Throughout different points of the summer, I noticed Anna attempting to do a somersault. It made Dave and I a bit nervous as she goes down at a strange angle that looks uncomfortable if not dangerous for her little neck. When I saw her start, I would usually go and guide her through it trying not to discourage her but simply give her some pointers.
Well, the other night, we had been out all day and had just gotten home. We had spent most of the day at a pumpkin farm so we were all a little dirty and itchy from the muddy play area and hay ride. So we headed right upstairs for a bath. Anna followed us into our room and without any warning, did a perfect somersault!
It was getting late considering Anna hadn't had a nap and I wanted her to take a bath before bedtime, so I was feeling a little rushed. This took me right out of my goal-focused mind set and back into the moment. It was a really good feeling! Go Anna - my little gymnast!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Fashionista
Anna loves clothes. I tend to let her pick out her clothes in the morning as it's yet another way to get her to use words and increase her vocabulary and improve her articulation. I just bought her some new pants: pink, brown and striped. So I gave her a choice of one of these three. She chose the stripes - blue, red, green, yellow, pink stripes. Then I started pulling out solid colored shirts to go with the colors in the pants. None of these would do, however, as the same day I bought the new pants, Fava (Grandma) bought her a Halloween shirt - white and orange stripes with two black kitty cats (Anna loves kitty cats!). So she pulled this shirt out and requested it. I tried to sway her; even suggested she wear the brown pants (a little better) in place of the striped ones. But she wouldn't budge. So I took a deep breath, laughed and ran with it. She won't always want to dress this way, I hope! :-)
Luckily she didn't give me a hard time about what I chose for her to wear on Friday, which was picture day. According to her teacher, she thinks her school picture will come out well. I'll let you know. Here's hoping!
Anna picked out another doozy this morning - the striped pants again and another striped shirt - different from the Halloween shirt (she wore that yesterday). This one is brown, pink and dark pink. Oh, and pink socks! She wanted to wear a head band as well, but it kept falling out so we left that at home (she requested a yellow one, but she doesn't have a yellow head band so I'm not sure what she was thinking of!).
So if anyone needs any help picking out what to wear in the morning, give Anna a call; I'm sure she'll have some lovely suggestions! Well, original, anyway!
Luckily she didn't give me a hard time about what I chose for her to wear on Friday, which was picture day. According to her teacher, she thinks her school picture will come out well. I'll let you know. Here's hoping!
Anna picked out another doozy this morning - the striped pants again and another striped shirt - different from the Halloween shirt (she wore that yesterday). This one is brown, pink and dark pink. Oh, and pink socks! She wanted to wear a head band as well, but it kept falling out so we left that at home (she requested a yellow one, but she doesn't have a yellow head band so I'm not sure what she was thinking of!).
So if anyone needs any help picking out what to wear in the morning, give Anna a call; I'm sure she'll have some lovely suggestions! Well, original, anyway!
Stickers Part II
In my last posting I wrote how Anna was still having a hard time peeling stickers; well, not anymore! Ever since I moved them to where she can reach them, she goes into the drawer often and picks out her favorites. She tends to take an entire sheet and stick them all over her clothes (at least it's not her arms and hands anymore - that was beginning to leave marks!). I've started to find stickers that have fallen from her clothes all over the house. The other day, I even found one in the girl's room at her school! Anna is quite the accessorizer!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Stickers
Anna loves stickers. I used to keep them up high and save them for bribery! Now I put them in a container on her table in her room although she still asks for permission before going in. I've tried to explain to her that the toys in her room are hers and she can play with them whenever she wants (within reason, of course!). She tends to ask permission (in her own way) to remove toys from the lower shelves of her bookshelf. We're working on it!
This morning she wanted a balloon sticker for her hand. I reminded her that she can go get the stickers herself. She did and then came back to me in my room where I was still getting ready for work. She has a hard time peeling the stickers still so I tend to help but this morning I decided I need to 'force' her to do it to impress upon her that I know she can do it if she tries a little harder. As soon as I impressed upon her that I was busy, she went to work. Within 30 seconds she was placing the balloon on her arm! It's so nice to see how proud of herself she is!
This morning she wanted a balloon sticker for her hand. I reminded her that she can go get the stickers herself. She did and then came back to me in my room where I was still getting ready for work. She has a hard time peeling the stickers still so I tend to help but this morning I decided I need to 'force' her to do it to impress upon her that I know she can do it if she tries a little harder. As soon as I impressed upon her that I was busy, she went to work. Within 30 seconds she was placing the balloon on her arm! It's so nice to see how proud of herself she is!
Hello
Uncle Jimmy and Nay Nay gave Anna her very own phone (white with pink polka dots, no less). She loves it. Mostly she says 'hello' into it, but since it's a real phone, we've actually called Mimi on it a few times. It doesn't have a speaker phone on it though so Dave sits near her with the cordless so he can talk as well. Anna is so used to phones looking like the cordless ones that she still just thinks of her phone as a toy and she leans into Dave's phone in order to continue talking to Mimi. It's pretty funny watching her holding the black phone up to ear as she jabbers away!
'Feh'
I changed the sheets on Anna's bed the other day and in the process moved her guard rail a little bit too much to the center of the bed making the space where she can climb narrower. She noticed it and asked me why it was like this. I explained that I moved it by accident while changing her sheets and had to fix it (which involves picking up the mattress so I wasn't anxious to do it!).
Last night when she climbed into bed, she kept saying 'feh, feh'. I told her I was sorry but I couldn't understand what she was saying. She then motioned to the rail and I knew immediately what she was getting at. The fact that she pursued it again told me this was important to her so I obliged her. I was shocked that she even noticed it but happy that she was able to convey her wishes without much struggle!
Last night when she climbed into bed, she kept saying 'feh, feh'. I told her I was sorry but I couldn't understand what she was saying. She then motioned to the rail and I knew immediately what she was getting at. The fact that she pursued it again told me this was important to her so I obliged her. I was shocked that she even noticed it but happy that she was able to convey her wishes without much struggle!
This Morning
Anna decided to come down to breakfast in her white boa and only her white boa! She didn't want to get dressed yet so I decided it wasn't worth the argument. So Anna ate her breakfast in her boa and nothing else. Not sure how she wasn't a bit chilly but she wasn't complaining!
Sippy Sippy
Anna can't say thirsty so instead she says sippy sippy when she's thirsty or pink cup (since that's the color of her cup!). Everything is color related - she calls her light weight jacket, blue and her rain coat yellow. She must see a rainbow when she goes to sleep at night. Well, it does make sense as she's clearly very left brained (the so-called creative hemisphere of the brain).
Now! & Why?
Anna has been doing really well verbally. Her progress with vocabulary, articulation and sentence structure has been steadily progressing all summer. It's so nice to be able to have more of a converstaion wit her rather than having to ask her yes or no questions in order to understand her needs.
With her progress comes some bossiness and lots of questions! I'm happy to answer the questions (why this? why that?) but the repetition is a little grating. Last night before we sat down for her bedtime story, I told her enough talking! I said, it's getting late; let's have some quiet time now and listen to the story! I'm sure all of the speech therapists Anna has had over the last two years rolled their eyes in protest!
Also, everything is 'now'. Read the book, now. Eat the dinner, now. Mommy, come here, now. At first, I thought it was funny. Not so much anymore. Suffice it to say, we're now working on 'please'.
With her progress comes some bossiness and lots of questions! I'm happy to answer the questions (why this? why that?) but the repetition is a little grating. Last night before we sat down for her bedtime story, I told her enough talking! I said, it's getting late; let's have some quiet time now and listen to the story! I'm sure all of the speech therapists Anna has had over the last two years rolled their eyes in protest!
Also, everything is 'now'. Read the book, now. Eat the dinner, now. Mommy, come here, now. At first, I thought it was funny. Not so much anymore. Suffice it to say, we're now working on 'please'.
Fancy Anna
Dave was away for a couple of weeks and when he returned, he brought home a blue beaded necklace and bracelet for Anna. She loved them and wore them for three days straight. She wanted to sleep with them, but we didn't think that was such a great idea!
Last week I found some 'fun fur' (yarn) in my yarn bin and was about to give it away but then thought it might make a great fancy scarf for Anna. I started to make a thin scarf so it would be long and Anna could wrap it around her neck like a boa. As soon as she saw it, she wanted to put it on. Of course, it was only a few inches so I told her she could have it after it was finished. Luckily I had enough yarn to make it about 3 feet (a guess). She loved it and even wore it (with her pearls, blue bonnet and bracelet) to Maggie's on Saturday. Very funny!
We were on vacation in Pennsylvania over Labor Day weekend and stopped at an Amish gift store on the way home. I found a blue bonnet with yellow flowers on it and immediatley put it on Anna. She loved it and wore it the whole way home. It made for a great picture. Check it out above. She wanted to wear it to bed, but again, not a great idea! But she put it on first thing the next morning and has worn it several times since. It's adorable - it gave me a great Halloween idea although I'm still thinking butterfly!
So Anna definitely likes dress up which definitely thrills this crafty mommy!
Last week I found some 'fun fur' (yarn) in my yarn bin and was about to give it away but then thought it might make a great fancy scarf for Anna. I started to make a thin scarf so it would be long and Anna could wrap it around her neck like a boa. As soon as she saw it, she wanted to put it on. Of course, it was only a few inches so I told her she could have it after it was finished. Luckily I had enough yarn to make it about 3 feet (a guess). She loved it and even wore it (with her pearls, blue bonnet and bracelet) to Maggie's on Saturday. Very funny!
We were on vacation in Pennsylvania over Labor Day weekend and stopped at an Amish gift store on the way home. I found a blue bonnet with yellow flowers on it and immediatley put it on Anna. She loved it and wore it the whole way home. It made for a great picture. Check it out above. She wanted to wear it to bed, but again, not a great idea! But she put it on first thing the next morning and has worn it several times since. It's adorable - it gave me a great Halloween idea although I'm still thinking butterfly!
So Anna definitely likes dress up which definitely thrills this crafty mommy!
Time
Where has the time gone? The summer is behind us and Anna is back in school. She loves it. Her teacher Miss Eileen sent a post card home a couple of weeks before school started and Anna liked it so much, she put it in in her bed. I was so glad to see how excited she was about returning to school and very grateful that she has the same teachers/aids this year.
A lot has happened since the end of June. Anna is potty trained although we're still having issues. Number 2 is still a problem especially when we're out and about. Luckily she tends to have to go more regularly in the evening when we're home, but. . . it's definitely ruined a few afternoons of summer excursions. Oh, well, perhaps more on that later, but for now, let's focus on the positive.
Anna has transitioned to a big girl bed - really her crib with the front railing replaced with a guard so she can get in and out by herself. She loves it! The first morning that she woke up her in her bed, I heard her jabbering and singing so I went in to get her. She was already up and admiring herself in the mirror. She startled me as I wasn't expecting her to be out of bed the very first morning. She's only done this one other time. I think more so because she's a lounger and loves to relax in bed for a little while before facing the day. Anna is not quite the morning person which is very lucky for Dave and me!
So what I thought was going to be a bit of a transition turned out to be nothing but a fun thing for a 'big girl'. Yay! I can't believe I waited this long but frankly I don't regret it as I'm not sure what the difference is other than I no longer have to lift her over the crib railing - that is a good thing but not a huge change nevertheless.
What else. . .well, perhaps I'll save that for another entry.
A lot has happened since the end of June. Anna is potty trained although we're still having issues. Number 2 is still a problem especially when we're out and about. Luckily she tends to have to go more regularly in the evening when we're home, but. . . it's definitely ruined a few afternoons of summer excursions. Oh, well, perhaps more on that later, but for now, let's focus on the positive.
Anna has transitioned to a big girl bed - really her crib with the front railing replaced with a guard so she can get in and out by herself. She loves it! The first morning that she woke up her in her bed, I heard her jabbering and singing so I went in to get her. She was already up and admiring herself in the mirror. She startled me as I wasn't expecting her to be out of bed the very first morning. She's only done this one other time. I think more so because she's a lounger and loves to relax in bed for a little while before facing the day. Anna is not quite the morning person which is very lucky for Dave and me!
So what I thought was going to be a bit of a transition turned out to be nothing but a fun thing for a 'big girl'. Yay! I can't believe I waited this long but frankly I don't regret it as I'm not sure what the difference is other than I no longer have to lift her over the crib railing - that is a good thing but not a huge change nevertheless.
What else. . .well, perhaps I'll save that for another entry.
Monday, June 29, 2009
School
Anna turned three on March 13 and started her new school on March 17. She transitioned really well and really enjoys it there. She sees all of her therapists during school hours so when my old office called and offered me a temp job starting April 13, I agreed.
During the 'school year', she starts at 8:40 am and ends at 11:10 am. Her summer hours are a bit longer (9 am - 12:30 pm; today was her first summer session). My mom (and sometimes my dad) picks her up and Dave or I get her around 5 pm. It's been working out really well although I do miss her and feel a bit guilty about my parents doing so much for us especially since they already did so much. But it's a mutual admiration society over there so it's the best situation possible!
The six week temp job turned into a longer assignment and they're now working on making me a full-time employee. Although the income is nice, I wish I could find a happy medium of a part time job that paid a bit more than my former one and a little closer to home than this job so I could work in the morning and then spend the afternoon with Anna. I guess it's still possible to negotiate something with my office but I have a feeling they're not going to be receptive to it so I'm hesitant about even bringing it up. I don't want to mess with a good thing!
So it is what it is for now. . . I'll keep you posted!
During the 'school year', she starts at 8:40 am and ends at 11:10 am. Her summer hours are a bit longer (9 am - 12:30 pm; today was her first summer session). My mom (and sometimes my dad) picks her up and Dave or I get her around 5 pm. It's been working out really well although I do miss her and feel a bit guilty about my parents doing so much for us especially since they already did so much. But it's a mutual admiration society over there so it's the best situation possible!
The six week temp job turned into a longer assignment and they're now working on making me a full-time employee. Although the income is nice, I wish I could find a happy medium of a part time job that paid a bit more than my former one and a little closer to home than this job so I could work in the morning and then spend the afternoon with Anna. I guess it's still possible to negotiate something with my office but I have a feeling they're not going to be receptive to it so I'm hesitant about even bringing it up. I don't want to mess with a good thing!
So it is what it is for now. . . I'll keep you posted!
Happy Birthday!
Okay, okay, I know Anna's birthday is in March and today's date is June 29, but I haven't had a lot of blogging time these days!
So Anna's birthday fell on a Friday this year so I decided to throw her a 'big girl' party for the first time. I invited friends of mine that have little girls Anna's age, made cupcakes and put together a craft (we made flowers in anticipation of spring). Everyone had a great time playing with Anna's toys and eating the cupcakes, however I over-estimated the three-year-old crowd by adding spinach and mushrooms to the macaroni & cheese. Anna loved it but only one other party goer enjoyed it! Well, at least the parents enjoyed it. The other girls nibbled peanut and jelly sandwiches (barely) and Anna helped herself to the leftovers!
Everyone arrived around 4:30 pm (even though the invitation said 4 pm!) and everyone was gone by 7 pm. Overall it was a very successful party although I think next year I may be better off limiting it to cake and ice cream to ensure a good time is had by all. You live and learn, right?!
So Anna's birthday fell on a Friday this year so I decided to throw her a 'big girl' party for the first time. I invited friends of mine that have little girls Anna's age, made cupcakes and put together a craft (we made flowers in anticipation of spring). Everyone had a great time playing with Anna's toys and eating the cupcakes, however I over-estimated the three-year-old crowd by adding spinach and mushrooms to the macaroni & cheese. Anna loved it but only one other party goer enjoyed it! Well, at least the parents enjoyed it. The other girls nibbled peanut and jelly sandwiches (barely) and Anna helped herself to the leftovers!
Everyone arrived around 4:30 pm (even though the invitation said 4 pm!) and everyone was gone by 7 pm. Overall it was a very successful party although I think next year I may be better off limiting it to cake and ice cream to ensure a good time is had by all. You live and learn, right?!
Sing a Song
A month or so ago, Anna concocted a microphone out of two toys and was singing in front of the full length mirror in our room. She was singing 'ya ya ya' at the top of her lungs, dancing and laughing hysterically. It was a pretty regular game for about a week, and now when anyone mentions singing, Anna starts in with 'ya ya ya'! Very funny!
It's Been Awhile
I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted. A lot has happened. I have a list at home of things I want to 'blog' about, but I don't have it handy so I'll just start with the present (for the most part) and fill in the gaps later!
Anna has made a lot of progress with her speech since I last wrote. Her vocabulary improves everyday and she's putting more and more words together. She has a few four word sentences and a lot of two and three word phrases. Her articulation has also come a long way. When I think of certain words that she could barely say a few months ago, it clearly puts it in perspective as to how far she's come. Sometimes I lose sight of this on a daily basis. Of course, I'm still highly anticipating when she will speak more typically - her speech is still really broken and forget about the grammar! Her progress is definitely slow but steady. Well, I guess that's how the tortoise won the race!
We've been potty training the last three weeks or so. I tried back in March before her birthday but felt she wasn't ready. However, three months later when she still didn't seem ready, I felt it was time to make her ready! At first, I just told her she had to try which simply meant sitting on the potty before school and before bed time. She received a sticker if she didn't put up a fight and sat long enough to read a short book or two. She quickly agreed once I put a calendar up in her bathroom and started giving her stickers for every successful 'try'.
After a few days, she still hadn't gone. But interestingly while trying one day, she told me her butt hurt. I had bought a new potty but had been waiting to introduce it by wrapping it and making a big deal about its introduction. Well, apparently that was unnecessary because as soon as I took it out, she was thrilled to sit and her first true success came later that night. The next morning was also successful but we weren't feeling secure enough other than her time at home.
Since she spends so much time at my mom's, I decided I should also buy a potty for her house so they could 'practice' there as well. So we went from simply trying to successfully using the potty when she was either at our house or my mom's. We kept upping the ante by putting panties on intermittently. She did well but wasn't as consistent. But then last week when she had two days off from school, she wanted to wear the panties to my mom's. She was so proud of herself that she didn't want to take them off. She went the whole day with them and seemed to have one minor accident after dinner. She seemed to have caught herself though and told me she needed to use the potty and went some more in the potty itself so I didn't count it as a true accident!
Yesterday we went on an errand with underwear and a dress on and she did great! She used the potty before we left and then didn't go until after we returned and slept for two hours. Her pull up was completely dry and she went a decent amount right after I got her up. So we went for a walk and then next door for dinner without any trouble.
So this morning, I asked her if she wanted to wear a pull up or underwear to school and she answered, 'underwear'. I was so thrilled but felt a bit anxious about it at the same time. Well, I guess I should have trusted my instincts because it turned out not to be a great decision. She had two accidents (both pee but still a pain!). I was disappointed to say the least.
I guess we're going to have to practice more now with the underwear. For the most part we've been going 'commando' so it's easier for her to run and pull up what she's wearing and sit down. Now we have work on waiting until she's in a situation where she can go. I think she was a little 'gun-shy' about telling the teachers as well. At home, she just has to look at me, and we're off! So between having to alert the teachers and get their attention away from the other kids and what they're doing may be a bit of an obstacle.
I guess I need to remember that we've only been working on this for a couple of weeks and not feel so discouraged so quickly. After all, less than three weeks ago, she was still fighting me about even using the potty. She's come a long way quickly and now we just have to figure out the next phase. I guess we'll have to go on more 'training exercises' to teach her to speak up about it! Always problem solving. . . Wish us luck!
Anna has made a lot of progress with her speech since I last wrote. Her vocabulary improves everyday and she's putting more and more words together. She has a few four word sentences and a lot of two and three word phrases. Her articulation has also come a long way. When I think of certain words that she could barely say a few months ago, it clearly puts it in perspective as to how far she's come. Sometimes I lose sight of this on a daily basis. Of course, I'm still highly anticipating when she will speak more typically - her speech is still really broken and forget about the grammar! Her progress is definitely slow but steady. Well, I guess that's how the tortoise won the race!
We've been potty training the last three weeks or so. I tried back in March before her birthday but felt she wasn't ready. However, three months later when she still didn't seem ready, I felt it was time to make her ready! At first, I just told her she had to try which simply meant sitting on the potty before school and before bed time. She received a sticker if she didn't put up a fight and sat long enough to read a short book or two. She quickly agreed once I put a calendar up in her bathroom and started giving her stickers for every successful 'try'.
After a few days, she still hadn't gone. But interestingly while trying one day, she told me her butt hurt. I had bought a new potty but had been waiting to introduce it by wrapping it and making a big deal about its introduction. Well, apparently that was unnecessary because as soon as I took it out, she was thrilled to sit and her first true success came later that night. The next morning was also successful but we weren't feeling secure enough other than her time at home.
Since she spends so much time at my mom's, I decided I should also buy a potty for her house so they could 'practice' there as well. So we went from simply trying to successfully using the potty when she was either at our house or my mom's. We kept upping the ante by putting panties on intermittently. She did well but wasn't as consistent. But then last week when she had two days off from school, she wanted to wear the panties to my mom's. She was so proud of herself that she didn't want to take them off. She went the whole day with them and seemed to have one minor accident after dinner. She seemed to have caught herself though and told me she needed to use the potty and went some more in the potty itself so I didn't count it as a true accident!
Yesterday we went on an errand with underwear and a dress on and she did great! She used the potty before we left and then didn't go until after we returned and slept for two hours. Her pull up was completely dry and she went a decent amount right after I got her up. So we went for a walk and then next door for dinner without any trouble.
So this morning, I asked her if she wanted to wear a pull up or underwear to school and she answered, 'underwear'. I was so thrilled but felt a bit anxious about it at the same time. Well, I guess I should have trusted my instincts because it turned out not to be a great decision. She had two accidents (both pee but still a pain!). I was disappointed to say the least.
I guess we're going to have to practice more now with the underwear. For the most part we've been going 'commando' so it's easier for her to run and pull up what she's wearing and sit down. Now we have work on waiting until she's in a situation where she can go. I think she was a little 'gun-shy' about telling the teachers as well. At home, she just has to look at me, and we're off! So between having to alert the teachers and get their attention away from the other kids and what they're doing may be a bit of an obstacle.
I guess I need to remember that we've only been working on this for a couple of weeks and not feel so discouraged so quickly. After all, less than three weeks ago, she was still fighting me about even using the potty. She's come a long way quickly and now we just have to figure out the next phase. I guess we'll have to go on more 'training exercises' to teach her to speak up about it! Always problem solving. . . Wish us luck!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Caillou Part II
I just found some Caillou pictures online that I can print out for Anna to color - it's free (just the cost of ink and paper) so I think I'll go ahead and print one or two out and let her bring her favorite tv friend to life. She loves to color just not always in coloring books - more free hand on her easel! The site is below if your little one is equally obsessed!
http://www.chouette-publishing.com/play-caillou/printable-pages
http://www.chouette-publishing.com/play-caillou/printable-pages
Used Toys
As I said, I just bought Anna a second-hand kitchen. It's small, but suits our purposes. I bought it from a woman in Wayne (Barbara) who buys them inexpensively at garage sales and cleans and fixes them and then resells them. Everything is in great condition and very reasonable so definitely worth the drive out to Wayne. Plus, she's not far from all of the stores on 46 so I'm able to run a few errands when I head out to buy a 'new' toy.
I bought Anna's table and chairs there over the summer - a great buy considering she uses it throughout the day, everyday. I'm hoping the kitchen is as big of a hit. I just went back to her site and saw that she has a water table for sale. It's only $5 less than a brand new one though so I may hold off or try and bargain her down. Anna loves to play with water (this morning she tried to play with the water in a water fountain!) so I thought it might be a good investment for the summer - something for her to play with while Dave and I do the gardening. We'll see. . . we have a few months to go!
Anyway, if you're interested, the website address is on the homepage and also as follows: www.toys2sell.com. Good luck bargain searching!
I bought Anna's table and chairs there over the summer - a great buy considering she uses it throughout the day, everyday. I'm hoping the kitchen is as big of a hit. I just went back to her site and saw that she has a water table for sale. It's only $5 less than a brand new one though so I may hold off or try and bargain her down. Anna loves to play with water (this morning she tried to play with the water in a water fountain!) so I thought it might be a good investment for the summer - something for her to play with while Dave and I do the gardening. We'll see. . . we have a few months to go!
Anyway, if you're interested, the website address is on the homepage and also as follows: www.toys2sell.com. Good luck bargain searching!
Play Room
Recently I rearranged our living room to make a small play area for Anna. Our great room is now toy free! Well, there are a few kids books, but they're exactly where they belong - on the book shelf!
I bought a small coffee table for Anna's trains, cars and puzzles and just bought a second-hand small kitchen set to go with all of the 'food' and 'pots and pans' Anna received for Christmas. She loves it! In fact, she's downstairs with her speech therapist right now, and they've been making tonight's 'dinner'!
She's been enjoying her new tea set as well. I opened it the other week after we went to Lisa and Aly's for a play date. Lisa gave the girls water so they could have a 'tea party' and ever since then, Anna has requested water every time she 'serves tea'. She loves to pour the water from one cup to another. Unfortunately she doesn't understand how to divide the water so she doesn't overfill the glasses. All the water eventually ends up on the tray and table, but it's plastic and 'lives' in the kitchen so no big deal.
I bought a small coffee table for Anna's trains, cars and puzzles and just bought a second-hand small kitchen set to go with all of the 'food' and 'pots and pans' Anna received for Christmas. She loves it! In fact, she's downstairs with her speech therapist right now, and they've been making tonight's 'dinner'!
She's been enjoying her new tea set as well. I opened it the other week after we went to Lisa and Aly's for a play date. Lisa gave the girls water so they could have a 'tea party' and ever since then, Anna has requested water every time she 'serves tea'. She loves to pour the water from one cup to another. Unfortunately she doesn't understand how to divide the water so she doesn't overfill the glasses. All the water eventually ends up on the tray and table, but it's plastic and 'lives' in the kitchen so no big deal.
Caillou
If you're not already familiar with Caillou, let me quickly inform you. He's a 4 year old cartoon boy who lives with his parents and sister Rosie, and Anna loves him! I found Caillou by accident one morning months ago when we turned to PBS Sprout a little earlier than our 8 am Sesame Street viewing. She seemed to really like to watch the little boy play with his sister, friends and interact with his mommy and daddy.
I didn't go out of my way to let her watch Caillou since it was on kind of early for our morning routine. But then a friend of mine gave Anna two Caillou books (Caillou, Bath Time & Caillou, Which One?). She seemed very intrigued by this boy and his antics much more so than the monsters on Sesame.
Over the last few weeks, she's especially enjoyed reading the bath time book so when I saw a Caillou dvd at the library, I snagged it. Dave was away for a few days last week so I let her watch it while I made dinner. She was fascinated. It was fun to see how genuinely interested she was in the show. She even started to request watching it. She's never done that with Sesame so I realized it must be true love.
I returned it only a few days later because I didn't want to encourage her to watch the same show over and over again. I figured I'd just find some different episodes, but I guess it's pretty popular because I couldn't find another dvd. Perhaps for her birthday! In the meantime, I'll keep checking the shelf at the library. Maybe I'll find another 'favorite'.
I didn't go out of my way to let her watch Caillou since it was on kind of early for our morning routine. But then a friend of mine gave Anna two Caillou books (Caillou, Bath Time & Caillou, Which One?). She seemed very intrigued by this boy and his antics much more so than the monsters on Sesame.
Over the last few weeks, she's especially enjoyed reading the bath time book so when I saw a Caillou dvd at the library, I snagged it. Dave was away for a few days last week so I let her watch it while I made dinner. She was fascinated. It was fun to see how genuinely interested she was in the show. She even started to request watching it. She's never done that with Sesame so I realized it must be true love.
I returned it only a few days later because I didn't want to encourage her to watch the same show over and over again. I figured I'd just find some different episodes, but I guess it's pretty popular because I couldn't find another dvd. Perhaps for her birthday! In the meantime, I'll keep checking the shelf at the library. Maybe I'll find another 'favorite'.
Another Evaluation
Anna had her PT evaluation this morning at her soon to be new school. The room where the evaluations normally take place was being used for testing so the PT ad libbed in the hallway and on the stairs. Anna was definitely a bit distracted! She was very interested in all of the older kids passing by and what lay in the rooms beyond.
For the most part she showed the PT what she's capable of but she was a bit stubborn about it. On the one hand I try to remind myself that she's not yet three. But then I sometimes wonder if her behavior is typical. She didn't listen very well to her new teacher, but then again, this was her first meeting. Not to mention, I was there since there was nowhere else for me to be. Also she didn't have her peers around her like she will when she begins school in March.
Her current teachers have only told me about one day when Anna wasn't quite herself at school - and we had just returned from a week away with Grandma and Granddad so all was understood and expected. Plus, she returned to her normal well-behaved self the next time she had school. I wonder however how much her well behaved self was really a by product of her inability to move around as well and if now that she's more mobile, she finds it easier to do her own thing rather than follow instructions.
It's difficult having a special needs child at times. I wonder how much of her behavior is typical and how much of it is a result of her 'issues'. When I'm around other kids and moms, I feel more at ease realizing that they don't always follow instructions, don't always answer questions directly and are easily distracted. But when I'm alone with her for awhile, I find myself getting very frustrated with her toddler behavior, however typical it may be!
For the most part she showed the PT what she's capable of but she was a bit stubborn about it. On the one hand I try to remind myself that she's not yet three. But then I sometimes wonder if her behavior is typical. She didn't listen very well to her new teacher, but then again, this was her first meeting. Not to mention, I was there since there was nowhere else for me to be. Also she didn't have her peers around her like she will when she begins school in March.
Her current teachers have only told me about one day when Anna wasn't quite herself at school - and we had just returned from a week away with Grandma and Granddad so all was understood and expected. Plus, she returned to her normal well-behaved self the next time she had school. I wonder however how much her well behaved self was really a by product of her inability to move around as well and if now that she's more mobile, she finds it easier to do her own thing rather than follow instructions.
It's difficult having a special needs child at times. I wonder how much of her behavior is typical and how much of it is a result of her 'issues'. When I'm around other kids and moms, I feel more at ease realizing that they don't always follow instructions, don't always answer questions directly and are easily distracted. But when I'm alone with her for awhile, I find myself getting very frustrated with her toddler behavior, however typical it may be!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Funny Girl
Anna definitely has a sense of humor. When we drive in the car, I try to get her to work on her speech by asking her to repeat sounds like 'ta ta', 'tee tee', 'la la', etc. Since Anna's favorite word is 'no', she always initially says 'no' when I ask her to play the game. When I first started, she seemed a bit upset as though I was asking her to do something she's not able to do. But when I tried to make it more fun and took the pressure off by repeating 'no' in a silly way, she joined in. So now every time I start the game in the car, she begins by saying 'no' in a teasing way and laughing. Eventually she chimes in with sounds of her own, and I just run with it!
Anna has always interacted with us in a way that surprises me every time. And as she gets older, it just gets more fun. She teases and jokes in her own way that makes Dave and me laugh out loud. The appropriate ways she reacts to the silly things we do with her truly astound us. I guess neither one of us have spent a lot of time with young children because I'm always wondering, is this typical!?
This morning I was joking with her because she didn't want to feed herself her oatmeal. I wanted to be done with it, so I gave it to her but joked with her by asking if Anna was a baby or a big girl. When I said, 'I guess Anna must be a baby since Mommy has to feed her oatmeal to her', she said, 'Anna, me no baby no', or something like that! It was so funny to see how adamantly she was trying to convince me as if I really thought she was still a baby! Too funny!
Anna has always interacted with us in a way that surprises me every time. And as she gets older, it just gets more fun. She teases and jokes in her own way that makes Dave and me laugh out loud. The appropriate ways she reacts to the silly things we do with her truly astound us. I guess neither one of us have spent a lot of time with young children because I'm always wondering, is this typical!?
This morning I was joking with her because she didn't want to feed herself her oatmeal. I wanted to be done with it, so I gave it to her but joked with her by asking if Anna was a baby or a big girl. When I said, 'I guess Anna must be a baby since Mommy has to feed her oatmeal to her', she said, 'Anna, me no baby no', or something like that! It was so funny to see how adamantly she was trying to convince me as if I really thought she was still a baby! Too funny!
Counting
Anna is great with colors but not up to speed yet on letters and numbers. When asked how old she is, she says 'two' but when asked how old she's going to be, she says 'five'! Grant it, this is a mature concept, but a funny anecdote that leads me to my next story!
When asked to count, she says, 'one, two, five'! Sometimes she says, 'five, two, five' or some other combination that involves her two favorite numbers: two and five.
We're working on the counting now that colors seem to be 'mastered'. I borrowed a counting dvd from the library over the weekend and sat with Anna to watch it Saturday night. She really enjoyed it and thought that one of the puppets used looks like her 'Lambie'. Probably because it was a puppet like Lambie. So everytime she saw it, she yelled 'Lambie'! And after she'd watched for a little while, she anticipated 'Lambie' every time she saw 'Lambie's set'. I thought it was very clever of her!
When asked to count, she says, 'one, two, five'! Sometimes she says, 'five, two, five' or some other combination that involves her two favorite numbers: two and five.
We're working on the counting now that colors seem to be 'mastered'. I borrowed a counting dvd from the library over the weekend and sat with Anna to watch it Saturday night. She really enjoyed it and thought that one of the puppets used looks like her 'Lambie'. Probably because it was a puppet like Lambie. So everytime she saw it, she yelled 'Lambie'! And after she'd watched for a little while, she anticipated 'Lambie' every time she saw 'Lambie's set'. I thought it was very clever of her!
Stairs
Anna has improved so much on the stairs. She still tends to crawl up our stairs at times, but she is more than capable of walking up like a 'big girl'! She still needs to hold on of course, but she manages quite well. Coming down as also improved dramatically. She used to hang on with two hands or even back down the stairs, but now she holds the wall with her left hand and walks down. She is very proud of herself, and we're very proud of her!
I think one therapy tool that has helped improve her strength is her blue gym mat. I keep it folded so it's an approximate height of a stairs and she walks up and down on it without holding onto anything. Great exercise for strength and balance. We make a game of it by putting on music and incorporating a second 'obstacle' so there's a bit more to it. It's great for speech too because she always narrates her 'up' and 'down' as she goes along.
The other day I took out her mat, and she kept pointing to something in her closet. I didn't know what she was asking for until I realized that we used this pole (for lack of a better description) as an object to walk around before going back up on to the mat. I couldn't believe she remembered!
I think one therapy tool that has helped improve her strength is her blue gym mat. I keep it folded so it's an approximate height of a stairs and she walks up and down on it without holding onto anything. Great exercise for strength and balance. We make a game of it by putting on music and incorporating a second 'obstacle' so there's a bit more to it. It's great for speech too because she always narrates her 'up' and 'down' as she goes along.
The other day I took out her mat, and she kept pointing to something in her closet. I didn't know what she was asking for until I realized that we used this pole (for lack of a better description) as an object to walk around before going back up on to the mat. I couldn't believe she remembered!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Back to Life
The holidays are officially over and we're happy to be back to work, school and our usual routine. Anna had school yesterday and OT this morning. Later this morning Anna had her evaluation at the Pleasantdale School, where she'll attend come March.
She was great. She sat at the table with us and played while the social worker, OT, speech pathologist and pschologist talked to me for awhile. Then she went into the other room with the pschologist, OT and speech pathologist for close to an hour while I went through a questionnaire with the social worker.
Everyone was impressed with Anna as she played nicely when we first arrived, separated from me easily and behaved while they did their evaluation. I was happy that it went smoothly since I was apprehensive about it for the last few days. I was especially happy that she immediately showed the social worker what a happy girl she is and behaved the way she generally does at home and in familiar settings.
She's been resting for the last hour but started coughing a bit just a little while ago. I'm not so sure she's going to settle down for a nap today as I'm sure she's still a bit wound up from our busy morning. Perhaps I'll take advantage of her alertness and get our food shopping done for the week. Yippee!
Happy New Year!
She was great. She sat at the table with us and played while the social worker, OT, speech pathologist and pschologist talked to me for awhile. Then she went into the other room with the pschologist, OT and speech pathologist for close to an hour while I went through a questionnaire with the social worker.
Everyone was impressed with Anna as she played nicely when we first arrived, separated from me easily and behaved while they did their evaluation. I was happy that it went smoothly since I was apprehensive about it for the last few days. I was especially happy that she immediately showed the social worker what a happy girl she is and behaved the way she generally does at home and in familiar settings.
She's been resting for the last hour but started coughing a bit just a little while ago. I'm not so sure she's going to settle down for a nap today as I'm sure she's still a bit wound up from our busy morning. Perhaps I'll take advantage of her alertness and get our food shopping done for the week. Yippee!
Happy New Year!
Territorial Anna
Meg, Lou and Gavin came to visit Friday evening. Anna wasn't too sure about Gavin right away so she watched from afar as he enjoyed her toys and his new surroundings.
I know Anna loves her food, but I fully realized how much when we sat the two of them together for dinner. I think she actually thought he was going to take her food because she wouldn't share the table with him. I let her have her fit for a little while because she took it away from us into the hall. But she was distracting Gavin from his dinner so I decided to give in a little and let her eat on my lap.
After dinner, all was well again. They played happily while we cleaned up dinner. I tried again with dessert thinking nothing was going to keep her from having some vanilla ice cream. I thought I had succeeded when she let me put her in her seat and placed her bowl in front of her. But lo and behold, she got up again and started her freak out dance. Dave decided to nip it in the bud and sat with her.
As soon as dessert was over, the two had a great time kicking and throwing the balls to us and 'wrestling' with Dave. I was a bit upset that she wasn't kinder to Gavin but accepted the fact that she's not yet three and still has some growing up to do! Hopefully the next time we see Gavin she won't act so nutty about her precious food!
I know Anna loves her food, but I fully realized how much when we sat the two of them together for dinner. I think she actually thought he was going to take her food because she wouldn't share the table with him. I let her have her fit for a little while because she took it away from us into the hall. But she was distracting Gavin from his dinner so I decided to give in a little and let her eat on my lap.
After dinner, all was well again. They played happily while we cleaned up dinner. I tried again with dessert thinking nothing was going to keep her from having some vanilla ice cream. I thought I had succeeded when she let me put her in her seat and placed her bowl in front of her. But lo and behold, she got up again and started her freak out dance. Dave decided to nip it in the bud and sat with her.
As soon as dessert was over, the two had a great time kicking and throwing the balls to us and 'wrestling' with Dave. I was a bit upset that she wasn't kinder to Gavin but accepted the fact that she's not yet three and still has some growing up to do! Hopefully the next time we see Gavin she won't act so nutty about her precious food!
Happy New Year 2009
Anna went to school the Monday in between Christmas and New Year's allowing Dave and I to get some things done around the house. But another party was upon us - New Year's Eve!
We went to the Major's house in CT for a party with all of the ski club friends. Anna was thrilled to hang with Ryan again and seemed to play a bit better with Sienna this time around as well. But Ryan is still the true attraction right now. I'm sure as they grow older, she and Sienna will ban Ryan from their play time, but only time will tell.
Everyone at the party was staying overnight so we let the little ones go to sleep first and didn't put Ryan and Anna up until 10:30 pm. Definitely the latest she has ever gone to sleep. It was worth it though because she barely put up a fight as I rocked her briefly before putting her down in Sienna's crib for the night.
I finally had a chance to do some nonstop relaxing as we ushered in 2009. But everyone else was pretty partied out by midnight and quickly said their good nights. Dave and I waited until closer to 1 am before sneaking into the room where Anna was already asleep.
We both fell asleep but were awakened by Anna later in the night. Unfortunately the bad combination of being over tired and not knowing where she was made it impossible to get her to go right back to bed. First I tried to hover over the crib for a little bit, but she wouldn't lie down. Then I tried rocking her, but that just kept her awake. Dave tried next but to no avail. She came in the bed with us (a full sized air mattress!), but I knew I needed another solution when she started saying, 'hi daddy'!
So I took the mattress out of the crib and placed it next to me so she could sleep near us but not on top of us! It worked even though I kept finding her head/chest still on the mattress and her legs dangling over the side! She slept with us until close to 10 am.
After breakfast and some more play time with Ryan, we decided it was time to get home for some quiet time. Normally an hour and a half drive isn't much of a problem, but Anna was not having it! I finally sat in the back with her to keep her occupied. A quick stop for lunch, and we were home by 2:30 pm. Anna gladly went right in for a nap and didn't stir until close to 5 pm.
Although she was being really grumpy, we decided to risk it and go to Grandma and Granddad's for dinner. Well, you'd never know she was over tired and grumpy because she was thrilled to see them and was on her best behavior, for the most part, all evening!
We played a game for a little while and had dinner when Nay Nay and Uncle Jimmy (finally) showed up. Then after some yummy banana and pumpkin pudding, we hopped in the car for an early night. Happy 2009 everyone!
We went to the Major's house in CT for a party with all of the ski club friends. Anna was thrilled to hang with Ryan again and seemed to play a bit better with Sienna this time around as well. But Ryan is still the true attraction right now. I'm sure as they grow older, she and Sienna will ban Ryan from their play time, but only time will tell.
Everyone at the party was staying overnight so we let the little ones go to sleep first and didn't put Ryan and Anna up until 10:30 pm. Definitely the latest she has ever gone to sleep. It was worth it though because she barely put up a fight as I rocked her briefly before putting her down in Sienna's crib for the night.
I finally had a chance to do some nonstop relaxing as we ushered in 2009. But everyone else was pretty partied out by midnight and quickly said their good nights. Dave and I waited until closer to 1 am before sneaking into the room where Anna was already asleep.
We both fell asleep but were awakened by Anna later in the night. Unfortunately the bad combination of being over tired and not knowing where she was made it impossible to get her to go right back to bed. First I tried to hover over the crib for a little bit, but she wouldn't lie down. Then I tried rocking her, but that just kept her awake. Dave tried next but to no avail. She came in the bed with us (a full sized air mattress!), but I knew I needed another solution when she started saying, 'hi daddy'!
So I took the mattress out of the crib and placed it next to me so she could sleep near us but not on top of us! It worked even though I kept finding her head/chest still on the mattress and her legs dangling over the side! She slept with us until close to 10 am.
After breakfast and some more play time with Ryan, we decided it was time to get home for some quiet time. Normally an hour and a half drive isn't much of a problem, but Anna was not having it! I finally sat in the back with her to keep her occupied. A quick stop for lunch, and we were home by 2:30 pm. Anna gladly went right in for a nap and didn't stir until close to 5 pm.
Although she was being really grumpy, we decided to risk it and go to Grandma and Granddad's for dinner. Well, you'd never know she was over tired and grumpy because she was thrilled to see them and was on her best behavior, for the most part, all evening!
We played a game for a little while and had dinner when Nay Nay and Uncle Jimmy (finally) showed up. Then after some yummy banana and pumpkin pudding, we hopped in the car for an early night. Happy 2009 everyone!
Friends
Cheryl, Claire and their families came for an early visit Saturday morning. The kids played well together and especially enjoyed having a snack of cheerios and raisins around Anna's table while the adults caught up in the next room. They all seemed so at ease with one another. I was sad that we had to break it up so quickly.
But lunch was upon us and everyone retreated to their families for leftovers and naps. Grandma and Aunt Bev came over for one last visit before Bev and Bud headed back home. We were grateful for the lunch they brought since I didn't have much in the house. Anna was happy to have a little alone time as well as she played nicely around us. Then upstairs she went for a nap - it felt good to get back on schedule even though it was a little sad to say goodbye to Christmas.
But lunch was upon us and everyone retreated to their families for leftovers and naps. Grandma and Aunt Bev came over for one last visit before Bev and Bud headed back home. We were grateful for the lunch they brought since I didn't have much in the house. Anna was happy to have a little alone time as well as she played nicely around us. Then upstairs she went for a nap - it felt good to get back on schedule even though it was a little sad to say goodbye to Christmas.
Christmas - The Day After
The day after Christmas Dave picked me up to exchange a couple of gifts at the mall so Anna stayed with Grandma, Aunt Bev, Granddad, Uncle Bud, Uncle Michael and the cousins. When we arrived back, I was informed that Anna was so tired she was practically falling asleep in her lunch. So with Anna already asleep upstairs, we had a chance to eat some lunch and play a new game my dad had won in the grab bag. Unfortunately, my over tired little one didn't sleep for as long as I would have liked, but she settled for sitting on my lap as we finished our game and perked up as she finished her forgotten lunch.
She enjoyed the company of her family for a little while longer, but we quickly said our good byes after dinner in order to get her to bed at a much more reasonable hour than the past two nights. She gratefully went to bed leaving Dave and I to relax after a busy holiday week.
She enjoyed the company of her family for a little while longer, but we quickly said our good byes after dinner in order to get her to bed at a much more reasonable hour than the past two nights. She gratefully went to bed leaving Dave and I to relax after a busy holiday week.
Christmas
Anna wasn't very impressed with the number of presents under the tree Christmas morning, but that was probably my fault - I had wrapped everything the week before and left them under there as I have in the past. I tried to make them look like more Christmas morning but she wasn't fooled. So instead of rushing to see what was inside of them, she went straight to her chair and asked for a banana!
After breakfast, we opened our presents. We asked Santa not to be too generous this year since it's still all a bit overwhelming and Anna's relatives would have a lot of gifts for her as well. Santa brought her some blocks and a magnetic wooden doll that she can dress. She seemed especially interested in her and wanted to open her right away. I was very happy about that since it was my favorite present as well!
Overall, Anna seemed pleased with her presents, but she still has difficulty actually opening the gifts so her enthusiasm of opening them definitely did not outweigh her interest in playing with whatever she opened.
So we took our time especially once we reached Grandma and Granddad's as they had gifts along with Uncle Mike, Nay Nay and Uncle Jimmy. Anna had a lot of work to do so we spread it out and let her play with a few things (not everything) as we went along.
A big hit was something that wasn't even for her! My mom gave Nay Nay a big bucket of cookie cutters - all different shapes, colors and sizes. Anna had a great time taking them out, pressing them up against her face and hanging with Nay Nay investigating all of the different kinds.
Luckily the remaining gifts were mostly clothes. But she surprised us with her interest in them as well. She wanted to put everything on, but luckily she settled for a cloth head band that went with a dress Uncle Jimmy and Nay Nay gave her. Everyone was shocked that she had actually asked to put it on and willingly wore it throughout the day. In fact, it annoyed me more than she since it kept coming off and she kept asking me to put it back on. Not sure when it happened, but I eventually gave up on it much later in the day!
The day was a great success. Everyone had a nice afternoon playing games and eating the nonstop goodies my mom prepared. We finally took Anna up around 9:30 pm much to her dismay. She settled down fairly quickly and slept until 6 am when the heat started to noisily clank through the pipes. I had also stayed over since Michael, Bev and I had stayed up really late talking so I simply took Anna in bed with me until almost 10 am. I couldn't believe she slept that late - Merry Christmas to me!
After breakfast, we opened our presents. We asked Santa not to be too generous this year since it's still all a bit overwhelming and Anna's relatives would have a lot of gifts for her as well. Santa brought her some blocks and a magnetic wooden doll that she can dress. She seemed especially interested in her and wanted to open her right away. I was very happy about that since it was my favorite present as well!
Overall, Anna seemed pleased with her presents, but she still has difficulty actually opening the gifts so her enthusiasm of opening them definitely did not outweigh her interest in playing with whatever she opened.
So we took our time especially once we reached Grandma and Granddad's as they had gifts along with Uncle Mike, Nay Nay and Uncle Jimmy. Anna had a lot of work to do so we spread it out and let her play with a few things (not everything) as we went along.
A big hit was something that wasn't even for her! My mom gave Nay Nay a big bucket of cookie cutters - all different shapes, colors and sizes. Anna had a great time taking them out, pressing them up against her face and hanging with Nay Nay investigating all of the different kinds.
Luckily the remaining gifts were mostly clothes. But she surprised us with her interest in them as well. She wanted to put everything on, but luckily she settled for a cloth head band that went with a dress Uncle Jimmy and Nay Nay gave her. Everyone was shocked that she had actually asked to put it on and willingly wore it throughout the day. In fact, it annoyed me more than she since it kept coming off and she kept asking me to put it back on. Not sure when it happened, but I eventually gave up on it much later in the day!
The day was a great success. Everyone had a nice afternoon playing games and eating the nonstop goodies my mom prepared. We finally took Anna up around 9:30 pm much to her dismay. She settled down fairly quickly and slept until 6 am when the heat started to noisily clank through the pipes. I had also stayed over since Michael, Bev and I had stayed up really late talking so I simply took Anna in bed with me until almost 10 am. I couldn't believe she slept that late - Merry Christmas to me!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve came quickly and it was another successful party for Anna. Her cousin Patrick (pictured with her here) immediately welcomed her and played with her for most of the evening. Her first present of the Christmas season was welcomed with a 'wow' and I noticed that she was beginning to get the whole Christmas 'thing'!Once again, Anna wanted nothing to do with me since she had Patrick and Lauren and all of her adult cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents to pay attention to her. My cousin Jill had a super fast camera and she was able to capture some really great shots of her. I was so thrilled since she's difficult to get a good shot of and I really liked her outfit - a green jumper, a red turtleneck, striped tights and little black shoes. Take a look!
We had a great time playing my cousin Peter's trivia and Christmas carol games. Christmas Eve is always such a festive day and always goes way too quickly. We topped off the day with our family grab bag and brought a sleepy girl home to dream of Santa!
More Holiday Cheer
Unfortunately Dave was still very sick the next day so Anna stayed at my parents house for the day. I prepared for our tree trimming party that was to take place the next day, took care of Dave as best as possible (he really slept most of the day) and put the tree up.
I went to see Anna later in the afternoon, and since Dave was still so sick, we decided to keep her at my parents for another night. We decided to go out to dinner first at my parents' favorite place in Glen Ridge (Fitzgerald's) and then I said good bye to check on the patient at home.
Dave was still feeling really lousy but he was at least resting on the couch instead of up in the guest room so I thought that showed a little promise. He kept me company for a little while as I put the lights on the tree but then retired pretty early to get some sleep.
Gratefully he was much better the next morning so the tree trimming party was on!
We had about 30 people confirmed so I was very busy with last minute preparations. Grandma and Granddad brought Anna over in time for the arrival of our first guests, and from that point on, Anna wanted nothing to do with any of the adults. She had so much fun with her 'older' friends Daisy and Skylar and some other children that we don't see often eventually joined them upstairs for some 'kid fun'! I couldn't believe how much Anna joined right in with the 'big kid' fun. She didn't even want to stop to have her diaper changed.
I can't say I'd have another party like that for a long time - pretty chaotic with so many guests, kids and no one to help with the serving, but all in all it seemed like a successful party. If Anna is any gauge, it was the best party ever!
We let her stay up close to an hour after the last guest left and she went to bed tired but very happy having made some new friends.
I went to see Anna later in the afternoon, and since Dave was still so sick, we decided to keep her at my parents for another night. We decided to go out to dinner first at my parents' favorite place in Glen Ridge (Fitzgerald's) and then I said good bye to check on the patient at home.
Dave was still feeling really lousy but he was at least resting on the couch instead of up in the guest room so I thought that showed a little promise. He kept me company for a little while as I put the lights on the tree but then retired pretty early to get some sleep.
Gratefully he was much better the next morning so the tree trimming party was on!
We had about 30 people confirmed so I was very busy with last minute preparations. Grandma and Granddad brought Anna over in time for the arrival of our first guests, and from that point on, Anna wanted nothing to do with any of the adults. She had so much fun with her 'older' friends Daisy and Skylar and some other children that we don't see often eventually joined them upstairs for some 'kid fun'! I couldn't believe how much Anna joined right in with the 'big kid' fun. She didn't even want to stop to have her diaper changed.
I can't say I'd have another party like that for a long time - pretty chaotic with so many guests, kids and no one to help with the serving, but all in all it seemed like a successful party. If Anna is any gauge, it was the best party ever!
We let her stay up close to an hour after the last guest left and she went to bed tired but very happy having made some new friends.
Scrooge
We took Anna to see a children's version of 'The Christmas Carol' the following weekend. Uncle Michael even came in for the show. Unfortunately Dave came down with the flu earlier that day so he had to miss out. So Anna and I set out on a very cold night to Bloomfield College to enjoy the show with Granddad, Grandma and Uncle Michael.
She was involved as soon as the lights dimmed and the 'band' started to play. From where we sat, you could see the lights change colors, which she seemed especially interested in.
I was a little concerned at first thinking the show might be a little advanced for her, but luckily it was a musical and she was intrigued by all of the singing and dancing.
She was very attentive for the entire hour and lit up when they lit the Christmas tree at the very end. Her eyes and mouth opened wider than a saucer. Definitely made the trip worthwhile.
The production was so, so by professional standards and another couple of technical rehearsals would have done them some good, but Anna didn't seem to notice so I'd say overall a very successful production.
Anna then went with my parents and Uncle Michael back to their house since Dave and I had been invited to a neighbors' holiday party. Unfortunately Dave was feeling terrible, but I enjoyed an evening out after I dropped in to make sure he was okay.
Hopefully next year illness won't keep any of us away from our newest Christmas tradition.
She was involved as soon as the lights dimmed and the 'band' started to play. From where we sat, you could see the lights change colors, which she seemed especially interested in.
I was a little concerned at first thinking the show might be a little advanced for her, but luckily it was a musical and she was intrigued by all of the singing and dancing.
She was very attentive for the entire hour and lit up when they lit the Christmas tree at the very end. Her eyes and mouth opened wider than a saucer. Definitely made the trip worthwhile.
The production was so, so by professional standards and another couple of technical rehearsals would have done them some good, but Anna didn't seem to notice so I'd say overall a very successful production.
Anna then went with my parents and Uncle Michael back to their house since Dave and I had been invited to a neighbors' holiday party. Unfortunately Dave was feeling terrible, but I enjoyed an evening out after I dropped in to make sure he was okay.
Hopefully next year illness won't keep any of us away from our newest Christmas tradition.
Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree
My parents put their tree up before ours so went over to help decorate and have our first 'Christmas Party' of the season. I had no expectation for how Anna would engage in the tree trimming. As soon as we arrived and she saw the tree and all of the decorations, she wanted 'in'! I was so thrilled.
Of course, my little dare devil wanted to climb the ladder and put all of the ornaments at the top of the tree. After a few tries, we decided the lower limbs would be better. We had to assist with most of the ornaments, but she was able to put the candy canes on by herself, for the most part.
She was so excited to be a part of the decorating and wanted to continue even after the last ornament was placed on the tree. She settled for watching the cat nap underneath the tree, and she even tried to follow him as he escaped her grasp. We left her to admire her handy work as we relaxed in the family room.
But when she got a little quiet, I decided to see what she was doing. It turns out that she had found the 'present' that lies under the tree (a box that looks like a present full of water to feeds the tree). She had lifted the lid off and was playing in the water. Extremely funny but definitely not something we wanted to encourage. So we tried to explain as simply as possible the point of the 'present' and coaxed her out with the promise of dinner.
I was so excited that she enjoyed her very first tree trimming party and was looking forward to repeating it the following weekend at our house.
Of course, my little dare devil wanted to climb the ladder and put all of the ornaments at the top of the tree. After a few tries, we decided the lower limbs would be better. We had to assist with most of the ornaments, but she was able to put the candy canes on by herself, for the most part.
She was so excited to be a part of the decorating and wanted to continue even after the last ornament was placed on the tree. She settled for watching the cat nap underneath the tree, and she even tried to follow him as he escaped her grasp. We left her to admire her handy work as we relaxed in the family room.
But when she got a little quiet, I decided to see what she was doing. It turns out that she had found the 'present' that lies under the tree (a box that looks like a present full of water to feeds the tree). She had lifted the lid off and was playing in the water. Extremely funny but definitely not something we wanted to encourage. So we tried to explain as simply as possible the point of the 'present' and coaxed her out with the promise of dinner.
I was so excited that she enjoyed her very first tree trimming party and was looking forward to repeating it the following weekend at our house.
Thanksgiving
So I know I'm working backwards a bit but I haven't written too much in recent past so I figured I'd fill you in on some of the highlights.
We had Thanksgiving dinner here. I prepared my very first turkey and it was quite good for a first shot. I was pretty proud to say the least. Anna wore an adorable dress that Nay Nay and Uncle Jimmy gave her earlier in the fall and she looked very cute and grown up for our festive day. She enjoyed the day with Grandma, Granddad, Uncle Michael, Uncle Jimmy, Nay Nay and Mommy and Daddy. She sat at the table with us and thoroughly enjoyed her mashed potatoes. She didn't want to eat much else which I guess is a testament to how good they were. She did eventually have some turkey and something green, I'm sure, and then topped her day off with some pumpkin pie. She loves pumpkin pie!
We waited until everyone left before attempting to put her to bed because we knew it wouldn't be very successful otherwise. Definitely a barometer for how much fun she is/was having but not an extremely relaxing end to a busy day!
We had Thanksgiving dinner here. I prepared my very first turkey and it was quite good for a first shot. I was pretty proud to say the least. Anna wore an adorable dress that Nay Nay and Uncle Jimmy gave her earlier in the fall and she looked very cute and grown up for our festive day. She enjoyed the day with Grandma, Granddad, Uncle Michael, Uncle Jimmy, Nay Nay and Mommy and Daddy. She sat at the table with us and thoroughly enjoyed her mashed potatoes. She didn't want to eat much else which I guess is a testament to how good they were. She did eventually have some turkey and something green, I'm sure, and then topped her day off with some pumpkin pie. She loves pumpkin pie!
We waited until everyone left before attempting to put her to bed because we knew it wouldn't be very successful otherwise. Definitely a barometer for how much fun she is/was having but not an extremely relaxing end to a busy day!
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