Morgan Territory

The Spa at the Allendorf's

2012-01-26T19:54:00.000-08:00

Who knew Morgan would be into this? I sat down in the afternoon yesterday to start the process of doing a pedicure...for myself. Usually I do this after the girls go to bed, but this time I thought "Why not? I'll see what they do."

Well, Morgan was fascinated! Really, they both were...but Piper just wanted to splash around in the foot bath with her hands. Mmmm...not so much. I asked Morgan if she wanted to paint her toes and she said "Yes! I want purple toes!" She pestered me so much I cut my pedicure short (before the polish part). As you can see from the photo I modified things with a kid-sized stool, but she stayed there so patiently. She even liked the vibrating/massaging part of the foot bath. (This, coming from a kid that ran screaming from the spinning Dora toothbrush the other day. I thought it would be fun...no dice.) She let me trim her nails, but was not so keen on any other "treatments". Of course, she has beautiful, non-callused girl feet, so there was really nothing else I needed to do. She did really well with the polish part too, occupying herself with the TV while I blew on her toes. I had to do a few repairs to some smudges, but nothing too major.

Here's the result! Pretty purple toes! She really likes them. I can see this being a regular thing for me and my girl. As for Piper...I gave her one try on the polish. She did not want anything to do with putting her feet in the foot bath. The polish part was a disaster as she didn't get the concept of having to wait for them to dry. Oh well, we'll try again in a while.

Morgan Tidbits

2012-01-25T14:44:00.000-08:00

A few things from the past few days. David is at his annual trade show in Las Vegas and we are missing him. Morgan loves it when Daddy gets her up in the morning and is woefully disappointed when I've been showing up in her room each day. That's alright. There are plenty of other things she prefers that Mama does.

On Monday night I was talking with David on the phone as I was putting the girls' dinner together. I told them dinner was ready and to come sit down. Then I watched, mesmerized as Morgan went to the refrigerator, opened the door and pulled out the milk jug. Keep in mind, she can only do this when there is not a lot of milk in it...way too heavy otherwise. Then, she put it on the counter and pulled a stool up to it. She then got on the stool chose two glasses from the drying rack and set them side-by-side on the counter. Still amazed, I watched her open the milk and pour an equal amount of milk into each glass (basically using up what was left in the jug. Wow. She has never done this before, nor did I know she could if she wanted to. Well, I knew she could, but I'd never tested out the theory. She was so proud of herself and praised her and gave her big hugs. I had been giving David the play-by-play, so he praised her via speakerphone. I've got to figure out a way to put the milk in a smaller container so she can do this whenever she wants!

Morgan's teacher called today during school time. At first I was worried something was wrong, but she reassured me that Morgan was fine. She usually emails me information or interesting things Morgan does. Today they were working on "why" questions. They would give specific examples like "Why do we wear a jacket?" Answer, "Because it's cold outside." Or, "Why do we eat our hot dogs?"..."Because we're hungry." Her teacher decided to have one of the assistants ask Morgan the question again about the hot dog. She asked "Morgan, why did you eat your hot dog?" She had asked it a little differently so they wondered how she'd answer. Morgan answered, "Because I wanted a cookie." Ha ha! This is great because she wasn't just memorizing a rote answer, she was thinking about it and answering spontaneously! This is also so Morgan...she has some things she'll eat no matter what, but some foods she'll eat if she knows she'll get a treat. This was apparently one of those!

Finally, during the NFC finals on Sunday David was really fired up about the 49ers. He always is, but with the Super Bowl at stake he was even more passionate. Morgan (and Piper too), get a little upset when David yells at the TV, players, refs, etc. even if it's something good. Morgan was trying to get David's attention for something and suddenly busted out "SERIOUSLY!!!" She had the total sarcastic inflection too. She knew she was saying something funny because she immediately cracked herself up. Maybe we have a little comedic personality coming through?!

Anticipating the DSM-V

2012-01-20T14:53:00.000-08:00

This recent New York Times article, states that the upcoming revised diagnostic criteria for autism will exclude many of those previously diagnosed on the high end of the spectrum. There were many comments on it on network news shows this morning, one of which I caught about half of as I turned on NBC this morning. I went online to view it in it's entirety and found this original article.

I knew the highly-anticipated DSM-V (Diagnostic Statistic Manual, Version V) was due to be released this year, but I did not know the time frame. It is easy to get up in arms and speculate ahead of time, but the more I read about it, I don't have many concerns...at least for our Morgan.

Though she has an official diagnosis of PDD-NOS, I think she falls pretty solidly on the spectrum, though possibly on the higher end. I think she received this diagnosis due to the fact that she did not have certain repetitive behaviors that are required for classic autism. As she has gotten older, I know some of those behaviors are there, but they are not as obvious as they could be in other cases. No, she does not constantly flap her hands or spin in circles...but there are other things she does repetitively or as a so-called "self-stimulatory" behavior that would qualify. It was just not seen that day by the professionals that diagnosed her. There are also so many traits she has and the specific way that her mind/brain works that fits the autism "mold." Also, as children get older, they tend to show traits more clearly...that is the reason that some professionals will not officially diagnose before a certain age (per their discretion). This is especially true for those children on the higher end of the spectrum as the signs of the disorder may not be obvious until later.

At this point I'm going to hope that the new criteria will simplify the diagnosis process and make it easier for professionals to decide who does and doesn't fall on the spectrum. I suppose this means I am cautiously optimistic. The criteria will not be fully released until late Fall, so we have much more time to anticipate this event. I also agree that folding Asperger Syndrome and PDD-NOS into the overall Autism Spectrum Disorder is a good call as it reduces a lot of confusion.

I think it is also important to emphasize the last part of the NYT article, in that in testing the new DSM, they are using data from almost 20 years ago. There is so much more awareness and knowledge at this point that when current professionals use the new criteria, the statistics will probably look different. I'm willing to bet that the 85 percent in the area of PDD-NOS is much lower, meaning more of these children with this previous diagnosis will remain on the spectrum.

Aside from this, my biggest concern is the fact that the school systems struggle to meet the needs of those who do qualify. Even with less children meeting the criteria, many school systems/districts still work more to resist services than provide them. We've only encountered this in a minor way here (thank goodness), but I know there are many districts who don't have near the programs that ours does. But...I could go on and on about this.

Well, I will a bit more. In thinking more about those children who may no longer qualify for services with an autism diagnosis, there needs to be acknowledgement and previsions made, in some way, for their differences in learning styles. These kids may no longer fall on the spectrum, but that doesn't mean they will be successful in the classroom or in life. There is something that is slightly "off" from what we call "typical," that is why they were put through some sort of diagnostic process in the first place. As an example, though not associated with the autism spectrum, I have a friend who has a learning disorder involving reading comprehension. She struggled in school, but accommodations were made to assist her, such as giving her extra time on tests and use of audio tapes of her textbooks. Though she had many challenges, she now has a Masters degree in Speech and Language Pathology. This is where I hope these children who are no longer "on Spectrum" will still be allowed accommodations per their specific need. They will not be left to their own devices, but set up to succeed. So many classrooms are set up for a "typical" learning model which not all children will succeed under. It's not that these children need a different classroom setting, but they may need some extra attention or assistance in the class they are in. Of course, my kids are not yet in this type of class setting yet, so I understand I may be somewhat ignorant in this area (I do not want to make assumptions, as this may be the way many districts work with kids from Kindergarten on up). I'm just thinking of those kids that fall in the grey area of this new diagnostic model. Though the new model may be simplified, some children will be at risk of falling through the cracks.

I'm sure there will be much more to say as we get closer to the official release of this revised diagnostic model.

Wordless Wednesday: A Daddy Portrait, by Morgan

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Or not so wordless...notice watching the TV with phone in hand? Watching football and tracking fantasy scores?

A Random Dr. Visit

2012-01-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

Morgan stayed home with a cold for a few days last week. About that time, or a bit later, she started to do some odd things pertaining to her potty habits. She would have to go pee several times in a row. A few occasions she would pee a little in her panties, which threw her into a tizzy and she'd have to change her panties immediately. Finally on Sunday it dawned on me that this may be something we need to see the Dr. about. A possible UTI (Urinary Tract Infection, I know...gross)? This is something we'd never dealt with before and I haven't experienced it much myself. In fact besides a few colds, Morgan has not had any illnesses/issues that required medication since she was six months old. Pretty good, in my opinion.

With Morgan's autism we struggle with communication over little and big things. I asked her this weekend if it hurt when she went potty and she said "Sure!" in her silly way where I don't know if she really means "yes" or if she's just agreeing with me because she feels like it. She has never complained of pain or anything bothering her (though we've noticed her adjusting her pants/panties a lot).

So...I called the nurse at the pediatrician's office and she said to come in. I gave Morgan lots of liquids to be sure we'd get a good sample and she did manage not to freak out when they had her pee in the "hat." I do think she had to go so bad by that point it didn't really matter. When we saw the Dr., there were no other issues (as possible from her cold), but the preliminary test did say she had a UTI. It made sense when they said how this happens...it's sometimes due to basic anatomy and not wiping well. Morgan has been wanting to wipe herself lately and I admit to not being as diligent about it. Ooops. So, off we went to get our antibiotic and she'll hopefully be feeling better soon. She's back at school today and besides a few extra trips to the bathroom, her teacher said she's doing great.

The picture above is while we were waiting for the Dr. This is a brand new office that opened the same morning, so I figured "how dirty could the floor be?!" They were playing "Night-night" and insisted their coats were blankets. Hey, we had to wait forever for the Dr. and they were occupied!

Lastly...so odd. Morgan was unusually affectionate with the Dr., randomly giving him hugs and sort of "pawing" at him. I think he was a little thrown off by it too. She usually keeps her distance. I think the Berenstain Bears and the "Visit to the Doctor" book has helped tremendously with any fears of doctor visits. She even said "Just like Dr. Grizzly" when the Dr. was checking her ears. Good girl!

Plateaus and Connections

2012-01-13T15:26:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I think there is a bit of a pattern to Morgan's development. It is possible that most kids develop this way, but I'm not sure. Piper may more of a sure and steady girl, taking a gradual approach, but Morgan is a bit more complicated. But, how can we expect anything different from her?

Currently, I think Morgan is in a "plateau" stage at the moment. In this stage, in the past, she sort of levels off for a while before she makes a big jump forward. Preceding the jump is usually what I call a "crisis of frustration" phase where we seem to struggle more with communication and see more outbursts and tantrums. I know we are not there right now, though she has her moments, so now is the plateau.

During last summer she had a huge jump forward in her expressive language and once she started school in the fall, she took another leap. She has much more spontaneous language, less scripted, though some is still there. I find she makes these leaps as schedules/routines change, as this is where she is challenged the most. She likes her routine and fights to stay in it...but that is not life and she is forced to make changes, thus she takes jumps forward, whether she is willing to or not. Thank goodness!

Now we are back in the school year as our winter break is done. Maybe we'll see another jump forward soon? Dare we say there is a "pattern"? Once we think we figure something out, it changes again.

We are taking steps forward in our RDI program as well. In just the last week I have worked very hard with Morgan to incorporate techniques and "activities" into our routine. Though it is hard work to keep her engaged, when we do it there are great rewards. I must admit, that at times I have a hard time "connecting" with my girl. She is high-functioning enough that she never completely retreats into her own world, but she is satisfied with more playing on her own and loves to watch her favorite TV shows (again and again). Since I have been working with her more consistently I have felt more "connection" with her. When we are in the midst of what we call our "projects" she often will stop to give me a hug or kiss. I'm sure she feels much more connection with me as well. Some of this is due to the one-on-one attention she gets and I am down on her level...but some of it is due to the strategies of helping her to become more dynamic in her communication.

With RDI we try our best to use more "dynamic" communication with her. We avoid questions and commands. These things require rote answers, not forcing her to think and make more dynamic pathways in her brain. We use "experience-sharing" language, talking in detail about what we are doing and seeing, whether we are sorting laundry or putting away the dishes. We also work side-by-side in a way that we are dependent on each other, no one working completely independently. It is truly what the name is "relationship development." We are still at the beginning of this journey, but I am thrilled with the progress so far.

I'm off to work with Morgan some more and hopefully lots more hugs and kisses along the way!

The Car Wash

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Morgan and Piper have a love/hate relationship with the car wash. Basically this means Morgan loves it and Piper hates it.

It had been quite a while since our last trip to the car wash. It had been snowy and slushy and the car was filthy! The girls would brush up against the doors getting in and out and their jackets were a mess. I hate spending the money on it, but there is no way I'm washing my car in the driveway in a Spokane winter. It had to be done. Morgan was so excited when she heard where we were going in. She'd say "We're going to give the car a bath!" Piper was unaffected until we made the turn to the entrance and she heard the roar of the machinery. She suddenly panicked and started pointing in the opposite direction saying "Go that way, go that way!" I kept telling her it would be fun. She started whimpering as we got closer. Morgan just got more excited!

We managed to avoid a major meltdown. I carefully explained as the car maneuvered through, that it was getting rinsed and then the soap was coming (just like washing her hands), then scrub scrub scrub, rinse and dry. Finally at the end I asked them to look for the yellow light to change to green which meant it was all done.

As we exited the car wash and made the turn onto the street Morgan said "Yay, we did it!" and Piper said almost simultaneously "Whew! We made it!"

The Bus - A Small Victory

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

So...we are still working on the "bus coming to our house" issue, but we won a different small victory regarding Morgan's transportation to school. Right after Thanksgiving her morning pick-up time changed to 8:07 am. Yes, almost an hour and half before school starts. Too long for a little girl on any bus, much less a special ed bus.

Yesterday, when the bus picked her up, the driver mentioned that starting on Monday, she would be put on a different bus. She did not have the details, but she seemed slightly surprised that this was happening. "But, she does so well?!" she asked. Yes, she tolerates the ride, but that doesn't mean she should be forced to do it. Morgan does do fine once she's on the bus, but mornings are hard for us in general. With a shorter bus ride, it opens up a time for us to be less rushed and less tantrums happen. We also are afraid that, like her parents, Morgan is not a morning person. It's hard to get her up and focused.

We are hoping for an 8:30 or later pick-up time. Wish us luck as we hear the details!

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Scenes

2012-01-04T14:21:00.000-08:00

Dancing Queens (or not)

2011-12-12T21:56:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning Morgan and Piper had their first dance recital! We were so excited, but apprehensive as well. We have one "dancer" with autism and the other is technically too young for the class she's in. Anything could happen, right?

Morgan loved being on the stage so much it was hard to keep her off of it. In fact she broke away from us just as the teacher/director, Miss Michelle, was welcoming everyone and introducing the first dancers. Morgan ran right on the stage and David had to catch her halfway across. I'm sure the audience thought it was funny, but we were sweating it backstage wondering how this would all go.

Here's Piper's first performance:

Yes, we are "that" family, with "those" kids.

She ran right to me when she exited the stage. I tried to get her to go back out once, but then she just sat in my lap and watched. When they finished she clapped and said "again!" Sorry, not so much Piper.

And we will not be showing you her second "performance"... as she did manage to sit in the stage... in her spot... the entire time... but did not move. Hmmm. She did go out at the end for the finale, but ended up crying and her sweet teacher managed to mostly calm her down until I came and got her. Well, we knew she was the youngest. We'll be curious to see how she does at the next performance. Really, I didn't have high expectations for this and was just glad she got to be there. Everyone commented on how cute she is though!

As for Morgan, check this out:

She turned in TWO, yes TWO amazing performances! Really! She ran out there and went right to her spot and danced with all the other girls. It was backstage that was tough. She did not want to hang out and wait her turn to dance. She finally interacted a little with the other girls, but she mostly demanded to go find Miss Michelle, or go potty, go home or go on stage. This involved a lot of tag-team running after little girls. Exhausting.

Oh, and Morgan capped the show off in and interesting way. We were in the wings wait to go on for the finale and we heard some little pops coming from her. Usually she just says "I tooted" and laughs. This time she persistently tried to get her teacher's attention... "Miss Michelle! I tooted!" Again and again. Luckily Miss Michelle was too busy herding girls onto the stage to notice.

Whew! We are constantly amazed at what Morgan can do when she wants to...but that's the trick, the motivation. It's a constant juggling of pushing her limits as well as giving her space and allowing her to be in her comfort zone. I think it works this way with most young kids, but with the ones on the autism spectrum we have to deal with the extremes.

Overall we are so proud of both girls. They will learn and grow from these experiences their own ways.

The Nutcracker

2011-12-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

I had the privilege of escorting my Morgan to a performance of the Nutcracker this year. I considered it last year, but ruled it out pretty quickly. I wasn't even sure she was ready this year, but after discussing it with David we decided to give it a go. Morgan loves her dance classes so much and I wondered if she could make the connection between her classes and the dancers on stage. Here's how the evening went:

The ballet was performed at the Fox Theatre in downtown Spokane. It is a beautiful art deco building which was restored just a few years ago. We made our way in through the crowd and found our seats. They were perfect for us. In the first section of the balcony right on the aisle and next to the exit. This came in handy as Morgan had to use the potty once during each Act. We also wanted to make sure we had a quick escape route if a meltdown ensued. If you noticed, in the picture above, Morgan has a pink weighted lap pad across her legs. Her teacher was kind enough to loan it to us. She uses it at school during her circle time to help her sit with less wiggling. It worked great!

Here's Morgan checking everything out while I was trying to get her to smile. The theatre also has "booster seats" for kids. How genius?! They are a couple of inches of foam upholstered in the same material as the seats. It give the kids a bit of a lift while helping to keep the folding seats from popping up.

Unbelievably she made it through the whole performance! She really seemed genuinely interested in watching what was happening on stage. I explained the story as we went along. I'm not sure how much she "got", but she definitely listened. I think the best part for me what just being there with her. Occasionally she would want to hold my hand or put her hand on my leg. She loved when everyone clapped after the groups of "sweets" performed (bon bons, spanish chocolate, etc.) and joined right in. She got a little fidgety at the end and I knew she was really tired...the performance started when we usually start our bedtime routine. She handled it well though.

This is the best shot I could get with one of the Nutcrackers in the lobby. There were a ton of people standing around after the performance and she was fascinated with it all. Once we got back to the car she told me "I want to see Christmas lights and Tinker Bell and have lunch!" But before we got out of the parking garage, I saw this:

Out for the count. We had a great night. Oddly enough she does not talk about it and does not respond much when asked. David's theory for this right now is that, for now, we need to live in the moment with Morgan and just have a good time. She currently does not draw on these kind of experiences for future use or reflection...but we hope that comes with time. We might be surprised one day when she says something about the evening or the dancers. We would like to make this a tradition and will bring Piper too in a few years. It's the perfect Mommy-Daughter date night.

Happy Birthday Morgan!

2011-12-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

Hey Pretty Girl! You are four years old today! We love you so much. You give us joy and challenge us so many ways each day...some are tough, some are to be expected. Your sister adores you and you love her more than we imagined. You have given us new perspective on life and make us think about what really is "normal." We love that you love the color orange and you wake up requesting "dance class" every morning (though always have a fit if you hear "it is not Friday yet). Though it may not be every day, but we promise you will always have you "dinosaur sandwiches."

Hugs and kisses our Boo Boo Girl!

Wordless Wednesday: Check us out!!

2011-11-30T22:00:00.000-08:00

The Annual IEP Meeting

2011-11-29T22:00:00.000-08:00

We had Morgan's annual IEP meeting today. It was a whirlwind of discussion and juggling teachers, therapists and two little girls as we sat at a "kid-sized" table in Morgan's classroom. Overall it went well. Morgan has met all of her goals (at least to the 80% requirement..) and now has completely new ones. We are so proud of her! She seems to have especially come a long way since she started the AIM program in September.

I won't go into details of her new goals quite yet. I am still working out clarification on one of them. It needs to be amended or possibly another goal added. She has some good challenges for the next year that currently seem daunting...but her goals last year felt that way at first and she did great.

I was impressed with two things at this meeting. The first was that the school principal participated. He was not involved last time, so I was surprised to see him when we walked in. He seems to genuinely care about all the kids and I like that he is so involved in the details. I guess I hope that this is the case with all school principals, but I'm not familiar with how involved they are day to in these sorts of meetings. The school psychologist was not there this time, but this made sense to me as I believe overall we have confidence in Morgan's placement for now and really we did not discuss anything that the other teachers and therapists couldn't handle.

The other thing was that the Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) attended as well. She did have to split her time between two IEP meetings, but the fact that she was there was amazing. If you remember Morgan does not technically qualify for speech therapy per the district's evaluations. During the AIM parent night I discovered that the SLP really does work closely with the kids in the intervention classroom, so Morgan is receiving these services in an way I was not aware of. At the home visit I brought up a point that concerns both the social and language areas... so I was thrilled to see they incorporated this into her IEP and involved the SLP in a greater way than I thought they might. She also agreed to meet with me at a separate time to discuss our RDI program. These therapists are certainly not required to do this, so I am excited that she agreed to it. Now I've got to follow up and get it scheduled!

We continue to be impressed with Morgan's school and the AIM program. I always hear horror stories about school districts and their refusal to provide services. Unless the wool's been pulled over our eyes, we think we've got a good deal so far. Let's hope this continues.

A Home Visit

2011-11-25T14:32:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, Morgan's AIM teacher as well as her OT (Occupational Therapist) came to our home for her parent-teacher conference. There has been no school this week to allow the teachers to do these visits. At the beginning of the school year Morgan's teacher from the integrated class came to our house to introduce herself. I believe they do these home visits to also assist parents in issues at home. If they share about how they conduct the class this can be adapted in many ways to the home. Also, I think it also helps the teachers get to know the individual child better, so they can enhance their learning experience.

Well, overall Morgan is doing really well in school. They said she is happy and flexible in her routine and her peers really like her....huh?! What?! Is this the same kid we have screaming at us at bedtime that she doesn't want to give her sister hugs and kisses goodnight and then when we close the door of her room she screams to give Piper hugs and kisses? The same kid that MUST watch Tinker Bell RIGHT NOW and has a fit if we say no? Hmmm. Well, we know enough about kids her age that this is not uncommon. Even for typical kids, at home they push the boundaries and up the demands. Really, it was great to hear that her behavior is so good at school. We can deal with the home issues, we know she has it in her to behave well and we do see it at home...but we know developmentally there's a place for the challenges as well.

Morgan's teachers showed us where she is at with her IEP goals. These are up for review/revising next week, so it was nice to have this meeting to give input on next year's goals. She has surpassed some goals and gotten close on others. We are really happy with her progress, especially these first few months of the AIM program. Whatever they are doing, and we are doing, it is really helping her progress.

They shared that she does well academically. Morgan does not have any "cognitive" goals on her IEP. This means that she is keeping par with typical kids on her overall understanding many processes and knowing facts. She can sequence pictures, match like objects, of course her counting, number recognition and such things have always been good. This gives me a lot of peace of mind as I hear the better "outcomes" for kids with Autism tend to be for the ones with average and above average intelligence. We have been reassured many times in the last few weeks that Morgan falls in this area of at least average intelligence.

Her fine motor skills are improving. She struggles the most with her "grasp" of writing instruments. She automatically wants to put her fist around it instead of holding it with the tips of her fingers. This is something we can work on at home as well. She is getting better with scissors on cutting straight lines, but will soon graduate to working on cutting shapes. The OT gave us a list of activities we can work on at home. I always have a hard time coming up with these things at home, to having this tool with really help.

I loved it most when they said her peers like her and like to be around her. I'm pretty sure this is mostly the kids in her intervention class. I didn't think to ask about kids in her integrated class. I'll have to ask in her IEP meeting. I shared one area I wanted to see added to her goal and that is working on pretend/imaginative play. She just does not do this much at all, individually and with peers. There is so much socially that is learned from pretend play...making up games, problem solving, role playing. Really, it is real life stuff. If they can help her to develop this area, it will help her so much.

I'm sure there is more that was said, but memory is failing me now. We are just so glad that Morgan has this wonderful program and such support around her at school. I know families struggle so much with school districts and the services available. We may encounter issues in the future, but we are grateful for what we have right now.

Tinker Hell... I mean, Bell

2011-11-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

This little sprite-ly creature has managed to take over our house lately. This can be good and bad. I bought the first movie and costume for Piper for her birthday. The idea came from the fact that Piper loved to wear Morgan's Sleeping Beauty costume, but it was just too long for her and she'd trip all over herself. One day when shopping at Toys R Us I saw the Tinker Bell costumes and thought, hmmm, that just might be right for Piper since the skirt is so much shorter. Friends had told us the movie was cute, so we tried it out.

So, three more movie sequels since, we are now in Tinker....Hell. I love it because they love it. They ask to watch one or more of the movies (only about an hour and ten minutes long) each day and they are still totally entertained by them. They like to wear the costume and have Daddy "fly" them around the house. But...I don't like it because if Morgan doesn't get to watch it she throws an absolute fit and it keeps her from doing other, more social activities. So, it's a challenge to keep things balanced and make everyone happy.

A bit more info on the movies. We also love them be cause they are a nice length and the plots are not too scary or complicated. Sometimes Disney goes a little overboard in those areas, especially introducing the topic of death at an age where kids can't possibly understand what's happening. The Tinker Bell movies are fun and sweet with just the right amount of conflict, but always with a happy ending and wonderful music to enjoy.

That said, Morgan and Piper did get their first glace at the "Disney Fairy" toy section at Target this week. There may be a few more items appearing at our house soon, but hopefully ones that will encourage some imaginative play and not just fill the house with junk. So, family members, if you are reading this and think you may wish to include a Tinker Bell item in a holiday or birthday gift...please ask me which one would be most appropriate and I'll be glad to provide you with the information.

Morgan's First Movie

2011-11-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago David had the privilege of taking Morgan to her very first movie!

First, I will explain this picture. It was taken by another parent and it was pretty dark in the theater at the time, thus the blurry shot and the fact that David's head was cut off.

David called me right after and said he was almost crying...they had SO much fun! We have hesitated to take Morgan to the theater because we fear it would be too loud, crowded or just too long for her too stay seated.

Our local Autism Society informed us of the AMC Theatre's "Sensory-Friendly" movie screenings. They are offered the first Saturday of every month at our downtown Spokane location. They are wonderful!! I think any kid/family would benefit from this. The showing is at 10:00 am, so convenient that kids are hopefully not too hungry or tired. They keep the lights dimmed, but not totally dark and sound is only projected from the front of the theater, thus it is not as loud and the surround sound doesn't come from all sides. The kids are also free to get out of their seats and roam/move about as necessary.

David got Morgan a small bag of popcorn and he said she munched and watched happily for the first hour or so. Then they took a bathroom break and she roamed a bit, then watched the rest of the movie. When she got home she said she liked it and that she saw a movie with a "Cat and Humpty-Dumpty." It was Puss in Boots. Ha ha!!

We'll be attending the next movie The Muppets on Dec. 3rd with the whole family. Can't wait!

Wordless Wednesday: Emerging Fine Motor Skills

2011-11-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

Project AIM Parent's Night

2011-11-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

This week we were presented with the opportunity to attend a "Parents Night" for Morgan's school program. It is called Project AIM (Autism Intervention Model). It is also sometimes called Alternative Intervention Model because there is opportunity for kids with other developmental disabilities to benefit as well, though at this point I believe all the kids in Morgan's class do have an Autism diagnosis. This program is a part of the school district and I believe we are completely blessed that we live where we do and that this program is in place. I also received some confirmation of this from the professor we are working with on the research study. She is contracted to work with this program next year and thinks it is a great one. This means a lot coming from someone who's worked with hundreds of kids with Autism and many school districts.

Currently there are only two children in Morgan's class. Morgan and a little boy named Hayden. They offered childcare for the evening and as soon as I brought the girls in, Morgan spotted Hayden right away. Hayden looked up at her (from sitting on the floor) and asked "Is that you, Morgan?!" Too funny. That is just how Morgan talks sometimes, completely stating the obvious, but in a question form.

We gathered in the "music" room and were asked to fill out cards, one for recent "successes" and one for "challenges." All the parents introduced ourselves and shared which classes our kids were in. Morgan's program consists of 2 1/2 hours integrated with the ECAAP program (Early Childhood Associate Apprenticeship Program: low income, but typical kids) and 1 1/2 hours of "intervention." There is another group where those time-frames are flipped, more time in intervention, less integrated. The teachers and therapists introduced themselves and shared the list of "successes" that we shared. They informed us that the challenge cards would be shared with the staff and taken into consideration for each child.

I also learned at that time that two more children would be joining Morgan's class. As much as I love how much attention she was receiving (one lead teacher and two assistant for two kids), it is much better for her socially to have more kids to interact with. The two new students, are not surprisingly boys, as Autism tends to appear in many more boys than girls. The new boys' parents were understandably apprehensive, but by the end of the evening were pleased with what they saw.

Then we broke up into groups by class and went to tour the classrooms. We started in the "Move to Learn" area that they use to work on gross and fine motor skills as well as sensory issues. The physical and occupational therapists create a sort of obstacle course that can be changed up every few weeks. The kids start in a particular spot and have to wait their turn to make their way through the course. It's amazing that just being told they have to sit in a spot and wait their turn can require so many different skills sets. It's so hard for these kids to sit still, listen, then follow direction. What can be so easy to some typical children, can be so difficult for kids on the Autism Spectrum. And some areas are difficult for some and not for others. This can be the same case for typical kids, but it tends to be the extreme for kids with ASD. The course itself looked like fun and gave me some ideas of things we can do at home with her as well. I could tell Morgan probably really enjoys this activity.

After the Move to Learn areas we visited the ECAAP class. This is such a fun classroom. It is so big and filled with so many activities. I've learned this can be overwhelming for kids like Morgan...but in this case they have a great routine established and all of Morgan's teachers from her intervention class are in this class to help her if she needs assistance and redirection. There are 18 spots for three-four year-olds in this class, this includes twelve "typical" kids and six from the AIM program.

Morgan's teachers shared that during breakfast time she is always in great anticipation of drinking her milk. All the children have to wait until everyone has their food until they can start eating and Morgan needs to be reminded a few times as she tries to sneak sips. They also shared that when in the kitchen play area one of the other little girls wanted Morgan to play with her. I believe this was prompted by a teacher, but the little girl took the suggestion seriously and would not take a "no" from Morgan. Slightly reluctantly Morgan went with her and followed the directions of what the girl wanted her to do. I was so glad to hear all of this. Imaginative play is something Morgan does not do much of and to hear that this is really encouraged is great. She also needs some other kids in her life that can pull her into play situations. So many times kids just leave her out since she does not readily engage them.

Gosh, this is getting long. From there we went to the "intervention" classroom. They really pack a lot into the hour and a half time period! They have lunch there and each child is required to have a little of everything offered that day on their plate and even if they don't eat it. They encourage the children to touch it, kiss it and even sometimes try a little bite. Autism often results in picky eating habits in many kids due to sensory issues or just not wanting to try anything new (inflexibility). I've also recently learned that some kids are "stuffers," as they don't know how to regulate how much they put in their mouth before chewing. Hmmm...Piper's not on the spectrum (at least that we know at this point), but I'd say she's definitely a "stuffer." I'm going to have to ask for tips on that. Ha!

After lunch they have circle time and one-on-one time with the teachers to work on academics, language and other individual skills as outlined in their IEPs (Individualized Education Plan). In Morgan's case they are really working on her fine motor and social skills as she struggles in these areas. The lead teacher had such a sweet story about circle time. As it's just Morgan and Hayden right now they both sit in little cube chairs in front of the teacher as they do a little music, talk about the day and the weather, etc. I was surprised to see they both have weighted lap pads that they use when they sit. These pads help them to sit still and focus better. The teacher said one day they sat down and Morgan noticed Hayden didn't have his lap pad on. She went and got it and essentially "tucked him in" to his chair, saying "There you go, Hayden." I about cried! This is so sweet and caring. Morgan cares about her friend and wants to help him. I love it!

Overall it was a great, informative evening. I came away with a much better understanding of how the program works and the amazing teachers and therapists that work with our little girl. They just seem to care so much about these kids and want to give them the very best start in their eduction. You can really tell this because Morgan loves to go to school. Sometimes we get a little resistance in the morning as she's waking up and having breakfast, but I think that's just the fact that, like both her parents, we are not morning people! There's not much we can do that. I do know that when Morgan gets to school she is happy and ready to participate.

I also was surprised to learn that Morgan is the youngest child in her class. The other parents also seemed surprised about this when the teacher mentioned it. The majority of the time these kids only have one year in the AIM program before they start Kindergarten. Because we got Morgan in Early Intervention before she was two, we were able to transition her to the school district program at three, she will have two full years in the AIM program before Kindie. That will give her such a great opportunity to learn and mature. We can give ourselves a pat on the back for that!

The School Bus - Update

2011-11-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

No news is good news, we think. We got a message from the school district that they received David's appeal letter. They are actually considering it! Until then, the mornings get colder and I dread how we are going to deal with trekking a few blocks to the bus when there is snow on the ground and unshoveled sidewalks. I imagine I may need to put both girls in the car and drive, keeping them inside until the bus pulls up. Ugh! It's hard enough getting those two in their car seats now, but every morning to drive two blocks?!

We're hoping they make an exception for us and can use the "generous" turnaround so they can pull up in front of our house. I'll let you know when we hear more!

Gram and Grandpa B Visit

2011-11-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

Gram and Grandpa B came for a visit the weekend of Halloween and we had a great time at lots of fun events and Morgan and Piper got lots of grandparent time. My Dad takes nice pictures, so it's always great to get some of his shots on my blog instead of my iPhone versions. Here's a few from the weekend:

They like to squirt each other as well as anyone else in the room with their plethora of bath toys.

Look at that smile!

A fun project with Mama at Piper's school

Our sweet cupcake

If you look very closely, there is a pea at the end of that chopstick. Piper was fascinated with them as I like to use them when we get take-out. She was so proud of herself!

Wordless Wednesday: Two Girls in a Box

2011-11-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

Smile pretty!

2011-11-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

Morgan had her six month check-up at the dentist yesterday. I don't know what I was thinking bringing her in the day after Halloween! They actually did not eat as much candy as I thought they might. The trick or treating was the most fun.

Morgan did so well at her appointment. I am thrilled!! Well, actually, she didn't do everything they wanted her to do, but there was MAJOR progress. I give that staff major props for working with her and being patient.

The big success was that she allowed them to take x-rays of her teeth! I tried to prepare her a few days before that they were going to take "pictures" of her teeth. I think that helped, but the assistants did really well reading her cues and knowing when to back off and when to push her a little. She sat so well and bit on the "lollipop stick" and let that machine go around her head. I was just amazed!

Now, when it came down to trying to clean her teeth she wanted nothing to do with it. I could tell she was at her limit. The dentist was thrilled that they got the x-rays and thus, no cavities! She withstood the dentist checking around her mouth and putting on fluoride, but that was enough.

One step at a time, I always say. I'm so proud of my girl!

Halloween

2011-11-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

Though I've post-dated this post, obviously I'm behind on so many topics I've wanted to blog about. So much going on, yet so little time to write about it.

The girls had a FABULOUS Halloween this year! We had Gram and Grandpa B visiting and we made our way over to Couer d'Alene Place for a little Trick or Treating. I think CdA Place is Halloween "Mecca." Our friends just moved into their new home their...they had 450 kids show up and their door that night! Wow! We literally felt the crunch too. There were a few homes that had narrow entrances to their porches, and the number of kids coming in and and out caused a bottleneck several times. Morgan got the hang of it quickly and as she finished at one house she said, "More houses!" every time. Piper was so cute running with those little legs to keep up with the bigger kids.

As you can see, we had the most adorable pumpkin and cupcake!

Halloween Dancers

2011-10-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

Morgan and Piper's sweet little dance studio had a Halloween "Performance" for us on Friday. All the kids wore their costumes and had a brief class. Then they got to play some special games with Teacher Michelle. At the end of class we got to see their tap dance they'd been practicing for a few weeks. I don't know what got in to Morgan and Piper, but they paid attention so well and did more of the actual dance than they ever did before. I have the actual videos of the dances, but have just realized I need to get a wireless router before I can upload to YouTube. They are too large to email from my iPhone, and the 3G only goes so far to get it on YouTube. Hopefully I can do that this week. Until then, photos will have to suffice. Note: the pics from Piper's class are from my phone...and mu Dad took the gorgeous ones of Morgan's class. Thanks Dad!

All little tapping at the end

She actually stood nicely at the barre and participated!

Speaking of participating...look at Morgan go! (Piper in the background)

Look! She's even standingon her "pink tape"!

And a pose!

And another pose! Amazing!

Piper's Dance Class

2011-10-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

We were finally able to start Piper in her own dance class on Friday! We had trouble finding shoes in her size as she has smaller feet for her age. It turned out they were bigger than we thought (though still small in comparison). So, the size 7 shoes (the smallest ones they have at Payless Shoes, where most of the kids get their dance shoes)...are still big, but not too bad. I moved Morgan up a size in her tap shoes, so Piper is now wearing hers and the itty bitty ballet shoes are sooo adorable! Here's Piper in her class!

Most of the kids are just fascinated by Teacher Michelle. She wears super pretty ballet outfits and tutus. Piper wanted to hold her hand while they "chasse'd" across the floor.

Turning with her arms "above" her head.

The girls' favorite part of class is the "wand" dance they do to a song from the Tinker Bell movie. We just got this movie, so both Morgan and Piper recognize the song.

Let me know if this video plays okay. I had to reduce the size of it a little when I emailed it from my phone. It's more of the "wand' dance. I'm amazed how Piper mostly follows along and listens to direction.

Speaking of "listening to direction," it will be an adjustment the next few weeks because this was the first week we tried Piper's class, which is followed by Morgan's class. It was two loooong hours in that dance studio. It was hard for me to get Morgan to understand that the first class was only Piper's and that she'd have to wait for her own class. I finally distracted her with the iPad (loaned from the WSU study). Unfortunately it distracted another child in Piper's class who didn't feel like participating, oops! I was able to get that child back into the class though (most parents don't stay for the class, so her Mom wasn't there).

Another way I was able to help Morgan understand when her class was going to start was telling her that when her "friends" got there it was time. Specifically we talked about a girl Morgan is fascinated with..." Kai Lan." Yes, there is a pretty little Asian girl in Morgan's class with the same name as the animated character on Nick Jr. I'm pretty certain Morgan thinks she's the same person. So...when the kids' in Morgan's class arrived, including Kai Lan, they gathered around Teacher Michelle. Morgan got as close to Kai Lan as she could... then Kai Lan moved as FAR away from Morgan as she could. Honestly it broke my heart. This is where it starts, people! I was grateful Morgan didn't keep following her and really didn't noticed how Kai Lan pretty much shunned her, but it really hurt my heart. Later in class there was a part where the girls lied down on the floor in a sort of spoke pattern. Morgan was the only one not in the circle. Another little girl noticed and said "Morgan, come here!" Morgan turned around looked at the girl, smiled, and joined the group. Yippee! That is the kind of girl Morgan needs as a friend. One who wants her to be a part of the group, not outside it.

Whew, it takes a lot out of me physically and emotionally, but they both love their "dance class." As long as the teachers says Morgan is doing okay, we'll stay. Hopefully as she gets more in tune with the routine, she'll be able to pay attention better and better.

Morgan's School Picture Fall 2011

2011-10-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

More Language Learning

2011-10-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Morgan has really come up with some interesting phrases lately. I'm not sure if this is scripted or spontaneous, but it's nice to hear anyway. It's funny, whenever Morgan says something new or interesting when both of us are in earshot, David and I look at each other as if to say "Did you hear what I heard?!" Then we laugh.

One thing she said last week was in response to me asking her to go upstairs to Quiet Time. She said "I want to stay down here for a little while." Ummm. "For a little while?" Really?

David told me a few days ago that he heard her say "actually" to begin a sentence. I hadn't heard this yet. Then we were at a friends' house this weekend...Morgan had just finished using the potty and said "Look, those are cars!" and pointed at their Cars (movie) shower curtain. Then she went up to the curtain, pointed at Lightning McQueen and said "Actually, this is a red car." People...do I say "actually" a lot? This has to be coming from somewhere.

Then finally, I got a message from her teacher today. I had called a few days ago to check in on how Morgan's been doing. She said Morgan's been doing great and seems really happy at school. Then she said yesterday Morgan came into her classroom, sat down at a table and said "I love this place!" OK, I wasn't there and I'm always skeptical of when I hear things like this through other people...but, why shouldn't I believe her? It's not a phrase I've ever heard coming out of Morgan's mouth, but I'll take it! I'm not sure if this jump in random language skills is due to anything in particular, but we like it!!

Our little whiner

2011-10-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

Wow. I can't believe we're so far into October and I am so far behind on my blogging. I'm also currently hiding for a few minutes upstairs to escape our expert whiner, Morgan. The last few weeks she seems to have mastered this "skill" and is making us all nuts. Currently she is whining because it is Halloween and not Easter. I pulled out our box of Halloween/Fall decorations and found that I had also stashed some Easter items in there (can you say, mistake?!). Morgan was obsessed with hiding the plastic eggs last Easter, so as soon as she spied them it was as if Halloween did not exist. So now there is an awful lot of "I neeeeed the Easter eggs!" going on downstairs as I type this post. Even a fun game with Piper and some cute ghost candles could not deter her from the whining. Sigh.

So, I'll be trying my best to catch up with the goings-ons around here in the next week or so. We've got a good routine going now with school and Fall activities. Still busy, but less overwhelming.

Not to be Outdone (Morgan)

2011-09-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

I spoke with Morgan's AIM (Autism Intervention Model) teacher today. I hadn't had any news from her this week, so I thought I'd check in.

She said Morgan was doing great! I didn't get too much detail on how she does in the integrated preschool class (though I'm sure she'd tell me if there was a problem), but she had a fun example of something that had happened the day before. Morgan and her classmate Hayden were working on some artwork and one of the teachers told Morgan she was doing a good job. Morgan piped up and said to Hayden "you're doing a good job too!" (Or something like that, I don't know the exact wording she used). Then Hayden surprised them by encouraging Morgan back! They said they all sat back and laughed and said, "Well, our job is done!" The biggest goal of this AIM program is to help the children develop their social skills. The fact that the two of them acknowledged each other, unprompted, is amazing! Go Morgan and go Hayden!

Piper's Tea Party

2011-09-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Piper decided she wanted to have a Tea Party. She didn't use these words yet, but she grabbed my hand, took me over to the little kitchen and pulled me to sit down. When I sat she put a saucer and tea cup in front of me, saying "There go Mama." They she took one over to Morgan, who was playing across the room. She put the saucer and cup in front of her and said "There go Morgan!" (BTW, she now calls Morgan by her name, not Boo Boo. She's figured out how to pronounce it and is very proud of herself!)

Then she came back to me, sat down and gave herself an saucer and cup. They she grabbed the tea pot and "poured" us all some tea. Happily slurped our tea with some "cheers" thrown in.

This was very simple, but HUGE for me. Piper initiated this on her own. She did not follow any particular "way" she had seen this done before. She included her sister, though Morgan didn't really participate, and lead the whole process. This was REAL pretend play happening on it's own. Though we'd done Tea Parties in the past, it was not recent. I didn't have to initiate it or "teach" her how.

Amazing. I know this is not a big deal for most parents, but it is monumental to us!

Little Buddies

2011-09-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

I just started watching our neighbor's little girl, Annalie, on Tuesday mornings. It really just covers her brothers' school day, from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm, when their afternoon babysitter picks her up.

This is a GREAT thing for both of them. Annalie (Annie), is about 9-10 months older than Piper. It's fabulous for Piper to have this regular one-on-one time with a slightly older child who is developing typically. She actually extremely verbal, so this is a great example for Piper too. This is also great for Annie as she'll get good playing time with another girl as well as a child younger than her.

The first day Annie was just excited to play with all of our "things," the little kitchen, play-doh and the outside sandbox and swings. She went from one the other so quickly it made my head spin. Piper also tried to play with her as she does with Morgan. Annie did not like how Piper wanted to tickle her and wrestle with her. That's what Piper does with Morgan since their interaction is more physical than verbal at this point.

The second Tuesday we got into a better "groove" and I was able to keep them focused longer on tasks and they really played better together. It was so nice to see them both in the play kitchen with the dolls, food, shopping carts...nice pretend play!! These are things Morgan does not do a lot of and Piper doesn't always like to do it alone. Thus she ends up playing Morgan's "way" more than hers. Not to be so negative about Morgan, they have a nice connection of their own, but seeing an neuro-typical (NT) child play is very different. Piper was very sad when she woke up from her nap that afternoon and Annie had gone home. She woke up and pointed to Morgan's room (where Annie napped), saying "An, An!" When I told her Annie wasn't there, she plopped back down in her crib and cried a little. I was sad for her...but secretly thrilled that she felt emotionally connected to Annie. It was so sweet.

Overall I think we're going to have a lot of fun with this arrangement! It's good for all of us!

The loved sitting in this little car together. The door doesn't quite close. Can you see that they're almost the same size. Piper is not big for her age, Annie is just little, but it makes Piper look enormous!

Piper's goofy "smile"

Annie had their car's cup holders all loaded up!

School Bus Update

2011-09-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

We are still trying to make some progress with the school district on Morgan's bus ride. Until then we are taking her two blocks to a corner where the bus can drive through without backing up. Such a pain! The afternoon driver keeps changing their route (who they drop off first), so we don't know if she's going to be there at 2:00 or 2:30 pm! One day I think I have it, and it changes. A few times I've been out there waiting and have to call them to find out where they're at. This is not ideal as Piper is napping at home...thus why we are still fighting this issue.

So the original Transportation Director came out to look at the turnaround and told David no right away. Policy this, policy that...etc. So, David asked for his supervisor's contact info. This guy is the just under the Superintendent. They had a good conversation. He lived in a neighborhood close to our's so he knows how the city works in the winter with the snowplows (or doesn't). He even said something about coming to look for himself to consider if an exception can be made.

We're supposed to hear by this Friday, so for now it's a wait and see situation. In the meantime, Morgan is doing well with her rides and looks forward to it every day. This is good, because it's a long ride for her in the morning... not sure how the afternoon will be when they work out their route. I still feel guilty about this, but since she is enjoying it I'm trying to let the guilt go. There's so many things to feel guilty about as a Mom. That's a whole other topic!

Spokane County Fair 2011

2011-09-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

It's County Fair time again!! This was actually the first time we've been since we've lived here. We told Morgan all day we were going to go on and "adventure." Well, we learned the hard way that "adventure" can only mean "Jump and Bounce." Once we passed the street that was on she became very agitated and kept saying "No Fair!... Adventure!" This is what we've found we encounter when we try something new with Morgan. We get resistance because she has anxiety about things she is not familiar with. So, we were so happy when we got there and she LOVED it! We ended up staying about 4 1/2 hours and had a blast!

Here's a desperate look from Piper. She really wanted to go here...

Unfortunately Piper wasn't big enough, but Morgan had a great time sliding with Daddy!

Checking out the pigs (we saw cows, bunnies, sheep and chickens too)

One of the ferris wheels we "tried" to go on. Morgan wanted to go so bad, but she wasn't tall enough...and they would even let her on if she rode with us. So lame. They did enjoy a ride on the "spinning bears", kind of like the teacups at Disneyland. The carousel was a great one as well.

Morgan requested to have her face painted and got this pretty flower with sparkles and a rhinestone. She did so well!

The big slide again!!!

Dance Class Experiment

2011-09-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

Morgan started her first dance class today! This is something I've debated about for a long time. I took ballet and other types of dance throughout my childhood. I took the time to consider this carefully for Morgan. I didn't want it to be because I did it and wanted her to experience it. I didn't want to set myself up for disappointment if she hated it either. I built it up to her over a period of time. When she danced with the kids on TV shows I'd ask her if she liked dancing. She always says yes. I'd then asked her if she would like to take a dance class and try to explain what it would be like. Early on she said no, but when we saw clips of a ballet class on TV I asked her and she'd say yes.

So, I head about a studio from one of the Moms in Morgan's preschool class last year. I called and talked to the owner/teacher this summer about classes. She gave me the details, but I thought I'd check out some other places as well. I didn't think Morgan was quite ready yet either. Then a few weeks ago I got a postcard in the mail from another local program I'd heard about. When I called, the director was a little pushy. When I mentioned Morgan's autism she became very nervous and suddenly seemed very negative. This wasn't the place for us.

I called the original studio again and the owner was so sweet when I expained about Morgan's autism. She offered to let Morgan try it out for a few weeks without us paying yet. So, that Friday we went to check it out... it is the sweetest little place. You open the door right into the studio and there are big mirrors all around. The teacher wasn't there yet, so we played around a bit. Morgan and Piper loved running around and watching themselves "dance." I found some little tap shoes (they were having a shoe swap that day) to try and Morgan LOVED tapping...or pretty much stomping around in them. I didn't know how she would handle the noise, so I didn't want to run out and buy some. I asked her a few more times if she wanted to take a class and she said yes. We observed the class for a bit and the teacher (a different one from the owner) encouraged us to come back.

So...the next Friday approached and I went out and bought Morgan a leotard and tights at Target. They had the ballet and tap shoes at Payless. She was set! Here's how it went...

The kids start off "stretching" at the beginning of class. Morgan sat some and other times got up and ran around. Notice Piper participating too!

"Butterfly" stretches. When the teacher asked what color everyone's butterflies were, Morgan said her's was orange (of course!). I was so glad she answered the question.

The girls at the barre on one side of the room. The girl on the far left was in Morgan's preschool class last year.

Another little barre on the other side. This was one of the few times Morgan actually stood still!

Piper wanted to dance too!

A sort of ring around the rosie dance

I think they were "dancing" to some pretty ballet music this time. Notice Morgan and another girl tending to their "wedgies." Oh, and Piper's in there too!

Checking herself out... again.

Little fairies "falling asleep" after their wand dance. Notice Piper. Where's Morgan? Looking at herself in the mirror of course!

Tapping!! One of the few times she was listening.

The girls getting their "treats" after class. I hope this isn't a metaphor for Morgan's life...

Now she joined in!

Really, the pictures make it look like she participated more than she did. I was exhausted after class trying to get Morgan to focus. Hmmm, probably a lost cause at this point. The teacher said Morgan did way better than she thought she would! I felt better and ws more encouraged to come back after that. This teacher was substituting for the owner/teacher that day, so I wanted to see what she thought as well, since it was her class. We'll see how it goes!

Wordless Wednesday: Morgan's Giraffe

2011-09-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

Piper's School

2011-09-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

Here's our Piper on her first day of "school." She was excitedly showing me an airplane in the sky as I was taking pictures. She is attending the "Toddler Class" at the same school Morgan went to one day a week last year. She's one of the youngest in the class as her birthday is right before the school district's cut-off...but we'll be dealing with that more seriously as she gets closer to starting Kindergarten. For now it's nice that she gets her own school day.

I'm most excited because I had a hard time participating in this program with Morgan because I was chasing Piper around the whole time. When the kids are doing their activities the Moms/Parents/Grandparents gather in the lobby area to have our own discussions. It's nice to get to know the other parents and share our experiences and advice. It's also quite different this time because I will be discussing a "typical" child instead of one with special needs, though I'm sure I'll share some of that too. It seems like a good group with many backgrounds to share.

Piper did great! She did not come out of the class once to see me!! (As I'm post-dating this entry, the second class she did come out once at the end, which I loved!). Many Moms were in and out of the class with their kids as well as some of them having a younger child to take care of. I'm enjoying this time...I've earned it! I think Piper remembered Morgan's class and how badly she wanted to be in there. It's so exciting that it's her turn now! We really like this school and the director is really professional as well as nurturing to the kids. We've got Piper signed up there until Kindergarten, so we hope she loves it too!

The Bus

2011-09-08T14:23:00.000-07:00

Here's Morgan's bus coming down the road to drop her off at home the first day! Little did we know it would be the beginning of a fiasco that has still not been resolved. We decided at the end of the school year last year that Morgan would take the bus when school started again in September. Her AIM program goes from 9:30 am - 1:30 pm. The pick-up time would be right in the middle of Piper's nap time. I'm not ready to have her give up her nap... so the bus it was! The teachers assured me that the kids love it, so I thought we'd give it a try.

A few days before school started I received calls from the morning and afternoon bus drivers, letting me know when she would be picked up and dropped off each day. I took Morgan to school on her first day, but she was scheduled for her first bus ride home that afternoon. The morning driver asked me if there was a turnaround on our street, as it is a dead end. I told her there is one between the last two houses on the left side. When our development went in, this turnaround was mandated by the city until it was know whether the street would eventually continue through (to date, the owner will not sell the land). Garbage trucks and delivery vehicles turn around in this spot weekly. I watched as this bus driver turned around with no issues and pulled up in front of our house.

So...when I walked up to meet Morgan the driver said, "Oh no, my "Boss" isn't going to like that." You are going to have to meet us at xxxx and yyyyy cross-streets two blocks away. I questioned this and she said she would have her Boss look at it. Later that day the morning driver called and said she'd talked to the afternoon driver and that the turnaround "was too short," so we'd have to meet her at the spot two blocks away. I then asked for the Boss's phone number, which she gave me. It was late in the afternoon so when no one answered I left a message.

In the meantime, Morgan did okay on the bus her first time. They said she cried some and didn't want to get on, but they assured her they were taking her to "see Mommy" and she eventually got on and did well on the ride home. It was a hot day and she was a little flushed, but seemed to be happy. She mentioned later that she wanted to go on the school bus again, so that was encouraging.

Then next morning the "Boss" called around 7:30 am. He talked about "policy this" and "policy that." I still pushed back saying the turnaround was approved by the city and the garbage trucks and UPS trucks used it frequently with no issues. I then asked, aren't special needs children guaranteed to be picked up at their homes? He then asked if she had a "transportation IEP", which I don't know if this is different that a regular IEP, which she has. Anyway, I asked if there was anyone else we could speak with and he said he'd call back. He called back shortly and said no one else was in the office. To date, we have not had a call back.

With no resolution I had to take Morgan the few blocks away to meet the bus. The driver said she'd be there at 8:25 am and when she called at 8:20, asking where Morgan was I was a little annoyed. Sweet Morgan (with Piper in her stroller) protested all the way down the street saying "I want to go in Mama's car, open the garage!" and "I want Mama to go on the bus too!" I felt just awful, like I was the worst Mom ever putting my three year-old on this bus to school. The driver and bus aide were really sweet, saying they were taking her to school and they'd have a great time!! She seemed to be OK after that. I set her up with her granola bar for the ride. Then I walked Piper home and started crying. I called her teacher just blubbering. She was so sweet and promised to call when Morgan got there. She called about 15 minutes after Morgan arrived and reported that she got off the bus happy and they'd asked her if she liked it and she said "yes." Though...Morgan says yes to a lot of things that I'm not sure she really means yes. Hmmm. I do think this is an adjustment in routine for her. Once she knows it's part of her school routine she'll be fine with it.

When I went out to pick her up that afternoon (stinking hot, by the way!)... I took Piper's monitor with me which worked almost the whole two blocks. Morgan was very happy to see me when she hopped down the steps and walked home asking for her favorite TV show of the moment. I had also sent some water with her this time, so she seemed less hot and sweaty this time. I asked her a few questions about her day and got more information out of her than I did last year! Good progress! She told me some of the other kids' names, which included a few kids from her class last year... whom I don't think are actually in her class this year, but their classroom is close by. But there were new kids' names too. I asked her what she had for breakfast (cereal) and lunch (pizza). I asked her if she ate the pizza, because she doesn't at home, and she said she "licked" it. Huh? That's a whole other story. At first I thought I didn't hear it right, but found out later that's what actually happened. More on that later...

So, heading into Monday David is going to take over the call to the Boss, and if needed, the Superintendent's office...or whatever we need to do to get this resolved. More soon.

Wordless Wednesday: First Day of School

2011-09-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

And not to be outdone by her sister...

2011-09-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

Morgan decided to surprise us tonight when we were putting her to bed. I was in Piper's room waiting for her to come in from Morgan's room (as part of the usual routine). David put Morgan in bed and gave her the usual goodnight kisses. I suddenly heard her say to him, "I love you!" I had not heard David say this first, so this came as a surprise. David said he loved her too. Then she said again "I love you too, Daddy!" Awwww!

Then she topped it by telling David she wanted to see me. He asked her if she wanted to go see me or if she wanted me to come to her room. She said right away that she wanted me to come to her. Of course I did. I gave her a big hug goodnight and, like she did with David, she said to me, "I love you!" I told her I loved her too, and she said (again), "I love you too, Mama!" My heart just melted!

Sweetest thing ever!! If I haven't mentioned this, it was all TOTALLY spontaneous! No prompting, nothing. Occasionally she's said she loves us after we say it to her, but she's never said it first. Wow! What a day!

Piper's 2-year Well "Baby" Visit

2011-09-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

She's not a baby anymore! We had Piper's 2 year appointment this morning. She did great! She was patient while we waiting for the Dr. She did little dances around the room and was very concerned when she heard a baby crying and kept trying to open the door saying "baby, baby" (so she could go help him/her, I guess).

When the Dr. came in she let him examine her as I stood next to her holding her on the table. He'd look in one ear and she'd say "I did it!", then the next ear, and so forth with the whole exam. She was a little nervous when she had to lie down. She only cried a little when she got her flu shot.

Her stats:

Weight: 26.5 lbs (47-48%)

Height: 33.5 in (39%) - I'm not sure how accurate this is and they have her lie down and make marks on the paper at her head and feet. She was in the 59% six months ago?

Head: 18.8 in (53%)

So really right in the middle and proportional. I was a little concerned about her gross motor skills as she does not walk up stairs on her own (still crawls). Morgan was also able to jump at this age and Piper does not. Actually she thinks she can, but both feet don't come off the floor! The Dr. was not concerned at all. She climbs all over furniture and into her own car seat. He thinks she'll get there soon with the stairs and jumping.

What a relief to have a 2-year appointment with a typically developing child! You have no idea how relieved we are to make it past the critical 18-24 month period...our child psychologist said that some kids who have autism have an "onset" during that time (though Morgan was always delayed, we cannot pinpoint an "onset"). It looks like Piper is doing everything she should be!

Here's a super cute picture Grandpa B took. Please ignore the cracker crumbs...

Happy Birthday Piper!

2011-09-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

We can't believe Piper is TWO!! Here is our sweet Piper getting ready to enjoy her birthday cake! We had such a fun day playing with new toys and just enjoying her. We also had a wedding to go to that day, so it was a busy one! We were able to make it back home for a wonderful strawberry birthday cake baked by Gram B. She loved it! Grampa A called and David put him on speaker. He said "Happy Birthday Piper!" and she said "Happy, I two! Happy, I two!" So cute! Now everything birthday related is called "Happy." Sounds good to us! She had her two year well check next week, so we'll let you know the stats as we have them.

And now to leave you with one of the many faces of Piper!! She makes all kinds of expressions when you pull out the camera. I was lucky to get a semi-nice one (above)!

The Spinny Chair

2011-08-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Say hello to our "Spinny Chair"! We've had this for a while, but I thought it was worth a post. I took these pictures during "quiet time", so no kiddos in it, but I'll try to do some "action" shots later.

We first saw this chair in a speech therapist's office while we were taking a seminar. It was where they were doing the childcare and all the kids, autism or not, LOVED this thing. They would hop in, close the cover and one of the SLP students would spin them around and around! We learned it was from IKEA, so on our last trip to Seattle in June we took a spin by the store on our way home and picked one up (and managed not to buy anything else, amazing!) Here's a shot with the cover open.

And here's the cover down...it reminds me of something from Mork and Mindy, no?! Morgan and Piper love taking turns as well as spinning together. They fit in there quite nicely right now. Piper has even figured out how to lie on her tummy and move herself around with her hands too! I know...hard to picture, but I'll try to get a shot of it. She doesn't move fast, but she likes doing it herself.

Lots of Language

2011-08-05T15:04:00.000-07:00

Both Morgan and Piper are making nice progress with their language lately. This is encouraging for us in so many ways.

Piper, at 23 months is consistently using combinations of words. The other day I swear she said to me "I want eat a hot dog." Really. Oh, and "hot dog" is what she says when she means any kind of food. She also has finally decided to call Morgan "Boo Boo." I think she attempted "Morgan" for a long time and it finally dawned on her that "Boo Boo" was way easier to say. Last night she made her way around the dinner table pointing at each one of us saying "Mama eat," "Dada eat," "Boo Boo eat." Very cute. Even when she wakes up in the morning she'll call out "Boo Boo, Boo Boo!" until Morgan comes in her room to see her. It's nice to see Piper hitting her milestones with language. Obviously we did not see this with Morgan. It still amazes me that this happens naturally with "typical" kids. We've had to work so hard with Morgan to help her language along. It's nice to see Piper might just do it on her own.

Morgan has been using a lot more spontaneous, descriptive language lately. She is talking a lot about what she sees and even a little about what she feels. Last week I was playing a game of catch with her. I wanted her to come closer to me, since we were not doing well with her standing so far away. She refused and I "pouted" for a bit. She then said "Mama want to be happy!" This meant she wanted me to smile, I think. She's said this more often to all of us and is very satisfied if we give her a big smile. I'm not sure if she's really understanding the emotion or just wanting the smile instead of a frown. Doesn't matter, it's nice that she is recognizing the expression. She still is using a lot of repetitive and "scripted" language, but that is OK as long as new language is happening too.

Morgan is also talking more directly to Piper. She tells Piper that she is doing a good job and encourages her when she does new things. She is recognizing the words Piper is saying and often I hear, "That's right Piper, that is a ...." Too cute! If she doesn't want Piper to play with her she says "Piper, you go play with the...." She actually looks at Piper when she says these things, instead of looking at me to do something, or help the situation. This makes sense, since kids with autism tend to have a slower processing speed with language. She is able to keep up with an almost 2 year old and interact. Hopefully as we continue our RDI program (still in the parent education stage) this will improve and she will be able to interact with older and older kids. I'm feeling better, as we get closer to the school year starting, that we're making some progress this summer.

Tattletale

2011-08-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were making our way out of the gym childcare area and I heard a loud voice directed my way. I looked down to see a girl who was talking directly to me in a very serious tone. She said "That girl was mean to us!" I said "Who was mean to you?" She pointed right at Morgan and said "THAT girl!" I asked her what happened and she said "She took our toys away from us."

Sigh. I knew this would happen at some point. Of course not being there, I don't know what really went down. Possibly Morgan was fixated on some particular toy and did take it from the other girl(s). Possibly the girl interrupted Morgan playing and she fought back. Morgan would never be intentionally "mean" as she doesn't understand what that is, but I'm sure it's how it appeared to the other girl(s). Who knows...when we left the gym I stopped Morgan and asked her if she took the girls' toys. Morgan said sadly "Yes." Morgan does not know how to lie, so I know she must have done this. We had a little talk about not taking toys other kids are playing with and she seemed get it. Well really, I just talked at her, but something seemed to register like she understood what I was saying.

I expect this to only get worse as Morgan not only is possessive about toys, she just doesn't understand the social cues involved with sharing and playing with other kids. She's making progress with Piper, but I imagine older kids can be intimidating or anxiety-inducing for her. I'm sure this is not the first time she's ruffled some feathers at the childcare. Luckily I have not gotten any negative comments from the staff, so far.

To tell you the truth...this particular girl totally rubbed me the wrong way. I know my kid was probably in the wrong, but I'd say this girl was the mean one. The way she spoke to me, with such a nasty expression on her face...she may just be a future bully in the making. If I was Morgan, I wouldn't want to play with her either.

Water Park Wonder

2011-08-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

These are a few (not so good) pictures from my phone of the water park we visited on Saturday. This is actually one of the Spokane County Parks and Rec pools, but it was AMAZING! It is a little pricier than some of the other rec pools ($2 for kids under 6 and under 2 are free). Kids over 6 and adults are $4 each. Not too bad. We made it in for $10 (until Piper turns 2 at the end of August).

Some friends saw a picture of this "aquatic center" on a local kids' activities booklet and we decided to check it out. We cannot believe this has been here for THREE years and we just heard of it. It is about a half an hour from our house on the South Hill. We decided we will be going back every weekend for the rest of the summer. It was THAT GOOD!

I know it's hard to make out from my quick pictures (kids were running around). There is a zero entry area right in front which was great for getting acoustumed to the water and later in the day we just lounged there while the kiddos climbed all over us and the play structures. In the far back, you can see a HUGE green water slide. David went on this MANY times with Morgan who just loved it! They rode on an inner tube and she exclaimed things like "we're on the green slide!" and "This...is...so...fun!" on the ride down. There is also a "lazy river" with "rapids" and water shooting over you. The big "bucket" contraption you see in the front of the picture is CRAZY! It dumps SO much water on you! The first time Piper and I ventured onto it, we got totally blasted with water! So much so that it completely busted her ponytail holder. I'm glad she was still able to stay upright. Piper kept pushing me away from her because she realized she could walk in the water by herself all the way up to her chin. She's now perfected her bubble blowing. Her swim teacher would be proud!

There is also a concession area. They don't technically allow outside food in there, but we observed many people with there own snacks and lunches. We had brought some food for the girls and it worked out great. I don't think they police the food too much. We had such a fantastic time! Next Saturday we're planning on staying all day. Piper threw an absolute FIT when we told her we were leaving to go home for naps. She kept trying to run off into the water again. I'm sure she'll still throw a fit next week, but jut maybe she'll be too tired to care. This was the place to be on a hot sunny day in Spokane!

I'll try to get some better pictures next time, including the girls!

Wordless Wednesday: Piper's Pajama Preferences

2011-07-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday: Our Pretty Girls

2011-07-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

My Costume

2011-07-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

We're having a "sick day" at home today. Both girls woke up with icky noses yesterday, so it's been a few days of laying low. We're trying to find ways of entertaining ourselves and, of course, that does include more TV than usual (insert Mommy guilt here). Morgan was watching her beloved "Fresh Beat Band" on Nick Jr. today and was inspired by the episode that included the main characters dressing up in costumes. She kept saying "I want my costume" and pointing upstairs. I finally asked her if she wanted her "flower" costume, because she wore it this last Halloween and it was the most similar to the costumes they were wearing on the show. She said yes and put it on right away. She continued to wear it through the next show until I told her she had to take it off for Quiet Time (she also needed to use the potty, but was procrastinating because she wanted to keep the costume on).

Silly girls. It's not easy to get a picture when the TV is on. The costume barely fit Morgan. She is so tall that it couldn't have been that comfortable. Still cute though. It made her happy and that's all that counts.

Piper's Boo-tay

2011-07-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

As some of you may have read a while ago, David taught Morgan to say "boo-tay" for bottom. Even though I use the term "bum" most of the time, she continues to use "boo-tay" when referring to this area of the body.

Last night the girls had their bath. Piper had already gotten out and was standing, still naked, on the stool by the sink, waiting to brush her teeth. Morgan, being dried off by David, points at Piper and says "I see Piper's boo-tay!" We laughed and said, yes, there it is! She then says "I want to touch Piper's boo-tay!" and heads towards Piper. She does just what she says she was going to do, then announces "It's squooshy!" Yes, "squooshy." Not squishy, but squooshy. I kind of like it!

Update on RDI

2011-07-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

So...we made our first trip to the "Tri-Cities" (Pasco, Kennewick and Richland, WA) last week and it went well! The drive was two hours, so not bad. We (meaning me and both girls) made a stop halfway on the way down for Morgan to go potty. As we left the Starbucks restroom I told Morgan we were getting back in the car. She said "No, I want lunch!" Apparently she thought we were stopping for food too. She had already had her lunch at home and we were purposely making the trip during "nap" time so Piper could sleep. I managed to get both of them back in the car and Morgan seemed satisfied with a special scone I got her.

When we got into town we met up with David (who had made the trip early that morning and had some sales calls), had some dinner and went to meet with our consultant, Christine. She runs the Responding to Autism Center in Kennewick and it was an impressive facility. In addition to RDI, they do all sorts of autism assessments and therapies as well as running social skills groups.

That evening we went over the basics of the program and got to know each other a bit. Morgan and Piper played nicely with some toys and who can resist a long hallway to run up and down?! The next morning we did our first RDA, a baseline assessment of where Morgan is at as well as how both David and I interact with her. Christine had us do some specific activities with her and videotaped the sessions. This will be used for comparison when we do future assessments to evaluate how our interactions improve.

David and I have started our first homework assignments. Since RDI is a parent-led program, the first few months are all about educating the families about the program and preparing us to work with Morgan using what they call "Guided Participation." It was wonderful to hear that this program will really be working to change how we interact with Morgan on a day-to-day basis, not any specific time that needs to be set aside for "therapy." We can use the taught techniques any time of the day, eating, playing, any activities outside of the house, etc. We will be helping her to learn the basic communication and social skills she didn't naturally learn. As we have not yet learned the techniques to do this, I don't have examples, but I will share bits and pieces as we go along.

All in all the driving, overnight stay and sessions worked out well. Our next session will be via Skype, so it looks like we will need to make the trip about once a month, which is totally do-able for us. We are also fortunate that Christine has family in the Spokane area too, so she will be able to make some trips our way as well.

4th of July Fun!

2011-07-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, Piper is naked in these photos. She seems to prefer being au natural in any setting. We got the water toys going before we changed her into her swimsuit and once we took the (wet) clothes off, she would not let us put the swimsuit on. Oh well. At least I chose some photos with less "exposure" than others.

As you can see from Morgan's face, the water was COLD! We left it out overnight hoping they'll get a warmer dip in it this afternoon.

Our 4th "weekend" was good. We did some swimming at the Y on Saturday, went to church and had friends over for a BBQ on Sunday. Monday we went to a park, had a picnic and picked up a cheap plastic pool and a slip 'n' slide at Target. Even David took a slide down the slip 'n' slide. Technically he was too big for it, but someone had to show them the technique! Yay for taking one for the team!

They loved playing in the water and did NOT want to come inside, especially Piper who threw a huge fit, as expected. We would have let them stay out longer, but even with sunscreen they both were a little sun kissed and tired after a lot of time outside. Once they were in bed, they were OUT. So, no fireworks this year. All in all we had a great time though!

Wordless Wednesday: Morgan in a Pot

2011-06-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Strides

2011-06-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

Both Morgan and Piper have been making some strides lately in a few areas. I don't think it's due to anything we've done differently, just your basic development, I guess...but I thought it deserved some recognition.

Morgan has had what I call a "burst" of listening skills. Possibly "receptive language?" Sometime last week I noticed her actually doing things when I asked her to, especially when we are away from the house. Much of the time I feel like I'm saying the same things over and over with no response, but maybe we're finally making some progress. This is also quite helpful during the times Piper was doing the complete opposite that I asked her...then followed by a meltdown.

For an example, as we've had our more frequent visits to the gym, I've struggled when asking the girls to stay with me once we leave the gym. I am really trying to get them to realize that it is not OK to run off without me and they must hold my hand when crossing the street in the large parking lot. Last week Piper decided to make a break for it and I told Morgan to "stay here" and I ran to catch Piper before she darted into the street. When I returned with a screaming Piper, Morgan had done just that...stayed where I told her to. Then she continued to stay close to me as we walked a mess of a baby girl to the car. Then Morgan got right in the car, into her car seat and waited patiently while I got Piper situated. Wow! It is very helpful not to have to deal with TWO screaming kids at once. That still happens, but lately Morgan knows that when Piper is having a tantrum in the car that she needs to do as Mama says. She did it again today after we left the grocery store. I'm hoping this continues as it will make it easier for me to take both of them to places like playgrounds or the children's museum on my own. If there is a lot more listening and staying with Mama, more fun things can happen!

Another area I've noticed improvement for Morgan is her use of pronouns. It is a common issue for kids with autism to misuse their pronouns and call a "he" a "she" or call herself "Morgan" instead of "me" or "I." She still doesn't have it consistently straight...but there is a marked improvement. She is also saying "mine" instead of "Morgan's" when defending her possessions from her sister. So, we've finally hit the "mine!" stage. I know this is a problem for some parents, but I'm thrilled that she is using this language correctly. I'm sure Piper is not far behind her!

Speaking of Piper, she is continuing to push the boundaries of her independence. Many times I try to help her do something she pushes me away and says "no!" She has to make sure she does it ALL by herself. I can't put her in the car anymore. She has to not only climb in the car herself, she has to climb into the car seat herself. This is quite a feat if you've seen her shorter-than-average legs! Also, she is in a convertible car seat that sits much higher off the floor of the car than Morgan's does. Often times if I help her with a step of something she will go all the way back to the beginning as to do it ALL herself (such as, if I lift her into the car she will climb OUT so she can climb back IN herself).

So, on the other hand, this burst of independence is causing an increase of tantrums on her part. Saturday was a doozy as she had several major meltdowns as well as three (unrelated) injuries to boot. She was a mess! She split her lip on the laminate floor (this WAS during a meltdown), skinned her knee and knocked herself in the head with a heavy toy. All in all, the increasing need for independence is developmentally appropriate and we are glad to see it...even with all that comes with it. Oh, and she is much more adamant about the word "NO" now. It sometimes even includes a bit of a stamping of the foot! I try not to laugh when she does it.

Game On

2011-06-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

We've finally got dates set to start the RDI (Relationship Development Intervention) program. We will be traveling to the Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick and Richland, WA) on Thursday, June 30. We will combine this with a work trip for David and stay overnight. Thursday evening we will have our first session with our consultant and continue with another session on Friday morning that will include a base assessment of where Morgan is at. This will give the consultant the tools she needs to determine where we need to start.

It should be pretty intense. We need to meet with the consultant every two weeks. Hopefully she will be able to come to us once in a while so we don't have to make the drive every time. I think as we get further along in the program we'll be able to do some sessions via skype, so there will be less travel involved. Traveling that often may be difficult with school in the fall, but we'll take it as it comes. Sometimes I get a little annoyed that we don't have a consultant here, but I tell myself not to dwell on it and we're grateful that she's as close as she is.

So far, we're getting into a summer routine. I've been getting myself back to the gym and the girls have been adjusting to going to the gym child care. There are a lot of activities and toys we don't have, so it's fun for them. Piper is still having a little trouble when I drop them off, but today she was fine when I made the pick up. I heard some crying as I approached, but was glad when I realized it was not Piper. Overall it's a good social atmosphere for the girls and really good for my attitude as I know I'm working to get myself healthier and more fit. The endorphins sure help a lot too!

Other days we go on errands in the morning and we're hoping to plan some play-dates. Swim lessons start this Saturday and I'm researching some ballet classes for Morgan, either through the Y or elsewhere.

I think this summer is going to fly by, and that sounds really good.

Wordless Wednesday: Little Personalities

2011-06-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

Presents

2011-06-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

Obviously we've been busy around here. Gram and Grandpa B came for a visit. David and I were able to spend a fun weekend in Seattle sans kiddos. We stayed with some friends and had a great getaway that included the U2 concert at Qwest Field. Awesome! We are already hoping to schedule another Seattle trip for a football game in the fall.

Just a little insight into Morgan's mind lately. Just as soon as Gram and Grandpa showed up she started saying "new toys!" At first I thought she was wanting to show them some new toys she'd gotten since her last visit, but soon it dawned on me that she was asking Gram and Grandpa for new toys! She has learned that when they come, she gets goodies! OK, funny...but a little embarrassing as well. Ultimately, she is right, when they come she gets some presents, but we will have to try to teach her that she cannot ask for new toys.

I was reminded of this today as we drove into the garage after our trip to the gym. Morgan pointed out the box with our artificial Christmas tree. She said "There's my Christmas tree, Gram and Grandpa bring presents!"

Lots more spontaneous language for Morgan lately. As much as we like our routine, it's good when we have visitors or new activities. This helps Morgan be more flexible and her language skills improve. I am in the midst of signing her up for swim classes and finding a dance/ballet class to try. Even if they don't go well they are good for her development.

More updates on therapy, Piper and other items soon!

Look who's talking...

2011-06-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Piper has been surprising us with her language lately. Since Morgan developed her language very differently than most kids, we really still don't know what to expect from Piper at this point. She just turned 21 months...and to date she had somewhere from 50-70 words and is starting to use phrases. At this age Morgan still had less than 10-15 words, and didn't start using phrases until well after she was two, probably closer to two and a half.

Now, the phrases Piper uses are ones she hears often. Since Morgan can be somewhat repetitive, it's not surprising that these are phrases she hears a lot. She hasn't yet been able to "generalize" these phrases yet, but I guess that comes later. She does use them in the right context. Phrases we hear often are:

I want down! (While in her high chair, shopping cart or car seat)
I want Mama!
Here you go! (while putting something in our hands)
Here we go! (Backing out of the garage in my car)
What's that? (pointing to a picture or object)
Where's Dada? (or Mama, or Morgan)
Thank You
Oh No!
Oh Wow!
Oh Man! (I think I say this a lot without realizing it)

And she just chatters away all day. Except for these phrases and individual words, it's a bunch of gibberish to us. She has nowhere near the enunciation Morgan has, but Morgan is strangely advanced with this.We figure at some point we'll understand what else she is saying, but for now it's nice to hear her "practicing."

Words with Morgan

2011-06-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Out of curiosity, the other day I decided to see if Morgan could recognize any words. She learned her letters so early...but we haven't been looking at books as much lately, so I wondered where she was at with this. We had not played with her magnetic letters in a while and I wanted to give them a new purpose.

I started with "Baby" - Morgan looked and said "Baby." Good, she's been able to recognize that one for a while.

Next, I threw up some animals names, "Dog, Cat, Pig." She named them all correctly. Hmmm. Not too surprising, since she has so many books and toys with animals and their names.

Then I put together "Duck." I can't remember what she said, but it was not duck. It may have started with a "D" though. OK, I thought. She's not really reading, she just recognizes some words.

Then I decided to stop with the animals and try something new. As you can see I added "Fun" to the mix. I'm not sure why I decided to use this, but it was the first simple word that came to mind.

For the record. It's probably not wise to follow the word "Duck" with a word that starts with "F," followed by a "u". I think you can guess what came out of her mouth....

Wordless Wednesday: Fun with Mr. Potato Head

2011-06-01T15:03:00.000-07:00

Outside

2011-05-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

We are spending A LOT of time outside lately! Maybe not in rain, but warm or cold, these girls especially LOVE to swing on their new swing set. Here's Grandpa and Daddy putting it together, with a little help from both girls! Morgan still says most days while she's swinging, "Grandpa and Daddy build the swing!"

Now we have all kind of activities outside for the girls, the swings, a slide and a sandbox, all courtesy of Grandpa and Gram B, over a few years time. We also have a few bright colored balls they like to throw and kick around and this last week we pulled out the bubbles. Those things are "magic!" It's actually been really nice for us so far this year in that both girls can go from one activity to another without much assistance. We're now free to keep up with watering our tomatoes, trimming bushes and trying to keep up with the crazy weeds.

Once we finish playing in the backyard, the girls like to head into the front yard. They like to visit friends on our block, draw with sidewalk chalk and help water plants. Really, it's hard to get them to come inside when it's time to make dinner, especially Piper. She's going to be an outdoor girl, that one.

Orange Butterfly

2011-05-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

We went to the end-of-year carnival at Morgan's "typical" preschool yesterday. It was so much fun for both Morgan and Piper! They would have been happy staying in the bouncy house/slide all day long. Piper was the hit of the parents as she was the littlest one to brave the steps and big slide. They were so amazed and just laughed when she just threw herself down the slide with utter joy!

And...Morgan amazed us by agreeing to have her face painted. She saw one of her friends who had a pink butterfly on her face. I asked if she wanted her face painted and she immediately said "yes" and then requested an "orange butterfly." You see, she couldn't tell you this yet, but this kid's favorite color is orange. She always uses the orange crayon first when coloring and loves her orange straw cup. One time at Target she kept requesting orange while looking for a new swimsuit. I did the best I could and found one with some orange in it, but I think she was still disappointed when it wasn't ALL orange. Finding clothing in primarily orange shades is not easy.

Not only was it great that Morgan requested the orange butterfly herself, most notably she sat still for it and let someone actually paint her face! Last summer we tried this at Valley Fest and she completely freaked out when the person came at her with a paintbrush. I think it helped that the person painting her face was someone she'd seen before (an assistant at the school) and she was in a familiar place. She really admired her orange butterfly the rest of the day and was really proud whenever someone mentioned how pretty it was. Obviously it wasn't a professional artist who did the painting, but it was beautiful nonetheless!

Plans curtailed

2011-05-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

So, our busy week proved to be "too" busy. I was afraid that might happen. Wednesday afternoon I drove up to Morgan's school to pick her up and her "main" teacher was waiting there with her. I thought "uh oh, this can't be good." The assistant teachers usually take the kids out to the buses/parents. I knew something was up.

It turns out that on Tuesday and Wednesday Morgan had some serious crying/screaming fits in class. She has never done this before at the district school. I was glad to hear that the teacher thought this was "out of character" for Morgan, but I fear this may start an unfavorable trend. Apparently the meltdowns are focused around their "circle time" where they sit and sing songs. Usually Morgan LOVES circle time and will sing us the songs they sing. In her Monday "typical" class she's always the first one on the rug.

Since we found out that there was going to be a "performance" of sorts we've been asking her what songs they are singing. Each time she says "no" and refuses to sing. So, now she's refusing to participate at school. So, yesterday we agreed to see what happens. I mentioned that we were having a busy week and we'd make sure she got a good night's sleep. Do you think she somehow felt the pressure of preparing for the event?! Could she be that intuitive?

So, we decided not to attend the Autism Society meeting last night. Morgan took a nice nap and had a great night's sleep last night (no wake-ups). She went off to school just fine. I went to pick Morgan up today and again, the teacher was there. No dice. She freaked out again today, maybe worse than the other two days. When it was time for circle time she threw herself on the floor and yelled "NO CIRCLE TIME!" Yikes. The teacher gave her choice of circle time or sit in a chair. She sat in the chair and cried, but was frequently given the option to return to circle time. She refused. Then when they took to other kids outside Morgan had to stay inside and do "something" related to circle time with the teacher. The teacher does not let the kids get away with not participating and make sure they participate in some way. She managed to get her to sit down and sing one song with her. On the way out to the playground Morgan kept trying to escape, saying "I need to use the potty." Apparently this is a way she's learned to avoid circle time this week. They'd take her to the potty and she wouldn't use it, it was just an excuse to get away. The teacher did not fall for that today and made her go out to the playground.

So, she basically encouraged us not to attend the event tonight. She said this for behavior reasons. She thought that if Morgan had a meltdown on stage we would have to remove her, and that would reinforce the bad behavior. I essentially agree with this, but it's still hard not to question it. We have no idea how Morgan would react to the situation, a new place she's never been, bright lights and a ton of kids singing at once. Probably not the best scenario anyway.

I'm sad about it. I LOVED this stuff as a kid (though I'm not sure if I would have participated at age 3.5?). I was really looking forward to watching her with her class and videotaping it. These are the times I feel really left out of the "neuro-typical" kid world. Why do those other parents get to watch their kid participate and I don't? I feel sad for Morgan too, though it probably really doesn't matter to her.

There was going to be cake afterwards too. She would have loved that.

Crazy Week Ahead

2011-05-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

We have plans EVERY SINGLE NIGHT this week! This is unheard of. It also may become an issue with Morgan's routine...but we shall see. Last night we had our usual "Life Group" meeting from our church. I don't know what I'd do without these people. They are a combination of support, love, laughter and just plain great friends.

Tonight David and I are headed to our first of five training sessions of "More Than Words" aka The Hanen Method, a therapy for autism that will be run by a professor at Washington State University. I think it may be similar to RDI, which we will start in June, but this was offered for FREE! We can't miss that opportunity. It will provide us with 10 hours of instruction/therapy we can work on with Morgan before we start RDI. Apparently this therapy is also quite expensive so we feel fortunate to be able to take part. This is being organized by The Isaac Foundation, the wonderful group who is providing our RDI grant. They are also providing childcare! I hope they make it fun for the girls.Woo hoo!

Wednesday night is a meeting of our local chapter of the Autism Society of Washington. As we build our support base, we look forward to connecting with some people we met at the last meeting.

Thursday night is an end of the year "presentation" for the Central Valley Early Learning Center where Morgan attends her developmental preschool. We've been told that her class will be singing for us. When we first saw this David and I looked at each other and said, "Really?!" We've been asking Morgan for about three weeks what song(s) she's been singing at school and so far she hasn't offered any concrete information. We cannot wait to see what will happen. The video camera will be in use!

Friday night is a Shock game, that I most likely will not attend. That's fine with me as I'm sure we'll all be exhausted by then. It also has an 8:00 pm start time which makes it impossible to bring the girls. Ah well, I will keep track of the score at home and have a little time to myself. Yippee!

Saturday evening is the annual Carnival at the preschool in Liberty Lake. It has a pirate theme and will have all sorts of fun activities for the kids including a cake walk! As a kid I remember winning a cake at something similar in elementary school. I'm making my yummy shortbread to donate. We'll see if we come home with any treats of our own.

I hope to be able to post some updates along the way this week. I've got a bunch of other post ideas lined up, but all I need is the time to do it. Stay tuned.

The little things

2011-05-10T15:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes with Morgan's development, the "little things" give me the most hope. The other night she finished her bath and she asked me to "put her dress on." This means that I wrap her towel under her arms, kind of like a strapless dress. Then she stepped up on the stool in front of the mirror and said "I'm Tiana!" If you're not familiar, this is one of the Disney "princesses." This is the first time she has pretended to be someone other than herself. Also, most of the time we have to remind her to say "I" or "me" instead of "Morgan" when talking about herself, so to say "I'm" anything, was amazing!

Then just a few minutes later we were in Piper's room putting them in their pajamas. Morgan went right up to Piper with a big smile and said, "Mmm, Ice Cream!" and proceeded to pretend to "lick" the picture of the ice cream cone on Piper's PJ's. Too cute!

Maybe she's continuing to show some more emerging skills with imaginary play? Any sort of progress makes me happy!

I want to spill my milk!

2011-05-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

I should have taken her seriously when she said this. She went and did just that.

I think Morgan was missing Gram and Grandpa. They came for a visit and left yesterday. Her routine is all changed up when they arrive and then it changes again when they leave. Its hard for our girl to adjust. I knew it was going to be tough when as soon as she came downstairs she started asking for "Morgan on TV." This is her way of saying she wants to watch home videos. I told her I wanted to watch some news first. Cue first tantrum.

Then I gave Piper some of her eggo... horror of horrors.

Oh and Piper wasn't a peach either. She refused to get in her booster seat and when I decided to put her in it, she mashed up all her cereal pieces in protest, then sprinkled them on the floor.

So, as Morgan was in one of the many tantrums of the morning she ran over to the table and declared "I want my cup! I want to spill it!" I had moved the cup away from it's usually spot since Piper was trying to climb on the table and grab it. I decided to test out the seriousness of her threat and gave her the cup. Sure enough. She turned it upside-down on the table and half of it spilled onto the floor. Time-out ensues. Oh, and she'd already had a time-out earlier for yelling at me because I wouldn't turn on her videos.

It's funny how most kids would think "I'll spill my milk" without actually saying it, so then it's a surprise to the parent when they do it on purpose. I guess until she figures that out I'll have fair warning on her plans for destruction.

Wordless Wednesday: The ride to school

2011-04-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

Pick- up fall down

2011-04-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

Piper and I were waiting in the car in front of the school today when we saw Morgan's teachers leading the kids out of the building. It is always a funny sight. A gang of three-year olds holding hands, essentially being "herded" along towards the parking lot and buses. I can always spot them by the bright pink jackets the girls wear. Morgan is the only one who wears purple.

As I got out of the car I saw a little "disturbance" of sorts, and one of the kids burst into tears. I immediately knew Morgan had fallen down. As I got closer I saw a crowd of little kids around her and teachers picking her up trying to calm her down. This is not the first time this has happened. In fact I think it's happened at least three times. I cannot remember an incident where any other child in the group fell down on the way out of the school. It is always Morgan.

Poor thing had fallen in the mud and had dirt all over her hand and pants. She was not hurt, she was just upset by the mud and wetness (it had been pouring down rain all morning). As soon as I got her in the car and wiped her hand off she was fine. She said she "wanted my new pants," but they really were not that wet/dirty so I said she had to wait until we got home (if she was much more muddy or wet I had dry clothes for her, but I wanted to show her it was no big deal and she'd be fine). When we got home, she insisted on her "new pants" right away and was very glad when I produced a dry pair for her.

Why does this happen? The more I thought about it... there are only two teachers who help the kids into and out of the classroom (most of them take the bus and a few of us drop our child with the bus kids out front). Usually each teacher has at least four kids holding their hands or holding onto one of the kids' wheelchair. I imagine it is kind of chaotic for Morgan. There are kids and teachers talking while they hold each others' hands and walk into the school. Now, this is a group of special ed kids. Most of them walk, but none of them are particularly agile or attentive. I've watched Morgan walk away with the group when I drop her off. Usually she's shuffling along, looking in all different directions while one of the kids is holding her hand and pulling her in the opposite direction. It's no wonder she falls down every once in a while. I wonder if there's a better way? I'll have to think about that.

Oh Morgan, I can't imagine she's ever going to do very well with multi-tasking.

Portraits

2011-04-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Our little Morgan has sure been surprising us lately! I almost don't want to say it or I might jinx it. Yesterday I had her take her doodle board into her room for "quiet time." Of course, we had the latest episode of tearing her Tag book, so "Tag Guy" is taking a break from Morgan for now. Shortly after depositing her in her room I hear what I thought we're frustrated sounds. I'm not sure what it was, but when I went in her room she was drawing faces on her doodle board. Gramma A taught her how to do this around Christmas time and she randomly makes me draw faces and she attempts to sort of halfheartedly do them herself.

I went in to take a closer look and saw she was drawing what looked like hair and arms and legs on her "faces." She drew a few, erasing them from the board when she was done (I ran and got my phone). When I came back in she was drawing a new one and she shocked me by saying this one was "Morgan."

She seems to be holding something in her "hand", but Morgan wouldn't say what it was.

This one is "Piper." She is also holding something. I wonder if it is a doll? No way to know.

Each time she'd erase a picture she'd say, "Now I'll do Mama"...and on and on. Apparently those are my arms, but they sort of look like lasers shooting out of my eyes.

This one is "Daddy." I think it's a pretty good likeness, don't you think. Many pictures have three legs and "antennae" as well.

I especially like this one. It was not anyone in particular, but she seemed to very carefully draw "hands." This is not unlike other drawings I've seen kids make.

Finally she requested to take her own picture with my phone and this is the best one she got. I watched her do it and she held it steady and pressed the button. She definitely knows how it works! It's not as random as I thought.

This girl is amazing us! I sent David a text with one of these pictures and he replied "Boo Boo drew that?!" Out of nowhere! I'm going to have to talk with her Occupational Therapist about this. I might email the photos to her teacher too.

Still in shock that she did this. What will she do next?!

Dirty Loveys

2011-04-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Morgan usually has a hard time going to sleep if she's napped in the afternoon. Last night he was making her expected grunts, groans and yells while David and I watched TV. At one point I decided to go check on her. The usual routine is that she's "lost" her lovey(s) somewhere and as soon as I retrieve them she's fine.

This time it was different. (BTW, she has two of the same lovey. I bought one for back-up, but she discovered it and now requires two in bed with her). Anyway, I found the "missing" loveys, but when I gave them back to her she rejected them. I thought this was odd, so I tried again. This time she pushed towards me and told me "put them in the basket." This is something we say when the girls are taking off their clothes to change into their pajamas. The "basket" is the hamper for the dirty clothes.

So then I asked her, "Are the lovey's dirty?" No answer. "Do they need a bath?" Morgan said "Yes!" right away. I then explained to her that I'd need to take them from her for a while. She doesn't usually get the concept of how long things take. For example, one day I asked her if she wanted to make cupcakes. She got really excited, went to her chair at the dinner table and said "I want my cupcakes!" She did this off and on over the next few hours until they were actually done.

Then I left the room with the loveys and immediately (as expected) she started to cry. I went back in and gave her the loveys. She then sat up, grabbed them and got out of bed. She ran past me into the bathroom and tossed them in the bathtub. Hilarious! Then I had to explain that the loveys needed to be put in the washing machine, like we wash our clothes. I asked her if that was OK. She walked downstairs with me, put them in the washer and closed the door. Then she went right back upstairs and put herself back in bed, no complaints.

Honestly, the loveys have NOT been washed in a while. Usually I randomly grab them when I'm doing a load of wash when she's awake. They were probably pretty nasty. No wonder she demanded that I wash them! So, I washed and dried them, then put them back in bed with her. She didn't notice as she was fast asleep. She had no other issues all night. Problem solved.

I was SO excited that Morgan was able to communicate this to me. It was totally spontaneous and she used the words/phrases/actions she knew to help me understand what she wanted. Now if we could just expand the vocabulary it would be much easier. Hopefully it will come. Nonetheless, this is really encouraging. Such a nice thing to see after a rough day.

This is really hard

2011-04-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

Being a parent of a child with autism just stinks. I try to make the best of it...but overall it just blows. To give you an example of a few things I've had to deal with today..

Changes in routine
Morgan is very sensitive about changes in her daily routine. If it's something she likes to do, like David took her swimming last night, she's great. But if it's something she doesn't like...she's a mess. We were having a nice lunch today. I was letting her watch an episode of her favorite show, Yo Gabba Gabba and BAM! The power went out. We haven't experienced this before with Morgan. She freaked out and demanded that I turn the TV back on. I tried to explain to her what happened, but it made no difference. She got out of her chair and went to try to turn her show back on. She yelled at me like I was doing it on purpose. Then she calmed down a bit and decided she needed to use the bathroom. She then discovered she couldn't turn on the light...and refused to go in. It wasn't dark in there, but without the light it was scary for her. Then she went around the kitchen trying to turn on the lights, getting upset all over again. Then I had her sit on my lap and she seemed to be better, but then got upset when I tried to hold her, hug her or touch her. She wanted to lie on my chest, but touching her any other way was not OK. Again she started yelling/screaming. I put her in time out. She calmed for a bit then finally agreed to come back to the table and eat her lunch. While eating the power came back on and you'd think she'd won the lottery! Soon Yo Gabba Gabba was back on and all was good with the world.

Fixations
Morgan has always loved her books. For Christmas we got her a Tag Jr. that "reads" special books for her and plays music. She loves playing with it during her quiet time. For the third time in a week she has destroyed one of her Tag books. She likes to tear the images off the pages of the books (these are "board books" with sturdy pages). She also did this with a non-Tag book yesterday. I don't know if there is something soothing about tearing strips of paper off the pages. And, this is a kid who is in OT for issues with her fine motor skills. Are you kidding me?! She tears the paper in the tiny strips, on purpose! Several times I've offered her junk mail to tear apart and she refuses. What is it about tearing these books? Currently the Tag Jr. (we call him Tag Guy) has been taken away from her. I have no idea if she will learn anything from this.

Overall Cognitive Skills
Or lack thereof? Morgan has tested fine with her cognitive skills... though, much of the time I really don't know if she understands what I am saying to her or what I am trying to teach her. I feel like I'm talking to a wall.

Bonding
From birth I felt like I never fully bonded with Morgan. I am almost ashamed to say this. She refused to nurse (though my low supply issues may have played a part...though I had the same supply issue with Piper and she fought hard to nurse), and was never a cuddly, snugly baby. There are times I look at her and think "who are you?" It's almost like I miss her. I know she's in there, but I can't reach her.

I know today's just a rough one and other days we'll have great interaction and I feel like we're "connecting." But, lately David and I are honestly just having a really hard time with this. We love our girl so much. She can be so silly, sweet and funny at times, but other times is just so hard to communicate with her.

In conclusion, here's another link to this autism mom blog I love. This women has four kids, one with asperger syndrome, one with ADHD and maybe other issues, I can't remember, but she is so funny and just "gets it."

http://www.starkravingmadmommy.com/search?updated-max=2011-04-18T00%3A01%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=1

We are such proud parents...

2011-04-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

...of our sweet, polite little girls. Uh, not so much.

This weekend Morgan and Piper were hanging out with me on Sunday afternoon while David worked at church. While coloring Morgan let out a pretty noisy "toot." This is our family word for the not-so-nice word "fart." She was so amused with herself she chose that moment to attempt to do this again, on purpose. Unfortunately she succeeded. Then she proceeded to spend the next hour or so purposely passing gas, announcing it (TOOT!) and laughing.

Who knew she'd get this kind of humor?

So...since then she randomly produces these lovely sounds and tells us just what she did.

Fast forward to this evening as the usual after bath antics were in progress. Morgan and Piper like to play a game called "Where's Piper?!" This is where Piper runs into the hallway...Morgan says "Where's Piper?!" and Piper runs back into the room squealing and laughing. Often she does this while she is naked.

Tonight they finished a round of "Where's Piper?!" and we were about to move on to putting on PJ's and Piper let out (accidentally, we think) a not-so-ladylike sound. I said "Piper! What was that?!" To our surprise she responded...

..."TOO-!"

Oh boy, we're hoping they don't decide to take this on the road.

Wordless Wednesday: Really?!

2011-04-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Isaac Foundation

2011-04-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

We just learned that we have received a grant from a local organization called The Isaac Foundation. Yahoo! It is for a specific type of therapy called Relationship Development Intervention. I've mentioned this before as it was one of the recommendations from our child psychologist when we received Morgan's diagnosis.

The Isaac Foundation is a local organization who provides grants to families with children with autism in five surrounding counties. The couple who founded it had a child with a diagnosis similar to Morgan's and they understand the financial strain on parents as insurance does not cover many autism services and therapies. Please read their story in the link provided.

I attended an orientation last night and had the privilege of meeting Holly and Reed, who founded this organization. They touched my heart as they explained that this is their passion. Though they lost their son (due to an undetected heart defect unrelated to autism), this is their way of keeping his memory alive. Isn't that amazing?

I spoke with the RDI consultant, Christine, today and we are getting started with some basic information and "get to know the family" type paperwork. Christine lives in central Washington, about two hours from us, but she is working with The Isaac Foundation to work out a plan to come to Spokane once a month to meet with families. We will also be able to consult via Skype as well. This therapy is wonderful in that it is primarily parent-led, so we do not have to take Morgan to therapy "sessions." Our sessions will be conducted at home at specific times and throughout our daily routine while checking in with our consultant a few times a month. There are some initial assessments and parent classes that we will also begin soon, and she is hoping to be able to conduct these in Spokane with a few other families in early summer.

We are SO excited about this opportunity and can't wait to get started! So you know, the grant does not cover the therapy in it's entirely, but will help us get the ball rolling and make it more do-able for us. The program itself on average takes about two years, so we will have another opportunity to apply for an additional grant along the way (they are only awarded once every twelve months).

Go Bears x Two

2011-04-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

I posted these pictures a few weeks ago on Facebook, but I thought they needed a post here too. I was going through some of Piper's clothes and realized I had a little cheerleader outfit that she was almost going to grow out of! So, I dressed them both up and worked on some photos.

This is Morgan responding to me harping "SMILE!" at her. She would have rather watched Yo Gabba Gabba, but I managed to get a few, rather cheesy, shots. Somehow she looks a little too grown up here though. Kind of scary.

Admiring each other

Silly Piper. I just tickled her.

Morgan and my phone

2011-04-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

Occasionally Morgan asks for my iPhone to look at pictures. It used to be a bit of an obsession, but lately it's only once in a while (whew!). I was getting my hair cut the other day and I was looking through my pictures to show some to my stylist and, surprise! I found some pictures I hadn't seen before. I deleted quite a few photos of the couch upholstery and Morgan's pant leg, but I was tickled to find a few pictures of Piper. David said he didn't take these and I certainly don't remember taking these. So...Morgan?

First try, Piper must have been trying to grab it

Surprisingly good. It still make mes wonder if I took this and forgot about it. "Mommy Brain" is still a problem for me.

High-five

2011-04-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

Piper had two encounters with babies yesterday. The first one was at Morgan's preschool class. One of the other Moms brings her newborn with her and this is the first time Piper noticed him. He's probably about 3 months old now. She first saw him sleeping in his car seat. I had images in my mind of her smacking him on the head or trying to pull him out of the seat like she does with her baby dolls and their strollers. At one point the Mom took the baby out of his car seat. Then Piper noticed the empty seat and decided she wanted to play in it. Once the Mom said this was OK, she climbed in and out and rocked in it all while giving me these sneaky, silly looks. Finally she saw the baby with his Mom, pointed at him and said "Baby!" Then she reached up and patted him on the head, a little harder than I would have liked, but not too hard. She did this a few more times before we left.

Then the same evening we had our Life Group meeting at our house. One of the couples in our group is serving as a temporary foster family for a three year-old boy and 4 month old girl. We were amazed at how well the kids played while we discussed our topic of the week. Morgan even had some positive interaction with the little boy before the night was over.

As for the baby, Piper didn't pay too much attention to her until the end of the evening. She found the baby's bottle and decided she was going to feed her. This resulted in the bottle being knocked into the baby's head and face a few times. Ouch! Poor baby! It was a sweet gesture, but we managed to redirect that behavior pretty quickly. Piper even go to hold her (with support) and she was pretty gentle about it. It sure made me realize that's Piper's not a little baby anymore! I still will call her a baby until she's two, but she's definitely my big baby!

When they were about to leave and the baby was in her car seat, Piper sweetly patted her on the head like she did with the baby boy earlier in the day. Then she moved over to the side of the seat and started sort of hitting the baby's blanket on the side of her body. I say "sort of" because it wasn't really hard and she really was only touching the blanket, or so I thought. The last time she slapped at the blanket I noticed the baby's hand was open and peeking out the blanket. I then realized Piper was trying to give her a high-five! We all cracked up, but unfortunately the little one did not like it and let out a baby-sized yell. That was enough of the high-fives for that night. Hopefully Piper will learn that some babies are not quite ready for big girl high-fives!

Solved

2011-04-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

Yay! I figured out the problem with the paragraphs. I needed to update the "editor" function in Blogger. Whew! I thought it was going to be one of those annoying things I couldn't figure out. Crisis averted.

Weekend Fun

2011-04-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

One of Morgan's favorite things to do is swimming. Unfortunately we haven't taken her very often since last Summer. It's easy in the Summer because we can get beyond the YMCA and head out to various lakes in the area. In the Winter we are stuck with the Y's hours which tend to fall right during "nap/quiet time" or later in the evening when we are cooking meals and having our family dinner.

Well, yesterday we decided to skip the nap(s) and head to the pool. Both girls LOVED it, especially Morgan. She went down the slide with David no less than 4 times and even got super brave and jumped off the side of the pool into our waiting arms. BIG smiles the whole time. She's asking to go again today, so we know we need to make this a more regular thing for her. I suggested a once-a-week Morgan/Daddy outing in the evening. It will be a nice bonding time for them. Piper was more hesitant in the water, but I enjoyed the extra snuggle time I got. She loved it when I bounced her in the water and kept saying "bow-bow" if I stopped.

Piper's been super cute lately. She likes to take my hand and lead me around the house. I'm never sure of our destination, but I love that she does this. If we are out of the house she rarely lets me carry her anywhere anymore. She is determined to walk, but will let me hold her hand. It's really fun to walk holding both my girls' hands as we do errands or head to an activity.

Piper also is "getting" her family's names now. Yesterday she sat next to me on the couch, pointed to David and said "Dada," then she pointed at me and said "Mama," and finally pointed at Morgan and said something that sounded like "Mo-an." There was just a hint of the "r" and "g" in there, hard to describe in writing. Something clicked for her. We love hearing her call us by our names. Speaking of names, if asked, Morgan will tell us our "real" names as well as the "term of endearment" names we call each other. I'm surprised she knows these names. She may be more observant than I thought.

That's the latest in our house as of today. It's back to school tomorrow, so we'll be back to busier mornings. The structure of the school day is good for Morgan. What am I going to do with this kid in the Summer?! I've got some feelers out for programs. I hope something good comes along.

That Mom

2011-04-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

The phrase "that Mom" runs in certain circles to describe situations when things may go haywire and your actions/or non-actions as a mother may be on display for public. For example, when your kid throws a huge tantrum on the playground or does something inappropriate at a birthday party. It's how you handle the situation that puts you in this place. I hope this make sense, but here's my "that Mom" situation from yesterday.

I took Morgan and Piper to the grocery store yesterday. We'd done our BIG shopping trip the day before, so I only needed a few things the other store didn't have. Morgan has taken to not wanting to ride in the cart, so she "helps" me shop and I let her put some of the items in the cart herself. All in all, the shopping itself went fine. It always gets sketchy at the end because they get impatient at the check-out line. The first meltdown happened when I failed to purchase Piper's balloon. I was feeling good because I decided to get the girls both a balloon as a treat and they very nicely both picked out two different Hello Kitty balloons. In the checkout line Piper kept giving me her balloon like she suddenly didn't want it. Every time I gave it back to her she pushed it back at me. I put it to the side and kept asking her if she wanted it, but she kept pushing it away. Of course, as I finished paying and pushed the cart away from the cashier she start crying for it and pointing to every balloon she saw saying "boon boon!" I went back and got it then hurried to the self checkout to purchase it. I thought we were in the clear.

When we got to the car a I put both girls in the car (but not in their car seats) so they could stretch their legs a little while I put the bags in the trunk. As I'm loading things in, screaming ensues from inside the car. I open the door and see that Piper is trying to play with the compartment between the seats that opens and closes. Morgan is not letting her do this, so she is yelling at her. Then I try to turn on some music and Morgan screams and turns it off. Piper screams some more. Then Morgan tells me she wants to go back in the store for a Dora book she saw (which she already has, but wouldn't take no for an answer). Both girls refuse to get in their car seats. I sit there for a while as they yell, watching people walk by and glance towards us. After much trying to "reason" and give them choices, with no luck, it finally becomes clear that there is no way to make them happy. I take a deep breath, physically push both of them in their seats, buckle them in and we leave...both of them still screaming.

I head out onto the busy street and then have to stop at a light...still screaming...I look back and realize that the balloons' ribbons are wrapped around both their legs and they are trying to free themselves. I put on my hazard lights and reach back to untangle them. Many cars are trying to get around us, but the screaming is so loud I barely notice. I finally get them free and am able to drive. About a block down the road the screaming finally stops. Sweet silence the next mile or so home. I'm not sure if anyone else would have handled it differently. I tried my best to calm them down and coax them into their seats, but they were not having it.

The one bonus I got from this is that the double mega-meltdown wiped them out. Piper took an AMAZING nap, Morgan did not demand to use the potty 4 times during quiet time and I got a nap myself!

Wordless Wednesday: Chef Piper

2011-04-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

Technical Difficulties

2011-04-03T13:26:00.001-07:00

This will be a nothing post...but just wanted to let you know that Blogger seems to be ignoring the places I want paragraphs separated. My last few posts have been one...long...paragraph. It was not the way I wrote it, but somehow I can't fix it them in the editing mode either. Hopefully it's a short term glitch that Blogger will resolve soon.

This little (blue) light of mine

2011-04-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

April is Autism Awareness Month.

There are many activities going on in our city to create awareness and raise funds. Though we are in support, we are probably not going to participate a lot this year. We are still getting our arms around the whole diagnosis and what this means for Morgan and our family. I read through our local Autism Society's newsletter and considered participating...then all of a sudden I felt so overwhelmed that I just couldn't commit to anything. Since then I've read a few blogs that have confirmed similar feelings of families with a recent diagnosis, so I know I'm not alone. There are a few blogs I read that have some very realistic points about what autism is for them. Here's one in particular:

www.starkravingmadmommy.com/2011/04/top-ten-things-im-aware-of-about-autism.html

Though Morgan doesn't have a quite as high-functioning form of autism, like this Mommy's boy with Asperger's, the facts are similar for us. I love this woman's style of writing and sense of humor. And another viewpoint:

www.momnos.blogspot.com/2011/04/when-autism-speaks-to-me.html

As this blogger states and per the picture above, we are pledging to "Light it up Blue" April 1st and 2nd for World Autism Awareness Day. The picture is a bit dark. It really did look better on the camera screen, but this is basically what our neighbors will see. They'll probably think we're nuts and have no idea what's going on, but maybe they'll ask and we'll have the opportunity to tell them.

And...what would a post be without a funny Morgan-ism. Today she was watching one of her beloved Yo Gabba Gabba episodes at lunch. Nick Jr. has short "lessons" in between episodes and this particular one was about Georges Seurat and his style of painting, pointillism. (Yeah, who knew they taught such things on TV for preschoolers?!) At one point, the moose character asks the viewers to "Say Pointillism." Morgan kept watching and didn't say anything...but a full minute later she randomly said, very calmly, "pointillism." It was so odd to hear that word come out of her mouth! I just busted up laughing. This kid may be delayed and backwards with her language, but her pronunciation is oddly accurate. Poor kid, now just for fun, David and I ask her to say it over and over..."Boo, say pointillism"...."Pointillism!" Ha Ha!

Workin' It

2011-03-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

I didn't know there could be a downside to potty training. During today's "quiet time" Morgan came downstairs to use the potty SIX times. This was in a span of an hour and a half. She managed to actually deposit something in the potty SIX times, thus collecting her two M&Ms SIX times.

Do you think she could be working the system?!

She Knows

2011-03-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last night I was rocking Piper for a little while before bed. She's always super cuddly at night and likes to be held for as long as possible before I put her in bed. I sang her a few songs and said prayers. She was quiet for a bit as we rocked a little longer. As I stood up to put her in her crib she said, "Mama... Mama," very clearly. I asked her "Where's Mama?" and she tapped her little finger on my chest. Ah, sweet sweet words.

Wordless Wednesday: Moral Support

2011-03-23T12:50:00.001-07:00

I did it!

2011-03-21T21:41:00.001-07:00

This is what Morgan says when she sees anything newly deposited in her little potty. She is VERY proud of herself. She has been doing so well the past few days with her #1's, I decided to test her on the big #2, the deuce, the poop.

Usually Morgan goes to her "quiet time" around 1:30 pm. Piper naps and Morgan can play, sleep, whatever she wants...in her bedroom. Usually she wears a pull-up. And as usual, she saves her #2's for that time.

Today I kept her downstairs with me. As I expected, she was holding in a poopie. She'd ask for a pull-up, I'd say "no, go in the potty." She danced around all afternoon. She'd go sit on the potty, and apparently get an inkling something might happen...then she'd whine and make a scared sound and run out of the bathroom again. This went on from about 1:30-4:30 pm. Poor thing must have been so miserable, but this is how it worked with the pee too. We kept at it.

I kept the TV off, played some music, we played with her toys and colored. She managed to pee several times (and thus collect her M&Ms) without the #2. When she finally asked to watch Yo Gabba Gabba, I said she had to poop on the potty first. This kid NEEDS incentive and positive reinforcement. Over and over I said "you can do it Morgan!" She did the run in-sit down-whine-run out routine a bunch more times. I'd go in with her most of the time to encourage her.

Then I changed my strategy. She went in and I decided to leave her in there alone. With pooping, there must be some privacy, right? She usually saves it for her quiet time. I checked on her once (she couldn't see me) and she was quietly sitting there. So I left her alone for a while. Then the next time I checked I couldn't see her on the potty so I went in. She was standing next to the potty. She saw me and pointed at the potty. Then she said "I did it!" as usual...then she said "I pooped!" Sure enough, she did! We clapped and high-fived and hugged. I love that proud look on her face! After cleaning up and washing her hands, she asked for her M&Ms. As soon as she had those in hand she said "Yo Gabba Gabba!" I happily obliged her.

I think I've landed in an alternate reality. Less than a week ago she had no interest in the potty and today she did #1 AND #2! I've had all sorts of worries about whether she'd be able to potty train at all with her autism...but she's proving to me that no worries are needed. Go sweet girl!

Oh, we did have one accident today. We made a quick trip to the store and I decided to keep Morgan in her panties. She stayed dry the whole time. I kept asking her if she had to go and she said no. We got home and I got her out of her car seat. Still dry...but somewhere between the car and the house something happened. She came in the door and said simply, "I need new pants." Oops. She wasn't horribly wet and she went right to the bathroom and left more in the potty. Hmmm. I'd say we're doing great, wouldn't you?

We have another big test at school tomorrow! She hasn't been for so long since she's been so sick. Cross your fingers!

Breakthrough

2011-03-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

With potty training! For weeks Morgan would suddenly decide to take off her pants and pull-up and go sit on the potty. Nothing would happen. From the state of the pull-up I think she had just gone, but had not connected that she had to sit on the potty before she peed in it.

A few times last week I would just let her run around naked for a while. She would hold her pee and eventually for nap or bedtime she would just wait to go in the pull-up. Last night I was determined to see what she would do if she got desperate. When she has to go she asks for her pull-up, or as we call it Princess Pants (as there are Disney Princesses on them). I simply said no when she asked. She got a little nutty, running around and whining and asking for her pants. Eventually (and oddly always in the same spot) she would get to a point where she couldn't hold it any more and she would just start peeing. Then we had to run her to the potty to try to "catch" some of the pee in the bowl. When she did this we would clap and cheer! She looked so proud of herself and she said "I did it!!" We were able to do this twice before bedtime. Each time she also got a sticker and some M&Ms.

This morning I slept in (got Morgan and Piper's sickness, ugh). When I got up Morgan was, again, without a pull-up or panties. David doesn't like the naked butt running around, but I told him he'd have to deal with it for now. She said she had to go and I went in the bathroom with her. This time I told her, Morgan, just push out the pee, relax and let it out. To my surprise I heard a tinkling sound, then a whoosh...she did it! The look on her face was priceless! She stood up and looked in the potty and said "I did my pee pee!!" Then she added to it and said "Look at the beautiful pee pee!" (The last few days she's been very into calling things pretty or beautiful. She even called a picture of an ugly gorilla..."the beautiful monkey.") Anyway, it was hilarious! I agreed that it was beautiful pee pee. :-)

Today she peed in the potty all day, except for nap time. I also made sure to offer her lots of liquids so we'd have more opportunities for success. We're working on just pee right now. I didn't expect her to poop in the potty and sure enough, she waited for the pull-up. That's just fine. Oh, and she was all about the M&Ms. Several times she said she had to go, ran in the bathroom for a few seconds then came out and said she "did her pee pee and want M&Ms." I went and looked...no pee pee. She was very ticked that she didn't get her M&Ms.

We are thrilled with this progress and hope it continues tomorrow. There may be setbacks and other issues, but I'm shocked we've come this far as quickly as we have. Go Morgan!! What a big girl you are!

The Sick House

2011-03-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

For almost two weeks we've had sickness in our house. It started with a few days of reports from Morgan's teachers that she "just wasn't herself." Then last Saturday she woke up with a fever and the sickness hit. It took a few days to get the fever out of her system. It wasn't terribly high, but frustrating that it hung on for so long. She's better now, just some residual runny nose and a icky sounding cough.

My pictures loaded backwards and now that I'm not feeling good I don't want to load them again. So there.

See the pic of Morgan at the bottom. Sweet little red cheek hanging with Daddy on the couch. You can see Grandpa B on the other couch. My parents came to visit for a week and got to "enjoy" the worst of Morgan's illness. They still had a nice time. There was lots of playing with new activities indoors. They enjoyed their new "lacing" toy, activity books and lots of coloring.

Piper's sickness hit the day after Grandpa and Gram left when she woke up with a fever. Here's another sweet, sad little face with her smoothie and BOTH her loveys. I don't think she let go of the loveys from the time she woke up until the tylenol started kicking in. Luckily her fever hasn't hung on as long and she's already feeling better. Just that same, nasty sounding cough though.

We are thankful there are no stomach bugs this time. That is the worst. Off to recuperate some more! Only David hasn't caught this bug yet. Knock on wood!

Piper's 18 Month Dr. Appointment

2011-03-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

Can you believe she's already 18 months old?! I can't. She's getting so big...I keep telling her to slow down, but as usual, she doesn't listen to me. :-)

Piper had her 18 month well baby appointment this morning. She was such a trooper and did so well when the Dr. listened to her heart and lungs. She didn't like it when we made her lie down on the exam table, but really she did so much better than I thought she would. Here are her stats:

Height: 32 inches (59%)
Weight: 25.5 lbs (67-68%)
Head Circ: 18.5 inches (63%)

The Dr. asked me a bunch of developmental questions, is she using a fork and spoon (yes), is she saying 10 or more words (yes), is she eating well, fruits, veggies, meats (yes).

I think the Dr. would have been fine with everything...but I brought up a topic that had been bugging me. Though Piper is doing well with her words, and has many more than Morgan did at this point...she doesn't call David and I "Mama" and "Daddy." She will point at pictures of David and say "Dada" and a few times I've sworn she's said "Bye Dada" when he leaves the house...but never Mama. When she first started saying words (12-15 months) sometimes she'd lay her head on my shoulder and say "mamamamamama." So, it's not like she can't say it. When I asked her to "say Mama" today she pointed at me and touched me. When David says "where's Mama!" she looks right at me. She just doesn't call me Mama, nor does she try to say Morgan's name. The Dr. tried to reassure me and say that if Piper had been my first child he would not have seen any issues, but our experience with Morgan makes us blow little things out of proportion. He thinks that since she has such a healthy amount of words overall that she catch on to our names soon. He did admit it was odd though... and I can't get that out of my head.

Why does there always have to be something? I'd just starting to think we were "in the clear" on her with the autism issue. I still hope that's the case, but things like this make me nervous.

Emotions Emerging

2011-03-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Morgan has been getting in touch with her emotions lately...sort of. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but for Christmas I bought Morgan a "Tag Jr.", a device that "reads" special books for her. It took her a while to get it, but when she did, she loved it! She requests her "Tag Guy" and her Tag books for her quiet time each day.

One of the books is called Monster Faces. It features the Sesame Street characters showing different emotions, angry, scared, happy, etc. Shortly after she had been reading this book she would sometimes tell me what she thought I was "feeling." Once evening at the dinner table she'd repeatedly thrown her fork on the floor. I gave a big sigh and said "oh Morgan." She looked at me and said "mad face." OK, I probably should have been ignoring her instead of giving her a mad look, but good for her for recognizing it! Autistic kids typically have trouble recognizing body language and facial expressions, so this is a step in the right direction.

She is also starting to recognize other people's/kid's emotions. When Piper cries she sometimes says "Piper sad." This is one of the first emotions she recognized, but she still doesn't react with any empathy...she'll acknowledge it, but it's not followed by any concern for the other person. Occasionally she's say "I'm sad" but it doesn't always make sense with what she's doing at the time. Hmmm.

At the same time she is starting to recognize her own emotions and signals her body is giving her. She's says "I'm OK" when she falls or has a bump (and there's no damage done). But she doesn't always take time to fully assess things, because sometimes "I'm OK" becomes "I'm Okaaaaaaay" then becomes high pitched and turns into a wail! We try not to laugh, but sometimes it's pretty amusing. Poor baby. She's also saying "I'm feeling done" when she's had enough to eat or "I'm feeling sick" if her tummy hurts. We've put that one to good use and been prepared for an eventual tossing of the cookies a time or two. Finally, she is understanding the concept of "like" and often says when she likes something such as a certain food, song or book.

She also is beginning to recognize emotions when we talk about them. I ask her if she's happy and she gives me a BIG smile! I'm working on adding some others to talk to her about.

It's so nice to have some real "functional communication" emerging. I hope it just gets better and better!

Wordless Wednesday: Hugs and a Cracker (just a tidbit)

2011-03-02T15:27:00.000-08:00

The white stuff, with a little red too

2011-02-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

So, I unintentionally took a week off of blogging. Oops. No reason in particular...the time just seemed to fly by.

We thought we'd escaped any further winter snowfall, but last week the white stuff decided to appear again. We enjoyed our first official "snow day" on Thursday, so there was no school for Morgan. We spent the day playing and staying cozy indoors. It was super windy outside, blowing drifts of snow, so we didn't think venturing out would be a good idea. Along with the arrival of snow the next few days were COLD! Brrrr! That may have had something to do with the following events...

David got up before me on Friday and left early. As he was heading out the door he warned me that he'd had a bloody nose in the middle of the night and that some had gotten on the sheets. I needed to wash them anyway, so I just thought OK, no big deal.

After she woke up, Morgan was playing nicely in her room. I went in the say good morning and she kept playing for a bit. Then I opened the door to Piper's room. She was standing in the crib with her arms outstretched and, as usual, a big smile on her face...then I noticed something that always comes with a shock to a Mama...her face and hands were covered in blood! Ack! I hurried over. She didn't seem bothered by it. She had not been crying before I went in to get her. She was looking curiously at her hands as if she was thinking "what is all this red stuff?" Poor thing. The bleeding seemed to have stopped, so I gently wiped off her face and hands. The mess in her bed could have been worse, just some blood on her sheets and pajamas, all blankets and loveys were spared.

THEN...later in the day the girls were in their nap/quiet times and I heard some louder-than-usual noises from Morgan. This usually means a poopy pull-up, but we'd already done that routine. I went in and she was half-asleep on the floor with, what?! Again? A bloody face and hands. I wiped her all off and put her in her bed. She sleepily said as I left the room, "thanks for the wiping Mama." OK, sweetie, no problem. Then she slept for almost two hours. Unheard of!

So strange...I'm the only one that seemed to be spared from the bloody nose. I don't know if it was the dry/cold climate that caused it, but no problems since then. So strange that it happened all in one day.

Mobius

2011-02-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Mobius is our local children's museum. We were thrilled to get a membership from David's parents for Christmas. We have already taken them there are few times this year. They LOVE it! There are so many things to do there and so many learning opportunities. They have water play, little go carts on "streets" with traffic lights and stop signs, an arts and crafts area, a village store, grass hut, costumes, musical instruments. So much to do!

On our way there last weekend we hadn't even told the girls where we were going. Morgan kept saying "I want to go in the hole!" David and I looked at each other and thought, how does she know where we're going?! The previous time we were there Morgan had discovered a "rabbit hole" in one of the play structures. The kids can jump right down into it and crawl through a tunnel to get out. Piper had made the mistake of actually falling into it, which freaked me out. She was a little startled, but fine. I think that made a distinct memory for Morgan though. When we got there, she ran right to the rabbit hole!

The museum was a little different than the last time we went. We don't know how often they change the attractions/activities, but it's great that they do that. There's always something new for the kids to do. We got a few pictures, but they just show a small amount of the available activities. They could stay there all day if we let them!

Piper by one of the over sized "doll houses." She crawled into it herself, but I got there too late to get a shot of it.

The fruits and vegetables at the "store"

Music on the stage

Morgan makes the conveyor belt move all by herself!

Loading the bucket and pulley

Moving the "big legos"

Putting the ball in the vacuum tubes. It shoots out the top!

In the "three and under" play area

Piper and Piper (they have the same name!)

Morgan joins in

Aunt Ali comes for a visit

2011-02-18T14:34:00.000-08:00

Aunt Ali came to visit a few weeks ago, the weekend of the Super Bowl. We had so much fun!

Ali always brings fun gifts for the girls. She recently returned for a trip to Paris and Morgan and Piper enjoyed their bracelets, coloring books and toys. She also brought some cute "gel clings" to put in the windows. It was funny because I had also bought some similar ones (thank you Target dollar bins)! The girls had a great time decorating the windows for Valentine's Day. Don't forget to check out the new Old Navy duds! Don't they look adorable?!

They are crowded around Aunt Ali looking at the videos on her camera. This entertained them for quite some time. They love to watch themselves "on TV."

Speaking of Little Mama's...

2011-02-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

Piper's showing "little mama" tendencies herself lately. A few days ago we were at home while Morgan was at school and I had a bit of a headache. I turned on a show for her on Nick Jr. and lied down on the couch. She watch the show for a little bit then noticed me on the couch. She got up, walked over to a basket we keep blankets in...carried one over to me and tried to put it over me (I helped her a little). Then she brought her snack trap over and started feeding me her goldfish and dried cranberries! Hilarious!

"My Turn"

2011-02-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Morgan is really starting to show a desire to become more independent! Lately she is communicating this desire by saying "My turn!" whenever she wants to do something without our help. Sometimes we also hear "I do it!" We are thrilled with this development!

Many times in the past I have heard of friends who will say that their kids start to assert their independence...and I've always thought "will Morgan ever do that?" She's always been comfortable with letting us help her do things like dress and undress her, put toys away, etc. Yes, she is starting to do this later than most kids, but I'm just glad she is doing it! Today she even insisted on putting on her own sneakers! Those are not easy shoes to put on! This tells me that her fine motor skills are really improving because she is feeling more and more confident in doing things like this on her own. We've now got her buckling herself into her own booster seat and buckling the chest strap on her car seat. You should see the look on her face when she completes these tasks. She is SO proud of herself! She gets a big smile and says "I did it!" Sometimes she claps for herself too. Piper has also started to imitate her clapping too!

I have also made a concerted effort lately to let Morgan do things on her own instead of helping her with them because it's faster or neater. Yesterday she also hung up her coat all by herself for the first time! Usually she says "please help with me." I kept asking her if she needed help and she would say "No!" Then I heard a happy "I did it!" and off she went to play with some toys. Go Morgan, go Morgan, go Morgan!

Parent-Teacher Conference

2011-02-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

We had our very first Parent-Teacher Conference yesterday at Morgan's school. It was totally casual. We even sat at the little chairs in Morgan's classroom as there was only one adult sized desk chair in the room. Ha ha!

Morgan is doing well! We went over the goals in her IEP (Individualized Education Plan). They are as follows:

Social - During a freeplay setting, Morgan will engage in functional play with peers
Her overall long term goal is "80% of the time with minimal prompting." This is to be met in one year's time. Her short term goal (by Feb. 18) is "30% of the time with prompting." Her current status is "40% of the time with prompting." So that is 10% better than the short term goal! Go Morgan!

Social - Morgan will independently acknowledge (saying hello/goodbye, asking for help if needed, etc.) familiar peers and adults during the arrival and departure routines.
Her short term goal is "2 out of 5 opportunities." She is meeting this goal! I was concerned about this one. We really are working on it, but it didn't seem to me like she's catching on yet, but apparently they think so. Yippee!

Social - Morgan will independently follow the preschool routine
Her short term goal is "4 out of 5 opportunities with physical and verbal prompting." She is at "4 out of 5 opportunities with physical prompting." The teacher said she transitions well during the day from activity to activity (in and outside of the classroom, recess and bathroom). The only time they have a little trouble is at the end of the school day when it's time to put on her jacket and backpack to leave. All the kids have their cubbies lined up next to each other right by the door. Morgan will go to her cubby, but will get distracted by her name tag and other kids' name tags (reading the letters, of course) and won't put on her jacket. The teacher says she usually has to take her away from the cubbies and other kids to help her put on her jacket. She thinks maybe the noise and "chaos" of the getting ready to leave process might be a little overwhelming for her. This is her guess...but they are still working on how to best keep Morgan focused on this task so they can all be ready to go out the door together (the teachers walk Morgan out to the buses/parking lot where I meet them).

Morgan's Occupational Therapist could not be at our meeting, but we ran into her in the hall on the way out. She gave us some quick details (in addition to what her teacher had already reviewed with us). She is REALLY pleased at how well Morgan is doing! She also said that when they do their sessions Morgan comes right over and is eager to work with her.

Fine Motor - When given a model, Morgan will copy a horizontal line, circle and cross with a writing tool.
Morgan's long term goal is completing this task at 4 out of 5 sessions. Her short term goal is 1 out of 5 sessions. She is already completing the line and circle 4 out of 5 sessions!! They are still working on the cross. Good job Morgan!

Fine Motor - Morgan will complete simple visual motor tasks (i.e. string beads, puzzles, stack 10 cubes, snip paper with scissors, lace holes with a string, place small objects in small holes/slots, etc.)
Her long term goal is also 4 out of 5 sessions. She has met this goal with the stringing beads, puzzles and small object in small holes. She is still making progress with the scissors. The therapist said she is doing well with the lacing and stacking cubes too.

And then the Occupational Therapist told us she doesn't think Morgan will need OT much longer! Whoopee!

Overall Morgan's teacher is also very pleased with how well she is doing. Obviously her biggest challenge is her social skills. We are glad she is making progress in this area. Her teacher said she seems to be forming some "bonds" with a few of the other girls in her class. We ultimately decided to keep her in this morning class...it turned out that the afternoon class will be structured very similar to the one she is in now, so there didn't end up being a benefit to switching her. This was a relief for me as I was having a hard time making a decision on this. It ended up working itself out.

We were also glad to hear that Morgan has displayed NO behavioral issues in her class. She has been such a challenge at home with the "no's" and just plain defiance that we were concerned this might be happening at school too. Her teacher said once in a while she'll resist doing something initially, but will join in pretty quickly. Even if she resists, it is only with slight body language (turning away from the person or looking away), none of the yelling and screaming that we see at home. We were really glad to hear this. It sounds like she's testing us like any other three year old would, but knows somehow that this will not be acceptable behavior at school. Thank goodness! Now if we can only figure out how to improve this behavior at home!

I also discussed with her teacher about working on some potty training in March. Shad made a good paoint about Spring Break being the first week of April. She said they would plan on working with Morgan on this for a week before the break with the goal of her continuing progress at home the week of the break. This sounded good to me as it will give us a solid week of "operation panties" at home without having to deal with the school schedule. Crossing our fingers that something "clicks" for her during that time.

So, for our first meeting, this went VERY well! If I could have this kind of feedback from here on out I'd be thrilled! I'm sure we will have bumps in the road along the way, but this only confirms that this school is the right place for her and she is making great progress on her goals.

Little Mamas

2011-02-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Piper has an uncanny ability to attract other little girls when she is out and about. The girls are usually older, and must be "nurturing types", around three or four years old. I call them the Little Mamas.

Twice she has been to the play area at a mall in the "north side" of town and BOTH times she has had these little girls start following her around to "take care" of her. They'll help her up, and sometimes down the slides and walk around the play area with her. They'll usually try to get her to do the things they are doing, climbing and jumping on/off various things.

The funny thing is, Piper really wants nothing to do with them. She is so independent that she wants to do everything on her own. She kind of let's the Little Mamas play with her for a while, and then she heads over to the stroller, hands me her shoes and jacket and tries to climb in, saying "help, help!" Basically she's saying "I don't want to play with this girl anymore." Each time, the poor little girl seems a little hurt, but I try to thank her and give her a big smile! "You're such a great helper!"

Yesterday, I took Piper by the doctor's office to get some routine blood work done (on me, not her). We were in the waiting room for a bit and another Little Mama quickly attached herself to Piper. This time it included a little tackling and kissing too! Piper was not amused. The girl was so adorable! She spoke Spanish and kept saying "busso bebe!" because she wanted to keep kissing Piper. Her parents apologized and kept pulling her away. I just laughed and said it was OK. I knew one of us would be called into the office soon.

Piper's pretty cute, especially with her ponytail on top of her head. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more Little Mamas around. She hasn't attracted any little boys yet. Let's try to keep it that way for a while!

The Pumpkin Piper

2011-02-03T14:18:00.001-08:00

My "changes" post was supposed to post TODAY, not yesterday... so my Wordless Wednesday became Wordy Wednesday. Oh well.

On to more updates. Our little Piper is now 17 months old and is turning into quite a character, at least around us. Our neighbor watched her yesterday while I had a dentist appointment and said she didn't talk at all. Hmmm. Maybe she's got the shyness gene I have. We'll see.

Here are some words Piper has added to her vocabulary lately:

Dance - "Da... da" (usually while swaying back and forth or turning in circles)
Stomp - "tomp" (If you're happy and you know it, stomp you're feet!)
Open - "op"
Ball - "ba"
Beep Beep - "bee-bee" (like honking a car horn, or pushing the "buttons" to the microwave in her play kitchen)
Apple - "a-puh"
Button (Belly button) - "dubba dubba"

Pretty cute. I still worry that she doesn't say "Daddy" or "Mama" really. Some times she'll say it when you tell her too, but not voluntarily. If you ask her "Where's Daddy?" she'll look right at him, so she knows who we are, she just doesn't use our "names." It just seems so strange that she's adding other words, but not our "names." I'm going to ask the Dr. about this at her 18 month appointment, if she doesn't start saying it by then. She definitely has way more words and overall better "functional communication" (pointing and body language) than Morgan did at this age. This gives me hope, but I still have a lot of worries.

On the other hand, she is impressing me by what she is picking up from us. Just this morning we were in the car at Morgan's school and I put some lotion on my hands. She watched me rub the lotion in and started making the same movements, rubbing her hands together. She seemed very pleased with herself for doing this. I think little things like this do show that she is socially aware of what other people are doing around her. Also, she was doing it totally on her own, without any prompting from me.

Piper is also doing a lot of pointing at things she sees, like pictures on a wall or something bright colored. She's been saying "ba-da!" while she does this. I'm not sure what this means, but she's calling our attention to it. This is something Morgan only does once in a while.

I hate to compare the two of them, but I really can't get around it. They both have their strengths and challenges. We still call Piper "hyper Piper" sometimes. I don't really think she's hyper, but she reacts very quickly and intensely when she wants something or if something is taken from her. We joke that the little ponytail on the top of her head is a fuse because she's a firecracker about to go off. David says someday she's just going to spontaneously combust.

We have two girls who are very strong willed. Challenging, yet I'm glad they know what they want. The other day I had a basket of clean laundry on the floor while I got Piper dressed for the day. She went and grabbed a shirt out of the basket and put it around her shoulders. This is how she "puts her clothes on." I grabbed a different outfit from the basket and tried to put it on her. She screeched and pushed the shirt away and went and got the first shirt and brought it to me. I guess that's what she wanted to wear that day because I was able to put it on her without a fight. She also seems awfully fascinated with shoes. Uh-oh.

She's getting better at using a spoon. She won't let me feed her anymore, so I have to put up with the mess if I'm going to let her learn. I'm behind on working on the open cup because I'm dreading more mess. Gotta get on that one.

What else? She's still pretty wobbly on her feet sometimes, but she still moves pretty fast. I've also got this on my list for the Dr (the wobbly part). She doesn't crawl anymore, so I know this will get better, but she falls down an awful lot. It doesn't seem to bother her though. She climbs on everything. She can even climb into her car seat all by herself which is especially impressive in David's bigger car. She really wants to climb up onto the stools in our kitchen... but I won't let her. She gets pretty mad, but sorry kid, you're not ready for that (or I'm not).

This kid's got some pretty good fine motor skills. Her Dr. mentioned this at her 2 month appointment as she tore apart the paper on the exam table as he was giving her the exam. She stacks blocks pretty well and puts the Little People in their various vehicles. She scribbles in coloring books (when she's not trying to eat the crayons) and she works well with the magnets on her doodle board. Pretty good.

Piper is even starting to display some pretend play. She turns any rectagular or oblong object into a phone and says "hi, hi." She puts play food in the pots in the play kitchen and stirs them with a spoon. As mentioned above, she pretends to push the buttons on the microwave. She pours us "tea" from her teapot and "drinks" from her own teacup. She brings us play cookies to eat. A good start, I think.

Oh and I almost forgot. The other day we went to Jump and Bounce again and Piper climbed all the way up the "ladder" on the biggest slide and slid down all by herself. She took her time getting up and didn't mind when the bigger, faster kids went around her. She just chugged her way up. She slides down any slide feet first on on her belly. So funny to watch. Go Piper!