Jake's update

Jake is just blooming and blossoming right before our eyes! Even in November! Sometimes I amaze myself at how stinking STUBBORN I am and how the Lord must just shake his head in bewilderment at me! I had considered homeschooling Jake for kindergarten. I knew that his kindy year wouldn't go well. But, nooooooooo I just HAD to try it. That part was good. I had to give it a try or I'd fuss and fret about the "what if's" That whole year I cried, he cried. I wanted to pull him so bad. I wanted to homeschool him. I prayed about it. By February, the Lord said "DO IT, YOU TRIED IT!" I am STUBBORN. I didn't listen. He kept showing me WHY I should do it. I am still stubborn. He led me to Angie Knight and Marian Hope Center. What a blessing! Jake loves going to his classes and loves his speech therapists there. His best friend is a little boy who he sees there. One day while Jake was at MHC, Lydia and I went to Barnes and Noble in Independence and I just felt the need to read something about autism. I don't often get that feeling but I got it that day. So, I picked up this book, A Child's Journey Out of Autism by Leann Whiffen. I had never heard of it but it looked interesting enough. I started reading it and finished it in one night. As I read it I was sort of mentally checking of "Yep, did that. Yep, did that. Nope, decided not to do biomed and GF/CF." Then I got to the last chapter where they very briefly touched on how they used the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) for a higher level ABA program for a theory of mind/perspective taking/higher level social skills program. Oh goodness. I about lost my breath. I called them the next morning. That is how we met Sarah. We have been working with Sarah since August and have been running a higher level ABA program since that time. Once I learned about this ABA program I felt this renewed since of hope. And I knew that there was NO WAY I could do this AND send him to school. So, school was offically OUT. We had been homeschooling since June and it was going well, but FINALLY I LISTENED TO GOD and we made the commitment and never looked back. What a blessing. THANK YOU, GOD. Thank you for putting up with stubborn old me and being persistent and patient with me. Homeschooling ROCKS for our family!! Because of this ABA program and homeschooling the changes in Jake have been PHENOMENAL. I never would have thought in a million years that we could accomplish what we have in 3 months. Sarah comes back next Friday (12/4) and I am so excited to show her what we have accomplished! Everyone is noticing. I dare say our behavior issues with Jake are almost nonexistent and I NEVER thought I'd say that. Thanksgiving was a behavior non-issue. We didn't have to correct his behavior ONCE. His cousins and sister never once tattled on him (which is a first). The extended family noticed. Craig and I sat at the big people table and never got up. We didn't know or care where he was because he was fine. It was truly a gift from God. Last night he went over to the neighbor boy's house and asked him to come out to play and the boy invited him in and poof he was gone inside the kid's house. Craig went over to make sure that was okay and the boy's grandma was over there and said it was fine. I went over about an hour and a half later and my girlfriend said he was great, he was fine. No trouble. And she knows that I need to know, not that she is eager to tattle on him but that I need to know, so she would tell me I think. She welcomed him back anytime. Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jake is rocking and rolling in school. I wasn't going to introduce cursive writing this year but he is curious about it and wanting to learn so I've ordered the cursive book and will introduce it if he decides he wants to. Or, if he doesn't, maybe we will wait. I don't really care. He rocks through math. He is reading very well. He is writing a paragraph well.

He is still doing gymnastics, he does soccer, he continues to play piano and LOVES that and he loves having playdates with his friends. He had his first sleepover with his friend, Cooper, last month. Cooper went to Spooktacular at Powell Gardens with us and then slept over at our house. The boys did GREAT.

Jake is just BLOSSOMING before our eyes and we couldn't be prouder!!