Putting the Puzzle Together

Our super-intelligent, highly verbal, can-do-math-in-his-head child got kicked out of preschool a few weeks ago for "aggressive behavior." There were some other things going on with him as well so we got him evaluated by a pediatric neurobehaviorist and learned that he has the classic traits of something called Sensory Integration Disorder. His proprioceptive system is one of many that are affected. We've started doing occupational therapy and we've been told that the therapy will work wonders.

Here's a video of Alex when he was about 20 months old, showing classic signs of the disorder:




He is slamming into the wall and couch to help himself understand the space he takes up. It's hard to explain, but they seek sensory input to feel "normal." They'll also seek it in times of stress or anxiety. Read the link for more details - it's actually pretty interesting.

Like Alex, kids with this disorder are usually highly verbal and highly intelligent. He still says amazing things every day, but if I don't write them down, I don't remember them later when I want to post them here.

Ok here's one. He told me that if his head were made of cheese, he would eat it. I asked how, since his mouth is on head. He said he has a 2nd mouth, right under the first one, that he would use. I asked if he had extra ears too, and he said yes, he has 901 extra ears and he keeps them in his tummy. When he wants them, he pushes on his nose and they all shoot out his foot at once. Did I mention that he's very silly?

Today's Gems

While playing in the bath, a pretend conversation among the toys:

"I don't want to eat my eye." and then, "Why? It tastes so yummy. It tastes so yummy that you wouldn't believe it."

About 20 minutes after going to bed:

"Help! My blanket is so flabungit that I can't even fix it!"

Knock-Knocks and "What-ifs"

Last week in the car, about 10 minutes away from home, Alex said, "What if the car were so long that part of it was still in the driveway?"

He's doing a lot of "What ifs."

Like, "What if we shot up into space and the trees gave us spacesuits on our way past?"


He has discovered knock-knock jokes and tells the same ones incessantly.


Knock knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana who?

Knock knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana who?

Knock knock.

Who's there?

Orange.

Orange who?

Orange you glad I didn't say banana?

Lose, lost, loozed

Today after a rousing game of hopscotch on the sidewalk Alex asked if he could bring his rock inside because, "I don't want it to get loozed." Took me a moment there to parse that one.

Shooting Stars

Yesterday, while looking at the glow-in-the-dark star stickers on his ceiling:


I'm going to swallow a shooting star so it can shoot out my butt. Then I'll close the toilet lid so it can't shoot out of the toilet.

Conceptually Speaking

Yesterday my husband was explaining to Alex the differences between baseball and softball. He said that in softball, the ball is bigger and the players don't throw or hit it as far or as hard. Alex asked if the lines, meaning the field, are the same, and my husband said that yes, the field is the same. So Alex asked, "So how do they catch the balls?" Because in his mind, if the field is the same size but people can't throw or hit the balls as far, everyone would be standing too far away from the hitter and throwers...

Sort of makes sense to me...

The Overgeneralization Continues

No direct quote at the moment, but wanted to pop in to report that the overgeneralization of the past has progressed. Alex now uses the correct irregular forms of the past but adds the -ed. So instead of "seed" he now says, "sawed," for example. Another cognitive leap in the language acquisition journey!

May 6

Found a scrap of paper with this scrawled on it:

"Look! My penis is deaf."

Wha????

*****

Today when getting out of the bath:

Jim said: You have goosebumps

Alex replied: I want to give them back to the goose.

May Day!

"You have butt cheeks!"

Pause

"So do I!"

Pause


"You have bigger butt cheeks!"

Shouted down the stairs, "Daddy, you have even bigger butt cheeks!"

Words to Wake Up To:

First words out of Alex's mouth this morning:


"Farts are burps that come out of our tushies, and burps are farts that come out of our mouths!"

A suggestion for a gift for someone last week:

"I know! How about a new pair of pants that we decorate ourselves?" Um... no.

In No Particular Order

I have a pile of little slips of paper with various Alex gems since my last post. So, in no particular order, here we go:

After swimming lesson: I wanna go home in the pool.

While playing Candyland: Sometimes I call the double ones a single double one.

Why is it quiet when there's no noise?


I'm going to eat myself, but I'm going to leave my head outside so I can watch.


We're not a bear, but we can have bare feet.

Look! That's why they call it fluoride! (Several months ago, as he put his fluoride pill on the floor)

Ceiling Sauce

Alex woke up this morning talking about ceiling sauce. What the hell is that?????

The Truth Hurts. Or it's all about the milk?

Today:


Your boobies are fat.

Then later, while playing with two different Mr. Potato Head sets:


If we let that one be this one, then he would be THAT one.

And:


Is he dancing on that train? Is he dancing on the milk car?

Me: Who?

Alex: Nathan Gunn.

Okaayyyyyyyy........

The other day:


Let's go flying around Florida in big milk machines.

And my favorite: Mommy, let's go play!

Grownups

I wanna change to a grownup now.

Colorless Green Ideas

Children acquire language and learn about the world at the same time. My son Alex was born on June 6, 2004. He will be 4 this coming June. Like all kids his age, he says from very silly things. This blog is to document it! This first post is a catch up on all the things I can remember him saying... only because I've written them down.

About 18 months ago, while reaching for a pair of sunglasses:

Now wear these sunglasses to me.

Last week:

I think mommy has a bunch of cowboys in her underpants.
Where does the sky start?
I'm not gonna believe how much fun I'm going to have building this train track.

A few months ago:

What is time?
Why is Diego (our cat) a cat?