Yesterday Sam saw a cat across the street and told me, "We're going to get some more cats."
"One more cat?" I asked.
"No, two more cats," he answered very confidently.
I asked about a dog, and he replied, "No, dogs chase cats."
I think we may have our first sibling dispute on our hands.
Tonight at dinner Elli used her Dynavox to tell Scott that she had a cat, a fish but it died, and she wants a dog. Then she busted up laughing. It was a new message and she loved it.
Scott asked me what this was about since it was new and clearly resonated with her. Turns out, the speech therapist working with Elli today told me that Elli said she had a hamster and a dog. The therapist suspected this wasn't true (we've known her for 3 years), so she asked more questions and determined that Elli wants those pets. I appreciated the heads-up, of course.
Just then, we got another bomb dropped on our laps. Sam piped in from the end of the table with this shy little smile, "And I want to have another baby girl." (My jaw didn't hit the floor like Scott's did because Sam had asked me for a baby this afternoon.)
Yes, the baby has to be a girl. We prodded quite a bit on this one and he won't budge.
That's quite a different matter from the dog vs. cat dispute we may have to mediate! Sam stated his desire for a baby on the very day I decided to try something out -- think of myself as done having kids for a few weeks, just to see how I really feel about it. So far, quitting now sounds really good. I could get rid of so much stuff -- maternity clothes, baby clothes, baby gear...
Then this. I think I'm going to go to bed now. The thought of it makes me tired.
Oh. One more thing. Sam now knows I'm working on a birthday present for him (Scott goaded him into asking me about my "cutting project" tonight at dinner. It was quite the dinner conversation.) He said, "Oh! That's wonderful!"
Talk about pressure! And of course, today I had a mountain of laundry to plow through before I could justify taking time to work on any projects. Now I'm too tired to do much.
Jun 13, 2006
Dare I?
I want to brag on my daughter today. But Murphy's Law of Motherhood says that as soon as I say something, we'll backtrack several steps. Hold on while I check our current status. Then I think I really will tell you what's been going on here this week. I'm so excited!
...
Well, the news wasn't what I had hoped, but it's partly my fault. I should know better after working with my son.
OK, here's the scoop. For the last 6 days I've been working on potty-training with Elli. She has done remarkably well and I'm so proud of her. We've been in real underwear 5 of those 6 days, going to church, two doctor's appointments, and this morning's technology camp successfully!
We've had some misses, but that seems to be primarily from her communication challenges. If no-one is around to hear her say she needs to go potty, no-one can take her. And if she doesn't have her Dynavox, all she can do is vocalize at us and hope we ask her if she needs to go. I have to be on top of when she last had something to drink, ask her at the right times, and have her try even when she says she doesn't have to when I know that she probably does.
Even now, I have to ask Sam if he needs to go potty if he's dancing around, and I remember him protesting that he didn't need to go even as he started wetting himself last year when we were first working on it. So I have to realize that Elli may do the same thing even though she's older.
She's doing great and is so excited to be wearing underwear during the day. Everyone cheers when she uses her potty, even Sam, and it tickles me so much to see her beam. She's really blossoming this year and showing us over and over how smart she is and how much she grasps of life.
----
Today was the first day of technology camp. Elli was SO excited to go. I think she's been bored since school got out. Every hour of every day since, she has been pestering me to go swimming, go to the park, take a walk, go to the Children's museum, go to the library, and on and on and on. She wants to be on the go constantly. We've had some car problems and doctor's appointments so some of the days have been decidedly contrary to her idea of a good time. She has been unequivocal in her disappointment on those days.
However, I am thrilled to be able to give her ways to communicate her desires and the reasons for her grumpiness. The Dynavox has been such a blessing. She is a much happier child now that she has a way to communicate with us.
So... camp. She will be attending this program two days a week through the end of July. Her class has 6 children with similar challenges as her, along with a teacher, an aid, an occupational therapist, a physical therapist, and a speech therapist. Right now, the PT has a student working with her as well, so they have a 1 to 1 child to adult ratio. I REALLY like that.
They work with the kids to find the best way for them to access various kinds of technology. They work on using personal computers (using a joystick, track ball, switches, or head array -- electronic pointer attached to the person's head), driving power wheelchairs, and using communication devices like her Dynavox. They also look at the kind of physical support each child needs in order to best access the technology. Many of these kids need to be held in specific positions to stabilize their bodies so they can concentrate on making their arms, hands, or heads do the specific fine motor tasks required to play a computer game, ask a question, or drive forward in a power wheelchair.
Elli eats every bit of it up -- she loves computer games and talking with her device and we hope she takes off with the driving piece this summer. We also need to get her a better walker (or gait trainer -- holds her upright in a wheeled frame so she can practice walking, do some weight-bearing to strengthen her bones and joints, and improve her overall strength). I have no idea where we'll put all the equipment -- it gets bigger as the child gets bigger, but we'll figure that out this summer.
When we got home this afternoon, I watched a half-hour show on the Discovery channel while the kids were napping. An ad came on for children in third world countries who desperately need wheelchairs and can't afford them. Watching these poor kids drag themselves around dirt streets just broke my heart. I can't imagine the heartbreak of being unable to provide these things for my child.
I am SO thankful to God for the blessing of living in a country like this where help is available. I'm thankful that He has blessed my husband with a good job with good benefits. Between his job, his benefits, and the programs our daughter has qualified for, we've always been able to get her the equipment she needs. (We're working on some things that we want for her, but I'm sure we'll be able to get them eventually, even if it takes 3 years of car washes and bake sales!)
...
Well, the news wasn't what I had hoped, but it's partly my fault. I should know better after working with my son.
OK, here's the scoop. For the last 6 days I've been working on potty-training with Elli. She has done remarkably well and I'm so proud of her. We've been in real underwear 5 of those 6 days, going to church, two doctor's appointments, and this morning's technology camp successfully!
We've had some misses, but that seems to be primarily from her communication challenges. If no-one is around to hear her say she needs to go potty, no-one can take her. And if she doesn't have her Dynavox, all she can do is vocalize at us and hope we ask her if she needs to go. I have to be on top of when she last had something to drink, ask her at the right times, and have her try even when she says she doesn't have to when I know that she probably does.
Even now, I have to ask Sam if he needs to go potty if he's dancing around, and I remember him protesting that he didn't need to go even as he started wetting himself last year when we were first working on it. So I have to realize that Elli may do the same thing even though she's older.
She's doing great and is so excited to be wearing underwear during the day. Everyone cheers when she uses her potty, even Sam, and it tickles me so much to see her beam. She's really blossoming this year and showing us over and over how smart she is and how much she grasps of life.
----
Today was the first day of technology camp. Elli was SO excited to go. I think she's been bored since school got out. Every hour of every day since, she has been pestering me to go swimming, go to the park, take a walk, go to the Children's museum, go to the library, and on and on and on. She wants to be on the go constantly. We've had some car problems and doctor's appointments so some of the days have been decidedly contrary to her idea of a good time. She has been unequivocal in her disappointment on those days.
However, I am thrilled to be able to give her ways to communicate her desires and the reasons for her grumpiness. The Dynavox has been such a blessing. She is a much happier child now that she has a way to communicate with us.
So... camp. She will be attending this program two days a week through the end of July. Her class has 6 children with similar challenges as her, along with a teacher, an aid, an occupational therapist, a physical therapist, and a speech therapist. Right now, the PT has a student working with her as well, so they have a 1 to 1 child to adult ratio. I REALLY like that.
They work with the kids to find the best way for them to access various kinds of technology. They work on using personal computers (using a joystick, track ball, switches, or head array -- electronic pointer attached to the person's head), driving power wheelchairs, and using communication devices like her Dynavox. They also look at the kind of physical support each child needs in order to best access the technology. Many of these kids need to be held in specific positions to stabilize their bodies so they can concentrate on making their arms, hands, or heads do the specific fine motor tasks required to play a computer game, ask a question, or drive forward in a power wheelchair.
Elli eats every bit of it up -- she loves computer games and talking with her device and we hope she takes off with the driving piece this summer. We also need to get her a better walker (or gait trainer -- holds her upright in a wheeled frame so she can practice walking, do some weight-bearing to strengthen her bones and joints, and improve her overall strength). I have no idea where we'll put all the equipment -- it gets bigger as the child gets bigger, but we'll figure that out this summer.
When we got home this afternoon, I watched a half-hour show on the Discovery channel while the kids were napping. An ad came on for children in third world countries who desperately need wheelchairs and can't afford them. Watching these poor kids drag themselves around dirt streets just broke my heart. I can't imagine the heartbreak of being unable to provide these things for my child.
I am SO thankful to God for the blessing of living in a country like this where help is available. I'm thankful that He has blessed my husband with a good job with good benefits. Between his job, his benefits, and the programs our daughter has qualified for, we've always been able to get her the equipment she needs. (We're working on some things that we want for her, but I'm sure we'll be able to get them eventually, even if it takes 3 years of car washes and bake sales!)
Jun 12, 2006
Extremist
Scott's new adjective for me is "extremist." He says I'm into "extreme crafting" and that this would make a great Discovery or HGTV channel show. My parents were here to visit this weekend and he regaled them with stories about my last-minute, all-nighter, doomed-before-they-were-begun (or so he says) projects from the last couple years.
He was (and continues to be) particularly amused by my single baby bootie gift at a baby shower last weekend. I didn't have time to start knitting the booties until Friday night and we had a busy day Saturday, so my only opportunities to knit them were Friday night, Saturday night, and... Saturday night.
He could NOT believe that I actually started them Friday, knowing how little time I had to complete them. I knew they were a quick knit, so I optimistically went ahead. But I forgot how slow I knit when watching a really good movie (we watched Flight 93 Friday). I'm too tired to pull an all-nighter any more (those are reserved for comforting sick children and waiting in an emergency room).
I didn't get them done Saturday. So I actually brought them to our church lunch on Sunday and got the first one done there. The baby shower immediately followed the lunch, so I decided that, rather than sit in an inconspicuous corner and anti-socially knit furiously on bootie #2 and give her my gift last and probably not get it done despite it all, perhaps I should go easy on myself and give her the one bootie with an I.O.U. for the other. (This resulted in a bit of panic when the gift got passed around the room -- more than one woman yelled out "No one throw anything out! We're missing a bootie over here!" So I had to explain my knitting delinquency a few more times.)
Scott has been calling me the "one-bootie woman" ever since.
I finished knitting bootie #2 last night and will sew it up today. That may end the teasing for now.
Or not.
Then he likes to bring up the Christmas tree skirt my sister and I made for a gift to our mom last year. We started that in October and got it done in time. He says smoke was still rising from it when mom opened it, and that we were pretty much unaccessible the last two or three weeks before Christmas. I do not recall.
Or the bathrobe I sewed for him. For the same Christmas. I would have had it done, but I lost a good ten hours when I stitched one sleeve on backwards, with a double seam, in this really plush material that just swallowed up the stitches. It took me 2 hours to rip out 1 1/2 inches. I didn't actually finish the robe until a week after Christmas.
Or the socks for Elli. But I think I got them done in time for her birthday. I think. But that was to the detriment of the Knitting Olympics project that still isn't done.
He didn't delve into projects further back, like the scrapbooks I made for my grandmothers on the drive out to visit them. Or the quilt I started for our guest room that is now Elli's room -- the quilt isn't done yet and we've sold the bed it was supposed to cover.
But I still disagree with him. I'm not an extreme crafter. I'm just inexperienced. I'm bad at estimating the time required for a project and the time available to me. And my life is inherently unstable -- surprises occur all the time that subtract crafting time from my schedule. Plus the fact that I just have smatterings of time each day to a) work on a project, b) sleep, c) eat, d) shower, or e) relax. Sometimes I can accomplish e by doing one of the other four, but not always. So sometimes I choose not to craft with my free time because something else takes priority. If I were a real extreme crafter, NOTHING would take priority.
So why am I going on and on about extreme crafting?
Because I started a new project this weekend. This is the "All About Me" quilt from Atkinson Designs. (The one on the left is a random pattern; the one on the right is planned.) It was SOOOO much fun because I waited until my mom and sister could come shopping with me and help pick the fabrics out. I'm making this in a twin size for Sam's 4th birthday. I have until the end of September (14 1/2 weeks), which I think is plenty of time. Scott, however, is quite dubious. He says if I get it done the week of Sam's birthday, he'll be shocked.
Oh yeah. I was going to tell you what the winning cliche was. It continues to be unanimous: "Burning the candle at both ends."
He was (and continues to be) particularly amused by my single baby bootie gift at a baby shower last weekend. I didn't have time to start knitting the booties until Friday night and we had a busy day Saturday, so my only opportunities to knit them were Friday night, Saturday night, and... Saturday night.
He could NOT believe that I actually started them Friday, knowing how little time I had to complete them. I knew they were a quick knit, so I optimistically went ahead. But I forgot how slow I knit when watching a really good movie (we watched Flight 93 Friday). I'm too tired to pull an all-nighter any more (those are reserved for comforting sick children and waiting in an emergency room).
I didn't get them done Saturday. So I actually brought them to our church lunch on Sunday and got the first one done there. The baby shower immediately followed the lunch, so I decided that, rather than sit in an inconspicuous corner and anti-socially knit furiously on bootie #2 and give her my gift last and probably not get it done despite it all, perhaps I should go easy on myself and give her the one bootie with an I.O.U. for the other. (This resulted in a bit of panic when the gift got passed around the room -- more than one woman yelled out "No one throw anything out! We're missing a bootie over here!" So I had to explain my knitting delinquency a few more times.)
Scott has been calling me the "one-bootie woman" ever since.
I finished knitting bootie #2 last night and will sew it up today. That may end the teasing for now.
Or not.
Then he likes to bring up the Christmas tree skirt my sister and I made for a gift to our mom last year. We started that in October and got it done in time. He says smoke was still rising from it when mom opened it, and that we were pretty much unaccessible the last two or three weeks before Christmas. I do not recall.
Or the bathrobe I sewed for him. For the same Christmas. I would have had it done, but I lost a good ten hours when I stitched one sleeve on backwards, with a double seam, in this really plush material that just swallowed up the stitches. It took me 2 hours to rip out 1 1/2 inches. I didn't actually finish the robe until a week after Christmas.
Or the socks for Elli. But I think I got them done in time for her birthday. I think. But that was to the detriment of the Knitting Olympics project that still isn't done.
He didn't delve into projects further back, like the scrapbooks I made for my grandmothers on the drive out to visit them. Or the quilt I started for our guest room that is now Elli's room -- the quilt isn't done yet and we've sold the bed it was supposed to cover.
But I still disagree with him. I'm not an extreme crafter. I'm just inexperienced. I'm bad at estimating the time required for a project and the time available to me. And my life is inherently unstable -- surprises occur all the time that subtract crafting time from my schedule. Plus the fact that I just have smatterings of time each day to a) work on a project, b) sleep, c) eat, d) shower, or e) relax. Sometimes I can accomplish e by doing one of the other four, but not always. So sometimes I choose not to craft with my free time because something else takes priority. If I were a real extreme crafter, NOTHING would take priority.
So why am I going on and on about extreme crafting?
Because I started a new project this weekend. This is the "All About Me" quilt from Atkinson Designs. (The one on the left is a random pattern; the one on the right is planned.) It was SOOOO much fun because I waited until my mom and sister could come shopping with me and help pick the fabrics out. I'm making this in a twin size for Sam's 4th birthday. I have until the end of September (14 1/2 weeks), which I think is plenty of time. Scott, however, is quite dubious. He says if I get it done the week of Sam's birthday, he'll be shocked.Oh yeah. I was going to tell you what the winning cliche was. It continues to be unanimous: "Burning the candle at both ends."
Link Within
