Liquid Timer - Calming Attachment

Dane found an old liquid timer in my old bedroom at my parents house.  It's one of those, well, it's like an hour glass that you flip over and blobs of liquid colors spin gears inside the thing.  It is so old that the colors faded and it just looks like water.  Now, he has an obsession taking this with him everywhere.

The first night home with it he was getting tired.  I was thinking that it wouldn't surprise me if he watched it until he fell asleep.  My assumption was correct.  It must have taken 45 minutes of him flipping it and watching the little wheels spin and eventually he fell asleep on the couch.  He has always has a visual attachment with spinning objects.  Maybe some day he will be a disk jocky spinning records or maybe he will design roller coasters.  He says he wants to be a scientist and a fire fighter or a teacher.  Its fun to hear him say these things.  Up until he turned 5 I didn't think I'd have actual conversations with him.  His replies are short yes or no answers but he has been asking "Why?  I have to keep my answers short because I see the confusion in his eyes when I talk too much.

His meltdowns have been short to none lately.  He still has no control of hitting his sister when he's mad.  Allyson does bring on the situation when she interrupts him or takes something from him.  Other then that they play really good.

Next Tuesday Dane doesn't have therapy.  I made him his first eye doctor appointment.  Before I go in with him I will show him a video of someone getting their eyes checked or pictures of what will happen.  This will be so he is aware of what will happen.  I will show him an eye chart and possibly the eye drops to dialate the pupils.  Then I will show him that thing that goes in front of your face where you look into and the doctor tells you which one is blurry.  1 or 2?

I think Dane needs glasses.  He squints just like I do without my glasses.  If he does get glasses I want them to have a special tint to them so he won't have to wear sunglasses in certain stores that freak him out.  He goes crazy over the ceiling fans when we walk into Menards.  That's the first department walking into that store.  For some reason it makes him happy so I always make a quick stroll through.

Before I go into a store like that, I have to tell him that we are Not going to look at the fans if we are in a hurry to avoid a stressful situation.  Telling him before hand what I expect from our shopping experience really helps a lot.  Like, "were just here to look."  "We are not getting any toys or candy for you."  "If you are really good you get a treat when we get home."  He replies with an "Awwww man"  Which is better than an embarrassing tantrum from a 6 year old.  Therapy has been helping him a lot.  He has come a long way.

I have always had Dane around kids his own peers to learn from.  Picture schedules were a godsend and Baby Einstein videos were a life saver when he was a baby.  His little sister has helped him learn how to be more social as well.  All the kids in his class really seem to like him and his teachers love him.