two straight lines

Nature Boy

When Elliot was born I dreamed he'd grow into an artsy nature loving boy, and we'd spend our days crafting and gardening.  What emerged instead was a boy with your typical vehicle obsessions, most specifically of the fire truck variety.  He squealed when I even came near him with the tree hugging shirt I bought him, favoring "fire department" instead.  Not exactly what I had in mind, but he embraced his obsession for over two years. 

For little kids, such obsessions can be signs of sensory issues (yep), or of giftedness (don't know), and I'm sure in some kids they are indicative of nothing.  In the past few months since we have been pinpointing food intolerances in Elliot's diet and treating them with a combination of enzyme supplements and removal, his interest in fire trucks is all but gone.  And instead he loves space and rockets and Notre Dame football and golden retrievers and daffodils and butterflies. And he swings and climbs jungle gyms and bounces in those giant bouncy things and goes into Smalland at Ikea, and uses scissors and crayons all day long.  Oh, and he'll happily wear that tree hugger shirt.  Each activity is met with amazement-- "Mommy, I'm not afraid any more."

We've seen quite a change in our boy.  We have OT on hold until we see what is left to be treated after dietary intervention.  We aren't free of issues, that's for sure, but he's adjusting to his new view of the world.  And in a crazy twist of fate, through all of this we may have discovered that I am a Celiac, probably have been my whole life, but I exhibit very few "classic symptoms," and the symptoms I've had since childhood I thought were "just me." (What, you're fingers aren't numb?)  I've been waiting to mention it here until the testing is complete, but it looks like it may be a few more weeks.  So now we are gluten free.

I used to joke that I would forever hold it over Elliot's head that I had to limit my diet so much in order to nurse him.  Turns out it may have been the other way around, he may have been bringing me health through our dietary elimination.  Maybe I didn't get a Nature Boy, but I surely got just what I needed.

Spring-y

(Spring Green Cape, #6 of 10 I'm making for Elliot's classmates)

OK, this is a really random post after all of that heavy stuff, but I'm feeling all spring-y over here and it brought up a question that comes up in my mind every time I think about adding some curb appeal to my house.  You know, planting some flowers, putting some furniture on my front porch.  Why are all (or at least most) flags for you house (besides the patriotic ones, of course) so cheesy?  Is there a market for non-cheesy ones, or are they just bad all around?  I think if you could find really cute ones they could be a nice touch.  There seems to be so much fabulous illustration around these days, why doesn't anyone print it on a flag?  and sell it to me?  I managed to find cute simple ones for the fall and winter, but the spring and summer ones are scaring me.

I just got a marketing email from Michelle Caplan, which led me to the Paper Quilt project, now there are a number of illustrations there that would make great flags.  Here's a really cute one by Claudine Hellmuth that would be cute for spring.  Am I crazy?

Things are really good over here (thus the decorating), Elliot and I start OT this afternoon.  Can't wait.  We've also started some dietary changes, and I can really see a difference in him.  They call it the "Happy Child Effect."  I'll take it.  As we progress, I'll share what we're doing.

Have a great day.

Just What Are Sensory Issues?

First, let me thank all of you for your kind words and support, they mean the world to me, really.  I am constantly amazed at the kindness of this community.  You brought many a tear to my eye.  I will touch base with as many of you as possible over the next few days.  I would also like to give a little more information about Sensory Integration as a whole, and also how it relates to my son.  I know a few of you who know us in real life are wondering just what this means for Elliot.

I don't think I could possibly sum this up as eloquently as Taya did when she said-- "preschoolers, by definition, are learning to integrate the incredible, overwhelming data from the world around them. It's hard, and struggling with it demonstrates just how much there is out there to see, hear, touch, etc.--it can point out the richness and beauty of the world to us, the adults who are really good at integrating, and it can also help us to notice the very sensitive little souls for whom sometimes it's just too much." 

Taya is absolutely right.  Sensory integration really is the most important work little children are doing.  Taking in information from their surroundings, interpreting it, and reacting to it.  And all children have sensory issues, little things that make you scratch your head and go, hmmmmm.  It is when these things add up and alter the way a child lives his life that it needs intervention. 

I also want to clarify for those who read all of the comments the relationship between sensory issues and pervasive developmental disorders such as autism.  Nearly all autistics have sensory issues, but kids with sensory issues are not necessarily autistic.  My son is not autistic. 

I suspect the reason it took me so long to figure out Elliot's sensory issues is because he does not have what I thought of as many of the classic symptoms.  I thought affected children covered their eyes and ears all of the time, made their parents cut all of the tags out of their clothing, and only ate a few foods.  Elliot doesn't do any of these things, he does subtly avoid some things, but in and of themselves they would not be significant.  For example, he won't eat anything "minty" or "bubbly," hates swings, and has grown out of a variety of other sensory avoiding behaviors.

Elliot is primarily a sensory seeker.  He loves preschool and asks us if he can go everyday, and stay for aftercare.   He doesn't cause any significant problems at school, but does want to touch other children a lot, which I suspect is annoying to them.  This is his only problem at school, and luckily he has very good relationships with his teachers, who incidentally, think he has sensory issues, but that they are within the range of normal.

At home, Elliot is more difficult.  I think that holding it all together at school is very tiring, and he sort of lets it go for us.  Again, he loves action, and if we were to run him around from the farmer's market to a restaurant, to a mall, he would be happy as a clam.  It is mainly when we desire to stay home and do something besides entertain him every waking moment that we run into a problem.  I'm delighted that my son is so bright and energetic, but there has to be room in the day for meeting the needs of more than one family member.

The other big frustration Elliot has is getting his body to keep up with his mind.  I knew that he struggled with large motor skills, as he frequently injures himself (hello, emergency room) but I thought his fine motor skills were just fine.  On the way out of the occupational therapist's office the other day I bought him an orthopedic pencil as a treat.  When we got home he wrote his name on every piece of paper he could find.  I guess he was not able to hold a normal pencil well enough to write.

So, our hopes are that through occupational therapy, they can teach his body how to better work with his brain, and he will have a lower level of frustration, which will lead to more peaceful times in our home.  I also believe there is a strong connection between sensory issues and food allergy, and as proof of that would like to let you know that every single Mom who has contacted me privately has confirmed that her child also suffered from reflux as a baby, which I also believe is a food allergy issue.  We will also be handling this from a food allergy perspective.  (anyone wanting more info about the food allergy connection, check this link)

Finally, as I am sure is the case with any child's diagnosis, this has led me to examine my own issues, and I am confident I have plenty of sensory issues as well.  This gives me hope, as I am functioning, as least reasonably well:)  I also believe these children carry with them enormous gifts in their sensitive little bodies. 

Mama Voice

I try and draw a line between the public and private in this little space, but this needs saying, if only for me, for my boy.  And also to explain why I seem come and go from here.

We're four years down this path, and finally we have some answers.  From his earliest days, something just seemed different, harder.  With every sound he woke, I held him, all day, all night.  Had to limit my diet to keep him happy.  There's something off I say, the doctors say he is fine, he is big, he is beautiful.  I listen to my Mama Voice, stop asking for help. 

I will care for you little one.

He grows, he's smart, he's healthy.  He's just clumsy because he's SO BIG.  All parents have to repeat things a lot, right?  Why doesn't he really play with all those toys?  Why must I lead him through everything?  Still, things seem more normal.  Maybe parenting is really this hard.  But, it doesn't look this hard for others.

He starts school, does fine.  Seems ahead in some ways, behind in others.  He's happy.  He turns three, his sister comes.  Things aren't so good.  Sibling issues, yes, that's it.  He challenges more, acts out towards pets and sister.  Everyone says "he's three, three is hard."

But, he has incredibly sweet moments.  He talks like such a grown up now.  When did my little boy become so grown up?  Still, something about him seems naive, a little off.  What is it?

Fourth birthday approaches, maybe four will be better.  Late night internet searching, click on "sensory issues."  This is my child.

Seek evaluation-- yes sensory issues, sensory seeking (must touch everything), sensory avoiding (no swings, please).  We can help him.  He will be fine.

Prescription:  Rich sensory experiences, occupational therapy (disguised as play), lots of hugs (no tickles)

I will care for you little one.

Odd Feed?

A local reader of my blog (thanks Parke!) contacted me and said she's getting a really odd feed of my blog on her feedreader (she's on my atom feed which is my most popular).  Anyone else getting music related postings from me?

If you don't know what a "feed" is, please disregard.

11 Months

:Lucie:

at 11 months you

stand against various things for really long periods of time, until you get crabby from standing so much

dump all of the play food out of the playstand each time I pick it up...this could continue all day

clap your hands and also put them up by your shoulders like you're saying "SO!?"

love Clio the cat so much that you gasp and flap your arms while saying "CAT" each time you see him.  You even purr at him.  I'm so glad now that I bought you this adorable cat with three wee kitties hiding in her skirt for your upcoming birthday  (from Dorie at Tumbling Blocks)

have a little gap between your front teeth just like your Grandma Debbie did

have little curls at the nape of your neck

love to eat, but are not so sure about yogurt

love Elliot best.

Fickle

This bed, recycled from a down pillow, was one of the first blog projects I did.  It used to have a cute little apron with vintage kitty fabric and red trim, but I washed it once and the seam binding bled.  Clio never once used it, until today.  Maybe its a nice spot to look out at the fresh snow.

From Humble Ingredients

OK, I'm going to stop beginning every post with "sorry I haven't been around much lately," because well, it is what it is.  I don't have a heck of a lot I can show you these days, but I'm hoping to fit in a little just for fun making, so I'll get back to ya.  This also is not my favorite time of year, with the gloomy gray skies.  It's hard for me to believe that places like Portland and Seattle could actually be gloomier than Michigan.  I don't know if I could take it.  Maybe I should get one of those lamps with the full spectrum light.  Ugh.

I started my crochet class this week and I am super excited.  I have to pick out an easy first project, but I want it to be something I like as well, so I checked Kid's Crochet from my library today, and now have my first four projects planned.  It's a really cute book, I highly recommend it.  The author, Kelli Ronci, is a former crafts editor at MSL, so the book has a similar aesthetic to MSKids.  And it's illustrated by Lena Corwin which is a huge bonus.  There is also great crochet inspiration on the Martha Stewart website, just do a quick search and you'll turn up some great stuff.

Speaking of Martha's website, I made some of her ribbon belts this week and they're super easy and cute.  Would be great Valentine's gifts.  You can also make bracelets with thinner ribbon.  Have you all seen Living Crafts?  We felted a heart today, check out Honeyflake, she shows the process beautifully.  It was fun and the results were pretty.  Of course, Elliot didn't have the attention span to finish it, so I sat there poking it with chopsticks until it was done.

We're expecting a boatload of snow, so we have been baking-- this zucchini bread (actually as muffins).  I froze a whole lot of zucchini last summer when we picked up some HUGE yellow zukes at the farmer's market.  It was sort of embarrassing actually, I saw the sign said 75 cents and I assumed that was per pound so I hogged up the biggest ones only to find out they were 75 cents each.  Oops.  People in line behind be probably thought I was a little greedy.   

I grew up in Indiana where you can hardly give zucchinis away (or "bimintis" as my great-grandfather called them, and green peppers were "mangos").  I'm always so shocked when people have never had zucchini bread or think they won't like it because it has a vegetable in it.  Hello, it's cake.  Anyway, this recipe is good, although I'd love to find a yummy one with less sugar if you all have one.  We use King Arthur's White Whole Wheat in almost everything.  You seriously can't tell it's whole grain.

The bear in the photo above is mine from childhood.  I used to collect them, but only have this one and a few tiny mohair (steiff and something else) ones left.  I love this bear, and of course the colors are very appropriate for this time of year, but what I really love is that it is made from just muslin.  No fancy prints here.  There are pretty pink buttons for eyes, a pink grosgrain ribbon tie, and little hearts stamped a few key places.  So simple, so pretty.  This is great inspiration this time of year when maybe you spent a little too much money in December.  You can still make something beautiful with even the humblest materials.  Those are my favorite, really.

Computer Malfunction

Sorry I've been MIA, my Macbook died last Saturday, and I've been out of sorts ever since.  The lucky part is that my husband bought the extended warranty-- I would have said a polite "no thank you" to that, but now I'll be getting a new, bigger hard drive- yay!  I'll take a little data loss for that.

I've been very busy crafting, but can't share any of it just yet.  The new issue of Wondertime came out with my favorite project of mine to date.  Check it out here with my photos as well as my "boy" version here.  Today while Lucie was napping I was reading the magazine and I was like-- "aw, look, there's Elliot's footprint and Lucie's ultrasound-- wait!  That's my uterus in a magazine!"  Who woulda thought:)

I loved the article "Confessions of a Mommy Blogger," and I'm sure many of you would relate to it as well.  I can so relate to composing posts in my mind constantly, and also wonder how reading my blog changes how people "in real life" view me. 

Also, I laughed so hard when I read the article about preschools, as they mentioned Waldorf Moms all wearing the same kind of clogs.  I'm definitely a clog-wearing Mama, so they have me pegged with that one.

OK, enough babbling.  I have a few smallish craft projects to show you soon, and my family room redecorating is making some progress, so I'll be back soon!

PS-  Check out the reader entry section near the front of Wondertime where you'll find comments by our very own Molly!

I Got My Sheep Farm!

I mentioned a while ago I wanted a sheep farm, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind...

It's bigger than it looks-- 24" x 14", and it has an open back for playing.  Found at Found.  (Which is also where I got my vintage flashcards for those who have asked, but I bought the whole box, so I don't know if they have any right now)