Last Wednesday Visit With Oliver ("Stars Coming Down")

Oliver wanted the story about the mother and her kittens again and snuggled next to me for reading. He kept pointing to the mother and "mama" and would snuggle in.

He pointed out his own "owies" to me yesterday, and I wrote down how many bruises he had, most which looked like regular ones from playing but some in the same fingerprint type of pattern as I've written about before. My son was pointing them out, so HE could SEE them, and yet the visitation monitor refused to document any of it. She just writes down that I talk about it, but she doesn't confirm anything is there, so it makes me sound delusional. Some ARE from playing, but others are not.

He also had a mark on his left buttock which was a square patch of slight scratches. It was rough to the touch and it was healing, but it was underneath his pull up diaper and I don't know where it could have come from. It was like there was either abrasion or very slight scratches from bleeding and then he scabbed. I didn't even bother to bring Michelle in because she scoffed when I asked her to observe and note Oliver's bruises on his legs again.

Oliver also pointed out "owies" on his feet, toenails, because they'd snagged again because they grew too long and no one had cut them. I am really thankful the Avilas are caring for him, but with that many people in their house, you would think one of them would see to it that his toenails are cut so they don't snag and harm him. Prevention rather than cure and it pangs me to see this is constantly not done. I explained to Oliver why they were snagging and asked him if I could cut them next visit to keep them from tearing again and he said yes.

As for playing time, Oliver wanted to play with dice, and then have reading and then there was a lot of time in the bathroom. On Monday, Oliver announced to me he wanted to show me how he went potty in the toilet and he excitedly showed me. He did it all on his own, pulling down his own pants, standing to the side of the big toilet, and going. I gave him a big hug and exclamations. He was so happy and so proud and when I asked Holly later if he was doing this, she said usually he had to be coaxed and he might try but he didn't want people watching.

With me, he went out of his way to show me and he wasn't shy at all. He tried to do the other way too, but couldn't, but he tried. Then, yesterday I recognized him clutching a little bit and when I asked if he had to go potty he said yes and he showed me again (which is when I noticed the mark on his buttock). He did both ways but wanted privacy while doing it the other way. He hoisted himself up onto the big toilet and off, on his own as well.

So then we were washing hands and feet because he took his shoes off to get his shorts off.

Then, he wanted to imagine we were sleeping outside underneath the stars. He said he saw three very, very, big stars and he made a motion with his hands about how they were coming down from the sky to him. He raised his hand up high in the sky while lying down and looking up and made a wavy motion showing how they were coming down from the sky and he brought his arm down and talked about it and then smiled and started sucking his thumb. He said there was a moon there and a lot of other stars too. He turned off the light to make it nighttime and then turned it on for day and said the sun was coming up. He did this a few times.

In the mirror, he made sad, happy, angry faces and watched his expressions. That was in the bathroom. And there he said hello to a younger boy and was really good with him. Oliver has a really soft heart and is kind and affectionate to other kids and animals.