Field Trip

Sam's class went to the Austin Science and Nature Center his first day back to school. They needed drivers, so of course I volunteered to go along!

Here's several of the kids watching a worker clean the cage of a red fox. 

We got to see animals, dig for Dinosaur bones, and use magnifying glasses to look at nature close up. 

 

All the boys liked to look at the bug collection. 

Sam did really well on the field trip. I was a little worried he would have a hard time going on a trip the first day back after two weeks away. In reality, he did really well. One building was really noisy, so he had a little trouble with the noise, but otherwise, he stayed with his friends rather than hanging around with me. I was so happy to see his ease with his friends. 

The trip was a success!

Home Again

We made it home! It was a very smooth travel day. The flight was quick. Sam played iPad during the flight, so it went by in a hurry. 

It's good to be home!

Speech Therapy at STAR

While we talked a lot about OT while here at STAR, we also had 6 speech therapy sessions with Carrie. Last time we were here, Carrie is the therapist that diagnosed Sam with apraxia. She is such a talented therapist, so we took advantage of our time here to have therapy with her too. 

Here is a link to a video with Sam warming up for therapy. Both Carrie and Sam are wearing headphones. These are special headphones that help Sam feel the sounds as he's saying them. 

https://youtu.be/Al0Fhc9BLV8

Enjoy!

Last Day at STAR

We are sad that it's the last day at the STAR Center. We really feel like they understand Sam and provide wonderful therapy and support for us as parents. We just love it here. 

This morning Sam painted a rock to leave on the playground at STAR. 

When it was time to paint with the blue paint, he thought it smelled too strong. 

He kept on painting, but he held his nose the whole time. 

So funny!  We have one more therapy this afternoon. We pack up to leave early tomorrow morning. I have a feeling we'll be back!

STAR Videos

Over our time at STAR we've taken many videos of Sam's occupational therapy.  We like to document where he's at right now.  We also like to see how much fun OT can be.  Here are several links to short videos for you to see. Now you can really see Sam in action!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtmxVruUaxw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV4uf1xwOl0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7ioc99ROJU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMHWEINMb_Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcH8V--v7ng

You can copy and paste these links into your address bar.  Enjoy!

Climbing High

Sam had a good day at therapy. In speech therapy he is learning how to say more complex sentences. He was making pizzas for Jason and I and had to ask us, "Do you want ...cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, tomatoes." He also working very hard to say the word "you".  It comes out "wou" often. We remind him to smile big to start with "eee" and then can move to the "ooo". Speaking is so much more complex than we even realize. 

Then this afternoon we played with Lindsay. Sam climbed high on the rock wall. He also played on a swing and rode of the belly slide. Fun times today!!

Climbing on the ball. 

Starting his climb to the top. 

Almost there!

Sliding on the belly board. 

Good News!

I received a call today confirming our new occupational therapy! We've known that our current OT situation needed a change.  We've been on a waiting list for a different occupational therapy clinic since early February.  I talked with the owner in March and was told they would be able to take Sam as a patient as soon as we returned from Denver.

I called the week before we left for STAR to make sure we were still moving forward with the new OT.  I was told there had been a change of plans because one of their therapists had to make an unexpected move out of state.  So, that has left us hanging about our OT future until today.  I received a call from the owner, and although they've wait listed all of their other future clients, they have moved schedules and worked really hard to get Sam into the schedule this summer.  In fact, Sam will start the week we get back from Denver!

Our new clinic, KidVentures, has two owners that are STAR trained.  Since they knew we were serious about Sam's OT needs and have come to STAR for therapy, they worked really hard to get Sam in this summer. We are so thankful for their willingness to work with us!  We also thank God for creating a soft spot for Sam in the heart of the KidVentures staff so they are willing to take us on.  Awesome news!

Some days are hard

It's never fun to report tough times, but the reality of living with sensory processing disorder is that life can get tough.  We've had a big bump in the last 24 hours.

Yesterday was a good morning for Sam. We went to an autism fair with vendors that also carry tools for sensory processing disorder.  After spending the morning looking at the fair, we went out to eat, got some ice cream, and bought a few used DVDs.  When we got back to the hotel, we started having some troubles.  They continued on until bedtime, leaving us all exhausted.

This morning we had OT with Lindsay bright and early at 9:00 a.m.  Although I would prefer to see Sam happy and having fun, I am really glad Lindsay got to see what happens when Sam "loses it."  We are hoping that Lindsay will have helpful ideas to give us now that she sees the struggles we have at home sometimes.

I don't like to focus on the hard time when I write in the blog, but sometimes it needs to be said.  The last five months have been REALLY hard.  Sam is changing and developing as a young boy.  His sensory needs are changing as he changes, and it's hard for Jason and I to keep up with the changes when they happen so fast.  We had our tool kit for the 3-4 year old boy, but this new developmental stage has left us confused and tired.  We are trying hard, but most nights it seems I go to bed feeling like I've failed.  It's tiring when feelings of failure follow you every day.  There needs to be a better way.

So, that is why we are here at the STAR Center.  Although it's hard, there are tools we can learn to use to help Sam where he is now.  There is hope for a happier time for our family and for Sam.  The struggle is real, but we trust that God will help us to meet the needs of the little boy he placed in our home and in our hearts.

Colorado Rockies

Saturday evening we went to a Colorado Rockies MLB game. We rode the train to downtown Denver and then took a pedicab to the stadium. 

It's was a cool night for a game, but we dressed warmly and brought a blanket too. Everyone else was in long sleeves shirts but no jackets. You could tell we are not as acclimated to the cool weather. 

As you can see from Sam's smile, he was enjoying the game. We are seeing a more relaxed Sam shine through. Typically he would be anxious and want to leave right away to go home. Last night he watched the people around him, entertained himself, laughed, and seemed to really enjoy the time at the stadium. We are so happy to see a more relaxed Sam again. We are so thankful for STAR!!

Apraxia Awareness

Today, Saturday, May 14 is National Apraxia Awareness Day!  The day is designed to help raise awareness for Childhood Apraxia of Speech. 

Here is some interesting information about apraxia. 

Today I wear blue to raise awareness for apraxia!

Rainbow Room

Sam loves the rainbow room at STAR. Here's a not great picture of the room. 

 

The hammock looking fabrics are staggered at different levels so he can climb up. It takes a lot of coordination and strength to climb from level to level. 

The space is so confined that it's hard to take a good picture. I'll try again another day. 

Sam also got messy today playing with foam soap. What a creative idea. I would have never in a million years thought about playing with foam soap with your toes while hanging from the ceiling. 

Headphones Update

So we got the scoop on the headphones. They are special headphones that have a small disk in the band at the top of the head. The disk vibrates to the music and helps to stimulate a kid's developing vestibular system. 

What does the word vestibular mean?  The vestibular system helps our body know where it is in space, coordinates movement, and helps us control our head movements. It's one of our senses found in the inner ear. 

Kids with sensory issues, like Sam, often have an underdeveloped vestibular sense. The headphones with the vibration at the top of the head is helping to develop the vestibular system that coordinates bodily movements.  Other ways kids develop their vestibular system are through spinning, swinging, jumping, sliding, climbing, and anything else that uses big movements when they play. 

Interestingly, if an adult was to put on Sam's headphones for a few minutes, we'd begin to feel sick, much like motion sickness or car sickness. Since our vestibular systems are much more developed, the input from the disk in the headphones would mess with our already developed system and make us sick.  Now we know the science behind the headphones!

In this picture Sam is playing a light game. You can see two of the three light towers in the picture. Lights alternate flashing and making sounds. Sam has to hear and see which light is on and hit it. He's wearing Hulk hands in this picture to hit the lights. You can also see his headphones and backpack in use here!

 

Resting Up

We are in between sessions today, so we are taking a break in the car. It's hard work to have fun during OT!

Our start at STAR

We've finished two days at the STAR Center, and Sam is having a great time. He was so excited to see Lindsay, his OT. When she came into the waiting room to get us, Sam started acting shy. When she suggested that we go to the gym, Sam jumped up and followed her quickly. It seemed like he didn't remember the gym at first, but once he saw the rainbow room (a bunch of hammock looking stacked colored climbing fabrics) he knew exactly what to do. Then he remembered many of his favorite activities. 

Sam has also tried a few new activities right away. Here he is ziplining. 

Here he's playing in the ball pit. Last time the ball pit was his favorite spot. This time it seems to be the rainbow room. 

More ball pit. 

 

As you can see in the above picture, Sam is wearing headphone and a backpack. This is new to Sam for this trip. I'm not sure what is supposed to accomplish. In this picture the headphones were not playing music. Tomorrow some music will be added. I'll get the scoop on the purpose of the gear and report back. 

Of course we've had some fun adventures too. We went to the Denver Aquarium on Monday morning. It was a great aquarium. 

 And we've had ice cream too!

Denver here we come!!

We set out for our second visit to the STAR Center in Denver tomorrow. We are stating for two weeks this time for intensive OT for Sam' sensory processing disorder. We know what to expect this time around, so we are really excited for our trip. 

Jason left this morning to drive up to CO so we have a car while we are there. He will pick Sam and me up from the airport tomorrow evening. It's a long drive.  We appreciate his willingness to drive up and back to make it more convenient while we are in Denver. 

I'll post updates here to let you know how the therapy is going. 

Denver to bust!!

The tiny turtle adventure

Jason and Sam found a tiny turtle walking down the road after the rain last week. Jason made a temporary home for the turtle and then we took it down to the stream in our neighborhood. Sam had a great time finding a spot for the turtle down by the stream. 

It was a tiny little turtle!

 

Taking him down to the stream. 

Relocating the turtle to his new home. 

Catching Up

The semester busyness has caught up with me the last month and I just realized I haven't posted in a while. So here's what's happening lately!

Sam had a great time at our church's Easter egg hunt. Our church is so close that we can walk in about 5 minutes. We brought a picnic lunch, hunted eggs, and had a sno cone. It was fun!

We went to Llano to hike and enjoy the windflowers at Jason's buddy's ranch. Sam picked me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. He's such a thoughtful boy. 

Sam went fishing in the creek and played a little in the water too. The water was still pretty chilly, but it was a warm day and standing in the water helped to cool off. 

Jason and Sam found a tiny turtle walking down the street. So we loaded up in the car and took it down to the creek. 

It's been a busy and fun month at our house. 

Chicago, here we come!

Last July, Jason and I attended the national conference for the organization that supports research, education, and awareness for childhood apraxia of speech (Sam's speech disorder). 

In October of last year I received an email asking for proposals for speakers for the July 2016 conference in Chicago. I had a crazy idea to submit as a proposal, so I did the research, wrote the proposal, and submitted it in December. At the end of January I heard back, and I was accepted as a speaker!! 

I will be talking about building a resilient family that is equipped to handle challenges associated with a child with developmental challenges. I am very excited about being a speaker at the conference. It's a lot of work to prepare, but I hope it's as helpful to others as it's been to me. We'll see!  Chicago, here we come!

Spring Break

We had a fun spring break week. We went to the Austin Rodeo, visited the stockyards in Ft. Worth, walked around the Austin Botanical Gardens, and played  a bunch. Here are the picture recaps!

Botanical gardens

Wild West Show in Ft. Worth

Austin Rodeo

Grandparent's Day

Sam's school celebrated Grandparent's Day a few weeks ago. Both sets of Sam's grandparents were able to come and celebrate. 

They started the day with a program for the grandparents. Sam did so well!  In this picture he is on the right in the front in the stripped shirt. 

The kids sang songs, heard a story, and entertained their grandparents in their classroom. Sam had a wonderful time!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Last week Sam's class celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday with a week of fun activities. I picked him up from school on Wednesday as his class was watching The Cat In The Hat movie and eating Popsicles they made the day before. Sam got to eat his Popsicle on the way to therapy. Yum!!

Let in the light!

We ordered new doors for the front of our house in January. They were installed on Friday. I love them!  They let a lot of natural light into the foyer that used to be so dark and cave-like. It's made a huge difference!

Before 

After

Front view

"Here you go fellas"

We fed the ducks at a park in our neighborhood last week. Sam loves to feed the ducks, and they were hungry!

Tower Garden is Up!

This weekend Jason helped me set up my Tower Garden again. I started the seedlings last week in the house and transferred them to the tower yesterday. I'm excited to see them grow!

Pump It Up!

Sam went to another birthday party at the inflatable play land in town. This summer he went for the first time and had fun on the inflatables as long as Jason was right beside him. This time Jason started out with Sam, but about 10 minutes into the okay, Sam was off in his own. He had a ton of fun! These pictures are fuzzy, I know, but it's hard to get a good picture in constant movement. This slide is Sam's favorite. 

What's amazing about this group picture is that Sam is in it!!! He sat down with a bunch of kids he didn't know and took a picture. He is growing up and changing so much. I'm so proud of how far he's come in the last year.