A PROCESS BEGINS

Okay. So Children and Youth and the reunification folks met with the psych guy this week, and we're getting the ball rolling. We are going to have a developmental assessment to see the progress the LG (that's little guy) has made over the past six months. I guess they'll also be able to project how much more progress he can expect to make if he stays with us. That will be interesting to know, at any rate. I guess they'll meet with me first (Monday, Oct. 16). They'll liekly meet with LG after that at some point. I think it will be a series of appointments.

Visits will start with the familiy members. But I think they'll be limited. The caseworkers will also do some scenario role-playing with the family to see what they would do in certain situations with the LG that come up sometimes. Really, this part of the assessment will be determining the extent to which they can provide for his special needs.

Sometimes I think he's really not THAT "special needy". But on days like today, when I realize that YES, he is DEFINITELY more verbal in that he talks ALL the time BUT he really has a limited number of phrases that he repeats over and over and over and (well you get it) throughout the day. What are those phrases, you may wonder? Here are the biggies:

* You happy? I happy, too.
* You make dinner/cookies/cake/lunch?
* Eat lunch? Eat breakfast? Eat dinner? Eat snack? (Yes, usually in succession)
* Where's ______? (Any family member missing from the house at that particular moment)
* Go swimming/library/church/school/playground? (Again, usually in succession)
* It's dark/cold/warm/raining.
* It's getting dark.
* It's not dark/cold/warm/raining.
* See friends?


And it's then I realize that four and a half year old children are typically having MUCH MORE involved conversations with their caregivers. Sigh. I did consider (and I may still do this) keeping track of just how many times he says what during a 24 hour period. Doesn't THAT sound like a productive use of time? It may be good to know. Interesting for me, anyway.

There is good news, though. LG is making progress in learning his letters. He's almost halfway there on the capitals -- he got 11 today (a record!) And we're one week down on the three week countdown of medicating his re-circumsision (I REALLY wish they would have taken care of this particular issue the first time around; it's been one of the least fun experiences I've had parenting). And he put himself to sleep at naptime today without too much hassle. Yes, it was overall a good day. Just have to keep redefining that dratted ambiguous term!