Lining Things Up

Dane seems to be making a couple friends.  His Occupational Therapist asked my wife if his therapists for his autism services can give a detailed list of what they are working on with him.  I will have to bring that up when I take him in Tuesday after school.  She also recommended having a IEP meeting set up sooner than previously set.  That is to get on the same page of how he is responding at home and what his therapists are currently working on with him.

I went to Grandpa's house to finally bring back the kids power wheels.  This will probably be one of the last warmest weeks of the year. 

My wife bought a couple solar lights to use on our walkway.  I set them up the other night.  One was somewhat charged and lit.  The other did not come on.  Dane went outside trying to get the one to light up.  He wouldn't stop until I told him that we would have to put it in the sun to charge up the battery.  Then he was like, "Battery's dead?"  I said "Yeah."

Tonight I thought the kids could play outside being such a nice day and all.  Dane took all the solar lights and lined them up on the walkway.  He has been lining up matchbox cars and saucer lids since he was very little.  I thought this may be a nice change to our house and let him do it.  In a couple months all the outside landscaping things need to get put away.  It is funny and weird how strait and organized he puts things.  If one thing goes out of order he goes crazy until it is replaced.  It sets off his routine when something is out of place.  I would be able to move the lights back but I would have to tell him several times that I am putting them back.  I would also have to show him which light will go where or he may go into a meltdown.

Danes collection of pin wheels has decreased by 3 also.  He had about 10 lined up outside our back door.  No matter how ugly and worn they were he had to have them in place.  I took the bad ones and told them they were junk and we should throw them out.  He was fine with that but I think that he thinks that we will replace them.  Maybe I will or not..I dunno.

Spinning sandbox toys, pinwheels and matchbox cars have been Dane ultimate favorites for toys.  I'd like to get him involved in video games but he shows no interest.  I put the PS1 in his room tonight.  He showed interest for about 2 minutes and wanted to go outside.  Allyson came in and started to play Spyro and Crash Bandicoot.  I went to check on Dane and he was spinning his pin wheels on the back step.  Maybe tomorrow he will show more interest because it's in his room.


Both kids are finally starting to sleep in their own beds all night.  Allyson has a little tv in her room and that gives me time to get Dane settled into bed.  Dane has his guinea pig, Wubbzy, in his room.  He has a nite light and a lamp also.  He is staring to show that he is scared of the dark.  He used to stay wide awake and not tell us hes scared.  I ask him if he wants his lamp on or if the nite light is good enough.  Sometimes he will say to leave the door open also.  The little space heater has helped keep him in his room at night also.  The calming white noise and soft heat puts him into a deeper sleep.  I am starting to think he sleep walks. 

Solutions

I talk to Danes teacher nearly every day after school is over.  He is off to a good start and working on what kind of sensory breaks he should have and how often.  To help him be less figgity in his seat he sits on a bumpy air cushion.  My wife asked Dane what that was for and he says, "I put my butt on it."  He is funny that way.  The teacher also has a wedge for him to write on to keep his forearm flat.  When he writes he picks up his arm up and writes like he has a claw hand.  His name writing has become a lot better and clearer and he is so proud of himself.

We had our first frost and Danes teacher asked my 3 year old daughter, Ally, if she likes snow.  Ally is so funny.  She says, "Yes, I like to eat snow.  But not the yellow snow.  That's pee."  The teacher burst out laughing.  Hell, even for me not there and my wife telling me this I almost dropped my phone at work laughing.

My wife and I try to communicate as much as we can.  It helps knowing what each other is thinking and what the kids are doing.  We had a very scary August where we thought our marriage was failing.  It was.  We didn't talk much.  We work opposite shift.  We were growing apart.  The divorce rate is some 80% of those with a child with special needs.  It however was a wake up call for us to start getting along and stop fighting over little stuff.

I have seen a big difference with the kids attitudes towards each other and us.  There was always so much tension and unnesessary drama going on.  Showing my wife more affection and her to me has brought my family closer.  We have been so busy working and angry because of all the stress that we have lost our ground.  We realize now that we still a family and need to work on something to fix it.  Getting my wife off night shift to start.

With work, Danes therapy and schooling, bills, not seeing each other all added up.  We felt like two single parents doing the best to raise our kids.  Life isn't easy but there is always a solution.  Nothing comes easy and it takes hard work and discipline to get results.

6 years old

Happy Birthday Dane!  6 years ago today I became a father.  I remember on the day he was born I got a call at work.  Dawn's in labor.  It was snowing outside and I listened to Green Day, "Warning" on the way to the hospital.  Her water broke after she carried two 12 packs of soda and started shoveling the walkway.

I remember holding my wifes legs together as they gave her the epideral.  I remember her calling the front desk on her cell phone and said, "Hi, this is Dawn and I just threw up."  Her call light wasn't working.  She puked into her ice water cup.  What she drank she filled back up.  That was kinda gross.  I don't think we kept that cup for memories of this day.

I was sitting in the back of the room watching Animal House on the TV.  She's giving birth and I'm watching John Belushi yell, "TOGA!  TOGA!  Dawns nurse was 6 months pregnat and asked her how she could be doing this.  The nurse laughed and said, "I don't know, Dawn."  Dawn then said she should have gotten a puppy instead. 

Dane was born and they wanted me to cut the cord.  I shook my head no.  He was blue and not breathing.  They sucked him out and put him under the oxygen.  I'm glad I stayed back or I could have complicated things worse with him.

I didn't know what to get Dane for his birthday this year.  I know he has a scientific mind and wants to know how and why things are the way they are.  He is afraid of tornados and storms.  I got him a Discovery Kids Tornado.  I also got him a marble run and a Discovery Kids alarm clock that projects the solar system on the ceiling.  I didn't give him the kids laptop I bought at the consignment shop yet.  Eveything was half off and I had a 10 dollar off coupon so that was nice or I dont think he would have got much.

I let him pick out his cake.  I thought he'd get the Cars cake with Mader and Lightning McQueen but he chose the fish one.  I got him some candles and a big number 6 to put on the cake.  He got out of school early today.  He was the class leader and took his rain stick for show and tell.  I also got him 2 packages of cookies to share with his class.  A little hispanic girl seems to have a crush on Dane.  That is so cute.

I have to work Saturday so Dane and Ally will spend the night with their grandparents so I don't have to drag them out of bed at 5 AM.  Dawn will get home and get a little bit of sleep before I get home and then hopefully we can take the kids shopping or something.  Another 4 weeks Ally turns 4.  If it wasn't for Danes little sister I don't think he'd be able to talk as well as he does now.

Dogs

I do not like dogs around my kids, especially big dogs.  Today was my nephews 10th birthday.  The carnival was is town so I took him, his cousin and his sister to town to ride the gravitron ride.  That ride rocks!  I haven't ridden it since I was in the 7th grade.  I haven't seen that ride since until this year.  Awesome.

I wanted someone to go on the ufo gravitron ride with.  I chose my oldest nephew to go with.  Afterwords we went on the zipper.  I will never go on the zipper again.  The operator ran it way too fast the whole time.  That is the worst experience I ever had on that ride.  My nephew was falling under the bar that goes on your lap.  He was yelling to "Stop!"  After I looked and seen what was going on, I yelled at the operator to stop.  He didn't.  He put it in reverse and went the other way which the ride does.  I didn't think it would stop.  He beat the crap out of us.  My wrist and forearms are still sore today from holding on.

My nephew liked the gravitron a lot so he bragged to his 2 cousins how awesome it was.  I took them to town and we rode it.  They had a blast.  I bought my niece a dream catcher because she wanted one.  She has bad nightmares and wanted it.  For 4 bucks I thought I'd get it for her.  The 2 boys were begging me to buy them a knife from the vendor.  I told them that I paid for their ride and brought them to town.  I went up to my old bedroom where I found an old switchblade comb to give to the birthday boy who wanted a knife.  That made him happy.

Later that day we had a lot of the family over.  The golden retriever was nearby and all the kids were running around not doing anything to disturb the dog.  I was on the other side of my truck when I heard loud barking and growling.  I thought the dog was attacking the toy poodle my parents have.  Then I heard screaming.  That dog got my 5 year old nephew by his arm and threw him to the ground.  He had puncture marks on his arm and was very frightened.

I don't know what got into that dog.  It has been a hot and muggy day and maybe the heat got to it.  I don't know and that's not an excuse for an attack on a child.  It scared Dane so bad as to think all dogs are bad.  We had to sit him down because he was shook up and explain to him that not all dogs are bad but this one was very naughty.

I don't care if a person is a dog lover and loves their dog but if that dog attacks, the owner better do something about it.  Either leave that damn dog at home or tie it up.  Keep it away from kids.  What would happen if that dog would have took its agitation out on another child who wasn't family?  I can guess a couple options that would happen.  

I don't want my kids near dogs especially after something like this happened.  I hate it living in town with all the neighbors walking their dogs and my kids wanting to pet them and running to the road.

You never know when a dog will get a chip on its shoulder so parents and owners better be aware of what could happen.  I am thankful that my nephew got it on his arm and not his face.  Either way, it shouldn't have happened but it did happen.  That dog is not allowed near my kids anymore.

After things settled down and the dog was taken back home my brother in law shot off fireworks he needed to get rid of.  That was a nice way to end the night.  It would have been a perfect day if that dog wouldn't have done that.