Show Off

Yesterday Bev, our EIP coordinator, came to the house to work with Erik for the first time in a few weeks. My mother came over, too, because we were both excited to show Erik off! Bev always comes over with a giant supply of toys and bubbles, and Erik went right for them. He spouted off almost all of his new words and gave me hugs a couple times when I asked him to. Bev worked to get him to squat and then go to standing correctly with his knees bent, which is something he has been getting better at as time goes on. He played with puzzles, a jack-in-the-box (a toy that I have always found personally quite disturbing), and a busy box. Erik mooed when he saw the cow in the busy box. Bev sometimes forgets about his wheel fetish, and I always laugh when he fixates on playing with one of her toy cars or he turns an innocent-looking, therapeutically correct toy into something that simply rolls. We look at each other, groan, and say, "Oh no. It's a wheel." He voiced a little frustration briefly when he was getting tired of squatting and arising, which is a good thing to see. We showed off the skills we have been working on using his big, red exercise ball. I put Erik on top of it and bounce him on his bottom. Actually, he pretty much bounces himself at this point. I can stretch him over the top of it on his back and stomach as well. I don't do a lot of formal physical therapy with him, but we do use the ball once a day. I returned his ankle weights, which I was having him use every morning for an hour or so to get his feet closer together when he was walking.

After therapy, I set up my chair in the front yard and watched Erik wash his rocks for a while. Our neighbor's tractor later rumbled into the driveway, and he asked if Erik wanted to watch him feed the bass in his pond. Brian took him over there to visit, and Erik really enjoyed seeing their dog. Brian said the fish feasted on fat, squirming nightcrawlers, which also piqued Erik's interest.

I have been thinking our house was haunted for weeks now. I turn off the light in Erik's room, and it is back on when I check on him. Yesterday I discovered his crib has been creeping closer to the light switch when he has been thrashing around, and he is flipping the switch back on. His new words are "off" and "on," so it all makes sense. I thought I was losing my mind.

Erik goes to his little school today for group. I will probably drop him off and leave. Maybe I'll hit the grocery store on the way home and hang out in the cleaning aisle for a while. Wish me luck.