on our toes

Our little retreat into New England was not just enjoyable, it was also desperately needed. Since my last brief update, life around these parts has suddenly turned incredibly busy. Here's some of what's been keeping us on our toes.

1. Garrett got glasses.

Garrett's trip to the eye doctor was as hilarious (as in, "Wow! These funny glasses are as cold as winter!" -- I really wish I'd snapped a photo of him in the exam chair because he was so funny) as it was mind-boggling. It turns out that he is far-sighted (weird because near-sightedness is what has generally run in the family), but his prescription is very slight, and may eventually correct itself (and likely eventually over-correct into near-sightedness). We almost didn't bother with glasses at all except that the strain has been making his eyes hurt. So the doctor recommended he get a pair that will be worn part time.

We picked them up earlier this week, and not only does he look adorable wearing them, but he is thrilled to have them. It's a little nerve-wracking trusting a 6-year-old to take care of a pair of glasses that he's only wearing part-time, but he's been heavily instructed and so far he's taking things very seriously.

 So cute, right?!

 Tackling his math homework.

2. Caleb started speech and OT.

Things finally started moving forward for Caleb's services. And I don't know if it's because it took SO long to get coordinated (6+ weeks beyond what I was told to expect), but we really lucked out. His speech therapist, Serena (whose doppelganger is Jackie Kennedy), comes to our house (!!!), something that is pretty near unheard of for preschool special ed. The occupational therapy takes place at a small clinic in our neighborhood, which was my first choice. He receives each service two times a week for a half hour each, and making all of it fit into our already pretty full calendar has been a feat to say the least. I'm now understanding from personal experience just how exhaustingly vital family calendar is, or, in my case, a pocket planner that I can no longer leave home, let alone answer the phone, without.

Everything got started up late last week, and the schedule is still getting smoothed out. As of now, it's all crammed into Tuesdays and Thursdays, which is better than what it started with (something every day, Monday thru Thursday). It's nutty and exhausting, but it's only two days a week, so I think we can handle it. But even with the speech therapy at home, between the OT and juggling after school pick ups, not to mention regular errands and other necessary things to keep the household running and our family afloat, life around these parts is go-go-go. And I don't see any signs of it slowing down any time soon. But it's all good. I'm relieved that Caleb is finally getting the help he needs to be more clearly understood and less frustrated. And what's more, he is enjoying it, which is just as important.

 Using a strawberry-flavored popsicle stick to help guide his mouth to form correct phonetic sounds.

Work disguised as play.

3. Matthew became a full-time walker.

This is not so much keeping me on my toes, but keeping Matthew on his. Within a few days of that last update, he decided that walking really might be better than crawling. At any rate, he's been getting around on two legs ever since. He walks like someone who figured this out months, not days, ago, which is pretty much true in his case. I even caught him nearly running the other day. He can even walk in pants that are too long for him! But he still sometimes steadies himself a la Frankenstein, which is adorable.



I'm thrilled that he's finally walking, and so is he. We'd reached the point where he was getting frustrated that he wasn't doing it, and since things clicked for him, he's been a much happier boy. It's even allowed his personality to blossom. He's becoming more of a goofball -- and more like his big brothers, who he can now run around with on equal footing -- and that is fun to watch.

Matthew has been a trooper since life took our pace up a few notches, and is remarkably patient as he helps me shuttle his brothers back and forth to wherever they need to be. I can't seem to get enough of him or his squishy cheeks, these days.