m&them: Cruise: ER Visit #2, Kindergarten, & Gymnastics

I've been a real blog slacker. I'm going to break all the posts up, but this first one is about Cruise.

ER Visit #2
On August 13th, Cruise had a terrible accident that landed him in the ER. I was making dinner and Cruise was standing on a chair behind me watching. After cooking the noodles, I turned off the burner and went to drain them in the sink when Cruise started jumping up and down on the chair, lost his balance, and used the burner to catch his fall. I turned around instantly and put his hand under some cold water, but his hand was already blistering and just looked awful. He was screaming and I knew he was is more pain than I could alleviate myself. I grabbed the first thing I could find in the freezer (frozen cooked meatballs) and stuck his hand in it. I grabbed both the boys, my keys, purse and insurance card and put them in the car as fast as I could.

As I drove, I had to decide if I was going to take him to the ER or to the Instacare, but my personal experience with the Instacare has proven to me that it is not "Insta", so I got on the freeway and booked it to American Fork Hospital. Cruise cried and screamed the whole way there, in the waiting room and while the doctors looked at him. It wasn't until the Lortab that they gave him kicked in and he finally calmed down. This whole time, Jett was so good and just did what he was told. Such a good little boy.

Cruise writing with a chicken feather and paint.

The nurses wrapped his fingers and we were instructed to take him to the burn center in SLC the next day. The burn center nurses looked at his fingers and said that he had sustained 2nd degree burns but that luckily he wouldn't need physical therapy and should heal without any problems. They taught me how to change his bandages and care for the burns until they healed. It took about 3 weeks for them to completely heal; there is still scarring but luckily they healed up nicely. Now he is always telling Jett not to go near the stove because he can get burned. So glad he learned! But now I'm paranoid about keeping the boys away while I cook.

Kindergarten!
Cruise is in Kindergarten this year! That blows my mind. I can't have a Kindergartener! I still remember Kindergarten! Where has the time gone?! The week before school started, I decided to take Cruise school shopping for the first time since he won't wear what I pick out. Old Navy was having a back to school sale, so I took him over and let him at it. I guided him to the boys section where he proceeded to grab every green or yellow shirt in sight. and not just one of each, but like entire stacks. After helping him find his sizes and put the rest back, he was ready to make the purchase. I kid you not, he was in and out in 15 minutes. Now THAT'S a shopper!

The next day was the open house for his school. He started a new school this year because of the move and the Autism program. He got to visit his new school and his new teacher, Mrs. Bair. On the ride there, we were telling him his teacher's name and of course he was thinking "BEAR", so he gave himself the name of "Cruise Snake". So when he introduced himself, he told his teacher that his name was Cruise Snake. He was so excited that he actually thought he was going to be able to stay for school, but after explaining to him that we were just visiting and that school would start the next week, he was even more upset. The kid really loves school. We had to go back the next day for assessments and I overheard Cruise answer these questions:

Mrs. Bair: What's your first name?
Cruise: Cruise
Mrs. Bair: What's your last name?
Cruise: Snake!
Mrs. Bair: How old are you?
Cruise: Ummmm....snake!

I was sitting there slapping my forehead and laughing at the same time.

Cruise & Mrs. Bair

Over the next week I got Cruise ready with his social story, but I didn't really feel like he needed it, he was already so excited!

The first day of school came and the bus situation didn't pan out, again. So I ended up driving him, but it didn't make much of a difference; he was just happy to be back at school!

Jett wanted to go to school too.

Cruise's first day was good, however he came home with band-aids on his face. Apparently he had gotten upset with another student and knowing he shouldn't hurt them, he scratched up his face instead. But since then I've only heard good reports: he has been participating and having great days! I love that he loves school!

Gymnastics

I wanted to sign Cruise up for some sort of sport. After all, the kid never stops moving and really needs that sensory input. I decided to stay away from contact sports and signed him up for gymnastics at the local recreation center. The first day he was border-line meltdown until I took him inside the gym. After that, he was so comfortable and didn't need me at all! He followed the directions to the best of his ability and interacted just fine with the other boys. I was floored seeing him do things that should be difficult, like holding yourself up on the rings and pointing your legs straight out in front of you. The second week he learned a double bars exercise like a pro. He just loves gymnastics and I am so glad he can participate in something that is mainstreamed. I will have to get pictures one of these days. Parents have to sit above the gym to watch, so I just haven't gotten around to getting a good picture of him in action!

Cruise has been doing so awesome lately and I am just so proud of him! The other day he drew his first family portrait. I'm the one without shoes on. He pays attention.