Swimming and Berries

Cute thing overheard at lunch today:

Cortland: (looking at Lucas eating blueberries) Those are strawberries!

Lucas: Nuh-uh. They're blue. They're grapeberries.

Cortland: Oh ya, grapeberries!

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In other news, sometimes I'm smacked right between the eyes with the knowledge that my son isn't the same as other kiddos. He has come so far and it's amazing how much he has accomplished in the last year. His motor-planning has increased to almost age appropriate. I forget, I guess, how much work he's done to get this far and how long it's taken to get him to do and try new things. Remember when he wouldn't swing or go down a slide? Yeah, I do too.

He is taking group swim lessons this month. Or I should say he was taking group swim lessons this month. After the second lesson (tonight) I went and talked to the lesson coordinator at the Y about switching him to private lessons. Cortland's instructor was spending 1/2 of the class just trying to get C off the steps and in the water. After he would get him in, Cortland would scream and scream (and scream and scream and scream). It wasn't fair to the other students who, after 1 1/2 classes, were already jumping in off the side and starting to doggie-paddle around.

After class I talked to the teacher and he suggested C take a class for kids with "special needs." (Air quotes and all)

I didn't realize how great it's been this summer not seeing Cortland surrounded by so-called normal kids. We see kids at the occupational therapist and Lucas. Lucas has a special connection with Cortland. He adapts his play so the differences aren't screamingly obvious like they are at the playground or even in C's school videos last year.

I almost forgot what this lump in my throat feels like. Schools starts next week so I guess I'd better get used to it.

ETA: I forgot to tell you that this summer I experienced what Cortland must feel like on uneven surfaces (and possibly in a swimming pools and swings and trampolines and steps.) I went down one of those tube-type water slides and when I popped out at the end I didn't know up from down. Completely disoriented. I didn't like it at all! I even did it a couple more times to see if I could get used to the sensation. Nope. Sucked every time.

So if you get an opportunity to do a water slide - Do. It. Even if that means you have to get into a bathing suit in public.

My How the Mighty Have Fallen

We passed our queen sized bed on to a friend last week and this week Kayla, my niece, and her son are visiting. So yesterday I called Sleep Experts to see if they keep twin mattresses in stock.

The conversation went very much like this:

ME: Hi, please tell me you keep twin beds in stock.

ANDREW: We keep twin beds in stock.

ME: The WHOLE bed. Frame, mattress and that one thingy. You know the square thing on the bottom. Ugh, can't remember what it's called!

ANDREW: Box spring. The whole bed. Right here. In our store.

ME: And that tiny, skinny little bed will be less than $300 for all of it, right? Because really, how can something so little cost that much?

ANDREW: We can work within that price range...

ME: But not a crappy one because how horrible of a hostess would I be if, not only did I make my guest sleep on a balance beam, but a HARD, LUMPY balance beam.

ANDREW: It's a good bed. I promise.

ME: Yay me! You'll still be there in ten minutes when I get there? You? Not someone that I'll have to go through this all over again with? Promise?

ANDREW: I'm here alllllll day...

ME: See you in 10!

(Still wondering if he tried to sneak out the back)

And that's how I became that annoying fool I'm forever rolling my eyes at, tootling down the road with a bed set hanging out of my trunk with the hatch tied down with bailing wire and duct tape.

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And in other news we will have one of these to put together on Friday!


The foster parenting classes are moving right along. We will be finished with training the middle of September and then we'll have a homestudy and (hopefully) licensing.

Itty Bitty Sweater!

I just unlocked the reason I love the movie Coraline, her sweaters are hand knitted. Tiny little clothes knitted by fingers! Big fingers! So cool I almost peed my pants.









  PS - Totally unrelated - The answer is 2 hours.

Gymnastics

After watching the women's gymnastic competition tonight I got to wondering when it got so flippy. I remember watching the 1976 Olympics and deciding then and there that I wanted to be one of those girls. I wanted to be Nadia Comaneci and that was all there was to it.

*I know, who remembers stuff from when they were three? I remember that and so many other things from early, early. I was shocked to learn that many people don't have recollections that far back. Who knew?*

Anyway, so I'm sitting here with Alan and sucking in my breath every time one of the girls jumps or flips or flops and think, "I don't remember it being so scary." I almost broke a needle getting so worked up.

My curiosity led me to this website and a history of the Uneven Bars. If you get a chance take a peek. The video called Uneven Bars Developments (50s - 2010) is cool - if you're into this sort of stuff.

And yeah, did you catch that Alan watched with me? All of those times of sitting quietly through basketball games and it's now PAYBACK!