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I've never been sentimental about the kids going to preschool, but I realized recently that my days with The Girl are numbered. Come the end of August, she will attend school Monday through Friday, as The Boy has been doing for over a year. Knowing this, I have been doing more fun things with her. Today we did one of her favorite outings: Stanford Mall.
So many fountains!
Riding the horse at "the meat store" (Schaub's)
Having a snack at Sigona's
Getting a piece of chocolate at Teuscher
Stopping to smell the flowers
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A year and a half ago, we took the kids to the beach and it was an utter fail. The Boy was not at all able to handle anything about the beach: the noise, the sand, the sight of his little sister running directly into the water without an ounce of fear. Today we revisited the beach with some confidence that The Boy would be OK. I thought they would enjoy the creatures in the tide pools. The kids had different plans. Here's what happened:
We went to Natural Bridges, our favorite beach.
The Boy was doing great.
So great, in fact, that he demanded his clothes be taken off, at which point The Girl demanded the same. And this is what they did, for over an hour, despite a chilly temperature and moderate wind:
Needless to say, they had a great time being in nature. We're so proud of The Boy and how far he has come!
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OK, so I lied a little. I'm not a straight vegetarian, I'm a pescetarian (I still eat sea creatures). Not eating beef and chicken hasn't been a problem, but I think if I cut out all animals, I'll feel deprived and the next thing you know, I'll be headed for the In-n-Out drive thru. The goal is to eventually be a true vegetarian, and who knows, maybe even a vegan one day. But for now, it's no land animals...sorry, Charlie.
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There comes a time when a voice in your head will stop whispering and start shouting. One particular voice has become so loud I can no longer ignore it. It's telling me that it is time to become a vegetarian.
I am no stranger to the meatless world: soy milk, vegan cheese, tofu, soy protein, etc. I already like these things. I just need to take the next step and do the right thing. It's time to walk the walk.
Why now?
My daughter is obsessed with farm animals. Everything she plays with during the course of her day somehow involves one or more farm animals ("sheep goes in the bath!" "sheep drinks the milk!" "horse goes to sleep with the pillow and the blanket!") I can no longer teach her about these animals and then turn around and eat the same animals (except for the horse, of course). It makes me feel like a hypocrite and I don't want to do it anymore.
So...go veg!
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The Boy has had daily (M-F) ABA therapy for one month now, and it absolutely shows. He speaks in sentences about 50% of the time, he verbalizes his wants and needs, there is less whining and he is much less aggressive.
He was able to handle a drive to Half Moon Bay and be in a crowded, loud, strange place for two hours without losing control. He rode a horse without so much as a whimper and was able to ask for a specific treat, being ice cream.
His teacher is also amazing. The Boy loves going to school and even asks to go on the weekends. He has also been (more often than not) gluten-free for over a year now. Everything is working together, and the result is a four year old autistic boy who verbally and emotionally resembles a neurotypical four year old boy. I can't even tell you how amazing that is for us. =)
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