June 8 visit: let's try calm, shall we?

 Today when we visited Alex, we got permission to take him outside and asked if he was feeling OK (or at least, we tried to ask that).  Yana said OK to being outside and seemed to shrug off Alex being sick, so off we went.  Guess where?  Yes, to the swings, but lo, after a bit he (he!) indicated he wanted something different.  We eventually went back to the back area, where there is a bench swing and "merry go round", and did that while Alex avidly watched some men tear down the steps (it appears they are tearing them out to make a ramp...good idea!!!).  What boy doesn't like seeing things get torn apart?  He kept calling "Uncle! Uncle!" to them.  I enjoyed holding him in my lap as we sang "Rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham...", song I had not thought of in years, but when you are rocking rocking rocking...it fits.

Then the assistant director, Lina (although there is a "y" sound in there somewhere), kindly suggested that Alex wasn't feeling great yesterday, and it is probably a good idea to not do the swings and take it easy today.  (We ended up getting that through an interpreter.)  Honestly, he seemed fine to us, but we didn't see him all day yesterday either, did we?  No harm in taking a calm day...but a bit of a challenge.  We needed someplace to sit and just do things, and all the outside tables and benches were taken up by other kids from the institution.  While we don't mind mingling with them at all, it means we have no time with Alex, because almost everyone is clamoring for our attention. 

We found a bench away from the tempting swings, and spent a lot of time dropping and picking up the pen of the magnadoodle, dropping and picking up the squishy ball attached to the ziploc, and playing with a balloon on a ribbon (above).  By the end, he was definitely interactive--handing the balloon to me, and I hand it back.  I even heard a "mama" in there.  He was also pushing the envelope a bit more...at "second breakfast" time, he totally wanted to feed himself the kasha (no help from us, although we held the bowl strategically). OK fine, but it is indeed a messy enterprise.  Note to self: pack wet wipes tomorrow!  But he did it. 

At the end, Jerry found a nanny to take Alex while I told the driver "one more minute"--and got to see where Alex was going down for a nap (we think).  There are icons like this all over the institution, most are in color, some are latch hook wall hangings, others are painted on the wall.  I think we need to get an icon next to Alex's bed at home...continuity, you know...plus we like icons.  :)

More tomorrow!  Please keep us in your prayers.
--Susan