Submerged

Saturday was a very big day for Riley. We went to a neighbors house for the afternoon to be a part of their yearly Memorial Day weekend gathering and to open the swimming season. My kids LOVE the water. Riley is probably the one that has always loved water the most, but what has always been interesting is that he has never gone all the way in the water. Ri doesn't think a hotel is worth anything unless it has a pool. Doesn't matter if it is 5x5 in size. Doesn't matter if it's indoor our outdoor. Just as long as there is a pool.


With all the love he has for pools there are somethings that he has never liked about them. Being splashed and putting his head under the water top the list. Big splash or a sprinkle of water, if he's not doing it to himself, he's not interested in it. Putting his head under the water is a NEVER! Even in the bathtub, he refused to go under the water. Showers are new within in the past few years and truth be told only because he wants to be just like Andrew. There have been many times that I've had to re-rinse his hair because he didn't like standing under the shower.


Well Saturday was a new day! The neighbors pool was packed and it was impossible to avoid the splashing, although he tried as best he could. I was at the baby pool with Mary Kate when I looked over and Riley was IN the pool up to his neck in water. WOW! I made a big deal about it, well as much as he'd allow me to without crossing the line of embarrassing him. A bit later, the hot tub was packed with a bunch of little bodies (because where else would you be on an 85 degree day, but in a 102 degree hot tub!). Riley was beginning to get a bit more daring in the hot tub and before we knew it he was completely under the water with goggles on and plugging his ears.

He was so proud of himself. When he came above water he immediately started telling me who I needed to email the picture too and then started calling people over to see him do it again and again and.... well you get the picture!

It is days like Saturday, that remind me of just how far Riley has come. His sensory processing disorder has kept him from so many things, but when he is able to learn to work through them the possibilities are endless!

Don't mess with his Mary...

...no matter how much she stinks! I took Simon and Mary Kate on some errands this afternoon and then rewarded them with a stop at a McDonald's with a play-land. There was another little group of boys around the same age that were playing there. Simon and Mary Kate were happily chasing each other throughout the play-land. About 10 minutes passed when I heard the other little boys laughing and pointing.

Simon: "HEY STOP TALKING ABOUT MY MARY!!!!"

The boys continued to laugh and point. Mary Kate was oblivious to their teasing and went on about her business of flirting with another little boy that had just shown up.

Simon: "I SAID LEAVE MY MARY ALONE, YOU ARE BULLIES!!"

OK now I figure I should see what's going on.

Me: "Simon what's wrong?"
Simon: "Mom those boys are calling Mary Kate stinky monster"
Me: "hmmm, do you think she pooped her diaper?"
Simon: "ummmm, yeah"
Me: "well I'm thinking it's time to go 'cause she is a little stinker, but those boys should have not been teasing her like that and we shouldn't make fun of people."

Now this is where I am REALLY proud of myself because when I looked up, I saw one of the younger boys in the group wearing his sisters princess shoes and I didn't say "hey Simon look at the little girly-boy". Now THAT would have been setting bad example wouldn't it?

OxyMORON

I was driving all over the Northern Virginia area today and while on my way home was stuck behind a car with the license plate that said "Vick 7". OK apparently he's a Michael Vick fan. No big deal. We are a house of Hokies and although we don't condone what he did, at a time we were fans. Maybe this drivers' license plates hadn't been up for renewal while #7 has been behind bars. Then while waiting for the light to change I realized that the below "Vick 7" was "I am animal friendly" with a little cat and dog on the side of it. Really? Must be a starving comedian.