The Diorama Project

Cole had an assignment this month to create a diorama related to the community. His class has been collectively working on Halloween City, a community they created earlier this month. They've been building the city in the outdoor classroom, voted for officers of the city, and took jobs in the community. Cole is the librarian. His friend Sophie is the mayor. Cole served on Jacob's campaign but is happy for Sophie. It's a pretty amazing project and they're learning so much about the way communities come together, elections, and more.

After much deliberation, Cole chose to do a diorama of the Farmer's Market. We go nearly every Sunday morning and have done so since he was an infant, bouncing about in his bjorn...To my mind, it's a perfect way to ease into Sunday, or out of Saturday...

I wanted to try to find ways for Cole to do some of it himself so we used a non-drying clay to make fruits and veggies and baked goods. We took lots of pictures one Sunday (at his direction) and then he chose those that would be on the inside and outside of the box...He then decided what vendors he wanted, and insisted on balloons and a petting zoo (our local market has a petting zoo, train ride, bouncer and pony rides, besides all of the produce, craft stuff and the best breakfast burritos!)...I mostly just helped to facilitate his ideas...I found puffy flower stickers that he could press together on a pipe cleaner for the flower vendor, and he had fun with the clay making apples and pumpkins and zucchini...It came out so cool...He presented it today using his Tango, explaining why he chose the Farmer's Market and his friend Steven held it up to show the class for him. He couldn't have been prouder! (me either...)

The Boy's World

Cole's personality is developing in noticeable measure. I realize it's an ongoing reality of growing up, yet lately it seems that it's evolving before my eyes. He's always had a strong persona but when he was younger, it was quieter and not always obvious unless you spent time with him. Now, he seems to be coming into his own, bursting at the seams.

His sense of self is more evolved and his desire to be heard and recognized is more determined. He's finally starting to understand that if he doesn't speak up for himself, for what he wants, likes, and needs, others will not know how to fulfill his wishes. Where he was once accepting of my responding for him or making choices for him (usually after much unsuccessful prodding to get him to make the choice himself), now he is more respondent, more communicative, and more sure of what he wants to say, do, play, and of course, what he doesn't want to say, do or play! It's a beautiful thing.

It's also fun to observe the new him with his friends. This past week he had both a sleepover with his friend Aura, and a playdate with his friend Jacob. They are two of his closest friends at school and they both have an innate understanding of Cole. They both talk to him, not at him, and listen for his response, understanding his response. They play together, and except for Cole's need for physical assistance, I could be elsewhere and they'd be just fine. Cole and Jacob tell secrets which I find heartbreakingly amusing. They whisper and conspire and seem wholly satisfied knowing that they share something special. Apparently they tell secrets in class too! (Jacob is in Cole's class, Aura is in a different 1st grade class but the two spend recess and lunch together every day...).

Every day it seems like Cole has something new that makes him laugh or that he is interested in. Each day as we roll in to school, a new friend says hello to him or an old friend references something they shared the day before. It's fascinating to have these little sneaks into his life, his life outside of the life he and I share. Selfishly, I wish I could have more peeks into his new world. Proudly, I am tickled that he is coming into his own and enjoying the place he's at right now with such obvious delight.

Clearing Cobwebs

I was reminded of how sometimes nothing is better than driving in the car, blasting music, and clearing out the cobwebs in your mind. I drive a lot. It's the downside, in my view, of living in Los Angeles. You have to drive...I'm not a big fan but my boy goes to school 9 miles away, which can take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes (this morning) to get to. He rides horses about 45 minutes away on Saturdays. His friends live all over the Valley, and our friends live all over the city. I drive, mostly back and forth...

Most of the time Cole is with me, and like his father and I, he's a fan of music and while his taste is diverse, he often locks into one or two CD's that he's willing to listen for a number of weeks. Right now it's a rotation of the Hairspray soundtrack and two Laurie Berkner CD's. I could kill myself...Hairspray was okay for the first few times but after about 100, it's just nails on a chalkboard. And Laurie Berkner, well, she's all right for little kids music. I can tolerate her occasionally. But two discs for running on a month and I just want to scream. The worst part is that her catchy little tunes worm their way into the depths of my brain and I can't stop humming them.

I should point out that I have a fairly serious humming problem...I subconsciously hum pretty much all of the time. I hum whatever is my head, even when it is completely different than what's on the radio. I hum when I chew. I just hum. I'm rarely aware that I'm doing it and it both endears me to and irritates Dan. My brother does too. I think my dad might have too. Maybe it's genetic?

Anyway, for the past weeks, months, I've been tuned to NPR...The political beast got the best of me and when I was alone in the car I craved news...This morning however, I threw in a compilation disc of 70's punk rock - No Thanks...and while it's a compilation of sort of hits and best of type songs, they're great...they're best of for a reason and while maybe not representative of what my favorite tunes by the bands might be, it's one stop listening and I had the best 40 minute traffic groove in a long time! Windows down...radio blasting...singing loudly...bopping in my seat...making a general nuisance of myself ambling down Ventura Blvd...But tell me, who can sit still while listening to the likes of Nick Lowe, -Ray Spex,the Stranglers, the Jam, Mink DeVille, Stiff Little Fingers, the Damned, The Stooges, Undertones, The Clash and Blondie? NOT ME!

Challenge Air

Cole had the amazing opportunity to participate in an event sponsored by Challenge Air, a non-profit organization that takes children with special needs for airplane rides. The event travels the country throughout the year, supported by individual pilots who lend their time, planes, and gasoline to take the kids for 1/2 hour rides around their community. It's really cool! The planes are neat...mostly four seater cesnas and hoppers (go me, getting the lingo down!)...There was a stunt pilot there who was just finishing a run when we arrived. I think he did stunts throughout the day but we were the first group to fly so we missed any further stunt flights. They also raffled off helicopter flights throughout the day. Dan went up with Cole and while they both seemed a little nervous at first, the smiles from both after were priceless! Cole's are bigger even now, having had some time to really digest what he experienced. It was a great morning!

Reconnecting

Since joining facebook I've reconnected with a great many people from my past...It seems strange on one hand to be communicating with someone I haven't been in touch with for twenty or more years and on the other hand it seems so comfortable...There are many people I held dear for a specific time in my life that I lost touch with but do think about from time to time. Life moves too quickly to dwell on past friendships or relationships so the moment passes until the next time. With facebook, or something like it, it's relatively simple to find someone without much exepditure of time or energy. Some people find you too. There's a comfort in knowing someone you think of occasionally, likewise thinks of you. Our past lays the foundation to our present. Some of the people I have reconnected with are people who have had influence on the person I am today. Others are people who passed through my life and now serve as reminder of times forgotten. There are also a few who will become or have become a part of my present. We now bring new depth to our past friendships, coming at them from new perspectives and with greater life experience and understanding. And for that I am grateful...

Reading, Writing, and 'Rithmetic

Dan and I had a "team meeting" with Cole's lead teacher, the inclusion specialist, and the LAUSD speech pathologist (a happy addition to the meeting) to talk about his progress thus far into the school year and specifically to ask for help and direction with regards to literacy. We have an inkling that Cole can read but have no idea as to how to gauge the level of comprehension or word recognition. He does well with spelling and recognition of sight words, a continuation from kindergarten. His interest level in books has risen to chapter books. Last year he was riveted by the Spiderwick Chronicles and the Magic Tree House series. When asked questions about what happened in previous chapters, he shows an awareness and recognition. And if I read the wrong sentence or word, he often indicates that something's amiss. To me, all indications that he's reading something.

Thankfully, his teachers do too. They encouraged us to continue with what we have been doing and to trust our instincts. They are working to develop methods to allow him to develop a phonetic vocabulary of letter and word sounds even if he himself is not actually saying the words. Understanding how they should sound and having the ability to sound words out phonetically in his head is important to his mastery of reading, writing and spelling. All skills he needs to stay on track with even at this early stage in his education. These are the first blocks...

Math wise, he's doing well. From what I can tell from my homework experience with him and math, is that it's more tangible. He recognizes numbers, understands what they represent, and can tangibly display this knowledge using sets of objects. It will get harder as math becomes more complex but he already has an excitement for math (and science) so my hope is that his interest will lead him.

It's a fascinating journey...There's so much that Dan and I have to learn as well in order to keep up with him and to support his skills. It will keep our minds sharp!

Cole's Me Bag

Cole's class has been doing Me Bag presentations each Friday. Cole's group did their presentations last Friday. The kids were asked to decorate a paper bag and then to tuck up to eight items that were meaningful to or descriptive of the child. At school the kids, one by one, shared why each item was included and answered questions about them.

Cole chose to decorate his bag (a sparkly blue gift bag reused from his birthday) with pictures of his life and some favorite things (like Ellen, Little Bill, Rachael Ray, and of course, his cousins). Surfing was represented, as was horseback riding and Bear & Charlie (his dog and cat).

The following items were included in the bag and the reasons are all Cole:

1. His wetsuit - I like my wetsuit because I like to swim in the ocean all day.

2. Igloo (Iggy), Cole's Polar Bear Webkinz - I have fun with my webkinz, Iggy, on the computer.

3. Nate the Great book - I like to read Nate the Great books because he's funny and solves mysteries.

4. Triangle Crayons - I like my crayons for coloring and my mom used them when we do math homework.

5. Wooden Toy Bowling Set - I love to go bowling!

6. Wooden Spoon - I like to help my mom and dad cook.

We programmed everything into his Tango! so he could do the presentation himself. Apparently, he thoroughly enjoyed his time up front and when it came time for the next child to do their presentation, he was loathe to leave the "stage". The hook came out and dragged him away!

I wish I could have been there to see him. I was there at drop-off and pick-up and did see a lot of other kids checking out the outside of his bag, surprised to see him engaging in so many different activities that they like to do too. It turned out to be a terrific way to share a little more about himself with his peers who didn't know he loved bowling, or that he could bowl in a wheelchair, or that he could ride horses, or boogie board. It made him happy to see the kids somewhat impressed with his achievements and interests. The bag was a good reminder for them that he's not all that different...