Alert! Alert! Paige just pooped in her potty for the first time! She also got to hold a book and have me read her "Little Pea" during said poop. When she was finished, she said "Bye Bye!!" to the poop as it was flushed down the toilet. After much dancing and jubilation, she got to choose a special Hello Kitty puffy sticker to wear on her sleeve, which will go on a chart I make tonight after she goes to bed. She got to call her Daddy at work and said "A poo-poo!" when I told her to tell Daddy what she did.
And that is the end of this special Alert. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
What you talkin' 'bout?
Hi friends! I've missed you!
I'm back in this space, hopefully more regularly! I've been sick pretty much constantly these past few months and have just plain been worn out. I've had a lot on my mind and you know how that happens and you seem SO MUCH MORE TIRED than normal and you just don't want to do anything extra? I'm waving my hand since that's been me for quite a while now.
Back in early December we decided to have Paige evaluated by our state's Early Intervention program. At that time, I'd spent a significant amount of time worrying about her lack of speech and her lack of interest in being with me or caring whether or not I was there. She spent a lot of time playing by herself, looking at books alone in the corner...generally keeping herself entertained all day. She seemed to wander from thing to thing without ever stopping for much time to really play with anything and never seemed to be able to focus on anything. When I spoke to her she never really looked at me or seemed to care about what I said. Her moments of eye contact were swift and fleeting. Now I know it's all called a "Lack of engagement." She could make the sounds of the animals and say "Dada" but couldn't say Mama or much of anything else that would be useful in her day. I wasn't as much worried about her speech in figuring that perhaps she was just going to be a "late talker," but it was the lack of interest and focus in anything that was starting to freak me out along with the fact that she wasn't trying to communicate via pointing or gesturing (which came not long after the evaluation, phew!)
The evaluators came out and it was a melee of women crammed in our play room as they watched Paige wander around and tried to get her to do different things. She ended up having very advanced gross and fine motor skills (well past 24 months and some things closer to age 3), and her cognitive skills were where they needed to be. But her expressive language (the words she says) and her receptive language (the words she UNDERSTANDS) were way behind. Meaning at a 10 month-old level. Paige was 19 months old at the time. They also noticed that she seemed to not be able to focus on things because she was too busy seeking out sensory experiences...she had to touch everything or chew on her doll or play in the bean box...and they hypothesized that THAT was why she was behind...she just couldn't organize herself enough to pay attention and learn from what was around her.
She was immediately assigned different therapies...a developmental specialist (DS) to help her work on social skills, eye contact, engagement, focus, etc. A speech therapist (a speech language pathologist) to help her develop her language skills. And an Occupational Therapist (OT) to help sort out her sensory needs and how to meet them so that she could focus on her tasks. She starting seeing the DS once per week (for one hour) and the others once per month (for one hour). Unfortunately, many snow days, illnesses on both sides and other challenges made the number of visits be dramatically less than planned so I can't quite yet say it has had a huge impact aside from the bits of advice they can share with me at the end of the visits.
But, I CAN say that through my own research, reading and studying I have figured out the best ways I can help Little P at home on my own time rather than waiting around. It may not be perfect, but it's something and it's consistent. In the beginning of January she had 10 words and as of yesterday (March 27th) she has 114 in her expressive vocabulary (words she can say without prompting). She is able to focus for huge lengths of time. She is able to follow directions now and point out anything in a book if I ask her. She is finally starting to mimic us...not just repeating words but also making faces we make in the mirror, silly dance moves, and other games (things she used to be unable to d0). She looks us in the eyes all the time now. She smiles and wants hugs and snuggles. She kisses us and says "night-night" at bedtime. She comes to me and clings to me through the day (which she never used to do). She has starting asking for things she needs and communicates her needs if she can't say the words (she never used to even point at things she wanted or needed...she'd just cry). She's a whole different kid in only 2-3 months' time! I can say that I believe that she's a late bloomer in hitting those certain milestones, but she hit them. My fears have finally subsided as she now acts like the other kids in her classes and even takes certain leadership. It's exciting since it wasn't long ago that she used to run away from the other kids and play alone in the corner and avoided everyone and everything at all costs. She certainly never could take direction or sit still. Now it's all different.
I've spent a minimum of one hour each day (usually closer to 3) of working with Little P. I've read a lot of texts about how to engage a child who is hard to engage. Our best method has involved PLAYING together in a concentrated way for several chunks of time through the day. The website Teach me to Talk has been monumental in teaching me HOW to play with Paige in a way that will engage her, keep her with me during play, and learn to enjoy being with me. In turn, she can LEARN from me (language, eye contact, fun, warmth, give and take, all sorts of social cues). We play with a variety of toys that are meant to draw lots of language opportunities out and it's worked like a charm. I've also learned lots of little social games that are fun. I can barely keep up now with the changes in her! Best of all, for me, is that Little P wants to be with me now and no longer insists on playing alone (she used to run away from me every time I tried to insert myself into her play). She always wants me nearby (which is the normal thing) and we enjoy a warm and loving relationship filled with rewarding moments and fun. I can't tell you how special that is when you missed it for so long. Little P. is able to express herself, share, and include me in her games. It's such a gift. I've also figured out what sensory activities Little P. craves and have learned to discern when she needs them through the day. She can focus and engage so well after a little time in her swing or squeezing the Play Doh...as examples.
In honesty, I spent a lot of time in the past crying and wondering why my daughter didn't seem to care if I was around. It was hard on me after all the struggle we went through to have her. (and I mean that in the way that we went through so much before we were lucky enough to have her and it felt like we'd already "paid our dues" in terms of challenges...of course that's not how life works)I felt such a bond WITH her but didn't always feel it FROM her. It's not to say she disliked me, she just didn't know how to engage with me in meaningful ways all of the time. She definitely had moments of needing me, connecting and enjoying my company. It just wasn't a deep and constant connection most people enjoy naturally with their kids. Now, that problem is long gone and I say GOOD RIDDANCE! I'll admit, sometimes now I get a little down that I have had to work so hard to have all of this happen (and will likely continue to do so). This stuff comes naturally without effort for most kids, and that's just not the case for us. It's been another challenge in my life that left me wondering "Why us?" We did everything "right." (I've learned that our kids come with their own special gifts, struggles, strengths and challenges and it has nothing to do with us as parents unless we are abusers and it's certainly not our kids' fault either...it's just what IS) I'm tired a lot and some days I just can't put in the effort to do so much extra. But, in whole, discovering how to engage Little P has changed our lives so drastically and thrillingly and I just had to write it here and share in case anyone else is going through a similar thing. We've gone through the tunnel and are coming out the other side. We are still on the road. Right now, things are exactly as they need to be and I feel really grateful.
Over the next while, I plan to write some posts about some of the activities and strategies that have worked well with Little P and her being a late talker/having a speech delay and what has helped her engage and enjoy relationships with the people in her life. Any experts out there, please know that my words are in layman terms and in no way am I trying to be scientific in this space. I'm simply sharing what I've been doing in my own words and leaving it at that. There are plenty of reference websites that go into more medical and scientific detail. Also, we are still in this journey and I'm not a doctor so I can't say I am an expert or that Paige is totally caught up on all fronts. I simply want to share what we've been doing since there's not a ton of information out there for the parent besides "read to your child" and "narrate what you do all day." (While those are great things, I DID them and continue to do so...it just didn't make much of a difference for us since P. needed MORE).
So that's what we've been up to for the past several months. I debated about not writing about it all here, but it's very therapeutic for me to share and I feel so many people can relate to my feelings. Little P. is doing so much better to the point where I personally feel she's getting caught up to where she should be now or will be very soon, and because of this, I wanted to share with others who might be wondering about a possible speech delay in their own children. There ARE little things you can do to help... starting NOW while you wait for those evaluations and answers or for time to pass until you can know more. Every child is different, so I can only speak about what we are up to and hope it can spur on an idea or two for you.
Wow. That was a long freakin' post. Sorry. But it's been a lot. Please know that I've missed being here and sharing our adventures. We're in a much better place and I have lots to tell so I'll so you in this space again VERY soon! Be well!
I'm back in this space, hopefully more regularly! I've been sick pretty much constantly these past few months and have just plain been worn out. I've had a lot on my mind and you know how that happens and you seem SO MUCH MORE TIRED than normal and you just don't want to do anything extra? I'm waving my hand since that's been me for quite a while now.
Back in early December we decided to have Paige evaluated by our state's Early Intervention program. At that time, I'd spent a significant amount of time worrying about her lack of speech and her lack of interest in being with me or caring whether or not I was there. She spent a lot of time playing by herself, looking at books alone in the corner...generally keeping herself entertained all day. She seemed to wander from thing to thing without ever stopping for much time to really play with anything and never seemed to be able to focus on anything. When I spoke to her she never really looked at me or seemed to care about what I said. Her moments of eye contact were swift and fleeting. Now I know it's all called a "Lack of engagement." She could make the sounds of the animals and say "Dada" but couldn't say Mama or much of anything else that would be useful in her day. I wasn't as much worried about her speech in figuring that perhaps she was just going to be a "late talker," but it was the lack of interest and focus in anything that was starting to freak me out along with the fact that she wasn't trying to communicate via pointing or gesturing (which came not long after the evaluation, phew!)
The evaluators came out and it was a melee of women crammed in our play room as they watched Paige wander around and tried to get her to do different things. She ended up having very advanced gross and fine motor skills (well past 24 months and some things closer to age 3), and her cognitive skills were where they needed to be. But her expressive language (the words she says) and her receptive language (the words she UNDERSTANDS) were way behind. Meaning at a 10 month-old level. Paige was 19 months old at the time. They also noticed that she seemed to not be able to focus on things because she was too busy seeking out sensory experiences...she had to touch everything or chew on her doll or play in the bean box...and they hypothesized that THAT was why she was behind...she just couldn't organize herself enough to pay attention and learn from what was around her.
She was immediately assigned different therapies...a developmental specialist (DS) to help her work on social skills, eye contact, engagement, focus, etc. A speech therapist (a speech language pathologist) to help her develop her language skills. And an Occupational Therapist (OT) to help sort out her sensory needs and how to meet them so that she could focus on her tasks. She starting seeing the DS once per week (for one hour) and the others once per month (for one hour). Unfortunately, many snow days, illnesses on both sides and other challenges made the number of visits be dramatically less than planned so I can't quite yet say it has had a huge impact aside from the bits of advice they can share with me at the end of the visits.
But, I CAN say that through my own research, reading and studying I have figured out the best ways I can help Little P at home on my own time rather than waiting around. It may not be perfect, but it's something and it's consistent. In the beginning of January she had 10 words and as of yesterday (March 27th) she has 114 in her expressive vocabulary (words she can say without prompting). She is able to focus for huge lengths of time. She is able to follow directions now and point out anything in a book if I ask her. She is finally starting to mimic us...not just repeating words but also making faces we make in the mirror, silly dance moves, and other games (things she used to be unable to d0). She looks us in the eyes all the time now. She smiles and wants hugs and snuggles. She kisses us and says "night-night" at bedtime. She comes to me and clings to me through the day (which she never used to do). She has starting asking for things she needs and communicates her needs if she can't say the words (she never used to even point at things she wanted or needed...she'd just cry). She's a whole different kid in only 2-3 months' time! I can say that I believe that she's a late bloomer in hitting those certain milestones, but she hit them. My fears have finally subsided as she now acts like the other kids in her classes and even takes certain leadership. It's exciting since it wasn't long ago that she used to run away from the other kids and play alone in the corner and avoided everyone and everything at all costs. She certainly never could take direction or sit still. Now it's all different.
I've spent a minimum of one hour each day (usually closer to 3) of working with Little P. I've read a lot of texts about how to engage a child who is hard to engage. Our best method has involved PLAYING together in a concentrated way for several chunks of time through the day. The website Teach me to Talk has been monumental in teaching me HOW to play with Paige in a way that will engage her, keep her with me during play, and learn to enjoy being with me. In turn, she can LEARN from me (language, eye contact, fun, warmth, give and take, all sorts of social cues). We play with a variety of toys that are meant to draw lots of language opportunities out and it's worked like a charm. I've also learned lots of little social games that are fun. I can barely keep up now with the changes in her! Best of all, for me, is that Little P wants to be with me now and no longer insists on playing alone (she used to run away from me every time I tried to insert myself into her play). She always wants me nearby (which is the normal thing) and we enjoy a warm and loving relationship filled with rewarding moments and fun. I can't tell you how special that is when you missed it for so long. Little P. is able to express herself, share, and include me in her games. It's such a gift. I've also figured out what sensory activities Little P. craves and have learned to discern when she needs them through the day. She can focus and engage so well after a little time in her swing or squeezing the Play Doh...as examples.
In honesty, I spent a lot of time in the past crying and wondering why my daughter didn't seem to care if I was around. It was hard on me after all the struggle we went through to have her. (and I mean that in the way that we went through so much before we were lucky enough to have her and it felt like we'd already "paid our dues" in terms of challenges...of course that's not how life works)I felt such a bond WITH her but didn't always feel it FROM her. It's not to say she disliked me, she just didn't know how to engage with me in meaningful ways all of the time. She definitely had moments of needing me, connecting and enjoying my company. It just wasn't a deep and constant connection most people enjoy naturally with their kids. Now, that problem is long gone and I say GOOD RIDDANCE! I'll admit, sometimes now I get a little down that I have had to work so hard to have all of this happen (and will likely continue to do so). This stuff comes naturally without effort for most kids, and that's just not the case for us. It's been another challenge in my life that left me wondering "Why us?" We did everything "right." (I've learned that our kids come with their own special gifts, struggles, strengths and challenges and it has nothing to do with us as parents unless we are abusers and it's certainly not our kids' fault either...it's just what IS) I'm tired a lot and some days I just can't put in the effort to do so much extra. But, in whole, discovering how to engage Little P has changed our lives so drastically and thrillingly and I just had to write it here and share in case anyone else is going through a similar thing. We've gone through the tunnel and are coming out the other side. We are still on the road. Right now, things are exactly as they need to be and I feel really grateful.
Over the next while, I plan to write some posts about some of the activities and strategies that have worked well with Little P and her being a late talker/having a speech delay and what has helped her engage and enjoy relationships with the people in her life. Any experts out there, please know that my words are in layman terms and in no way am I trying to be scientific in this space. I'm simply sharing what I've been doing in my own words and leaving it at that. There are plenty of reference websites that go into more medical and scientific detail. Also, we are still in this journey and I'm not a doctor so I can't say I am an expert or that Paige is totally caught up on all fronts. I simply want to share what we've been doing since there's not a ton of information out there for the parent besides "read to your child" and "narrate what you do all day." (While those are great things, I DID them and continue to do so...it just didn't make much of a difference for us since P. needed MORE).
So that's what we've been up to for the past several months. I debated about not writing about it all here, but it's very therapeutic for me to share and I feel so many people can relate to my feelings. Little P. is doing so much better to the point where I personally feel she's getting caught up to where she should be now or will be very soon, and because of this, I wanted to share with others who might be wondering about a possible speech delay in their own children. There ARE little things you can do to help... starting NOW while you wait for those evaluations and answers or for time to pass until you can know more. Every child is different, so I can only speak about what we are up to and hope it can spur on an idea or two for you.
Wow. That was a long freakin' post. Sorry. But it's been a lot. Please know that I've missed being here and sharing our adventures. We're in a much better place and I have lots to tell so I'll so you in this space again VERY soon! Be well!
23 Months
Your first pigtails!
Dear Little P.,
Today you are 23 months old! So close to being two! Your last month of being a 1 year old...I can't believe it. Sometimes I lay in bed at night and cry a little bit to myself, sniffling in the dark about how time slips right through my fingers and I can't seem to grasp it. I think about how having you in our lives has blessed us in the most complex and profound ways. Each day presents new challenges as we try and work together, you and me, to help you grow and flourish. I always end up realizing how happy you are and it always makes me feel better enough to sigh and fall asleep.
This past month you've discovered your social side as you notice how much fun others can really be. You smile and frolic with others in a way you never used to. You are starting to enjoy pretending and actually PLAYING with your toys. You've uncovered a big love of dinosaurs and roaring like them all over the house. We got you your very own Stegosaurus and Brachiosaurus figures the other day and it was like the best day of your life. Who knew some dinosaurs would be like the Second Coming? What a fun time we are having together! It hasn't been all roses and sunshine as you spent several days sick, sick sick. Puking every 15 minutes for 36 hours...and then having days of residual illness afterward. Not so fun for anyone, least of all you. I felt so bad for you and your poor listless body. But now you are fully mended and filled with energy. "Outside!" you scream half the day. You don't care that it's arctic-cold and windy until you get out there and promptly say "All Done!" We can't wait for warmer weather!
We're having so much fun, my little love. We make a great team. You and Dad make a great team. Together, we make a great family and that's my dream come true.
I love you deeply now and forever more,
Mama
More Pigtails...
I know she's playing with the blinds' cord and that's a no-no. But, she was attended (this is in my bedroom). She just loves to make the blinds go up and down and then make them stay that way. I'm always watching.
I know she's playing with the blinds' cord and that's a no-no. But, she was attended (this is in my bedroom). She just loves to make the blinds go up and down and then make them stay that way. I'm always watching.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Treasured Moment
Last night as Paige was on her changing pad (after bath and getting her diaper on) she grabbed my hand and said "hug!" and pulled it to her chest/heart. (This was the first time I've heard her say "hug.") She proceeded to snuggle it with both her arms tightly and rocked her body a little to the left and then a little to the right. A sort of hugging sway. She had a big smile and held my hand so close. It was so sweet and I almost cried. She then did the same to Chris' hand.
Paige had never been much of a snuggler; always preferring to be on the move or doing something else (but not for lack of effort on OUR part to get snuggles!). She's been becoming much more affectionate in the past couple of months and I'm loving it!
I was lucky enough for her to do the hand hug with me again this morning after she ate her breakfast in her high chair. She suddenly grabbed my hand, said "hug!"and did the same thing. I about melted into a blob right there. That would have been a good time for her to ask me for a car. She missed out on that one!
Paige had never been much of a snuggler; always preferring to be on the move or doing something else (but not for lack of effort on OUR part to get snuggles!). She's been becoming much more affectionate in the past couple of months and I'm loving it!
I was lucky enough for her to do the hand hug with me again this morning after she ate her breakfast in her high chair. She suddenly grabbed my hand, said "hug!"and did the same thing. I about melted into a blob right there. That would have been a good time for her to ask me for a car. She missed out on that one!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
22 months
Here is Paige, hoping to watch a show (but I said no and we read books instead)
My Dearest Little P.,
When you burst into my room this afternoon with Daddy you had the brightest smile...your cheeks bursting and I saw all of your teeth at once. You screamed with glee and ran toward me at lightning speed. I had just finished a nap (I've had a nasty cold AGAIN!) and I guess you missed me! You gave me a wonderful hug as I reached over the side of the bed. Those are the moments I string together like pearls at keep around my heart. These are what makes life so wonderful and meaningful. There have been many, many, many of these pearls lately!
Paige, you are such a happy kiddo. SUCH a happy kid. And that makes ME so happy and feel like I am doing something right. You rarely fuss about anything anymore; you are just so cheerful and excited about life. You are incredibly bubbly and bouncy. I often can find you skipping and hopping around as you say "hop! hop! hop!!" I have even found you in front of the mirror saying "Caw! Caw!" as you flap your arms as you pretend to be a bird; so silly. Your smiles have gotten more expressive and bright; your snuggles more cuddly. Our bond has strengthened beyond measure.
One of your favorite activities is to sit and "read" to me. You babble, jargon and chatter at a high rate with lots of inflection as you tell me a story from any number of books. I can never recognize any of the words and it just doesn't matter. Your stories are the most wonderful in the world. They are yours and I'll always be listening in awe.
We are having such a wonderful time together. I cherish these days and miss each one as it passes by. Being with you is the greatest pleasure. We've been through a lot these past few months but the challenges have delivered the greatest rewards. Being your Mama is the greatest job I could have ever dreamed of and I often pinch myself because I feel so lucky and wonder if I'm in a dream. I miss you when you are in bed at night all safe and warm. The morning brings the warmth of your smile and the delight of your giggles; I hate to be away from them!
You are going through some rapid changes with growth, speech, and a developing personality...it's like being there as the flower unfurls. It's so fast! You are so different today than you even were last week. There's simply no containing you even if I wanted to.
I often think about how loving you means giving you plenty of space to grow and find yourself. It means letting go of your babyhood and trying to control all your movements. But it also means knowing when to hold you close and enjoy right amount of togetherness for playing and learning. I don't always do it right, but I want you to know that I try my best to give you what you need to help you be your best.
Your beautiful and happy face tells me I'm doing just fine. So, thank you for that.
I love you always and forever more,
Mama
We created a little nook in our bedroom with books and a few toys to make you feel welcome.
You love a good scratch and sniff book
Making a proper mess as you play in your room
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Free Play used to just be "Play"
Here's Paige, enjoying some simple play time.
I've been thinking a lot lately about the loss of "free play" in the lives of many children. Thanks to structured adult-led activities, screen time, video games and the like many children are losing the art of play and the benefits it entails. Here's a NY Times article from not too long ago that discusses this further. I highly recommend reading it if the topic interests you.
What is free play exactly? Here's a quote from a pediatric article I read:
"It is important to note that this kind of play is meant to be unstructured, child driven play. It is not the kind of play time that is totally controlled by adults and doesn't include passive play, such as sitting in front of a video game, computer, or TV.
Keep in mind that just because free play isn't controlled by adults doesn't mean that you shouldn't supervise your kids while they are playing, especially if they are playing outside.
Examples of Free Play
True free play is any kind of unstructured activity that encourages your child to use his imagination, such as playing with blocks and dolls. It wouldn't include playing with most electronic toys. A group of kids playing soccer in the backyard together, versus only playing on a team with a coach, would be another good example of free play time. This type of active free play is also a good way to help your kids meet their daily physical activity requirements."
OK. So, it's basically active play where kids use their imaginations instead of passively being entertained by a toy or other stimulus that does all the work. This reminds me of how I used to play when I was a child.
I LOVED my childhood. I frolicked and played outside in sun and snow, often not coming in "until the streetlight" came on. I dug for worms; my parents didn't mind me messing up the yard a little. I made mud pies and pretended to run a bakery on the stone property border/wall. I played kickball with the neighborhood boys and rode my bikes all over our part of town (after learning on the tricycle and then the Big Wheel). I loved to collect insects, turning big rocks over to see what lived underneath. I examined ants and studied their travels and made up stories about where they were going. In winter I stayed outside sledding, building snow forts and snow kitchens and rolling around. When I went to my best friend's house, we made elaborate mazes for her kitten to run through in her room. We walked through the woods behind her house and frolicked with her dog. We played music on her keyboard and puzzled our way through computer mystery games (when we were older). I remember being VERY young and pretending our couch was a ship. I remember taking a blanket and creating a "tent" in my bedroom where I pretended I was a boy scout (I guess I didn't think girl scouts were rugged enough?). I spent hours in that tent during rainy days with my books, rope (for practicing knots), stuffed animal friends, and a flashlight. I didn't need much space (my bedroom was maybe 7 feet x 7 feet or so with a slanted wall on one side.) People complain about having small apartments and not having room for their kids to have this kind of play so I'm a good example of the fact that you don't need a ton of space to use your imagination. I remember Kindergarten being so awesome. There was a corner with giant cardboard blocks, a doll area, a kitchen area, an art corner, a book corner, an area with a few tables for us all to sit at, and a rug for circle time and listening to stories. And, for when we were well-behaved, one or two of us would get rewarded with permission to play in the indoor sandbox that we could stand at. I remember the day we learned about the letter 'V' and we made vests (starts with 'V'!!!) out of paper grocery bags. We colored them violet. (starts with 'V'!!!!) Anyway, there was magic in getting lost in my own little world during my play time.
The NY Times article I mentioned quotes a woman who toured the Kindergarten in her town and was shocked to find a wall of computers and a bunch of little desks and that's it. That surprises me. Also, it just doesn't seem developmentally appropriate? Maybe I'm naive?
My friend, a 3rd grade teacher's aide, told me that the children in her classroom have no clue what to do when there is indoor recess due to inclement weather. They sort of sit and stare at each other and it takes a lot of suggestions to get them going. I can't imagine that!!
It makes me sad.
Here is a list of articles on the importance of play, why it matters, what children learn through play, and some play ideas if you are interested in more information on the topic. They are helpful!
This is all easy to say, but what about the reality of the pressures?
Another friend told me that her son is having trouble keeping up with the skills the other boys have in a certain sport he is participating in. They all started in 1st grade. He didn't start until about 6th or 7th grade (which I thought was normal?). Needless to say, his skills are no where near those of the other boys in his 8th grade class and it shows; and is affecting him. sigh. There's so much pressure to start children SO EARLY in activities so they can compete and stay on par with the other kids. But how far is too far? Is it ever enough? I also realize that people are concerned with safety these days. Surely we can still adopt SOME of the old ways of playing to suit our needs? I know we can't exactly just let our kids roam free until the street lights come on anymore...sigh.
Here's my commitment:
I'm going to do my best to allow Paige to have as much time for free playing while she is a child as possible. (of COURSE she'll have chores and responsibilities to tend to as well). I'll let her help me do my adult tasks around the house as much as she wants to while she's young (she thinks it is so fun and she's learning so it's a win-win.). I'll encourage her creativity and imagination as much as possible through limited screen time, open-ended simple toys, and lots of outdoor play/romping. I'm fine with organized activities, as long as there aren't too many. I can see it will be hard to be selective, but in my opinion it is a must to limit them. I'm going to remember that everything is fine in moderation. I want Paige to relate to her peers, be able to perform to her academic capacities, enjoy extra-curriculars, and lead a happy life...this is the mission I will try to remember when the pressures to do more or less start to attack. It's a new world we live in, but I can still do my part to keep it a little bit magical for a little bit longer for my wee one. And clearly it is in her best interest when it comes to creative problem solving and the like.
I know I may sound over-concerned...my daughter is barely two. But, time goes by fast. As I make plans for her birthday gifts and start thinking about what activities we can do through the year ahead I want to be conscious of how each decision impacts her. Do I get the electronic toy du jour? Or, do I go with the simple play silks and wooden blocks? Each decision shapes the whole issue of play and its quality.
In the spirit of sharing...while I find it to be a very idealistic account; I found this piece of writing to be inspirational for me on a personal level. Some of the bits really resonate with me.
Here's Paige, playing with my slippers and making fun in my bedroom
Friday, February 4, 2011
Her favorite
Happy Friday!
I thought I'd post another little video of Paige enjoying her favorite game with her Daddy. It was a fun way to spend a morning! I love those two.
I thought I'd post another little video of Paige enjoying her favorite game with her Daddy. It was a fun way to spend a morning! I love those two.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Boots and winter
Paige has taken to wearing my shoes all around. My winter boots are no exception. Here she is doing some fancy footwork after putting them on:
And then she declared (no, not REALLY) "THESE are mah new puzzlin' boots!!!".
Wishing we could play outside more. Our fence and playhouse are officially buried in the backyard. That's 4 feet of snow, my friends! When it isn't 2 degrees, we try to play a bit in the driveway and I also pull her sleigh up the road and back. (Always ending with "more!" and off I go back up the road...no worries; there's no traffic) But it's so darn cold lately, it's just hard to be out there. sigh. When is spring coming?
And then she declared (no, not REALLY) "THESE are mah new puzzlin' boots!!!".
Wishing we could play outside more. Our fence and playhouse are officially buried in the backyard. That's 4 feet of snow, my friends! When it isn't 2 degrees, we try to play a bit in the driveway and I also pull her sleigh up the road and back. (Always ending with "more!" and off I go back up the road...no worries; there's no traffic) But it's so darn cold lately, it's just hard to be out there. sigh. When is spring coming?
Friday, January 28, 2011
21 Months
Dear Little P,
21 months old! You are turning into a little lady. There's just no denying it that you are losing your baby chub as you grow and stretch and turn into a little girl. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard for me to see you leaving your babyhood behind. It has gone much too quickly. We tried so hard to bring you into the world and then your babyhood came and went in such a flash. I feel like babyhood needs to last just a little bit longer! But, I guess it would never seem like enough. I can never hold you or snuggle you enough. Such is the plight of being your Mama. Especially because now you aren't too keen on being snuggled unless it's on your terms.
This past month you have made some great strides in your speech development as well as with your focus and attention. You seem to be doing better every day. You discovered an obsession with puzzles and fine motor tasks. I've watched you put puzzles together and then immediately dump them out over and over and over again. I've been giving you more difficult challenges but you seem to solve them so quickly! It's hard for me to keep up with this flurry of connections you are making. I love watching you concentrate and the way you say Ray!!! (Hooray) when you finish a task. You've taken a shine to working with Play Doh and playing with your shape stacking puzzles. It's different because you used to be so into running around, moving and getting into things. Now I can usually find you sitting over a little project. All within a week or two's time. Watching you grow is just amazing!
The best part about all of these changes, by far, has to be that you are bonding with me more. You come to me and engage with me much more than you used to; it warms my heart to feel this connection with you I've waited so long for. You cuddle my legs, you look at me with a smile and joy in your eyes that makes me melt. You ask for me and look for me and always want me to play with you. You are my sunshine and my heart; the joy and love I feel for you is everlasting. Please know that everything I do is for you and what is best for you in mind. Being your Mama is a job I take very seriously and put a lot of conscious thought into because I love you more than the world. I see a beautiful and perfect soul in your smile and for that I am forever lucky and grateful.
I love you always and forever,
Mama
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Dollie
Hi!
Meet Dollie...
She is Paige's much loved special toy that she takes with her to bed and everywhere else. We have 2 Dollies...one for upstairs and one for down (the downstairs one also tends to go in the diaper bag with us). They often cross paths, to Paige's delight. Sometimes both of them go to bed with her. It's great that one can go into the wash while the other one gets to hang out; they can get AWFULLY stinky and gross. I'm already wishing we had a third. I just wanted to document her favorite toy for the sake of posterity. Thanks for taking the time to meet her!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Play doh time!
Hi friends!
Several months ago, my parents unearthed my old lunchbox from when I was in Kindergarten...E.T.! I can see my 1983 wisdom of personalizing it with stickers to spell my name and embellish the front with a heart and some antennae-thingies on ET's head. I was so excited to see this old thing! It's been sitting around on a shelf for a while now and I decided to store Paige's play clay tools in it. It's got a simple latch that she can do herself and I like that I can see my old friend and keep him useful again!
For tools Paige is favoring some plastic straws (sturdy like sticks) to poke, poke, poke the Play Doh. She also likes chopsticks and this little rotary wheel thingie (that makes nice lines) I found in the basement cache of tools. There's also a cheesy plastic rolling pin that she uses the end to poke the Doh and also a little plastic "garlic press" that makes "hair." I prompt her to "pull, pull, pull!" when I squeeze the hair out. And finally is a little dull plastic knife for cutting and making lines and poking. She never used to be very engaged with this, but today she took this out twice. The first time she played for over a half-hour, and the second time was a good 15 minutes. I only had to remind her once that the activity stays ON the table. And when we were done she was happy to put away all the tools back in the box and latch it shut. I'll enjoy her penchant for cleaning up while it lasts. :) Over the past few days I've noticed a love for fine-motor games take her over. She's obsessed with all her puzzles and has speedily put them all together...and she's now onto all her other toys that have little bits and bobs to stack, sort, peg, build, etc. She gets so focused and intent on doing them all over and over. All stuff to keep her little fingers busy and flying. I want to encourage her, but at the same time she is lost in her own little world. Not good when she still doesn't have much going on for language. But, we're working on sneaking in chances for building speech into her little games. I'll fit it in however I can!! See you in this space soon!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Playroom Take Two
Hey there!
Now that the playroom is "done" I thought I'd post some new photos of it with the play kitchen in place and all Paige's holiday toys put away. I also avoided using the wide-angle lens for this so it doesn't distort the room. To answer an earlier question from a reader, the room size, I believe, is 11 x 12 feet. (Sidenote: If anyone wants to know more about some of the stuff in here, try checking out the topics column on the right of this blog under "playroom for wee." I tagged all the posts about this room with that to make it easy to find info. Or you can feel free to email me at the address listed on the upper-right) Since everything has its place, it's easy to clean up at the end of the day and keep it looking like this. Some days I don't feel like it so the floor has scattered books and bits on it, but for the most part we like to pick it up and keep it looking new. We also added a mirror to the wall where Paige can admire herself during dress up (which so far means donning a bunch of cheapy necklaces and watching them swish back and forth) and we play mimicking games. She also likes to watch her mouth move as she tries to babble and sound out words. So cute! The thing in the left corner in the toy zone is not a TV; it's a lamp that looks like an aquarium. Paige is very visual and loves fish so it was easy to decide to get it. I often find her staring at it and waving hi to her little fishy friends; especially when she's a little tired and needs extra soothing. I'm glad we changed the office into her playspace; we are in there all day long with plenty to do with no temptation of the television in the family room. I know Paige enjoys having her own place to go and be cozy and where we can all play, make art, make music, read, and enjoy being together...and that was my goal. Mission accomplished!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Play Kitchen
Here is her new play apron made from vintage 50's fabric. I got it from Etsy seller Gagie Pagie Pudding Pie (appropriately named I think!!). You can see it on her in the photo below the text in this post.
I thought I'd take this chance to show you the new play kitchen that Paige's grandparents gifted her for Christmas. Most of her gifts from us were kitchen-related. She's a little young yet to fully do the whole "pretend" thing, but she's starting. I figure she will keep growing into it. For now, she likes to lift the sink out and throw toys down underneath to hide them. She also will stir her imagined soup in the pot. She keeps pushing the burner buttons on and off while also pouring with her little metal tea kettle. This particular play kitchen is from Ikea and seemed to be the most affordable option out there and I also happened to aesthetically like it the best. It has everything I thought a play kitchen should...including little burners that light up. There's plenty of storage and the simple design matches many decors. Another cool thing is that the legs adjust and it can raise up even higher when she is older. Yay! As you can see, I added hooks to the sides to store cleaning implements and her apron/kitchen cloth. I wanted to install actual metal fixtures for this, but it felt like overkill when the time came to set it up. The simple hooks are functional and easy and are also removable since they are that sticky pull-off material. As my bloggie friend Lor mentioned in the comments in an earlier post, the magnets that hold the cabinets shut are VERY strong. Paige has a hard time opening them; so a few layers of masking tape over them allows for the magnets to work much more gently. When she's older I can just remove the tape. Easy-peasy! So, that's the play kitchen "review." We love it!
Monday, January 10, 2011
New Year
Paige's cousin gave her some cool new boots, which are a hit!
Hi friends!
Well, we've been sick with colds again here. As per usual it seems!!! It's been an exhausting start to the new year! What with colds, appointments, plans and errands...no rest for the weary!
I've been reading up on lots of blogs; exploring what resolutions everyone is deciding to tackle and whatnot. I never can get on board with resolutions because they usually equal pressure. And we all know I hate that. Anyway, Chris and I have been wanting to have "date nights" more regularly (I can't remember when our last one was?) and schedule them twice per month if we can. So, we've just booked two nights out of this month with our lovely babysitter and we're so excited to make plans to get out. We want to go to the movies and we'd like to luxuriate in a meal that we don't have to rush through. We spend a lot of quality time together as a family, but I think it's important to reconnect as a couple to remember we're more than parents. Once the month is over, we'll sit down with a calendar and figure out our 2 days for February...that way I have a jump on contacting the babysitter well in advance. It's more likely to happen if you book it far in advance, right? It's just as important as a doctor, dentist, or other appointment we all tend to make sure and keep...if not MORE so. SO, that's our "resolution" for this year and I'm excited about it.
In other news, Paige seems to finally be starting to pick up some words here and there. She's a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to talking; but it's better late than never, eh? We've recently found out that she needs a lot of specific sensory motor play in order to focus and pay attention better and we already see a big difference in her speech development. To aid in her focus, we've continued to keep the TV off, and now *gulp* the radio, and *super gulp* the internet. Chris and I indulge in those things after P is in bed. Again, these measures are seemingly making a big impact in her development in just a short amount of time. We're excited for her. Life is easier when there's some communicating going on! Perhaps I'll share some of our fun sensory games here in this space from time to time? I'm all about sharing, as you know. Feel free to share some of your ideas with me too!
Well, I can hear her mumbling now from her crib which signals the end of nap (and my internet time!). Be well, and I hope to post more frequently here in this new year. But we won't call that a resolution, ok?
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Dancing Queen
Paige is having a lot of fun with her dress-up accessories. Should I be worried that she's dancing to Superfreak? Hmmm.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
20 months
My dearest Paige,
This letter is a little late this month; we've been away celebrating the holidays. We were at Nana and Grampa's house in Maine for Christmas, then we went to Grammy and Rico's house in Connecticut. Our final stop was to the Carty family house in Vermont to celebrate New Year's with lots of friends. Phew! Now we are home and you are finally adjusting to your old routine (after lots of screaming sleepless nights). You are 20 months old now; out of the teens and drawing nearer to turning 2. I can hardly believe it. We've been so lucky to witness how sweet you are...so gentle and easy-going. You are also a bit shy and seem to open up only when someone is outgoing with you first. I think you are best-friends with anyone willing to dangle you upside-down and twirl you all over the place. You seem to love being chased...you look back with a sly grin as you begin to run. How can we NOT chase you after you make such a cute face? But you do cute things a lot, as toddlers do, and today was no exception. You did a little dance to the song "Superfreak" as you looked at your new dress-up jewelry in the mirror. Daddy got that one on video that I hope to post soon. I hope you don't mind; it's too cute not to share. It was so wonderful to share the holidays with you. Your Daddy and I stared at our stockings all in a row on the mantle and we both got very teary. We felt so lucky as we hugged and looked at them...his, yours, and mine. I'd never realized I'd been waiting for that moment all of my life. To have a little stocking for Santa to fill next to ours. Yours. It was a surreal and unbelievable moment for both of us...a reminder of how grateful we are for you and how lucky we are. Wonderful things are in store for you in the year ahead; I wish I could express here how excited I am about them all. I love you my little peanut. There is only one special You. Full of wonder, love and life. A million hugs and kisses wouldn't be enough to show you, but I'll tell you again that I love you forever and always.
Love,
Mama
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Happy Holidays!
And a Merry Christmas for those who celebrate! We will be off celebrating and making merry. We'll see you in this space soon! Thank you all for reading and sharing my life this year; it's been so helpful and so fun! I can't wait to see what 2011 will bring us all! I hope for good things for all of us. Many hugs and thanks!
Megan, Chris and Paige
Monday, December 20, 2010
First Ponytail
Paige has now had her first ponytail! (There was some wrestling and a tear or two which makes me never want to do another ponytail for her again, but there you go.)
My baby is turning into a little girl. I'm happy for her, but....*sigh*
My baby is turning into a little girl. I'm happy for her, but....*sigh*
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