required readings for summer travel

The website Delicious Baby just posted a great article on traveling with a food allergic child.  It’s one of the few sources I’ve found for information that gives you the feeling that “yes I can travel on an airplane and my child will survive.”  I remember reading something on a Disney-related site (written by a parent and not affiliated with Disney) that pretended to give info about how to handle food allergies at Disney, and it started out by saying “of course, with a food allergy you can’t fly…”  Not true, and Delicious Baby gives you great advice on how to do it successfully. 

In full disclosure, I am credited with contributing to the piece, but that doesn’t make it any less accurate. 

 

Over the speed bump

IT Boy is making really good progress these days.  He’s walking, albeit only when we steady him into a standing position, but he can take a few steps by himself, which is huge.  He’s pointing up a storm, and learning to use his signs.  The only complaint I have is in the category of vocabulary.  Namely, his words for the family.  Seems that “dada” is now being supplemented by “papa”.  So, if you are keeping track at home, that makes:

Words that equal Daddy = 2

Words that equal Sister = 1

Words that equal Me = Zilch

I can be patient.  Really I can.  He’s got other words too:

Dog - said in response to anything with fur and four legs.  Bears, squirrels whatever.

Ball - whatever he wants to throw and hope that it rolls

Car - he now needs “man time” when we get home to walk around the car, feeling it and talking to the wheels.  This does not bode well for his midlife crisis.

Apple - said the other night, clear as a bell.  I did a 180 thinking it was Little IT, but it was him.

Door - we go in, we go out, you get the game

So, tomorrow is his collaboration meeting.  I expect no use of the “plateau” word, and only that he’s making great progress.  Or else. 

 

 

Words of vacation wisdom

The IT family has returned from spring break.  We visited my dad and stepmother in Texas, spending time in both Houston and San Antonio.  While it seemed at times like the entire vacation was being spent in a mini-van, that wasn’t really the case.  We hit Kemah, the Riverwalk in San Antonio, SeaWorld, and a whole lot of food.   We even had the classic QAP moment of walking through a crowd at Market Square celebrating fiesta with a baby stroller in tow.   Reminded me of my prior scorn of parents strolling around Bourbon Street with toddlers and infants.  “What the hell is wrong with those people?” I would say to myself.  Hmm.  What goes around, comes around, they always say.

Spending time with my dad brought a whole lot of wisdom with it.  For instance, I bring to you some classic bon mots…

“You can’t trust a Mexican restaurant unless it’s open for breakfast.”

“There’s no such thing as bad bacon.”

Or what about this classic exchange?

Dad: “I’m having a buzzard attack!”

Me: “Something on the windshield?”

Mr IT: “No, he’s talking about BLIZZARDS.  He wants to go to Dairy Queen.”

Me: “Where in the world are we going to find a DQ?”

Dad: “The next exit.  This is Texas.  Every town in Texas has a DQ.  It’s like the law or something.”

He was right.  The next exit, Flatonia TX, had a DQ.  So we stopped.  I had some horribly huge waffle bowl sundae (what was I thinking?) and the kids had small dishes of vanilla.  Mr. IT tried to order a chocolate cone, which was met with a “we don’t sell chocolate” response.  Stunned, he just stood there for a while, and eventually ordered a turtle blizzard.  Dad said that he’s never seen a Dairy Queen that sells chocolate soft serve, while Mr IT insisted he ordered it in Stamford, CT, which is the only DQ I know of near us.  This led to some spirited discussions and the desperate use of brainpower that could have been occupied elsewhere to figure out who was right.  Thanks to Sarabakescakes, via Twitter, we discovered they were both right, in a way…

11. Why are there variations in product from one store to another?

The majority of Dairy Queen restaurants throughout the United States are individually owned and operated franchises. While there are some products, like our soft serve, that you can find in every Dairy Queen location, there are other products, like chocolate soft serve and butterscotch or crunch toppings for dipped cones, that you may not find in every store. Ultimately, the decision whether or not to carry a particular product rests with the independent franchise operator of that particular store.

Well, who knew?  Thanks Sara!  It’s good to be home!

 

My point, and I do have one

Last week, we had IT Boy’s monthly collaborative meeting.  “Monthly” would be a stretch, because the first one was in February and we never got coordinated enough to repeat in March, so we made it in April.  The meeting itself was functional, but most of the news out of it was that Boy had not hit any major milestones in the two months between meetings.  PT was talking about going up a day, and so was Speech.  BTW, I’m fine on the first one, but think Speech 4 times a week is a bit much.  Just MHO.  Anyhow, it wasn’t exactly an upper, and I was grateful I was working from home the day after the meeting so I could decompress a bit and really think about milestones. 

There are several that we’ve wanted to see from him.  Walking, certainly, is a big one.  Pointing has been another.  12 months is the timetable for that, and he’s way past that.  They say it’s more of an OT issue, but there is some cognitive delay behind that as well.  More words would be nice, but boy does he say BALL loud and clear, and with force! 

The day after the meeting, I was in a store with him in a shopping cart, when I turned to put something in a cart, he was pointing at a flag in a display.  Pointing, clear as day.  And like that, out of no where, he’s been pointing at everything ever since. 

Today, he took 4 steps between me and the PT.  He did it twice.  She screamed she was so thrilled.  It wasn’t like he got up to make the steps - we did have to steady him a bit, but when he was in the groove, off he went.  When we tried to make it a 3rd time, he walked like I did during the vertigo episode, but it gave me hope.

I’m not saying that everyone is wrong, and now everything is ok with him.  Far from it, he still needs all the therapies he’s been given as he is anywhere from 5-6 months behind in most areas of development.  But I am saying that when you think it’s pitch dark around you, don’t miss a spark coming out of the darkness, and take it for what it is.  Hope.

 

We call her Little IT for a reason

I’ve never claimed that I have the best memory for the important things.  I often walk into a room forgetting why I am there.  I sometimes run back into the house 3 times before leaving for work because I have forgotten _______ (insert “gym bag”, “sneakers”, “laptop”, “snacks”, “ID card”).  Mind you, I can tell you the b-list movie that guest star in this week’s “Law & Order” appeared in, but I can’t even begin to tell you where my car keys are most days.  Unfortunately, this is a condition that Little IT has inherited.

This morning was a sparkling example.  She walked into my room and saw her DS on my dresser.  “Oh!  There it is!” she exclaimed.  “Did you think you lost it?” I asked.  “Uh, yes,” she sheepishly admitted.  In actuality, we had left it there, wondering when she would notice it was missing.  It took a while.  She won’t admit when she loses something because it frustrates us me too much.

Then, as we were heading out the door, and I reminded her about _______ (insert “shoes”, “brushing teeth”, “tuition checks for after school care”, “lunch”) for the umpteenth time, she remembered she left the tuition checks and ran back into the house.  I was with some co-workers who were quite impressed that she remembered it.  I knew it was a once in a lifetime moment.

When we got to school, she ran out of the car clutching her breakfast sandwich and drink.  I realized she had left both her backpack and tuition checks in the car only once we were inside the building.  She had to go out and retrieve them, again with the sheepish smile.

Then, the piece de resistance.  I get a call on my cell as I am heading to the Lincoln tunnel.  It’s the school.  I listen to the voice mail (not while driving, of course, there are tons of stop lights between the West Side Highway and the tunnel) and it’s Little IT asking me to bring her violin to school.  I stop.  It’s Tuesday, not Monday.  Violin is Monday.  Why does she want it today?  I call the babysitter, but she doesn’t have a car, and I choose not to involve my mom in this production.

When I get to school tonight to pick her up, her violin is with her.  I figured the babysitter did go to the house to get it, but no, the story was better.  She went to dance on Monday and left it in the car of the parent who drove carpool to the dance studio.  That mom dropped it off at school today.  As I always say, it takes a village to look after Little IT.

Sigh.  No wonder I have no memory, I’m too busy trying to look after hers.  I’m probably harder on her than I should be, because as Mr IT points out, I see the traits I deplore in myself replicated in her.  But isn’t that what being a parent is all about? 

In the meantime, I’m looking for some ginko (I know I have some…somewhere) and I’m going to play the Memory game with Little IT.  If I can find where I put the game, that is.

 

Picture this

Last month, my grandmother reached her 100th birthday.  I haven’t talked about it much, mainly because I’m in the process of writing one big whopper of a post about her, in honor of the event.  And sometimes good things take time.  Last thing she deserves is a half-assed post about her, because she ain’t a half-assed kinda lady.

We’re having a birthday party for her in mid-April, when the weather is hopefully better than early March, and at the time that her 90+year old sister is visiting from Florida.  Here we stand about 2 weeks away from the party, and in typical IT Girl fashion, I’ve now gotten the bright idea to create a book for her made from her family photographs over the years.  Mother of IT Girl dug them out for me this weekend and I have begun scanning them.  This is a project of some magnitude.  So what if Little IT doesn’t get picked up from a playdate, or IT Boy starves?  I’ve gotta scan. 

I tell you, it’s not a chore at all.  It’s quite a joy.  There’s something about these old photos that you just can’t replicate.  Even if the people in the photo below weren’t my grandparents, I’d still think it was an amazing picture.  Knowing them, and knowing they were on their honeymoon makes it even more special.  Walking the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, circa 1932…

The best part is there are tons of photos like this, although this is my current favorite from the batch I have been working on.  Scanning them allows you to blow them up, to identify people that you might not have been able to from the digital print.  It also serves to hopefully preserve these family moments for my kids to view. 

I’m interested in hearing from others who have taken on projects like this.  Like I said, I’m kinda in a half-assed last minute effort, but I’d love to take the time and do them right.  How did you name/tag the pictures?  What did you learn about organizing them?  What services did you use for output, whether prints or a photo book?  Right now, I’m looking at Blurb (although I think you really have to take the time and do it right on Blurb, and that’s not going to happen for me in two weeks) with Snapfish (old reliable) as a standby.  Vote early and often, all comments appreciated!

 

It’s all about the…

Ball.

Yes, I said it.  “Ball.”  IT Boy’s first word of meaning (not counting Dada, as it’s kind of the “shalom” of baby words - you know, hello, goodbye, peace, pass the ketchup, that kind of thing).

“Ball.”  Yes, IT Boy has a new parlor trick and it’s saying the word “ball.”  It’s heard all the time around the house now, and I have to say 88% of the time it is in reference to a real ball.  When it hasn’t been ascribed to a round thing that rolls, it’s referred to:

- a jello cup.  Close, but not quite, although IT Boy does love to roll it on the floor

- a balloon - the second favorite toy of the Boy.  Who would imagine a $1.99 mylar balloon would 1. last for a month and 2. provide hours of entertainment?

- my blackberry - he said it once, and I took it as a threat.  “Put that thing down now mom, or you’re going to be very surprised to see how far it flies.  At your head.”

He even said it to the TV last night.  Of course, he was watching the Beckham Sharpie commercial where a golf ball is doodled into a soccer ball.  A most pleasing transformation for Mr IT.

“Ball.”  Who would have thought that would be music to my ears?

 

Kumbaya

Last week, we had IT Boy’s first collaborative meeting.  Due to be held monthly, these meetings are intended to bring everyone on “Team Boy” together to talk about his therapies and how best to work together to achieve these goals.  It was a bit daunting, this first meeting.  We had our service coordinator from Early Intervention there, although she probably will not attend in the future.  We had some spirited discussions where we debated who should take notes (coordinator said it had to be a therapist, not a parent; therapists said it had to be a parent), and how to place the meeting in the schedule (some had heard the meeting had to be on a day with no services, others said it didn’t matter), but not many about IT Boy.  For the most part, we were all on the same page about what kind of treatment he’s getting, what the philosophies were, and how best to work with each other to move him along. 

Some things the therapists agreed on, but Mr. IT and I did not.  For instance, they all say he doesn’t respond to his name.  We have found that to not be the case.  Au contraire, when we call his name, he turns to us and gives a little grunt that sounds to our ears like “Huh?”  If I was taking notes, I would have noted that. 

Next time, I definitely will take notes.  The service coordinator said parents shouldn’t do it because they can’t participate as well and think, but as a visual learner, my recollections are aided when I have seen something I have written down.  Maybe I’ll use different colors of ink, and channel my inner Jolene…maybe…

Thankfully, we did have progress to talk about…he’s saying his first real word of meaning (more about that in the next blog entry), he can take a half step between people (but no more!) and he’s getting even more curious about his world.  Some days we expect him to just get over the delays and wake up running around and spouting Kafka, but the progress, however slow, is welcomed. 

 

Spring Breaking

We left the cold confines of the Northeast yesterday for a week of fun in the sun.  Or something like that.  If the posts are few and far between for the next few days, you’ll understand why.  A week with no email checking (well, not much).  A week with no therapy appointment for IT Boy, so for him, it really is an escape from work.  For us, it’s a decent into exhaustion.  We’re staying with my father-on-law, and the house isn’t really childproof, so we’re running around inside.  Outside, Boy just wants to crawl into the pool, and since he can’t walk on water, we’re running outside.   This is going to be an interesting week!

 

A special day

This is a big week in the IT household.  Yesterday of course was Valentine’s Day.  A day of even more special significance for us because it is the anniversary of my first date with Mr. IT.  Of course he wasn’t Mr. IT back then, but I kinda knew he was something special.

I had suggested during one of our frequent lunch dates that we go to a movie.  One of my favorite books was coming out as a movie, and I wanted to see it.  With him.  At night.  An evening date.  A big step.  He acquiesced, and we agreed to go to the following Thursday.  Which, I realized later, was Valentine’s day.  Nonetheless, we went.  As it turned out, we never did make it to the movie we had intended to see, which was “The Silence of the Lambs”.  I know, I know, it’s all about the love with me.  Seeing as it was opening day for that movie, it sold out before we could make it to the box office.  We saw “LA Story” instead, which was a more conventional choice for a first date movie.  Now, here we are, 17 years and 2 kids later, and we’re still going strong.   

But today is a special day too.  It’s Mr. IT’s birthday.  I want to wish my one-and-only a very happy birthday today, and many more to come!  I’ve got a special dinner prepared on order and it’s sure to be a fun celebration for the whole family.