Pomp and Circumstance

Today was a bittersweet day for me.  It was Connor's last day of his Early Intervention group.  This group has been so good for him, and I'm very sad to see it come to an end.  I wish EI went until the age of 4 so we didn't have a break in services for him, but we've started the process of getting a preschool evaluation, which is good.  Connor has made so many improvements since he's been in his group - not only with speech, but with his understanding, his attention span, and his social skills.  I arrived a few minutes before the graduation was scheduled, and I was able to watch Connor come back from outside play, wash up, eat lunch, and listen to a story.  He was so focused and attentive to the story.  It was a different side of him I don't get to see very often.  As a teacher, I was proud he was a being a good little student!

The EI graduations are short, sweet, and to the point, so there wasn't much time to get photos.  Today there were three kids graduating from his group, so I had to act fast.  His teachers and I were a little worried he wouldn't keep his cap on, but when he crossed the bridge he kept it on and even held up his certificate.  I seriously was teary-eyed.  I know, I've turned into a sap, but like I said - I'm a little sad about this day. 

After graduation I took Connor to Friendly's for lunch.  He's worked hard in group and deserved a celebration.  It was such a great lunch.  He was well behaved and he ate well!  I even asked him what kind of ice cream he wanted and he said "orange", so it was Sherbet all around (I was happy because it's better for us than regular ice cream!). 

In other news, this morning was our appointment with the orthopedic surgeon regarding Connor's funky ankle growth.  We were all smiles when they said there is just a slight abnormality, but nothing at all to be concerned about.  She said because he has Cleidocranial Dysplasia, she'd like to keep seeing him once a year just as a follow-up, but that he shouldn't have any restrictions on sports or any other activities (can you hear Daddy's big sigh of relief?).  We are very fortunate that his CCD diagnosis has pretty much been just that - a diagnosis; and that so far (knock on wood), there are no other problems associated with it.  He's a happy, healthy, VERY active little guy, and I am so thankful for that.  We can't wait to celebrate 3 years with this amazing kid.  Stay tuned!

 

Weekend Fun Part II

With yet another open house on Sunday, Connor, Bailey and I piled into the swaggerwagon and hit up Ward's Berry Farm in Sharon.  The temperature was much cooler than the day before, so Bailey could stay in the car while Connor and Mommy explored. 

Connor's first order of business was to touch every. single. pumpkin.  Once that task was complete, we made our way to the animals.  Connor likes to imitate the sounds for each animal, which is pretty funny.  The poor sheep were probably scared when my little 3-year-old yelled "BAAAAAA" at them.  I hope they forgive us.

After the animals we went on a hayride.  The tractor brought us to the pumpkin patch where you could pick your own pumpkin, but we opted to stay on the wagon for the ride back.  Carrying a pumpkin, my purse, and holding Connor's hand would have been a little much for one person.  Connor loved the tractor and was very quiet on the hayride, just taking it all in.  On the way back we had to squish next to everyone because there were a lot of people and pumpkins that needed a ride, and Connor kept rubbing the pumpkin of the kid sitting next to us.  He was just fascinated with pumpkins!

We had some lunch after the hayride, then went to get Bailey out of the car so he could explore.  He was quite the hit himself, with several pug owners coming up to greet him.  One lady just lost her pug, so she was all about getting her pug fix in.  Bailey was a very willing participant in all of this -he loves people! 

After a few jumps off the giant hay bales and a little swingset time, it was time to head back home to drop off Bailey so that Mommy and Connor could go hang out with our friends Jess, Layla, Quincy and Brady.  We played on the playground for a while.  Connor found a blue car and he sat there bouncing it for probably 45 minutes to an hour.  He didn't want to play with anything else.  When it was time to go enjoy the cupcakes Jess and Layla made for Connor, he was less than enthused to leave the car.  However, once he realized there were yummy cupcakes to eat, he was happier.  He was very sad when we packed them up.  He kept saying "Bye Bye Happy Day!".  Little did he know when we got back to the house he had presents to open up from the Curtis Crew.  He got a Mickey bath boat and a Disney viewfinder.  He LOVES them both!  Thank you, Jess, Layla, Quincy and Brady!

 

 

Weekend Fun Part I

Seeing as we had to be out of the house for two hours both Saturday and Sunday, we were determined to make the most of our time.  After running a few errands around town Saturday, we headed in the direction of C.N. Smith Farm in East Bridgewater.  The place was packed, which was not surprising since it was a VERY hot September day.  We did have the dog with us, and because we had to leave him in the car, our trip was very brief.  We quickly looked at the animals they had around, mostly goats, and realized that there was a little goat just wandering around.  Connor had no fear and walked right up to her and pet her.  She was very gentle and let all the kids pet her.  As we made our way toward the other animals, we noticed that they had horse rides for $5.  Connor loved it when we rode horses in July, so I jumped at the chance (AND there was no line, so I didn't have to worry about Bailey).  Connor was an old pro and didn't even need my help balancing on the horse.  He looks like a natural on a horse, so if anyone wants to get him the ultimate birthday present, a nice little pony would be great. 

After the pony we stopped by a table with a children's Halloween book for sale.  The author and the star of "There's a Moose on my Broomstick", Willie the Moose, were autographing the books, so I bought one for Connor.  We don't have very many Halloween-themed books around, so this was a good one to add to our collection.  Connor was not too enthused about meeting the life-sized moose, so we weren't able to get a picture.  Oh well!

Once the book was purchased, we quickly went inside and picked up some beat up apples (for applesauce), cider, and of course, cider donuts.  Connor's lunch was his cider donut, which he gobbled right down on the way home.  I don't blame him - they were good!

Bailey was a trooper and was a very patient dog for the 15 minutes we were at the farm.  For a reward, he got his very own bite of a cider donut. 

Stay tuned for Sunday's activities!

Shaggy Has Left the Building

Connor finally got a much needed haircut this weekend when Mimi came down for a visit.  He was not enthused by it at all, and the whole neighborhood probably heard him screaming, but he looks so much better.  You can use the picture at the top of the blog for a comparison.  I apologize for the blurriness, but my child does not stay still.  Ever.  So it's impossible to get a picture of him that isn't even a little blurry.  But you get the idea!

Champlain Valley Fair

This past weekend we took a whirlwind trip to Vermont for a wedding, which meant that Connor got to spend the day at the Champlain Valley Fair with Grammy, Grampy and Uncle Nate.  Word has it he had a fantastic time petting and feeding the animals, riding the rides and spending time with his Vermont family.  Both Uncle Nate and Grammy volunteered to go on the kiddie rides with him, and he loved it!  He carried around this helicopter that we keep at Grammy's house the ENTIRE time.  You'll see it in his hand in most pictures. 

We head back up to Vermont this coming weekend for Brett and Erin's wedding, so our friend Sarah gets to babysit.  Both she and Connor are looking forward to it!