this year was a big fat failure, so we found ourselves at Rittman Orchard about every other week throughout berry season, picking till our berry bucket runneth over. If you have a dedicated "berry bucket" that says something...

This day, September 4th, was particularly Fall-like before it's time. I LOVE Fall. Love it. I love the crisp air, the colors, the smell of the leaves mixed with the last of the season's fresh-cut grass smell. Most of all, I love the sky and it's contradictory moods - bright blue patches with glowing white friendly clouds, mingling with gray rimmed ominous looking clouds. I love the depth of a Fall sky - it always seems so 3-dimensional to me, in a sense that it rolls out in front of you across the horizon and is so fluidly dynamic. Its mesmerizing.

Here's an example that doesn't even go 50% of the way in showing you how pretty the sky was that day:

B, with aforementioned berry bucket:

He's quite the poser now, thanks to my God-Daughter, Clara. I adore her...she is drama personified. Bennett is picking up on her mad posing skills. Only her "crazy poses" though, because, after all, he is 6 and a boy.

Game Plan

Shame on me.

Honestly, Kristy - what have you been doing the last few months? I'm so regretful that I haven't kept this blog up in real time. However, I am going to commit to the following:

1) Update from the day school started to present with pictures and journaling of our highlight happenings.

2) Blog our Disney vacation from back in January. (Stop it. I know that was 10 months ago. Just. Stop.)

3) Blog from January to present all the little posts I've missed along the way. And the big posts - like our vacation to Mexico in July. (I know that was 3 months ago. Stop.)

4) Accomplish all of this by the end of November. (I know this is a lofty goal. Before you scoff at me, stop.)

I will do this!! Just you wait.

(Thank you for your patience. :-)

FIRST GRADE BOYS - XAVIER

Here are me, X, and B on the morning of Xavier's first day of school, August 24th.

I drop B off at 8:25, and then Xavier and I head over to his school. We sing on the way. Can you tell he's singing here?

Showing off his 2 bottom teeth that are growing in. He lost all 4 front ones this summer. :-)


Now it's Xavier's turn...it makes sense that he goes second because he actually didn't start until August 24th, one day after Benny. (Even though you are reading this first, as blogger lists things in chronological order of postings, and I typed it second.)

I actually didn't know he started the day after B until the week before. All summer, I was under the assumption August 23rd was the day o' magic, but I was wrong. Ha! Anyway, X and I had great one-on-one time while B was in school that first day...I relish those days, when I have just one of my boys to focus on by themselves. I get to appreciate all the little things that make them who they are, that sometimes slip by unnoticed when I'm multitasking parenting.

This year, Hazel Harvey Elementary has created a Multi-Disabilities (MD) Unit for Xavier and some other children in our district that have developmental disabilities. Currently, there are only three kids in the class, with one teacher and 2 paraprofessionals. Xavier gets to go into typical first grade and Kindergarten classrooms for social and learning activities. He LOVES the Kindergarten curriculum and nurturing environment. The music, dancing, and continuous doting of 5 year old children makes him grin and giggle. Its so awesome to see. He goes back to the MD classroom for therapy (PT/OT/SLP) and for individual activities with his teacher and interventional specialists. He's working on lots of communication activities, doing simple turn-taking games, and thoroughly enjoying himself throughout the day.

Unfortunately, the last eight weeks have not been all sunshine and cotton candy. Prefacing this with the fact that the school and I are working to make things better, and without getting into specifics, there was a huge communication breakdown with regards to Xavier's general safety and addressing of IEP goals in the classroom. It dominated the last several weeks of my life. As outward evidence of the intense level of irritation I had brewing within me, I walked around with a twitchy left eye and developed a monster zit during the last week of this debacle. I had been patient, my polite voicings of concern were being placated with incomplete, PC answers, and I had had enough. Long story short - I started being blunt, and things got fixed. I think we're on the right path now...although from now on, I will no longer assume, my general alertness has been raised, and I am demanding more complete communication (which I had assumed was being done, but unfortunately was not.) I'm still pretty upset and raw over this...I lost trust, and hope the school will work to gain it back. Xavier deserves more...

On a happier note - X has had the introduction of even more awesome people into his life. His first MD teacher was great, but moved onto another position 2 weeks into the school year. (Because of "the problem", I think.) The new MD teacher is also wonderful, and the 2 paraprofessionals are super. He also got to hang out with a great substitute in between teacher #1 and teacher #2.

What a year so far...and we're only 8 weeks in? Lordy - what else is in store? I hope nothing that gives me a twitch. (That was annoying.)

FIRST GRADE BOYS - BENNETT

Bennett's first day at Sts. Peter and Paul was August 23rd. He is so proud and excited to be a "Grader". That's what he and the other Kindergarteners last year called the kids in the grades above them - "Graders", as in "Oh, Mom. That kid is a Grader." "What's that mean, Ben?" "He's in second GRADE, Mom. DUH. That makes him a "Grader." You know, if you're in a "grade" and not in Kindergarten." Outstanding logic. Got it. So now B's a GRADER!!

Here is B, making a half-hearted effort at breakfast before school. Notice - he is painfully skinny. Notice - his choice of food. Notice - the Pediasure box woefully neglected and looking lonely over in the corner of the chair. This is why he barely tips the scales at a whopping 40#. For awhile there (it seemed like months, and I think it actually was...) every single time he'd get on the scale (which is very often, and this is by his choosing) he weighed in at 39.6#. When he broke the 40# mark, we all did a little happy dance. It was a big moment. How about a donut instead of that kiwi buddy? No such luck.

First year of uniforms! He must wear navy or black pants/shorts and white or hunter green shirts. He can wear navy sweaters, etc too. He actually really likes the uniform (as do I.)


Requisite "silly pictures" ---

(He is a mama's boy. :-)

Bennett with some of his ladies, Mia, B, Clara, and Monica.
Bennett and best buddy, Linus.

Bennett has really grown leaps and bounds in school activities. He's reading like a champ and getting better at it each day. All spelling tests (every Friday since the start of school) have come home with 100%'s. I say, "Write you name on the top of that math homework, and I'll be over to help you in just a minute"...literally one minute goes by, and I hear him shouting, "DONE!" And he is, and they're all correct. M-A-G-I-C. Watching learning and mastery happen is amazing me every single day.

He's growing socially too, and is making such good choices in friends, and with behavior. I'm so proud of him with his tremendous growth in this arena - B really has to reign in his impulses at times, and make a conscious effort to make the right choice --- he's doing this consistently now, and I'm getting great feedback from his teacher. The reward system she has in place for behavior at school is working like a charm for him.

Bennett continues to blow me away with his depth of curiosity and questions, his perceptiveness and cleverness, and his sensitivity. Here's a quote from his teacher on his progress note: "Ben is truly a remarkable person, and I feel it is a privilege to have him in my classroom."

Mrs. Gaudio is right - he is remarkable. I know I say this all the time, but I just am completely wow'ed by the fact that this child was born 4 months early, weighed 1#3oz at birth, and has had developmental challenges all along the way...yet he his success is HUGE in every way possible - he's smart, sweet, loving, and most importantly, has so much fun. How lucky we all are. :-)