Corbinisms: Drama

There is a reason one of Corbin's earliest nicknames was DK (Drama King).


Corbin: "Mom, I've been  noticing something a lot.  Everything is made in China.  Everything I tell you!"

Corbin: "I curse you!!" {Said all the time.  When he realizes only grape popsicles are left.  When it's Brian's turn to pick a movie.  When it's time to brush his teeth.  When he realizes it's been a minute since he said it last.}

Corbin: "I'm pretty much a man now, Mom." {Because when we were out to eat he ordered his own dinner and then asked for a glass of water when he finished his lemonade.}

Corbin: "You did it Mom!  You are now the best OT in the world!  It's like a dream it's so great!  I can't even believe you are my Mom!  You are so awesome Mom!!"  {Yelled, while jumping up and down, after he heard I passed my boards.}

Adventures with Fairies and Thomas

A couple of weeks ago (and yes I'm just posting about it now) my sister and I decided to take our kids to a fairy festival at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.

Was really looking forward to a chill day in an awesome environment.

What kind of horrible luck do I have to drive right past the annual Day Out With Thomas event that is held not too far from the botanical gardens?

I swear it was just a distant image when Brian starts hand flapping in the back.  The hand flapping intensifies as we get closer.  And then the howling begins as we drive right on by.

I'm looking at my sister with major trepidation in my eyes.  I'm not sure if she realizes the seriousness of the situation.  If she knows that my boy will not, absolutely will not, get over this.

She gets it though.  She tells me to call to see when the last ride is.

We placate Brian by telling him "First fairies.  Then Thomas."  We repeat it as a mantra as his sobs become less and less.

It seems like he gets it as we park and walk towards the festival.  But as soon as we are inside the gardens he just starts screaming again.

At this point I'm holding him.  It's the easiest way to really quiet him, yet I know we must look ridiculous.  My seven-year-old is really getting too big to be carried.  I'm kind of petite and his feet now hang pass my knees  when I carry him around.

Oh rocks with built-in sprinklers.  How I love thee.

He cried in the bathrooms.  He cried through the parade.  He cried while we walked.  And then, by the grace of the Goddess, there were spraying rocks at the entrance of the children's gardens.  They were our savior, because they snapped him out of his funk.

We enjoyed our time at the gardens, though we did have to rush it more than we wanted, to make sure we made the last ride offered at the railways.

Though Brian did end up having fun, there was nothing like the smile on his face when we said, "Okay, all done fairies.  Time for Thomas."

When we arrived back at the railways he was so ecstatic he couldn't hold it in.  Seriously, he couldn't: hand flaps and happy squeals abounded.

The event had a movie screening area, story time, a bounce house, a hay maze, a tiny tractor/"train" ride, temporary tattoos station, a railway museum, and a tent to play with toy trains.  All Brian wanted to do was play with the trains.  The trains that we have in an abundance right here at home.  I watched him closely as he tried to dictate the train table.

"Excuse me.  Clarabel does not come after Annie.  Annie always goes first.  Everyone knows that."


"You can't have two engines attached to each other!  You can put one at the end of the train to help it up the hill if you want."


"Colors people!  Look at the colors!! You don't put a red tender with a yellow engine!  Amateurs!!"

Of course he wasn't saying these things, but it was implied.

He started screaming when I took him away from the toys so we could ride on the real thing.

I love how Brian refers to Thomas as "Tommy".
They go way back.

He calmed down when he saw the life-size Thomas and thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Yet, after the ride it was right back to the toys.

When we left not only was he screaming at the top of his lungs but my four-year-old neice decided she didn't want to be outdone and joined in.  We made quite the grand exit....we heard the comment, "Well you look like a happy bunch."

All I could do at that point was laugh.  Because I was exhausted, hot, and sweaty and was really ready to scream right along with the two of them.

 Magical day?  I don't really know about that.  More like magical moments.  But we tried.

Want to see more?  Check out our album.

Homonym Confusion

As usual Brian was screaming and crying while getting dressed.

It's the source of most of his tantrums lately: transitioning out of the house.  And that stems from the fact that he needs to change out of his pajamas or underwear, whichever one he has decided to don.

He needed help, but he was refusing to ask, so I was waiting him out.  My own anxiety level climbing, as we had an appointment to make, so I'm sure it was feeding into his escalating crying.

Finally he realized I wasn't backing down and he asked, "Help?".  I started to pull on his shorts to realize they were too small for him.  He started to whimper again as I pulled the shorts off over his feet, because of course now, we were backtracking.

I threw the shorts onto the table and said, "Those are too small.  Can you go get another pair?".

He cried a few more tears and looked at me with a look of confusion.

He walked over to the fruit bowl, grabbed a pear, held it up to me and said "Pear!". He smiled and happily took a bite.

I let him enjoy his pear while I went and got him another pair of shorts.

A Break in the Clouds

In the midst of clouds, the appearance of the sun, no matter how brief, is so treasured, isn't it?

That's me being metaphorical.

Today Brian and I were hanging outside the clinic while Corbin was in speech.  We've had a lot of trouble with transitions, tantrums, and behaviors lately.

Yet outside, he was happy.

He was sitting on a rock and he started waving his fingers in front of him.  It wasn't the typical flapping that I see, but it seemed to have a real purpose.  I asked him if he was playing the piano, as that is what it looked like.  He looked at me and smiled and said, "No, 'puter".  Oh you are playing the computer!!

He laughed and smiled when I understood what he was doing.  I always think it is so amazing when I'm able to converse to him, but imagine what it must feel like to him when someone understands him!

A few seconds later he started to pretend to eat something out of thin air.  I asked him what he was eating.  He responded, "Chips!".  I asked if I could have some and he fed me some invisible chips.

Un-freakin'-believable!

He then spied some blackberry bushes.  He started picking them and eating them.  Amazing in it's own as he has never ate them before when I have offered them to him.

While picking the berries he scratched himself on the bushes.  He held his hand up to me and asked, "Are you okay?".  I replied, "I'm okay.  Are you okay?".  He pointed to his hand and said, "Look!  Abadabadaba  boo-boo!".  I kissed the scratches and asked again, "Are you okay?".  He replied, "Are you okay?  See!  Boo-boo!".

All of this- pretend play, smiles, reciprocal conversation, eating new foods- in the span of about twenty minutes.

We're home now and he's already had three crying spells for reasons unbeknownst to me, but I'm still flying high on those twenty minutes.  I love those glimpses of what my boy's true abilities are.

Another Year Older

Every year at my birthday I write a post about myself.

Two years ago I wrote about the materialistic things in my life that kept me happy.

Last year I may have tooted my own horn a little bit.

This year I just want to say, "I have no clue what I'm doing."

Honestly, every year I get a year older.  I should get a year closer to knowing where the heck my life is going, right?  I should have some kind of clue.

This past year has been wonderful.  I graduated and started my new career, which you know unless you were hiding under a rock, because I put it out there a lot (it's the Leo in me).  What you may not know because I've never addressed it on here, is that I also became single again.  I think that's what is putting me into this mode of discovering what it is I want out of life.  And wondering if I'll ever meet "the one", settle down, have 1.5 children (oh wait, I screwed that one over already), and a white picket fence.

Yet, looking and questioning what my future will be would only hinder me from seeing the beauty that is now. The beauty that is my present.  Beauty like this:

"Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.  And today?  

Today is a gift.  

That's why we call it the present."  

~Babatunde Olatunji

Back to School Prep Work

August is here.

That means it's time to start squeaking that wheel as the school year quickly approaches.

Don't you ever wish you could just sit back and only worry about finding the perfect sneakers for your son to start school with?  Not that that isn't an issue, as anyone who knows about the Buzz Lightyear shoes would know.

However, more pressing is contacting individuals in the school system while they are on vacation.  Hounding them is more like it.  To make sure your child can get into the school and visit with his new teachers, new classrooms, and new supporting staff prior to the school year starting.  To make sure that they have an acceptable program set up and in place for your child.  To remind them they need to provide new testing before November so I hope they are already scheduling it.  To make sure the new dedicated autism program that they promised is really going to happen and it's really going to UNDERSTAND autism and your child.  To make sure his backjack chair, visual schedule, and fidget toys are all ready in his new classroom.  

Then on top of that I have the list I need to do- new social story about 1st grade, updating his communication journal (his version of PECS but we call it a communication journal), updating the "Unlocking the Puzzle of Brian" book I give the school each year, making a new communication journal for the teacher & I to write back and forth in...on top of the school shopping I have to do for both boys.  

Ahhh, the joys of school.  Wish it was as simple as buying sneakers and notebooks.

Tree-Hugger

A trip to the park.

As told in pictures and as few words as possible.

Brian insisted on being spun on the merry-go-round over and over and over again.  And yes, the thumb still stays in even for that.

He then decided we should follow him on an adventure over the bridge.

We hadn't been to this particular park in over a year.

And though there are many trails he seemed to remember the one that he wanted.

He led us right to his favorite spot, where we decided to dip our toes.

He loves this spot because there is a current that goes over a little bit of a rapid just down the river.  

He throws in sticks and watches them go.  

On the walk back he decided he wanted to be a treehugger.

Literally.

The End.