So apparently even though the box said gluten-free, the Rice Dream rice milk I feed my kids everyday on their strict gluten-free diet.....has gluten in it. @#$$#%#%@
Until further notice we are without a milk substitute. Thankfully Quinn is being a trooper and eating his cereal mixed with water.
Cooper had a rough day today and I don't know why, because he can't tell me. When I went to pick him up at school this afternoon he was the only one crying. He has never cried there before, usually all the other kids are crying. But we had a schedule to stick to, we went from there to see the new doctor. He was still very unhappy, but I bribed him with Skittles. I hid the bag in my pocket but everytime he wanted another one he took my hand and put it in my pocket. Oh well, at least we got through the appointment without too much crying.
Then as if that wasn't enough, I was determined to get Cooper's haircut today. I took him to the barber shop up the street from our house for the first time. I had heard they were good with kids there, plus Cooper is always good when he gets his haircut. Well, he was always good when he got his haircut. I think that ship has sailed. He fought harder than even Quinn does and wouldn't stay still at all. I was just going to leave but the nice people at the shop insisted they could do it. The woman cut his hair as fast as possible while the man held his head still. They were very nice and I think it is the best haircut he has ever gotten. He looks so cute! However, in the future I think I will just cut both of their hair at home. So please excuse my kids if they have funky haircuts or completely shaved heads.
Quinn had the day off school today, teacher meetings or something. He is also not going tommorow because they are calling for really bad weather. If the school doesn't close then it is just too complicated getting him off the bus etc. while I am driving Cooper all around. I can't wait for winter to be over!!
Cooper did really good at school this morning. His teacher told me that during "Wheels on the Bus" he did the motions for the wheels going round and the wipers going swish. Then when they were doing the door going open and shut he said "op"for open! Wow, I didn't know he could do any of that.
This afternoon was Quinn's first speech session back at Loyola. He did a good job and was a good boy for his new therapist. I thought it was Cooper's first day there too, but I was wrong. I found that out too late though so he spent the whole time we were there running around and exploring. He was actually a very good boy and I was proud of him. I think it made him more comfortable for when he actually starts. He was really nervous and unsure when we got there, he was squeezing my hand really hard!
Cooper went fishing this morning. He peeled all the fish stickers that he could reach off the wall in his room. And I worked so hard to place them just right too! I walked into his room this morning and noticed something blue in his hair. When I pulled it out to see what it was I realized it was one of the bubble stickers. The rest of the stickers were in his bed, all stuck together in one big clump. Honestly, I am suprised it took him this long to do it. Oh well.
We've discovered the trick to getting Quinn to sign "more".....Boston Market! We had chicken from there tonight and Quinn was going nuts over it. He was signing "more" with no prompting at all. I guess he likes Boston Market's chicken better than the kind his mommy cooks :( Oh well, whatever it takes to get him signing. Quinn also had the day off from school, no morning preschool because of the two hour delay. I think he is really starting to miss school, he must be wondering what is going on.
Cooper did have school today and he did great. His new teacher said he really liked the sandtable today, she said he only dumped the sand on the floor, not over his head. Now that is what I call progress :) She also wanted to know if he could count, apparently she heard him and thought she was going nuts. Yup, my non-verbal kiddo can and will on occasion count to four out loud, then he usually skips to his favorite number of all time "eight"!
Cooper is amazing! I knew that he could make most of the letter sounds etc, but tonight he really blew me away. I just bought a CD player for the living room so we can play his favorite song "The Letter Song", since they won't be playing it at his new school as often. So I start the song and he runs over to the pile of letters on the floor and starts grabbing each letter as the lady sings them! Of course, a few of the letters were missing, so he would just pick up the next letter in the alphabet and wait until it came on. He did so well and it was so great watching him do it. Obviously this kid knows his alphabet inside and out! I was so proud of him!
This morning we went in for Cooper's testing for the research project he is part of. He did well, but near the end the tester turned to me and said "I am going to test his apathy skills now" so she proceeded to pretend to hurt herself on the toy and began to "cry". I thought Cooper would totally ignore her but he didn't. He got right up in her face trying to see what was wrong and then he wrapped his little arms around her and hugged her! It was so sweet and so perfect I couldn't believe it. Then she stopped and he realized he had been played, he looked a little pissed off if you ask me. I bet when she does it again in six months (follow up testing) he won't fall for it again :)
Quinn had a good day too. He is doing better with signing for "more". I have discovered that he doesn't nessassarily need hand over hand. He just needs me to touch his hands as a prompt to remind him to use them to make the sign. We have only been working on this seriously for the last two days and he is doing really well. I am pretty sure he remembers how to sign, just doesn't quite remember how to get it out. Oh well, one step at a time (which by the way is what I am always telling him when we are walking up the steps, ironically the kid likes to take them two at a time!).
