Yet Again, Another Activity!

Aren't these cute??? I got it from this blog... http://the-wilson-world.blogspot.com. I definitely love these, and Grace will be able to help me mix the cake dough with the colors in it, and then the frosting, and putting the coins on the top! Lots of fun things we will be doing.

Here's another activity we will be doing, but I think it will just be more of me doing it. I will hopefully make one for both Grace and Kailyn so they can both have it :) I think this is just beautiful, and the leprechauns can fill it with fun stuff on St. Patty's Day. I got it from this blog: http://www.mommyblessings.com/ . I love all of her activities because they are really beautiful fairy inspired activities!
Amanda

Gifts for Friends for Patty's Day

Grace and I were going to do something every day to celebrate St. Patty's Day this month, but with all her therapies and her make up therapy sessions, there are some days we just can't squeeze it in! But that's ok. Anyways, sometime this month we will be making cute little gifts for some of our friends, and my ladies I visit teach. Of course it will be before the special day!


I found this project on this blog... http://bethproudfoot.blogspot.com/ . I love this activity, and it won't be that expensive to do either!!

Amanda

Grace's FIRST Day of Nursery!!

I can say that it was easier for Grace to go into nursery than it was for me to let her go to nursery. I had big sister Kailyn take a picture of mommy and daddy dropping of Grace, but she was so ready to go play she didn't even look at the camera! That's ok, I'm glad she was so excited! She did great the first hour, and when I went between the end of second and beginning of third hour to check her diaper, she was getting a bit fussy with the teacher because she didn't want to sit in the chair for circle time. But I came in, checked the diaper, sat with her for a few minutes, and then helped her sit down at the table for snack, kissed her goodbye, and quickly scooted out! But she was FINE! She had some water, raisins and pretzels for snack, and did wonderfully! We peeked into the class to see her, she saw us, and didn't whine or anything. Some time during third hour she was kicked in the face, but she wasn't too fussy about it and it was an accident. I guess that stuff is gonna happen :) Good girl Grace! We came home and it didn't take her 3 minutes before she was asleep in her bed for nap!

Amanda

An Activity Grace and I Will do!

I found this on someone's blog...they had it linked to the website it came from...

http://www.holiday-crafts-and-creations.com/st-patricks-day-crafts.html

It looks like so much fun and we will definitely be doing this, so I had to share it with the rest of my blog followers!The above pictures show all the materials you will need :)

You soak your strings in glue and rub the glue off with your fingers so there's not tons.
Then when you have your design, you put more glue on all the strands and where two strands meet so they will stay. You have your design laying on wax paper. You will also put some thread at the top of your strings so it will have a way of hanging.

Here are two designs we are going to try, and then two more for picture D.

When the strings dry (give it 24 hours) then you fill each section with glue, and then mix some food coloring into the glue. Do that with all the spaces, then let it dry for another 24 hours.

Then VERY CAREFULLY peel off the wax paper without bending your hanging art.
And the above picture shows your results! BEAUTIFUL!!

Grace and I will also be making these for our neighbors and friends for St. Patty's Day! This is from the same web page, and all you need is white chocolate chips, oil, pretzels, frosting and sprinkles! Fun stuff!

These are some heart ones that we will also be making even though Valentine's Day has already passed. And those are from the same website too.

Amanda

Another Sign in the Process

I was reading a book to Grace called, "Sail Away, Little Boat" from our list, and I was just showing her the signs of the main words as we went along, pointing out the dog, barking when we saw a dog, pointing at the mommy and baby, things like that. But there was one point where I signed boat for her, and what's she do??? Makes the hand movement with one of her hands!!! SHE MIMICKED MY SIGNING!!! That's a first!! Usually, I have to make her hand do the movement. For boat, you put your hands together like a little boat (in a V with the pinkies touching) and make it move back and forth like it's moving because of the waves. She did it with her one hand, so I brought her second one over (she was sitting on daddy's shoulders, so she could only really use one hand) and helped her make the sign again! I'll bet she will be mastering that sign soon! I've got a smartie on my hands!!!

Amanda

Success with the Standing Toy

This afternoon I brought Grace upstairs with me and that's where her musical toy is that is like a table, and for her to have the best access, she has to stand at it. Now, I'm used to seeing her stand at it and play. I'm used to seeing her lean against it, or basically lay on top of it with her chest while she plays, but today...I was floored!!! Today was the FIRST DAY EVER that she went around the table!!!!! It's about 1 1/2 feet long on each side, but she was still able to get from one side, to the right, and then again to the right so she was on the opposite side!!! And she did it without leaning, without whining, and without falling down!! WOWOWOWOWOWOW!!! I was screaming for happiness, jumping up and down, clapping and telling her good girl all at the same time while she's looking at me like, "huh?" But she did it!! Usually, she has to get down, crawl to the other side, and stand back up. My little girl is growing up FAST before my eyes and all I can do is try to be with her every waking second so I don't miss a thing! If I could physically show her how happy I am for her, rather than doing all that jumping/screaming/clapping stuff...I so would!! Like, if there was a thermometer of Mommy's happiness on the wall or something, it would look like the mercury in the middle has busted out the top!! My heart feels light, my body is relaxed, I can't stop smiling (so my cheeks are sore) and I'm on cloud nine! I'm just so proud!! And she's only 18 months and I'm this proud, and it's such a little thing to be proud of. Most moms just disregard it since it's normal for their "normal" kids. But...this...is...INCREDIBLE!!! All her therapists are going to be so proud, and will probably be excited to hear what more she can do.

Alright, enough tooting Grace's horn...hopefully I can contain myself!


Amanda

The Park

Grace and I went to the park today after dropping off a letter and sweet treat at a friends house :) It was fun to be out there today because the weather was so beautiful! She swung in the swing, we played on the teeter totter, she crawled around a lot, she walked with help, and even took some steps with only one hand! I swear, every time I walk with her she's feeling more sure footed, more strong in her trunk and overall body strength. She feels more confident when she stands still and I hold with just one hand...I don't know how to explain it!! She just feels more solid than she did just a few weeks ago. Her doctors were right...her developmental Ped. said once she definitely masters the going to stand at the couch and back down, within 3 months of that she will be walking!!!

Amanda

NEW SIGN!!!!!!

I am just pleased and excited and thrilled and ecstatic and honored to share that Grace learned a new sign today!! And in a matter of minutes!!! She's learned how to sign "milk" and has remembered it since napping. (That's my test. If she can't remember it after nap, she was just mimicking me). BUT!!!! She remembered!!! I'm just so happy! She's really taking off with the signs, which does worry me because she's not vocalizing then, but as long as we are communicating, the speech therapist can help with her vocalizing more later. Here's how it happened...

She was having lunch, and I wanted to give her milk. So I made her some chocolate milk (a little chocolate makes everything better) and before even giving it to her, I showed her the sign. Then I helped her do it with her hand. Then right from that moment, she knew it!!! And I wouldn't give her the milk till she signed it every time! Which is a lot of signing for her, because when she's done drinking, she throws her cup over the side, which means Mommy gets to take it and make her sign again before she can have it back! And on top of it, she learned to sign milk while trying a new food...RAISINS!!! I was told by the nursery leader that they feed raisins as snack, and so I took that as a good tip to see how she can handle those small sweet treats. And she did great. Next is gummy treats, but I'm not too excited about those because I don't need sweet pea getting cavities! Gosh so much good news with her recently. She's doing amazing, and I'm just so proud of her!

Another little tid bit about her raisins. She loves to share, loves to share everything. But there's times where she totally will trick you, act like she's sharing, but right when you go to grab it, she will yank her arm back. Then she will reach out to you again, and silly mommy thinks, "ok, she will share this time." HA!!! She tricks me again!! But this time, with her raisins snack, she tried to hand me a raisin, and I wouldn't take it. Well what do you know that she just stayed there, with her arm stuck out to me, and gave me a look like, "I'm staying here till you take it." (I'm not a big fan of raisins) So I took it (she actually gave it to me) and what a good girl! She's so good at sharing!! So she had some, then I had to eat one, then she had some more. There was even one time she put one in her mouth, and then took it back out and tried to give it to me! Luckily, she didn't make me eat that one!

Ah, sweet child of mine. We are now going on a date with Daddy. He's getting spruced up :) Date night with the babe...well, both babes, is always fun because we get to see her accomplish things together (like new foods, walking with help some more, using a spoon, drinking from a cup). It's so fun!!

Star of approval from Mommy and Daddy!!!

Amanda

Books we are Reading

I love reading to Grace, and I know Grace loves hearing me read to her because if I either sign or say book, she comes racing over!!! We read every night to her, and throughout the day too!

Here's some of the books we just picked up from the library:

Night Night, Baby David McPhail
Olivia's Opposites Ian Falconer
The Wicked Big Toddlah Kevin Hawkes
Splash! Flora McDonnell
The Egg M.P. Robertson
Dawdle Duckling Toni Buzzeo
The Enormous Potato Aubrey Davis
Delicious! Helen Cooper
Pumpkin Soup! Helen Cooper
When Vera Was Sick Vera Rosenberry
Star of the Week Darlene Friedman
A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes Elizabeth Garton Scanlon
1, 2, 3 To the Zoo Eric Carle
Sail Away, Little Boat Janet Buell

I can't wait to crack open some of these books with little one!! I know she's going to love them!

Amanda

Yet Again, Another Great Poem

Don’t Quit
Author - Unknown
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest! if you must; but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow;
You might succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup.
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit;
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

I love this poem! I found it on a website for parents of special needs children. It speaks volumes to me, and probably to all the other parents out there that have these special children! I won't give up. I won't give up on my fight to have an awesome life, to succeed in the talents Heavenly Father has given me, on a wonderful marriage or the awesome man I have, or the precious little one I've been honored with!! There's so many positives in a life with negativity all around, because the world isn't at peace. And neither are the people in it. But, the positives around me help me to smile! How can I not, with the little sweet pea I have!!!

Amanda

Another First I Forgot!!!

It's been going on for about a month now, but guess what Grace knows how to do??? WIPE HER FACE!!! We can give her a rag, or a tissue, or whatever, and say, "wipe your face Grace!" and she does!! OH YEAH!! Or, just like this past minute when I changed her diaper before her nap time, she grabbed a wipe out of the box and wiped her face without being asked! She's such a smarty!! It's so amazing to watch my little one excel at things like this...small things that a lot of people would just not even notice! I'm thinking that's one of the reasons, among many, that Heavenly Father gave me Grace to raise, love and look after. Because He knew she would help me slow down, look around, and see the beauty in all the small things. Because it's true. I do. I slow down on walks so we can look at every leaf of the bushes we pass, or so we can smell all the different flowers we walk by. We touch the softness of the petals, and we rub then against our cheeks so gingerly. Grace loves to point at the leaves on the bushes, and to touch them softly. She's special, because she won't yank them off. She just pets them, and then is all done. I love describing things that we pass to Grace. "Look Grace, see that palm tree? It sways in the wind. It's so strong, that it can move with the wind and still stand firm. That's how we need to be Grace. We need to be able to bend and sway with what life gives us, and with the lessons that Heavenly Father gives us. If we stand thick and firm like the oak, we might snap when the wind gets too strong, but if we bend and sway like the palm, we will survive, and will remain strong." I love giving her life lessons like that, even though I know she's not understanding it all yet. I love teaching her why we have flowers too. "See the flower Grace. See the beautiful yet delicate pink petals, and the thin stem? It went through dirt to get here. It had to be strong, and keep striving to get through the dirt. That's what we have to do in life Grace. We have to remain strong with anything that comes our way, and we need to remember that through the hard stuff (the dirt) we will remain beautiful, and can blossom and love life." I know, way over her age right?? But whatever, I love having these deep conversations with Grace. I love that when I talk about things like this, she seems to quiet down, like she's listening, and when I'm done talking, she always seems to be extra lovey towards me. Hm...the silly things I do with my little one!

Amanda

More Firsts

I'm happy, and sad to say Grace has gone through the tunnel at the park for the first time EVER!!! I'm happy to say that because it takes a lot of coordination to go through there crawling, and I'm sad to say it because I was in bed while she did it!!! Daddy was so nice this morning and took care of her so I could sleep in till 10:30, so he took her to the park and she went through the tunnel!! So obviously, we will be going back to the park after she naps so I can see her be amazing!!!

Also, another first among many...she walked 10 steps with me just holding one of her hands! She felt so strong, and so firm in her steps. I can tell that walking is NOT going to be too far off for her! YES!!! I was so amazed that she felt so secure in her walking! But after those 10 steps she was ready for two handed help, but that's ok. Slow and steady wins the race!

And still another first...yesterday at PALS, she made a super big mess during snack, so I took her over to circle time and cleaned up her mess. And for the first time, she played and did the songs without me there! They send around a pom pom and sing, "Hooray for Grace, Hooray for Grace, everybody singing Hooray for Grace...1...2...3...4, who we gonna yell for? GRACE!!! That's who!!!" And she actually shook the pom pom!!! And she didn't crawl away, or whine for me or anything!!! Good girl!! Just another example that she will do great in Nursery at church. Oh, and then on top of that. They sang "Ittsy Bittsy Spider" and she did some movements on her own!! That song is obviously her favorite, and we sing it every time at PALS and TONS at home. She did the "climbed up the water spout, " "washed the spider out," "out came the sun", and "up the water spout!!" That's AMAZING!!! Rhyme and repetition is key!!!

I don't know if I put it on here, but another first for her is that she can climb the stairs at Great Grandma's and Grandpas!! They have two stairs going from the dining room to the kitchen, and they are rock, kinda pointy and very different than ours! Her great Grandpa, (Papa) showed her once a few months back how to climb it, but ever since then, we've been letting her check it out on her own. And recently, like within the past couple weeks, she's figured out how to climb them!!! We are so happy for her! Her Dado and Papa always cheer for her after she successfully gets into the kitchen, but that also means we have to close the doors that go into the family room, because they have pretty trinkets that Grace would LOVE to play with!!

Another thing I don't know if I put on here about her firsts!!! She knows how to cross her arms to say prayers!!! We get ready to eat and she will actually look at us like, "are we gonna pray?" and we can say, "we are gonna say Prayers now" and she will cross her arms!! Of course, it's not for the entire time, but she's quiet for the most part as we pray!! GOOD GIRL!! I was wondering how long it would take us to teach her, but it just seemed like a couple days of folding her arms for her that she did it on her own when asked. Gosh she's so smart!!

Lots of firsts...lots of happy moments for the family!!

Oh, I was almost done with the post but then Grace did another first that we think is so funny!! Grace has this cute little thing she does and I just had to share it!! She will plug her nose and stick her tongue out and spit! It's so funny!! She sounds totally nasally and looks as silly as can be, but it's so funny we have to laugh!!

Amanda

Grace's Taste Buds

There is one thing that's different about Grace and I, or I guess I can say she didn't get it from me!!! She LOVES rice pudding and Tapioca!!! YUCK for Mommy!!! She obviously got Daddy's traits right there. That's what she's having as I write this post, Rice Pudding and Vegetable Thins...the Vegetable Thins (it's her first time eating them) I can handle!! They are yummy! Anyways, it's pretty amazing to see what Grace likes and doesn't like...well, likes anyways, because we haven't found anything she won't eat!!! Just this past Friday she ate Hummus with Salsa!! I'm so lucky to have a little one that will eat anything! The last couple of nights, Daddy has been feeding her his concoction of a dinner...it's rice with pork shreds, ravioles and green beans. AND SHE LOVES IT!!! She ate about 1/2 cup of it in one sitting! Shew!! No picky eater here!! Oh and of course the favorite?? Ice cream!!


Amanda

Another Beautiful Poem

I don't know why I'm wanting to find poems today, but I'm glad I am! This one is another beautiful one that just seems to fit Grace perfectly!!!

The Special Child
Author Unknown
You weren’t like other children,And God was well aware,You’d need a caring family,With love enough to share. And so He sent you to us, And much to our surprise, You haven’t been a challenge, But a blessing in disguise. Your winning smiles and laughter, The pleasures you impart, Far outweigh your special needs, And melt the coldest heart. We’re proud that we’ve been chosen, To help you learn and grow, The job that you have brought us, Is more than you can know. A precious gift from Heaven, A treasure from above, A child who’s taught us many things, But most of all- “Real Love”

Amanda

The Special Child

I love this! I just found it, and it's a good reminder for Brad and I that Heavenly Father thinks highly of us, and knows that we can handle the task of teaching His special little girl how to succeed in life! I will definitely read and reread this when I have tough days!

The Child, as yet unborn, spoke with the Father."Lord, how will I survive in the world? I will not be like the other children, my walk may be slower, my speech hard to understand. I may look different. What is to become of me?"The Lord replied to the child."My precious one, have no fear, I will give you exceptional parents, they will love you because you are special, not in spite of it. Though your path in life will be difficult, your reward will be greater. You have been blessed with a special ability to love, and those whose lives you touch will be blessed because you are special"

Amanda

Finally Friday

It's so funny that I get so excited about Fridays. It's not like I work at a job full time where I'd be happy for the weekend, you know? I work at home, so all the days just mesh together. But oh well! I'm still excited it's Friday, because that means two more weeks till Brad's birthday!! I am so excited about his gift. But I'm not only excited for his birthday, but for the test Grace will be receiving on that day. It will be her audiology test, so we can see how well she can hear. Hopefully, she passes with flying colors, but we'll see.

Anywho, we went to her PALS Playday today and it was so fun! She's obviously learning what no means because I had given her a chance with the rice table, and she still ate it. So I told her no and moved her away. A while later, she tried going back to it but then LeeSee looked at her and went, "uh uh uh" and she stopped, sat down and played with a different toy!! Good girl! And then she tried to push the envelope again, but then I said, "Grace, no" and she listened!!! Oh YEAH!! I'm so happy about my little girl listening! They had fingerpainting today, and she was all about that! She painted two pictures for Mommy and Daddy, and then went to play some more. Snacktime was a mess! But I was so happy because she did so well eating with her spoon! And drinking out of her cup! She had applesauce, hummus, salsa, and chips. She ate everything and loved it all, and everyone there was surprised to see how easy it was to have Grace eating everything. I guess they get a lot of kids that REALLY don't want to try new things. And Grace got extra messy today because they said it's ok to allow her to use her hands and make a mess (which I know) so I just let her go! She got hummus all over her face, her hair, and her hands, and was giving hummus kisses! But it was a blast!! And I will probably go buy some hummus for her!

I've got a year till we start the process of IEP, so after I dropped her off at home for her nap, I went to the library (that's where I am now!!) and got some IEP books to scan over so I can figure out what is going to be going on. I like to know what's coming before it gets to me!!

I don't know what the rest of the day holds. I got about 20 books, so probably reading LATE into the night! I love reading!


Amanda

Thursday Activities

Gosh we were so busy on Thursday!! I can't believe how we were so non-stop! We went to Great Grandparents house for visiting and lunch, and that was fun! Grace was definitely happy to be there because she hasn't seen them in about two weeks from being sick! We had egg salad sandwiches for lunch, which Grace wasn't too fond of, but she was happy enough loading up with cheetos, so all was good! After that there was water therapy. Grace still has a lot of issues with wanting to cooperate with standing and walking activities, and a lot of this session was her crying. So we are hoping that was due to not having a long enough sleep!

Grace's nap was next, and Mommy tried to nap but the phone literally rang off the hook, so after unplugging the phone and shutting the cell off, I got enough sleep to feel slightly regenerated. Then I got to have some Adult time! I went to play Bunco with a couple friends and their "group" and had a blast!!! I didn't win anything, but that's ok. I'm hoping next month they will need a stand in again so I can go! I got home right when Grace was being put to bed, so I chilled on the couch and we watched American Idol :) So fun day all in all! Fun and BUSY! But that's definitely how I like it. Busy!

Amanda

St. Patrick's Day Celebration Day 2!!

Today we had our "gold" jello snack before nap time! It was so cute to watch her figure out what this stuff was! She was very cautious to eat it, and actually, I had to put it in her mouth for her before she would try it. Her little tongue would come pop out really quick and back in. But what really helped her was that I ate some. Then I guess she realized that it was ok! Then she stuffed 3 squares in her mouth really fast! She also liked pushing it around with her fingers, and squishing it between her fingers!



She is so dang cute!! After we get back from the library, we will be decorating a 4-leaf clover with green rice! So fun!!

Amanda

18 Months Old!!!

I can't believe Grace is already 1 1/2 years old!!! here are the cute pictures...and there's a story about them...she did NOT want to take them today!! Elmo was on TV, and she wanted nothing more than to watch him sing and dance!

See? I tried to sit her down and she was stuck in this position facing the TV. She obviously loves Elmo!!
This is how we started in the beginning, but then I got smart and turned her and the horse so she could watch TV and I could get the pictures I wanted!
Kisses for the horse before we start!
These two pictures are pretty good sizing up pictures! I can't believe how tiny she was just 1 1/2 years ago! It's crazy how fast she's grown!

So there we go! I faced her towards the TV. But she still wasn't really happy, especially when she realized I was taking her picture. See what I mean?

But then all I needed to do was shake my head around a bit, which throws my hair everywhere, and she gets happy again!!

I guess these pictures will have to do :) She sure does love her Elmo!




Amanda

Dr. Suess day and More!!

Today we've done a lot of fun things so far! We went to John Ehrhardt to visit my old first grade teacher, and came upon Mrs. Tamala! She worked in the front office for my entire elementary school years, and I just happened to come on the same day as she was subbing! I was SO HAPPY!!
And she was so excited to see that I had a little one! I didn't get a picture with my old first grade teacher because she was busy with her class, but I did get to visit her and she and I chatted for a minute!


Gluing project! I know that some of these are a bit overshot for her age, but I just love doing projects like this, so I just like to help her out. I had to squeeze the bottles because it was too hard for her too, but look at her holding the bottle up, and I taught her how to "up down" the bottle to tap the glue out!After we got the glue down and she could stick her fingers in it, we put one of the animals on the paper, and I taught her how to "pat pat pat" the picture so it would stick! She liked peeling them off once we got them stuck, but she got the hang of leaving them down on the paper!
And here's her zoo! She has zebras, a wolf, an elephant, some giraffes, and an otter!


Fun stuff so far!

Amanda

Getting all Pretty

I just love getting Grace all dressed up and pretty, and since today was such a beautiful day outside, I had to go with the flow of the weather and dress her up all cute and Springy!! I can't believe how long her hair is getting!

Grace showing off her beautiful shoes, and I just love how long her hair is getting!!

Grace's silly face that I've tried to catch on camera for SO LONG!!! It's the face you'd get from a teen through her bangs like she's thinking, "um, yeah right MOM!!" Isn't it cute??!!!
We got all pretty to go on a picnic to the park :)

And we gotta add a sweater so Sweet's doesn't get cold!!
Blowing kisses to all those she loves. I love catching her on photo doing this!

Look at how long her beautiful hair is :) I love brushing through it and making an updo for her :)

Sitting with mommy during the picnic! We had macaroni and cheese, grapes, water and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Hanging out with Daddy while Mommy takes a picture.

Grace climbed up these stairs...all...by...herself....!!!!!! YES YES YES!!!Getting a lift from Mommy! Grace just loves getting pushed on the swing, and I love watching her get so excited from the pushes.
Resting her head...how sweet. I absolutely adore this picture. And the thing I love the most is how relaxed she is knowing that Daddy is there for her if she needs him.

All done Daddy!! Time to go Mommy!


What a fun day! We went to the library after, then headed home for a much needed nap. Mommy had to go help at Activity Days for the girls sewing group, which was absolutely fun!!!


Amanda

Change of Scenery

Once again I've changed Grace's blog background. I didn't think I'd get pulled into changing it to match with the holiday coming up (even though it's not really a holiday) but it's just SO exciting to have something to celebrate, especially since I've got a little one to celebrate with!! So this is what it looked like for all of two weeks (I think)


And this is what I changed it too!!! I just love it!! Isn't that the most beautiful picture in the world?? Well, not the most beautiful, because Grace isn't in it!!


This will probably stay up until Daddy's birthday, and then a super special background will be put up for his special day!

Amanda

St. Patrick's Day Celebrating Day 1!!

We are going to do something fun every day to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, and today we did two things!! Starting off with a bang!! Here's what we did!!

Grace and I made Yellow (lemon) Jello snacks today! They will represent our gold, but we are lucky enough to be able to eat our gold!! Of course I don't have any pictures of her helping me because it had boiling water involved, but she got to practice with the whisk and bowl before the water boiled! And actually, she did get to help mix the hot/cold mixture, but since I was all hands on her, I didn't get a picture!

She did really well pretend mixing in the bowl!! I was surprised!!

And we also made St. Patty's Day cards for family! I cut a heart out of a potato and Grace used that to stand the three leaf clovers. The hearts didn't turn out too well, but that's ok! So we will sign these and get them sent out soon!

Amanda

Therapy

YEAH!!! We are back into the groove of things with our therapy!! I'm so excited, and I could tell Grace was too! We walked out front today with her stand up walker to wait for her therapist to come, and she was so excited to see LeeSee!! She screamed and laughed and waved at her when she was walking up the drive! Therapy today went really well. Grace really surprised me with her ability to choose between two different items! LeeSee would let her choose between things like a book and a ball, or bubbles and a writing tablet. It was so fun to actually see Grace look from one thing to the other, thinking about it, and then leaning forward and pointing to what she wanted!
The above picture shows Grace working with LeeSee with the Jack in the box. This toy is used to teach so many different things! Here's what Grace learns when using this toy/tool: push button to make Jack pop out, pull Jack out, make Jack squeak by bouncing him on the ground, put Jack in, beep beep Jack's nose, Jacks hair, Jack's eyes, Jack says hi by waving his hand, close Jack's lid, Clap our hands and Jack comes out, share Jack with LeeSee, share Jack with Mommy, Jack is baby. So many things from this one toy! And I didn't even mention learning all the colors, and then learning how to enunciate "out, in, baby, more, push, all done, more, and bye bye." We work really hard with Grace and showing her our lips when we talk, so that she understands that when we say words, our lips are shaped different ways. And she does GREAT at watching, shaping her own lips, and whenever she feels comfortable enough, she speaks the sounds!!
Here she is loving Jack! She was beeping his nose with her left thumb! We just taught her that because she kept trying to bite his nose, so whenever she would do that, we'd say, "Thank you, lets beep beep" and we poke his nose! We try not to say "no" but rather, "thank you" and show her was we DO want her to do! Keeps it more positive than always saying no, because she might not understand what we don't want her to do, but she definitely gets what we DO want her to do!!
Here she is drawing! She's so good!! I love watching her draw, and will probably be buying one of these tablets shortly since she not only loves them, but does so well! We worked on up/down, side to side, and drawing circles! She just loves drawing on here, and we can actually just sit back and not help her, and she does great. I noticed she drew with mainly her right hand, so I've probably got a rightie! I will have to learn how to teach a right hander how to crochet, since I'm a leftie! Anyways, we are still working with her on learning how to erase it by pushing the blue thing on the bottom, but she doesn't care about erasing!! Silly girl!



Here is a video of working with LeeSee. I just love watching the two of them work together because they get along so well. There are actually times when Grace needs a little loving, and she will go to LeeSee to get it. I don't mind though, I'm glad she sees that there are more people out there that love her and not just Mommy and Daddy!


I love watching her draw! And I especially love this because she doesn't get ink anywhere! And she gets so much excitement out of it...how can it be bad!!




Today we made yellow jello for snack later. We did that as part of our celebrating St. Patty's Day! We will do something fun every day to celebrate Patty's day, and I will try to post all our fun activities on here. I am hoping to have a post a day with picture or video of our fun St. Patty's activities.

Amanda