Michael's summer "school"

What we wanted Michael to learn over the summer:

• toilet training
• self-feeding
• more walking
• learning numbers through 100 (or even 150)
• time (like 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, etc.)

What Michael has actually learned:

• how to be a diaper houdini (he can take his diaper off, but still leave his shorts on)
• how to be "naked boy" (he can take off his diapers AND shorts AND shirt AND socks...and he can almost get his shoes and AFOs off)
• how to open up his bedroom door (to escape a 'time out' or when he doesn't want to go to sleep)
• how to open up the door to the garage and escape to outside (I was mowing the backyard, came down the side yard to the front and found M in the front yard about 15-20 scoots away from the street-yikes!!  He was quite proud and very happy with himself.)
• how to open the fridge and get his sippy cup
• how to open up the basement door, turn on the light, turn on the tv, and watch whatever HE wants to watch
• how to find the computer keyboards, no matter where we hide them, and run off with them (usually to the stairs)
• he knows his numbers 1-36 and the number 100 (because I sometimes tell him that he can be all done on the toilet when I finish counting to 100...so as soon as I start counting, he immediately points to 100 and signs "all done")
• he also knows the numbers 26 and 62 because one number is the weather channel and the other number is the golf channel
• he knows how to stay up late and loves to sleep in late (he's never been a morning person)
• he knows how to feed himself - but only the foods he likes (applesauce and any green veggie, but is expanding on this)
• he is getting better at feeding himself and is not as messy
• he is learning how to wipe his face with a napkin after eating
• he can drink from a 2-handled open cup (with gentle reminders to not let go until the cup is back on the table)
• he knows how to turn and direct his non-swivel wheeled walker on smooth surfaces when there are objects in the way (he pushes my hand off his walker and tells ME to go-hahaha!!)

• he knows how to put his socks on, if we get them started over his toes
• he took 10-15 independent steps over the summer (down from more than 50 steps over the last couple of years, but better than the 5 or so he has been doing---but we learned from a recent MRI why his walking has decreased--he has a tethered spinal cord which will probably be surgically "released" or untethered later this fall)
• he knows when he's doing a task that he doesn't want to do, that if he signals he has to go potty, he'll probably get out of the task (for a little while) to go "play" in the bathroom, because as soon as I sit him on the toilet, he tells me he's all done.....and when I don't take him to the bathroom he usually really has to go (we can't win here)
• he knows how to ask for a movie like Shrek or Toy Story and as soon as we turn our backs, he changes the tv to the golf channel or world series of poker....and when we come back into the room, he changes it back to the movie (pretty slick boy, but we're on to you)

So, he's really acquired a whole bunch of skills over the summer!  Not necessarily the ones we envisioned, but progress none the less.  Here's to a great school year! 

(waiting on the bus....and the only one excited to be up early is the dog)

I might get stuff accomplished during the day now!!  Off to attack my To Do list - go me!

Michael's summer diary: Day 1

Monday, Day 1 - Michael's first day of summer break.  AKA: reasons why I never get anything accomplished, why we don't have a babysitter, why I love school, why I drink so much diet coke, why I am so tired.

• M woke up dry, peed in toilet
• asked to go back to sleep
• fed himself yogurt, HoH (Hand over Hand = my hand helping his hand)
• put him in underwear and told him to tell me when he needs to go potty
• 5 minutes later he peed
• put new underwear on him and told him to tell me when he needs to go potty
• 1/2 hour later he pooped (and I learned that underwear does not contain poop very well, especially when he "scoots" instead of "walks"
• bath...with every single bath toy dumped out of the bathtub bag (he's hasn't done that before, usually on plays with a few favorites)
• switch back to diapers and told him to tell me when he needs to go potty
• fed himself lunch, HoH
• signs "mom" and then pats the front of his diaper for "potty"; pees on the potty-YEA!
• I'm making beds and I hear the toilet lid being played with downstairs, check on M and he's splashing in the toilet (eeewww!). Wash his hand thoroughly and tell him that toilets are for going potty, not playing.  Shut the bathroom door to keep him out.
• I'm getting dinner ready; bring M a drink and check on him.  I find this:

• Put diaper back on, hook the DVR back up (there was no sound)...while M sneaks upstairs to the other bathroom.  I run upstairs to find him trying to get back in the bathtub to play with all the toys.  "Fine.  I'll help you into the empty tub to play with your toys."
• While in tub, he tries lifting up the toilet lid. I tell him that toilets are not to play with only for pottying.  He gives me the sign for potty.  So I put him on the toilet.
• It usually takes a couple of minutes for him to go, so I start putting his tub toys away. I look over to see him holding on to his firehose spraying pee everywhere but in the toilet.  
• Get him cleaned up, toilet and bathroom cleaned up, and myself cleaned up.
• Feeds himself dinner (pre-chopped swedish meatballs/noodles/peas), probably 50-75% of the meal ALL BY HIMSELF (!!!), scooping the food by himself too.  YEA!!!  I have to HoH feed him his squash, he doesn't choose this on his own.
• Daddy is home, play time (climbing/bouncing on daddy & sitting on his head) and movie time.
• Self-feed bedtime snack, HoH.
• Tries to pee before bed, but doesn't go.
• Both boys and dog are in bed, while I shampoo the carpet.
• Day 1 ends in exhaustion....only 77 more days until school starts