Elena
Friday, October 26, 2012
Since I haven't had the time to sit down and write a formal entry for the blog (I'm really sorry about that), I thought I'd start a Twitter account. I'll be posting quick updates on Elena, Braille and any tips I come up with. It's quicker to type up a couple sentences than write a whole entry.
@ABlindAngel
My life has been more insane lately than I ever thought possible. I am trying my best to keep things under control but that doesn't leave time to write. I promise I will answer your questions. I haven't forgotten. Please forgive me and keep reading.
@ABlindAngel
My life has been more insane lately than I ever thought possible. I am trying my best to keep things under control but that doesn't leave time to write. I promise I will answer your questions. I haven't forgotten. Please forgive me and keep reading.
Friday, August 31, 2012
School, Birthday, and Potty Training
This has been an eventful week. Monday I started a new semester. Tuesday Elena started her second year of preschool. Thursday Elena turned four! And today we started the "nothing but underwear all weekend" potty training technique. I don't know if it has a real name but thats what I'm calling it. I'm sure everyone knows what that is but just in case it's when you put your kid in only underwear or sometimes nothing at all for the whole weekend. They don't like peeing on themselves so they learn fast.
SCHOOL
Elena is going to the same preschool as last year but different teachers. Her new teacher has been teaching for something around 20 years. She seems knowledgeable but more strict than her last teacher. I wonder how that will go over with the kids. Structure is important but you've got to be flexible when working with preschoolers and their parents. I took Elena to school 3 minutes late and the teacher have me the evil eye. Interesting since the day before SHE was 10 minutes late. Anyway, we'll see how this year goes.
BIRTHDAY
Yesterday was Elena's fourth birthday. It amazes me that it's been that long already. Since we had done her party a couple weeks ago, we just did a little thing at home yesterday. She had her favorite food for dinner, speghettioos, and M&MS for desert. Her grandparents (my side) and her dad called and sang Happy Birthday to her.
Her big party with her friends was great. I made a delicious chocolate cake surrounded by KitKats and topped with M&Ms. We had a piñata and a craft table. I played some fun kid songs in the background. Of course we had yummy food too. All the kids seemed to have fun. They liked playing musical cushions and even blind-folded musical cushions. I'm glad she had a good time and got to play with some friends.
POTTY TRAINING
So far, potty training has been basically nonexistent. It's not that we haven't or aren't trying but she has no interest in it. I have FINALLY gotten her to tell me when she needs to go but unfortunately she doesn't tell me until she's going or just gone in her diaper. I considered doing the "naked baby" also know as "only underwear" method but 95% of my apartment is carpet and I didn't want to have to clean all that or have the carpers messed up. Plus she doesn't seem to care if she has a wet diaper.
Then the other day she spilled water all down her dress and flipped out. She cried, stomped her feet, and tried to pull the dress off. With a reaction like that I thought maybe I should just bite the bullet and do it so we went to the store and bought her some big girl underwear.
Today was the first day she wore them. I waited until after school so she only wore them for a few hours today. She didn't have any accidents but she also didn't go in toilet. I was surprised she didn't go to the bathroom at all. I put her in a Pull Up for bedtime. She seemed to like them though. She likes being a big girl. We'll see tomorrow how the rest of the potty training goes. Her preschool teacher said she would have no problem changing Elena if/when she starts wearing underwear, even if that means changing her clothes because of accidents. Wish me luck!
SCHOOL
Elena is going to the same preschool as last year but different teachers. Her new teacher has been teaching for something around 20 years. She seems knowledgeable but more strict than her last teacher. I wonder how that will go over with the kids. Structure is important but you've got to be flexible when working with preschoolers and their parents. I took Elena to school 3 minutes late and the teacher have me the evil eye. Interesting since the day before SHE was 10 minutes late. Anyway, we'll see how this year goes.
BIRTHDAY
Yesterday was Elena's fourth birthday. It amazes me that it's been that long already. Since we had done her party a couple weeks ago, we just did a little thing at home yesterday. She had her favorite food for dinner, speghettioos, and M&MS for desert. Her grandparents (my side) and her dad called and sang Happy Birthday to her.
Her big party with her friends was great. I made a delicious chocolate cake surrounded by KitKats and topped with M&Ms. We had a piñata and a craft table. I played some fun kid songs in the background. Of course we had yummy food too. All the kids seemed to have fun. They liked playing musical cushions and even blind-folded musical cushions. I'm glad she had a good time and got to play with some friends.
POTTY TRAINING
So far, potty training has been basically nonexistent. It's not that we haven't or aren't trying but she has no interest in it. I have FINALLY gotten her to tell me when she needs to go but unfortunately she doesn't tell me until she's going or just gone in her diaper. I considered doing the "naked baby" also know as "only underwear" method but 95% of my apartment is carpet and I didn't want to have to clean all that or have the carpers messed up. Plus she doesn't seem to care if she has a wet diaper.
Then the other day she spilled water all down her dress and flipped out. She cried, stomped her feet, and tried to pull the dress off. With a reaction like that I thought maybe I should just bite the bullet and do it so we went to the store and bought her some big girl underwear.
Today was the first day she wore them. I waited until after school so she only wore them for a few hours today. She didn't have any accidents but she also didn't go in toilet. I was surprised she didn't go to the bathroom at all. I put her in a Pull Up for bedtime. She seemed to like them though. She likes being a big girl. We'll see tomorrow how the rest of the potty training goes. Her preschool teacher said she would have no problem changing Elena if/when she starts wearing underwear, even if that means changing her clothes because of accidents. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Reflecting
With Elena's 4th birthday coming up in just a couple weeks I find myself reflecting on the past 4 years. So much has happened and she has grown so much. It's hard to believe how much time has past already. It seems like only a few months ago she was a little infant bundles up in my arms. Now she is walking, talking, singing and FINALLY answering my questions. Parents always say that time flys and their kids grow up so fast but I didn't realize just how fast. I feel if I blink Elena will be going off to college!
Elena is such a joy to have and I'm thankful everyday that I'm her mom. Sometimes having a blind child can be difficult but I imagine it's not much more than raising a sighted child. I am often asked what's it like raising a blind child and I say that after the first year or so it's just like raising any other child. Once I got used to the uniqueness of things that go into raising a blind child it felt normal to me. Many times I'd forget she was blind or that she wasn't like every other child.
Blind children are just like other children. They have tantrums. They have good days and bad days. They want love from their parents and entertaining toys. They want to go to the park and can make shopping difficult. Whether your child is blind, sighted, mentally handicapped or healthy, they should all be treated the same because they are the same. One may have to do things different than the other but they are the same.
Elena will be starting her second year of pre-school in a couple weeks and I can't wait to see what she accomplishes this year. She is so smart. I wouldn't be surprised if starts reading by the end of the year. She follows the Braille lines with both hands and, according to her Braille teacher, knows the brailler better than get kindergarteners. She has known her left and right for maybe a year now and she LOVES to read. She doesn't always want to read with her hands but she loves listening to the story, holding the book, and turns the pages. She liked to recite the stories to herself and sometimes add her own twists. She is very good with her cane and learning more about using it correctly. She enjoys playing with her swing-cell and learning new letters.
She still isn't potty trained and is lacking some communication skills. She gets easily frustrated and throws things and/or hits herself when she is mad. She isn't perfect, no one is, but she is the sweetest little girl and her laugh is adorable.
Four years. Wow. Four years old. She sure has come a long way. My little angel is growing up.
Elena is such a joy to have and I'm thankful everyday that I'm her mom. Sometimes having a blind child can be difficult but I imagine it's not much more than raising a sighted child. I am often asked what's it like raising a blind child and I say that after the first year or so it's just like raising any other child. Once I got used to the uniqueness of things that go into raising a blind child it felt normal to me. Many times I'd forget she was blind or that she wasn't like every other child.
Blind children are just like other children. They have tantrums. They have good days and bad days. They want love from their parents and entertaining toys. They want to go to the park and can make shopping difficult. Whether your child is blind, sighted, mentally handicapped or healthy, they should all be treated the same because they are the same. One may have to do things different than the other but they are the same.
Elena will be starting her second year of pre-school in a couple weeks and I can't wait to see what she accomplishes this year. She is so smart. I wouldn't be surprised if starts reading by the end of the year. She follows the Braille lines with both hands and, according to her Braille teacher, knows the brailler better than get kindergarteners. She has known her left and right for maybe a year now and she LOVES to read. She doesn't always want to read with her hands but she loves listening to the story, holding the book, and turns the pages. She liked to recite the stories to herself and sometimes add her own twists. She is very good with her cane and learning more about using it correctly. She enjoys playing with her swing-cell and learning new letters.
She still isn't potty trained and is lacking some communication skills. She gets easily frustrated and throws things and/or hits herself when she is mad. She isn't perfect, no one is, but she is the sweetest little girl and her laugh is adorable.
Four years. Wow. Four years old. She sure has come a long way. My little angel is growing up.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
My First Ever by Myself Sewing Project
I've made a few things before but usually had either help sewing or someone next to me to tell me what to do next. This apron was done completely by me and I'm so proud of myself! Elena had gotten pretty messy after the last time we baked so I decided to make her an apron. I used a small apron that one of her therapists had attached toys to as a template. I added some color using some left over rickrack and a flower button. Then brailled her name on it with rhinestones. She was more interested in the button than the braille.
Making Pumpkin Pie
Elena had been begging me for weeks for Pumpkin Pie so she got to use her new apron and helped me make pies.
Feeling the squishy pie. (Then she flung her hand to get it off, making it go all over. She doesn't like gooey things on her hands.)
I asked her to dump the sugar in and this is what I got. lol. Think I need to explain it a little better next time.
Shaking the canned milk.
Feeling the egg.
Breaking the egg in the measuring cup to avoid shells in the pie.
Using the mixer. They first time she used it she was really nervous but this time she liked it.
Tasting the beaters. The best part!
Fun times
Sorry everyone for being so bad about updating. School is keeping me pretty busy. This entry will be short. Just a little something about the last couple weeks.
March 1st, Elena got to see SteveSongs thanks to the great people at Kids on the Move. For those that don't know, SteveSongs is a signing program on the local kids channel. He came and sang for about a half hour and then signed pictures for the kids. He was very nice and great with the kids.
I was afraid Elena would cry because I had to wake her from her nap to get to the event on time (She needed to wake up anyway) and she didn't get lunch before we left. I had a couple snacks in my purse but it wasn't enough to keep her happy. Also, when she listens to music she has a habit of crying when the music stops, even if it starts again 5 or 10 seconds later. Once it started though she did great. She sat quietly in my lap and chewed on her fingers (a "lovely" new habit of hers).
Elena is doing well with her physical therapy. She hasn't even gone since December, until a couple weeks ago. She is still having a hard time with balance and is still hesitant to do things on her own. She has gotten better though. She now jumps without holding onto things and is less hesitant at home, where she is familiar with her surroundings. When outside, she still insists on holding my hand. To try to get her to be more confident on her own, I let go of her hang and walk a few steps in front of her and let her find me. She also really enjoys doing Adaptive PE at school and still talks about at home.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Happy Anniversary!
Today marks the two year anniversary that I started this blog. Can't believe it. A lot has happened with Elena and the family since this all started. I've "met" some new people and seen so many changes in Elena. Thank you all for reading and I'm glad I have been able to help some of you. I look forward to many more years of blogging about my angel. Here we come 2012!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)