Cookies and dogs

This past weekend we decided to get out of the house. The dogs were needing some attention so we loaded both kids and both dogs into the minivan and headed to the nearest dog park. There were lots of dogs there and the area seemed small. That didn't stop us from having fun though. When Conlan is really excited and having fun, he "squeals". We heard him squeal a few times at the dog park. I love to hear him even if it does hurt my ears a little. It was a tie between the dogs and the kids for who behaved better. I was a little concerned that our intact male would pose a problem, but he didn't and had lots of fun. After nearly an hour, our female corgi started limping, and we were all ready to go so we packed up and went home. Sorry, I didn't take any pictures, maybe next time.

Touch

Hilary found yet another great show on Netflix. I really like how with Netflix, you can find shows that are real good but never really made it big for some reason or another. Anyway, Touch is about a nonverbal boy and his father. The kid sees the universe in numbers. The was one scene that I really appreciated. The last scene of the second episode, the dad is talking to the son. They had a long adventurous day and they are getting ready for bed. The dad is telling his son what he thought it meant to be a father. When he first became a father he wanted to teach his son so much, and not just how to play ball. But as his son grew older, they realized he was autistic and the dad had to grapple with how and what he could teach his son. As he was talking to his son, who was all tucked in bed, he realized that maybe he was the one that needed to learn, that his son was the teacher. So I likened it unto myself. There is so much I have already learned as Conlan's father. There is yet so much I can learn from him. Courage for one. Could you imagine getting up every day, knowing that even your parents don't know what you want? Not being to tell anyone what you want to eat, that you have to use the restroom, that you're sad or happy, that you want to play outside and just run around. That sounds depressing to me, and yet he does it every day. Every day he wakes up and gets excited about school or having pancakes for breakfast.  He gets excited when Grover learns how to jump over three moon. He gets exited to be outside. Being happy and satisfied with life is another thing I could learn from him. He gets so excited about the simplest of things. A ride in the car is a special treat. Yes, I have a lot to learn.

Like a weed

Yesterday, Hilary got up and fed the kids breakfast. A couple hours later, I fixed some turkey bacon, french toast and eggs to eat.  Conlan ended up eating about 4 full pieces of bacon, 3 or 4 slices of french toast and whatever else he could find including some graham crackers and pop tarts.  I did manage to save some for myself but felt guilty for hiding it from him; I had to scarf it down before he saw it.  I don't know what he had for breakfast round 1, but he definitely was hungry just a couple hours later.  He's surely going through another growth spurt.  He has been sleeping more than usual - actually through most nights!  I can't believe how tall he is getting.  It's a lot bigger of a chore carrying him up two flights of stairs to his bed at night.  What's it going to be like during his teenage years?!  We'd better start saving up for the grocery bill now. :)

Interactions, teaching

For a couple weeks I have been pondering how to truly interact with Conlan. A lot of the time, Gavin will be demanding my whole attention while Conlan does his thing across the room. At night, Gavin brings me a book to read, and I try to involve Conlan. That lasts for about 20 seconds before he goes to do something else. Gavin just soaks up knowledge. It is so easy to teach him new words and how to do stuff. He is always wanting to help dad fix stuff or mom with household chores. Conlan though, is more like me. Throughout college, I had this attitude that I could learn anything, and on my own.  Why would I ask someone if I could read it in a book or google it on the Internet? I didn't want someone telling me but to discover and learn it for and by myself. I think Conlan is similar. He steps back and observes. He stays at the perimeter just watching and listening.  On car rides he stares out the window with a look of deep concentration. I wonder what goes on in that mind of his. Sometimes he'll surprise us with something new he has learned. We never saw him practice it and all of a sudden, he is doing it. It is like he plays it out in his mind over and over again until he is certain that he can do it without flaw.
So, anyway, I've been trying to get on his level and do more with him than just the standard tickle and "zerber" wars. Since he loves pouring water, I had him help me wash the dishes using hand over hand. That seemed to work for a little while until he wanted to pour the water out of the sink.
Lately, he has been taking off all of his clothes. We worry about him getting sick, especially since we recently moved from Arizona to a cooler climate. He won't even keep on his jacket outside. Maybe I should take off all my clothes too in order to get on his level...

Peaceful

Once again, asleep in the car seat. He got up pretty early and after a short walk and a car ride, he was out. I love watching him sleep; he looks so peaceful. He has been growing a lot lately, sleeping and eating a lot.

Dog house

A few days ago, I was in the backyard with the kids after a walk around the neighborhood.  First Conlan got into the dog house, and then Gavin trying to be like his big brother, joined him.  Dewi, our male corgi, joined in on the fun too.  I wish I had taken a picture of all three in there!  Conlan seems to like tight enclosed spaces almost as much as our late Pookie, Romney aka the short-legged sled dog.

Phases

For a few days now, I've been wondering what to write for the next post. After much thought, I'd like to write about various things that Conlan does or used to do; phases that he has gone through.  Here are some that I could think of, not in any particular order.

• shirt sucking (he has ruined a few shirts cause he sucks on them so much)
• fecal smearing
• squeezing Gavin's neck
• having us talk in his ear (This worried us a lot and so we had his hearing checked.  His hearing is fine, but I still wonder why he was having us talk into his ear.)
• spitting his drink out
• screaming, sometimes just to irritate us. :)

Most of these he still occasionally does.  Thankfully, he hasn't engaged in fecal smearing for quite a while.  There are others.  I just can't think of them right now.

I've been trying to think of things he likes to do to use as rewards for doing something well.  So here are some things that he just likes to do.  

• have us kiss his arms
• feel my whiskers
• run
• JUMP (there's a Sesame Street episode where Grover learns how to jump, from the cow that jumped over the moon - it's one of his favorite shows).
• he loves car rides.  Recently, I remembered how when I was frustrated or angry, I would go on a car ride, and that would calm me.  He is so much like me in so many aspects.  He loves looking out the window and watching. For a while, we brought his car seat into the house and used it to calm him when he had a meltdown.
• riding the bus
• play with water.  He especially likes pouring water (or wine as was the case at a work party last week) back and forth.
• He is very oral and likes chewing on chewy stuff. We got a pack of squishy lizards at the zoo for him.  We got chewelry for him, but he didn't like it.

Once we stayed at a hotel and asked for a first-floor room just so that he wouldn't disturb (jumping and screaming) anybody below us.  They didn't have any rooms available on the first floor at the rate we paid, so we asked to be put away from anybody else, and they said they would.  They still put somebody below us.  Lo and behold, the neighbors from below complained, and they had us move to another room.  The new room was bigger and much nicer, so there were no complaints from us.

And some other things we deal with on a daily basis.

• uncontrollable laughing or crying (sometimes he'll wake up in the middle of the night and just laugh and laugh and laugh for no apparent reason - which is better than when he wakes up boo-hooing or screaming).
• he's a very picky eater.  He'll eat just the sausage, and often the cheese too, from a pizza.
• instead of telling us what he wants, he'll grab our hand and lead us to the kitchen if he's hungry or thirsty.  Or he'll push us to the destination.

There is so much I'm sure I have missed.  I'll add to the lists as my mind recollects and/or observes new items.