Ready or not...

Last week at Tae Kwon Do Chas decided that if he had a uniform he would be more comfortable and able to participate in the class. So we bought one, for $20. But before opening the package, I thought I should ask one more time. 'If we go back next week, with your uniform on, are you going to participate?' I told him I would rather him tell me now if he didn't want to continue. And that's what he said - 'um, no thanks' were his exact words. I told him it was fine. And if he wants, he can try something else, like swimming or maybe tae kwon do again when he's five or six.
At dinner last night I noticed that it was Wednesday and I had forgotten to call LeAnn and let her know he wouldn't be coming back. Chas was confused, he thought we were going to keep going to the martial arts school to watch. Um, no, sorry. It was actually Simon who was upset to hear that we wouldn't be going back. He wanted to learn tae kwon do apparently. He said he would be a big boy, he wasn't afraid of the big kids. Chas told him it's not playing, it's learning and LeAnn is the boss of the class and you have to do what she says. I didn't realize he thought of it that way. I guess it wasn't what he expected, maybe that's what turned him off. Earlier this year, he told me that he didn't want to turn five, because he likes the size he is. Now he's worried about being six. I'd say he's ready to be a father, with all the worrying he does. He has a lot on his mind, I often tell him to turn his brain off for a while to give his mouth a rest.

Simon and I went to the Children's Developmental Services Agency last week to have him evaluated for a possible speech delay. It was a long morning of testing, shuffling from one room to the next, seeing this stranger - I mean expert - and the next one. He was a bit timid with some and not so much with others. And in the end, we found out what I think I already knew. He is very bright, and at or above age equivalent for most things, such as receptive language, social behavior, self help skills, etc except his articulation. They said we qualify to receive help through their agency, and they would apply for the services to begin as soon as possible. But since their services end when the child turns three, and Simon will be three at the end of next month, it doesn't really make sense to waste the paper and the time. So. They can help us transition him to receive therapy through the school system next year. That means waiting all summer long with this poor child struggling to be understood. The next thing to try would be private speech paid for by the insurance company. But since we are not near a base, and there are no providers near our home, it doesn't seem to be a workable option. That leaves paying cash out of pocket, a lot of cash. So I turned to prayer and asked God to make it obvious to me what I should be doing for Simon. Well, in the last day or two Simon has been really trying to pronounce things correctly. He has been unusually receptive to us correcting him. And he gets so excited when he thinks he's got it. Well, he gets excited even when he doesn't really get it, but he's trying so hard. Chas gives him lots of support and encouragement and praise. It is no more than we have been doing since we first noticed something wasn't right, around his second birthday. But he's ready now, that's the difference. We'll wait out the summer and see what he needs in the fall.

Mia is more than ready to go with the whole walking thing, she'll just have to wait for her legs to catch up with her attitude. She can stand unsupported for a few seconds, and even, by a fluke, took a few steps the other night. She figured out how to crawl out the front door, over the step of the threshold, and onto the porch. She says Hi and uh-oh, and likes to sing and dance, and talk to the kitties. Her cousin Caroline, Tim's brother's daughter, who is three months younger than her, was taken to the hospital Tuesday and they are trying to figure out what is wrong. She is lethargic, sleepy and not eating. Unable to hold her head up, arching her back and unusually fussy. Please keep them in your prayers. I'll update this blog when I get more information. I talked to Tim's brother last night and they were transferring her to the ICU at Columbia Children's Hospital in Manhattan. I talked to his wife a while later and Caroline was finally nursing. A good sign. Please keep them in your prayers.