First Official Day Of School

The D-man headed off to school today. It was a little bit of a rough day for him, but he got through it. Sheri said that he was nervous as she was leaving, but one of the teachers sat and played with him for awhile. They went outside and he ALWAYS enjoys that. It sounded like they had both classes together today, so it was a room full of 30+ kids. I know that I would be overwhelmed, so I can imagine how Destin felt.

I think this will be an interesting school year for Destin. Going more frequently (even if it's only one day more!); some good communication goals on his IEP; a new school; new teachers; and a longer school day. All good and exciting things.

He heads back tomorrow for day 2 which we believe will go more smoothly. Destin had to stake out the place for all the good toys and activities! He'll find his groove and there will be no looking back.

Rehab Doctor Visit

Destin had an appointment at the Children's Hospital Rehab clinic today. We didn't meet with his regular doctor, but we wanted to get in anyway. The doctor we saw today was concerned with how tight Destin was in his legs. The appointment brought some questions to the surface that haven't been discussed for awhile.

It was told to us when we started going to the rehab clinic that Destin might be a candidate for a surgery that would lengthen his Achilles tendon. He had made so much progress with PT and other therapies that we thought we were passed this point.

We are also treating it as a second opinion. We are going to discuss it with the other rehab doctor and Destin's physical therapist to see if it makes sense. The procedure itself isn't major, but it would result in Destin wearing casts for 3 weeks after. I'm positive that he would get through it just like everything else. We just want to make sure with all the parties involved that it is something that we should do.

On the lighter side of things, Destin's first day of the 2007/2008 school year is tomorrow. He went to have a meet and greet with his teachers on Monday, but tomorrow is the official starting point. We are excited with what the school year has to offer.

Happy Birthday To Mr. D!

4 years and counting!

He's learned and grown a lot since last year which is all that we ask for.

He is going to open our gifts to him tonight and he and Sheri may come downtown to do dinner at Johnny Rockets or something. Should be a good time.

What A Weekend

We had a bit of a crazy weekend last weekend. Birthday parties galore. Destin's friend Zack had his birthday party on Friday, August 24th. He choose Lakeside a fun little amusement park in Denver. They have some big pinic areas you can rent out for parties. Laura and Tim (Zack's parents) brought BBQ, drinks, and cupcakes. Lakeside also has a decent selection of kiddie rides.

We were a little skeptical of how Destin would do on the kiddie rides, but we were determined to find out. I am happy to report that he new experience was a great one. We couldn't get him away from the rides. He was particularly fascinated with the little roller coaster. It looked a little too rough from him, and we were a little uncomfortable with giving him a chance to ride it. He did, however, enjoy watching it go around and around. Everything else was good though. He rode two plane rides, race cars, boats, horses, and bugs.

Saturday (8/25) we had a birthday party for him. Tomorrow is his big day but we wanted to get everyone together on the weekend. We had a bash at the house with his friends. We had pizza for lunch and the kids were able to decorate their own cupcakes for dessert. Along with his friends, Grandma and Grandpa Stackpole and "Auntie Jill" were in attendance.

His crazy grandparents from Tennessee (Gran and Pop Pop) came in to stay with us all weekend as well. It was great having them participate in all the festivities. With everything going on it turned into a quick weekend, but it is always good to see them.

Casa Bonita And A Good Day At Feeding School

We had some visitors at the end of last week. Andi, Curtis, Raeann, and Caden were visiting from Chicago. Denver was one of their stops on a summer road trip that hit Mt. Rushmore, Eldorado Canyon, and Casa Bonita.

Casa Bonita is a Mexican themed restaurant with cliff divers and shows revolving around a Sheriff, Black Bart (villian), a gorilla, and a few other characters. It is really a great place for kids.

Raeann and Caden really liked it. Destin did pretty good. He really liked the puppet show. It is definitely a sight to see if you are ever in the area.

We did some chores the rest of the weekend; nothing to exciting. However, today was a big day at feeding school for Destin. Sheri called me at work to tell me the news. Susan said she could be a witness as well. Here is a list of what Destin ate or tried to eat at feeding school today:

- a cranberry muffin
- peanut butter and jelly uncrustable
- peanut butter and jelly on gluten free rice bread,
- dolphin shaped chicken nuggets (some dipped in bacon ranch dressing)
- brownie bites
- bacon ranch flavored pringles
- chocolate peanut butter

We are writing our own version of Eric Carle's The Hungry Caterpillar!

Good Day At Speech

Destin had a good speech therapy session yesterday. He was very vocal with Colette. He did some sounds and lip smacks. She is pleased that he is experimenting with these new sounds. Destin has done these in the past; however, we have noticed lately that it is becoming more regular.

Sheri and the D-man ran some errands for the upcoming school year. I can't believe that that is around the corner!

Clean Bill Of Health

So Destin had his physical checkup with Dr. Dickerson today. He has a clean bill of health.

He is 39 inches tall (3'3") and is weighing in at 30 pounds. This puts him in the 25th percentile for height and the 10th percentile for weight. We are just happy he is in a percentile for a 4 year old!

As far as the D-man being irritable the past few days, Dr. Dickerson did say that he is getting a tooth. She checked his ears and everything looked fine. Of course, it could just be that he is a kid as well. Everybody gets the blues at some point.

Looking forward to the weekend...