Ben's Got Game!

Since the beginning of December we have been to an average of 3 basketball games a week for John and Noah.  Ben goes right along with us. He loves to sit with his buddy Sara (Wes's Mom) and eat popcorn at the Small Fry games.  Together they have been working on learning the hand signals the officials use.  He likes to call travels and shooting fouls.  There have been a few occasions when a referee was near that he gave them an earful.  Good thing we can't understand what he is saying.  (He takes after his Dad on those). At home he runs up and down the hallway wearing one of his brothers lanyards with the end in his mouth. (No, I am not thrilled about it)  pretending to be a referee with a whistle.  
I have tried to bring things to games to entertain him, which works for half time and time outs, but when the game is on,  he lets me know very clearly that he is there for a reason.  He watches the game.  He cheers for anyone who makes a good play no matter what team they are on.  His other passion is running on the floor after the game.  He goes to the free throw lines and shoots pretend baskets from each end of the court.   The only exception to his good behavior is when he is tired or hungry, then he gets a little squirmy, but for the most part he really pays attention. 
It is obvious that he looks up to his older brother and really wants to do exactly what they are doing.  He is such a sponge right now with imitating what he sees (good and bad).   The following video shows some of the good things he has picked up from going to all those games. 



I am ready for basketball season to be over, but I don't think he is.

My Baby (With Down Syndrome) Can Read!

 

I have been putting off this post for quite some time,  because I have not been sure how to write it.  Plus a few people that I have told have been a bit doubtful, so I wanted to include some video evidence.  When we first discovered that Ben could sight read words over a year ago, we thought it might be a fluke.  Randy was looking at some flash cards with Ben one night and accidentally dropped the cards.  This particular set of cards has the words on one side and the picture on the other.  As Randy was trying to sort the deck out, Ben was signing the word before he could flip the card over to the picture side.  I had been out with the big boys and when we got home he said  "look what Ben can do".  Sure enough Ben correctly signed 80% of the words in that flash card set.  At the time Ben was 32 months old.  Ben now can sight read close to 200 words and signs more than 300.  The above video shows him in action.  He uses a combination of signing and speaking to help us understand, since it is often difficult to understand many of words.  

You might be wondering how Ben learned to sight read.  The funny part is that it was kind of by accident.   If you want the details, go to the tab above called Ben Reading, or click here.

But what this whole experience has taught me is that there is no limit to what kids can achieve when they are motivated to do so.  Those original flash cards, are what motivated Ben.  Find what motivates your child and then work on it.  You will be surprised at how fast they master the task.  Set the bar high and they will rise up to meet it and exceed it.  Recently we have started working on the sight words he will need for school and reading short sentences.  It is slow going be he is making progress and building on his existing skills. 

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Teenagers!

Can you believe we have had a teenager in the house for over 2 weeks?   Not just a regular teenager.  A teenager who saved most of his Christmas and Birthday money to buy a phone.  He controlled his impulse to purchase the first phone he saw,  researched, found a good deal on a phone and has a better plan then I do.  I have to admit that I am jealous!  But the constant beeping from all his text messages is starting to get a bit old.  :)

So proud of this boy.  Even through the hoodie wearing, texting, sulking, moody days he is able to keep up  with quiz bowl,  basketball, band, choir, and 4-h, all the while staying on the honor roll.  Keep up the great work John!

Mean Mom at Nap Time

I admit it.  I really enjoy rocking with this boy.  Our routine has been that after lunch we snuggle in the recliner to watch Barney and pretty much every day that show puts us both to sleep. I usually wake up as soon as the theme song to Cailou comes on (not one of my favorite shows as the kid is a bit to whiny for me).  However, with his 4th Birthday right around the corner, it is time that Ben learn how to go to sleep on his own, without being rocked.  He has gone in streaks where he has done great at putting him self to sleep, but I think Mom and Dad enjoy cuddling too much and he does not complain too much either.

So today at nap time we read a book and Mom said good bye and put up the baby gate.  There were cries of shock and anger coming from inside his bedroom, but it only lasted about 5 minutes.  Then I found this.  

Usually he does give up and get in bed by himself, but not today.  I can't imagine how uncomfortable it must be to sleep folded in half like that.  He must have been tired since he did not even wake up when I put him in his bed for the rest of his nap. 

Hopefully tomorrow will go better.

*UPDATE*  After nap Ben woke up and wanted me to rock him.  He obviously missed the Mommy and Ben time too.  Last night I tucked him in and he went to sleep like a champ.  However, I knew nap time today would not go quite that easy.  Once again we read a story, and when I went to put up the gate he was mister helper, trying to make sure he was on the outside of the gate once he helped put it up.  How is that for problem solving.  Not so fast mister.  Mom is smarter than that.  After the gate went up and he was inside I offered to help him lay down and find a stuffed friend to snuggle with, but he said "NO", so I told him to have a good nap and left.  The screaming only lasted for a minute this time and when I went to check he was indeed in bed.....it wasn't his, but at least it was a bed.  I don't think big brother Noah will mind. 

New Lens

I finally broke down and got a new 70-300 zoom lens for my camera with image stabilization, so my really zoomed in pictures do not turn out blurry.  The other morning before school, John found it and asked if he could try it out.  He started taking pictures of the pictures on the wall and magnets on the fridge.  Really?  I told him to look outside because mother nature was putting on a show worthy of being photographed.  Here is what he got. I like the second one the best.  Much better that stuff inside the house.

The Scene of the Crime

The Evidence

Cheesy Crumbs

The refrigerator left unlocked. 

 Mind numbing Sports Center on the TV.

 The Victim

A big block of cheese with teeth marks

 The Suspects

Boy curled up watching TV and not his brother.

The other brother enjoying the family Christmas gift.  (family means you are supposed to share)

The Culprit

Complete with a mouth full of evidence and more stuck on his lip.

Mystery Solved!!