When Monkey was little I maintained a list of signs that he knew. I would print the list off for people and show them his variations if applicable. Now that Monkey is talking so much I have realized that I need to do the same thing with his spoken words. Some of his words are very clear and anyone could understand him. Some of his words though no one is going ever guess. Anyone want to try one?
“Pom!” This is a very popular one. It’s usually preceded by “Yeth! Pweethe!”
Today is Maine Maple Syrup Sunday. Lots of “sugar shacks” open their doors today and welcome people in to see the process and hopefully buy some syrup. We went a few times when I was growing up and I’d always wanted to take Monkey as well. The event has actually gotten to be so big that many of the larger places are open for the entire weekend and not just on Sunday…so we went yesterday along with Grammy, Grampa, Auntie, Linda and Don.
Our intention had been to get up very, very early and be at the farm in time for a pancake breakfast around 9. Unfortunately, I was only able to get up very early and so we had to eat a little something before we got there. Monkey never would have made it on an empty stomach. It was still a reasonable breakfast time when we arrived at Harris Farm but the line for pancakes was ginormous! We thought we’d wait a few minutes to see if the line would shrink.
While we were waiting for the pancake line to disappear we headed toward the sugar shack. We didn’t quite make it though. You see, they had goats. BABY goats and Umma cannot possibly pass by a BABY goat without stopping for a little love. While we were petting the goats the HORSES arrived pulling a sleigh full of people. Monkey cannot possibly pass by a sleigh ride without getting on so we took our second detour.
Monkey was very excited about the sleigh ride. He kept telling us to “gooo!” but we had to wait for the sleigh to fill up and the HORSES to cool down. Once we were underway he was just thrilled with the ride. He was all grins and giggles as the horses pulled us through the woods and the fields behind the sugar shack. As we were nearing the end of the ride we passed an elderly couple who were exploring a bit, he waved and said “Hi!”
When we stepped off the sleigh we were informed that there were fresh, homemade donuts in the sugar shack. No number of baby goats or horses would deter us now! The donuts were still warm and were rolled in maple sugar. Oh, my. Even better than Krispy Kreme and I am not one to say that lightly. After eating 2 each we no longer cared that the line for pancakes was still 10 miles long.
We then finally toured the sugar shack! A very nice young man (age 10 or 11, I would say) explained the process and answered our questions. He told us it takes 1 hour and between 20 and 50 gallons of sap to make ONE gallon of maple syrup depending on the sweetness of the sap. Holy moly, no wonder its so expensive. This particular farm used a combination of special sap collecting bags and traditional buckets, no sign of rubber tubing here! After buying some syrup we headed across the street to the rest of the farm.
We spent some time mingling with the beef cattle. We tried for quite some time to get a picture of their tongues…they were very rough and quite comical but despite getting soggy cuffs and losing a layer of skin on my hands we were unsuccessful. Pity. This guy on the left was my favorite, I am a sucker for curls and he had the best curls. We peeked in at the dairy cattle but we weren’t allowed in the barn. Our final stop at the farm was in the store where they sell their own beef, milk, butter, etc.
We took one last look at the line for pancakes, consulted our still full stomachs and decided we’d hit the road and look for lunch instead. I can’t imagine what a zoo the place was today!
Grampa knew of another sugar shack nearby that he wanted to check out as well so we jumped in the cars and were on our way. The second farm was also an Agway. I had to go inside and poke around, nothing makes me happier than a farm store. They had the cutest chicken coop but Grampa was appalled by the price. It was big enough for 10-15 hens so it seemed reasonable to me! I went into the store and looked up and down the aisles but was ultimately disappointed. I had been HOPING they’d have peeps but no such luck. Oh well. My trip around the store was put to an end because Monkey decided he was DONE. Alrighty then. Back outside where we bumped into Grampa again as he came to tell us there were pancakes here too! But we were all so stuffed full of donuts we ended up passing them by, lol.
When Duhdee and I walked up the hill to the sugar shack though we discovered something so cool. They had PONY rides. We’ve been contemplating this for some time. I really wanted Monkey to try but it was either the wrong place (too busy, ponies looked exhausted and/or deformed) or the wrong time (Monkey was hyper-aroused.) We stood and talked to the folks for a while and Monkey pet one of the ponies. He seemed really interested in them and not at all afraid. One of the ponies kept trying to stick her nose in Duhdee’s pocket. We were informed that she was looking for pancakes. Apparently someone had slipped her some earlier and she liked them, lol. When one of the other workers brought over a plate of pancakes for the handlers this pony was hilarious. She was being very pushy and grabby and trying very hard to get a bite. The woman held the plate up over her head and the pony stood on her hind legs to try to get them, lol.
After they finished their pancakes we asked Monkey if he wanted a ride and he smiled. When we put him up on the pony he lit up. He was in love. Duhdee paced along beside him but he quickly learned to use his legs to steady himself. We were so impressed with how brave he was to try it and how well he did.
After all this excitement we were off to find lunch and then head back to Grammy & Grampa’s house for some relaxation. I am so glad we remembered to go and I can’t wait to get Monkey back up on a horse!
lord I’m just in tears this morning over that throw away comment he made about the Special Olympics last night. It’s so freaking disheartening.
I’m glad he apologized to the head of the Special Olympics, at least someone showed some sort of awareness, but good freaking grief on a stick. He’s a highly intelligent man who has been primed to be hyper-aware of his every thought and word after years of campaigning, on what he knew was going to be a very big (and historic) stage, and he said WHAT? Really?
What sort of hope can we, as parents, have that our kids will ever be respected for who they are and for the determination and strength they show every damned day of their lives if even the President makes these sorts of off the cuff remarks. I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sure he said it without thinking which makes it worse. It’s so pervasive and it’s so hurtful.
I’ve been feeling like an ill-tempered mutated sea bass all week and today THE insurance company has called me twice to discuss their refusal of coverage and my need to appeal. Now is probably the perfect time to call them back and cut loose but I just can’t seem to work up the energy. Blurgh.
Monkey’s favorite color (much to Duhdee’s dismay) has long been pink. It was the first color he identified, it was the first color he named, it was the color he picked whenever it was an option. When we set up our fishtank we added some mutant fish to the tank because they were pink and we knew he’d like them.
He’s becoming more aware that pink is not a “boy” color. I fully expected this to happen. I figured peer pressure would exert it inexorable force upon him and we’d switch to blue or green or red at some point. At age very-nearly-5 he has made the switch to red. He was allowed to pick his own toothbrush this weekend and he picked the red toothbrush.
See how red it is?
He is very insistant that this is a RED toothbrush. Just as our once pink fish is now RED as well. It appears that he is willing to give ground and admit pink is not for boys, he’s just decided to redefine “red” rather than give up his beloved pink, ha!
For Monkey’s first birthday we ordered him a copy of My Very Own Name using his first, middle and last names. It’s been kept in the keepsake box for the last almost 4 years. Since I decided this week to reinstate the “No TV After Dinner” rule in favor of reading, I have been pulling out the books that I’ve been holding back for him (while he outgrew the tear every page and chew on the binding phase.) This one made its debut two nights ago and his face LIT UP when I read his name in the course of the story. It’s now his very favorite book.
I’m contemplating the My Very Own ABC’s as well since we are still working on letters but it is a board book so I’m just not sure…
We also went to Lowe’s, CVS and took both dogs to the vet. It’s been a busy one. The library and Lowe’s were my favorite stops of the day because Monkey enjoyed them so much.
I had requested a couple of books I thought Monkey might enjoy (The Complete Adventures of Curious George and The House in the Night) and I had seen that the library had a copy of Duck and Goose available as well. Monkey was a bit reluctant to go in at first but once he saw all the books in the Children’s Room he was in. We found Duck and Goose and then picked up our other selections at the circulation desk. He was so excited about Curious George that he carried it all the way back to the truck. This is quite a hefty book too! He looked at that book the entire 20 minute drive to Lowe’s.
At Lowe’s he was just so good. He didn’t ride in a cart. He stayed with us, didn’t get into anything he shouldn’t and was thrilled by the rows of vacuums and refrigerators, lol. Duhdee and I were able to stroll through the store and take our time which is just so nice. I told him how proud I was of his behavior several times, lol…take every opportunity, right?
After lunch we had to go to CVS and the vet’s. Monkey and I were both flagging by that point but we got through it. He just took a few minutes to eat a cheese stick which gave me time to rest as well. Now we’re off to the basement where Duhdee is hard at work already.
Jeeze, when did weekends start to require so much work?
My health insurer sends me e-mails periodically about the health benefits of reducing stress.
My health insurer is also continuing to refuse to pay for my son’s autism evaluation. The evaluation we’ve had to wait 5 months to schedule.
I live in a state that is going to require my insurance carrier to provide this evaluation starting July 1, 2009 anyway and they are insisting I must file a formal appeal.
Instead of suggesting yoga and breathing exercises why don’t they just, you know, PAY FOR THE FREAKING EVALUATION ALREADY?
That just might provide a smidge more stress relief. Gah!
Seriously, do they think we are trying to set up a 3 day, 9 HOUR austism evaluation for fun?
Yesterday morning we bumped into Monkey’s speech therapist as we were leaving the school. She stopped us to speak briefly about how wonderfully he is doing these days.
She is so impressed with all of the new sounds that he is making. She is most impressed with his newfound willingness to try imitating new sounds. She said this is particularly key, if he doesn’t want to try there is nothing anyone can do to make him but he’s motivated and clearly wants to master this whole talking thing.
We mentioned the blowing out candles and the counting to her, she said that explained why he suddenly seemed to understand how to, and be able to, blow bubbles at school. She had noticed exactly what we had. Prior to the candle practice each night Monkey would make the “sound effect” of blowing without actually blowing. As cute as it was, he really needed to learn how to push air past his lips to help with his speech. It’s pretty cool that something as fun and easy as blowing out candles after dinner has turned out to be free “therapy!” I can see now, in hindsight, how this was a really good approach to take. It gave him visual proof when he was blowing correctly (the candle went out) and when he was not (the candle stayed lit.) I wish we could say it was planned, lol, because it’s rather brilliant!
She also had a bit of a puzzle she was trying to work out. She and Monkey have been reading Are You My Mother? and she couldn’t get Monkey to say “Mama” or “Mommy.” She knew he had to have a sign or a word for me but he was not sharing, lol. We told her that he calls me “Umma” and that he does know the sign for “Mama” as well. Armed with this info she can now try to get him to cooperate a bit more. She is a very nice and very experienced ST but she does let Monkey get away with more than his other therapists/teachers do and the boy does take advantage.
She also shared that No, David! is his favorite book at school. She said it was about a naughty little boy and the picture she showed us was of a boy drawing on the walls. She said he really seems to get the humor. Given the fact that he recently used a permanent marker to write on Great Grampy’s hot water heater in the basement I’m willing to say that he’s maybe picked up a habit or two from it. Ahem.
I’m still going to add it to our library at home, lol.
