Children Who Stare At Horses

The Stare-down

The Winner

Test Scores..........

............at 14 months old.......blah.......who needs them??

So, another 6 months has passed, and this morning Scott, Landon and I found ourselves sitting on our living room floor with 4 of Landon's 5 therapists for his IFSP review.  I must start off with letting you all know how much we just LOVE our EI team.  I would not trade any of them for ANYTHING!  We are so fortunate to have been placed with such a wonderful and caring group of therapists.  These are a group of women, who I truly feel, BELIEVE in Landon's abilities and GENUINELY care about him.

The morning started off with Landon greeting his therapists with tons of smiles and lots of cuteness.  He really is such a ham..........and, quite the flirt.    Any other day, this technique, would be Landon's way of getting his therapists to go easy on him.  lol  That's right, he sure is one CLEVER little boy!!  Then......the "TEST" began......ugh!  Landon was asked to do lot's of tasks, you know, perform on cue!  Ha!!  As much as our little munchkin loves attention and as social as he is, Landon does what Landon wants to do...........WHEN.......he wants to do it.  Definitely a LEADER......and we love it:)  Some things he nailed, some he missed.  He even surprised us here and there.  I guess you could say he is well rounded....lol:)

Then, it was "result" time.  You know, the "SCORES", that charts your child's abilities to those of a "typical" child.  Hmmm, first of all, Landon HAS Ds and with that comes delays.  Second, he is being tested on what he will do right then and there, not what he does (and is known to do) on a daily basis.  Personally, I feel that this test is negative based and focuses on the areas of delay.    After much discussion, Scott and I have come to the conclusion that we are strength based parents.  We are choosing to focus on all the things that Landon CAN and WILL do and we are so proud of each of his accomplishments.  Although this test is mandatory, we have chosen not to have the results read.  Nope. This assessment will go straight into Landon's binder where it's white paper will yellow over the years.  All we know is that Landon is thriving, learning new skills and reaching milestone's.  And his timeline is 100% OK with us.   Scott and I will continue to provide Landon with all the tools necessary to help him reach all of his goals and Landon will choose how and when to use them.

Being part of this blogging community has really helped me to keep things in perspective.  I have been so inspired by so many of your children.  I truly see what our children are capable of doing.   It's not about comparing where our children are at any given moment but rather celebrating those moments WHEN they happen.............and together, we will:)  And for all our kiddos hard work.........I give them all a score of  a perfect "10"!!!

Thank You, AGAIN!!

How exciting......another award.  This time a BIG THANK YOU goes to Courtney over at The Adventure of Pudge and Zippy  ............I am happy beyond words for this acknowledgement, you are much too kind.  Courtney is mom to both LC and Jace who are the most "PUDGIPPY-licious" kiddos you will ever meet.  That's right folks, this term has officially been added to the dictionary.  If you want to know what it means, you'll have to go and check them out!  Be prepared for lots of cuteness and tons of adventure as these 2 cutie-patooties are sure to fill your heart with laughter.  It's sure to keep you coming back for more.  I'm so glad we became blogging friends.  I just love reading about LC and Jace's latest shennanigans:)  Thanks for the sense of humor, Courtney!!!  (Sorry it took me so long to figure out how to copy this award onto my site.  These blocks have made it very tricky...lol)

Here are the rules for the award:

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

2. Name the person who gave the award to you and link to their blog (or hyperlink).

3. List 10 things that make you happy.

4. Pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blogs to let them know.


So, 10 things that make me happy (in no particular order):

10)  My morning cup of coffee!  (for those who know me well, this cup of coffee makes them equally as happy)......lol =)

9)  GNO's with good friends and great conversation! (even though we don't have them often, it's good for the mommy's soul)

8)  Curling up on the couch with a good book! (even better when accompanied by a thunderstorm)

7)  Mexican food and a "GOOD" margarita!!  (need I say more?) =)

6)  Family get togethers.  (Crazy! Fun! Chaotic!  And also a reminder that you are never alone.  You will always have a whole team of people who love and support you, no matter what.)

5)  Friday night "date-nights" with my hubby. (Probably the longest period of time that we are together and able to have an uninterrupted conversation....isn't that right honey?!)

4)  Each unique relationship I have with each of my boys!!!  (I just love their individual personalities =)

3)  My 3 boys playing together!  (on a good day of course....lol)  There is nothing better than a child's belly laugh!

2)  BEDTIME.  (I love when my head just sinks into the pillow after a long day.  And, aahhhh, the SOUND of SILENCE.....*sigh*)

1)  Bloggy Love.  (It's so nice to be able to share this journey with so many amazing families.  It makes me so happy to watch milestone's being met, new discoveries being made, awareness being spread and sharing with others how loved and valuable our kiddos are to their families and their communities.)


I would like to pass this award on to 6 other AMAZING kiddos and their moms.  If you have the time, please pay each of them a visit.  They are sure to keep you coming back for more!!!  I sure can't get enough of these little ones!!  In no particular order:

1) Cathy over at A Walk in Lily's Garden
2)  Rachel over at Blessings from Aubrey
3)  Laurie over at Days With Dylan and Cassidy
4)  Denise over at Sweet Ella Grace
5)  Chrystal over at One More, More than One
6)  Katie over at Happy Jack

Guess What??

Guess what I did.........

You're never gonna believe it..........

That's right, I ate my lunch like a big boy!! 

And.....I liked it:)

(Hooray for me!!)

My Birthday Wish..........

........did NOT come true!! 

Nope, but at least it still keeps the kids entertained!!

Help!!!  They're  attacking us!!!!

You see, when my husband and I met 12 years ago, I was amazed with his dreadlocks.  They were very unique, and I was quite smitten.  But they are alot of work.  As the years passed, his dreads grew, and they began to get in the way........hanging on your shoulder as he walked by you, grazing your plate of food and finding their way onto my pillow at night (I'm starting to wonder if they weren't placed there on purpose.....hmmmm)!!  They have become toys to the boys, and on occasion, if one of them is lucky, one would tear right off.  Yeah, OUCH!  Sorry honey!   

Yes, they are real (not extensions).  And yes, they are heavy.  They are heavy just to hold them dry, imagine when they are wet??  Or, imagine carrying that extra weight pulling on your neck.  He has had them for 17 years now.  With that said, he is now 17 years older.....the "BIG 4-0" this June.  I don't think all those aches and pains are due "just" from age.  I can only imagine how light he will feel.  So with that said.....

"FREE me YOURSELF" honey:) 

(We've all done our time)

My 37th birthday was one week ago today.  And my birthday wish.......did NOT come true!  So, I must face reality......if you can't beat 'em........find some more constructive ways to use them!  LOL:)

Like, a ruler, to measure how much the kids have grown!!

Boy, how they have grown.............the boys and the dreadlocks!!

You know how sometimes, when we catch ourselves staring at our children, wondering what they will look like 20 yrs. from now................

On second thought, why rush things.......let's just take it one day at a time!!!!

Oh well, I'll keep on wishing.........after all, wishes, eventually "DO" come true!

Happy World Down Syndrome Day

 Happy World Down Syndrome Day......"FRIENDS"!!!

CELEBRATE BIG:)

  

Hugs & Kisses, Landon

And then.....something like this happens!!!

As parents of children with special needs, we often find ourselves having to make difficult decisions.  We want so badly to live up to the standard that "parents know their children, BEST".  So we inhale, take a deep breath and dive into that intimidating ocean of knowledge,  grasping at bits and pieces of information that we "THINK" and "HOPE" will be valuable information. 

When Landon was three months old, I had to return to work.  It wasn't easy going back when all I could think of was how much faster would Landon do things if I was home (working with him) all day long.  And, would those who were caring for him know exactly what he needed.  Ha, who was I fooling, like I knew myself, what his needs were.  Yes, those first three months were filled with doubt and worry.  After all, raising a child with special needs was suppose to be more work.   But as time past by, I slowly began to realize that I was overanalyzing.........everything.   You see, Landon, was my third and youngest son.  It's not like I was new to motherhood.  I should be a pro by now.  Why would Landon be any different. And so that first big decision was made, Landon would go to the same preschool/daycare with his big brother, Elijah.  And with a deep breath, I dropped Landon off for his first day of school, and off I went to work.  (And.....I survived!!)

I often find myself playing devil's advocate with every decision Scott and I must make, "in the best interest of Landon".  Always doubting and second guessing the choices we make.  Some decisions come a little easier than others, while others cast the darkest shadow of doubt.

You see, last week, Scott and I received Landon's "transition papers".  Yes, Landon received papers to transition from the "infant" room to the "toddler" room.  I was a bit surprised, not that Landon would be transitioning to that room(because we knew he would), but so soon??  Scott and I had been talking lately about how people see and treat Landon like he is still this cute and cuddly infant, and although he is cute and cuddly, reality is - Landon is 13 months old.  Peers his age have already transitioned.  Landon is the only child in the infant room.  Maybe I should have said something sooner, or maybe, I just wasn't ready.  Landon has been "visiting" the toddler room for a couple of months now.  He loves circle time and music.  I have actually been informed that Landon is the page turner during story time and that he is the life of the party when the music is turned on.  Yes, music to my..... "heart"!!  I "KNOW" that Landon should transition, but, I also "KNOW" that he still has needs.  You see, Landon can sit independently....but he cannot get into a sitting position on his own.  And what about snack time.......Landon cannot walk over to the table, sit in a chair and feed himself.  And communication??  Landon has a hand full of "signs" but is pretty much (with the exception of making sounds) non-verbal at this time.  How will he communicate with his peers??

When I picked Landon up from school on Tuesday, I had about a 20 minute chat with his teacher.  I voiced my concerns about Landon's transition.  Surprisingly, I was met with the ultimate accomodation.........either the teacher or a classroom helper would be watching over Landon at all times.  Someone to watch over him as he plays with his peers (in case he falls over), someone (to feed him) at the table that his peers eat and someone to continue using sign language (his current form of communication).  This school has been so good to us and so accepting of our EI team.  Landon's school will be working with our EI team, building workshops for their staff (if & when needed), to give them a better understanding and the knowledge of working/teaching children with special needs. 

I must confess.......although I agreed that it was in Landon's best interest to transition, I still felt a bit hesitant.  How will he communicate with the other children?  Will he be overlooked by his peers?  Will he get frustrated?

And then.........something like this happens!!!

As I entered the toddler room to get Landon, a group of 6/7 children (including Landon) were sitting quietly in a circle for story time.  The teacher told me that the class had been practicing and they would like to show me something.  She proceeded to ask the children if they wanted......"MORE....BOOK.....PLEASE".  And without hesitation the children together......SIGNED.......more.book.please.!   And the flood gates were open.  I was overwhelmed and speechless.  Yes, these children, were between the ages of 1 and 3 years old.  And here they were, SOAKING UP, all of this knowledge.......like the little SPONGES that they are.  Yes, they were learning and being exposed to sign language....not just because of Landon......but because these teachers truly believe in "INCLUSION".  You see, they already knew my fears, and were taking steps to reassure me that this definitely is..........in.the.best.interest.of.Landon:) 

Now............who.could.ever.second.guess.that??!!