Today we decided to march (or sprint wildly, flailing arms) bravely into the unknown world of restaurant (or, McDonalds) dining with Bally. I was pleasantly surprised! While we had to play a substantial amount of Pass-The-Toddler to get through the line, ordering, and payment process, it was smooth sailing from there. He climbed right into that high chair, pulled himself up to the table, unwrapped his hash browns and began to converse politely with us in whatever language it is that he speaks right now. I like to think he was commenting on the weather, or maybe on how rude it was that the older gentleman alone at the table across from us was screaming and cursing at his plate of food. All-in-all, Bally managed to eat two entire hash browns before standing up in his high chair and barking like a dog. It was a proud moment.
At home, there are only a few things for which Bally will sit still for the entire duration. Any time I need a quick babysitter, my go-to activity for him is to launch up Wordpad on Gramma's computer and sit him in front of it. Unless I hear seriously intense keyboard-smashing or phrases like "I can't DO ITTTTT!!" then I know things are probably okay. Here are some things we've walked in on after leaving Bally alone at the computer for a few minutes. The photo to the right is a good example of how I imagine it looks inside Bally's brain. On the left? We don't want to talk about it.
We've started thinking about and planning for school this year. Bally's big sister just turned 5 two days ago, and she has her kindergarten orientation next week. She'll get to meet her teachers, counselors, and climb aboard a school bus to look around. Unfortunately, Bally won't be able to attend this school for his first two years, and he'll have to stay with Gramma during the orientation. I don't think the teachers and other parents would appreciate a screamy distraction for the already nervous kinders-to-be. I have to wonder if the preschool special education program will offer us a chance to meet the other kids before Bally starts in the fall. I don't look forward to the look on his face (and the bruise on the aide's face) when the bus pulls up for the first time and he realizes I'm not riding it with him.We have at least one doctor's appointment per week for the next few weeks. Hopefully we'll start to get an idea of where we go from here, and how many hours per week Bally will be in therapy. I really hope everything will be offered through the school system, so we can limit our running around.
