Unringing the Bell

Georgia's First Day of School (Technically.)

Georgia and I went to school today so G could meet her new teacher and check out the classroom. We also met the two classroom assistants. All three ladies seem very nice and I think Georgia will get along splendidly with them.

Georgia did great today. A little shy, but nothing like I've seen her do in the past with strange adults. She looked at the teacher when she was talking to Georgia and she helped clean up so toys we took out. She occupied most of her time exploring the room, looking at letter puzzles (and saying the letters aloud), and sitting in the book nook reading to herself (though whispering words out loud and signing along with the pictures--how PROUD was I of that???!! It helped that we have a lot of the same books at home, so she already knows some of them!) while I filled out paperwork and talked to the teacher. I don't want to jinx anything, but think Georgia is going to do well. She doesn't go back until Friday and that's just for an hour with half the class. Way to drag it out, eh? Next week will be the real deal, but I KNOW she's excited about it. When I asked her today if she wanted to go to school she said "Yes," and walked right out to the car with me. When we were walking into the school she was saying/signing "school" and trying to say "teacher."  I said all the things I said for summer school and last year (i.e. "Are you going to play with your friends? And sing songs? And see your teacher?" etc etc, and she knew exactly what I was talking about. She really does well with repitition in just about everything, and I find if I use the same phrases it really helps trigger her brain so she knows what I am talking about. I think I have to say that to the teachers (it's all just dawning on me as I type this) because I am sure it would help with transitions if she always heard the same upbeat phrase, "Let's go to the bus!" etc.

Anyhow, though she didn't use her backpack today or ride on the bus, this was her official first day of school, so I took a picture. I told her to look like she was thinking big thoughts. (I really did.)

Caught Me Some Cupcakes!

Birthday Eve List

1. Tomorrow I turn 34. It's kind of a relief that I am turning 34 and I had to do the math in my head several times to make sure. I feel like I already turned 34. Not sure if that is a good or a bad thing.

2. I also feel reflective around my birthday. That's probably not a unique trait, but I seem to make resolutions now rather than in January.

3. Thankfully, I am but one closet door away from having the master bedroom repainted. NO MORE INSTITUTIONAL LAVENDAR! Considering the entire room (paint AND trim) was the exact same putrid color that made my eyes warble and my mind go numb, this is a huge relief. (Not to mention we started painting that danged room last fall!!! Can you believe that?????)

4. Now we can't use it as a junk room anymore, which will be nice...but...where will all our junk go?

5. Part of the impetus was that Rainer can get out of his crib now. In the next few weeks we are going to put his CAR BED!! together and he'll transition to that. I am both excited by this prospect and dreading it, but in order to do it we have to finalize baby-proofing the second floor of our house. Georgia sleeps in a big bad and has been for over a year (I think), but she still doesn't attempt to open her door (phew!) so we've been lax. I don't think we'll be so lucky with R.

6. We drove over an hour to get to splash park on Friday only to find out it was closed and their website had false information. So we went and got lunch so it wasn't a total bust, but I DO wish we had made it this year and now I don't think we will.

7. Rainer rode on his first merry-go-round at the zoo this weekend, but because Alex dropped the camera into the middle of the carousel and it broke (he has since fixed it) we only got one picture of it and it's not that great.

8. Georgia AND Rainer rode on their first train at the zoo, too! Strike that, Georgia rode on a train in Ireland, I forgot, but this was a slightly different toot-toot train. I don't think Rainer quite got that he was actually ON the train because we were in the way back and every time the train rounded a bend and he saw the front of it he point and said "Train! Train!" as if we weren't sitting on the self-same one!

9. Both the kids are pretty into trains.

10. For instance, Rainer, who is very into categorizing and lining up his toys will also at some point shout "Choo! Choo!" at his line of blocks.

11. Georgia and Rainer have been playing the "Sleep/Wake Game." I tell them it's time to go to sleep, they both lay down head to head on the floor and pretend to snore. After about 10 seconds one or the other pops up and says "Up!" or "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" Then they do it all over again. OVER AND OVER AND OVER. Quite the fun! Erm....sort of. I DO admit that I love that Georgia is pretend playing. She has been getting more and more into her dolls and the play kitchen in the playroom and at the Y. She also has a GREAT fake sleepy sigh.

12. She also has a flare for the dramatic and her moods can be fierce. School does a "slow entry" thing which...come on! Just get on with it already! I take her in for an hour on Tuesday, she goes and hour by herself on Friday and FINALLY she gets to start for real the Tuesday after Labor Day. I am hoping school will help with the moods.

13. I DID go to Sneak-a-Peek at the school last week and spoke with her new teacher. New teacher, new school, afternoon instead of morning. It's going to be quite a new scenario. Also, she is going to be one of only 4 kids out of 15 who are on IEPs. Things already run a little differently than what we were used to when she was in the ECLS class last year. It's more just like going to school, rather than going into a program and it makes me both excited and scared to frackin' death. Can she keep up? Will she keep up? Will I know what's going on? Will she behave? Will she get the help she needs? etc etc etc... But mostly, I am just hopeful that things will fall into place and she won't be left in the dust.

14. Her speech is absolutely EXPLODING lately. She's still mimicking just about everything. When I talk, she is anticipating what I am going to say and mumbles along slightly behind me and often gets it right. It's very interesting. It's kind of cool and kind of unnerving. ESPECIALLY if she is being reprimanded for something. It's really hard to explain, but something else!

15. I know I have more to say, but I am plum tuckered out. What am I doing for my birthday tomorrow? Why, I have a doctor's appointment! Fun, fun!

Copy Cat & Winter in August

Geogia continues to copy much of what she hears. I am less worried about it and am mostly just astounded when she says along with her Baby Alive, "I love you, Mommy" and "uh-oh" followed by a kind of creepy laugh (the same one the baby makes).

She's been saying more on her own without outside influence as well. This afternoon, coming down the stairs from nap she went through our family names like she has been doing lately. "Dada, Mommy (yes, she is actually saying this now!!!!!), Rainer, Georgia." I can't really do justice to how she pronounces Rainer in writing, but it sounds sort of like "ay-i-nor". Although sometimes she she whispers it and it comes out almost perfectly.

Melts. My. Heart.

Slays me, really.

She will also answer "What's your name?" by saying "Jo-a-jo-a-ja." She will also say "My name is Georgia" if we prompt her.

I am also happy to report that the spoon eating was no fluke. She is feeding herself her own breakfast, lunch and dinner now every time. In fact, she gets royally pissed if she thinks for an instant I am going to try to feed her. Hallejujah!!!!!!! I cannot say it loud enough or proud enough.

In other news, Rainer continues to think it is winter. He woke up from nap yesterday like this:

Today, it's all about the min-tins (sic).

 

Three Little Birds

We went to a playdate today. I feel so lucky that there are other kids with Down syndrome around that we can be friends with. I want Georgia to have all kinds of friends, not only kids with DS, but I have often heard teens and adults with DS talk about how important it was/is to have friends who are like them in this regard and I know for that reason anyway, we are in a great place for the kids.

Here's Georgia with her friends Darcy, who is a couple months older than Rainer (about 23 months here), and Alex, who is just about 5.

Hat Head

Rainer insisted on wearing this hat today. (That's Flat Georgia in the background.And yes, he is riding his trike backwards. I don't ask questions. Okay, I DO ask questions, but not about this.)

It's August, by the way.

He also insisted on wearing it to bed.

Speechy Speech Speech

I wonder:

Georgia still does not on her own offer any phrases. Really, she only uses a few single words of her own volition. That said, she repeats entire sentences--long ones--that she hears on TV or that we say. She says them in unison with us, or just slightly lagged (i.e. how one might sing a song they are not quite sure they know the words to). For instance, a phrase I have always used with the kids is "Silly goose." If I start saying "sill-" Georgia will chime in and say "-y (pronounced ee) goose!"

She is singing many songs along with us. She knows most of her regular shows by heart. And says the words along with the show.

Not all the words are pronounced perfectly, but many more than I ever thought she knew are. Some pretty complicated ones, too.

Of course, I am a worrier, so instead of just being psyched about this (which, in part, I am...words! From my child! Many spoken clearly!) I also worry. Is this echolalia? And if it is, does it *mean* anything?

Or...is she just practicing? It would make sense, given how she tends to learn, that G is practicing because she likes to do things *right*.

But I wonder if anyone else has a kiddo with DS doing this?

I am really hoping she can learn these things and then learn how to apply them to "real life".

She can answer questions with one word phrases. She can occasionally ask for things with one word. But right now, it's often kind of like she is performing or reciting things back to me. For instance, when she wants something and I know she does (i.e. she comes up and hangs on my arm looking needful), if I say "What would you like?" she will sign/say "like". If I say ask "what?" She signs/says "What." It's frustrating for everyone.

I usually know what she wants for other reasons, but still.

I just don't know sometimes. But the first part of this article pretty much sums up just how I would describe Georgia.

That Explains It

This post was just brought to my attention. Amazing.

Notes

1. Every single thing that I have been worried Georgia might not do, eventually, she has done. I am just going to assume the trend will keep up. Last night she ate pea soup on her own with a spoon. This morning she ate more yogurt with a spoon and scrambled eggs with a fork. It's not always neat, and I can't say she didn't throw the fork out of frustration when she would put it in her mouth just after the eggs fell off the utensil, but I gave the fork back to her and she went at it again.

2. Georgia has this one sound she makes that when she is both incredibly excited, and ticked. I really don't like that noise because I always have to seek her out and look at her face to know which mood she is in. What a relief when there is a smile!

3. saa vcv <--- message from Rainer.

4. I get very frustrated with Georgia when she gets implausibly mad and impatient quickly. She will often yell or throw things suddenly when something makes her mad. She doesn't take a moment to breathe or try again or settle herself. As she grows up I think we need to work on counting to ten (which she can already do) when she is mad. This morning I realized that she got it from me. I mean, I guess I knew this already, but this morning something silly happened and I had the realization as I was throwing my fists in the air and saying something akin to "argggggggh!" just who she gets it from. I suppose I need to work on counting to ten as well!

5. The school year is about to get off to full swing. My inbox is full of emails about back-to-school nights, special ed meetings, choir practice, etc etc etc....

6. I bought G's birthday present last night. Her b-day is in December. I am NEVER that organized!

7. We bought a new-to-us minivan this month. I am in love with it. So all you minivan haters can keep hating, but know this...automatic doors, baby! I am happy to report we sold my old car. PHEW!

8. I am bound and determined to get some year+-long half-finished projects done in the next couple months.

9. MY SIL is pregnant. That is exciting.

10. Rainer is a naughty little guy sometimes, but he cracks me right up.

11. I always feel the possibilities in the fall.

12. We got a potty dvd from the library. We are not having a ton of success with pt-ing, but it's because we have been inconsistent. Travel does not help those sorts of things even though we DID bring our potty on the road with us! I don't like this dvd because it really emphasizes that "only babies go in their diapers" and there is a whole section that asks "Who uses a spoon? A baby or a big kid?" and then the kids yell "Big kid!" and then "Who eats with their fingers? A baby or a big kid?" and the kids all scream "A baby!" and there are other things, too, that...well...SOME big kids do, too. So there. However, G and R both like the video and they really pay attention to these sorts of things so I am hoping they will learn the routine even when I am not trying to teach it explicitly.

13. Speaking of pottying, I am thinking of resorting to mini marshmallow bribes. Don't judge me.

14. BTW, it's HARD to potty-train two kids with one potty that is on the second floor of your house.

15. I think Rainer should be a farmer.

16. Rainer really loves typical boy things: trucks, balls, dinosaurs. It is going to make gift-giving easy.

17. At what age did your kids start to get into movies?

Home Again & Eating with a Spoon

We've been away. Traveled up north to visit family and take some family time. It's hard to travel with kids--it's essentially parenting in another place without the conveniences of your own home--but it was good for us and the kids to see family and friends. We got to see a lot of friends we haven't seen in a LONG time.

I have a lot of pictures and anecdotes to share, but we'll see if it happens. For now, I just have to share my girl eating her yogurt. Getting her to eat without throwing her utensils has been a HUGE struggle for us. She's done it, she CAN do it, but she tends to impulsively throw. We'll see if this new calm skill keeps up. I really think she WANTS to do it. I think perhaps even we tend to over-manage her and she gets mad and frustrated with US. I am going to try harder to give her the benefit of the doubt and let her get messy. Things can get washed. No biggie.

By the way, that's me leaving a message on the phone for Alex in the beginning. I am a dork, what can I say?