2010
January 2010
Ruben returned back to Nursery and has settled in very well in to the rising 3,s. Ruben is now supported by Sharon whom is his 1-1 worker. Bobbie is his key worker and Bev and Susie work along side. The staff are fantastic with Ruben and it is clear that Ruben has built up good relationships with all the staff supporting him. The whole team have worked really hard to make ruben comfortable and relaxed within his new environment. Ruben now has stairs to compete with every day to access the room, at first i was concerned but the more i thought about it the better i felt as this would be good for his mobility skills and build up his confidence at lot faster. Karen and Alison from the special support service for VI continue to support each week for an hour and are very happy with rubens progress. They are currently working with a project called fantastic fingers which is all pre braille skills. Susie whom is Rubens mobilty teacher is also visiting Ruben at Nursery this is for hour every fortnight. She has drawn up a molbilty plan for all the staff and ourselves to work with which at the moment is pretty much what is happening. Main focus is directional work, container work which is using different size containers to encourage Rubens Auditory skills and hopefully long term for Ruben to use echo location just like our good friend Daniel Kish, this is our hopes. we are also trying to encourage Ruben to walk sensibly up the stairs using the rail and sat on his bottom coming down which at the moment is quite tricky as Ruben doew tend to like to mess around on the stairs and hang off the gates both top and bottom!! still totally obsessed with opening and closing doors... Just to add we did not have to attend senas for meeting regarding Rubens statement, the ammendments were made and all has been finalised. We are very happy with statement and feel this will take Ruben well in to School, thanks to the NCBS for their support!
February 3rd- IEP meeting
Attended Rubens IEP meeting today all professionals attended. Went through VI journal and Ruben has acheived most of his goals and is where he should be for his age, well actually a little above which is really reasuring. Ongoing targets were feeding himself, which he tends to do more of in nursery,typical obviously wants to be lazy for mom! and to encourage Ruben to keep his hands in front of his face when walking. We also talked about Rubens behaviour which is at its peak with biting, pinching and although this is a natural part of development it still needs to be monitored and dealt with in a consistent way. I have noticiced an increase at home and see how Ruben will seek out Theo and attempt to bite him. sometimes this is provoked by Theo being typical brothers but sometime it can be for no apparent reason as is of nursery. The eduactional physcologist was keen to know what the cause for this was and felt that this should be monitored as he felt that sometimes these situations may be avoided. Which was quite true in some situations as Ruben has always had 1-1 when this attention is diverted this is when he tends to act out so the Ed physocologist was saying that maybe to inform Ruben at all times what the 1-1 is doing etc which did make sense. Overall all are happy with Rubens progress..
18th feb - Moorfields
Time of the year for check up. Ruben again was great travelling down and it was so nice to be able to park outside the hospital now having our blue badge which take so much stress and time off the journey. Again alot of waiting around and seing different professionals. but to cut a long story short, Ruben has perfect vision! which was a little confusing but all made sense when told IF Ruben,s retina,s had developed thiswould be the case. Rubens development overall no concerns. We also got to see Proffessor Moore whom is quite interested in what is going on with the retinas, not that this helps us. Again we asked the question any developmentsand when.. Again told within his lifetime and that it would not be as staright forward as a transplan as the brain would also need to be trained to work the sight sense which by now would be focusing in other areas. I believe that this desision will be Ruben choice and as timegoes by i would not likeand would find it hard to make..A further appointmentwill be made fro 2011.
March 4th Dentist
This was Rubens first dental visit and he was quite excited until the dreded chair as we all know we tend to stiffen up when in it! Ruben was happy to sit in the chair but did not want to open his mouth, but we did not push as dont want to put him off, no concerns anyhow..
May - new kitten Anya
After carefull research and deciding kitten or rabbit , Theo chose to have a kitten. Theo found the kitten of his dreams and ournew addition to the family is Anya. She is all white and very cute and has settled invery well . Ruben is very excited and is very happy to have his first pet. He loves to hear her miaw and purring this really is fasinating for him. I think this was the right desision as the joy on the boys faces and it is really important for children to have relationships with animals and for them to build confidence, not that Theo needs it but certainly for Ruben.
June- speech and language
Attended appointment and was not in here for long when Ruben went into a full on conversation with them! I think it was clrealy obvious that he had no issues in this area.. It was very funny actually as Ruben when being spoken to was telling them to be queit so he could here the birds outside and the baby in the next room!! tickled me and them too. Conseqently Ruben has been discharged LOL!!!
July 19th - Holiday to Isle of wight ( Ruben,s first ferry ride)
This has been a long wait for Ruben for this weekend break to the Isle of wight. He has been non stop talking about going on the Ferry and having a Holiday with Zoe & Roy and the boys. The nursery even made Ruben a tactile book called Boris the Morris Minor which was a story made up about going on holiday, boarding a ferry and going along bumpy roads, and the sea. Ruben loved this and it did keep him going whilst waiting for the day to come! We met Zoe and the boy,s at the services where we all travelled down to portsmouth together, again Ruben travelledwell. Ruben was extremely excited and enjoyed the whole process of boarding the ferry and exploring the inside and on deck. whilst in side Ruben liked to be at the front touching the glass windows and every so often would lay on the floor with his ears listening to the sounds of the engine and the sea. Rob took him on the deck and it was very windy but this never bothered Ruben in the slightest. He enjoyed holding onto the rails and loved the movement. Ruben was not at all happy when he had to get off but then we talked about finding our holiday home which diverted his attention off the ferry..We found our site and to our surprise we were given chalets next to one another which were really nice. Ruben was happy to wander around and familiarise himself with his new home. We had a very enjoyable holiday with Zoe & Roy and the boy,s and was very fun packed. We enjoyed time on the beach, travelled around and visited some really nice places and the weather was very kind to us. We stayed in the club on the evening which Ruben loved as he got to dance and climb up and down the steps which is one of his favourite past times.
August - Nursery Closure
There has been some devastating news that the nursery is at threat of closure due to all the cuts that are being made by Bham city council. The Nursery has been given proposals and further meeting have been planned for parents and staff to meet with the MP and Head of childrens s services to express our concerns and answer questions. asked if we could have a contingency plan as to where Ruben could go and what support would be in place, this was so stressfull. Ruben has come along way and really enjoys and is learing so much in this Nursery that it would be so sad for it to close. After several meeting and a few stressfull months for all including all the fantastic staff team it was agreed that there would be changes in regards to budgets and how the Nursery will operate however thankfully the Nursery would remain open and running as usuall. What a releif!
Holiday to Burnham in the NBCS caravan.
The caravan was very nice clean and spacious and located right next to the beach. The weather however was not to good but we made the most of it and managed to do everything we intended. Both Theo and ruben loved the fair at Bream, we went to wookey hole which was a good experience for Ruben and theo although got bit scary as was big drops and tight tunnels to sqeeze through . We went swimming and took trips out to westen super mare where Ruben got to ride on a donkey along side his big bro Theo. He lovedit even though the wind nearly blew them off the donkeys!! We also took Ruben on a train rid as this is his thing at the moment, along with lifts and escalators. We took a train and ended up in Bristol which was not theplan! Ruben however did not mind but Theo was not impressed..We spent most nights in the club house which was very good and the entertainment was goodand Ruben and Theo enjoyed himself. Theo loved the club as he met lots of freinds and we met a family from back home whom we spent some enjoyable evenings with and all the kids got on extremeley well we will certainly be keeping in touch with them..
19th September - Potty Training!
Well Ruben is now being more encouraged to use the potty in nursery which is great . Ruben has sat on his potty at home and Nannies but not yet done anything, untill tonight and I asked would he like to sit on the toilet and he said yes , and to my surprise he done his first wee wee!! very proud and i made a big fuss and Ruben wandered what all the fuss was about but I explained that he is getting a big boy and is very clever.
September Splash level 2 swimming
Ruben continues to go to lessons and has come along way. He is very confident in the water and is happy to tread water alone with his armbands on and even jumped in the water and his head accidently went under but he did not get to upset just a lttle startled. Alison is wanderfull with Ruben and works very well with him and Ruben really does like and respond well to her. She really take time and considers how she will go about teaching ruben which is reasurring and very thoughtfull. Ruben loves the water and hopefully one day will be a great swimmer!! Well done Rubesxx
September 30th- Daniel returns to the UK
Daniel arrived on Wednesday evening and we were all very excited to be spending time with him y happy to see how Ruben was progressing and noticed that he was alot calmer and that his speech and language was fantastic. We explained to Daniel that Ruben was going through the terrible two,s a little late however we had found a great way to control and engage Ruben to cooperate. This was by alot of talking and explaining the consequences of what good boys get including all of Rubens favourite past times, along with what he don't get for his bad behaviour! This is working a treat however because he understands that he gets to go on the train, it was becoming a daily event!! Which at first was great but after a few months gets very tedious and tiring especially when we have been in work all day and also for Ruben after doing a day in nursery. Daniel was happy that Ruben was cooperating with us as he was and was keen to do some work at the train station using his cane. We explained that Ruben does take his cane however is still not keen to use it. Over the weekend we walked to the park and this started off a nightmare as Ruben refused to hold his cane and therefore we spent at least an hour encouraging him to pick it up. Eventually he agreed to use Daniels cane which he took to really well, he like the rubber handle and also the fact that i told him that it was red! Ruben told me that he would like a new cane like Daniels; I told him that he may get one for his birthday. We managed to get Ruben t o the park using the cane and Daniel spent a lot of time correcting Rubens use of the cane, by the time we were heading back Ruben was holding the cane correctly and using it as he should. It was clear that Ruben had achieved alot from this little time with Daniel. It was fantastic to see Ruben using the cane as he should. We arranged to visit the airport where Ruben would use his cane as this is where he would go when travelling on the train. Ruben again was fantastic using the cane and he just took it in his stride, it was clear that it was becoming natural ti him. Daniel did try to get Ruben n the escalators by himself as Ruben loves them but only when he is held which can be very difficult, however Ruben was not ready to stand on the escalators alone. This is understandable as it must be quite daunting. But was worth a try! We had lots of fun at the airport on the rail train, escalators and in the lifts. Again it was wonderful having Daniel around and he surely worked wanders with Ruben, we really appreciate all Daniels support and work with Ruben and enjoyed his company.
22nd November - Happy Birthday Ruben. 3 today!!
I cant believe Ruben is 3 how time flies by so fast! I had explained to Rube that his Birthday was soon and what would he like to do. He never really took much notice and when i asked would he like a part he told us no! I asked what he wanted to do for his birthday and he was very quick to say that he wanted to go on the train. We decided that we would take him ob a steam train which he was very happy with, and we took him on the Sunday to severn valley railway. We spent time on the trains and took Ruben to the engine house where he was able to get hands on and explore the inside of a steam train and listen to how they operate. Ruben enjoyed being able to pull the horn and listen to the steam noises. We tried to head off to a pub for lunch but Ruben was not happy with this plan and preferred to carry on with his train ride! We eventually managed to get off the train but Ruben was very upset as he was not happy that his seat on the train had a hole in it and was adamant that it should be repaired immediately! And although i tried to explain to Ruben that we had to wait for the conductor to repair it he just was not happy and could not understand why it could not be fixed there and then!! Ruben was very upset when the trains had finished and again was not able to understand that all good things have to come to an end! We finished the day with a KFC and this cheered him up..
Rubens Birthday- we all spent the day together, Theo wanted to have the day off school to spend with his brother and we had a beautiful day relaxing and helping Ruben to open his presents. Theo got Ruben a train set which was lovely the train made lots of familiar noises that Ruben hears when out on his days out and he really liked this. Ruben also had a new cane which he loved, this had been specially made for Ruben in Canada and was a telescopic cane with a ceramic tip and as Ruben had asked for a blue one I had a blue strip which was reflective added to the bottom of the cane which just give it that personal touch which made it Ruben's cane! Nanny and Granddad paid for this present for Ruben which i was very y grateful of. We decorated the house and done a little tea party . Nanny cath came in the afternoon and brought Ruben a musical guitar and Becky Sian and Jake came around , nanny and granddad graham came over , Lisa cane and Sean popped round. Hayley and martin and Chelsea and Brandon also came . Ruben had lots of wonderful cards and presents and money to save in his bank. Overall Ruben had a lovely day and was happy with all his friends and family visiting.
December 16th -Rubens Christmas play at nursery!
Today Ruben Stared as a Shepherd in a play called "whoops a daisy Angel". I was a bit apprehensive on how Ruben was going to cope with the whole thing from dressing up and actually cooperating when it was his part. Ruben,s VI teacher and Assistant both turned up to watch the paly whichh I thought was really nice of them. When Ruben entered the room both Rob and I filled up as it was so nice to see Ruben dressed up and joining in with the rest of his peers. He happily sat with his support worker Sharon and sang his heart out as and when he was meant too. Ruben was so relaxed and behaved fantastically all the way through infact he was so relaxed that at one point he was falling asleep!! I am very proud and it was such a delightful moment for us. well done son :)
December 25th; Christmas Day.
We had explained to Ruben that Father Christmas would be coming to visit and bring him some presents prior to christmas day, although he liked the sound of having presents he was not really interested in the whole santa thing! He sensed that it was a special time of year due to all the activites he was involved in at nursery and having the christmad tree up and decorations. he really liked the angel on the christmas tree he thought it was angelina ballerina from whom the tin soldier fell in love with from listening to his stories! When Ruben came down stairs we took him to his sack of toys and he just went for it with the help from his big Brother Theo, he was non stop tearing off the wrapping paper and unlike last year was moving on to the next present! It was alot more exciting for him this year as he understood more and knew that the quicker he pulled of the paper the quicker he would find his presents. Ruben had some new tactile books, Cd,s and some braille educational toys, his main present was a new bike just like his big brother had too. Ruben was happy to explore the bike and get on it he loved the fact that it had a bell on it and also on the handle bar was a handle that when turned reved up just like a motor bike. The bike itself was for toddlers and came with a parent handle on the back. Nan & Grandad Graham came over for dinner along with Uncle Darren & Wayne and we had a really nice relaxing enjoyable chritmas day together. Ruben had an piano and clothes, money boxes and lots more little bits and pieces and overall had a lovely Christmas day.
26th- Boxing Day
Today we went to visit Grandad Rupert and Annette and Family and had some tea and enjoyed relaxing for most the day and evening, Ruben had more clothes which were lovely!
29th December- Rubens first time to the Theatre . "were going on a bear hunt" ( Grandad Graham birthday today! Happy Bitrthday Grandy as Ruben would say!!
When we told Ruben he was going to the theatre to see Bear hunt he was very excited. This is one of his favourite stories and I had looked into a preview of this and it was lots of singing which I knew Ruben would love. We got there and we sat on the balcony right by the speakers which Ruben found straight away!! I have to say Ruben was so good all the way through and enjoyed and participated in throughout. It lasted for about 40 mins and was a very enjoyable time for Ruben, will defineteley do it again!!
31st December- Theo,s 9th Bithday
Today was Theo,s Birthday so Ruben spent the day with Nanny Graham whilst Theo spent time with some friends at the bowling alley. We all went back to cut the cake with Ruben and Theo opened some of his presents there. Nan and Grandad Graham kindly had Ruben stay with them for the night so that Theo , Rob and I could spend the new year at Ruperts where some friends and family were getting together to celerbrate the coming new year.
Happy new Year