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Journal Key:

Green = Steve | George = navy | Janet = Purple | Evelyn = Black

7/18/13 (Thursday)

It was the last day of the swimming lesson session today! Owen did some things that surprised me. The teacher stood a few feet away from the wall, holding out her arms. He let go and got to her, which Cara and I, watching, really did not expect him to do. He also kind of sort of floated a little. Anyway, he succeeded in every part of the checklist which did not actually involve swimming. They suggest that he try this class again.

Cara helped me give him a shower after his class, because she was in a swimsuit and I didn't want to get wet. He had refused to do this, previously, but today he did some happy prancing around. We got him into his pajamas, and he put his sandals on. They ended up on the wrong feet.

While Cara had her class, we colored on the Scooby Doo color wonder paper. Slowly, other children gathered. A little girl whose older sister we've been hanging out with came over. I offered her a page and explained the process. I kept popping away to see Cara, and when I returned, the little boy who was listening to loud music (Gangnam style!) on a smartphone had come over and was sitting next to Owen, watching. Having the little girl coloring was nice, because she was entertaining for me and for Owen, too.

Cara did pass her class, and her next one will be in the other pool, which we've never been in! She went off to the locker room to take a shower. I didn't want her to take a shower. I wanted her to just get herself together so we could go home. Since Owen had showered, though, she wanted to as well. Owen was very happy coloring, though, so we weren't in a rush. I sat there, with Cara showering and this little girl taking more new pages out of the coloring book that I had planned on starting, figuring it was time to just kind of roll with things.

When Cara eventually came out, Owen said that we were staying here because this was our house. I left him with Cara while I went to sign her (but not him) up for the next session. Then we had to lay down the law and make him leave.

At home, the kids entertained themselves independently. It was lovely. After a while Owen went back to playing with his Nook, where he opened the paint program and started making "stickers" of animals, which he made tiny and lined up.

7/20/13 (Saturday)

I'm trying to plug in a lot of holes in the journal tonight! (Go back a page for the Florida trip description, which has now been added.) Saturday the kids eventually got out of the house and over to the corner of Nancy Circle, where the Loefflers had decided to set up a good old-fashioned lemonade stand. Cara was all over the marketing part of the business, and spent a lot of time holding up a sign and waving it tantalizingly at passing cars. A lot of friendly neighbors stopped by to have a cup--even the ice cream truck driver! We took Owen back home after a bit so he could have his lunch and his nap.

After the nap, it was sleepover time! Grandpapa George arrived to whisk our children away, and Evelyn and I had a nice dinner out to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

7/21/13 (Sunday)

Today we celebrated Grandmama's birthday! At the grandparents' house, Grandpapa had purchased and set up a giant kiddie pool (and next to it a tiny kiddie pool, where you could get the grass off your feet before getting in the big one), and also set up the pink princess-themed slip 'n' slide thing. The kids had a blast with the hose and the slippy thing and the pool and some pool toys. Even the grownups spent some time relaxing in the big pool, and enjoyed ourselves.

The kids are entirely too obsessed with Scooby-Doo! There is some reason to believe that even they may have reached their limit, however. This evening Owen opted to turn off the Scooby-Doo movie we were playing at home, in favor of listening to a book on his Nook.

A lot of good pictures got taken today, which I will eventually get around to putting on the site.

Potty update: after a whole lot of trying and trying on the potty tonight, Evelyn eventually had the idea to color a piece of toilet paper with some markers and float it in the bowl, so Owen could stand and aim at it. And he actually did it!! Afterwards he said, "Can I have another wipe?" He meant another piece of toilet paper. So he had to color another one and managed to dribble out a few more drips. He also had another episode where he thought he was going to poop, but instead only passed gas. He still felt it was necessary to flush the toilet afterwards.

7/22/13 (Monday)

When I got to YBR to pick Owen up, he and the other kids were all playing on the floor. There were vehicles and dinosaurs and all sorts of things out. Owen was in a corner with a thing that has wire tracks and beads that you can push along them. I got his lunch box and came back; he was still playing. He got up, however, and went over near some other kids. He picked up a large airplane and brought it back to his corner.

The teachers and I tried to remind him that it wasn't time to keep playing. He calmly started picking up matchbox cars from the floor around him and putting them into the plane, which he then carried over to the big toy box and started dumping in! Miss Minal helped him, because some were stuck. He went back for the last few, which proved to be more than he could carry, so she brought him his plane again.

7/23/13 (Tuesday)

Cara and I parked on Main Street and walked to get Owen, which meant that we had to walk back to the car with him. I realized too late that that meant a lot of stops. Fortunately, he also has an obsession with not walking in the sun. When he started to try to get us to stray from the path, I reminded him that the way he was going was in the sun. We reached the car in record time.

We had rice with dinner, which was both very attractive to Owen and very frustrating for him. It's hard to eat it! He'd drop some and get annoyed, and eventually he exclaimed dramatically, "Oh, man! I'm never doing that again!" Ironically, he ended up saying that several times.

I've been actually working for the past two days, and one thing we talked about was how to foster independence in your students. We brainstormed techniques. Essentially, you have to give them the tools they need and make sure you don't do their work for them. It made me think of Owen. This morning, I made him put his own shorts on. It was very difficult. Tonight, he put his own pajamas on. That was a first! I think we've been doing a lot more for him than we should.

One thing that surprised me was that he took his socks off today with a minimum of discussion and no supervision. Generally, I've had to stand there while he hauls away at the toes, saying, "No, pull from the back. From the back." Then I've had to show him. Then start them for him. I've only been telling him this for about six months. Today, though, I think he must have actually done it! He was awfully pleased with himself. Next I'm going to start making him put on his sneakers.

After Owen's bath, we settled in to read. I've taken the railing off of his bed, which lends a different dynamic to the room. Owen got into bed and moved over to make room for me on the outer edge. I started to lie down, but apparently he thought he was too crowded. "No, the seat!" he cried. I got off and started to sit down on the little step stool on the bed, where I've been sitting to read. "No, under the seat!" said Owen. Oh: under the sheet. I lay under the Avengers sheet with him and read three books.

7/24/13 (Wednesday)

Today Evelyn tried something momentous with Owen. She put underwear on him (with a diaper on top). She sent extra clothes to YBR and talked to him about going on the potty, and talked to the teachers about taking him on the potty.

Owen dug in his heels, it seems. When asked if he would go to the potty at YBR, he repeatedly said no. He explained that he only did that at home.

Tomorrow we'll try harder to bribe him and see if he does better. I told him tonight that he could have a treat if he went on the potty at YBR. Evelyn promises a trip to Barnes and Noble. What he needs most is someone taking him on regular trips to the potty, so I do think it will be a big help if he starts going there.

As we were leaving YBR today, Owen waved and yelled "Goodbye, friends!"

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