Cheering - of different sizes

[call me jaded]

A counter-balance to forbsay's very useful moaning thread. I'm sure there used to be something on here, but can't find it. Am I thinking of the batcave?

 

I'll start with:

 

Today my eleven year old son sat astride a bike for the very first time. The fact that it was pink and several inches too small for him did not deter. He even let me push him for a while round the park in 30 degree heat. He also kept his shoes on for the entire duration of the trip. That is note-worthy, believe me.

[baddad]

A quickie, 'cos my broadband's playing up (hot weather and overhead cables - a bad mix!)...

Ben was talking about the fantastic four today, and i asked him what 'super-power' he'd like to have.

After a moments thought he said 'invisibility... 'Cos then I'd be able to sneak out of school without them seeing, and when I got home you'd never know!!' No flies on that one

Oh, and another from our holiday... A woman was talking to the barman about an event coming up on the pier.... She said, "On the pier? Is that somewhere down by the beach then?" Luckily she didn't see the guinness coming out of my nose, she might have been offended!

 

BATCAVE: Sadly, it's sunk from sight again... Now let's ALL make a concerted effort once the holidays are over...

L&P

BD

[Lynden]

Today my little man (2) figured out (or seemed to!) that if he put the ball in the certain place on his toy it would spin to his hearts content. (spinning anything is his obsession!) Its the first time he's figured out the workings of a toy :-)

 

Lynne x

[oracle]

Tonight we have had the pleasure of watching two bats at very close quarters. It happened after a teriffic thunder storm and Matthew spotted them at the front of our house. He and David have been delighted by these little creatures, who were swopping above their heads, and kept them both captivated for over and hour

 

Two evenings ago Harold - our friendly hedgehog - came a calling and last night we were holding a lovely little frog in our hands. He just did not want to hop off into the night.

 

The boys love wildlife and so this has been a great week for both of them.

 

Carole

Edited August 31, 2005 by carole

[forbsay]

Well, my cheer today (or this week) is that my son is chatting away to me alot more - sometimes we can have a wee conversations! If i ask what he has had for lunch/tea - he usually replies. This is a huge achievement!

 

Also, I think he is finally beginning to click with toilet training. He has been told that if he uses the toilet, he will get a snooker table and a pump- em yes a PUMP! If that is what it takes to motivate him to go to the toilet then so be it! I have also got him in pants most of the time he is in the house - which is a big achievement for me! .

 

x

[Brook]

My nearly seven yr old has had two very positive days of social interaction, the first being that he has not been down to my husbands parents house for over a year, he just point blank refused for some reason, on Monday he went down with my husband and played in the pool with his cousin for two hours, my hubby said there was no scream ups and he was as calm as anything

 

The second was yesterday, we went out for a picnic at the park with a little girl (who my son used to go to school with) and her mum, my son wanted to play Zombies which the girl obliged, but after an hour she said "I dont want to play that anymore its getting on my nerves", she got quite angry with my son and I thought oh no he'll get upset and have a scream up, but I couldn't believe it when he said to her "okay, but we can still be friends", I was so amazed and very very pleased we actually spent three hours with them and it was the little girl who was starting to get stroppy in the end and not my son.

 

Brook

[katkin]

My favourite of late - last week on the beach my nearly 19yr old son & I were making a very large lion out of sand. Two little lads and their dad who we had seen the previous day on the beach (when we made a stegosaurus) stopped to talk to us.

"What are you making today?" lad 1

"Guess" says my son

"Um um... a cat" lad 2

"what sort of cat?" says son

Blanks looks all round..

"A sabre tooth tiger "lad 2

Good thinking" says son "but have another try "

"A black and white one?" lad 1

Dad of boys and I just laugh.

love kat

[lil_me]

We've just had big thunder storms and power was off for 2 and a half hours, but for the first time my son was ok. He was a bit scared when it was dark but just stayed close, which makes a change and was nice. HE's been reading about thunder storms and seems to have lost his fear through understanding

[oracle]

I really should add this one which also happend today as I did feel very proud of David. I went shoping with David 18 and until two years ago very much a recluse. It has been a long haul but finally David appears to be comfortable while out and about. Today I went into our local Littlewoods who have a huge sale on. I found four things I really wanted to buy but asked David if he minded me trying them on first? He said no. Off we went to the changing rooms where he took a seat outside. I was busy trying on a blouse when I heard him talking (he talks really loudy) I realised he was talking to another male. I could hear every word that David said but only not much the other chap was saying. When I came out of the changing room David said buy to the guy and said probably see you in Tesco's then

 

David has never been a social butterfly and talking to strangers terrified him. Now he can hold his own with almost anyone I was so proud of him and my 3 new blouses - don't tell hubby about those though

 

Carole

[Suze]

Well done David....... 3 blouses Carole.....3????......is there something you should be telling us??

[lil_me]

Your secrets safe with us carole. And big well done to David

[forbsay]

I think this is a lovely thread to have.

 

My cheerful moment of the day has been that my wee boy was going to get dressed by his daddy this morning. He replied "No, mummy dress!".

[oracle]

3 blouses Carole.....3????......is there something you should be telling us??

 

I did say that there was a HUGE sale - well maybe not that big but I suppose it was buy two get one free

 

Carole

[lil_me]

None of us can resist a good offer, even my son thinks he has to have something if its on offer, he's got a thing about buy one get one free.

[call me jaded]

Today we went to Thames Valley Adventure Playground for the first time in two years. My six year old daughter, after a conversation in the car about percentages in which I said the most you could score something was 100%, said she wanted to give TVAP a million percent, that's how good a day she's had.

[baddad]

That Ol' Percentage Thing ... Know it well...

Ben's stir fry with rice noodles and plum sauce got 95% tonight, which puts it on level footing with 'Chicken Brick Chicken & Jacket Potato', and equal second to Sausages Mash and Tinned Tomatoes, which have been 100% ("and would get more if stoopid percentages went higher") since first they passed his lips...

Along with percentages, we get lots of 'absolutes' -

Yesterday Ben tried turning a corner on his bike one handed and fell off. I tried explaining that you indicate BEFORE the corner, and put both hands back on for the actual turn. This led to a game of absolutes: "What, even if there's a sharp corner?"

"Yes"

"Even if there's other people on the path?"

"Yes"

"Even if you can't see round the corner?"

"Yes"

"Even if there's a really big bee, and he's going to sting you if you do it?"

?????? "Why would a bee want to sting you for indicating"

"I don't know, but if he did, would you?"

"How would you know he was going to"

"I don't know. Probably he'd just be acting funny. But would you?"... etc etc.

The other 'common' absolute is 'how much do you hate it?"...

"Ben, will you stop doing that?"

"Why?"

"'Cos it's annoying"

"How annoying?

"Very annoying"

"How much do you hate it?"

"Lots"

"More than anything else?

"no. I just don't like it"

"More than anything else EVER, anywhere? Even if you live until you're a million? Even if something you really hated happened and then you got hit in the face by a cricket ball and then something else horrible happened? More than that??" etc etc.

 

Sometimes it's like living with Edmund ###### Blackaddder!

 

Sorry, rambling... ... ...

Percentages

[Viper]

My Cheer for the day is really silly.

 

I went on the trampoline with ben and DD, I was laying on my back with my legs bent up to my chest when DD started bouncing making my legs flap up and down in an odd way. I started laughing and just couldn't stop, tears streamed down my face and the more I laughed and heard myself laugh the more I laughed, if you know what I mean

 

My stomach ached, my face was soaked in tears but I felt great. I remembered what it was like to really have fun, it's been so long sinse I really laughed like that. My DD was laughing too but Ben just sat there saying I don't see whats so funny. He was right it wasn't that funny but I just really enjoyed laughing, I think I was laughing because I realised I still could.

 

Viper.

[Suze]

...nice one Viper......

[forbsay]

My little boy put his shoes and a sock on himself today. I know this is quite a small milestone but have been waiting a long time for this.............

 

He also wanted me to buy him a football so you guessed it - yip it was bought and we played football in the garden for a wee while!

[Brook]

We were up the town today, buying a present for a party my son is going to tomorrow.

We were bending down looking at the toys and I was talking away to him, when I looked around at him he wasn't there , well I knew that I would hear him soon, as he panics and shouts when he thinks he is lost.

 

I heard him shouting "mummy, help", I was calling him and saw him whizzing up and down the aisles, he was so absorbed and panicky he did not hear me, so I followed him, he had gone to one of the cashiers desks and as I approached I heard him say, "I dont know where my mum is, I'm lost", I gave the cashier the okay nod and my son came running to me.

 

I did not give a lecture about running off, instead I praised him for going to a worker and telling them he was lost, as this is what I have told him to do in the past, but I would not have thought he would have done it in such a blind panic.

 

I am sooo proud of him for doing this, mind you I felt like telling him off, as you know what its like, your heart goes in your mouth, it takes only seconds for them to sneak off and I am always so aware of where he is, but just shows how quick they can go.

 

Brook

[forbsay]

Well, I had a strange day y'day. Kids were fighting at 9 AM and i thought oh no just what i need as their daddy was going away golfing all day. I had a screaming match with them and then went upstairs to discover they were both eating their breakfast side by side - quite happily.

 

Decided to take them shopping, miss boo in her buggie and matthew walking beside me holding my hand - no wrist strap. They behaved like little angels!

 

Came home, they fought a wee bit but nothing unbearable!

 

Put matthew into his boxer shorts. i was downstairs and he was playing upstairs. Came down with poo on his hands and all over him but the wee lamb came and told me and he had already tried to put some of it down the toilet. Disgusting yes but at least he is clicking.....................(no i have not gone mad) .................. Though i have been taking hormone balance vitamin tablets and they are working a treat!

 

 

Elaine

 

xx

[oracle]

This cheer is a biggy from me. David, eldest with AS, has gone to help eldest, sorry I have three sons, to do a Disco and birthday party for one of my oldest friends. We were asked to but have not got a sitter so can not go. However David, who was last at a party five years ago when it was our eldest 21st, where he sat all night with a coat over his head so no one could see him, has now been at the party for 3 and a half hours Not only has he gone but he will be rubbing shoulders with many of the kids he went to school with, as they are children of our other friends. They are all now 18 years old. This really is a biggy for David as he has never felt comfortable with his peer group, and the fact that he has chosen to go and mix with them at a Disco is just blowing my mind.

 

I hope this post gives hope to others as 5 years ago when David was 13 I felt that he was on his way into an institution I never imagined he would be struting his stuff at a Disco - bet he's not dancing - but he is still there and with the party due to last until midnight he may just make it to the end.

 

Never say never guys

 

Carole

Edited September 10, 2005 by carole

[annie]

Carole,

 

Wow, Brilliant news

 

What a big step for David.

 

Annie

<'>

[Brook]

Thats fantastic news Carole

 

 

Brook

[oracle]

Two minutes to midnight and he is still not back home

 

Carole

[Kathryn]

Great news, Carole. Let us know how he enjoyed it !

[smallworld]

I hope he's had a good time

wac

[Guest flutter]

that is great carole

hope all went ok

C x

[oracle]

Well they finally arrived home at 20 to 1 in the morning. Rob (eldest) said it had gone really well. David said the music was rubbish (remember Rob was the DJ ) I could see that because David was fine as he was relaxed and chatty. Some of the people at this party have not seen David since the run up to his breakdown and apart from anything else he is now 6ft2in They all said that he looked good - he did - and Rob said he even went from table to table chatting.

 

It was a 50th Birthday and most of the loonies there were dressed up in 70's style dress code. A bunch of them came dressed up as the cast from Only Fools and Horses, and as this is one of David's all time favourite shows he was made up.

 

He chatted to all of the young people he used to go to school with and helped two of the girls who were manning the bar as volunteers (he would not serve beer he is very anti drink at the moment) but he helped them wash the glasses and clear the tables. My kids are all steeped in voluntary work and it shows, even with David. He said that they were all pleased to see him and he says he had no problems chatting to them.

 

OK it was a one off but he has proved that no only can he do parties if he wants to, but he can also enjoy them and that gives me a good feeling as well as David.

 

Thanks for all of your supportive mails.

 

Carole

[Guest flutter]

i am pleased for you carole

 

my cheering:

we have finished the math homework

just the R E and the history to do now, ( timeline) should be really good for a larf

<'>

C x

[annie]

Carole,

 

I've been busting to know how everything went

 

Brilliant news You couldn't of asked for a better outcome.

 

Well done to David <'> <'>

 

Annie

<'>

[lil_me]

Wow you must be so proud carole.

 

Mines just a small one but important to me, this morning I got a 'I love you Mum' without me saying it to him first <<

 

(Calling me Mum is a plus at the minute as he calls me Marsha most of the time)

[nellie]

Wow! This is great news.

 

Well done David Carole, well done you and yours for doing such a great job.

 

Nellie xx

[oracle]

Thanks all it's great to post here because everyone here understands just what a landmark this was for us The credit should really be given to my eldest who has a bond and determination with David that I often feel should be appluaded Rob and his mates have taken David on board warts and all and he now has a good circle of friends thanks to them

 

I am blessed and I know that. I could not do the things with David that Rob does. It would look plain silly if I was walking into a pub with David, although I would do it if necessary. David however would not feel good about doing it. So Rob is certainly worth his weight in gold to me

 

Flutter - well done for getting the homework out of the way It should be banned as far as I am concerned and I mean for all kids.

 

Lil me saying 'I love you Mum' is, in my opinion, a MASSIVE cheering post. Because again we know here how much that means

 

As for being called by your first name I can not remember the last time Matthew called me Mum. I am ALWAYS Carole, and I am told that this is quite a common issue with our kids. The only time I remember that I am his Mum is when he talks about me to other people. He then, and only then, will say 'My Mum said' etc

 

This is a great thread - thanks

 

Carole

Edited September 11, 2005 by carole

[helenl53]

Hi Carole,

 

I have only just seen this

 

Fantastic - it may have opened the door to a social life for him - albeit slowly.

 

Way to go - and of course we do forget the older siblings - congrats to Robert and isn't it lovely to hear them being so normal (criticism of siblings is normal in my book!)

 

Speak soon

 

Love

 

HelenL

[baddad]

As Above!

Definitely a 'family size' cheering

Congrats (that doesn't sound like quite the right word, but you'll know what i mean...) all round

L&P

BD

[call me jaded]

How ironic that we're all cheering because he didn't get home before midnight!

 

Reminds me of my son's first temper tantrum - I rang everybody I knew to tell them he knew how to be naughty.

[KarenT]

Carole, great news about your ds, no wonder you're cheering!

 

I have a little cheer of my own today. We have a robin who comes to our garden every winter, and he's sitting on the back fence right now. Gave me such a warm glow to see him back. Just realised, this might be a 'moan' post for some people, because it means winter is on its way.

 

Karen

x

[baddad]

Eating his dinner tonight, Ben said : "If you ran a cafe, you'd probably be a millionaire".

"Cafe's don't make that much money,mate" says I

"I bet people would pay LOADS for one of YOUR dinners" he said

 

I was so choked I hardly had the heart to give him his usual thrashing before bedtime (spare the rod...)

 

And here's the rub... I still haven't found out what he's after

BD

[oracle]

So Badders you follow the philosophy of the Old Woman who lived in the shoe? Beating your children soundly before you put them to bed

 

Carole

 

It's my age