Pedal boats!

Teamwork!

Today was a lovely day for stringing up Christmas lights! Habeeb was eager to get to work, and I reminded him to include Jman as much as possible. Jman had been asking for the computer (go figure!), but as soon as I told him that dad was going to get down the 'red boxes' he dropped the computer idea in a flash and was out in the garage ready to get the lights down out of the attic.

Habeeb and Jman worked together to get the lights up along the front of the house. Each had a ladder, each had a job, and each kept a "good enough" eye on what the other was up to. SB3 also wanted to get in on the action! He kept trying to climb the ladders, especially "Jman's ladder." I did some quick problem solving and got him an "SB3 ladder"--the step stool. He thought he was big stuff then, just like Habeeb and Brother Jman!

Jman did fantastic 95% of the time he and Habeeb were working. He helped pass up clips to Habeeb (along with a saw and pruning shears for a quick tree limb fix). He moved his ladder when Habeeb moved his. He knew when to run back inside and grab another string of lights without having to be asked. He even kept a bit of a watchful eye on SB3, particularly with regards to the ladders.

Jman did have one major issue, though. He and Habeeb started from the garage corner of the house going towards the middle of the front. When that string was done, Habeeb went to the other corner of the house to again work towards the middle. That's when Jman freaked out. We couldn't figure out what his problem was, but he was seriously freaking out, including flailing and throwing himself on the ground. We weren't sure what his problem was, but I speculated that it might have something to do with switching to the other corner and going in the opposite direction. He did eventually get over it, and got back to being a good helper for Habeeb. When they finished that string and went back to the end of the first strung string, Jman again began to flip out, and that's when we both agreed that yes, it was the transition from one location/direction to the other location/direction that was throwing Jman for a loop.

Now, what we don't know is if it was because he was confused and didn't understand why we were doing what we were doing OR if it was some kind of OCD type thing where even though he may have understood, it just FELT wrong and wigged him out for a while. In either case, he got over his second flail-ex much more quickly than the first, and he and Habeeb finished stringing the roof line. They do still have the front door to string up, and Jman's bedroom, and whatever else Habeeb decides to string up in the house. (Actually, Jman has strung up the hallway bathroom, and is stringing up his bunk bed in lights as I type!)

A ProLoQuo2Go note: While Jman was NOT using the ProLoQuo2Go to communicate during today's festivities, he DID say at one point, "I need help." He had switched roles with Habeeb and was trying to attach a clip to the roof, and was having a bit of difficulty with a particular shingle, and so he told Habeeb he needed help quite calmly. He had a few other P2G-esque moments today as well, but it was mostly means-to-an-end and not experience sharing. Today's most common line (even prior to lights going up) was "Let's go to snow." He loves snow!

A few take home points for anyone doing RDI/Guided Participation with a kid on the spectrum: 1) No one's perfect. There are lots of flaws we make, both us and the kids. Just move on. 2) Think through what you want to do before you try to guide your kid through the activity. Habeeb had a plan for how to string the lights, and he has experience from stringing them in the past. It's much harder to guide your kid when you don't know what you're doing! 3) Don't expect your kid to be excited about an activity just because it excites you. In this case, stringing lights was an activity that really does excite Jman. He'd have been far less interested in helping us do other mundane chores. That doesn't mean you only do things that they find exciting, but do be aware that you may have a more willing apprentice when you have a "mutually meaningful project" rather than a project that one or the other person isn't really into. 4) Whatever your project, make sure the roles of the people are both clearly defined and are 'legitimate' roles. Don't assign a role that is either beneath the other person OR that is overwhelming to the other person. Do assign roles that have legitimate value, that are respectful of the other person as a person, that are in someone's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Remember, work in the ZPD is work that someone can't necessarily do alone but can do with proper guidance. It should be just challenging enough without being too challenging. 5) Slow down. Give the person time to think and respond and solve their own problems.

See ya later!

This morning when Habeeb was leaving for work, Jman was up. Jman saw Habeeb and said, "Good morning!" Habeeb was a bit startled by the spontaneous greeting (learned from playing with the ProLoQuo2Go), and replied back, "Good morning!!"

Habeeb had to leave for work, so he waved to Jman, not saying any words but just using the nonverbal gesture. Jman noticed, and replied with "See ya later!" (also learned from playing around with the ProLoQuo2Go).

Jman has been saying "Good morning" and "Good night" fairly consistently since he got the ProLoQuo2Go and starting playing around with it, usually in response to one of us but occassionally he'll initiate, like this morning (Habeeb just isn't usually around for the morning stuff). But this is the first time Jman has ever used the phrase "See ya later" that I can recall. It sounds like such a small thing, and yet it's not so small. There's a lot that goes into noticing a wave, appraising whether it is a hello or a goodbye or maybe a sign to stop or to go away, and then formulate and deliver a response. Again, exciting little bits here and there cropping up with his developing language, developing relationship skills, and developing self awareness. Way cool!

Now, having said that, I've already reinstalled (and restored from my backup) ProLoQuo2Go twice today on his iPod! Arg! I wish I could make it undeletable!!! Does anyone know of a way to make downloaded apps undeletable off an iPod?????

Cinderella and Prince Charming at the Ball

So, I've done a lot of typing with no pictures. Here's some 'relief' from all that reading! (And if you haven't been reading it all, you're missing out--I'm not doing a great job of editing, but it's fascinating stuff!)

Friday night Sly baby sat while Prince Charming took Cinderella to the ball. I love my Prince Charming! He cleans up, good, huh?? :)

And every Prince Charming has to have a 'weird' side! haha!! I love his funny faces!!! I hope he makes you smile too! (Btw, he said he was 'the ugly stepsister!' bwah!!!)

A few photos for fun

SB3 happy to be free in the backyard

Jman's been on a water/balloon kick (not water balloons, but water and balloons--making fountains and what not, and he got Sly to join him at one point)

Habeeb in his new office--why is it a 'higher' job led to a smaller office with nasty cubicle-esque furniture? ah well, whatever! It's a job, and he's doing great. :)

Backyard Makeover

When we bought our current house a little over a year ago, this is what part of the backyard looked like. There aren't many pictures of that section of the yard because, quite frankly, it was unattractive and little used. We'd intended to take down that ratty metal swing set, but somehow, it just didn't happen. You probably know how that goes!

However, over the last week or so, we've been finally working on that section of the backyard, and it's becoming quite the hang out spot for the family, especially with beautiful weather we've been having!

First, we raked up all the leaves, and pulled a lot of the random weeds, and generally cleaned up the 'tree trash' under the huge old pecan tree (remnants of a pecan plantation)and out of the 'sand pit.' When we did that, we realized how nice and pleasant it was under the shade of that huge tree. That got us thinking about putting in a paver patio or some other nice and fancy 'outdoor room.' I actually got the booklets from Lowes and Home Depot and was looking into it. We were talking designs and plans and whether to do-it-ourselves or hire someone to do it for us. And then we realized that we didn't want to sink that kind of money into a house we may not stay at forever. And I began to enjoy just sitting in an old lawn chair out there under the tree with good old dirt for the 'floor.' So, we dropped the patio idea and 'got real.'

What's the right Jam-and-Habeeb way maximize enjoyment of that backyard spot? A good old fashioned wooden picnic table, for starters, as opposed to the fancy porch furniture I'd been scouting all season (and hadn't found a thing I liked yet). Plus it's got a couple added bonuses: It's cheap, and it's a great 'project' for Habeeb and Sly to do together (a trial run of 'shop night'). So, here they are, putting together mom's picnic table in the dark in the light rain. Do they love me or what? :)

Next, the boys power washed an old Little Tikes playset the previous owners left here and which was full of spiders and tree trash from sitting under that old pecan tree. It'll be great for SB3 in the very near future. Sly did most of the power washing, and being the bad mom that I am, I only have pictures of Jman when he took a turn at it. They also both worked on power washing a bunch of old Tonka trucks that were yucky from sitting out in the sand pit for the last year+.

After we took a step back, Habeeb and I had the same thought at the same time: We need to hang the hammock between those two trees! Jman wasted no time giving it a test drive.

Of course, being outside in the evening probably means bugs, plus it gets hard to see once it's good and dark. Habeeb jumped all over those two problems by finding the pair of old tiki torches we 'inherited' with a house we bought a few years ago. He stuck them in the ground and Sly got to work 'playing with fire.' What is it about fire that is so much fun?

Now, that big old pecan tree has a big old branch growing out from it that was just begging for a swing. We already have everything we need to build a playset (except the wood). What we needed for a big tree swing, though, was a good rope. $20 later and some creative rigging by Habeeb, and presto--we have a way cool make-shift swing! He rigged this up for me in the dark (what a guy!). If we leave it as is, we'll have to move that one tiki torch, or someone's gonna catch themselves on fire when they're swinging!

And so, about $120 later, we have have a remade backyard!

And here are some kiddies (and kitties) having fun in the new backyard!

The Art Museum

We took Jman the artist to the open house at the art museum last week. It was very crowded, but he/we enjoyed it enough that it just might be worth joining and going back when it's NOT quite so crowded!

Jman especially liked this 'motion screen.' It'd be great for OT! I have videos of him moving around and doing jumping jacks and having a blast!
Here Jman and Habeeb are rearranging various bean bags on a tilting frame to try to literally 'balance the composition.'
Here they are going through a wood block printing press process. Each of four presses had a different color of ink. When you were done, your print was a smaller version of the one on the wall.
There were other special activities going on too. One was making a 'paper quilt.' The artists had a tic-tac-toe paper grid to fill in with either hand drawings or with pictures and designs cut from other sources (such as old art museum brochures that were out of date!). Jman began a Wallace & Grommit 'quilt.'
And, of course, there was art to look at, like this funky blue person glass sculpture thingy that caught Jman's eye (can't you tell I'm quite the art connoisseur?).
All in all, I agree with Sly: It was way too crowded to really be enjoyable (you can't tell from the photos we took, but there were a LOT of people there). However, it would be worth going back some time when it's NOT crowded. If nothing else, the motion screen is a great opportunity for some fun OT! :) But I think it might be fun to see if Jman would be interested in 'studying' any of the 'art' in the museum and transferring it to some of his own art creations too. If nothing else, it'd be fun to go back when the slot cars on the Talladega speedway modern art piece were back in working order!

Not bad, for an old man!

This weekend Habeeb and Sly participated in a board breaking competition at the US Yoshukai Karate Association 2009 Summer Camp at Henry Horton State Park in Tennessee.

Sly came in 4th place in his division (boys 10-13, underbelts (less than blackbelt)). He did very well for his first ever board breaking competition (and only the third time he has ever broken boards at all). It should be noted that many if not most participants at all levels (including some blackbelts) didn't break all their boards, and very few participants broke all their boards on their first try. Blackbelts had only one chance per board (because they should be able to do this, right?!), whereas underbelts had two chances. Sly broke two of six boards. His routine he designed/choreographed was very good. Next time, he'll perform with greater confidence, and likely break more boards too.

Habeeb, also in his first competition, came in 1st place in his division (adult men, underbelts). He broke 5 of 6 boards the first try, and broke the other board once they got a second person to brace it for him. Check out this video of Habeeb in action--not bad, for an old man!