I didn't want you to think that Sam's diagnosis of Perthes Disease or his upcoming surgery has slowed him down much. His personality and creativeness is still very much on target.
For example...the other day I sat down with Sam and his Ipad to go over some of his academics. I told him let's start with some math and then we will move on to writing. I searched and searched on his Ipad for his math app....but it seemed to have disappeared. I then looked for his writing app. and surprisingly that was gone too along with his receptive word cards, and the keynote program where I keep his site words and reading presentations. His other map app. was gone, his level 3 books all evaporated into thin air. The only thing left on the Ipad were my personal apps and Sam's games. Hmmm....I looked at Sam who was attentively waiting for me to get started with him and I asked,
"Sam, what happened to your math program?"
He said..."Where math go???" "What happened?"
I then asked...
"Sam, did you delete your math app.?
He said, "NNooo"...but then he smiled, a mischievous grin that gave him away.
I said, "Did you delete all your school apps?"
He just smiled and grinned again.
What an absolute stinker! Unfortunately for Sam he doesn't realize yet that the apps. are stored on my computer and that I just had to reload them. Hee Hee
For the next story I have to ask Ellen and the NACD staff to stop reading. Really...this story won't interest you at all. Are you signed off??
Probably not and I will hear about it but then I can check if they are reading the blog or not. AHA!
Sooooo, I have a couple of Sam's favorite movies loaded on his Ipad for emergency situations like medical appointments (of which we have had many lately) to help keep him calm and entertained. The favorite movies are Wild Hogs (love that movie too) and Like Mike. When we are not in those situations I use the restrictions area to turn them off so he can not view them. It's sort of a stimming issue, watching the same movie, or same scene of the movie over and over again. Not really a NACD approved function. Anyway, after our last appointment I turned them off with my secret code.
That same day Sam was on his Ipad and I was in the next room folding laundry when I heard what sounded like a movie playing from the Ipad. I rushed into the next room and saw Sam promptly turn off the Ipad. I asked him if he was watching a movie and he told me "No Mom, no movies." I returned to my folding and a few moments later I heard what sounded like a movie starting up again. I walked in and he turned it off again. I asked for his Ipad which he handed to me and checked to see if the movies were indeed turned off...and they were. I handed it back to him and resumed my folding only to hear a movie start up yet again. I snuck into the next room and entered the room Sam was in from the opposite entrance since he had positioned himself to see me and sure enough he was watching some type of movie on the Ipad. I snuck up on him and when Buddy entered the room from the opposite direction I watched him turn off the Ipad and realized that Sam had figured out how to watch the instant movies on the Netflix app.
And I'm supposed to believe that Sam is cognitively delayed...I think not.
So today, I notice the dog playing with an older chew toy...a ball that you put a treat inside. Buddy brought me the ball to throw and I noticed that something was inside but it wasn't a treat. Inside Buddy's ball was one of the Numicon pegs from Sam's math set. I had recently started working with Sam on Numicon and I guess this was his way of showing me what he thought of the concept. Nice, real nice Sammy! Sam has also been known to take my many manipulative's that I use to teach him math and push them down a hole in the floor next to the masonry fireplace in our parlor. I could never find them until Jeff yelled at me one day for dumping a bunch of junk in the stationary sink downstairs. I had no idea what he was talking about until he brought me handfuls of my many missing manipulative's (toy monsters, little plastic gingerbread men, pom-pom pigs...). You have to understand that this hole is tiny which meant Sam was pushing these down one by one. When I brought them out the next day Sam looked at them confused and then went and checked out the hole. I think he had thought they somehow crawled back up. He confirmed that the next day when the hole was stuffed with a piece of paper.
And let's not forget my earlier post of Sam ripping up his number cards and then blaming it on the dog.
Ahhh...the inner workings of Sam Mayer's mind. What a character!!!
Sam may not be able to express himself eloquently through words but his actions demonstrate volumes about his capabilities. You just keep me guessing Sam...I never get bored with you around!
Sounds like Sammy boy needs some new apps and new activities! Oh, and also find a new way to block those movies! This is a boy with too much time on his hands!
ReplyDeleteEllen
I find this particular post so close to home. Our Lauren is 10 years old now and is quite creative in "evasive maneuvers" herself.
ReplyDeleteAn avid movie buff who, like Sam, enjoys repeating a scene over and over again... We have restricted movies to weekends only unless we are travelling or on a long train ride.
Sometimes, we wonder if she has DS at all :)
Of course Ellen would be my first comment...busted! Yes, Sam has had some time on his own as I got everything else ready. I think he needs this break since it will be he and I for about 2+ months 24/7. I'm thinking less Ipad and more one on one coming up...oh and I removed the Netflix app. until we head to the hospital. I might want to watch a movie but like Sam I can delete too!
ReplyDeleteoh how I love this post! I think our boys are smarter than we are! Especially when it comes to todays electronics... yet again Sammy proves why he is our hero!!!
ReplyDeleteRaquel and Noah.
That is funny :0). That will be my Violet when she is Sam's age. she already says "no" when i ask if she has done something that I know she really has. Thanks for the chuckle
ReplyDeleteLOL Sue. How come you are proud of this when Sam does this? Would you be just as happy if it was Ben doing this? ;)
ReplyDeleteOur children figure out things that are important to them. It is cool when they astound us.