It’s The Weekend Baby!

This week has been such an exciting time for my parents.

I have decided it is time for them to see what I am really capable of as well as consolidating the volumes of things I have learned.

On Monday we still had mid-term break, so I stayed home with Mommy familiarising myself with my toys and all the things in my bedroom. I watched tons of TV as a treat, and not the quality stuff, only the quantity television programmes were on my list to watch. The car was in for a service and we stayed home while Dad went to work. I did manage to get some good climbing in on my jungle gym and Mom was amazed at my feats of daring going up rope ladders and swinging on them. Speech was cancelled and I was slightly disappointed as I have been working very hard with my minimal pairs and sounds. I even stand in front of the mirror practising a long S and short S. Mom is even starting to pick up some sign language and we found out that teacher Sasha teaches sign language to hearing impaired infants as well.

Going back to school on Tuesday proved a little harder for me than I remember before and I wailed while all my friends hugged me and fetched my bunny and made me feel so welcome. Mom and Teacher Sasha waved, I gave Mom a hug and she wished me a good day and off we went our separate ways. As it happens, I found out later Mom went to work for the first time in 3 plus years. Our letter for the week was Eddie Elephant. I love him, and coloured him in beautifully. I also found out that Mom is terribly entertained by my impressions and sense of humour, so I regaled her with those for the afternoon. I have started using therapy on Mom and teacher Sasha, as Mom and her were walking out, Sasha asked Mom if she insist on me looking at her and touching her ears to ask me to listen. Sasha then made it apparent that I had used the same technique on her. They just laughed. With Mom I take out books and ask her, is it this or is it that and then correct her based on the appropriate response.

Mom was at the PC downloading some exercises for me and I decided to climb up onto her. I should note that Mom sits on a ball at a table to use core muscles so as it was a surprise attack, Mom wasn’t ready for me and I fell first hitting the side of my head then the back of it. Ice was administered and a bit of paracetamol. I acted really strangely the whole afternoon, so Mom’s injury senses were in big time overdrive. Dad was put on high-alert at the office and our defcon plan was invoked. I was incapable of doing any exercises in my workbooks afterward. I went to sleep really early, and Mom had to keep waking me to see if I was ok. After sleeping for almost 15 hours, Mom decided I was fine, but probably had a headache of note. No bruising which could be bad or good. She’s still watching me.

Wednesday was our first Leap Year day together as a family, and it was really cool that at school, Teacher Sasha discussed the seasons and how a Leap Year worked. I impressed Mom by coming home and telling her all about it. The funny thing is that I have got so used to people not understanding me that I get really animated with my descriptions so that by association they can get the idea of what I am saying. Mom’s usually pretty good but couldn’t figure one word out. To Mom it sounded like “record”, to Dad it sounded the same (I called him to tell him the word – he’s gotten quite used to these ‘translation’ calls at work). Granny didn’t even have an idea. It turned out it was The Wiggles!

Doesn’t that sound like record? I had B-Sharp Beetles with teacher Amelia on Wednesday. So it’s a really long day for me. I had a good long snooze on Wednesday and it thundered and blew up a storm but no real action. We thought Roxy would be ok, but we were wrong. Even after some Eco-Fear she managed to take out the security gate in the kitchen, and get through the cat flap. Mom decided the safest place for her was locked in the back. I had asked Mom for some books; especially a special agent Oso book. No luck, but I got one or two new books to read. Mom also changed my room around so that I had more floor space. It seems to be working for me for now. Mom also got me some new software for the PC with Winnie the Pooh teaching counting, which seems to be a weak point for me. Or as Mom suspects I have no need to tell anyone what I know. Mom installed it, but uninstalled it as she was not happy with the graphics card. She didn’t have time to do it again so Daddy fixed it.

On Thursday Daddy worked from home as well as seeing to the insurance assessor for our insurance claim for the burglary last week. Mom suspects I have been mildly agitated by the experience although the folks haven’t really discussed it. Mom decided to do some research and ultimately I was told in the nicest possible way and a whole action plan is now in place for the future. I asked Mom about the seasons and especially winter. Mom said it is coming later in the year. I then announced, actually it starts in June. Mom looked at me, smiled and said “Oh good, that’s your birthday month too”. Since then I have been asking for a tonne of things for my ‘Happy Birthday’ in June.

I played soccer on Thursday as I have missed some lessons in February. Coach Scott and Mom had a good laugh about my need to only be the striker. However by the time Mom came to fetch me, I had dribbled through cones, done some stopping with my one foot on the ball and even managed to hold the ball with my nose. Mom was impressed as she was watching over a hedge. Mommy also downloaded the Lion King app for my iPad and I spent most of the time identifying the letters I knew, and the one or two words I can identify too. Mom is starting to realise that right brain is strong. As you know only peripheral blood flows through my left, so Mom has a plan for making do more logic. I floor her each time, by just doing the exercises to perfection.

Teacher Sasha informed Mom that I have such a nice nature. I have taken to complimenting my school mates on their drawings or efforts in the class room. We have such a nice class. I have also been telling Mom and Dad they do things that are amazing. I didn’t know my Mom could copy pictures and she made me a Mickey Mouse while Dad was at squash. I added the colour and googly eyes. What a lovely thing to do just before bed.

Friday came with a little trepidation for me. We had bike Friday as per usual but also the CHOC (Childhood Cancer Foundation) people were coming to talk to us, and paint our hair green. So I took my contribution with and made sure that I remembered all about my friend Bianca in New Zealand, who has been such a brave fighter in her journey with cancer. I told my friends about her and all the beads she collected when she was having treatments. If you would like to see her amazing journey, click here.

I headed off to OT with my green hair and fell asleep at 11. This was helpful as Lauren wanted to do Cranio. My jaw was really tight and my temporal bones were really tight. It was very ‘sore’ so to speak and Mom knew there was going to be an emotional weekend ahead. Well I started in on the mischievous boy approach to life right off the bat. I had another sleep after OT as it really makes one feel whacked. I woke up feeling awful and weepy. Mom allowed me to bath and shower and do whatever was required to feel better. The last thing you want to do is make it worse. I fell into a deep sleep and woke up really early on Saturday.

I knew that Morgan was coming to visit me. I kept asking when he was arriving and he was here by 8:45, but for my folks it felt like an eternity as I asked so many times. We played with Tow Mater and Lightening McQueen, we drew pictures, and jumped on the trampoline, practising our tennis, up and over. It was great work. We then had a hearty breakfast and got stars for eating so well. Then we headed to the Spur to get a play while my folks had some brunch. Morgan and I played up a storm on the jungle gym. Anthony met us at the Spur to collect Morgan. On the way out of Cresta we spotted that the CANSA Shavathon was going really strong. Back home we had a team snooze and we played for the rest of the afternoon. It was incredibly hot so we tried to remain indoors out of the burning sun.

Sunday was quiet – we spent the whole day at home where I played up a storm playing with Tow Mater and his garage, my building blocks, drawing, sketching, playing snap and so on. I had a really good snooze and resumed play in the afternoon. A huge burst of wind arrived mid-afternoon and it provided some welcome relief from the heat. Early evening Tanya and Morgan arrived to collect his bag and car-seat from the day before. Immediately we got down to playing again, much to our parents’ dismay, as it was a school night and we both should’ve been getting to bed early.

That’s it for this week.

Love,

Jarrod

Hear me say ‘it’s the weekend baby’ – click here.

Photo 1 Snoozing cuddlebunny

Photo 2 Peaceful bunny

Photo 3 Playing with my Cranky

Photo 4 In Mom’s words “Beautiful scissor work Jarrod”

Photo 5 I greeted this mantis on the front patio, and she obliged by sitting up!

Photo 6 Morgan and I reading

Photo 7 Chilling

Photo 8 My tower!

Photo 9 Should I or shouldn’t I?

Photo 10 I should!