Crossing The Mid-Line Idea

The more research I do, the more I find fun ideas for vision therapy to make this slightly less monotonous than it probably needs to be.  In my findings, I saw ideas that were homemade, more creative ideas that seemed to make crossing the mid-line more interesting.  While many of them said picking objects up, or placing objects on a table by crossing, I knew my boys would love the idea of whacking something.  So I created this.  I call out a number, and they punch, whack, hit, or otherwise get some aggression out on those unsuspecting numbers by sitting in between the papers and hitting them only using the opposite hand.

We turned this into a game then, which they loved even more.  They get three chances (or more) to follow me calling out numbers with the opposite hand. But if they hit the paper using bilateral movements, they are "out."

We tried it today and it was a hit, so we'll continue this one, along with adding in some other creative ideas I've discovered.

I also ran across these writing 8's papers, and am considering making some of my own in this fashion just to give them some variety.

http://www.therapro.com/Trace-the-8s-P322384C307768.aspx?utm_source=Apr1613Newsletter&utm_medium=Email

This is how it seems to be used:

Our Writing-8 Setup

We're about a month into this and have a setup down for completing our Writing-8 exercises.  We've added stickers to the edges of the circles at the point where they were making the circles smaller and smaller unintentionally.  They now have to "hit" the stickers on their way around, which has helped them keep on track.

This particular Writing-8 page had circles that were too large, so we've scaled them down.

We've had some changes taking place!  They are small changes, but changes nonetheless.  CJ accidentally did an entire Math lesson!  He was only supposed to do half, as that was his limit and what I had assigned, but he said he accidentally did the whole thing.  If you were to do school with him before, he could procrastinate and push off a math lesson all day long.  Literally.  Along with this, we've noticed very small changes in his slow demeanor.  He has been using stronger descriptive words in his language, his actions are a little more intentional and not quite as awkward.  These changes are very small, and probably only noticeable to us, but we see them, and he's doing amazing!  We're hopeful that the next 5 months of this produce just as much, if not more, positive change!

Adoption Setbacks

These past few weeks we've been contacting adoption agencies to get their requirements, getting a feel for what we need to do at home to be ready, and getting in touch with others who have been through this process.

Unfortunately we've hit a few setbacks.  Impossible ones?  Nope.  Not for God.  But ones that will be more of a challenge to work through.  I hesitate to say here which ones they are, as parts of them are current hot-button topics.

I feel at a crossroads of sorts.  Do we pursue one way, knowing we probably won't get very far and see many challenges ahead of us?  Or do we pursue the other way, potentially waiting years?  I'm not sure.  But I do know God has answered our prayers before and he will guide us again.

To speak honestly, I'm somewhat discouraged.  I'm not giving up hope or do I feel that God can't do it.  I know He can!  But I've placed expectations on this journey that, of course, were not met.  Don't we have a tendency to do that with many things in life?  Marriage?  Kids?  Life?  I know I do.  But God's timing and process is usually different than ours.  And if we let him take control, we'll be pleasantly surprised at the outcome and how many times it's easier than we think.

So with that, I am encouraged that God has brought us this far.  I am encouraged that He would trust us with this.  I  am encouraged that we've discovered the challenges of going one route that could prevent us many years of heartache before we went that direction.  I am encouraged that God is working behind the scenes for us.  I am encouraged that God is on our side!  I am encouraged that our family is behind us and praying with us.  I am encouraged that we have a support group to help us along.  I am encouraged that God himself cares enough to lead us through this.