Sunday, February 10, 2013
Nemo Fun
"Nemo" arrived with a bang this weekend, dumping nearly 2 feet of snow on our town. (I measured 17 inches in the early part of the morning, and several more inches fell after that). The thigh-high snow drifts and massive snowbanks remind me of winters as a child - I haven't seen it like this in years!
The boys spent some time playing in Nemo's aftermath today, and had fun for the most part! I don't think Ty is much of a snow guy. After falling on his bum for the third time, he plopped down in one spot and kind of dug around there for a while...stubborn little thing! I could see his little wheels dreaming of the day when he could run across the grass again! Brady was a bit unsure of the whole "cold" thing, but enjoyed a few spins around the yard in the sled! I guess when the frozen white stuff is up to your waist at the lowest point, it's a bit daunting to a little guy! Nevertheless, we enjoyed our afternoon, and everyone got great naps afterward!
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Preschool...It's Coming...
I seriously cannot believe that Ty starts preschool in less than a month. It's been this massive event in the distance for the better part of a year now, and all of a sudden it's a very real event in the very near future. It occurred to me today that not only does he need a new backpack, but a lunchbox, waterbottle, first day of school outfit...and of course I'm stressing out wondering what preschoolers are into, and whether a Thomas backpack is too "babyish", or if other 3 year old boys are in to much "tougher" characters...I'm so out of the preschool loop.
The past few months have been such a whirlwind of evaluations, reports, and meetings in preparation for the big transition. The kid has been evaluated by his early intervention team, by his preschool team, and by his speech therapist...more than once by each!...all of whom have analyzed every move he's made, every word out of his mouth, and every problem solving strategy he's used. It's exhausting. At some points it has taken every ounce of control not to jump out of my chair and remind Ty of how to do something that I know he is capable of doing. To his credit, he's been such a rockstar. The charm has been cranked to full force at every evaluation, and he has done lots of laughing in the process. Watching him sit and be tested for the fourth time in a month with a big smile on his face is a good reminder that he's the one at the center of all of this, and if he can do it with a good attitude, I can also!
The reports though...those little pieces of paper that analyze every miniscule aspect of your child...now those are not always easy to get through without a massive glass of wine and a little perspective. While I do think his evaluations have been pretty darn accurate in representing Ty's development to this point, you can't help but wonder if you could or should have worked a little harder on some skills. It's definitely not a rational thought, but it's there, and it comes out every time you sit and read one of those reports about your child. But, then you read what your child can do. You read every single skill that he has mastered, and your perspective instantly returns.
It's no secret that I am a massive planner, so it's probably not a surprise that since Ty was an infant, I've had a vision of what he would be doing by the time he entered school. Realizing that Ty has achieved all of the goals that I laid out three years ago (plus SO many more), is an awesome feeling. No, not all of his skills are on par with a typical 3-year old, but he has steadily progressed and grown at his pace, and has become an independent, curious, and determined learner...that is a boy to be proud of, for sure!
Next week I will meet with his team to develop his IEP, and in a few weeks I will be driving him to his first day of school...very hesitantly handing him over to the school district, who will walk him through his education for the next 15 years of his life...WOW. Stay tuned...new adventures are on the horizon!
The past few months have been such a whirlwind of evaluations, reports, and meetings in preparation for the big transition. The kid has been evaluated by his early intervention team, by his preschool team, and by his speech therapist...more than once by each!...all of whom have analyzed every move he's made, every word out of his mouth, and every problem solving strategy he's used. It's exhausting. At some points it has taken every ounce of control not to jump out of my chair and remind Ty of how to do something that I know he is capable of doing. To his credit, he's been such a rockstar. The charm has been cranked to full force at every evaluation, and he has done lots of laughing in the process. Watching him sit and be tested for the fourth time in a month with a big smile on his face is a good reminder that he's the one at the center of all of this, and if he can do it with a good attitude, I can also!
The reports though...those little pieces of paper that analyze every miniscule aspect of your child...now those are not always easy to get through without a massive glass of wine and a little perspective. While I do think his evaluations have been pretty darn accurate in representing Ty's development to this point, you can't help but wonder if you could or should have worked a little harder on some skills. It's definitely not a rational thought, but it's there, and it comes out every time you sit and read one of those reports about your child. But, then you read what your child can do. You read every single skill that he has mastered, and your perspective instantly returns.
It's no secret that I am a massive planner, so it's probably not a surprise that since Ty was an infant, I've had a vision of what he would be doing by the time he entered school. Realizing that Ty has achieved all of the goals that I laid out three years ago (plus SO many more), is an awesome feeling. No, not all of his skills are on par with a typical 3-year old, but he has steadily progressed and grown at his pace, and has become an independent, curious, and determined learner...that is a boy to be proud of, for sure!
Next week I will meet with his team to develop his IEP, and in a few weeks I will be driving him to his first day of school...very hesitantly handing him over to the school district, who will walk him through his education for the next 15 years of his life...WOW. Stay tuned...new adventures are on the horizon!
Playgroup Fun
A few weeks ago, we got together with our Down Syndrome playgroup, Saturday Explorers, for a Winter Carnival dance. Seriously, these are some of the cutest kids around. We have known most of these families for well over a year now, and have watched the kids grow from infancy to toddlerhood. Watching them crawl and run all over the place just makes me smile!
I'm so glad Ty has these adorable, sweet, fun little friends to grow with!
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| First dance with a girl...sweetest moment of the day, for sure! |
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| Giving "knucks" to his friend! |
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| Checking out the DJ...wondering how many buttons he could push... |
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| Playing follow the leader with the girls... |
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Brady at 5 Months
Sitting up, eating solids, finding feet, *almost* getting a tooth, completely pushing up on his hands...4 months has been QUITE the age for this little man! He continually amazes me with all of the new skills that he busts out with regularly. After waiting for months...and months...and months...for certain milestones from our first little bugger, seeing new skills every week is almost too much for me to keep up with! Sometimes I just want to hold him and keep him a tiny (relatively!) baby for a bit longer!
The wiggle-worm has found his superman strength lately, and started sitting independently (for short periods) a couple of weeks ago. I do need to sit close by, or at least surround him with pillows to catch him as he whips himself back, but he has sat for a few minutes by himself at the very least! He is incredibly curious though, and attempts to lunge toward anything interesting he sees nearby, so sometimes we need to put that confidence in check! :)
We also went down the "solid food" road this month - a little earlier than planned - but he loves it! I had planned on introducing solids a little closer to 6 months, especially because of his ongoing belly issues, but his growing body (almost 17 lbs, 60th %, and 27 inches, 96th %) just wasn't satisifed with formula alone anymore. Pears, peaches, and sweet potato have been favorites so far, and avocado was definitely rated as the most disgusting food I could have possibly given, based on his reaction! I am having a blast making all of his baby food again, like I did for Ty, and I love seeing him excited to see the spoon!
That first tooth is also on the horizon, ready to pop any day now! The tops of the teeth are visible under his gums, which means they are very close, and he is a chewing, drooling fool! He also has been sporting the "teething cheeks" like his brother - bright red circles on the side where the tooth is coming in! I was hoping for a bit of a break as Ty just finished getting all of his teeth, but apparently Brady has plans of his own!
Four months was a blast...Happy 5 Months Brady Boo!!!
The wiggle-worm has found his superman strength lately, and started sitting independently (for short periods) a couple of weeks ago. I do need to sit close by, or at least surround him with pillows to catch him as he whips himself back, but he has sat for a few minutes by himself at the very least! He is incredibly curious though, and attempts to lunge toward anything interesting he sees nearby, so sometimes we need to put that confidence in check! :)
We also went down the "solid food" road this month - a little earlier than planned - but he loves it! I had planned on introducing solids a little closer to 6 months, especially because of his ongoing belly issues, but his growing body (almost 17 lbs, 60th %, and 27 inches, 96th %) just wasn't satisifed with formula alone anymore. Pears, peaches, and sweet potato have been favorites so far, and avocado was definitely rated as the most disgusting food I could have possibly given, based on his reaction! I am having a blast making all of his baby food again, like I did for Ty, and I love seeing him excited to see the spoon!
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| Pears... |
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| Avocado...boy knows what he likes! :-) |
That first tooth is also on the horizon, ready to pop any day now! The tops of the teeth are visible under his gums, which means they are very close, and he is a chewing, drooling fool! He also has been sporting the "teething cheeks" like his brother - bright red circles on the side where the tooth is coming in! I was hoping for a bit of a break as Ty just finished getting all of his teeth, but apparently Brady has plans of his own!
Four months was a blast...Happy 5 Months Brady Boo!!!
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