June 23, 2012

This morning seemed like the perfect day to go to the zoo.  And so we did.  And we were right.
It was a beautiful 70 degrees, the animals were out and the people were not.  And we found ourselves mostly alone at the zoo.
I had the idea because M has started identifing animals with sounds and I thought she would be excited to see some in real life.  She was mostly nervous at first.  But I felt like a loving mother attempting to expose her to an experience based on her new interest of animal sounds.  She warmed up, and by the end was sticking out her tongue like a giraffe and making elephant sounds just as I had hoped.
The children were pleasant.  And it was a dream.

Sam has been feeling so much better.
He seems to have returned partly to his once happy and charming self now that his tummy is not always hurting.
He seems to be making up for a little span in time I think his brain was just focused on getting well instead of learning.  He is having a growth and learning spirt now that his body seems to be absorbing at least some of the nutrients it needs.
Really I see all my hard work paying off and it makes me so thrilled.
In the last two months he has gained two pounds and grown almost an inch.
In addition he seems to have finally mastered all of his shapes and colors, he is counting more and identifying numbers and letters and has started to write them too.
Having his body and brain on the right tract were one thing, but his sweet personality seems to be back too.
For example today over breakfast he exlaimed "i have a great idea.  I want to be Diego for Halloween, and Marianne can be baby jaguar, we can get her a costume with yellow spots, and Kate can be Alecia, and mommy and daddy, you can be the animals."  I tell him that is a great idea.  We could sew that costume perfect for him.  He continues "you could sew an orange rescue pack mama, that could transform to do everything I need"  well I don't know that I am that great of a seamstress.  I can' make a backpack that turns into a snowboard, but it is a good idea.
Later while he was helping me cook dinner (like he always insists) he tells me about how maybe he could be the fireman that cooks the food in their kitchen for all the other fireman. (he sees Cola out the door) "and Cola will be my fire dog and she will grow spots".  I tell him that Cola can't grow spots, and he will have to get another dog to get a fire dog (he means a dalmation) he becomes sad at the thought of not having Cola as his fire dog "I could make Cola a costume with spots mama!"  Great idea Sam.  We will make her a costume so you can have her as your fire dog, when you a fireman who gets to do all the cooking in the firehouse.  I will do it.  I will do anything for you.