Beating Boredom with Barbie and G.I. Joe

As much as I love summer vacation for the kids and a more relaxed schedule for all of us, I sometimes feel like their "Camp Director", making sure they are having fun, reading for book reports, doing their summer math packet, completing chores, or just finding something else to do besides watch DVR'd episodes of John Michael's favorite TV show, The Fresh Beat Band, over and over again.


Soaring temperatures in the 90's to low 100's can make the best laid plans start to wither as we give in to the cool, air conditioned living room beckoning us to stay put.  Reflecting back on my childhood, I decided the kids would have to "rough it" by staying outside for longer than they planned.  I set up the water play table and some blankets and let them decide what to do.  Out of the blue, Anna asked, "Greta, do you want me to play Barbies with you?"

Greta was in heaven!  I don't remember the last time Anna offered to play Barbies with her.  It was so sweet to see them set up a Barbie grooming salon and play together.  A few minutes later, John Michael came and sat beside them with G.I. Joe, twisting and contorting his body into moves a Cirque du Soleil acrobatist can only dream of.

Not to be left out, Luke joined in on the action, picking up the wild-haired Barbie with the floozy outfit.

John Michael liked her, too. 

She looks like she's been around the block a few times...  I'm thinking we need to "retire" her soon.  LOL!

G.I. Joe doubled as a teether for Luke, thanks to his perfect, plastic hair, ginormous muscles and multi-jointed limbs.  And for those 45 minutes they played together, it was pure heaven for me.  No arguments, no complaints, just pure, spontaneous play.

Last day of preschool

Look at this big boy!  He has been in preschool for just over 6 months since he turned 3 and has loved every minute of it.  I took this shot seconds before he bolted out the door to head to his last day of preschool for the season with Daddy.

When John Michael began preschool, he knew what colors were, but couldn't identify them consistently.  For a while, everything was blue.  Then, green, then yellow...

Yesterday, one of the classroom aides wrote in his journal that he properly handed her all the colors she asked for.  Yay!  I've noticed it, too, because he eats (gulp) Froot Loops some mornings and we make games out of it.

Another milestone is identifying numbers and counting.  John Michael loves to count and sometimes counts to 10 perfectly and other times, skips a few numbers when counting items.  He definitely has made a significant improvement here.  He also recognizes that numbers are "numbers", but doesn't consistently identify them correctly.  Same with letters.  We're working on that, too.  His shapes are pretty consistently correct.

JM is also using the potty quite often and rarely has a dirty diaper (poop) at home because he tells me he has to go and I take him to the potty.  He wets his diaper more often than not, but he has had many successes at school and often will go when I ask him at home.  It's coming along and he's definitely more aware of those bodily functions.

For PE, he has worked hard on jumping.  I never realized how hard that was!  He can sometimes jump about 1 inch off the ground with both feet, but lands very unsteadily.  We'll just keep at it...same with trike pedaling.

I hope to receive a report from the school detailing how he has improved on his IEP goals, so for now, I'll rely on what his teacher and aide have told me.  His teacher said he loves school and does very well.  He started making friends and really plays with them as opposed to just next to them.  He follows directions and stays put on his green square on the rainbow rug.  He loves to be a bell ringer or weather boy or soap squirter... whatever the job he gets, he does it well. 

Here are the bookmarks he gave to all his teachers, aides, and therapists.  They LOVED it.  We also gave a gift card to Borders Books to one teacher, gift card to Michaels Crafts to another, and some Bath and Body Works pocket hand sanitizers and sunflower seeds in a little pot to his aides.

Happy Summer!

Feet and Food -- "JM-style"

Feet, feet... wonderful feet.  Oh, the many, many feet you meet...
(I know, I'm starting to sound like a Seuss book, but really, there are so many different kinds of feet, even amongst my own children.) 

Nic has seriously huge (size 13!), flat feet, great for swimming; Anna has strong soccer and tennis feet; Greta has gymnastics feet that can kick high with a graceful arch; Luke has long, slim baby feet.  But John Michael has the softest, chubbiest feet with short toes, a cute little sandal gap AND a Simean crease to boot!  I LOVE this boy's feet.  I must kiss his bare feet at least once a day.  Like other parts of his body... his neck, his cheeks, his arms... they are so soft and smooth.  Like butter, only better  :-)
 

Now for the food...  Greta has taught John Michael the fine art of dining al fresco and nibbling on all kinds of "seasonal", plastic fruit.  I love how well they play together and the role-playing she teaches him.  Here, he's showing off his pot of fruit while holding a fork in his teeth.  Yes, he knows how to eat properly with a fork, but he sure can be funny sometimes.  I love his crossed legs, too.  The ultimate in relaxation.

Ooooh, a juicy strawberry!  (minus the juice and the mess!)

I will seriously miss having Greta here every morning to play with John Michael as she prepares for her Kindergarten career next week.  I guess I'll have to start eating more plastic fruit and dining al fresco while barefoot.  OR better yet, we'll need to invite some of his buddies to come play.  Sounds like a plan...

Random photos from Father's Day and 1st Day of Summer

Me and Luke (17 days old) this morning, the official first day of summer. Sacramento will hit 90 degrees today, which seems appropriate, especially after the unusually cooler weather we've been having.

Luke's message for today... "be happy."

Nicolas enjoyed holding the little munchkin yesterday (Father's Day).

John Michael and Greta (with Mitzi) are enjoying a juicy plum out front with Daddy on Father's Day.

I still need to get a photo of all the kids together and another of just John Michael with Luke.  John Michael is doing "OK" with the baby, but usually tries to sneak in a pinch after his gentle touches, so it's hard to get a good shot right now.  Otherwise, my funny boy (JM) is doing quite well and enjoying the day with his grandmother today.

I hope your Father's Day was wonderful and that the start of summer will be filled with lots of sunshine and fun.

(Cheap) Summer Fun...

Summer has hit our region. Yesterday was our first mid-90's hot day and the kids were melting.

It's funny, but when you don't have a built-in swimming pool, the kids get creative.

Last weekend, the kids set up a homemade "Slip n Slide" on the front yard lawn that has a slight slope with tarps and a water hose running.  (Yes, I know it's wasteful... so we didn't let them do it for very long...) It also wasn't very smooth, so this didn't last very long. 

During the week, they begged to run through the sprinklers to cool off. John Michael wasn't a fan of spraying water hitting him at first, but with a little help from Greta and a bucket, he happily joined in the fun.

Yesterday, the kids reminded us that we still had an old plastic pool on the side of the house from last year. So they pulled it out, rinsed it, and filled it. John Michael didn't need any coaxing to get in this time. He kept saying "Baaah" (bath) and "Bubbles". And, yes, that bucket came in handy for dowsing big brother, Nic.

I don't know about you, but I don't think you have to spend lots of money to get some smiles like these. Just some good old-fashioned backyard fun.  What do you do for (cheap) fun?

And in case you wondering... my blog pause is finished. I just can't stay away for too long!

Sharing the Love...

It's gonna be another hot day here.

In a little while, we're going to buy a plastic pool for splashing. Here are some photos to make you smile.

Greta and John Michael sharing the love...

and kisses...

and the best hugs...

John Michael is showing off his new International Down Syndrome Coalition (IDSC) for Life onesie. Check it out if you have a chance.

Have a great weekend!

Snacktime! and a Turning Point for me

John Michael is almost 19 months old. He's drinking more from a sippy cup these days -- milk and OJ and sometimes diluted apple juice. He can use a straw very well, too, but these lightweight disposable cups are easier for him to maneuver. Psst, don't tell him it's an older girly princess cup of Greta's. He hasn't noticed yet. BUT! Yesterday, I gave him milk in a Dora the Explorer cup and I asked, "Where's Dora?" With his middle finger, he pointed to Dora and said Dih Dih. Another word! Yay! Now we have Dada, Bap for bath or water, Eh Duh for Greta, "K" for big brother Nic and Cat, and Dih Dih for Dora.

Check this out! He can reach and put his sippy cup in the cup holder of his high chair tray. We're beginning to work on simple puzzles now.

He loves snacking on graham crackers or baby Gold Fish crackers and orange juice. His pincer grasp is getting better. He used to pick up food with 3 or more fingers and shove it in. He's working on using his index finger more, although he still points with his middle finger more often than not.

It looks like he has a headache, but he's actually playing peek-a-boo and trying to hide his eyes from me. It's so funny, I can never keep a straight face! John Michael also will shake everyone's hand and give high-five's. He's very social and loves to get peoples' attention by forcing eye contact.

So here's my "Turning Point." I brought Anna to the racquet club this morning for summer tennis camp. BJM (before John Michael) I used to play tennis at least once a week, on a team or just fun doubles matches. Somehow as he's grown and his delays are more obvious, I haven't had the courage to put him in the play care room at the club so I could play tennis or exercise. As a result... well, I'm not physical enough.

On our way out, I decided to pop in the play care room and ask the woman there if there were slower times and whether they would take JM. It turns out that every morning from 9:30 to 11, the 4-6 year olds go outside to play on the basketball courts so the room would be quieter with kids more his size.

I went through the diagnosis, explained he's healthy as a bear -- just delayed in some areas. I was choked up and on the verge of tears the entire time I was talking with her. She watched him crawl over to the shelf, pull out some big plastic dump trucks and start pushing them around. She asked a few questions about whether he could eat Gold Fish (yes) and drink from a sippy cup (yes) and whether he was OK with strangers (not always, but a Binky will help). She remembered Greta from the past and asked if she would be joining him (yes!). After watching him play contentedly for a few minutes, she said he'd do fine in there and that it would be good for me and him. Before we left, she knelt down, looked John Michael in the eyes, and spoke directly to him and welcomed him to come anytime. I smiled, thanked her and said, "I promise!"

I left there with a load lifted off my shoulders. I'm still emotional typing this. It's been 2 years since I've played tennis. It's the only sport I thoroughly enjoy and I miss the physical and social aspect of it. Last year Nic and Anna got to play while I stayed home with a baby. Now it's my turn. I think this might be a great summer.