Wordless Wednesday--New Hangout

Chores

It may seem silly to have a 2 year old, with Ds, who just started walking, to help with chores and work around the house, but I did it for my other kids and why should she get off the hook!

Of course, Aubrey's chores are modified, but we remind the kids frequently that this family that we are in is a TEAM and that we all pitch in to do things and not just mom and dad doing everything...which means that to make it FAIR (because we all know that everything in life is fair:), Aubrey has to help out too!

Dishes:  Aubrey helps me empty the dishwasher when she is around and I'm doing it.  I take all the heavy or breakables out of the bottom rack and then she hands the rest of it to me one by one and I stack them on the counter.  She also helps me with the silverware, taking it out of the basket and handing each piece to me one by one.

We have a rolling cart with three drawers for the kid cups, bowls and plates.  Sometimes I will hand Aubrey one cup/bowl/plate at a time and she will put them into the drawers for me.  I haven't started leaving the drawers closed to see if she can "match" yet, but hope to soon in the future.  They are just a little sticky and she has troubles opening them.

Laundry:  She loves the laundry room and frequently shuts herself in there:)  When I've sorted clothes into piles, I put one in front of the washer (we have front loaders) and Aubrey puts all the clothes into the washing machine.  She is pretty good and only needs a little help sometimes.  She is also very good at taking the wet stuff out and handing it to me, so that I can put it into the dryer.

Folding, she isn't so good at, but she loves to have a whole pile of dish towels or wash clothes to "try" and fold.  Soon...very soon...she'll get the hang of the half fold and then I've really got a helper:)  But for now she just enjoys jumping in the piles (think pile of fall leaves and you'll see the enjoyment:).

Clothes:  She is better at taking things OUT of drawers and piling them up on the floor, but we are working on the putting things INTO the drawers...unfolded yes, but the smile she gets from having actually put it into the drawer and slammed it shut is priceless.

I do let her help me fill the diaper basket when it is empty, and she loves that.

Do these chores take me three times as long when she is helping?  ABSOLUTELY!  Can she do the chores? ABSOLUTELY!  Are we proud of her and she of herself?  ABSOLUTELY!

I've learned that I can't underestimate her, just because she is smaller or is taking longer in some developmental areas...I just need to adjust things to her level and continue to push her to new levels.  I'm sure that my other girls were doing much more at 2, but she'll get there and I do believe that she is working harder at 2 than they ever did!

Hidden Opportunities

I am always looking for more/better opportunities for "work" to do with Aubrey.  I can't decide if that is a good thing or not, but I'm always thinking about it...if she is just sitting in the car seat or stroller, I think "what can she do right now...what can I give her to stimulate growth and progression in her development?"

Sometimes fun and work can go hand in hand:)  You just have to be looking for the right moment and way to adjust the game!

A couple weeks ago we had Oktoberfest at our church and the youth had set up some games where you could win tickets to turn in for prizes.  Once I got over my fear that she would be run over by the big kids, we found a Ring Toss that no one was playing with to use.

My idea was to give her the rings and have her put them on the stick...but she didn't want to do it standing...

Or while she was sitting...(she just kept handing them back to me:)

She wanted to figure out how that stick was in the ground and use GROSS MOTOR to get it out!

Sometimes the best laid plans...don't go the way WE want them too, but in the end, maybe she did get something out of it all:)  At least she wasn't just sitting in the stroller or being held.

And what would she rather do than play Ring Toss...

Head over to the playground and swing...no doubt!

Find those hidden opportunities all around you...not just during therapy or at home:)

Q and A

Need to catch up on some questions and answers I guess tonight:

Pumpkin muffins: came from my good OLD orange Betty Crocker book!  I just sub chocolate for the raisins, about 1/2 cup of the mini is good.  We made big muffins and mini muffins for Aubrey!  So yummy right out of the oven with a little coffee:)

Jammies:  They are from Gymboree.  I bought them last year at the outlet mall and got the big girls in a size larger so that they could use them two years in a row.  This year I just needed to get some for Aubrey.  They are in the regular store and on the website, for $12, come in pink or black, and at the outlet, they were $10, but I had a coupon too!  Come in size newborn up to 12 and also in adult I think:)  So next year, only Aubrey and Alice will need them and hopefully I can get those on sale this week:)

Baby:  We are due on February 6th, but it will be a repeat C-section so think end of January sometime...no date has been set yet.  We do not know if it is a boy or girl.  They weren't able to tell at the last ultrasound and we aren't willing to pay for another one just to find out.  Our first three girls were all surprises by choice.  We found out with Aubrey because the girls really wanted to know.  We are OK with having a surprise baby:) Makes it kind of exciting...we think!  So few surprises in life and I love when we are in the delivery room and Woody gets to announce our newest arrival!

Eyes:  I thought that at the opthamologist office we would just check that we had been and everything looked good....wrong:(  She is nearsighted in both eyes and has a stygmatism in the left eye.  We will be getting glasses sometime soon.  But I have decided that instead of being bummed that Aubrey now has more expensive accessories (hearing aids, orthotics and glasses) than I do,  we are going to ROCK THESE GLASSES and also I told Woody that if his kid's accessories cost more than mine...that maybe he needs to think about getting me ahead of her again:)  Just a small hint!

Walking:  Aubrey is FINALLY walking about 80% of the time!  We are so proud of her.  Been trying for days to get a good video of her doing it, but she is unmotivated to walk if she sees I have the video camera out!  Funny girl.

House for sale:  We have our house for sale and are moving to a neighboring city for many reasons, but mostly because it has a better school district for Aubrey.  The big girls go to our Christian Day School, so moving won't affect them at all in that way.  We will actually be closer to their school and to Woody's office so really it is a win-win for everyone.  We are moving around Thanksgiving, so hope to be all settled for Christmas and the arrival of the new baby.

Camera:  Ella accidentally knocked over the good camera, so no new pictures for now:(  Will try and get some with the old camera if I can find the charger for it.

Overwhelmed...

It happens to everyone...no one said that motherhood was easy...and sometimes...it just gets to be too much...no matter what kind of "SUPER MOM" you are most days:)  You know those June Clever/Martha Stewart Moms who do it all and have a wonderful meal on the table every night and are crafting with their kids and everything just seems to go smooth at their house:)

Down Syndrome Awareness Month...31 for 21...the reality of life is that sometimes, I get overwhelmed, just like every other mom out there.  Most of the time, life is good, and we are celebrating great milestones and the joy of our sweet pea...but sometimes...it can become a bit much and that is the reality of motherhood...not just those of us who have children with Ds.  So my lack of posting this week...

I don't know if it was the blogging everyday and questions that had me thinking about ALL the therapy that we have every week, or ALL the specialists that we see, or ALL the extras that come with that little extra something special...

Maybe is is struggling with the hearing aids (one defective--sent back to manufacturer last week, other one acting up this week)...We've been there every week for the last month and they aren't a CLOSE or CONVENIENT appointment...

Maybe it is the pregnancy hormones:)

Whatever it was, it was our reality this week and that is what this blog is for...reality...and I don't ever want to convey that life is ALWAYS peachy, even though most days it is, but we are over it for the most part...

How...

Well, first, you hand out new jammies for everyone and stay up waiting for Dad so that you can scare him!
(they glow in the dark:)

And in the morning we baked:)  Most of the time you would find something chocolate in the mixing bowl when we are having a week like this, but not in October...Oh NO...it is fall and so in the spirit of the season, we made our SECOND batch of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins! (and we made it a double:)

(Nah, Nah!  You can't get up here!)

And we waited...

And then we each ate three!  Hot out of the oven!  And had no guilt about it!

And then, I let my kids loose in the pantry to CRAFT!  

Aubrey, who is not usually allowed free reign of the crafting supplies, much less markers, thought that she was really getting away with something!

And she wanted to see how many she could stash in her hands and get away with at one time!

And even though she couldn't get the caps off...she was in heaven thinking that she was coloring all these beautiful pictures:)

And all was right in the world...

And instead of cleaning for house showings or finishing up the piles of laundry or getting dinner going so that the afternoon wouldn't be crazy...

 We played hopscotch!  And we laughed and smiled and giggled!  And we just stayed in our bubble of happiness.

Those worries and appointments and phone calls and laundry and dishes and whatnot, were all still there after the fun, but we needed the break to set ourselves right again and get back on track.  We all need that sometimes...

So every once in awhile, take off the super cape, grab yourself a good cup of coffee and some chocolate (or pumpkin:) and enjoy your kids...I guarantee, the world will be right again in no time...and you will be ready for the next load that the world brings at you.

Today we went to the eye doctor...but that's a post for tomorrow:)

Waiting for Muffins!

Neglect...and Balance

So I neglected my promise yesterday to get a post up, but for good reason.  It is very rare that I actually get out of the house alone to do anything.  Not only did I get to run to the fabric store and grocery store really quick after bedtime, but I got a last minute invite to head out to the movies with friends!  So a relaxed and happy mommy is well worth missing a post:)

For today, I must admit some neglect.  Aubrey has 5 therapist that come to the house weekly.  Nutritionist, PT, ST, Auditory Impairment, and Developmental Specialist.  Seems overwhelming, but we have it almost down to a science.  They each have there day and time, usually in the morning, and then the day is ours.  But between these regular therapy sessions, and appointments, and unexpected appointments to other doctors and trying to sell our house and have showings...we have not been working really hard outside of therapy on our skills:(  Lucky for me, Aubrey is a fast learner and once given a task, usually picks it up without too much practice, but I'm feeling kind of bad these days that her only "work/play" time is with her teachers.

Last week, we ended up with a showing that happened to be right after therapy, and I was behind in my cleaning and getting the house ready.  Did I mention how AWESOME our team of therapists is?  Well they are and even though I didn't say anything, I was granted permission to finish making the beds while Melissa and Aubrey had ST one on one.  She was curious to see what Aubrey would do...and she did well without anyone there to distract her and she fully cooperated with all that she was asked.   It was a good test of how she would do with out me always sitting there.

After Melissa left...I just had to do a quick vacuum of the entire house (a good 30-40 minute job).  Aubrey likes to sit in this chair in our bedroom.  Partially because it is really comfy and partially because she is able to get up into it herself:)  She went straight in there after therapy while I was vacuuming downstairs.  (good PT practice though:)

As I was about to get started on the stairs and head up...I found her like this:)

She got tired of waiting for someone to feed her lunch and put her down for a nap and just took care of it herself!  My sweet, neglected girl!

Yes, I did finish all my vacuuming before I scooped her in the car to finish her nap...but she was rewarded with lunch out for her troubles!

Sometimes, when I stop and actually think about her schedule and the things that we do for her...it can get overwhelming.  BUT, I am not afraid to cancel an appointment if we just need a break...and very rarely do I do make up sessions if we miss one.  We do the best we can and you just can't ask for more and sometimes, too much of a good thing is not so good.  Although I feel like we need to do the work that the therapists ask us to do weekly, I don't ever let the "work" become our whole day.  I feel like it is just as important for her to go to a good music concert or play in the dirt or just giggle on the floor.  It is important to have a balance of everything.

Someday's it feels like all we do revolves around Aubrey and the things we do for her because she has Down syndrome.  And it is then that I step back and remind myself that the Ds is only 1/47 of who she is and she is mostly just a little girl who needs love and laughter and friendship, just like everybody else.  Sometimes the balance comes easy and sometimes it doesn't, but we're getting there.