He Got in the Water!!!

 I was a little concerned with how the swim therapy would go this time around as this was what he looked like first thing this morning.  He insisted that we buy him goggles and a "mouth golf" - that's what he's always called it. :)

I convinced him that his helper probably needed to see his face, so he just kept his flippers on.

I think this was our fourth or fifth session, and we finally got him to touch the water.  It started with convincing him that flippers are made for being in the water.

At first he would only get the front edge of them in.

But it didn't take him long to ease in further.

He needed to use the bathroom, and I was able to convince him to take the flippers off so he could walk better.  Then he never put them back on.

She asked him if he could put his elbows in :)

 We sure carried a bunch of stuff to the pool. But I was glad he was able to leave it in a pile and just enjoy swimming :)

 Eventually she got him to reach farther and farther into the water to pick up toys.  This part of the pool just slopes slowly deeper.

His lessons are supposed to be half an hour, but she has taken a full hour with him nearly every time because he gets more and more comfortable with it.

He really had a good time once he got comfortable.

This is what success looks like :)

Not the Only Artist

So it turns out the ten year old isn't the only artist in the family.  These were done by our 21 year old daughter.

Adaptive Swim Therapy for the 5 Year Old With Autism

 We've just begun therapy at the pool for the five year old.  He is and always has been extremely afraid of water.  Baths have been a real challenge, but typically once he's in, he's good to go.  But this summer we got him into a pool and he was riding on an inflatable toy and fell in over his head.  Now we're back to square one on all water.

These pictures are from his second therapy session.  He goes twice a week, and has a great lady working with him - she is very patient and encouraging.  He hasn't actually made it into the water yet, but at least we're making progress.

 The first day we went he played with a toy that looks like a diver - and he has been obsessed with divers ever since, and dressed up like them.  But the second time we went, he had a complete meltdown just going into the pool room.  Thankfully he eventually settled down.

A second grade group from the school came in for swimming lessons, and at first he was pretty overwhelmed by the number of them, but then he became interested in watching them, and didn't want to leave.

He even let his helper carry him over to the submarine.  You can see how shallow it is.  But he hasn't even dipped his toe in the water yet.

 He was pretty timid in the sub.  The therapist suggested allowing him to come to the next lesson dressed as a diver.

So this was how we came to the next lesson.  The temperature was in the 20's, but I brought him in shorts so we wouldn't have to change.  He had a shirt and coat on, and we cranked the heat in the car.  Normally at home he wears a ski helmet and ski goggles, and puts gloves on his feet for flippers.  But he spotted these flippers at the grocery store the day before, and when it was time to leave he couldn't find the ski helmet.  So he grabbed the ski mask.

 It was SO hot in the pool room - steamy - but he never took off the mask.

 He played on the sub again - still not touching the water - but the therapist said the mask seemed to give him confidence to move around and interact more, rather than just standing in one spot like he had before.  See him in the front circle window?

He was much more calm.  So, this is our swim gear.  Lessons again this coming week.  He is insisting that we go back to the grocery store for the goggles and "mouth golf" - which is what he has always called the scuba tube you breathe through.  So after church, we're getting those.  :)   Ahh.  Never a dull moment in this thankful Mama's life :)

Fire Department Open House

 Last Saturday I took the little guys to the fire department open house for a quick bite to eat and a ride on a firetruck.  Had a great time :)

 We got to ride in the fancy new ladder truck - which I failed to get a picture of from the outside.  We rode in the seats facing backwards, which was a fun change, and a couple little friends from church rode with us.

 Horrible picture of me, but look at how excited he was :)  This was at the beginning when they took off fast like they would for a fire.

 I didn't realize until I looked at this picture how close the three year old's eye color is to mine.

 Fun times :)

It Never Gets Old

 From today -

Yesterday (or was it the day before) - our spiderwebs were frosted over. Can you see them?

 That same cold morning...

 It even looks cold, don't you think?  Our hummingbird feeder even froze over.  The feeder had been empty until our overzealous ten year old thought he could lure them back for Grandpa :)

 And these are from a few days ago...

Like I said, it never gets old :)