Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
What we've been up to
Life's a beach. I had to catch her movements for posterity. I need to remember each little step.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Poopaggedon
Ok, so anyone with a baby or toddler knows the fear of taking their kiddo to the pool or pond in terms of them wearing a swimmie diaper. What if there's a poop? And what if it, GASP, leaks?
Well, it happened to us over the weekend. And it was all the nightmare I thought it would be and more.
*sigh*
We were visiting my in-laws in Connecticut and we decided to take the kids to the pool and kiddie pool at their fancy country club. Paige loves it there. The kiddie pool is all fenced in, clean, large, and had lots of lounge chairs under a covered area for the moms to relax under while keeping watch. It's only 12 inches in the deepest part so kids love to frolic. It's also has the kind of posh clientele I'm just not used to. At all. I always feel so sketchy there, like a frumpy dork. So, that sets the tone for the story.
After an hour of splashing and mock swimming, I noticed Paige was getting extra vigorous in the water....standing up and then throwing herself backwards onto her butt (wrestling style) so there would be huge splashes around her. She did it a bunch. And then she came out of the pool and did it on the concrete pool deck. That's when I saw them...2 "bunny balls" came flying out the top of her diaper and landed on the deck. I saw it in slow motion like in the movies. I ran over and said, "awww shit shit shit!!!" And began scrambling to pick it up with baby wipes. My heart was RACING. A woman in a fancy straw hat and caftan nearby said "It's in the pool too! I have to tell the lifeguards!" (she said it with such disdain and disgust it reminded of me of first grade when some little douchebag said "I'm gonna tell on you!") Anyway, I look in the pool and there were a few floating bunny balls so I dove right in and scooped out what I could see.
Cue the lifguard who told us all we had to leave the kiddie pool so that they could add more chlorine and such...it would have to be closed for the next hour. (Up until this year, it would have been closed for the DAY, but the health codes have changed).
The other moms seemed annoyed by the inconvenience and gave me the hairy eyeball. I did go around and apologize to each of them. Luckily most said "hey, it happens." But none were happy or tried to make me feel any better.
Sweating and heart-racing, I brought P to the changing room to take care of business and it was THE BIGGEST FRIGGIN POOP SHE HAS EVER DONE. AAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHH!!! *cue the horror movie music.*
I ripped off the damned diaper and shit landed everywhere. Then I noticed it was up her swim shirt, all over the swim bottoms, up the front, etc. Let's just say I was freaking the hell out and began to shake. I mean, I'm in the Taj Mahal of changing rooms. What if someone came in and saw the poo-scene from hell? I worked quickly but it took about 20 minutes to clean Paige, clean the area, and restore peace. In a dose of luck, nobody came over where we were to witness the scene. Thank you, Lord.
Paige was in great spirits during all of this and I could barely keep her still. She was wriggling, dancing, moving around. She made the poo mess so much worse.
*sigh again*
When it was all said and done, I wanted to pass out. But the pool re-opened at noon and we sheepishly re-entered the kiddie pool. Sure, I wanted to melt into the pool deck and die after I heard people talking about it later on. "Did you hear the pool was closed? Gross!" Or the little kids "I heard a kid pooped in the pool, eeeeeeeew!" etc. etc.
Note to self: Try to wait for your kid to poop BEFORE you go to the pool. If possible.
Well, it happened to us over the weekend. And it was all the nightmare I thought it would be and more.
*sigh*
We were visiting my in-laws in Connecticut and we decided to take the kids to the pool and kiddie pool at their fancy country club. Paige loves it there. The kiddie pool is all fenced in, clean, large, and had lots of lounge chairs under a covered area for the moms to relax under while keeping watch. It's only 12 inches in the deepest part so kids love to frolic. It's also has the kind of posh clientele I'm just not used to. At all. I always feel so sketchy there, like a frumpy dork. So, that sets the tone for the story.
After an hour of splashing and mock swimming, I noticed Paige was getting extra vigorous in the water....standing up and then throwing herself backwards onto her butt (wrestling style) so there would be huge splashes around her. She did it a bunch. And then she came out of the pool and did it on the concrete pool deck. That's when I saw them...2 "bunny balls" came flying out the top of her diaper and landed on the deck. I saw it in slow motion like in the movies. I ran over and said, "awww shit shit shit!!!" And began scrambling to pick it up with baby wipes. My heart was RACING. A woman in a fancy straw hat and caftan nearby said "It's in the pool too! I have to tell the lifeguards!" (she said it with such disdain and disgust it reminded of me of first grade when some little douchebag said "I'm gonna tell on you!") Anyway, I look in the pool and there were a few floating bunny balls so I dove right in and scooped out what I could see.
Cue the lifguard who told us all we had to leave the kiddie pool so that they could add more chlorine and such...it would have to be closed for the next hour. (Up until this year, it would have been closed for the DAY, but the health codes have changed).
The other moms seemed annoyed by the inconvenience and gave me the hairy eyeball. I did go around and apologize to each of them. Luckily most said "hey, it happens." But none were happy or tried to make me feel any better.
Sweating and heart-racing, I brought P to the changing room to take care of business and it was THE BIGGEST FRIGGIN POOP SHE HAS EVER DONE. AAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHH!!! *cue the horror movie music.*
I ripped off the damned diaper and shit landed everywhere. Then I noticed it was up her swim shirt, all over the swim bottoms, up the front, etc. Let's just say I was freaking the hell out and began to shake. I mean, I'm in the Taj Mahal of changing rooms. What if someone came in and saw the poo-scene from hell? I worked quickly but it took about 20 minutes to clean Paige, clean the area, and restore peace. In a dose of luck, nobody came over where we were to witness the scene. Thank you, Lord.
Paige was in great spirits during all of this and I could barely keep her still. She was wriggling, dancing, moving around. She made the poo mess so much worse.
*sigh again*
When it was all said and done, I wanted to pass out. But the pool re-opened at noon and we sheepishly re-entered the kiddie pool. Sure, I wanted to melt into the pool deck and die after I heard people talking about it later on. "Did you hear the pool was closed? Gross!" Or the little kids "I heard a kid pooped in the pool, eeeeeeeew!" etc. etc.
Note to self: Try to wait for your kid to poop BEFORE you go to the pool. If possible.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Thank you
Here is Paige playing pretend all by herself (a big deal for her!) She set up the figures in the chair all on her own and got out her little spoon and began "feeding" the figures from the picnic on the little table. I couldn't resist taking a photo of it. Up until now, I've had to assist, encourage, and facilitate this kind of playing.
I wanted to thank everyone for their kind comments of support on my last post; it felt good to feel the strength coming from you guys! I appreciate your kind words and advice; it is so heart-warming and uplifting. Thank you!!!
We are in a holding pattern on our end as we wait to hear from the place about giving Paige the hours of intervention she needs; I'm hoping to start as soon as possible so we don't keep losing time. There's a lot of hurry up and wait that goes on. It can get frustrating! In the meantime, we are enjoying the summer. We've been enjoying swimming the most I would say. Paige is going to be a little fish one day. I'm a horrible swimmer, so hopefully she got Chris' swimming genes.
I turned 33 the other day, and to celebrate we went and saw the new Harry Potter movie; which I loved. I liked all the books AND the movies. I sure did love that last movie though...very exciting! Don't you love a good movie? I want to go and see it in 3d now too. I guess that makes me a dork; so be it. At least I didn't dress up in costume for it. Although I don't blame those that do. To each their own!
Among my birthday gifts, Chris gave me a night at a fancy resort in Ogunquit, Maine (a Sunday to Monday) to go by myself and luxuriate at the spa, sleep when I want, eat when and where I want, and read. I plan to lay by the pool and read when I'm not sleeping or eating. LOL. He's such a good egg; he knew I needed a little space and time to myself and he delivered. What a nice surprise it was, and I can't wait to go! Now I just hope for good weather! Although, they have beautiful indoor spaces to enjoy if it's raining and it would be just as relaxing.
I can't stop daydreaming about it.
So, there's the update for now! I'll be back tomorrow to tell you about a recent experience I have dubbed "Poopaggedon." How's that for a cliff-hanger?
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
The Road Bends
Hi friends!
Last week we brought Paige to see a developmental pediatrician (after months of waiting for the appointment). She was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (an autism spectrum disorder). Even though we were prepared, it still felt like a shock when the doctor said those words. You can only prepare so much until something becomes real. You know?
The doctor told us more about it. Pervasive Developmental Disorder is the overarching umbrella (soon to simply be called Autism Spectrum Disorder). Underneath it are a few different disorders including Autistic Disorder, Asperger syndrome, and Pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (what Paige has). It's a developmental disorder, but she doesn't fit in the autism category nor does she fit in the asperger category. So, she's in a short of "catch-all" category. Her delays were found to be in communication and social skills. Her academics/cognitive skills seem to be ahead, so that is helpful for her. The doctor recommended between 10 and 15 hours per week of floortime treatment with a behavioral specialist (who comes to our house) in addition to her 3 hours of Early Intervention treatments. sigh. It's a lot. I have to figure out how to fit it all in. It could be worse, but still isn't something you plan on, you know?
It's not what we pictured.
The social worker who coordinates Paige's "case" told me a story a mother of an autistic child shared with her. She said that finding out your child is autistic is a little like you were planning on a trip to Paris. You pack, you plot, you plan and you get your tickets. You fly across the globe in excitement. The plane lands and you find yourself in Amsterdam. It wasn't what you planned. It is a cool place, and ends up being a blast. But it just wasn't what you'd imagined your trip would be. But it ends up working out and you have a great time.
I'm so happy that Paige is going to be getting the extra help she needs to make the connections she needs to make. The doctor is confident that she will flourish with this additional therapy and that perhaps her disorder will be undetectable by the time she begins school. Here's hoping!
I'm just sad that our precious Little P has this challenge placed on her little shoulders. But she's so happy-go-lucky and loves having everyone come to play with her all the time. She certainly doesn't see it as a hassle; she doesn't know any different.
We've had family members asking for clarification on what Paige's main challenges are. She seems so typical to most. Among some other things, she has trouble "generalizing her skills." She HAS the skills she needs but has trouble using them in a quality and effective way in terms of communicating her needs and wishes. Her learning, her play skills, etc. are affected. I came up with a metaphor to further clarify. Imagine you have a piece of wood with a nail in it and someone shows you how to drive in the nail with a hammer. Now, imagine you ALSO have a rock and a mallet, but someone takes away the hammer. NOW how do you drive in the nail? Most people would automatically make the connection that you can use the rock or mallet to drive in the nail. But Little P would likely sit there and stare at the tools and not understand that she can ALSO use those to do her work. The house doesn't get built without the hammer. Until someone comes and SHOWS her that she can use the rock or mallet. Then she's all set. Would she make the connection eventually? Probably. But it would take a long time (thus causing delays). So, people will be coming to help teach her about making these connections through play. The hope is that soon she will be able to make these connections all by herself without extra help. They will also be helping her with her communication skills and general play skills (that pave the way for future learning).
In the meantime, I'm still wrapping my head around this whole thing and wondering what the future will bring. We will make lemonade out of lemons; that I can be certain of. The other thing I can be certain of? How much I love Little P to the moon and back. That she is the best thing to ever happen to us. And that none of this changes how wonderful, special and perfect she is. She's our little star and we're so lucky she's ours.
Last week we brought Paige to see a developmental pediatrician (after months of waiting for the appointment). She was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (an autism spectrum disorder). Even though we were prepared, it still felt like a shock when the doctor said those words. You can only prepare so much until something becomes real. You know?
The doctor told us more about it. Pervasive Developmental Disorder is the overarching umbrella (soon to simply be called Autism Spectrum Disorder). Underneath it are a few different disorders including Autistic Disorder, Asperger syndrome, and Pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (what Paige has). It's a developmental disorder, but she doesn't fit in the autism category nor does she fit in the asperger category. So, she's in a short of "catch-all" category. Her delays were found to be in communication and social skills. Her academics/cognitive skills seem to be ahead, so that is helpful for her. The doctor recommended between 10 and 15 hours per week of floortime treatment with a behavioral specialist (who comes to our house) in addition to her 3 hours of Early Intervention treatments. sigh. It's a lot. I have to figure out how to fit it all in. It could be worse, but still isn't something you plan on, you know?
It's not what we pictured.
The social worker who coordinates Paige's "case" told me a story a mother of an autistic child shared with her. She said that finding out your child is autistic is a little like you were planning on a trip to Paris. You pack, you plot, you plan and you get your tickets. You fly across the globe in excitement. The plane lands and you find yourself in Amsterdam. It wasn't what you planned. It is a cool place, and ends up being a blast. But it just wasn't what you'd imagined your trip would be. But it ends up working out and you have a great time.
I'm so happy that Paige is going to be getting the extra help she needs to make the connections she needs to make. The doctor is confident that she will flourish with this additional therapy and that perhaps her disorder will be undetectable by the time she begins school. Here's hoping!
I'm just sad that our precious Little P has this challenge placed on her little shoulders. But she's so happy-go-lucky and loves having everyone come to play with her all the time. She certainly doesn't see it as a hassle; she doesn't know any different.
We've had family members asking for clarification on what Paige's main challenges are. She seems so typical to most. Among some other things, she has trouble "generalizing her skills." She HAS the skills she needs but has trouble using them in a quality and effective way in terms of communicating her needs and wishes. Her learning, her play skills, etc. are affected. I came up with a metaphor to further clarify. Imagine you have a piece of wood with a nail in it and someone shows you how to drive in the nail with a hammer. Now, imagine you ALSO have a rock and a mallet, but someone takes away the hammer. NOW how do you drive in the nail? Most people would automatically make the connection that you can use the rock or mallet to drive in the nail. But Little P would likely sit there and stare at the tools and not understand that she can ALSO use those to do her work. The house doesn't get built without the hammer. Until someone comes and SHOWS her that she can use the rock or mallet. Then she's all set. Would she make the connection eventually? Probably. But it would take a long time (thus causing delays). So, people will be coming to help teach her about making these connections through play. The hope is that soon she will be able to make these connections all by herself without extra help. They will also be helping her with her communication skills and general play skills (that pave the way for future learning).
In the meantime, I'm still wrapping my head around this whole thing and wondering what the future will bring. We will make lemonade out of lemons; that I can be certain of. The other thing I can be certain of? How much I love Little P to the moon and back. That she is the best thing to ever happen to us. And that none of this changes how wonderful, special and perfect she is. She's our little star and we're so lucky she's ours.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Writing Style
Hi friends!
I've totally abandoned this space, it seems. sigh. Well, we've been enjoying the summer in these parts! We got a membership at a local pool so that Paige can go and splash around to her heart's content; and the rest of the time has been spent in her therapies or going to playdates (or running errands and playing) The time just seems to fly and get away from me!
In case you missed it, I added an update to my last post about my toy reduction experiment. You'll see it went well and is something I plan to continue. For children with sensory processing issues, it seems to help the "overwhelm factor" to a minimum. Love it!
Onto what's on my mind:
When I noticed I hadn't written in a while, I took some time to think about why that is. Aside from being generally busy and too tired to make it a priority, I think it also has to do with the fact that I've been struggling to figure out what my writing voice should be here. I want to sound like myself here, but also don't want to offend people. I want to inspire and uplift and not turn anyone off. But, at the same time, I like to joke around, swear, and complain in a funny way about things. I have found that I censor myself all the time and I end up feeling like this blog doesn't always feel like MINE. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. I want to come to this space and say things the way I think them and stop trying to make it sound like someone else wrote it. Do you know what I mean? I can't keep trying to please everyone. I'd like to start making it markedly MY OWN and add the candid silliness that I crave. It's my creative outlet, after all. So, that's what I'm gonna do. Sound like a plan? OK, that said, I will be back here soon. Hopefully the posts will be more frequent and more ME.
I've totally abandoned this space, it seems. sigh. Well, we've been enjoying the summer in these parts! We got a membership at a local pool so that Paige can go and splash around to her heart's content; and the rest of the time has been spent in her therapies or going to playdates (or running errands and playing) The time just seems to fly and get away from me!
In case you missed it, I added an update to my last post about my toy reduction experiment. You'll see it went well and is something I plan to continue. For children with sensory processing issues, it seems to help the "overwhelm factor" to a minimum. Love it!
Onto what's on my mind:
When I noticed I hadn't written in a while, I took some time to think about why that is. Aside from being generally busy and too tired to make it a priority, I think it also has to do with the fact that I've been struggling to figure out what my writing voice should be here. I want to sound like myself here, but also don't want to offend people. I want to inspire and uplift and not turn anyone off. But, at the same time, I like to joke around, swear, and complain in a funny way about things. I have found that I censor myself all the time and I end up feeling like this blog doesn't always feel like MINE. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. I want to come to this space and say things the way I think them and stop trying to make it sound like someone else wrote it. Do you know what I mean? I can't keep trying to please everyone. I'd like to start making it markedly MY OWN and add the candid silliness that I crave. It's my creative outlet, after all. So, that's what I'm gonna do. Sound like a plan? OK, that said, I will be back here soon. Hopefully the posts will be more frequent and more ME.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Dinosaurs!
Hi friends!
It's been pretty quiet in these parts. I'm having trouble thinking of things to blog about, so I tend to not blog. I can't force it, ya know? Some people have such clever posts every single day and I gotta hand it to 'em! I'm just not that introspective (or maybe I am but it's nothing I think anyone would find interesting). I think there are things brewing that I can write about later down the line, but for now things are percolating.
This evening, I was thinking about how the living room has become a menagerie of Paige's toys. I'm sure many people can relate or understand how that happens. She hasn't been engaging with any one toy for any real length of time and I have to theorize it's because there are too many in one place for her to focus on one? We cleaned out the living room because the carpet needed to get a thorough once-over due to sippy cup juice dots everywhere (thanks Stanley Steamer!). Paige ran around the empty-besides-furniture room with such glee. She pretended to fly like a bird in all that empty space. She looked so much more free. I decided to only bring a spare few back in and rotate them on a regular basis. How regular? Beats the hell out of me. Daily? Sometimes weekly? I guess it depends how ambitious I'm feeling in the evening to set up new toys. I'm sort of already giggling at myself.
After I put Paige in bed tonight (Chris is playing softball through work tonight) I brought out her dinosaurs and the toys that have to do with them. (She has a little obsession right now with dinos.) I figured I might as well make it a theme. I put them on the tiles in front of our fireplace and tried to make them look inviting.
I included the figures, some books, a puzzle, a coloring/sticker book and her safari hat for "dinosaur hunting." She was recently gifted a remote-control dinosaur as a belated birthday gift and she loves it. I also put out her Little People airplane (maybe they can fly to Jurassic Park? or Dino Island?) and her little Ostheimer snail and grass just for fun and to add variety.
This way, when she comes into the room, she will see everything in one place and focus on just those toys thus giving us a jumping point for joint play since everything is together in a theme. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. It could all be a bust, so be it.
I want to see if her quality of play improves and if she is able to engage with us for longer stretches of time. Longer and better engagement equals more quality learning and absorbing our social cues and language. Fun for us while fun & educational for her! My plan is to rotate those toys out daily (if they are on a specific theme like this) or every 3 or 4 days if they are more varied in theme. I'm also hoping this makes her more excited about her toys since they'll seem new to her each time. Secretly, it will make it more fun for me too because it's easier to come up with clever play ideas with fewer toys and they'll seem new to ME.
My next theme involves putting her Little People Farm out with all her books about farm animals and stuffed animals that belong on a farm. We can color animal pictures and sing farm songs. She also has a little tractor and hitch to give the animals rides. If it's nice, we can go to a nearby farm or petting zoo.
Another idea involves marine animals with all of the same types of toys listed in the farm idea, but obviously in the marine/sea life theme. We can even look at You Tube videos of animals and sea creatures that match her stuffed animals/toys she has. For example, she has a little stuffed dolphin her Nana and Grampa had given her. Well, I can then have her hold it while we read a book that has dolphins in the story. And then we can look at some videos that involve dolphins in their natural environments so she can understand them more. Perhaps there is a dolphin song we can sing. See what I mean? The same goes for her little stuffed turtle or her little rubber snake, etc.
In the end, her therapists and we her parents have a goal that involves helping Paige engage in open-ended pretend play on her own. Many children come to pretend and symbolic play very naturally without intervention; but that hasn't been the case for us. We hope that exposing her to lots of different ideas and learning a lot about her own toys will help her accomplish this.
I'll let you know how the experiment goes. Is this sort of thing something you've ever considered? Is this something everyone does and I have just missed the boat?
***UPDATE***6/20/11
The dinosaur set up went over pretty well! She liked it and engaged much more deeply with the few toys that were there for her. She most loved the "Safari" we set up. She would have us wear the safari hat and hide all the dinosaurs around the room. Then, she'd have to hunt for them. She would say "Asari!" (safari) over and over until we hid them. I took down that play scene after 2 days and replaced them with a Playmobil zoo set of animals/props and a few other gizmos. She's been playing with that for more than a week now and she's been doing great. I think the secret to better interest and deeper play has been to put out just a few choices of toys. She spends way more time engrossed in play compared to how she used to. This is a change we will stick with! Now, I just need to hold up my end of the bargain and rotate everything out soon!
It's been pretty quiet in these parts. I'm having trouble thinking of things to blog about, so I tend to not blog. I can't force it, ya know? Some people have such clever posts every single day and I gotta hand it to 'em! I'm just not that introspective (or maybe I am but it's nothing I think anyone would find interesting). I think there are things brewing that I can write about later down the line, but for now things are percolating.
This evening, I was thinking about how the living room has become a menagerie of Paige's toys. I'm sure many people can relate or understand how that happens. She hasn't been engaging with any one toy for any real length of time and I have to theorize it's because there are too many in one place for her to focus on one? We cleaned out the living room because the carpet needed to get a thorough once-over due to sippy cup juice dots everywhere (thanks Stanley Steamer!). Paige ran around the empty-besides-furniture room with such glee. She pretended to fly like a bird in all that empty space. She looked so much more free. I decided to only bring a spare few back in and rotate them on a regular basis. How regular? Beats the hell out of me. Daily? Sometimes weekly? I guess it depends how ambitious I'm feeling in the evening to set up new toys. I'm sort of already giggling at myself.
After I put Paige in bed tonight (Chris is playing softball through work tonight) I brought out her dinosaurs and the toys that have to do with them. (She has a little obsession right now with dinos.) I figured I might as well make it a theme. I put them on the tiles in front of our fireplace and tried to make them look inviting.
I included the figures, some books, a puzzle, a coloring/sticker book and her safari hat for "dinosaur hunting." She was recently gifted a remote-control dinosaur as a belated birthday gift and she loves it. I also put out her Little People airplane (maybe they can fly to Jurassic Park? or Dino Island?) and her little Ostheimer snail and grass just for fun and to add variety.
This way, when she comes into the room, she will see everything in one place and focus on just those toys thus giving us a jumping point for joint play since everything is together in a theme. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. It could all be a bust, so be it.
I want to see if her quality of play improves and if she is able to engage with us for longer stretches of time. Longer and better engagement equals more quality learning and absorbing our social cues and language. Fun for us while fun & educational for her! My plan is to rotate those toys out daily (if they are on a specific theme like this) or every 3 or 4 days if they are more varied in theme. I'm also hoping this makes her more excited about her toys since they'll seem new to her each time. Secretly, it will make it more fun for me too because it's easier to come up with clever play ideas with fewer toys and they'll seem new to ME.
My next theme involves putting her Little People Farm out with all her books about farm animals and stuffed animals that belong on a farm. We can color animal pictures and sing farm songs. She also has a little tractor and hitch to give the animals rides. If it's nice, we can go to a nearby farm or petting zoo.
Another idea involves marine animals with all of the same types of toys listed in the farm idea, but obviously in the marine/sea life theme. We can even look at You Tube videos of animals and sea creatures that match her stuffed animals/toys she has. For example, she has a little stuffed dolphin her Nana and Grampa had given her. Well, I can then have her hold it while we read a book that has dolphins in the story. And then we can look at some videos that involve dolphins in their natural environments so she can understand them more. Perhaps there is a dolphin song we can sing. See what I mean? The same goes for her little stuffed turtle or her little rubber snake, etc.
In the end, her therapists and we her parents have a goal that involves helping Paige engage in open-ended pretend play on her own. Many children come to pretend and symbolic play very naturally without intervention; but that hasn't been the case for us. We hope that exposing her to lots of different ideas and learning a lot about her own toys will help her accomplish this.
I'll let you know how the experiment goes. Is this sort of thing something you've ever considered? Is this something everyone does and I have just missed the boat?
***UPDATE***6/20/11
The dinosaur set up went over pretty well! She liked it and engaged much more deeply with the few toys that were there for her. She most loved the "Safari" we set up. She would have us wear the safari hat and hide all the dinosaurs around the room. Then, she'd have to hunt for them. She would say "Asari!" (safari) over and over until we hid them. I took down that play scene after 2 days and replaced them with a Playmobil zoo set of animals/props and a few other gizmos. She's been playing with that for more than a week now and she's been doing great. I think the secret to better interest and deeper play has been to put out just a few choices of toys. She spends way more time engrossed in play compared to how she used to. This is a change we will stick with! Now, I just need to hold up my end of the bargain and rotate everything out soon!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Here we are
Hi friends!
Just wanted to check in and say hello; not too much new going on around here. I found this cool mobile here (the large version...and it says it's paper but the patterns look to be fabric glued onto paper?) and Chris installed it in P's playroom. The whole thing swings in circles and it creates a cool effect of fluttering butterflies around the sky.
Paige is busy reading about important topics.
And she's been "brushing" up on her hygiene basics.
Otherwise, we've been busy with her Occupational Therapy and Developmental Therapy appointments. It's been raining almost every day which is causing us great cabin fever! I'm looking forward to June and its "stable" weather. All is well here and we are so grateful.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Nutty Nutterton
Here's a snippet from a fun day. She want on to laugh in her crib for about a half hour during her "nap." I could hear her saying "nutty nutty" to herself through chuckles. It's a different day as I write this and she's chattering away in her crib...not napping as she should be. She sang the bye-bye song to her belongings (bye-bye curtain, it's time to go home now, etc.) and is making declarations about things. I can't make out what she's saying; but she definitely sounds sure about it.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Spring gardening
Hi friends!
A little while ago we were cleaning up the yard. I'm no gardener, but decided to get a few little cheapy buckets at Target to fill with soil and plant generic flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. I punched a hole or few in the bottom of each bucket with an awl and away we went. The project was really for Paige...an activity that we could do together and she can watch her plants grow; and so far she enjoys checking out their progress each day.
Also, check out the cool gardening stuff my friend Sue (and Paige's Godmother) got/made for her as her birthday gift: pink rubber boots, pink gardening gloves in her size (!!!), pink metal gardening tools including watering can, a board book about "planting a rainbow", and she made a really cute canvas tool belt to hold all the tools. Isn't it neat?
We decided to give Paige her own "bit of earth" (sorry, I had to steal the lingo from The Secret Garden) so she could freely dig, and plant things without worrying about the layout or how it looked. It's her patch to do what she wants and muck around in. She's still not very interested in digging around or getting dirty in it yet but I'm sure it will change as she gets older. We put the area next to her playhouse to give it that cottage garden feel. hee hee! I'm thinking I'll let her pick out her own flower seeds to throw in there and see what happens. In another year or two we'll try carrots or something like that.
Paige enjoys her tools and likes watering her own plants. She seems to burst with pride when she gets to do things on her own, so lately I've been really trying to allow her to do as much as possible by herself. I intervene to show her how if she gets stuck; but I'm trying to let her figure things out on her own. She's even now obsessed with the book "All By Myself" by Mercer Mayer. She's definitely hitting the "I do it" time, so I want to be as encouraging as possible. My baby is growing!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Mother's Day 2011
Hi there friends!
I thought I'd share some photos from my Mother's Day with you. Chris asked what I wanted to do; so I told him I'd like to go to the Old North Bridge in nearby Concord, MA to walk around and have a picnic. It's located in the Minuteman National Park. It is also the locale of the "Shot Heard 'Round the World and the beginning of the Revolutionary War. It's a beautiful area filled with walking paths, lush gardens and beautiful scenery at every turn. It's one of my very favorite places to go. We lucked out and had lovely weather...yay! Paige got to run anywhere she wanted and we had a blast taking pictures and just walking all around. Thanks to Chris and Paige for making it so special. I had fun.
I love you both so much! Happy Mother's Day to my own Mama. She puts up with my constant phone calls where I'm worried about some such thing or another. She always makes me see the light and knows how to make me feel so much better. Thanks again Mom! You are the best!!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Easter 2011
I know it's pretty late, but I had to put some favorite Easter photos up on the ol' blog for the sake of posterity. I didn't think Paige would understand the egg hunt. But the Easter bunny came in the morning and Paige figured it right out. We went to Paige's cousin's house later in the day and there was another egg hunt there! She became mildly obsessed with hunting for eggs; so we'll have to write to the Easter Bunny in hopes he will hide even more on Easter morning next year.
Here is a video of Paige's Easter Bunny egg hunt. We tell her to look for eggs and says a balloon is an egg. She then finds an egg that was a Playmobil toy, but I didn't want to correct her since I DID say to find the eggs. The rest was smooth sailing. I would say my favorite thing about this video is the victory gallop she does after each find, along with the scream of "egg!!" I love this girl.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Party on!
It's waaaaaay overdue, but figured I'd post some pictures from Paige's birthday party. We had it on a Saturday the week before she turned 2 and invited her little buddies from her playgroups. (about 3 or 4 other toddlers were in attendance). Her close family also came to celebrate; we had lots of brunch food and chose to do it between 10am-noon. That way, the kiddos could go home for their naps and not be overwhelmed from a long party. It proved to be just right and they all seemed to have fun running around playing. It was pouring rain outside, so we just put out some toy "stations" and let the kids go to it. I put out some dollar-store wooden masks and washable markers for the kids to decorate with, but they were mostly interested in just playing. Glad we kept things simple! Paige seemed to have great fun and had a lovely long nap afterward. I still can't believe she is two. sigh.
This is Paige's outfit and hair. She went barefoot. This is as fancy as she gets.
This is "Rocky." My parents gifted this beautiful cherry wooden duck rocker to Paige. My Dad's friend from work designed and made it! He used wood from a tree that had fallen on another friend's land. I love that. It is huge; Paige's feet barely touch and she's very tall. I love that she can grow into it as she loves it already and rocks at different times through the day...most rockers are too small for her. You can't see, but it has a gorgeous natural wooden seat that just gleams. We imagine that Rocky will be well loved and we hope one day our own grandchildren will enjoy him. (*tear*)
Here Paige is getting sung "Happy Birthday." She was enjoying a cracker at the time.
Obligatory family shot. She's wondering who these clowns are who keep bothering her while she has her delicious cupcake.
Cupcake goodness. Nom nom nom.
After her nap, Paige opened her gifts. This wooden train was gifted to her by Chris' parents. Another great heirloom toy keepsake. Paige loves it; the box car in the back has a sliding door and she can put things inside. The circus car has a gate at the back that lifts up and again, she can put her little animals inside it. The engine for the front has a little peg that is removable that is the train conductor. She loves pushing it all over the house and it rolls very easily. Check it out here. You can choose from a plethora of different train cars and even add to it for different holidays and birthdays. It's hand made by a friendly artisan...I find that super cool.
Here we are opening a present. She was saying "Woooooooow!" I have to laugh at the post-nap wild hair from having taken out the two pigtails...hee hee.
AND HERE ARE SOME LITTLE DETAILS:
I got little drawstring bags and bought iron-on inkjet transfer paper. I designed alphabet letters for each party guest's first name, ironed them on and presto! Customized favor bags. Inspired by this. (although mine aren't as cool)
Our "theme" was "Animals on Parade." Chris had given me these cupcake toppers for Christmas and I based the party around them. They were made by Meri Meri, and I found a whole line of party decor based on them. We even used their invitations. I could have made everything myself but I'm just not that ambitious these days.
We stuck a banner on the mantel.
And we stuck a banner in the middle of the kitchen over the island.
I couldn't forget to use the banner from her first birthday...it will make an appearance each year.
We also included tons and tons of balloons everywhere (pink, yellow, and a teal blue) to add to the festive feel. Hope you enjoyed our mini show from her party! I left out all the photos of the guests to protect privacy; but if you've been to one family/kid party you've been to them all. :)
A big thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with Little P! We had fun with you!
This is Paige's outfit and hair. She went barefoot. This is as fancy as she gets.
This is "Rocky." My parents gifted this beautiful cherry wooden duck rocker to Paige. My Dad's friend from work designed and made it! He used wood from a tree that had fallen on another friend's land. I love that. It is huge; Paige's feet barely touch and she's very tall. I love that she can grow into it as she loves it already and rocks at different times through the day...most rockers are too small for her. You can't see, but it has a gorgeous natural wooden seat that just gleams. We imagine that Rocky will be well loved and we hope one day our own grandchildren will enjoy him. (*tear*)
Here Paige is getting sung "Happy Birthday." She was enjoying a cracker at the time.
Obligatory family shot. She's wondering who these clowns are who keep bothering her while she has her delicious cupcake.
Cupcake goodness. Nom nom nom.
After her nap, Paige opened her gifts. This wooden train was gifted to her by Chris' parents. Another great heirloom toy keepsake. Paige loves it; the box car in the back has a sliding door and she can put things inside. The circus car has a gate at the back that lifts up and again, she can put her little animals inside it. The engine for the front has a little peg that is removable that is the train conductor. She loves pushing it all over the house and it rolls very easily. Check it out here. You can choose from a plethora of different train cars and even add to it for different holidays and birthdays. It's hand made by a friendly artisan...I find that super cool.
Here we are opening a present. She was saying "Woooooooow!" I have to laugh at the post-nap wild hair from having taken out the two pigtails...hee hee.
AND HERE ARE SOME LITTLE DETAILS:
I got little drawstring bags and bought iron-on inkjet transfer paper. I designed alphabet letters for each party guest's first name, ironed them on and presto! Customized favor bags. Inspired by this. (although mine aren't as cool)
Our "theme" was "Animals on Parade." Chris had given me these cupcake toppers for Christmas and I based the party around them. They were made by Meri Meri, and I found a whole line of party decor based on them. We even used their invitations. I could have made everything myself but I'm just not that ambitious these days.
We stuck a banner on the mantel.
And we stuck a banner in the middle of the kitchen over the island.
I couldn't forget to use the banner from her first birthday...it will make an appearance each year.
We also included tons and tons of balloons everywhere (pink, yellow, and a teal blue) to add to the festive feel. Hope you enjoyed our mini show from her party! I left out all the photos of the guests to protect privacy; but if you've been to one family/kid party you've been to them all. :)
A big thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with Little P! We had fun with you!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Two!
Dear Little P.,
Today you turned two.
TWO!!! (That's what you're saying in the picture and trying to put up 2 fingers, haha)
I feel like I've been waiting for this day forever! I guess I've just been excited to celebrate and buy you fun presents. It's the joy of being able to spoil you before you can be spoiled...I love it! I've been wondering what to write for this letter and thinking of what grandiose thoughts I could put forth and just couldn't come up with anything that seemed worthy or fitting of this day. So, I guess I'll simply tell you that I love you and am so proud of all you are becoming and all that you are right now. I wouldn't change a thing about you; you are a magnificent creature of God and I'm blessed to be your Mama.
What a wild year we have had! You've mastered the art of walking, running, galloping, speeding up and down hills, walking the balance beam, kicking the ball and throwing the ball, and even hitting a giant golf ball with your giant golf club. You've started to speak and communicate and you have wonderful articulation! You've been working hard for months now on mastering your skills of communication, speech, engagement, and social repartes. You are doing so great with it all and we couldn't be more proud. You really enjoy going to your Gymboree class once per week; it's a chance to flex your motor skills and run free. You've been making lots of little friends there and it's fun to see. Your other favorite outing is your Kindermuzik class. I tend to doubt there is any other time when you are so happy as when you are there. You LOVE all the little dances and games and songs. The glee and joyful dancing you put forth prove that it's your favorite thing to do; so I'll have to sign you up again for the next classes they offer! Some of your favorite things to do include: play doh, digging in the sand, collecting leaves in the fall, splashing in the bathtub, finding eggs we hide all around the room (an Easter activity that lives on even after the Easter Bunny has come), coloring with crayons and markers on your easel, directing us to make you a "clue" with crayons (making pawprints and coloring them in Blues Clues fashion), drawing faces on the easel as you direct us (eyes! mouth! ears! hair! sad! happy! etc.), swinging on the swing, rolling on your yoga ball to row,row, row your boat, singing the ABCs (the only song you really dance to), roaring with your toy dinosaurs, putting puzzles together, playing with your Dollies, and your number one favorite thing....READING BOOKS. You LOVE to sit in our laps and listen to stories. You never tire of it. And when we are busy, you are often found to have a book in your lap as you "read" aloud to yourself. I'm glad you enjoy reading time; it's a favorite of mine too. I like sharing the same interests with you; it makes me feel even closer to you.
Today your Daddy stayed home from work so he could be with you and play with you too. We had a wonderful time together. You opened a few gifts this morning and then we got dressed and went to the Butterfly Place. You have had a runny nose, so we canceled the plans to go to Gymboree. You didn't seem to mind. We also had intended to take you to the zoo, but the weather wasn't on our side either. There were lots of scattered showers and thunderstorms that thwarted our intentions. We'll go soon sweetie, I promise. You enjoyed the Butterfly Place and didn't even try to grab or squish any of them.
You just sort of marveled at the sight of them fluttering everywhere. We got you your very own set of butterfly wings in the gift shop. I let you choose the color and you surprised us by saying "pink." Your favorite color is usually blue, but you didn't want those ones. So, we put the pink ones on you once we got outside and you galloped around like you owned the place.
We then took you to lunch at our favorite Chinese/Japanese food restaurant. Your favorite food is their Beef Lo Mein, so we thought eating there for your birthday lunch would be a hit. As usual, you wolfed in your lunch with so much satisfaction and that's all we could ask for. After your nap, we went to the free zoo (PetSmart) and looked at all the critters. You were thrilled! But not as thrilled as when we went to Friendly's to get sundaes afterward.
You said your first sentence ever on the way home..."I Love Ice Cream!" You said it many, many, many times over. It's also something we didn't even have to teach you to say. You just said it out of the blue by yourself while we were in the car. You've never said "I Love YOU" but that's FINE. Hmph. It will come. For now you love ice cream. I wish I was ice cream. hee!!!
Don't worry, I know you love me. You show me every day, and for that I am so lucky.
After we got home, you had more gifts to open (a big hit!), dinner and your cupcake, and then you helped me make your cupcakes for your playgroup tomorrow.
(you got a new apron for your birthday!)
Phew! What a day! It is quiet in your room right now, so I know you are drifting off to dreamland on this first day of being 2. I hope it was as fun for you as it was for us. I'm so proud of you my precious girl. You are so good at being YOU and you seem so proud to be that way. I love that.
Happy Birthday my sweetie P, I'm so lucky to know you much less be your Mama. Here's to a delightful and fabulous year ahead.
Love you always and forever more,
Mama
Your cool new book which you are enamored with...
Your new zoo set (from the Playmobil 1-2-3 line for toddlers).
A few Ostheimer toys that you loved. You kept saying "Mama!" "Baby!" "Mama!" "Baby!" (there was a big elephant and a little one)
Look Maren! See my new giraffe!?
Enjoying the fancy new book
Goodnight Boston! Tip your servers! (You love this new Glockenspiel and we love the sounds it makes so it's a win-win).
Today you turned two.
TWO!!! (That's what you're saying in the picture and trying to put up 2 fingers, haha)
I feel like I've been waiting for this day forever! I guess I've just been excited to celebrate and buy you fun presents. It's the joy of being able to spoil you before you can be spoiled...I love it! I've been wondering what to write for this letter and thinking of what grandiose thoughts I could put forth and just couldn't come up with anything that seemed worthy or fitting of this day. So, I guess I'll simply tell you that I love you and am so proud of all you are becoming and all that you are right now. I wouldn't change a thing about you; you are a magnificent creature of God and I'm blessed to be your Mama.
What a wild year we have had! You've mastered the art of walking, running, galloping, speeding up and down hills, walking the balance beam, kicking the ball and throwing the ball, and even hitting a giant golf ball with your giant golf club. You've started to speak and communicate and you have wonderful articulation! You've been working hard for months now on mastering your skills of communication, speech, engagement, and social repartes. You are doing so great with it all and we couldn't be more proud. You really enjoy going to your Gymboree class once per week; it's a chance to flex your motor skills and run free. You've been making lots of little friends there and it's fun to see. Your other favorite outing is your Kindermuzik class. I tend to doubt there is any other time when you are so happy as when you are there. You LOVE all the little dances and games and songs. The glee and joyful dancing you put forth prove that it's your favorite thing to do; so I'll have to sign you up again for the next classes they offer! Some of your favorite things to do include: play doh, digging in the sand, collecting leaves in the fall, splashing in the bathtub, finding eggs we hide all around the room (an Easter activity that lives on even after the Easter Bunny has come), coloring with crayons and markers on your easel, directing us to make you a "clue" with crayons (making pawprints and coloring them in Blues Clues fashion), drawing faces on the easel as you direct us (eyes! mouth! ears! hair! sad! happy! etc.), swinging on the swing, rolling on your yoga ball to row,row, row your boat, singing the ABCs (the only song you really dance to), roaring with your toy dinosaurs, putting puzzles together, playing with your Dollies, and your number one favorite thing....READING BOOKS. You LOVE to sit in our laps and listen to stories. You never tire of it. And when we are busy, you are often found to have a book in your lap as you "read" aloud to yourself. I'm glad you enjoy reading time; it's a favorite of mine too. I like sharing the same interests with you; it makes me feel even closer to you.
Today your Daddy stayed home from work so he could be with you and play with you too. We had a wonderful time together. You opened a few gifts this morning and then we got dressed and went to the Butterfly Place. You have had a runny nose, so we canceled the plans to go to Gymboree. You didn't seem to mind. We also had intended to take you to the zoo, but the weather wasn't on our side either. There were lots of scattered showers and thunderstorms that thwarted our intentions. We'll go soon sweetie, I promise. You enjoyed the Butterfly Place and didn't even try to grab or squish any of them.
You just sort of marveled at the sight of them fluttering everywhere. We got you your very own set of butterfly wings in the gift shop. I let you choose the color and you surprised us by saying "pink." Your favorite color is usually blue, but you didn't want those ones. So, we put the pink ones on you once we got outside and you galloped around like you owned the place.
We then took you to lunch at our favorite Chinese/Japanese food restaurant. Your favorite food is their Beef Lo Mein, so we thought eating there for your birthday lunch would be a hit. As usual, you wolfed in your lunch with so much satisfaction and that's all we could ask for. After your nap, we went to the free zoo (PetSmart) and looked at all the critters. You were thrilled! But not as thrilled as when we went to Friendly's to get sundaes afterward.
You said your first sentence ever on the way home..."I Love Ice Cream!" You said it many, many, many times over. It's also something we didn't even have to teach you to say. You just said it out of the blue by yourself while we were in the car. You've never said "I Love YOU" but that's FINE. Hmph. It will come. For now you love ice cream. I wish I was ice cream. hee!!!
Don't worry, I know you love me. You show me every day, and for that I am so lucky.
After we got home, you had more gifts to open (a big hit!), dinner and your cupcake, and then you helped me make your cupcakes for your playgroup tomorrow.
(you got a new apron for your birthday!)
Phew! What a day! It is quiet in your room right now, so I know you are drifting off to dreamland on this first day of being 2. I hope it was as fun for you as it was for us. I'm so proud of you my precious girl. You are so good at being YOU and you seem so proud to be that way. I love that.
Happy Birthday my sweetie P, I'm so lucky to know you much less be your Mama. Here's to a delightful and fabulous year ahead.
Love you always and forever more,
Mama
Your cool new book which you are enamored with...
Your new zoo set (from the Playmobil 1-2-3 line for toddlers).
A few Ostheimer toys that you loved. You kept saying "Mama!" "Baby!" "Mama!" "Baby!" (there was a big elephant and a little one)
Look Maren! See my new giraffe!?
Enjoying the fancy new book
Goodnight Boston! Tip your servers! (You love this new Glockenspiel and we love the sounds it makes so it's a win-win).
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