Time with Joshua.

After church last week Chris (middle kid, hearing) told me that the children had prayed to God. And that God had told Chris personally that he had to spend less time with Matt (oldest son, CI), and more time hanging out with Josh (youngest son, CI).

Matt told Chris, "God can't talk to you, you can't hear him. I don't care what kind of ears you have."

Of course, I told the boys that God CAN talk to us, in our hearts. That we didn't need ears to hear his voice in our lives. I was actually at a loss for words at this point. A little shocked at my 5 year old's revelation.

But Chris must have had a true change of heart, because I've heard him several times the past week say something like, "Matt, I can't play with you right now, I need to spend some time with Josh." Each time I hear that I am floored. Absolutely FLOORED! Boy, that word looks funny when you type it in caps...

Anyhoo... Josh is one of those kids that has an ear infection, but you don't know about it until it does something like rupture his ear drum. I'm not kidding, it happened a few days ago. But my, oh my, he is doing MUCH better! The pressure must have been bugging him something awful, because he's been Mr. Chipper ever since it popped.

I thought he just had a cold, like everyone else in this house. In the future I will just have to play the overly paranoid mommy role and bring him in every time I suspect something. Like I'm not overly worrisome NOW. Bottom line, he's doing better. Sigh...

I need to write down some of the notes from the boys' schools. They are both doing VERY well! Josh's vocalization and use of language keep improving, little by little. Matt keeps coming home with papers for me to sign, only one or two wrong on his math and spelling tests. He's done some writing on his own recently, at home. I need to ask his permission to post something here.

Thanks for all of the nice comments lately! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. ;)

Matt at Cub Scouts

I chose these pics because I think it's easy to figure out which kid is Matt. And to see how he's just hanging out and having fun with his friends. It's really cute how Matt's headpiece matches the flag patch on his shirt, too. He really loves those headpiece stickers!

I'm a Mommy, I worry about my boys. I work hard to help them with their communication, but I also spend time worrying that they'll "fit in" with friends, make buddies and have fun. Not only do the boys have to overcome some significant communication hurdles, but with us moving all of the time they have to constantly make new friends, too. I'm willing to admit that I probably worry too much, but that's just me.

So to help our boys out, we try to give them many chances to get out, meet other kids, and have fun. Cub Scouts has been a WONDERFUL experience for the boys. Only Matt is old enough for Cub Scouts, but Chris has tagged along with him the whole way, too. Matt has made a few friends in this group, the same boys from his mainstream 2nd grade class. He'll also be playing baseball with them next month. The coach is very willing to use the FM system, a big bonus for us.

For a some time this past year I was worried Matt was having some issues talking with these kids, communicating and behaving properly when in a large group. Then last week I overheard his mainstream teacher talking to the whole class (while I took the picture two posts below) about the exact same issues and specific incidents involving totally different kids in his class (playground behavior of other boys).

Then it dawned on me, I had one of those ah-ha moments. Matt is very much like every other boy in his class. Yes, I worry too much sometimes, but I also find it funny that I'm worrying about some of the same things most other parents worry about, too. And that deaf with CI, Matt is also a very normal, cool little boy. ;)

Laundry Day, Joshua!

At first Josh was VERY afraid of our new laundry machine. He never was afraid of the old one, would hear it and knew what the sound was. Would touch the machine to verify that it was making that sound (could feel it working).

But when we bought the NEW machine, and he could see the clothes inside spinning, the water rushing in, he would watch it and scream out of fear! But he wouldn't turn away.

I turned this into a huge communication exercise for him. It was almost straight out of a "Learn to Talk Around the Clock" video, something I saw at a workshop in Rhode Island. We talked about the dirty clothes, that they needed water and soap to clean them, the clothes were taking getting washed/taking a "bath" in the laundry machine, then they needed to dry in the dryer, etc.

He VERY QUICKLY got over his fear of the machine and rather became fascinated with it. SO fascinated that we had to put a lock on the laundry room door to keep him out of the room. But when there's laundry to be done, and he's around to do it, he has absolutely taken over and won't even let us in the room except to help lift him to push the buttons. And put soap in, I won't let him touch the soap.

Josh's "laundry language" has absolutely taken off, too. Dirty towel? No problem. He'll take it from you and throw it down to the laundry, telling you about it all the way. He DOES vocalize all the time about it, too, but we need to work on that a bit more. I'm just thrilled that he's more comfortable using his expressive language (no problems at all with receptive "laundry language"). And with the added bonus of such a cute little chore helper? That's a big plus in my book. :)

Matt and his friends.

Matt has made some really good friends this year. The two boys in the upper picture are classmates of his in his deaf/hard of hearing class. The lower picture is of him in his 2nd grade mainstream class. See him on the far left in the white shirt?

Matt was fully mainstreamed in first grade, and did VERY well academically. But we talked and talked, and he wanted to have more deaf friends, so now he takes some classes with the deaf/hard of hearing group, too. Most of the kids there have cochlear implants, just like him. Funny thing is, he's in second grade, but doing language and spelling work with the third graders in his small group. Way to go, Matt!

If you notice in the picture, Matt isn't sitting even remotely close to the teacher. She is using the Phonak Microlink FM system, and he hears it on a 50/50 ratio of input to his processor. I think this has been the single most important tool in helping him mainstream. I'M betting he hears even more than the "hearing kids" in his class!

When we moved to our new home, we chose to live near our sons' deaf/hard of hearing program. Because of this Matt sees his mainstream friends at church each week, Cub Scouts, in the park, and later this spring on his baseball team. We're very lucky that the baseball league we signed up with has a coach willing to use the FM system for practice and games, too. In the words of Matt's past soccer coach, "I LOVE this! I can talk to Matt, I don't have to yell across the field to him. I wish ALL the boys had this thing (the FM system)." How cute!

Josh takes to the computer!

There's my boy! He's lucky enough to have a really neat computer at school, just his size. So what is he working on, a new web page? Maybe a blog of his own? His teacher says he's doing VERY well and quite smart, too. Recognizes his ABCs, is counting better each day, and he just turned three! His speech is coming, albeit slowly. I've had some good talks with his teachers about this, too. But computers like this one, donated to the boys' school, make learning so much more FUN!

I don't think we ever used a computer in my classrooms. Kids are really lucky these days. :)

Free Web Classes through the Bionic Ear Association

The Bionic Ear Association Introduces

2006 FREE Web Classes for CI Candidates, Recipients, and Parents

SAVE THE DATES!
To register for a live session, access a recorded session, or for further information regarding these Web classes visit our website at www.bionicear.com/support and click on 2006 BEA Programs.

LIVE SESSIONS
All live sessions are offered at: 9 AM PST and 12 PM PST*Following each live session, the recorded version will be posted on: www.bionicear.com

March 9: We CARE: Introducing our New Aural Rehabilitation Programs

March 14: Tuesdays With Mary: Cochlear implant “Pre-hab:” Establishing listening and language skills prior to cochlear implantation. Presented by Mary Koch, MEd

March 16: What Parents Need to Know About Early Implantation: Candidacy, Benefits, and Performance*

May 11: Music and Cochlear Implants*

May 17: What Cochlear Implant Children Need in School*

June 20: Tuesdays With Mary: Making Therapy Fun: Motivation, Expectation, and Structure! Presented by Mary Koch, MEd

July 20: Auditory Training for Teens and Adults*

September 12: Tuesdays With Mary: Tool Time: Listening Activities for Infants and Toddlers

September 21: Cochlear Implant Update*

December 5: Tuesdays With Mary: Tool Time: Listening Activities for the School-Aged Child. Presented by Mary Koch, MEd

*Sponsored in conjunction with AG Bell Association

RECORDED SESSIONS
Available now on http://www.bionicear.com/! More on the way!

FOR ADULTS AND PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH HEARING LOSS
+Understanding Hearing Loss and Cochlear Implants
+Becoming Familiar With Cochlear Implants
+Connecting Cochlear Implant Accessories to ALDs and Telephones
+Interfacing the Auria® iConnect Adapter With the Phonak MLxS
+Cochlear Implant Programming

FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH HEARING LOSS
+Top 10 Questions for Parents of Infants and Toddlers Considering a Cochlear Implant
+Pre-Cochlear Implant Assessment With Infants and Toddlers
+Getting Ready to Work With Infants and Toddlers With Cochlear Implants
+Teaching Activities for Infants and Toddlers With Cochlear Implants
+Setting Expectations and Communication Goals
+Tips for Successful Communication Between School Professionals and Parents
+Meeting the Needs of a Child With Multiple Challenges