New Haircuts!

John and I both got new haircuts this past week so we thought we would share. John is doing GREAT, he is getting stronger and faster every day, believe me the dogs are scared. His new trick this last week was feeding himself with one hand. John has fed himself cocoa puffs and cheerios and a variety of other things for a good long time, but he mostly has put them to his mouth with his left hand and then used his right to help get them in. Well the other day at his IEP meeting we were talking about he just didn't seem able to eat one handed, he was obviously listening and decided that we should know what he was capable of as that night at dinner he started feeding himself one handed like he had been doing it forever. He amazes me at how determined he is to prove that he is a big boy despite his tiny stature.

John's IEP, individual education plan, went great, beyond great it was perfect. This is the plan written between the parents and the school district regarding special needs kids and what they will be provided with. It can be a rather intimidating process and we have heard horror stories about school districts that are just bears to deal with. Not ours, our school district not only set out to make sure that John is getting all of the therapy that he needs but went further and wrote in his plan that his overall diagnosis that most affects his education is systemic ataxia, unsteady muscle movements. They did this to make sure that everyone who sees this kid knows that he's very smart and will push him to excel and overcome what limits his body has. We were thrilled! So often people see John and just see the cute and the disabilities and the people that did John's IEP saw the abilities and the potential and the amazing little boy that we know, and the cute too of course, but we are most thankful that they saw that our little guy is a big smart boy in his head, even if his body holds him back some.

So we've met John's new physical therapist, his new occupational therapist is even taking a continuing ed class on eye/hand coordination, an issue that John has particular problems with, he will continue to see the same speech therapist and still have pool physical therapy with Mr. Paul. He will also start going to the preschool at the MOOG school this next year, he will get to spend an hour each day we are there in the classroom during their music and social time. That will be cool as John only gets to see other kids when we visit family, occasionally go to the country church or passing by us in hospital or mall.

Before I go I have to tell you another of John's latest coolest new skills. Mr. Paul has been trying to teach John 'daka' for a while, hold your hand up in a classic Fonzi pose and say 'daka' and you got it. Well John not only can hold his hand that way now, but has even said 'daka' a few times. I knew the kid would speak Chinese first, I just knew it.