March 30, 2008...More video!

Well, tomorrow is a big day...it's the Red's Opening Day Parade and we've been building the winning float. It's Q102's entry and we're promoting the Autism Speaks Walk (which I'm Co-Chairing...have I ever mentioned that? It's a project!). We have a working waterfall and everything...pictures to come. If I can figure out how to post them!

Between the walk, the float and the Raun Kaufman (the original Son Rise kid) lecture series that I've been trying to make happen, all my free time has been pretty much spoken for. But it's all good and I love every minute of it.

Jakob continues to amaze me every day. Today, he wasn't too happy with me tho. I had to give him a supository this morning so we could do a heavy metals urine test...party, party, party. It made him a little cranky...it would make me cranky too.

There are so many words that he's getting closer and closer to saying. The sounds are coming easier to him and they're becoming so much clearer. It's hysterical to hear him try to say "banana". One thing he's definitely got is "Mom, up". He sure does enjoy bossing me around.

We've been able to eliminate cookies from his diet. He's back on bananas and cereal. All the stuff I'm trying to get him to eat, he loves to shove in my mouth. Some of the gluten free/casein free stuff ain't half bad. Notice I said "some".

I go back to the Autism Treatment Center of America in 2 weeks. I'm really excited. I'm anxious to learn more and get better at this. The week-long course is actually taught by the parents who developed the Son Rise Program...so cool!!

I have some more video to share. I shot this a few weeks ago. Enjoy!

http://cetconnect.org/lifelong/autism.asp

March 23, 2008...I got video!!

Ok...I'll write something exciting soon...but in the meantime, I figured out how to load video on You Tube!! Big accomplishment for me!!

Here's Jakob in the playroom with Susan...our outreach facilitator who has a 13-year-old son who recovered and she's been doing Son Rise with kids for 10 years...she's AWESOME!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd3X_3C0et8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVeqyMd2uEI

This is what Son Rise looks like!!

March 9, 2008...Dooby Dooby Moo

I spent over 8 hours in the playroom with Jakob yesterday. I'm sore. I woke up this morning really feeling some muscles that I didn't even realize I had. It's all that bouncing on the ball..that darn ball. Jakob sure likes to bounce on the ball.

The jumping has slowed down. We don't do a whole lot of that anymore. And really, there's not that much bouncing anymore. It was just the 8 hours that got me.

Jakob has a new obsession...a book called "Dooby Dooby Moo". It's a riot. He has me read it to him, then he just turns the pages a bunch of times and then he reads it to me. "Dooby, dooby moo, the cows snore. Fa la la la baaaa, the sheep snore. Whacka whacka quack, duck snores." He has his favorite parts...like when the "animals ran to the talent show desk and signed in" and "Duck really wanted that trampoline. He jumped on stage and sang Born to be Wild". I started a couple weeks ago REALLY acting out the story...very dramatic. Apparently, he loves it. He now does all the acting and just giggles. He watches my every move and looks in my eyes non-stop. He's so connected and is truly enjoying every second of interaction. Last night, I couldn't get him to come upstairs to go to bed. Finally, I grabbed the book and he followed me up. He took it to the bedroom and placed it right beside by the bed. Then he climbed in and went to sleep with a smile on his face. He's a trip.

Learning to be more present is the most important lesson I've ever learned...what a difference it makes when I'm with him. To go in that playroom and not think about anything other than just being with him is the greatest feeling ever. I never realized how not-present I was until I tried to be more present. I was constantly worrying about this or thinking about that...all stuff I couldn't do a thing about at the time...just wasted mind-chatter. It's something I think we all are guilty of most of the time. Thank God for Oprah and Eckart Tolle...bringing it to the masses...

In other Jakob news...he's becoming so much more flexible, he's trying to say every word in Dooby Dooby Moo and lots of other words too, he's pulling me all over the house to play with him and he's so interested in everything I'm doing. He's joining my world more every day. It's so wonderful. I couldn't ask for more. Thank you, Son-Rise.