It's OT Tuesday!

I have to say, I am kind of enjoying OT this time around.  When we went before, Frank was between 17 months and three years, four months, and not very rational when it came to food sometimes.  In the year and some odd months we've been out of OT, he's matured a lot, and calmed down about certain things.  For example, it used to be if I even asked him to touch a food, as in, "Frank, can you hand me that apple over there?", I would get much wailing and gnashing of teeth, and refusal to touch the food.  Now, in the above scenario, he'll freely grab the apple and calmly hand it to me.

According to his OT, D, this is quite typical of the age he was then and the age he is now.  When we started OT, we made a lot of progress in a relatively short time because kids of that age are naturally curious about everything, food included.  Sure, I had to hold him on my lap and basically shove the tiny bit o food in his mouth, but after doing this a few times, he usually started to accept it.  The shoving was usually accompanied by screaming and struggling and trying to spit the food ou at me.  Good times.

Now, however, according to D, he's more rational.  These issues can be discussed with him.  Neither she nor I hold him and shove food in his mouth- she calmly talks him into picking it up and doing it himself.  This woman, I swear to God, is like the Child Whisperer.  I've tried with the stuff we bring to OT, and he flat out refuses for me.  After looking him in the eye and calmly discussing hos the presented food or beverage is very similar to something he already eats, he usually (hesistantly) will pick it up and do what she asks- rub it against his lips, hold it on his tongue, chew and swallow it.

Today it was cow's milk and apple juice.  He drinks Grover Juice and Big Bird Juice from juice boxes.  (Parents of small children will know the brands I speak of.)  He flat out refuses to drink either from a cup (poured out of a jug), or any other brand of white grape or apple juice.  Today, he drank an entire juice box of run-of-the-mill apple juice, and a half cup of milk! 

D gave him homework, too.  He has to have a cup of milk with dinner every night, and sometime during the day, he has to drink a juice box of regular apple juice.

I am trying to decide what foods to bring next week.  I am definitely bringing the jug of Grover Juice we have here, but what else- a hamburger (from McDonald's) or some pasta with butter?  Right now, I am focusing on foods that will make it easier when we go to Disney later this summer.  Once we get all those typical Small Child Foods going, we can go back to pushing fruits and vegetables. 

He's making progress with his ankles, too-  his gait going down stairs is somewhat less stilted, and when he gets up from a sitting or lying down position on the floor, he moves less like an old man with arthritis.  D is pleased with his progress in a short amount of time in this area.