Sunday, January 31, 2016
99 Lunches
Ninety-nine days into the school year and Ella's lunches still look like this and she still loves them. I sometimes ask her about the amount of lunch, such as this evening inquiring if she wanted one or two string cheeses tomorrow (she chose one). And Ella recently asked me to start putting fresh parsley in with her veggies - she's definitely from Armenia where many restaurants serve dishes with a bunch of fresh mixed herbs on the side. Yum.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Picture Of The Day
I was at the girls' school today and remembered to take a picture of the Armenian flag that now hangs in the cafeteria. One of our favorite things about the school is that children born in 40 different countries attend there. Each country is represented with its flag.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
IAC 341 & 342 Results
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 341 on December 3, 2015:
1) Spanish dossier from December 2010 referred a female child aged 1 year and 6 months
2) Italian dossier from January 2011 referred a male child aged 1 year and 2 months with features in health status and a family history
3) Swedish dossier from November 2013 referred a male child aged 1 year and 8 months with features in health status
4) Italian dossier from June 2015 referred a female child aged 9 years and 9 months
5) US dossier from December 2015 referred a waiting child (#2800) with a profile on the MOJ site
6) US dossier from November 2015 referred two waiting children (#2853 & #2854) with profiles on the MOJ site
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The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 342 on December 10, 2015:
1) Norwegian dossier from October 2010 referred a male child aged 3 years and 6 months
2) French dossier from December 2011 referred two female children aged 5 years and 6 months & 6 years and 8 months
3) US dossier from December 2015 referred a waiting child (#2858) with a profile on the MOJ site
4) US dossier from December 2015 referred a waiting child (#2871) with a profile on the MOJ site
5) US dossier from December 2015 referred two waiting children (#2915 & #2465) with profiles on the MOJ site
6) US dossier from December 2015 referred a waiting child (#2987) with a profile on the MOJ site
1) Spanish dossier from December 2010 referred a female child aged 1 year and 6 months
2) Italian dossier from January 2011 referred a male child aged 1 year and 2 months with features in health status and a family history
3) Swedish dossier from November 2013 referred a male child aged 1 year and 8 months with features in health status
4) Italian dossier from June 2015 referred a female child aged 9 years and 9 months
5) US dossier from December 2015 referred a waiting child (#2800) with a profile on the MOJ site
6) US dossier from November 2015 referred two waiting children (#2853 & #2854) with profiles on the MOJ site
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 342 on December 10, 2015:
1) Norwegian dossier from October 2010 referred a male child aged 3 years and 6 months
2) French dossier from December 2011 referred two female children aged 5 years and 6 months & 6 years and 8 months
3) US dossier from December 2015 referred a waiting child (#2858) with a profile on the MOJ site
4) US dossier from December 2015 referred a waiting child (#2871) with a profile on the MOJ site
5) US dossier from December 2015 referred two waiting children (#2915 & #2465) with profiles on the MOJ site
6) US dossier from December 2015 referred a waiting child (#2987) with a profile on the MOJ site
Picture Of The Day
You know it's going to be a good day when it starts with this self-adorned, self-proclaimed ballerina minion marching into your kitchen.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Lilit In America
As many of you know, I have been advocating for Ella's best friend from Armenia, "Eden" for quite a while. Today, I am happy to report that Eden whose real name is Lilit has arrived in the US to receive life-saving spinal surgery. SOAR and the Harold and Josephine Gulamerian Armenian Orphan Fund are making this treatment possible for her. SOAR has asked me to keep a blog chronicling Lilit's journey which you can read here.
As you can imagine, there's quite a bit of excitement in our house surrounding Lilit's stay in the US. Ella especially has been over the moon happy for her friend. The girls have exchanged messages and are eager to see each other again.
Lilit is scheduled for surgery on January 27. Please keep this special little girl in your thoughts.
As you can imagine, there's quite a bit of excitement in our house surrounding Lilit's stay in the US. Ella especially has been over the moon happy for her friend. The girls have exchanged messages and are eager to see each other again.
Lilit is scheduled for surgery on January 27. Please keep this special little girl in your thoughts.
Friday, January 22, 2016
The Ella Show
Not too long ago, Ella discovered that she can record herself with her camera. Based on the hilarious videos that Craig and I now get to watch, Ella seems to think she has a real audience ("Hi everybody, you might remember me, it's Ella... hope you enjoyed this video") and that she can send messages to others this way.
Here's her game day bathroom pep talk for Peyton Manning:
And here's a completely silly selection:
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Favorite Sentences
From the kids' second quarter report cards...
"Ella is making good progress in all academic areas in the first grade. She is reading at grade level and applying the learned comprehension strategies. She continues to be an active participant in whole class discussions."
"Rex continues to make his thoughts and feelings known by whatever means possible. He will use a variety of signs, verbalizations and pictures to make sentences and ensure his ideas are heard."
"I am so proud of the progress Emilia has made this quarter. She is a delight to have in class! Thank you for your support and for sharing Emilia with me."
"Ella is making good progress in all academic areas in the first grade. She is reading at grade level and applying the learned comprehension strategies. She continues to be an active participant in whole class discussions."
"Rex continues to make his thoughts and feelings known by whatever means possible. He will use a variety of signs, verbalizations and pictures to make sentences and ensure his ideas are heard."
"I am so proud of the progress Emilia has made this quarter. She is a delight to have in class! Thank you for your support and for sharing Emilia with me."
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Sunday Treat
Made sour cream yeast rolls this morning and we had them for brunch, hot from the oven, with various delicious spreads. Love lazy Sundays with my family!
 |
| Looking far from perfect, but the taste and texture were fantastic. |
Thursday, January 14, 2016
2015 Holiday Season Recap
November 25 - Festival of Lights at the zoo
November 26 - Thanksgiving with family
December 5 - Party with Santa at CCHMC
December 6 - Bake sale and concert for Eden
December 12 - Making Christmas cookies and family hike (we use that word instead of walk now since it's a verbalization Rex is making independently because he enjoys hikes very much and requests them)
December 13 - Decorating gingerbread houses and holiday dinner with grandparents and uncle
December 19 - The circus for Craig, Rex and Ella
December 21 - The end of our local cookie sale fundraiser
December 22 - The Nutcracker with the girls
December 24 - Pogoplay with Miss Claire (aka Rex's girlfriend) and Christmas Eve indoor picnic
December 25 - Quiet Christmas at home just the five of us
December 27 - Christmas breakfast with aunt, uncle and cousins followed by Pogoplay
December 28 - Holiday dinner with more cousins
January 1 - New Year's brunch with grandpa and Michelle
Keeping traditions and making special memories is hard work. I know this is what will stick with us for the rest of our lives, but there's always someone who has to put in the effort to make it all happen and clean up afterward. I've had to let go of some traditions from the past in order to make this season the most fun for the kids without my becoming completely stressed out and overwhelmed which I did anyway. It's a work in progress. I am learning to shift priorities and to say no when necessary. I am learning to make things easier on myself.
Things that I simplified in 2015:
1) Christmas Eve picnic - cold finger foods - no cooking, five minutes prep time - family loved it
2) Christmas Day traditional cinnamon rolls - made those ahead of time and froze in the pan which I then just had to pop into the oven for brunch - delish
3) Christmas Eve dinner - Chinese carry-out - perfect
4) Teacher and therapist gifts - gift cards with a note/picture made by the respective child - easy and well-received
5) Christmas card list whittled down to a minimum - I gave up a 15 year tradition of sending cookies to family and friends
6) Carry-out kept my sanity in December
Notes to self for 2016:
1) While the tree didn't topple in 2015, the kids enjoyed our Christmas lights on the family room ceiling much more than the tree. We only hung those lights for a few days, but next year, instead of a tree, we could do lights only in a more organized fashion for the entire season. I just bought five strings of white lights for 5 bucks, so we're ready.
2) Gingerbread houses were fun and a great way to decorate the mantle, so we should do that again.
3) Carry-out is my friend.
4) Shop way ahead for presents if possible.
5) Getting away from home for a few days would be good - somewhere with a pool.
November 26 - Thanksgiving with family
December 5 - Party with Santa at CCHMC
December 6 - Bake sale and concert for Eden
 |
| Julane performing |
December 12 - Making Christmas cookies and family hike (we use that word instead of walk now since it's a verbalization Rex is making independently because he enjoys hikes very much and requests them)
December 13 - Decorating gingerbread houses and holiday dinner with grandparents and uncle
December 19 - The circus for Craig, Rex and Ella
December 21 - The end of our local cookie sale fundraiser
December 22 - The Nutcracker with the girls
December 24 - Pogoplay with Miss Claire (aka Rex's girlfriend) and Christmas Eve indoor picnic
December 25 - Quiet Christmas at home just the five of us
December 27 - Christmas breakfast with aunt, uncle and cousins followed by Pogoplay
December 28 - Holiday dinner with more cousins
January 1 - New Year's brunch with grandpa and Michelle
Keeping traditions and making special memories is hard work. I know this is what will stick with us for the rest of our lives, but there's always someone who has to put in the effort to make it all happen and clean up afterward. I've had to let go of some traditions from the past in order to make this season the most fun for the kids without my becoming completely stressed out and overwhelmed which I did anyway. It's a work in progress. I am learning to shift priorities and to say no when necessary. I am learning to make things easier on myself.
Things that I simplified in 2015:
1) Christmas Eve picnic - cold finger foods - no cooking, five minutes prep time - family loved it
2) Christmas Day traditional cinnamon rolls - made those ahead of time and froze in the pan which I then just had to pop into the oven for brunch - delish
3) Christmas Eve dinner - Chinese carry-out - perfect
4) Teacher and therapist gifts - gift cards with a note/picture made by the respective child - easy and well-received
5) Christmas card list whittled down to a minimum - I gave up a 15 year tradition of sending cookies to family and friends
6) Carry-out kept my sanity in December
Notes to self for 2016:
1) While the tree didn't topple in 2015, the kids enjoyed our Christmas lights on the family room ceiling much more than the tree. We only hung those lights for a few days, but next year, instead of a tree, we could do lights only in a more organized fashion for the entire season. I just bought five strings of white lights for 5 bucks, so we're ready.
2) Gingerbread houses were fun and a great way to decorate the mantle, so we should do that again.
3) Carry-out is my friend.
4) Shop way ahead for presents if possible.
5) Getting away from home for a few days would be good - somewhere with a pool.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Friday, January 8, 2016
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Handwriting Improvements
Emilia has struggled with (pre)writing skills for as long as we have known her. However, since she started Kindergarten, we have seen much improvement. She has to work hard and it takes her great effort, but she's also highly motivated.
This evening, I asked Emilia to write the word so (sight word of the week) and here's what she produced completely independently. Not only did she know what letters she needed to spell the word so, she also did a really nice job getting those letters onto the paper.
After this success, Emilia kept practicing her writing skills and I was able to capture this sweet little video. The quality is not good because we had the lights dimmed in the family room, but her personality shows anyway.
This evening, I asked Emilia to write the word so (sight word of the week) and here's what she produced completely independently. Not only did she know what letters she needed to spell the word so, she also did a really nice job getting those letters onto the paper.
After this success, Emilia kept practicing her writing skills and I was able to capture this sweet little video. The quality is not good because we had the lights dimmed in the family room, but her personality shows anyway.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
New Year, New Couch
So...
Over the winter break, Craig and I finally broke down and bought a new couch. Our old one had done more than its fair share of service for nine years and the stuffing was starting to fall out. Plus, given the fact that every time Craig and/or I sit down on the couch up to three little humans climb up to snuggle, we needed something bigger.
Craig and I realize that the maximum life expectancy for a couch in our family is about five years, so we did not want to spend a ton of money. IKEA to the rescue.
Now we have nine beautiful feet of sitting space and two people can stretch their legs out on the chaise. And all the covers can be removed and dry-cleaned. Score.
Over the winter break, Craig and I finally broke down and bought a new couch. Our old one had done more than its fair share of service for nine years and the stuffing was starting to fall out. Plus, given the fact that every time Craig and/or I sit down on the couch up to three little humans climb up to snuggle, we needed something bigger.
Craig and I realize that the maximum life expectancy for a couch in our family is about five years, so we did not want to spend a ton of money. IKEA to the rescue.
Now we have nine beautiful feet of sitting space and two people can stretch their legs out on the chaise. And all the covers can be removed and dry-cleaned. Score.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
What's New With Rex?
Rex has had a fantastic year. It's hard to tell what is at the root of his great progress - ABA, OT, cranio-sacral therapy, PROMPT, broccoli sprout extract, his own readiness, or a combination thereof - but Craig and I could not be prouder of all of his accomplishments.
Just a few weeks ago we had a conference with Rex's teachers and therapists and he received a glowing report. We reviewed his records and learned that he now uses 19 words/verbal approximations correctly and in context, can match numbers 1-25 as well as all upper case letters in various fonts in fields of at least 5, sorts by color, and can identify many two-dimensional shapes, including naming some of them. He can receptively identify at least 47 pictures of objects, people, and actions in messy arrays of 6, including photos of family and classmates. Rex imitates verbally now to the best of his ability (and tacts at least 23 items), but given that he is cleft affected and has also been diagnosed with apraxia of speech, much of what he says is still not clear to those who don't know him well. He still uses around 20 adapted ASL signs as part of his communication. He answers direct questions with yes (yeah) and no (emphatic gah) and often nods or shakes his head along with the verbal answer to make sure we get it.
Rex can undress independently and is making good progress with learning to dress himself. He is pretty much 100% potty-trained for #2 and does not have too many accidents with #1 per week. The main struggle still is to get Rex to tell us when he has to go, but if you ask him directly, he will correctly answer yes or no in regard to his own toileting needs. He can complete most steps in his bathroom routine with only verbal prompts.
Socially, Rex has made strides saying hi and bye and shaking hands when prompted. His attention in circle time has increased greatly and he participates more easily with arts and crafts now. He follows instructions with improving frequency and accuracy.
Rex loves to play outside, go on hikes, build various long or tall structures with different building materials, tickles, and watching videos on the Kindle. Rex's favorite foods are sandwiches, tater tots, potato chips, bananas, almond chocolate pudding, and homemade pizza. Rex deeply loves and trusts the members of our little family and seeks social, emotional and physical contact with us.
I've said it before and I will keep shouting it from the rooftops: Rex is a blessing, a loving and lovable human being with infinite worth and possibility.
Just a few weeks ago we had a conference with Rex's teachers and therapists and he received a glowing report. We reviewed his records and learned that he now uses 19 words/verbal approximations correctly and in context, can match numbers 1-25 as well as all upper case letters in various fonts in fields of at least 5, sorts by color, and can identify many two-dimensional shapes, including naming some of them. He can receptively identify at least 47 pictures of objects, people, and actions in messy arrays of 6, including photos of family and classmates. Rex imitates verbally now to the best of his ability (and tacts at least 23 items), but given that he is cleft affected and has also been diagnosed with apraxia of speech, much of what he says is still not clear to those who don't know him well. He still uses around 20 adapted ASL signs as part of his communication. He answers direct questions with yes (yeah) and no (emphatic gah) and often nods or shakes his head along with the verbal answer to make sure we get it.
Rex can undress independently and is making good progress with learning to dress himself. He is pretty much 100% potty-trained for #2 and does not have too many accidents with #1 per week. The main struggle still is to get Rex to tell us when he has to go, but if you ask him directly, he will correctly answer yes or no in regard to his own toileting needs. He can complete most steps in his bathroom routine with only verbal prompts.
Socially, Rex has made strides saying hi and bye and shaking hands when prompted. His attention in circle time has increased greatly and he participates more easily with arts and crafts now. He follows instructions with improving frequency and accuracy.
Rex loves to play outside, go on hikes, build various long or tall structures with different building materials, tickles, and watching videos on the Kindle. Rex's favorite foods are sandwiches, tater tots, potato chips, bananas, almond chocolate pudding, and homemade pizza. Rex deeply loves and trusts the members of our little family and seeks social, emotional and physical contact with us.
I've said it before and I will keep shouting it from the rooftops: Rex is a blessing, a loving and lovable human being with infinite worth and possibility.
Rex watching an acrobat perform live
on a gymnastics wheel
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