Almost Eaten by a Spider

I'm sad to report that today my knights shining armor tarnished just a little bit. He said, "It was tiny and at least two feet away from you." And then rolled his eyes when I tried to explain that it charged me - twice! Yes, a spider was holding me hostage in my patio chair.

Let's hope Alan can earn back trust I once had in him. I'm not going to lie to you, it's going to be hard.

Playing Dinosaurs

Alan's dino voice seriously makes the whole video is pretty cute, but my fave part is at 1:35 - right at the very end.

Functional Neurology

First off let me tell you how excited I am that I just got $400 worth of the CUTEST shirts from Ann Taylor Loft for $125. And they're a size medium. Yay Me!

And now let me tell you all about Cortland's brain as I understand it. Dr. Rosenthal said we need to work to get the receptors recepting in four parts of his brain.

Basal Ganglia - Memorization and motor actions

Parietal Lobe - Orientation of where he is physically

TREATMENT - We have special glasses with yellow lenses and flashing red lights that activate this part of the brain. I'm not sure if its this brand, but Eyelights are similar except C's lenses are yellow. Cortland is to wear then three times a day for five minutes each time and gradually increase the time worn on a weekly basis.

Temporal Lobe - Speech, vision, sound, smell and personal relationships

TREATMENT - The talking to the left eye and negative reinforcement helps this part of the brain.

RESULTS: Dr. Rosethal said this part of the treatment possibly is why Cortland gave me my first ever unprompted kiss last night. It also could explain the huge language leap this week which includes saying colors and lots of three and four work phrases that happened in the last week. Not to mention the fact that C actively sought out my mom and others to play when we were visiting last weekend.

Cerebellum - Coordination, balance, cognition, fine tunes motor activity

Our other homework this week is to continue having Cortland push is big exercise ball around since he stands correctly while doing that. He love to chase me around the house with a ball almost as tall as he is. We're also to play catch with dodgeball size balls and larger from at least 7ish feet away from each other. That makes him see more than just one focal point.

I'll keep you posted on results.

1st Day of School

Cortland just went skipping into his classroom for his first day of school. When I picked him up he gave his teacher a kiss goodbye. I think it's safe to say he had a great 1st day. As for me, I got most of the front flowerbeds weeded and cleaned house for 5 hours. Both things I've been needing to do, but weather and kid hampered.

The Weekend

Didn't you feed him this weekend?

Well, that's the $20,000 question, isn't it? My kiddo hasn't eaten properly in weeks. Tonight after we got home Cortland gobbled down a whole hotdog and a HUGE ear of corn. He was also asking for a "wokch" but that's also the word for rock so we had no idea what he wanted. (If it was a rock then too bad. I love him and would move the world for him, but watch him gnaw on a rock? Not gonna happen.)

We had a great time visiting my mom and many other family members this weekend. We drove to Dighton, KS with my mom, Aunt Jeannie and grandma to visit my grandmother's cousin. Both of them will be 89 in the next couple months. Can you believe that? My Grams will be 89. Along the way she told me stories about growing up and why the towns were 8 miles apart. It's because that's how far the horses could go, round trip, in a days time to visit the grocery store.

We got to drive by the houses she lived in when she was a little girl and the house my mom grew up in when she was little. I also learned that my mom was a big ol' liar 40 years ago and told my grams that she had slipped on a rug the weekend she hurt her back by plummeting to the ground when her parachute wouldn't open. Grams told me she still remembers thinking it was the ugly orange rug my mom had bought and that she'd never liked that rug.

The 1st night Cortland and I got to KS I explained the homework Dr. Rosenthal gave us for this week. I had to give negative reinforcement and talk to C's left eyeball. Not all the time, just a few times a day. My mom was also supposed to ignore C until he started to seek her out. Another negative reinforcement. Something about waking up the right brain.

So there I am all weekend talking to my kids left eyeball and and there he is looking at me like I'm a crazy loon.

But he ate a hotdog. And brocoli. And chicken. And talking and playing with us and toys. And willingly playing with my mom. Crazy sounding or not left eyeball talking will continue.

No pictures from the trip yet because I forgot my camera in Ness City, KS at my Aunt Joyce's house. When she sends it back you'll get to see pictures of the cutest hedgehogs ever! I totally want one. They looked just like Pinny Needlkins from Diggy Takes His Pick.

A great book my mom saved for the last 35 years that I stole from her when Cortland was born so he could have it read to him too.

Now this whole hedgehog purchase has not been Alan-approved yet. He put his foot down about getting a frog. Something about "that's no life for a frog to be stuck in a little box." Blah blah blah. Him and his harm no bugs or frogs rules. So difficult. Guess that rules out the hand/eye coordination exercise I had planned for C that entailed the use of a magnifying glass and a few pesky ants.