Expectations

He has learned his landmarks.
"Elephant!" he squeals as we get closer to the putt-putt.
"Feesh!" as we get toward the area of the Moby Dick.
"Super per per man!" as we near the Wal Mart. It is now a routine every time we stop here to ride the Superman train before getting in a cart.

After we are properly in the store "Bicycle, bicycle, bicycle!" and we make our way to the back of the store to visit the bicycles and try to avoid the toys all together. Many more trips in that department and I will be very broke and my house will be an even closer equivalent of Toy R Us.

We are there for two things, the oldest needs a flash drive for a business and marketing class, and I need to see what earphones they have available after breaking the very expensive pair the OT loaned me. As we try to wind our way through to electronics, Connor is beginning to look frantic. He reaches over and his hand makes enough contact with a display to knock part of it over. His sisters are kind enough to pick it up while I continue to the desired destination.

Now over the threshold that places us officially in the electronics department Connor can't take anymore. He is standing up in his seat and trying to climb over my head. The back of the cart seat is folding forward me, trapping his legs. Finally removing him from my head with hair covering my eyes he sits back down. His bottom lip is pooching out threatening to take over his face. We refer to this phenomena as cup holder lip. Big tears are welling up in his little eyes and he looks up at me whining "Mater, Lightning McQueen, Tractor?"
"You have all of those at home Honey."
"I wanna bicycle!" he cries.

This what I had been hoping to hear voluntarily. The one thing we had been working on is saying "Want" when labeling something that he wanted. He surpassed that goal and added "I"!

Well of course he got to see the bicycles! We grabbed a flash drive and went back to see them. Even though by now we are being tailed by a female security person for our weird antics. My oldest teens becomes therapist to help him through his transition and we go through taking our time and saying "Bye-bye" to each bicycle. Yup, my girls surpass expectations too.

Routine of routinely having routine messed up

We have a schedule in our house. It isn't a strict schedule laying out every minute of the day. Connor doesn't seem to need such strenuous steps taken for routine. He has come to expect when a certain event happens that another particular event will follow. Human nature I think to expect things a certain way, we all do this to a certain degree.

When he gets up in the morning he knows I will take him to the bathroom. I will help him get dressed and groomed. After he knows breakfast will be on the table. I have come to expect that depending on the bread and sugar content, it may or may not be eaten.

He knows when we will play and when therapies are coming. A pitiful little timer helps us transition through. Sometimes there are discrepancies when Connor thinks the timer is wrong, sending it flying across the room when it sounds time is up.

His favorite part of the daily routine is getting in the car and picking up his sisters from school and seeing the elephant statue at the local putt-putt. So as always, I put him in his car seat, I walk around, get in and fasten my seat belt. The car would not start. It sounded like it was trying but just couldn't fire up. I call Hubby and tell him the problem and he offers to go get the girls.

No sense sitting in the car any longer so I get out and go around to get Connor. I unbuckle, he rebuckles. This happens a few more times and then he decides to climb over the backseat into the hatchback. I keep myself calm and chase him through the car all the while explaining that we can't go, the car wont start.

I finally get a hold on him and take him back into the house. Once inside he is furious and goes into a fit of turning toy tubs over and throwing and screaming. I could just imagine what he was thinking...You didn't do it right Mommy! Where's Gracie? Where's Melody? I've already said Bye-bye to the duck! I wanna see the elephant!

I try to console when I can and stay out of the way when I can't. I let him have his fit, because honestly it ticked me off a little too. Dumb thing said it had over a half tank of gas when in fact it was empty. I more than empathised with him.

After awhile things became more normal and Connor was returned to his calmer state. I pick this moment to have him help clean up the destruction of his fit. He wasn't happy about it at all, but it was expected.

Hopefully his Mommy will get things right tomorrow and realize the logical thing to do after getting into the car, is to leave the driveway.

Labeling

It's mid morning and Connor and I have chores to do. I have to fill the car up with gas and run to the grocery again. The gas station is at one end of the neighborhood and my preferred store is at the other forcing me to cut back through. This always causes a bit of a screaming session as he knows his way home from there. I get in the turning lane waiting on the light and a look in the rear view mirror tells me that he is getting ready to protest. He is looking around frantic. His mean Mother is going back home already! What about the store?

I have a moment of what I think is genius and decide since there is no traffic I will go to the next light and throw him off a little, screams and panic averted. I pull into the next light's turning lane and as we turn he starts to panic. This path has not gone completely past the putt-putt with the statues of elephants, giraffes, and zebras, but just barely put it within eyesight. I have not slowed down to talk about them and let him look or made any animals noises with him. This is not acceptable and will not be tolerated!

The tantrum is short lived and by the time we reach the grocery store he is perfectly fine. He holds my hand going in but releases it once we are in the first set of doors. The very wise people of this store put the gum ball and other candy machines at the doors as you enter instead the exit doors. I would think it should be the other way around allowing a parent to have a little foresight and gather change as they purchase their items. Knowing that this is how it is and little guy haven gotten into the routine I have my change purse filled with quarters. He stands in front of the one he wants and points "Ball"
"Honey, what is that?" I ask him because he is pointing at gum balls.
"Candy!" he says while making the sign.
He gets his earned treat and we do our shopping.

"Baby, Baby, Baby." I look to see where the baby is and see instead a little boy that looks to be a tad older than him. Connor is pointing at him and chanting "Baby"
This is something we have been trying to work on so I say "Boy" hoping that in getting him to stop calling children his own age babies, I might also get the added benefit of teaching him "Boy, Girl."

No matter how many times I say "Boy" I am answered back with "Baby" Afraid that we might hurt the little boy's feeling who is probably convinced he is a "Big boy" not a baby, I move on. We spend sometime in the pet department because he can see the sign from miles away.
"Wader" he points at the tanks.
"Whats in the water?"
"Feeesh!"
We move on to the hamsters "Squeak, squeak, squeak!"
Moving farther we come up on some Guinea pigs "Doggie! Ruff ruff!"
"Guinea pig."
"Doggie! Ruff Ruff!"
"No baby, Guinea pig" Oh damn, no wonder he calls kids his age babies.

I leave the pet department and check out as we make our way out he sees a soccer ball shaped balloon.
"Ball!"
"Good job, big boy!" Well what would you say?