Where Is MOM?!!

     I read somewhere that children with FASD process things orally, they say what they are thinking to help them put their thoughts in the correct brain boxes or something like that. 
  The more over stimulated Joseph becomes, the more he talks, nonstop, continually, incessantly, on and on. You get the picture.
   These children are a lot like toddlers who need to constantly know, "Where is mom." If Joseph is playing and cannot see me he continually checks to make sure I am still around. This is partly due to trauma, one mom left him, I might do the same. I am his home base, if he knows where mom is, he feels safe. On his good days, he is able to play without continually checking in but on those days when he is overstimulated or his brain isn't functioning well, he can hardly play out of my sight because he is continually making sure I am still there.
   Even when we are in the same room, it seems he needs to keep checking in, is mom still there, as though he cannot trust his eyesight, he needs the verbal back n forth to assure himself that "mom hasn't left me."
   Knowing all this should make me patient and long suffering but I admit I struggle with the, "MOM, MOM, where are you? Mom, did you know? Mom what are you doing? Mom, mom, mom....!!!!!
    Joseph made a tent in his bed using his blankets. He then strung another blanket from the boards that support the top bunk, making a hammock. He had so much fun but MOM was out of sight. He came running to the kitchen to check up on me every minute or so, literally. I would hear his heavy footsteps coming and soon, "MOM, I only need to hang up one more blanket then my tent is finished." A few moments later, "MOM I finished my tent." Then, "Mom, I wish I could have a light in my tent, may I have a battery to use to make a light? 
"Mom, is it still day time?
"Mom, when will it be tomorrow?"
"Mom, the phone is ringing."
"Mom, Lia is crying"
   ....and on and on and on. I was tempted to tell him that "MOM" was out for lunch, please try back at a later time." 
  

I seldom hold my two 7 year old's at once but one night they were both in tears, inconsolable in fact, and in an attempt to draw them out, I rocked them both. They ended up laughing, which was what we wanted.

A belated picture from the canoe trip Dean and the boys went on the other weekend. Last year Joseph sat in the kayak with Dean but it wore him out so this year Dean bought a tube and towed him behind his kayak. Joseph loved it!

Training Kobi to ride in a vehicle.