Ginger Bread House

At preschool today, Ayden Jane's class decorated ginger bread houses. Mrs. Jai made little houses out of graham crackers and icing. The kids were given bowls of candy and bowls of icing to use as glue. Now, a PWS parent might think this was a completely inappropriate project. And for some kids with PWS, it may have been. I have to say, however, that Mrs. Jai told me ahead of time, picked a day I was sure to be able to come to help and then set the whole thing up for success.

She started by explaining to the whole class how they were to decorate the houses. She showed them how the icing was our glue and to use the knife (plastic of course) to put it on the house. She told all the kids that the candy was to decorate the whole house. She told them not to eat the candy while they were decorating and she would give them a piece when they were done. Ayden Jane was at a table for 2 with a little friend and me to assist.

The girls had a great time and I can honestly say that I did not even have to tell the girls once not to eat the candy. They were all about the decorating! It was a great OT project as it was not easy for Ayden Jane to use the knife to get the 'glue' out of the bowl and then blob it on the house where she wanted. In the end it was great fun, stress free and when the teacher gave the kids a piece of candy at the end, AJ had a piece of dark chocolate and never even mentioned all the bright colored candy (and there was A LOT).

Just one of those days that seemed way more 'typical' than PWS. I love those days...

Preschool

Even with all the being sick this fall, Ayden Jane really didn't miss many days of school. The original cold came on the weekend and since the sinus infection and even the walking pneumonia weren't contagious we let her go every day she was up for it.

I have been totally distracted/exhausted/frustrated with all the behaviors... I have not paid much attention to what she has been learning. Now that she is better I am realizing that I have missed a LOT! She was lining things up and started counting them. There were 15 and she counted them perfectly! Wow, I knew she could count to 20 and that she got the idea of counting objects, but I had no idea she could count so many objects in a row with no problem.

It made me really listen to her today and the words. Oh the words.... They are getting bigger and the sentences more complicated.

So, what do they do at preschool? Here is a sample from today. I went to pick AJ up a few minutes early today like I do on Mondays to head to speech. When I got there AJ was working on a ball of playdoh. There were buttons hidden in it. Ayden Jane had to squish the playdoh to find all the buttons. Talk about OT! Once she found them she chatted with her teacher about them, describing them... Then she had to take them one by one and count them as she put them in a little container.

Did I mention I love her preschool!!???

Bee's Three's

I have been meaning to write about the first week of school. A few things (remodeling, hurricane...) have kept me from being able to focus. I guess it is just hard to explain so every time I started, well, I stared at the computer and then worked on something else.

It starts more with the day before school. It is the first I have seen Ayden Jane get nervous or anxious or whatever. In some ways it was really cute because it was totally in anticipation of something great. Some of the ways it showed up, though, made me a little nuts.

First there was the crying. AJ is not usually a big crier. I think she cried more in 3 days than she did in the first 3 years. It was just evidence that she was emotionally on the edge of the cliff and any little thing could send her hurdling over. Normally when she gets upset enough to cry it is pretty short lived. You guessed it. She managed to cry so long she forgot what she was crying about. It was pretty funny when I asked her, with admittedly a bit of frustration in my voice, why she was crying and she just blurted out, I don't know!

Secondly, she she she she is stuttering bad. It's likely not a true stutter. Often times she will repeat 5 or 6 words in a long thought several times until she can finish it. Here is an example, "after grandma and grandpa come to my house can we go to the beach and to the pool?" That's what she FINALLY says. Usually she will get stuck at a point like this, "after grandma and grandpa go, after grandma and grandpa come, after grandma and grandpa come to my house, we we we , after grandma and grandpa come to my house we can go to the beach and to the pool" Helping only results in starting the process over....

Thirdly, independence rules. I am quite sure that independence is a positive way of looking at the need to control. This becomes evident when she is stressed. Open a door to a store? She will do it. Touch the door and she will close it and start over. She wants to pour the milk, carry EVERYTHING, get in her car seat herself in HER time frame, choose who does things for her she can't like get the bath ready... The list definitely goes on.

Definite temper tantrums. Pretty sure they were more mild than the ones I wanted to have though!

Yes, it carried it's way into school. Absolute melt down because we sent in extra clothes. "I a big girl. I NOT have accidents. I don't need to bring clothes!" Tears, no consoling, completely heart broken that the school could not comprehend she was a big girl... I tried lots of things to help her not take it as a personal attack. All the kids have to, its just a rule, it is in case you spill paint or something on you... Nothing helped. Then I got smart. The extra clothes are in case the clothes you wear get itchy and you need new ones. BINGO. She bought it. Another melt down as she had to hold the teacher's hand coming down the steps. It's a rule. Every kid holds the teachers hand... "but I a big girl. I can do it myself, I won't fall...."

When we asked about school afterwards she just couldn't tell us much. Not a big surprise. I know her receptive skills are in over drive. Each morning though she was soooo excited to go. She was non stop talk and motion in the evenings after school because of all the input she received at school. I don't know what I would have done with her without the pool! Amazing how just swimming it out helped calm everything. Words came better, she could focus for more that 2 seconds, she was just calm. Sort of like the disorganized storm inside had all calmed and she was back in control of her little body. By day 3 things were much improved.

Tomorrow starts a new week and a 5 day one at that. Wish us luck!

Fun Pictures and a Video

First off, Happy Thanksgiving from St. Peter Lutheran School. The best little preschool around. They just love Ayden Jane for who she is, quirks and all. I chatted with a couple of mom's from there, something I just had not had a chance to do, and found that 2 or 3 others speak the language of therapy and doctors... The school is such a blessing.

The pictures are just a couple of AJ in her Turkey hat with all her friends at the thanksgiving feast.

They served chicken nuggets as 'turkey', a cornbread muffin which I swapped out for a grain free almond butter muffin, corn on the cob and green beans. We just opted out on the pumpkin pie, but most kids didn't eat it either!

Mckenna and Ayden Jane just doing their thing around the house. Mckenna is such a great big sister.

This one is from the Daddy Day a while back. Gary took the girls and found a fun jumpy house along the way.

This video we took real quick before we had to head to one practice or another. Ayden Jane is holding her hands like that so she doesn't lose her silly bands. (those things are beginning to drive me crazy) I will try to get lots more over the holidays.

Well, the "back to school" is behind us. The kids started Wed. The 3 big kids were TIRED by Friday, but adjusted to school pretty normally. Kayla has chosen to take 3 AP classes so is working hard. Noah is doing what he has to and Mckenna is excited about recess. Yep. Back to normal.

Ayden Jane had a 'meet your teacher' time on Wed. After we met the teacher and played a bit, I told AJ it was time to leave and she cried. She wanted no part of heading home so soon. (yes, we left) Thurs. I decided to just go through the drop off line and let her hop out. She knows the place well and was so excited to go... The teacher opened her door and helped her out. Then she reached in to get AJ's backpack for her and when she turned to hand it to her, Ayden Jane was already half way up the stairs. No looking back, no concern where Mom was, no good bye.... I might have been sad if I were not so proud of her. Watching her zip up the stairs and knowing she was going off to a grand day of preschool with her friends was such a 'normal' moment... 'normal' now equals amazing.