Friday, February 21, 2014
Let's rodeo, San Antonio!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Nature week continues! How a flower drinks water.
Finally, we put them in the window to soak up the water! I will admit that after almost three weeks, they have plenty of colored spots but are not at all "dyed" like I expected. Truthfully, I can't get Zayd to inspect them enough to illustrate the change. I think I might try celery next time as I have heard good things about that "experiment".
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Houston. My first true love.
This little visit to my hometown couldn't have come at a more apropos time. This weekend is buttressed by two preschool tours last week and two next where I have spent a lot of time investigating diversity at San Antonio schools and playgrounds. (I didn't see an Asian till school number 3.) I feel some times like maybe I should get off my whole diversity kick, most people grow up in places where everyone looks the same and they mostly turn out fine. Certainly, I don't believe that bad eggs are bad because of homogeneity. But I do think that with two little mixie babies like mine, they are better off in an environment that's a little mixie too. And then I arrive in Houston and solidify that what's here is better (for us) than what's there. Period. We drove past the Turkish Institute for Interfaith Dialogue on our way to the zoo yesterday. Just took a wrong turn and there it was. Its a small, possibly non-relevant symbol but it struck me. If I need more proof, check out the Fort Bend ISD diversity page, and notice the stats. Done. Sign me up. How do I convince Sam though... That's the looming problem. Oh, and where will we work!
Anyway.
On to our Houston adventure to date.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Firsts. Beautiful firsts.
I feel like I have to post because it's such a momentous day and I also feel like it's silly to post because no one will understand. Zayd ate his first meal tonight. That might be hyperbole because there's probably been some other day where he ate food but nothing like tonight. Never a meal. Never have I had such a calm meal where he fed himself and chatted and smiled.
We had rubbed chicken breast, black bean and rice stuffed peppers, and Mexican-ish salad with "chips" crumbled on top. Zayd had carrots, chicken, plain brown rice, and quinoa and flaxseed tortillas chips. For the record, Zahra eats what we eat.
I didn't do anything differently. He wanted chips and was happy (eager?) to eat the other things on his plate to get them. He used his own fork. He didn't cry. There was no vomit or vomit-threats. It was peaceful and amazing. Rice! He ate rice! He has not touched the stuff in at least 90 days, maybe six months.
It was wonderful to sit through but I have no illusions that we're cured. I assume the vomiting will return. The refusal. The tears. Truthfully, the fear. BUT, I can see a light now. "They" are always telling "you" that the kids will "grow out of it". And I have reasoned with myself that everyone thinks their kid is the unique one who has something wrong and almost always everyone is wrong. He must grow out of this, right? But I've spent a lot of energy worrying that I wasn't wrong. That this was a real thing. A thing that was a sign off some other worse thing that would hurt my sweet boy. But then, tonight, he just ate.
You just can't understand unless you've sat night after night for so long with a lovely lentil who cries at the thought of most food and vomits in protest. We eat 14 minute dinners. I time them, an alarm goes off, and (the torture?) it's over. It's actually improved things a bit. Tonight we stayed a little later at the table to get more chips (and chicken, carrots, and rice). I never would've dared to dream it.
Here's the little guy who was "proud" and happily enjoyed his marshmallow dessert. (Check his hand.) To prove myself not crazy here, I will let you know that he doesn't eat the marshmallow. He put his teeth on it once and that will likely never happen again. He holds his dessert and thinks that's good enough and gives back his dessert when he's done.
Zahra's learning to use a spoon!
Cotton balls and aquarium rocks to experiment with weight and texture. Hand eye coordination with the muffin tray. Using three senses (trust me those rocks make a bang!). Great easy idea so you can empty the dishwasher!