Dear Noah....."blowing me a kiss"

Today when you realized it was raining outside.....you suddenly did not want to go to school. You came into my office and dumped yourself in my lap, very upset. As I was telling you all the reasons why you should still like to be at school...you had something negative to say back in response.

I reminded you that today you had gym....you said "but everyone always finishes running before I do." (I guess the gym teacher has been having you all run 5 laps in the gym and then walking 1-2 laps before you even DO anything else like play hockey...etc.) I asked if you were always the LAST one getting done running.....you answered "no." SO I told you that you were not the slowest runner then...and to just do your best and try to enjoy it. Today you were going to be wearing your gym shoes I quickly added...which would make running easier for you (because yes even in winter and when the kids wear boots and shoe wear not appropriate for running the kids have to run). They are too little to be allowed time to change into gym-specific clothes and shoes I guess.

I finally got you ready to go to school. I told you when dropping you off I would wait and make sure all was well since you all stood outside in line this morning. The rain had stopped and the weather was nice. You ran to get into line. I saw other boys wrestling around in line. I know if you are expected to stand still, eyes ahead, arms to your side...I would think ALL the children would have to do the same. BUT apparently that is not the case. The "monitoring" teachers (and I use that word loosely).....did NOTHING to stop the boys from horsing around....even when they knocked into other kids standing in line minding their own business.

THESE types of environmental stimulus are like time bombs waiting to explode.....because if those kids knock into you....all hell could break loose. OR you could respond back and you would be the one getting into trouble.

BUT there you stood.....eyes ahead....arms to your sides like I have taught you......minding your own business......very focused......just like a little Army recruit.

I decided I better get out of the car and STAND right there by the FENCE to let the monitoring teachers know I WAS watching and the kids know...FINALLY the teachers yelled out something to those boys horsing around to stop after they all had turned around and noticed me standing there. What crap!

Your line was finally ready to walk in......and as you did......you turned around and flashed me the biggest smile.....and put your hand to your lips and blew me the biggest, most exaggerated kiss in the world.

My eyes filled with tears....and I realized just how much I absolutely love you...and I thank you for giving me such a wonderful memory to cling to for the rest of my life.....because that image will be etched in my mind forever - - much like a candid snapshot...for me to recall upon any time I wish.

I do love you Noah. I realize you are growing into a young man and undergoing many changes physiologically....and I hope and pray you will always never be afraid to show someone how much you love them....just like you did today...no matter who else may be watching or what they might say.

I wish more around you could do the same.

Mommy
XOXOX

this is dedicated to you Noah.....even though I got choked up singing it.....I love you!

Dear Noah......a day at the dentist.....

TOUCHING HAIR BY DONNA WILLIAMS


You had another routine check up today and cleaning at the dentist. You did pretty well....but 2 days before when I began prepping you for the visit....you cried and cried...worried about the water they spray into your mouth and suck back out with hoses. You said it was "too much pressure" and that to you it felt like "a fire hose!"

Well ...you may have said FREAKIN' fire hose.

Anyway.....I was preparing you....you asked if I could tell them you wanted to sit up and use a cup to rinse and spit. The dentist office at the Children's Medical Center is very very particular about how they run things. They have all the kids come in and lie down on tiny kid-sized tables and they work on you lying down. NO PARENTS allowed after the first visit!

I noticed before you went back to the room by yourself that you had ZONED OUT. I saw the all too familiar "zombie" face ....and realized you were doing everything you could just to get through this event. I had told you earlier to just do your best....to focus on "just getting through it" because it was not something that would last forever.....just get through it...it would be over with and you could go about your day.

SO I typed up a note for you to take back with you to the dental hygienist requesting they allow you to sit upright when squirting the water into your mouth....etc. I guess that went pretty well and they worked that out with you.

However after you had been back there awhile.....they finally came to get me. I went back and the dentist who is a very nice man was working on your mouth.....and asked me if I wanted to be back there with you each time for a visit because I could. I reminded him his staff was adamant about no parents being back in the examining room after the first visit....he said any child with autism the parents can be allowed back in the room....so from now on I will be allowed back with you. I told him that was the only reason we drove all the way to the Children's Hospital to begin with.....because they were set up to deal with children with any special needs.....and he agreed. They made a notation on your chart to allow me to escort you back to the examining room and be nearby if needed from here on out.

The dentist said you did pretty well for this visit but better at the first one where I was present. This time you had been crying I could tell and very very emotional. On our way out I asked what happened. You told me that they had used "cotton candy" flavored stuff to clean you teeth and it gagged you.....but your entire being was so absorbed in just making it through the visit you did not tell them WHY you were gagging and that you did not like that flavor (they normally ask what flavor you want as they have a bunch to choose from). AND I guess they never asked you WHY you were crying and gagging because some other kids just naturally do that and I guess they think that is normal? I don't know....so I asked if they kept on cleaning with the cotton candy stuff and you said yes.....and then you said you almost vomited......and someone was holding your hand down to comfort you......but you panicked because you could not raise your hand to your mouth......on and on.....just not a good experience.

SO......if I had been there I could have made sure you chose a flavor you liked. I could have seen what was going on and been your words that you could not speak to express your discomfort and fears and concerns...because your whole body was too busy just COPING to process the need to EXPLAIN anything to anyone about what was bothering you. VERY common in autistics in general I believe......though you are getting better at it.

After the semi-stressed morning (we arrived at the appointment late due to my fault and then had to reschedule a little later......) I treated you to shopping at Target to spend the rest of your birthday and Christmas money. You got a Rachel Ray cookbook.....(you adore her) and a ball..and a train set and computer games.

THEN I treated you to lunch at Fazoli's......(you kept saying "this spaghetti is yummy or should I say yumm-o!" because that was on Rachel Ray's apron....the word YUMM-O!) You are such a kick.

Then we stopped and visited with Grandma C a bit because by this time it was getting late and we had to get you back in time for your group meeting. ....tonight you worked on feelings.

Tomorrow it is back to school for you and a new week begins....

but you did well. You got through it again.....your teeth look absolutely gorgeous......and I am very proud of you.

I also love you.....very very much Noah!

Mommy
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah.....you have a solo!

On your way out from school yesterday your parapro whispered in your ear to tell me something. I guess your class or grade is going to be putting on a musical concert February 28 at 7:00 PM and YOU my little man.....have a SOLO with another little girl from your class, Carly.

My my.......what a very long way you have come!

Love you lots.......and will probably be crying my eyes out that night!

OH....we now have about 20 rolls of Pillsbury's gingerbread cookie dough in our freezer! YES......I went to Kroger's and bought the last rolls they had....all marked down 1.00 per roll! So you are in business now my little man!

Mommy
XOXOX

Dear Noah......NOT the F-WORD!

We had just had a discussion about this word yesterday morning before school because one of the songs you heard before school they said the word F--king in it. I was surprised you picked it out and even noticed it....but I guess I should have realized it was only a matter of time being in public school before you heard the word. I mean I knew I could not protect you from that word and many others like it for your entire life......even if I managed to up until now.

In your school agenda that you brought home which contains your homework assignments......there was a notation at the bottom from your teacher that said you had been a little noisy coming back into the classroom from lunch......and apparently another student heard you say the F-word. Needless to say since we had just talked about this and I had given you all the reasons WHY the F-word is "never" going to be a "good choice" of a word for you to use in public.....I was stunned to see you had apparently TESTED that same word out. I had to ask myself why? Was it to see if the results I had warned against really would come to pass?

Apparently while walking back to the classroom you were RUNNING and yelled out to a couple of boys "You better leave the F--king clay alone until Mr. Winner returns!"

Well alrighty then! (I guess you were working on maps with that home-made clay we made last week and all of you were not to touch it until your teacher for that class, Mr. Winner, returned. I guess you were afraid perhaps someone WOULD touch it before he returned). Oh you are the always present Mr. Monitor/Helper/Protector/Guide....making sure everything is just so-so. I have heard that you even try to keep your teachers on course when they say for exampled in 10 minutes we will do _____. IF they are not done in 10 minutes apparently you verbally OUT LOUD remind them they are OVER the 10 minute set goal. Anyway, while your motives sound very honorable.....I cannot say your choice of words to use thrilled me.

You told me another little boy named "Robbie" was always saying either "freaking" or "f--king" and you decided you wanted to imitate him. Of course on this special day in your life ROBBIE was also absent. You did mention that ROBBIE spends most of his days in the Principal's office!

We have since reviewed all the do's and dont's regarding the F-word.......and I do hope and pray it was the first and last time you will be blurting that word out. If you must say a word.....for now especially since you are only 9 years old......please stick to your over-use of the word "FREAKING." That will likely not ever get you into trouble....or at least not like the F-word would.

I also explained to you that there is right and wrong. Most times you DO know what is right and wrong. Deciding on WHICH way to respond is a CHOICE. I explained that there will be many people you meet in life who CHOOSE to do the wrong things......and that is not an excuse for you to choose to do the same things they choose. I told you that you should always do your best...and always choose the RIGHT thing to do in a given situation. You should avoid the wrong things in life. Just because someone else does something is never an excuse for you to do the same thing.....especially when it is the wrong thing do to to begin with. BE YOURSELF. Stand firm on what is RIGHT. If you want to imitate someone.....imitate someone who chooses to do the right things in life! With that you will go FAR!

On another note....I got a letter in your pack that said you will also now be participating in a social skills development class at school on Thursdays for 4-6 weeks! WOW.....I am really impressed with the school and all they are doing to help any children needing that extra help. I have not yet talked to the guidance counselor to find out what their plans are. You are already doing a social skills class after school on Mondays. I hope this is not the exact same thing only at the school.....although doubling up but in a different environment certainly could not hurt.

I think the most social skills stuff you can do right now would be extremely beneficial as that is where you will need the most work. You are still doing very well academically.

Okay......I need to get back to work.

Oh.....my little man.......Kroger's had their leftover Pillsbury Gingerbread cookie dough rolls for 1.00 each. We will go get the rest of what they have today and stick in the freezer to last you hopefully most of the year till they come out next fall.

I love you....very much.

Mommy
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah...day off #1....

Sensing by Donna Williams

Yesterday we went to see Grandma C. and took your new Skip-Bo game along to play. We had a lot of fun and played almost 2 games (they are long games).

Today to my surprise you showed no interest in really going anywhere. I sort of wanted to do something special......but what? I had no clue. I did have things to work on here at home so while you did "your thing" I started to do mine. This happens a lot......when we finally get a day off.....we sometimes cannot decide what to do with our time!

Towards the end of the day...while I was running the sweeper and you were waiting on me to run you to a fast-food place for your supper.....I was watching you interact with Opie.

AND here we go again. I could tell you were going to do something you probably should not.....so to "catch you" I turned on the sweeper and pretended to be sweeping while I then peeked around the corner to see what you were doing. That is when I saw you playing with Opie and one of his toys.....but then you grabbed his right front paw and picked him clear up off the floor dangling by only that paw/leg. ADDENDUM: Noah has NEVER physically HURT Opie.....but I do not wish for things to escalate to that point. I just think he does some things that are wrong around Opie that have the potential to hurt him.

Holy crap!

I then told you to get into your bedroom and turn OFF your computer. I explained WHY you should not do what you just did to Opie....and then I had you write out 50 times " I will always be nice to Opie!"

Immediately after writing out the 50 sentences you came to me and said "I am going to go on to bed now."

It was only 7:30 p.m. I asked WHY you were going to go to bed so early. You told me you thought it would help you get to tomorrow faster so you could have BURGER King for lunch.

I glanced at your 50 sentences......and at the end you had written "Maybe we can do Burger King tomorrow?"

sigh........

OH.......and I am now MOM to you. I noticed the past few days you only call me MOM now......no longer MOMMY. I asked you tonight when did I become just MOM to you. You said you saw it on a show on Nick Jr. "Drake and Josh"......where they said once you were 9 or 10 years old you no longer called your mommy "mommy" but instead "mom!"

I asked you if that is how YOU also felt? You seemed to agree.

I have to say this should be no big deal and all part of just growing up......but it sure sounds odd hearing that coming out of your mouth.

Here's to tomorrow......hopefully a much easier day for you than today was.

I love you

Mommy.....oops.........I mean "MOM!"
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah...

You finished your week doing well in school.....and now are heading into a long weekend.

I know you still would like to spend the night at your aunt's house to play with your cousin.....but after this trying week I just don't think that is a great idea.....and to be honest....my sinuses are a mess and I do not feel ideal........and I have to work today and part of tomorrow. SO it is probably best.

BUT I am going to make sure to get things done so we can do something fun this weekend when you are off. I am also normally off on Sunday and Monday so hopefully we can still do something together!

I have to get back to work.

I love you!

Mommy
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah.....making a new connection....

Where do I begin. For awhile now you have started to have some issues at home. Nothing major and many just typical growing up behavioral changes and testings of the water.

But the issues with the cat started about November and have been ongoing. I know you love Opie...and he loves you. I know you want to keep him in our home and you love to play with him....but.....you do not always seem to understand that some of the things you do around him or to him are totally inappropriate and sometimes can be perceived beyond just odd or quirky.....but mean.

I have to say those things sort of alarm me and scare me. We hear so many horror stories of some really sick people in the world who started out doing mean things to animals.

BUT....what is DIFFERENT in this case are the reasons for doing it. They did it because they found enjoyment from it. You do it because you usually like something else the activity you are doing causes.

For example.....you like to stick your finger into Opie's ears sometimes.......NOT to hurt him.....but instead because you like how he shakes his head and ears afterwards. YOU LIKE that action from him......think it is funny.......so you do not see any harm in sticking your finger into his ear.

OR stepping on his tail a tiny bit......or pulling on his tail.......not because you want to see him squirm or cry out in discomfort.....but instead because you are wanting to keep him right there with you and not have him run off.

You do not realize that holding him down too tightly only wants to make him get away from you. You do not realize that poking him with a stick is not a good thing to do.

Last night I heard you in the bathroom. You had the door shut but I could tell by all the giggling you were doing much more than having a bowel movement. I KNEW Opie was in there with you. I did not hear him clamoring to get out of the bathroom......so knew you two were playing......but....WHAT exactly did that play involve?

I yelled down the hall to let Opie OUT of the bathroom to which you responded okay. I walked in and asked you what you were doing. You proceeded to tell me that while going to the restroom you got off the toilet and down on your hands and knees to Opie's level and pried open his mouth and kept trying to SPIT in it!! WHEN I asked you WHY......(why topics you still do not grasp)......you could not really explain it other than this. You said you liked the way it sounded when he was trying to cough up a hair ball....and you figured if you spit in his mouth it would make him cough or have to cough because of choking and you thought that would be better than actually choking him.

HOW is one to react to that?

I stood there I think in shock to hear the details of it all and at the same time realized you had no clue about anything you just did! Opie was fine......and still wanted to stay in the bathroom so it could not be entirely bad.....but still.

MANY times I have wondered about bringing Opie home. I wondered if you were ready for a pet.....and I think a pet can be a great learning experience for you......a way to teach you many positive things. BUT I also do not want to do it at the expense of the cat himself.

When I say perhaps we need to find a new home for Opie you go into near hysteria.....and cry and beg me to keep him. I say we can keep him...but we have to work on these issues and you have to stop doing these strange things and try a little harder. You say okay.......and within minutes of playing with him again.......the process starts all over and what we just talked about is flying out in the atmosphere somewhere else but has not been retained in your brain.

I am fully aware that you learn differently. Your brain processes learning differently than most around you. I understand that I will have to repeat what you SHOULD do with the cat and around the cat over and over and over, hundreds of times every day.....before we can create a new connection....a new synapse .....a database within your brain that will one day automatically load the correct response to particular situations with Opie into your mind so when you play with him and are starting to get too rough you will one day be able to recall "OH wait.......I am supposed to do this.....or not do that." It will never come instinctively and natural.....but YOU CAN LEARN the correct response and behavior through repetition of the correct responses and behaviors.

This is extremely time consuming however...and very exhausting. We will also have to actually ACT out the correct responses over and over and over......and the consequences of incorrect choices you make.

I cried last night. This is something I have not had to deal with you since we left Colorado. You have made such tremendous progress. You accused me of being a CRABBY or MEAN mom. You blurted out you wanted to go live with your dad because he was NICER than I was....even though I told you he would be telling you the same thing I was regarding the cat and listening to me. ANYone ANYwhere would be telling you the same things and trying to teach you the same things.

This made my mind spiral down with "what if" thoughts which I try to avoid like the plague because they do nothing but conjure up fear. Fear leads to stagnation and will draw upon itself all you are fearing. I do not want that for you or me. I do not dwell on such things for long.....but instead start canceling them out in my mind and replacing them with positives....

BUT the thoughts were there for awhile last night and they made me cry. The very real possibilities that as you get older and bigger and stronger, if you did not learn to do better in these types of situations....you could end up getting into some serious trouble one day. The what ifs began. What if you had to go to Juvenile Detention? How would you survive? You would surely starve because you are very picky about your food. You would surely get taken advantage of because you are extremely naive. WHAT if you had to be taken away from me and put into an institution of some sort because one day you are too big for me to handle if you explode and become physical about it? Could someone force that on us? WHAT IF I cannot control you one day or you have not yet learned to control yourself well all the time?

While I was crying you came out and saw me and asked why I was crying. I explained to you that I was not being a mean mommy but only trying to TEACH you something. ANYone would be doing the same. I explained how it made me frustrated at times and that I only wanted what was best for you and success for you....but that you would have to work WITH me and we would have to pray to GOD for help on this as we could work together to fix all these things that are slightly broken but can be repaired. Without scaring you I explained some of my fears....and I told you ......you did not really yet realize how serious some of these issues are now......or could be one day if we did not change them and get then under control.

WHEN you saw me crying and I explained to you how much I loved you and only was trying to teach you something new....I explained if I could NOT teach you......then one day maybe someone else would have to and that thought scared me. I did not want to ever lose you.

You started to cry. You said you would try harder......you would be good. I KNOW YOU ARE trying and doing the best you can .........but......I also know you can do better once you learn this.

SO I had you write down the things you have been doing wrong with Opie. We talked about each one.......went over how it would make you feel if someone did those things to you. You said this all made you sad because you realized you should never have done these things to begin with.

Last night you went to bed crying. I never want you to go to bed crying so I was wiping your tears and assuring you EVERYTHING would be alright...that we WOULD work through this learning process for this situation just like you have had to learn others. WE WOULD do it.

You cried and said "please don't get rid of Opie while I am at school." A new fear I have created in you. I told you I would never do that....and I would not.

Before bedtime while out on the sofa you grabbed a windup Christmas ornament that had not yet been put away. You started to wind it up and said........"if Opie has to go somewhere else to live for awhile I will play this ever day until he comes back," so sadly and sweetly...and you were crying.

I broke down in tears again.

YOU ARE FILLED with so much incredible love to give. I KNOW you are good and do not mean to do anything wrong. You yourself do not even understand the WHYS of all you do or don't do. Spanking you or correction of that type does not work with you. It only teaches you when you get upset to hit. AND there are times you LIKE responses that might scare most other children. SO spanking is not really a threat to you.

Today I am trying to just make it through the day. The stress level has been escalated for so long now and we will have our work cut out for us. The sleepovers this weekend have been canceled. With you having issues with LISTENING right now and everything else....it is just too much and I don't want to reward you for bad behavior.

These are things I would pretty much tell to no one. WHY? Because I don't want them to think badly of you....or think you are some sick, mean boy when you are not. I don't want to scare people away from you or us. I am almost ashamed to admit that but it is the truth. So I keep it in......sharing it with only a select couple. The stress inside can be consuming if I allow it. SO I have learned to deal with it.....in my own ways.

These are the types of things that occasionally still happen that really single you out from the mix. These things are things no one including yourself can easily understand. FEW except other mommies or daddies of autistic children can ever understand and sometimes we do not even understand ourselves......our rationale behind the ways we "correct" you instead of the "traditional ways." I do not even try to explain why I don't spank you for inappropriate behavior to anyone anymore. Of course I would not be spanking you even if you were what we would label "normal" for lack of a better descriptive phase. Because to me you ARE normal. You just process things a little differently than most and you have to learn differently. We all have weird things we do.....we are all as normal for us as we should be.

Yesterday you did NOT stay in the green zone. I knew it would be a semi-rough day for you since we had CAT issues in the morning and in defense the cat bit and clawed you on the face under your eye and nose. I guess you apparently told the parapro you even tried to bite the cat back for biting you but you could not catch him. Yes......you firmly believe and react in an EYE FOR AN EYE mode. I told you after it happened you deserved it and why. I don't think you understood though.

So my little man.......saddle up......because we are in for the long haul on this one.

My promise to you though.....is I will never leave you to do things like this alone. I will always do whatever I can to make these things easier for you. Yes.....you are stuck with me.

Here's to making new synapses in your brain......

I will love you forever...

Mommy
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah.....you are something else.......

This morning before school you had a very difficult time listening. I had to correct you a couple of times about the cat and being too rowdy. You were getting carried away playing with Opie....and I scolded you for it and told you to take a break in your room. I walked in and found 2 pillows on the floor. You proceeded to tell me-- when I asked WHY the pillows were on your floor:

"That is standard punishment for you being so freakin' crabby!"

AGAIN with the FREAKIN' and again with the attitude and disrespect to your mommy!

SO I proceeded to explain to you that CORRECTING you for something you were doing that was wrong was NOT being crabby and if you did not want more of it you needed to listen a little bit better and do the things you were supposed to do. I quickly reminded you that NO ONE in your lifetime like in school and other places.... would ever allow you to get away with a snotty attitude or one where you did not listen to what you are told to do.......or heaven forbid the ultimate of TALKING BACK!

Now of course yes.....it was extremely difficult for me to NOT break out in a smile and almost laugh at the sentence above you so boldly blurted out to me. I had to actually cover my mouth with my hand and try to think of things that would really tick me off to break my smile and laughter.

It worked. I corrected you. I gave you breakfast and 2 books to read. You read them. So your reading homework for today is already done before you even come home.

However after reading and breakfast you went right back to playing with Opie too rough....and what happened my little man? WHAT I TOLD you would happen. You got scratched and bit on the nose and face right under your left eye.

I know learning to leave the cat alone and playing only nicely is a process for you. I understand that it will be constant repetition over and over and over and over. These are the times that can really work on a person's patience and sanity. These are times that are so frustrating and difficult......and seem like they will NEVER end. I get that. I guess I am more used to it than some........BUT it does not make it any less frustrating EXHAUSTING and I certainly hope you learn this SOONER rather than later.....because it is getting old very quickly. I thought it had to do with the Christmas tree being up and putting a damper in the two of you playing in the hallway.....but the tree is down and the roughness continues.

I guess I better sit down this week and start planning our extra school work for you here at home. Perhaps you have a little too much free time on your hands?

I still love you

your "freakin" mother
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah.....spending some of your birthday money....

Yesterday you did not feel that great....and were very tired. I cannot say a lot because I felt about the same.

You stayed home from school. You did not wake up easily. In fact I had to go wake you up which I felt bad about doing because I never have to wake you up. You were sleeping so soundly and were so snuggly warm. It was almost time to leave for school and then you proceeded to go on and on......all sorts of excuses why you did not want to go to school. You really did seem not EMOTIONALLY able to handle it for some reason so I turned the light in your bedroom back off and told you to go back to sleep. Which you did very easily.

You did go to your social skills building group however....and you enjoyed that.

Then we stopped at K-Mart so you could spend some of your birthday and Christmas money. This is what you picked out last night. You informed me this was your FIRST of MANY street signs you were going to collect. I bet you are correct.




I love you Noah.....but you will be going to school today! I have also decided to supplement your public school work with some additional studies here at home. You agreed.

KISSES!
Mommy
XOXOX

Dear Noah........."freakin'!"

a phrase you have unfortunately heard escape my lips from time to time. In fact many around you use it....but....once again you have to master the skill of knowing WHEN you CAN say it or when not.

While at school Friday when you were working on an assignment with your teacher...as you apparently surveyed the quantity of questions on your assignment you loudly blurted out "there are just too many freakin' questions!"

It was all the teacher could do not to bust out laughing...and while I am sure that phrase summed up your frustrations so much better than an entire paragraph of words could have surmised......it was far from the appropriate time or place.

BUT you are not alone little man....for we all use that word and some far more descriptive.....at inappropriate times and places although this does not make it right. Learning to control one's thoughts from always escaping and forming themselves into words that can hurt....is a skill one must continually strive to achieve. It is an ongoing process. I don't believe I have personally met anyone yet who has it mastered.

I love you Noah.....I FREAKIN' love ya!

mommy
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah.......REPORT CARD........

You are amazing. You have shown such tremendous progress in your life and in school. Today you woke up with a gravely voice and said you were very very tired...and wanted to stay home. I really wanted to push you to go regardless but you did keep laying down and falling asleep like you were really tired.....so I am letting you stay home.

GRADES are out again. I am very proud of you......guess what you got this quarter???? STRAIGHT A's!!!!!!!!!! YES....ALL A's! Just incredible. AND you improved your grades from last quarter to this quarter too which is quite impressive to me! You are really striving to do your very best...something I remind you of every day before you get out of the car to walk into school.





I love you Noah.......here's to your success and the BEST you can be!

Mommy
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah...

You have continued to remain in the GREEN ZONE at school. I am very proud of you.

Tonight we stopped by to see Grandma C. You love to go visit her and work on word puzzles with her. You also like to share your toilet books or home plan books with her. I think it is great you do that and she is always so eager to listen and seems to enjoy your visits as well.





I love you Noah. So very much.

Mommy
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah....you have set a goal for yourself for this year...

You came in the other day shortly after New Years and told me you had a goal. You wanted to stay in the "green zone" at school for the REST OF THE YEAR.

I am THRILLED to know you have not only come up with this idea all on your own.....but that you are understanding the concept of goals and doing your best.

Each day when I pick you up you report your progress. You HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL thus far.......8 days now into the year....only 4 school days so far.

I am very proud of you.

You enjoyed your weekend, spending Saturday and Sunday at your cousin Audrey's house. You did very very well for your first official sleepover and you already want to do it again. You were super tired however because you did wake up each time a train went through their town as the trains run all night and are allowed to blast their horns passing through town. You fell asleep in the car on the drive home but not before you also thought you were going to vomit. It was unusually warm and I think a combination of things set you off. BUT all turned out well......we cooled you off and you fell asleep on the drive home.

You have been amazing me lately with your ever increasing vocabulary of words and your usage of the same correctly in sentences. You blow me away.

Last night before bed all you wanted to talk about again were train whistles and the different types which I have no clue what you were talking about but you did..all the terminology of each type of whistle and their complete history you relayed to me. Sometimes it is very difficult to get you to turn all that off to sleep. I taught you years ago to just say GOODNIGHT to things like that before falling asleep and even telling those ideas you would see them again in the morning. This has been successful in helping you to LET THOSE ideas go for the night at least....and sure enough you are ever faithful at picking up those ideas again in the morning upon your waking up.

Last night was also your first GROUP social skills meeting. You did very well and enjoyed it....and there are even a couple of other kids from your school who also attend. If nothing else this will be more good experience for you at doing social things with a group of children and adults (as they have some helpers there too).

You are growing up into a wonderful young man and I love you very much!

Mommy
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah.......your FIRST SLEEPOVER........

YOU AND AUDREY PLAYING HUSBAND AND WIFE



YOU.......SLEEPING OVER at someone else's house....instead of them coming here. WOW what progress! You are spending the night at cousin Audrey's house....and part of tomorrow. You were so excited about her visit over New Years when she stayed here with us and you enjoyed it so much.....you asked if you could maybe go to her house one day to spend the night. You worked on me and Aunt Melissa till we decided you could try it tonight....so you are already there.

I found it rather funny when I asked if you would miss me .....you so quickly and easily said "NO!"

Once at Aunt Melissa's house......you asked me if I could leave at least by 3:00 p.m. so the "FUN COULD BEGIN" once I was gone! haha


that's my little man........Mr. Independent...

I love you.....and whether you miss me or not I will miss you!

Mommy
XOXOXOXOX

Dear Noah..........first school day in 2008 canceled due to snow and extreme temps!

Yes.....you started out on a 2-hour delay......which quickly changed to closing...which did not upset you at all! It is extremely cold again tonight.....with temps I think down in the teens soon to be single digits and wind chill around 0.

Noah, cousin Audrey, Opie and I wish you all a Happy New Year!

Noah's cousin Audrey has been spending a couple of days and nights with us. We have had a blast so far. The kids wanted to stay up till the ball fell in Time Square.....to ring in the New Year. They made it but barely. This is how we started out....but right before the ball fell neither one was talking to the other....they both looked very upset and extremely tired......and NOT so happy and NOT wanting to wear their party hats let alone blow their party horns! AND we could not go outside and do the sparklers because it started pouring down what sounded like sleet.......and the winds sound like a tornado ripping down the street. They are unreal right now.

BEFORE



Even OPIE got in on the horn blowing...he is such a trip!




AFTER
under the glow of Christmas tree lights strung on Noah's bookshelves: