My Lovable Pest

Explaining Evil to Young Kids

During our recent roadtrip, T came across dozens of shoes left behind on a set of stairs.

The stairs belonged to the Town Hall of Gananoque, where we spent a nice weekend exploring the Thousand Islands.

Across Canada, citizens gathered and left shoes behind at government sites in recognition of the discovery of several hundred remains of children at the site of a former residential school.

Naturally, our curious T asked the hubby why the shoes were there.

I was curious to see how the hubby would explain a dark topic such as evil to a young child.

For me, young kids see the world in black and white and have an innocent view of the world – an innocence I want to hang onto for as long as I can, because I know it will be gone one day.

I’ve read that kids with FASD, of which T has an at risk prognosis, have a harder time with abstract concepts.

In T’s world, the concept of a hero and villain is straightforward. If you’re a Paw Patrol or Mario, you’re good. If you’re the red wall from Roblox or Hawkmoth from Miraculous, you’re a bad guy and evil. Zombies and vampires? Definitely bad.

But how do you explain to a young child the concept of the government and the Church, traditionally seen by children as forces of good, forcibly taking Indigenous children away from their families to assimilate to Canadian society – and that these children lived in poor conditions, many were abused and died, and those who survived now live with lifelong trauma?

The hubby kept his explanation high level. He explained the shoes were left to remember kids who were taken away from their families to attend a school and that these kids got very sick in the places they lived in and many of them died.

Our zombie-obsessed T then asked if the kids are now zombies.

I’m sharing T’s response not as a sign of disrespect but to convey just how innocent a child like T is and how a difficult conversation, such as the evils that society and individuals do to others, needs to be framed in an age appropriate way.

A few steps from the Town Hall was a beautiful memorial to remember the towns people who heroically fought and died in war.

The hubby kept the explanation simple again, explaining that the names on the statue were of people who had died while fighting for the country.

I didn’t think the concept of a war was something we wanted to get into too much detail too at this time either for T.

For a young child, the world is a place of wonder and amazement. While I want to hang onto T’s innocence as long as possible, I’m also aware and not naive enough to think that kids can’t handle difficult and dark topics, such as evil.

I am glad that topics such as residential schools are now being taught in schools, because I don’t remember learning about them in grade school.

I think education is one important step is helping history not repeat itself.

Another important step is doing our part to speak up.

Last Monday, T and I were playing as usual in the playground after I picked him up from daycare.

There were four boys in the park with us and I estimated them to be about 12-13 years old.

One of them encouraged the group to head towards T’s daycare entrance, where a pile of toys had been left outside.

Each boy grabbed toys in both hands and started running away from the daycare.

They came back to the playground and started laughing and chuckling. “We got new toys!” They said and were about to head home with them.

I was about to stay silent because part of me thought that they were just kids being kids. But I spoke up as they walked away from the park.

“You know that’s stealing right?” I said.

The boys stopped and looked at me.

“You need to go back and return those toys right now,” I said.

The boys just laughed at me, the old curmudgeonly man with my cane, and then threw four hullahoops and two balls to the ground.

“We’re keeping this soccer ball,” one of them said defiantly and the group ran away from me.

I picked up the toys and walked them to the daycare and called the daycare staff to explain what happened and they were appreciative and put the toys inside the building.

To be clear, I am not equating the pesky mischief of these four boys with the horrors of residential schools or war.

To me, it was important for T to see grownups role model the act of speaking up when someone is doing something wrong.

At dinner time, T and I spoke about the playground incident with the hubby and T said those boys were being bad.

For a young 6-year-old, that is a good enough step in what will be a lifelong journey of learning about the nuances of good, evil and everything in between – and doing our part to educate about and stand up for what is right.

Exploring the 1000 Islands

If a photo is worth a thousand words, a great friendship is worth a thousand memories.

The hubby, T and I went on a weekend roadtrip with a good friend, one whom I’ve known for over 25 years, since I was 14.

We went to explore the Thousand Islands in Gananoque, a three-hour drive from home.

On Friday, T woke up super excited. He had been counting down the days all week. He announced as he walked into the kitchen, “It’s the moment we’ve been waiting for!”

After breakfast, a motivated T soldiered through reading and math activities and we then headed off on our merry way.

We met up with “Auntie E,” as T calls her, at Landon Bay and set off on a two-hour hike.

The trail took us to a beautiful lookout…

… and through lots of forest…

… and more forest…

… and rustic bridges…

… and an old wrecked car that must’ve been in that forest for decades!

As usual, T was a super trooper!

Although this year, he’s been very creeped out and laser focused on bugs.

He keeps thinking everything is a bee or an earwig that will attack him.

We repeatedly reminded him that he is bigger than the bugs and so long as he doesn’t bother them, they won’t bother him.

Despite his nervous behaviour, he kept up with the grown ups and made it to the finish line!

We drove to nearby town, Kingston, to reward ourselves with dinner at Boston Pizza.

It was our first time eating indoors at a restaurant in 16 months, on the first day our province allowed indoor dining to resume.

We were all starving. I enjoyed a delicious steak and T inhaled a plate of spaghetti.

We got up very early on Saturday morning and enjoyed a three-hour kayaking tour, led by 1000 Islands Kayaking.

When we arrived on site, I kept thinking to myself, “Please don’t let me be paired up with T, please don’t let me be paired up with T…”

… And I was paired up with T!

I’m not an experienced kayaker, so I was very nervous having to fend for both of us – because as I predicted, I did all of the paddling!

But we had a blast – and I kept up with the group – despite T complaining of being cold. He enjoyed the scenery and asked good questions to the guide when we stopped at a 90-year old shipwreck.

It ended up being an intimate and enjoyable morning.

Our group totaled 9 people, including the guide. The water was calm, the overcast and cooler weather was perfect for the activity.

And the scenery was so beautiful. Tree lines and rocks as far as we could see – even spotted the USA in the near distance.

We spotted numerous blue herons along the way. I’ve never seen one in person before and they are so majestic when they take flight!

There are actually 1,264 islands in total on the Thousand Islands. The hubby, E and I gawked at and admired the million dollar homes and cottages on the shoreline and private islands.

In all, we kayaked nearly 7 km and 3 hours. T was, as always, a trooper.

The rest of our day was super relaxed, including taking an afternoon nap, exploring the local town, and having dinner on a lovely patio overlooking the water.

We slept in on Sunday and after brunch together in Kingston at a 70s style dinner, we headed our separate ways to home.

T had the Mickey Mouse pancake for brunch.

Not only was this a fun weekend, it was also the first roadtrip we had with E since 2018, our third in total with her that included T.

It felt so nice to do something adventurous with a good friend after being isolated for so long.

It was like no time had passed.

I’m very thankful to have great and lasting friendships – and amazing friends that have embraced T into our ongoing traditions, which have also included camping trips.

The world is opening up again and we’re looking forward to creating more positive memories for T, and catching up with family and friends, this summer!

The New Boy in the Park

A wonderful shortlived friendship T made was a reminder about kindness and being present.

I often think about friendships, because I’ve read it’s often a challenge for individuals with an invisible disability, such as FASD.

It was one of the hardest parts of the pandemic, knowing T was isolated at home and missing out on valuable interaction with kids his age.

About 6 weeks ago, we began our nightly routine to hang out in the playground after dinner.

It was when we met the boy, let’s call him T2, and his grandmother.

Immediately, T and T2 hit it off.

They were the same age. Both the only child. T was taller but T2 was faster and gave T a run for his money playing chase and race.

While they played, I chatted with his grandma, who was taking care of him during the week, because his parents were working; T2 lived over an hour outside the city.

She sounded like she enjoyed virtual schooling as much as I did!

The grandma and I worked together to ensure we all left the park at 7:45. When one kid had to leave, the other would follow too. No whining.

Every night, after dinner, T would be motivated to leave the house so he could play with T2.

When we got to the park, the grandma was usually sitting on the bench, while T2 was playing. When he spotted T coming, he would run quickly towards him.

It was around this time that T got motivated to give monkey bars a real try. Looking back, I think T2 may have influenced him.

As T made his way across, the grandma and T2 would cheer him on. We all cheered him.

T2 was good at learning to swing by himself, using the proper kicking motion. So he and the grandma were trying to teach T how to do it too.

About two weeks into getting to know each other, T had his massive meltdown at the playground.

But as I wrote in my previous post, this did not stop the grandma from letting T2 play with T nor did it deter T2 from wanting to play with T.

That was one of those moments that made my heart swell from the kindness of others and from the acceptance children possess in their hearts.

About a week or so later, there was a dad in the park flying a kite with his two children, who were a few years older than our two Ts.

T and T2 saw the kite in the air and immediately stopped what they were doing in the playground and charged into the field to chase after the kite.

They were both so excited that they bumped right into each other and fell to the ground. They quickly got up and ran again. I could’ve just died from how adorable the moment was.

The next evening, as we were walking home together – they lived on a nearby street across the street from ours – T2 did not stop on the street to wait for his grandma to cross as usual.

Instead, him and T ran together down our street towards our home.

Apparently, as T told me later, he invited T2 to come into our home but T2 rightfully said no. I told his grandma the next day what a big deal this was for T to make this gesture.

As the school year neared its end, I felt excited on one hand that the hell of virtual schooling was going to be a memory soon – but on the other hand, I felt sad knowing T’s time with T2 was coming to a close.

I am a pragmatic person and know it’s not realistic to expect these two to keep in touch with a big geographic distance between us – and also knowing T2 and T’s respective summer plans.

But I didn’t let that sad feeling get to me. Instead, I chose to enjoy the moments T and T2 had left.

During one of the last evenings, T waited for T2 at the top of the slide and they both then went down together, T2’s legs wrapped straddled around T’s waist from behind. They laughed loudly as they slid down together.

They did this a few times before we told them it was 7:45 and time to head home for bed.

I asked the grandma if I could take a photo of them going down the slide and she kindly agreed.

I’m not sharing the photo, but I’m thankful I have captured this wonderful moment in time to share with T.

I am optimistic there will be more T2s in T’s future. Sure, his challenges can get in his way at times during social situations, but I have faith in him… and in the goodness of others.

For now, day camps are open again and it is wonderful that T is with his peers again – building new memories, learning social skills, and getting to be a kid amongst kids again!

Patience, Perseverance, Payoff

Whoever coined the phrase “patience is a virtue,” must’ve parented a child with ADHD.

We’re keeping learning going this summer on weekends. We keep it chill – a bit of language, math, writing practice, and physical activity.

Once T gets his checkmarks, he gets free time and other rewards the rest of the day.

Among our learning tools, we’re completing the Complete Canadian Curriculum: Grade 1 workbook, which covers math, language, science and social studies.

So let’s talk about worksheets – and completing them with a child diagnosed with ADHD.

Let’s take this example of a worksheet about ordering numbers from least to greatest – left page above.

I thought this would be a breeze, because T is good with numbers – and has done similar activities in class this year.

We start with question 1. “So T, what’s a smallest number in 5, 13 and 9?”

T’s immediate reaction is to start pointing to other questions on the page.

I ask him to focus on this question.

“What’s the smallest number?”

“5.”

“Ok, great T. What’s the next number in order?”

He then points to the cat on the bottom right of the page and asks what the cat is doing.

“What’s the next smallest number?”

“This one?” T asks, pointing to another set of numbers in another question.

“No, 5, 13 and 6. 5 is the smallest. Which number is the next smallest number?”

“I want to get Moo Moo and Ladybug,” he says, getting up to get his stuffed animals.

He comes back and sits downs. I remind him what the question is.

I take a deep breath. Sensing my impatience, T brings his stuffed cow to my face. “Moo Moo wants to kiss you.”

“What’s the number?” I remind T of the task.

“I love you, Papa,” he says, reaching out to give me a hug.

I laugh out loud, as I hug and kiss him. “You are so frustrating sometimes. Just answer the question!”

“9.”

“That’s great! And that means the largest number is…”

“13,” he says.

We make slow progress on the remaining questions, with several more tangents.

I’ll be able to collect my old age pension by the time we finish this worksheet, I thought.

T actually asks me at one point, “Is it going to be Christmas soon?”

Without skipping a beat, I replied, “It will be, at the rate we’re moving!”

This may seem comical – and to be honest, it was kinda funny – but these moments reinforce to me the challenges T will have as he enters a more structured environment in Grade 1.

The good news is I do think he understands these concepts, but getting him to focus his very busy mind is a work in progress.

It’s hard to tell on some days whether the ADHD medication we started him on last summer is making a difference. The hubby disagrees but I do notice a big difference when he’s not on it.

But we persevere in a few ways:

We try to remind him what he’s working for. Providing T with the incentives of earning checkmarks and a reward, such as time on the Nintendo Switch, makes a difference.

We try to break the task into smaller chunks. We try to remind him to focus on one question at a time. I can see why a busy two-page worksheet spread can set him off on a hundred tangents.

We play along with his quirks. If he wants Moo Moo and Ladybug to learn with him, so be it. His stuffed animals are on their way to PHDs!

We try to have a sense of humour. It is so laugh out loud frustrating sometimes when he’s so distracted, but we know he is not doing it on purpose. So we try to focus on the bigger picture: his incremental learning and growth.

Lastly, we go over the top with celebrating his completion, because he does get to the finish line and that’s the most important thing.

The payoffs motivate T. We see his proud look, his sense of accomplishment, and we see him understanding the connection between doing the work and the reward.

I hope his momentum keeps up, because it feels promising.

This past Saturday, T’s reward was a trip to the mall. We picked up glasses the hubby ordered and we went to look at glasses for T and I.

It was our first time at the mall in a year, not counting the times we went to get vaccinated.

Things are slowly opening up in our province. It almost felt normal until we saw the lineups outside each store, the limited store capacity and all the signage on the floors…

And the benches.

T smelled the sweet aroma of popcorn from Kernels and asked for a bag.

We told him that since he did a great job completing his learning work that morning, he could get a small bag of his flavour of choice.

The hubby and I rewarded ourselves bubble tea, the first time in I don’t even remember how long since we’ve ordered bubble tea from a store!

After we got home, we quickly changed into swim clothes for a late afternoon swim at the pool – a great way to burn off our sweet drinks.

Seeing T repeatedly jump into the water, with a huge smile and loud laughter, was my payoff for persevering through our day together.

Candid Conversation: Raising Jess and Finding Hope

It’s inspiring and comforting to connect with other parents on the special needs journey.

Vickie Rubin is the author of Vickie’s Views, a heartwarming and inspiring blog about raising her daughter Jess. Vickie has a background in early childhood education and special education. This month, she releases her memoir Raising Jess: A Story of Hope.

When Vickie reached out about writing a guest post on my blog, I asked her to take part in my first “Candid Conversation” post – to have a parent to parent chat – and she kindly agreed!

Thank you for reaching out, Vickie. Please tell us about your daughter, Jess.

How to describe Jessica succinctly, hmm. Jess is 39 and was diagnosed with a chromosome deletion 1Q-44 when she was 21. Before that and the development of more sophisticated tests, she had what we called “Jessica Syndrome.”

Jess loves her family, friends, and music. She is usually the bright light in the room. Her smile is pure joy, as is her greeting of screams when she sees a familiar face. Jess lets you know without any words that you are loved and appreciated. She has taught me way more than I have taught her.

Congrats on your memoir! What inspired you to write this book?

Ever since I can remember, my Mom said, “You should write a book.” My response was repeatedly, “I am raising three kids, one who requires total assistance with everything.” The answer eventually included, “How can I write a book; I am working full time?” Usually said with only the annoyance a daughter can muster! And yet, she persisted.

I published many essays in newspapers and magazines, and each time I shared them with Mom, she would say, “you should write a book,” as if it was the first time suggesting it! How annoying!

I retired in December 2016, and my kids bought me an old school dictionary, thesaurus, and journal and said start writing.

Newly unemployed and with time on my hands, I decided to do it! Every day for three years, I wrote. The result was the book “Raising Jess: A Story of Hope,” due out July 2021.

Writer David Wade once said in the London Times that “experience needs distance and what you write of at a distance tells not so much of what you were like as what you have discovered since.”

Unfortunately, as I was writing my book, my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. After all the years, I finally did what she asked! And I loved every minute of it. Regretfully, it was too late to talk in-depth with Mom about the chapters and process.

I’m very sorry about your mom, but I am glad that you got to fulfill her wish.

I’m on an earlier part of the special needs journey and as you know, “special needs” is such a broad and complex spectrum. One common thread I’ve observed about parents on this journey is the concept of loss and grief.

What is your advice for parents who may be experiencing loss and grief?

My career focused on working with young families of children with “special needs.” I know the essay Welcome to Holland can be considered corny, but it also resonated with me.

I think families need to acknowledge that the child they dreamed of is different than their expectations. But different doesn’t mean bad. It’s ok to feel loss and grief. But, then you embrace your child, who is different from anyone you imagined, and build a new dream together.

Many families make the mistake of isolating themselves from friends, especially those with similar age children, and family. From the beginning, we remained close with our friends and found a wealth of support and love. I often hear now that Jessica’s same-age peers are amazing advocates because “when they were growing up, they knew a girl…”

My Mom always felt bad for me and was unable to overcome her grief, so that she could genuinely enjoy Jess. Parents may find that their parents are grieving for their grandchild as well as their child.

Support groups – the right ones and not the bitchy-complaining ones – were beneficial for us.

What a great attitude, Vickie! I loved the “Welcome to Holland” essay. Thank you for sharing!

On the flip side, I love that parents such as yourself are using platforms such as blogs and social media to celebrate, advocate and showcase successes. What have been your most proudest moments in your journey with Jess?

For my book, I asked my kids and family that question, and everyone came up with the same reply, Jessica’s Bat Mitzvah.

This is a clip from my husband Mitch’s speech to Jessica: “This day is so meaningful to our family, an evening where Jessica is celebrated and honored for being a Bat Mitzvah as any other Jewish girl of thirteen. We have come a long way as a family and a community to have total acceptance. It’s not easy; it is many times a great effort, but the outcome of inclusion, acceptance, honor, and love is worth the effort.”

Watching how Jessica’s siblings embraced Jessica and did not feel slighted because of all the care Jessica needed. They believed they could do everything they wanted as a child; it just took longer to get there!

Walking Jessica across the stage for her high school graduation and Jessica winning the Principal Award: The principal for her school invited Jess and our family to a gathering of all graduating students who were winning awards.

The last award was for Jess and the principal said, “This student overcomes hardships every day of her life.” He spoke of the student’s courage and enthusiasm for school. He went on to say that although this student has many challenges every single day, she still comes to school with joy and a smile and brings that joy to all those around her. “This award goes to Jessica Rubin!”

Thank you for sharing that. I know other parents and youth reading this will feel inspired!

I’m fascinated by the writing process, especially when it’s so personal. How did you decide which moments to highlight in your book?

I think this is one of the reasons it took me so long to start the book. I kept imagining a textbook – which overwhelmed me to no end.

I also imagined a book that started on Day One, we did this etc. But then I read the memoir The Diving Bell and The Butterfly, written in essays, and I knew I found my writing style. I had already been writing essays to our local newspapers, similar to my blogs, which is my writing style.

The Book Raising Jess: A Story of Hope is written in essay form and covers highlights of our life. It talks about the challenges of caring for our daughter with disabilities to marriage struggles and the question of having more children. The book gives a glimpse into the world of our family and transformation while Raising Jess.

That’s an interesting and pragmatic approach! And your blog is certainly a collection of even more essays.

You recently wrote a touching post about turning lemons into lemonades during the pandemic. As a parent, I feel that adaptability is a quality required to get through the challenges. Where do you draw your inspiration from to turn your lemons into lemonade?

Jess inspires me. She has so many reasons and barriers that would prevent her from experiencing joy in life, yet she appreciates delight more than most. I also think letting go of comparing to peers; it’s so tempting yet so damaging.

Follow your journey. It’s ok. We are all different, and we can all learn from each other.

I had a call the other day from a peer of my youngest daughter. His friend has a baby that will most likely have significant disabilities. He asked me to speak with the parents and told me all he learned from watching Jess grow up. Jessica’s legacy is so far-reaching; she has touched so many people in positive ways. I find that truly inspiring.

Thank you, Vickie, for sharing your story. I’m glad that we met through the blogging community. I’m so moved by your and Jess’ story and look forward to picking up your book. Best wishes with your launch this summer!

About “Candid Conversations”

If you’re interested in taking part in a “Candid Conversation,” my blog’s version of a guest post, please reach out at mylovablepest@gmail.com.

Please note: I don’t accept monetary compensation or promotional “freebies” and I am selective about the content that I share. The intention for these conversations is to amplify inspiring stories and important information – and not to market/promote products.

We can all learn so much from each other and do our part to support each other – and I look forward to hearing and sharing your stories.

Orenda: Nature’s Invisible Energy

I recently learned the word, Orenda, a spiritual energy believed by the Iroquois to exist in natural objects.

Lately, I’ve been listening to the music of Ferry Corsten. His uplifting songs resonate with me during these challenging times.

T is familiar with electronic trance music or as he calls them: songs with no words. For a while, Martin Garrix’s Animals was T’s repeat request.

To me, trance epitomizes the power of music. Stripped of words, melodies and rhythm form a universal language that connects with listeners.

Corsten’s latest song, Orenda, has his signature joyful melody, spiritual themes and masterful build towards an emotional climax. As always, the sonic journey feels transcendent.

I was curious what Orenda meant. I thought it was related to astronomy and I was enlightened when I learned its beautiful meaning.

With each repeat listen – the song is on heavy rotation – I reflected on the words energy and nature and the ways they appear in our lives.

Endless Energy

As most parents of a child with FASD will tell you, the child’s endless energy is exhausting.

Neighbours often remark about how T is super energetic. I now understand why there are wheels in hamster cages.

I’m slowly reframing how I view T’s hyperactivity. Rather than see it as a negative, the hubby and I try to find productive ways to refocus that energy – to help him better manage daily life.

Like other kids in similar situations, sports provide T with a healthy outlet to burn energy.

Now that summer is here, outdoor pools are a lifesaver. I love watching T’s confidence and ability grow with each visit.

Nature’s Healing Energy

Running like the wind at Presqu’Ile Provincial Park.

Nature provides so much respite during this pandemic. Whether it is a Spring walk as nature reawakens from winter, a long summer hike, or a fall colours excursion, our bodies re-energize from the healing outdoors.

I’m thankful T has gained an appreciation for the outdoors and that he looks forward to and enjoys our simple rewarding family outings.

I believe that T finds freedom with nature. In these vast spaces, he runs as fast and far as he wants, splashes water as hard and loud as he wants, and can be himself with abandon.

Collisions of Energy

I’ve written about T’s explosive moments. He’s making great gains in learning to regulate his emotions; it’s a work in progress.

One of the best lessons I’ve learned from other parents on similar journeys is to be the calm in a child’s storm. Responding to an explosive moment with an explosive reaction is counter productive.

I know, this is such obvious common sense advice. But it took me a long time to figure this out. I still have challenges with staying calm in T’s storms, but I am a work in progress too!

I was Googling “in the storm be the calm” but typed “clam” by mistake. I think this image from Reddit still applies. Look how calm that clam is!

Renewal of Energy

Energy is finite – and self care is an important part of my survival strategy to parenting T.

After a gruelling three months of virtual schooling while working full time, I took the last week off to recharge. Bonus: his daycare reopened on Wednesday!

This past Friday, I had my first day to myself with zero responsibilities in forever.

I sat down on a patio – for the first time in over a year – and enjoyed a delicious bowl of tonkotsu ramen and an ice cold can of Coke while soaking up the sun and feeling a cool breeze. All by myself and boy was it rejuvenating!

Sliced pork ramen in delicious pork bone broth.

Transformative Energy

Storms are said to possess orenda. This tidbit resonated with me when I first read the definition, but I wasn’t sure why.

Shortly after I arrived home from lunch on Friday, dark clouds that were promised all day finally appeared and soon enough, thunder and lightning ripped through the quiet sky and heavy rain poured across the city.

After the storm, I looked out our window at the hubby’s garden. He has been working so hard at it and it looks wonderful. I told him that he doesn’t need to water the plants and that they were going to bloom further after the downpour.

That was when it clicked why the word orenda resonated with me.

As we weather T’s stormy moments, like plants under dark skies, we too are inevitably transformed and grow through the energy of the storm.

Helping Kids Set and Achieve Goals

One recent win we had was helping T set daily goals that positively impacted virtual schooling.

T’s Child and Youth Worker was motivated – as were we – to get him to participate more in class.

Depending on which camp you fall on, you may find token charts useful or eye rolling in shaping behaviour of kids with special needs.

For us, they are mostly effective tools; although, it has yet to help with T’s ongoing challenges with using the potty, but that’s another rant!

T’s CYW created a simple chart: he had to participate four times each school day to earn his Switch at the end of the school day.

The system worked like a charm. We saw a kid who was hesitant to participate – sometimes having explosive rage meltdowns when we asked him to – to a kid who was motivated and even felt good about sharing his thoughts.

As we started to see this slow positive change, I thought about other ways we could use goal setting in T’s day-to-day life.

It is very important to me that T develops a good work ethic. I am mindful there will be challenges as a result of his prognosis, but I refuse to let it limit him from reaching his potential.

I am aware that despite the best efforts of his teachers, kids will generally be behind because of the setbacks from the pandemic.

The hubby and I are using weekends to keep the learning happening with T.

We don’t overdo it, because we all need to have fun and rest too: 20-30 minutes of reading and a little bit of math and writing practice.

We work on it first thing in the day, while we’re all fresh and T is at his peak and less grumpy self.

We also remind him what he’s working for: time with the Switch or tablet, as well as swim time at the outdoor pool.

And miraculously, T is often agreeable and the meltdowns have been minimal – when we make it clear to him what he’s working towards.

T’s writing has come a long way. He is now using a pencil instead of a crayon. He still needs to press harder, so his writing is not so faint. But what a difference in terms of legibility.

Reading is a work in progress for T.

I asked T’s teacher if she’d be willing to lend us a summer’s supply of books that we can work on with T. These books are simple and short with repetitive structure and a focus on sight words.

Thankfully, she agreed and I pledged to reimburse any book that we lose or damage. This is going to make a world of difference in helping T avoid the summer slide.

I will say, the hubby and I are especially proud of how far T has come with math.

We have read that individuals with FASD often struggle with math. So far, knock on wood, T has been doing well.

He recently started to do one digit addition and subtraction and blew us away when he seems to be able to doing the calculations in his head (he does get very upset when he gets the answer wrong, so we’re working on teaching him it’s ok to make mistakes). Let’s hope this keeps up!

From a math workbook we bought from Costco.

We try hard to be consistent with showing T what happens when he doesn’t put in the work.

We’ve had several days when he didn’t fully participate. So while we didn’t make him feel bad about having an off day, we followed through by not giving him his Switch.

The resulting tantrums tested our patience but we stuck with it. Somehow, I think T understood why he didn’t get his Switch.

If I seem like I’m showing off a pony, I guess maybe because I am! But really, it’s more because I’m so proud of how far this kid has come.

Parenting T comes with soul-draining challenges – and still does! So when we find something that works, we really take the time to celebrate and relish the moment.

While we don’t use exact words like “setting goals” with him, we try to show him through actions what we expect from him.

Most importantly, we try to have fun at the end of each day as a reward for T and ourselves. Fun in the pool, family hikes in nature, McDonald’s Happy Meals, ice cream sandwiches, free time with the Switch and tablet, and so on.

Speaking of goal setting, summer is here! Our main goal is to relax and have fun. May it feel like a long dragged out summer in the best of ways!

There’s a very good chance we’ll get to visit T’s grandparents in the East Coast this summer. Our last visit was in 2018 (pictured above)!

Graduation Day

Two years of growth, unexpected challenges, laughter and tears culminated in a virtual kindergarten graduation.

I can’t thank T’s teachers enough for hosting a virtual ceremony this morning during the pandemic to celebrate this important milestone.

They provided in advance a graduation kit – diploma, cardboard hat, fun sunglasses – to have ready for this morning’s bash.

T’s teachers opened with touching remarks then highlighted each child with a photo and remarks. Then she played three videos filled with uplifting messages, including a read-a-loud of Doctor Seuss’ “Oh, The Places You Will Go.”

In the absence of a live audience at home, I lined up T’s stuffed animals around our tablet.

At the start of the ceremony, T was being his silly self with Moo Moo. The hubby tried to calm him down, which then escalated into a tantrum.

T stormed off from the table – I quickly turned off our camera – and marched to his room. He slammed his door and screamed and cried.

I thought how this moment nicely encapsulated our struggles during virtual schooling.

But a short minute later, T calmed down, came downstairs and rejoined the ceremony.

To me, this moment perfectly captured the huge growth we’ve seen in T these last few months with regulating his emotions, sitting down in the class, and actively participating.

Yes, it was a constant struggle and required a lot of work and patience – on our part, T’s teachers’ part and T’s part – so I couldn’t think of a sweeter way than to end our kindergarten journey on this high note.

I’d like to look back at T’s kindergarten years and give thanks to the blessings and the challenges that brought us to this very moment in time.

I’d like to first thank the Kindergarten Intervention Program that T had the blessing to be a part of in his junior kindergarten year.

After a disappointing end to his Montessori pre-school years – when he was not invited back to the school after a parent complained about his behaviour – T got into a specialized kindergarten intervention program at the public school board that had a small class size and specialized staff to support behavioural challenges.

It was, therefore, devastating to find out – from reading an article in the newspaper! – that the school board decided to cancel the program; because we were seeing first hand the positive impact the program had on T.

I’d like to next thank the school administrative staff – including T’s Principal, Superintendent, board staff and trustees – who listened to us when we raised our concerns, including through a deputation I made at a board meeting.

Thanks to their openness, T received a one-on-one Child and Youth Worker in senior kindergarten, when he was integrated into a regular classroom.

I’d like to thank the pandemic for bringing our family closer.

I can’t describe in words how exhausting and hard the last year has been with having to juggle full time work and virtual schooling/parenting a special needs child – in addition to unexpected events like my mom’s stroke.

But we made it and the hubby, T and I are closer and stronger thanks to this adversity.

I’d like to thank the amazing social services staff who supported T the last two years, from his amazing daycare staff and the Special Needs Resource Consultant that worked with the daycare, to the amazing developmental pediatrician, family psychologist and behaviour therapist at Surrey Place.

It truly takes a village and we’re so lucky to have a great village.

I’d like to thank T’s teachers, who were true heroes.

I don’t think people realize how insane it is to virtual school young kindergarteners!

They were so organized, creative and thoughtful in how they structured the class and how they adapted along the way to make it a smooth and rewarding experience for everyone.

I’d like to thank T’s amazing Child and Youth Worker.

She worked so hard to adapt to T’s strengths, challenges, and the pandemic.

She implemented many strategies to help him succeed, like one-on-ones, virtual scavenger hunts, and a token chart. They all contributed to T’s ability to now sit down, complete his work, participate and believe in himself.

But the hubby and I save our biggest thanks for our lovable little pest.

I think back to a year ago and even just six months ago.

He has come a long way with learning to better regulate his emotions, after explosive moments.

The biggest way we see this is how he gets up and storms off into his room. This may seem horrifying to most parents, but to us, this is him proactively finding a space to cool off. Sure, there’s screaming fits and crying, but he is able to calm down quickly now and rejoin the activity.

And get this, he’s even come up and said sorry after one of his moments.

This is huge.

Thanks to the persistence and patience of his teachers – and us parents too! – he mostly sat down through virtual class in the last three months.

Sure, he still fidgets, gets silly and restless, and sometimes gets up and wanders off – but I’m focusing on the many more moments he sat through a session.

The biggest gain that I was so happy with was his active participation in class.

His CYW implemented a token system where T had to work for his Nintendo Switch at the end of the school day. To do this, he had to participate at least 4 times during each school day.

It worked like a charm and on this second-to-last school day, T was the most active participant in his class.

I wish T could see and know just how bright and capable he is. But we will work on that. Life is a work in progress after all.

Most of all, I am so thankful for all that this kid teaches us – about resilience, adapting when things go off the rails, living in the moment, and focusing on the big picture.

The hubby and I are so proud of how T is ending his kindergarten journey and how he’s grown academically and socially. We’re so thankful for his teachers, CYW and all the supports on Team T.

And now, it’s time for rest and relaxation.

We’re gonna enjoy this moment and focus on having a super fun summer. Grade 1 can wait. We know the ups and downs will continue, but we are ready for it.

Your Disco Needs You

Our 6 year old’s quirky song of choice made me reflect on how we should live life like a disco ball.

Enjoying music together with T is one thing I cherish in our relationship. For a long time, all he listened to was Queen’s “We Will Rock You.”

I went on a recent binge of Australian pop star Kylie Minogue’s discography, because her joyful music lifts my mood every time.

T zeroed in on “Your Disco Needs You,” a campy single from her 2000 pop masterpiece album “Light Years,” and now asks for it on repeat.

Popular in the 70s, disco is a genre of dance music described as “typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, horns, electric piano, synthesizers…”

Basically, it’s upbeat and cheerful.

As we listened to T’s song in the car on loop, I thought about the disco ball and how it radiates light in all directions.

According to this article, the first patent for the disco ball was issued in 1917 by Louis Bernard Woeste who called it the “Myriad Reflector.”

The word “myriad” means countless or extremely great in number.

“How interesting,” I thought, as I watched T, from the rear view mirror, bopping in his car seat.

“So lets dance through all our fears
War is over for a bit
The whole world should be moving
Do your part
Cure a lonely heart.”
– Your Disco Needs You

Then my mind went on a super random tangent, thinking about each of our lives as a glass ball.

At birth, our ball is smooth. The myriad of life experiences we have, good and bad, adds facets towards of our ball, making it resemble a disco ball with each passing day.

I often think about how I’d like to hang onto T’s innocence and wonder as long as I can, because that is the purest form of light.

As individuals, we can choose to bounce the light we receive out into the world or we can trap it within ourselves during the harder moments, much like how a ray of light gets lost in darkness.

Similarly, we can absorb the darkness that comes towards us or let it bounce off. Easier said than done, of course.

T teaches me every day, sometimes through hard moments, to bounce light to others.

He is our disco ball, situated in the middle of the dance floor that is our lives, radiating light (even when he’s driving us insane!).

One common thing said about children with FASD is that every day is a new day for them. It’s a blank slate.

I learn a lot from T about letting things go.

Outdoor pools opened last weekend and they were a life saver last summer. We’ve already gone three of the four days they’ve been open!

Prior to last night’s visit, I was in a frazzled mood, after a day of back-to-back meetings and virtual schooling, with not much of a break.

My head was spinning from all the to-dos for the next day and I could feel myself getting antsy.

But then I thought about my silly disco ball. Do I hold this in, let it fester and mar a fun night out with T – or do I let it bounce off and enjoy the moment ahead of us?

I chose to boogie woogie.

It was a cooler evening, so there was only a handful of people at the pool; we practically had the shallow end to ourselves.

The sky was sunny with sporadic dark clouds. So beams of sunlight came and went.

During one moment near the end of our swim, T was chasing me as we played tag in the pool. Slivers of light pierced through the dark cloud and down onto T, illuminating our disco ball.

I watched him as he smiled, laughed and splashed in the water, enjoying and basking thankfully for this little moment of pure perfection.

Coming Out… Again and Again

I came out in my teen years. Decades later, I am coming out again as a special needs parent.

As the world celebrates Pride Month and the importance of inclusion, love and tolerance, I am thankful for living in a part of the world that is, for the most part, progressive and inclusive.

I came out at 14. I remember how nervous I was and how it took me three weeks to work up the nerve to tell the first person I came out to.

I was very fortunate to have received mostly supportive responses. When I didn’t, I am glad I had the wisdom to walk away.

When I told the pastor of the church that I was attending that I was gay, she suggested that I go see a psychologist.

I was 16 and didn’t have the boldness to tell her how angry and hurt her reaction made me feel. I stopped going to church and knew that organized religion was not for me. Today, I don’t need a church to feel a connection to God.

Both the positives and negatives of the coming out experience shaped my formative teen years and influenced how I perceive, respond and adapt to challenging situations as an adult.

I see parallels between my own coming out with now coming out as a special needs parent.

T attending his first Pride at 1 year old, only a few weeks after he came into our lives.

In the early days, I worried a lot about how others would react.

Not because I felt ashamed, but because I did not want a four letter prognosis, FASD, to become a negative label or stigma for our T and to affect how others treat him.

But like my own coming out, it became easier with every step – and I quickly found support in family, friends, colleagues and professionals.

When I came out in my teens, the Internet was new. I am fortunate that today there are so many online resources and communities to help the hubby and I navigate this journey.

Perhaps the most important lesson that I learned from my own coming out was the importance of advocacy.

The hubby and I have embraced this ethos for T and are very grateful to have met so many allies through the school system and the medical and social services communities.

The irony, though, is that while many people know about T’s prognosis, he has yet to know about his condition.

Pride 2019, the last time we were able to celebrate in person with others.

I think a lot about how the hubby and I will have this conversation with him one day.

He is now 6 and we want to wait until he is a little older for two reasons: a) he is still young and b) he doesn’t have a diagnosis yet and is doing well so far with the supports we have in place.

I don’t quite know the words that I will use but I know that I will take a direct but compassionate approach.

I will make it clear that this was nothing that he did or was responsible for.

But the most important message that he needs to hear and to understand is that he is perfect the way he is.

There is nothing wrong with him, nothing to be ashamed of and whatever challenges he is facing because of his medical condition, we will continue to support and work together with him to face and to overcome them.

I can’t control how he will react. I sometimes worry about how this knowledge of his condition will shape his self concept.

But I do genuinely feel hopeful. Despite ongoing challenges and regular struggles, T continues to surprise us all with his awesomeness.

And like the rainbow that has been embraced as a symbol for LGBTQ2S+ inclusion, I feel hopeful there will always be something wonderful at the end of every stormy moment.

This feels like a lifetime ago but it was only last year when we drew a rainbow on our window to spread love and cheer during the pandemic.

Castles in the Sand

A day at the beach reminded me that childhood flies by like sand rushing through an hourglass.

A colleague once told me, when the hubby and I first adopted T, to enjoy T’s childhood because it will go by quickly.

I recently noticed that T has been staying in his bed throughout the night without coming to our room in the middle of the night.

Not only that, we can now simply tuck him in and kiss and hug him goodnight after reading books and then leave without a battle demanding that we lie down with him until he falls asleep.

I don’t know what to do with myself with that extra hour of freedom at night, but I’m looking forward to finding out!

I told the hubby it felt bittersweet, because it’s one of those subtle signposts that our T is inching away from childhood.

I will not miss him tossing and turning in bed next to me and keeping me up, but I will miss seeing the gentle light of sunrise on his peaceful quiet face, eyes closed, as he gently breathes.

As a child, time moved so slowly for me. A summer felt like an eternity of fun possibilities.

As an adult, you barely walk ten steps in flip flops and you’re ambushed with back-to-school or Christmas advertising.

As we step into summer, it feels like things are starting to go back to normal post-pandemic.

I pledged that we will especially soak up these precious no-school days of good weather, swims at the lake, and endless scoops of ice cream.

Because like a castle in the sand, childhood does not last forever.

Today, we spent a nice family beach day at nearby Darlington Provincial Park. Our only prior visit was in the winter and we knew then we wanted to come back to enjoy the beach.

It was busy but people were safely distanced. We learned our lesson from last weekend and bought a day permit in advance, a wonderful new service our province is piloting this summer.

We walked further down the beach where it was quiet and found a nice shaded spot under a large tree canopy.

The lake water was still cold but we walked in; T leading the way. After a few minutes of working up the nerve, I dunked my body in. The refreshing water woke me up better than my morning coffee.

T then wanted to make a sandcastle. We left him on his own while we hung out in the shade, enjoying the fresh air and calming sound of the water.

T and I then walked to the far end of the beach to explore, before he decided he was done and wanted to go home.

On our walk back, he said, “Poor daddy!” Because we had left the hubby on his own. When we got back to the canopy, he gave him a big hug.

We packed up our stuff and enjoyed a “late lunch” of ice cream. Gotta fill our empty tummies with something!

Here’s to a long fun summer for everyone!

“Yes, I Can…”

Monkey bars provided a magical moment when T’s “I can’t” became “I can.”

We see for ourselves that while T has a challenging prognosis of at risk FASD, he has so many great qualities. Among them, he is kind, caring, funny, bright and persevering.

But we also see, and notice more, things like anxiety, self consciousness and hesitation.

As an adult, I see and understand now how confidence often plays an important role in allowing others to excel and propel forward.

The hubby and I are mindful with helping T build an inner confidence – as well as perseverance and a willingness to take risks – that can help him navigate challenging moments.

I always think about and wish for T to develop a positive inner voice at an early age, because I am mindful that as he gets older, he will encounter those who’ll chip away at that inner voice. It’s a given; I’m not a pessimist, I’m just a realist.

I will say that some of the challenges related to his prognosis that manifest themselves through his behaviour can often make it difficult to champion this positive message.

Some days it is hard to push the message of you can do it, when I’m clearly impatient or irritated, because he’s driving me crazy.

But thankfully, for our family, the good days far outweigh the challenging ones – and I will never take that for granted.

So back to the monkey bars…

I still remember the first time T showed interest in monkey bars was around age 3.

He’d just hang on a single bar and then drop himself to the ground. Or he would ask the hubby or I to hold him as he grabbed each bar and let us carry him from one end to the other.

Last summer, he decided he would scale across and he did it in one go. Just like that. I was so impressed.

But then he never did it again – and approached them with hesitation. I’d ask him, “Why don’t you try again? You were able to do it before.”

His answer would be, “I can’t! I want you to carry me!”

With warmer days, we’ve been spending more time at the park, because evening walks are always a highlight of our day.

Hello, monkey bars, our old friend.

I tried to break it down into bite size steps.

So a few days ago, I asked, “Why don’t we try just going from one bar to another bar?”

He looked at me with apprehension. But did it.

Big celebratory cheer from me.

“Now try another.”

“I can’t!” He whined.

“You just did it now, try. You can do it.”

He reached for the next bar. A big smile beamed across his face. Then he dropped to the ground.

I didn’t push him this time.

Last night, we were out again and T was playing with his new 6-year-old friend while I chatted with the grandma.

The friend and T went near the monkey bar. The friend tried first and dropped to the ground after a few bars.

T decided he was going to give it a try – without any nudging from me.

He grabbed the first part and I cheered him on.

Then the second. The grandma and I cheered.

Then the third. He had an excited smile now.

Then the fourth. He was halfway done now. The grandma got up from the bench she was sitting on and cheered him on loudly now.

Then the fifth. Sixth.

His arms were trembling and his cheeks red.

One more to go. And it was angled higher than the other bars. Was he going to make it?

“Come on, you can do it!”

T grabbed the last bar and then quickly dropped to the ground. He was sweating, cheeks blushing.

We all cheered him on and he came up towards me and we gave each other a high five.

“You did it! See, you can do it!” I told him later that night, after I retold them story to the hubby.

“Yes, I can,” T said.

I know these are just monkey bars but I see this moment as a metaphor for life itself. And I hope these words from T continue to become a regular part of his inner voice.

Beach Day at Home

The best laid plans did not go as planned – and it ended up just fine.

Our City got a scorching weekend, our first real taste of summer, with two sunny days in the 30s.

I had planned for the family to go to the Bluffs, one of our favourite parts of the City, with a nice trail and vast beach.

The hubby and T, as always, took their time and we left three hours later than I had intended. As expected, the beach was at capacity and police blocked the street into the area.

I was so grumpy on the drive home, because this was not the first time – nor will it be the last! – that we could’ve prevented this if we had left early.

When we got home, the hubby turned on the sprinkler in the backyard and picked T up and ran through it.

Seeing T laugh and run back and forth repeatedly was all it took for me to lose my grumpiness.

The hubby then picked me up without warning and ran through the sprinkler with me. So I was now soaked too.

I went in and opened a container of guacamole and poured myself a glass of cold mango juice and enjoyed both with a scary movie in the air conditioner while the two of them stayed outside.

The weekend may not have included the beach I planned for but it ended up being a good one.

We also included learning activities. This was the best writing practice we’ve seen from T yet!

Oh, and I took Ma to get her second dose. She is fully vaccinated now. What a relief!

In the meantime, we will have many more beach days to look forward to yet, cuz summer is just getting started!

Teaching Kids About Money and Valuing Things

When T indirectly broke my tablet’s power adapter, he said non-chalantly, “Just get a new one.”

“And where do you think the money is going to come from?” I asked him.

Without flinching, he said, “I’ll open the pig’s bum,” referring to his piggy bank.

Yes, a power adapter wasn’t super expensive. But it did highlight T’s lack of awareness about the value of things.

In fairness, he’s 6 and he has the rest of his life to figure out money, work, and all that.

But it’s important to me that T learns at an early age to value things, to know that things are earned, and to not be wasteful.

At an early age, my parents told me to finish every grain of rice on my plate, because farmers work hard to harvest a single grain of rice. They cautioned that every grain not eaten meant one pimple on our future spouse’s face.

For individuals with FASD, the concept of money is a difficult one to learn, even at adulthood.

When T received his prognosis of at-risk FASD, I read up everything I could about it.

I focused – and yes, in some cases, obsessed – on things I knew were possibilities down the road, like behaviour, speech, reading, etc.

Understanding and working with money was also something I always knew we’d want to work with T on at different points in his life.

At a young age, it’s just letting them be aware that things have monetary cost and value. That’s why it’s important to take care of what we have.

In the last three weeks, his senior kindergarten class have been learning about money.

They are simple lessons focusing on Canadian coins: the twoonie ($2), loonie ($1), quarter, dime (10 cents) and nickel (5 cents).

I created this little simple learning tool for him and we’ve been practicing with it from time to time, including on weekends.

As with every other thing, the best way T learns is a hands on way and when he has fun.

Two weekends ago, I created a little grocery game to play and learn together with T.

I found 5 items I knew he enjoyed and made them grocery items he had to buy with coins I gave him, including his Pediasure for $2, Oreo cookies for 25 cents and a Starburst candy for 5 cents.

And yes, I know what you’re thinking, whatever money he spends, he’ll get back from the tooth fairy with all that sugar!

Since he is inseparable from his stuffed toys these days, Moo Moo got to play the grocery store cashier.

First, we did a review of the coins using the tool I made as well as a school worksheet (below).

I asked T to pick one item at a time to bring to the cashier. Then I asked him which coin he had to spend to pay for the item.

The twoonie and loonies were easy. He found the small coins harder to distinguish.

With that said, never underestimate T. I was puzzled as to why he didn’t give me the quarter for the 25 cent purchase when it was the last item and last coin standing.

Then he showed it to me. “It’s not the same!”

Turns out, he had an American quarter and not the Canadian quarter.

So technically he was correct. At the currency exchange, he could’ve gotten two more Oreos!

It was a fun exercise to do. I think some of the concepts stuck with him and we will just keep practicing this over time. He’s still young.

If all he got out of this exercise was that things cost money and are not free, it’s a win!

Massive Meltdown at the Park

An explosive moment in public provided a hard reminder about kindness and letting go.

I’ve written on numerous occasions about raising our six-year-old son who has great potential and a challenging prognosis of at-risk FASD.

These challenges include explosive outbursts, impulsivity and emotional regulation.

Managing these moments feel especially difficult during these hard days of virtual schooling.

Thankfully, about two weeks ago, he made a new friend, a six-year-old from outside of the City who is staying with his Grandma during the week, who is helping him with virtual schooling.

The two of them have been playing very well. Now that the days are getting longer, it’s been nice to take T outside to play. Let him run ragged, so he can go to bed faster is how I look at it.

The nuclear meltdown happened last Thursday.

As with these unexpected moments, it came out of nowhere.

T wanted to be pushed on the swing. As he often does, he asked in a loud demanding way.

I told him to ask nicely or I was not going to push him.

Out came the grumpy T. “Shut up,” he said.

I reminded him to use nice words.

“Do you want me to slap you?” He said.

Planned ignoring from me.

So he upped the ante. “Do you want me to punch you?”

I gave him one last warning to talk nicely or we were going to go home.

So he got off the swing and shoved the swing towards me.

I said softly to the Grandma of T’s new friend. “I’m sorry, but we’re going home now.”

The thing with managing T’s behaviour is that you have to follow through with your warnings.

So T erupted like a volcano.

Loud screaming, crying, fell to the floor. If you only heard what was going on without any visual cues, you’d think a child was being murdered.

I picked him up, this kid that was now half my height, and carried him kicking and protesting out of the park – defeaning screams and all.

It was the longest three minute walk home.

I felt the heavy gaze of every parent and child in the park. I felt like eyes were looking out the windows of homes on the street.

When I got home, I dropped T to the ground. I was trembling and my voice was shaking.

I told him how embarrassing his behaviour was – and I told the hubby to take over, because I was done with him for the day.

As a special needs parent, you learn to live through these moments. But they are nonetheless draining.

It ruined my long weekend; I had taken Friday off work as a mental health day and to take T out for a hike after school.

I spent the day in my room with myself. I did the bare minimum with T that day, because I was so upset.

But beyond the anger and embarrassment, what I really felt and was having a hard time processing was the sadness.

It was a sobering reminder that despite the many positive and amazing gains T had made, there is always this specter of his prognosis.

Specifically, it reminded me of the lifelong struggles he will likely have.

One of my big emotional triggers is around the worry of how T’s behavioral challenges will impact his social life as he progresses through childhood, adolescence and adulthood.

He is a very bright, funny, caring and sweet boy. This is the majority of our experience. But all it takes is a moment like this to tarnish his impression on others.

I find this the hardest part to cope with.

To put it frankly, this was an incredibly deflating experience.

We always try to teach T that if you fall down, get up and try again.

That really is what special needs parenting is all about – whether we like it or not!

And that’s what the hubby and I did – after about three days of my pure grumpiness.

I told the hubby I don’t think I could face the Grandma. She probably wouldn’t want her grandchild to play with T again.

But we had to try. Because we can’t live our lives in constant fear of judgment or looking like we’re screwing up in public.

Yesterday night, we took T out. We had a very good day in school and were optimistic we were not going to have a repeat episode.

T and the boy played so well together and even included another girl in their game.

The Grandma asked if he’s feeling better. I told her about T’s prognosis and background.

Being a retired high school teacher, she knew about FASD. She then disclosed one of her other grandchildren has autism and she shared her experience with supporting him.

Then she added that she thought the hubby and I were doing a great job.

I know she was trying to be kind, as she’s only just met us, but it was nonetheless such a reassuring thing to hear.

We walked home together afterwards with T running far ahead of us.

She asked me if he was going to be ok.

I joked that if someone abducted T from the streets, they’d be paying me to take him back.

This evening was a wonderful reminder that there are no coincidences in life and that we were meant to have the moments that we have – even these explosive embarrassing moments – and you meet the people you’re supposed to meet, like this Grandma and her grandson.

It was also a good reminder to always exercise kindness with yourself.

As T got out of his bath that evening, I wrapped his towel around him and I gave him a big long tight hug.

And I finally let go and felt the heaviness of the past few days fall off my shoulders.

Resting Like Royalty

As Canada celebrates Victoria Day long weekend, the two queens in T’s life are focused on recharging.

The hubby worked on the garden today. I didn’t even pretend to help. I love gardens, especially ones I don’t have to tend to!

Instead, T and I went for a nice long hike at Rouge Park, an urban oasis a short drive from home that has been a refuge during the pandemic.

It was sunny, cool and breezy – the perfect weather for a nature walk.

I’m always thankful for what a trooper T is. No hill is too long or steep for him to walk and no woods too dark. He’s in his element in nature.

We ended our visit by the creek. Other kids were dipping their feet in and I wished I had packed his water shoes. The cold water looked so inviting. Next time!

We ended the day with baked lobster tail for dinner. They were on sale in the frozen aisles for half off. So I decided to treat ourselves.

The last few weeks have been very tiring and hard. I can’t explain how exhausted I am without sounding like I’m whining.

With at least five more marathon weeks to go, we’re happy to get an extra day to recharge.

Wishing everyone a nice restful weekend!

The World Is Larger When You’re A Kid

Never lose your inner child, I thought, as I took T 30 years down memory lane.

Last Saturday morning, I took T on a nostalgia visit to my elementary school playground.

I was a bit over a year older than T is now when I last played there 31 years ago. It was the first school I attended in Canada after immigrating from the Philippines.

Two years ago, the hubby, T and I moved a short way down the street from this school.

This seemed so much bigger when I was 8!

Life truly is a circle.

And things seem so much bigger as a kid!

Some of the old playground is still there while newer components – and an entire extension to the school – have been added.

I remember as a Grade 2 student having to run laps around the paved perimeter around the school field. It felt massive.

As an adult, it almost feels minuscule.

It was a fun morning in the sun.

During these lockdown days, the thing that eats at me most is how little interaction T gets with kids.

So it was nice for him to be around other kids, even if they mostly played on their own.

Tonight, after the end of a long work and virtual schooling week, the hubby, T and I went for a family walk around the block.

I remarked to the hubby how little of these moments we get to enjoy together on a weekday, considering that we are together 24/7, because of how stretched our lives are right now.

So it was calming to spend the time outside together, to watch the hubby and T play, and to watch T stomp and run across the field overgrown with dandelions as the day turned into night.

I’m happy for the long weekend and happier for these longer days.

Visiting My Kindergartener’s Class

It’s the horror every child dreads: when the parent visits their class.

It began when T’s class, still virtual, was doing a week-long lesson about rainforests.

Unbeknownst to me, the hubby reached out to T’s teacher to share a read-aloud video that I had done a few years ago.

It was part of a fun project my colleagues led and I filmed one of the videos, reading a kids book about a tiger in a rainforest.

The hubby saw a thematic fit and before I knew it, I was invited to share the video with T’s class.

I was ready to murder the hubby when he told me and I joked with T’s Child and Youth Worker that I was soon to be a single parent.

On the day of the visit, I was quite nervous.

I do presentations and chair meetings all the time for work and am very comfortable doing so. But presenting in front of a class of kindergarten kids – and T’s peers – was terrifying.

I talked faster than normal. But I got through it.

Then the teacher played the video for the class. I nervously watched the children’s faces. Afterwards, T’s teacher asked how the kids enjoyed it.

I held my breath but sighed when I saw kids putting their thumbs up. One kid shouted, “Double thumbs up!”

I looked at T, who seemed a mix of amusement and indifference.

I thought it was over then T’s teacher asked if I could do the tiger roar as I had done in the video.

I giggled nervously. The hubby, who was standing off to the side, broke into a giggle fit.

I debated about stabbing him right then and there but there would’ve been too many witnesses.

So I did the big tiger roar.

I started laughing at myself afterwards. Then T got irritated – cuz he thought I was laughing at him – and kept turning off the mic and video when I tried to say thanks to his teacher.

All kidding aside, I really enjoyed the experience.

And you know what, I did feel proud getting to share such a fun video and great story on behalf of T to his peers. Hopefully I made him proud!

He’s still at this adorable age where his parents are fun and he wants to play and hang out with them. So this experience visiting his class was just an extension of that bond.

I am always so touched when the teacher tries to involve T in the lesson. I know her intentions in having me speak to the class were good.

And hey, might as well do it now while T is young and not too cool yet for his embarrassing parents!

The Odd Duck

You often need to look no further than to nature for a little perspective.

T and I went for a late morning walk to enjoy the sun, fresh air, and to get out of the house.

Outdoor spaces have been a lifesaver during this pandemic. On some days, the thought of outdoor time is what keeps me hanging on.

This past week was hard. The combination of virtual schooling hell, general tiredness, and a feeling of languishing felt stressful.

I had a meltdown mid week. I was trying to get T to write out sentences. Nothing hard but he was being so difficult and I lost my temper.

It was not one of my better moments, but it’s behind us and I’ll do better next time!

My goal for this weekend was to recharge and reset. Nature always helps with both.

T and I explored a new trail along the Electric Corridor near our home.

A field draped in yellow dandelions during mid Spring always feels calming.

The trail led us to a pond, where we stumbled upon a family of geese and goslings.

Beyond adorable, T was immediately enamoured.

“Can I pet them?” He asked and I reminded him to leave wild animals alone.

We enjoyed watching them from a close distance, with T keeping a close eye on one of the pacing geese, convinced it was going to peck him.

There was a set of goslings sitting in a shady part at the edge of the pond, with one of the parents hovering protectively nearby.

I thought to myself how wonderful it was to be reminded that families come in all forms and this family was making due on their little pocket of this planet that has been taken over by humans.

Then I noticed a gosling off on the side, not sitting still like the others. Wandering and pacing about, while being followed by an elder goose.

That was a kindred spirit for our T, I thought.

“Odd ducks” in nature don’t have access to therapy services, school supports, toys like a Switch to motivate them – but somehow they get by under the watchful care of their parent.

Yes, I am over simplifying and romanticizing a brief encounter with a gosling and its parent.

But it was a gentle reminder to take a deep breath and if nothing else, take a moment outside of my little life and enjoy the larger world around me.

Moo Moo and Crab

Say hello to our T’s adopted children.

T has never played much with stuffed animals when he was younger. But at age 6, they join him everywhere.

He started taking his kids to the car to sit with him for the drive to and from school (when they were open!), to sleep with him, and to join him when he’s brushing his teeth.

During virtual schooling, we have an army of stuffies sitting around the tablet and he’d often bring some of them right up to the camera.

I now have to floss Moo Moo and Crab (it’s really a lobster) before I can floss T in the mornings. As I brush Moo Moo’s teeth on some mornings, I think to myself this is what my life has come to. 😂

All jokes aside, it is quite a cute phase to experience as I know I will miss this when T is older. And I quite enjoy being their Grandad!

Every night before bedtime, T needs to have all of his stuffies with him in bed and the hubby and I have to hug and kiss each one of them as part of bedtime routine.

You may also have seen our recent puppet show productions! Below is a never before seen clip we did for Easter a few weeks ago!

A few weeks ago, as I laid next to T before bedtime, I overheard Moo Moo and one of his other stuffies, Patchy Patch, have an argument.

It turns out Moo Moo was angry at him. But they were talking it out and resolving the conflict with T’s help.

I shared this with T’s behaviour therapist and she said these toys could be a great outlet to help T process and learn about relationships.

I will say that it does make me sad – and pause to take deep breaths sometimes – when I’m having a busy day at work and I see T playing by himself with his stuffies.

I know it’s healthy play but it makes me sad and mad that schools are closed and T is missing valuable interactions with other children at such a critical point in his development.

But I know this is not final and it will pass.

So in the meantime, Moo Moo, Crab and friends will provide wonderful companionship and even some life lessons for our endlessly restless and lovable little pest.