Wednesday, January 25, 2012

what it is like

This post captures exactly what it is like to raise a child with special needs. Amazing.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

my amazing boys

Just a quick post.

Ben has read so many books that his teacher is tapped out and we need to start buying more books to supplement him for the rest of the year. Ben's becoming more and more of his own person. Gentle, occasionally sulky, bighearted, and eccentric. He impresses me with his intelligence every day.

Elliott can now cut with scissors and write with a dynamic grasp and trace his name. Six months ago, he could not hold a pencil properly and could not even draw a circle. He could make more than one snip independently with a pair of scissors.

His teacher at "new school" as he calls it, the one I moved him to after fighting with our own school district for years, told me she sees no reason he won't be in a regular kindergarten classroom in the fall. Two years ago, this boy could not look me in the eyes. He said no words. Now he's going to regular motherfucking kindergarten. Incredible.

Before class today, he started a game with another little boy. He was having so much fun, that he started hugging the other boy, over and over again. The boy politely asked Elliott to stop, but Elliott only laid his head on the other boy's shoulder. I had to tell Elliott to stop, but it was really sweet the way he was connecting with this other kid and wanted to express it.

Ben's got braces now, and Elliott is going to be 5. It's happening so quickly.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

how awful.

I have not written anything on here or anywhere else for a very long time. I have been preoccupied with other things, namely keeping up at work and Occupying Redlands, and now (possibly) grant writing for an autism summer camp. I have projects, real creative projects I need to return to. I wish there were more of me. Maybe I should eat more frosting and then I could employ my fat rolls to research distance education best practices while I revise the screenplay I need to revise.

In any case, I am back here because I would like to say that I am very sad for my father-in-law Jim right now whose mother is very sick. Our parents are always our parents no matter what and no matter the circumstances, something shakes you to your foundation when confronted with losing them. I barely knew my mother and, as much as I tried to deny it when I was younger, losing her has shaped who I am. It is always there. I wish I could do something to make everything better, to make it all go away, for Jim, who is one of the kindest people I know, and for Wanda, his mother, who is scared.

In the meantime, Jim, I will make you all of the cake that you want and bring Ben and Elliott to your house to put on Muppet shows.

Love you.