Sunday, June 7, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
She's 2
My Shannon is 2.
Don't worry, she got a bike just like her big sisters. Now, I just have to try to find her some streamers cause streamers on a bike is of the utmost importance.
Shannon has been such a sweet addition to our lives. She is the most impractical thing we have ever done. I wish all my impractical choices and descision would have ended up like this.
She has a wonderful giggle. I tell her I love her all the time. Now, everytime I do a sweet little toddler voice chimes in "I love you too Mommy".
What a sweet little girl!
Birthday girl with her sisters.
I got to pick the cake, she didn't care. I love Red Velvet.
She's got a bike like everyone else now!
Don't worry, she got a bike just like her big sisters. Now, I just have to try to find her some streamers cause streamers on a bike is of the utmost importance.
Shannon has been such a sweet addition to our lives. She is the most impractical thing we have ever done. I wish all my impractical choices and descision would have ended up like this.
She has a wonderful giggle. I tell her I love her all the time. Now, everytime I do a sweet little toddler voice chimes in "I love you too Mommy".
What a sweet little girl!
Birthday girl with her sisters.
I got to pick the cake, she didn't care. I love Red Velvet.
She's got a bike like everyone else now!
Friday, June 5, 2009
I've decided I don't fit in
I really don't. I've never made friends easily and as an adult it is even worse.
I work full time so I'm not included with the stay at home moms. Then I get home and my husband rushes off to work (OK I lie, we meet in the parking lot and then I drive the herd home). We are definetely an odd family.
But the thing that bothers me. I don't fit in with other families that have been effected by Autism.
Lauren is very high functioning kid on the Autism spectrum. She can speak not clearly but understandably. She can interact with others, not like I do or even what is socially acceptable but she can fake it for awhile. She loves to be with others. She may not know how to be with other kids her age but she wants to be with them.
I feel odd when I refer to her having Autism especially around someone else who chld's Autism has effected their family even more. I just feel out of place.
She is definetely not a normal child. I see that at Girl Scouts twice a month. She does not know how to iniate conversations with others. She'll say something and then will just keep repeating it.
I know kids try but she's just odd. We played Duck, Duck, Goose and she just ran around flapping her arms because she was so excited. No one would pick her. I was so sad but I didn't know what to do. I would have known exactly what to do, if she had been some other kid. But she's my kid! Luckily for me, my co-leader stepped in.
She doesn't get social cues. In her world and in her life, it is totally accceptable to stand nose to nose with someone. Not every other 6 year old agrees. She also still throws horrible fits if she doesn't get her way. I know this must scare the kids in her class off. They are now 6, not 2. They've moved on and can deal with disspaointment in a different way. Lauren can't.
I just wish she could have a friend or be invitied to a birthday party. I would consider the year a success then.
I work full time so I'm not included with the stay at home moms. Then I get home and my husband rushes off to work (OK I lie, we meet in the parking lot and then I drive the herd home). We are definetely an odd family.
But the thing that bothers me. I don't fit in with other families that have been effected by Autism.
Lauren is very high functioning kid on the Autism spectrum. She can speak not clearly but understandably. She can interact with others, not like I do or even what is socially acceptable but she can fake it for awhile. She loves to be with others. She may not know how to be with other kids her age but she wants to be with them.
I feel odd when I refer to her having Autism especially around someone else who chld's Autism has effected their family even more. I just feel out of place.
She is definetely not a normal child. I see that at Girl Scouts twice a month. She does not know how to iniate conversations with others. She'll say something and then will just keep repeating it.
I know kids try but she's just odd. We played Duck, Duck, Goose and she just ran around flapping her arms because she was so excited. No one would pick her. I was so sad but I didn't know what to do. I would have known exactly what to do, if she had been some other kid. But she's my kid! Luckily for me, my co-leader stepped in.
She doesn't get social cues. In her world and in her life, it is totally accceptable to stand nose to nose with someone. Not every other 6 year old agrees. She also still throws horrible fits if she doesn't get her way. I know this must scare the kids in her class off. They are now 6, not 2. They've moved on and can deal with disspaointment in a different way. Lauren can't.
I just wish she could have a friend or be invitied to a birthday party. I would consider the year a success then.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Last Day of School for Lauren
Lauren's last day of school was today. I stand in amazement at what she has acomplished this year.
She is so much more social. I know that joining Girl Scouts was a wonderful idea for her. She actually initiates conversations with kids instead of simply repeating phrases. The other kids undestand her and respond to her with friendship (for the most part).
She met or made progress in most of her IEP goals except for writing. She is reading below grade level but she has come far. She was able to identify 0 letters on her 1st day of kindergarten. Today, she came name all upper and lower case letters. She can identify 43 sight words. Her goal was 27.
She is making slow, very slow progress with writing and fine motor skills.
Bob and I agonized over this descision on when to send her to kindergarten. Should we send her with her age group? Or should we do another year of preshcool? You would have thought we were sending the kid to college. When I went to her first IEP meeting, in 2/09, what we needed to do was so clear. I needed to unenroll her from her preschool and put her in a 50/50 class at the public preschool. Anything else would have been wrong. This descision was not clear; it was very, very grey. But it was the right descision. I can't imagine her still being in preschool now.
All ready for the last day of kindergarten!
She is so much more social. I know that joining Girl Scouts was a wonderful idea for her. She actually initiates conversations with kids instead of simply repeating phrases. The other kids undestand her and respond to her with friendship (for the most part).
She met or made progress in most of her IEP goals except for writing. She is reading below grade level but she has come far. She was able to identify 0 letters on her 1st day of kindergarten. Today, she came name all upper and lower case letters. She can identify 43 sight words. Her goal was 27.
She is making slow, very slow progress with writing and fine motor skills.
Bob and I agonized over this descision on when to send her to kindergarten. Should we send her with her age group? Or should we do another year of preshcool? You would have thought we were sending the kid to college. When I went to her first IEP meeting, in 2/09, what we needed to do was so clear. I needed to unenroll her from her preschool and put her in a 50/50 class at the public preschool. Anything else would have been wrong. This descision was not clear; it was very, very grey. But it was the right descision. I can't imagine her still being in preschool now.
All ready for the last day of kindergarten!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Bike Rider Girls
The girls both got bikes for their birthday. They would like nothing better than to ride those bikes all day everyday. Shannon runs around yelling "my bike, my bike". Is it any wonder what she is getting on her birthday?
Ellie on her Tinker Bell bike.
Lauren is doing so much better riding her bike. When she first started in March, Bob and I had to hold on to her on both sides. It was very much like we had just taken off the training wheels but she still had training wheels on. She is very independent now.
And they are off
Ellie on her Tinker Bell bike.
Lauren is doing so much better riding her bike. When she first started in March, Bob and I had to hold on to her on both sides. It was very much like we had just taken off the training wheels but she still had training wheels on. She is very independent now.
And they are off
Monday, June 1, 2009
Best Buddies
Ellie and I are best buddies. That is what she tells me all the time. She tells her teachers and anyone else that will listen that I'm her best buddy.
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