Chocolate Milk Please!

It has been too long since my last post. My intent is not to have such a long time between posts but life happens. We are away for a bit. We are in to BC to watch Nana (my mom) participate in the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. What a wonderful experiance for the kids. Although Logan could have done without the crowds they are enjoying themselves.
We flew her and I was very nervous that Logan would not like the flight. He did so GREAT. We talk to him about it being loud and told him we were going to drive a bit, then blast off and go in the clouds he really liked that. When it was time to land we told him we were leaving the clouds, then bump, drive really fast and stop. I think he thought it was a great ride.
I am such a proud mom and Ruby is a proud sister. The other day Logan looked a us and said "want chocolate milk please...I firsty!" Ruby said to me "mom I don't think Logan is Autistic anymore!". I asked her why and she said "because he can talk better now". To be a child and things be so easy. Sometime I think we take life to seriously. My kids are both so innocent sometimes it is nice to look at things the way they do...it is refreshing.

Has it really been a month?

I can't believe we are nearing the first month of Logan's intensive therapy. I am really enjoying having the aids in the home with Logan. They are all so nice. Ruby is also adjusting well. Although she would like a bit more time with them, the more she watches what Logan has to do she realizes it is not just playing. Logan has adjusted better than I anticipated. Normally his day starts with playing quietly alone while the aide gets ready and reads notes in his binder from the previous aid. Then the aide will lay out three specific activity/games/toys that they are going to use. This is like a schedule for Logan it is to teach him how to transition from one activity to the next. When one activity is complete he places it in a large bucket called "the all done bucket" this teaches him that done means we don't play with it again till next time. He was getting very frustrated with putting things away thinking they were never going to use them again. Once Logan has completed three activities with the aide he is rewarded. Each child is rewarded in a different way for Logan he loves physical rewards "airplane rides, a tickle fight, a piggy back" or playing with his Thomas table. This process is repeated through the whole session teaching Logan different skills. They have started individual play and schedule three activities Logan must transition through alone and complete before being rewarded. This teaches him to play functionally by himself. Before he loved being alone but did not play functionally with his toys. He would watch marbles fall down over and over or watch cars go down the ramp over and over. Now he really plays and it is wonderful to watch. During all of this play they are really encouraging eye contact and speech.

With the new skills Logan is learning we have found Ruby having a hard time adjusting. She was so use to playing for Logan. She would play and he would watch but Logan now wants to play too. Ruby realized early on that Logan loved cause and effect (she would run he would chase, she would pretend to give him something when he went to grab it she would pull it away)those activities use to be fun for both of them but now that Logan has a voice it makes him angry when she teases him that way. Now we are trying to empower Ruby with knowledge on how to functionally play with Logan and help him along the way. Instead of doing it for him or talking for him.

We have started to figure out how Logan learns and proving that we as a family can teach him and have learned so many new things already. It is hard not to be excited. With Logan's willingness to learn and our readiness to teach I can't begin to imagine the possibilities.

Skating with the Hitmen

Logan has now been in therapy full time for about two weeks. I am amazed at the improvement. It may seem small to some but for us it is HUGE. In December "Help me" and "I don't know" were introduced. He has almost mastered the sentences using them with little prompting and for the most part in the right context. We are now at a point when he is using the sentences that we will wait for eye contact. He may repeat help me 4 or 5 times but eventually he makes eye contact then we help him. He gets confused with "Help Me" and "Help You". He hears us say "Help you?" then he repeats. He has gotten much better at it and mostly says "Help Me?" now. Ruby thinks this is great as she can get in her sibling teasing by not acknowledging Logan or helping him until he looks at her but contrary to typical siblings we allow it...lol. Along with the new demands have come some major tantrums as he just does not understand but we were told it would get worse before it gets better.

With January came our annual skate with the Hitmen at the Saddledome. This yearthough we actually took part. We told Ruby that we could not go until she could skate. In October we enrolled her in Learn to Skate and with the sole determination to skate with the Hitmen she has excelled. We even took Logan on his skates. It was amazing he actually did it. His first time on skates and he walked a bit on the ice on his own and when he fell down he got up on his own (which is one of the first things that is taught in the learn to skate). The kids met all the Hitmen in person and got their autographs on Ruby's Hitmen hat. The kids favorite player was playing on Team Canada (Martin Jones) but they did not seem to notice. It was a great night. Canada's loss to USA on Logan's birthday did not go over well in our household it was the first time Canada did not win Gold in the kids lifetimes.

Welcome 2010

Where does the time go? Now that the holidays have come and gone I feel like I finally have time to fill everyone in on what has been going on in our home for the last few weeks. We had an amazing Christmas. Logan was sick and vomiting on Christmas Eve but luckily bounced back in time for Christmas morning. Christmas morning was great. The kids woke us up (not too early). We went downstairs and Santa had left Logan a marble set and Ruby an Easy Bake oven. From that moment on all Logan wanted to do was play marbles. We finally convinced him to open his other presents when Ruby pushed the button on the gift she got for Logan when the Handy Manny song started playing he needed to see what was in that present or "wish box" as Logan calls them. They got some great gifts (not too many). We cleaned up the paper mess and finally let Logan play with his marble set while dad and I got breakfast ready. We got ready for the day and off to my Aunts house we went. We had a wonderful Christmas dinner with all the fixings.We even got fresh baked cookies from Ruby's easy bake oven! Unfortunately by the end of the night daddy was starting to feel sick and achy and was down for Boxing Day.

My family came to town on the 27th and were amazed at the progress that Logan has made. He enjoyed playing with his cousins and sister for a few days. On the 29th we went to the hitmen game for Logan's birthday. I was desperately trying to find a

toddler Hitmen jersey for Logan as he attends all games with Dad and Ruby. I had talked to my mom about checking at a great Sports store where she lived to see if they had one or knew where to get one. When she came up empty handed she decided to contact the Hitmen to see if they knew where she could get one. Turns out they do not make toddler sizes. My mom had told them that Logan had been going to the games with his dad and Ruby since he was a few months old. She also told them of Logan's difficult year and that the Hitmen games were the one event Logan was able to regularly attend. They replied by wanting to present Logan with a Hitmen Jersey albeit too big but a jersey nonetheless. On the 29th three hitmen players (Hilton, Kirsch, and Rissling) presented Logan a Hitmen Jersey. They even put it on him. They gave Ruby a Hitmen Bear. Logan was so happy. Daddy had upgraded the seats so we were closer to the ice than normal. The smile on his face made us forget all we have gone through with Logan this year. What a wonderful organization we can't wait to pay it forward.

New Years Eve was nice and quiet. We watched the ball drop in NYC and told the kids it really was New Years. They were ecstatic to be staying up till "midnight" we toasted the New Year with Sparkling Apple Juice. What a wonderful year it will be.

New Years Eve must have hit Ruby pretty hard. She was sick all day on New Years Day she must have been really not feeling well as she put herself to bed that night.

On the 4th of January Logan started his Therapy. It is everyday either 8:30 to 12 or 1 to 4:30. Our team consists of two wonderful girls who will alternate days with Logan. Occasionally the Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Pathologist, Psychologist or Clinical Coordinator will stop in during "therapy" for an hour or so to see progress made or suggest changes. Right now it feels different as I am so use to dealing with Logan alone during the day. I have a times not known what to do with myself. Ruby thinks it is great. She has come up with a few crafts we are going to "tackle" while Logan is in therapy. I am sure it will be harder for her as the sessions keep going as she is not use to Logan getting all the attention but for now she is happy.

Today is Logan's 3rd birthday. He woke up a bit stuffed up and cranky. When it got time to dig into his cupcakes tonight he started throwing up so we are sitting by the monitor listening making sure he does not get sick in bed. There are times I look back and can't believe it has taken me this long to get here. Other times I can't believe how fast it has gone by and that we have accomplished as much as we have.

We did it!!

Well December 10 came and at 2pm we met with the MDT Panel to discuss Logan receiving specialized services. We told the panel about Logan and his challenges. They asked us a few questions and the meeting was done. They told me I most likely would not hear back for a few weeks or after the new year. I was really nervous. I felt it went really well. We continued on with our day as normal. When the phone rang at 4:30 and it was our case worker telling me they gave us pretty much everything we asked for I was thrilled. She told me what a great job we did discribing Logan. She was surprised at the speed of the response and she said she had never had a response that fast. We are so excited and relived that this process is over for at least a year. I have been told now that he is in the system it should run smoothly each time his contract comes up. If there is one thing I have learned through it all is that nothing will run as it should. The meetings we have had with Logan's developmental aide have been great. We will continue these through the holidays then start his specialized services in the new year. I look back and can't belive it took us a year to get this far. I still don't understand why it takes this long. I have had many people say to me "how do you keep fighting". I tell them this is my son I would do anything for him, then I think of Dr Suess. "Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.” Hope you are all getting excited for the holidays but I am sorry to say that I just got the best present ever.....a future for Logan!

Therapy

Well Tuesday was Logan's first day of therapy. J (his therapist) played with him on Tuesday to see how Logan reacted to different play styles and where his interests were. It is so neat to see how they pick up on things many people do not see. She has given us many ideas on things to work on through the day. I was happy to see that Logan took to her right away. It was refreshing to hear positive feedback on things Logan is wonderful at. She was amazed by Logan's memory. When she returned on Wednesday he remembered exactly what they played and how they played it. Tuesday he was very upset with the transition between games/toys by Wednesday she figured out how we could work with him to transition with out tantrums. It will be interesting to see how Ruby takes to all the attention in the home around Logan but I am going to find special projects for her to work on when Logan is in therapy. There will be a time when they would like to work with both kids to teach Ruby to play with Logan functionally but for now they need to work with him alone. The part of ABA therapy that I love is that the family is incorporated into the therapy and we are taught along with Logan. I am so proud of him. This is the first step on our way towards recovery and we are so excited.

Tomorrow is our MDT meeting to see if Logan will get specialized services. It is a very important meeting and I am hoping that all will go as planned. I have a wonderful positive feeling but am still nervous. I will let you know how it goes....

Santa Visit

Well lots has happend since I wrote last. We got Logans test results back for his Celiac biopsy and it is clear for now. He and Ruby will need to be checked in a year but he is not showing signs of damage.

Logan's therapy will be starting on December 7th will will have a developmental aide in our home for a few hours at least twice a week. Our MDT date will be on December 10 to get more specialized services for him but at least something is happening.

Logan and Ruby went to visit Santa at the Mall on Wednesday. I was worried that he would not sit with Sanata or act up. He did GREAT he went right up and sat on Santa's knee and said "cheese". Once he realized Santa had candy they were BFF's. He even ran back to give Santa a hug then he said "see you soon". He surprises me more and more everyday. I think it had a lot to do with Ruby building him up about sitting with Santa and being such a great example. Aunt B also sat with him at first and had her picture taken (that helped).

We are looking forward to some down time over the holidays and getting started with Logan's therapy. It has been a really long road and it is starting to pay off. We are so proud of Logan and the progress he has made and look forward to the future.

I must tell everyone that we went to Ruby's Student Led Parent/Teacher Conference and we were amazed at all the things she was able to show us. She was able to translate the french to english for daddy. It was amazing, she is amazing!