Updates: Potty Training, Speech Therapy, and Making Friends

I'm a horrible blogger.

Well, more specifically, it's like I'm too ADD to keep posting in one place. I may have been neglecting this blog, but at least I've (mostly) kept up with my photography blog over at (Over)Caffeinated Snapshots. Also, lately I've been trying to post more on my tumblr, which I like because it lets me post quickly whatever might be on my mind or repost something I like.

As for the parenting side of things ... lots of things.

My four-year-old is still not fully potty trained. Some days seem better than others, but I'd like to say (hopefully without jinxing myself) that my son is also getting the hang of it. It's just been a (long) frustrating journey, and having the patience to deal is definitely one of my weakest points.

My son is also back in speech therapy. This is something I should have jumped on last year, after his three-year checkup, but just never got around to it. The topic came up again when I spoke with his preschool teachers in the beginning of February, and they suggested that it might help, not just with overall language skills, but also with connecting with the other kids.

Speaking of which ... it causes me great anxiety when I think of my son not making any friends at school. As his teachers told me, the kids have been in class together for about five months already, and while boys aren't as quick to click with certain people as girls tend to, Ethan hasn't really clicked with anyone at all. They told me that there is really just one boy in the class that maybe he'll regularly play with, but even then, it's more like they happen to play with the same toys or games at the same time. When I drop my son off at school in the morning, I watch a lot of the other kids play with one another, and then there's my son, playing by himself. When I (and his teachers) ask him about any of the other kids, he has a hard time naming any of them.

Now, I don't see my son brooding over this, and honestly, right now it's probably a bigger deal to me than it is to him. I should understand perfectly, since I'm an introvert and prefer to do things on my own. However, my son is MUCH more social than I am. This is a kid who loves to talk to and interact with other people, so it worries me when I don't see him playing with the kids at school. As his teachers mentioned, maybe his difficulty communicating with the other kids have turned them off from engaging him in play, or that he gets frustrated and doesn't want to engage in play. His teachers didn't mention any negative behaviors, but sometimes I can't help but think that the other kids just don't really like him. Sure, he's crazy and tends to be loud and wild, but he's a good kid and has a good heart. I know it's only preschool, but I just don't want him bullied or otherwise made fun of.

I'm hoping speech therapy helps with his language skills—that better language skills will lessen any frustration he has communicating with others (or lessen the frustration others may have in understanding him).

Sick. Again.

"Soggy tissues, gobs of guck. Sniffing, sneezing, snorting, YUCK!"

Seriously, Llama Llama Home with Mama may very well be our theme book these last few months. My son came down with a nasty cold starting last Thursday. I tried my best to protect myself, but it was inevitable that I'd catch it too. By Monday, I was sneezing, coughing, and all-around a hot mess.