A Trip to Seattle and back

Went to the city of Seattle and back this past weekend for a much needed break for out whole family. We stopped overnight in the town of Leavenworth on our way, a neat little German inspired town that reminded me very much of Solvang, CA. We had some great sausages, ice cream, and a swim in the hotel pool. It's been a few months since Ben's been in a pool, and he was a little hesitant. I think he'll warm up to it again soon.

8:20pm - continued . . . Just had to update you all and post a 2nd picture for today, one of Ben on the horse today at riding lessons. He was AWESOME! He rode the entire time! I never would have thought it would happen if you had asked me two months ago, but he did it! It's so nice to have good news to report. I'll post again soon, as I have more to talk about.

Archie and Ben

A wonderful side effect of Ben's horse lessons is his newfound interest in Archie, our Goldendoodle. He isn't afraid of Archie anymore. At least not most of the time. He actually seeks Archie out and hugs him. I saw him laying down on top of Archie in Archie's bed this morning, just hugging him. So cute. Part of it I'm sure is the fact that Archie is so soft, which really makes him a rewarding sensory experience. On the other hand, Archie is a patient dog, and tolerates this treatment very well. You really couldn't ask for a better therapy dog. Ben actually rode Bonnie the pony for about 10 minutes yesterday. Once he realized that as soon as he got off the horse, his instructor put him back on, he gave up and relaxed and rode the horse. I hope that next week this positive riding experience will carry over. He will lead the horse around the rink now too, not entirely on his own, but he doesn't know that. Unfortunately , we only have two lessons left before the move. However, there is a theraputic riding stable in Alexandria. I need to call them.

Ben's Car Box

This is a picture of what I made today - Ben's Car Box. Since we're going to be doing a lot of traveling, I collected some of his toys and bought him some new ones to keep out in our car. Not that it'll solve all of our problems, but it's a start anyway. This box also gives you all a clue into Ben's interests and development. Some of it might just be wishful thinking on my part. For instance, he doesn't really care about dinosaurs, but has a passing interest in them, so I put in one stegosaurus. Some toys are long time favorites, like the fisher price music player. I think this has got to be the fourth or fifth one I've bought. Ben's hard on his toys, so all this stuff is staying strictly in the car, or in restaurants if we're on a trip. I'll write more soon I promise. Oh, by the way, guess was it was doing outside my house this morning? SNOWING! I swear! It's June for heaven's sake!