A New Groove

Hello. Thanks to Mom and MJ for making sure I was okay after the last post. Sometimes I get frustrated, but lately it's been going better. Hopefully I didn't just jinx today! I'm going to take Ben to the pool while K and C have swimming lessons and I'm not sure if he's going to have a fit or not. They have a running waterfall at the pool, and that freaked him out last time and we couldn't stay long. I'm looking forward to the pool party for Dad's birthday on Sunday, and so are the girls. I have no idea how Ben will react. I'm trying to be optimistic but he's been unpredictable lately. I, however, seem to be getting into a new groove. The first week was really hard with Rob gone, but I'm getting used to it, and feeling better all around. My mother's helper certainly was a good idea. It's so nice to have K and C occupied and not fighting. Ben has passed his matching picture to picture ABA program, and flew through matching color card to color card, so now he's perfecting matching numbers. Visual tasks are definitely his strength. We're still working on cutting, which he doesn't like to do, and holding the crayon in the correct grip. He's imitating about 4 different actions when I ask him to, and is very occasionally responding to my request that he say "ME" for "Gummi". I don't think he's really made the connection that saying a specific thing is a way to get things. But since he made the connection with picture exchange and signing, hopefully he'll make this connection as well. I'll keep trying. I've got nothing to lose. AUGUST 15th - after we get back - that's the day Ben is going to start potty training. I'm a little scared! What if he can't do it? Will I have the ability to follow through with it? I would love to be rid of diapers, but can I count on a kid who can't talk and likes to eat his picture cards to tell me when he has to go?