My BAD!!

Tonight after eating supper my sister and I took Abbi upstairs to play in her play area. We are sitting there playing and her husband comes in downstairs and yells for us to get downstairs b/c someone is shooting at the house!

We proceeded to quickly make our way downstairs. Once down there I let my Sis keep Abbi in a safe place and went out on the backporch to see what was going on with my brother-in-law. And YES bullets were hitting right in my backyard. Right where Abbi's swing is on the porch. Someone was on the hill next to our house shooting down. So I got in the car and drove down the road to see if I could find out who it was. There were two teenage boys up there shooting a 22 rifle.

When I spoke with them I explained that they needed to be shooting towards the mountains and not toward my house. One of the boys responded with "MY BAD"!!!! What exactly does this mean? Is it slang for "I'm sorry" or just coping an attitude with me. I proceeded to tell him that my little girl was in that house and the next time he decides to shoot, it had better be towards the mountain and not my house. He acted as though he didn't understand what I was so upset about.

What is wrong with teenagers today. Now I know they are not all that bad, but honestly!!! Can you believe he actually didn't get the importance of not shooting towards a house with people in it!! So now I am wondering should I have said anything at all b/c it seems my words had no impact. Hopefully the next time he shoots a gun he will be more careful but probably not. It is things like this that make me wonder if we shouldn't have stricter gun laws. My husband is an avid hunter, but teens today are mostly not responsible enough to have a gun in their possession!!

Colors All Around

So I was letting Abbi play in her ball pit the other night and I notice she is holding the balls and doing "signs". Mom has been working with her for several weeks to learn her colors. I was so tired from my day with my kindergarteners that it took my brain a while to realize she was picking them up and "signing" their color. How excited was I!!! Well I called everyone! Mom kept telling me that she knew her colors but you know how Grandma's like to think their little darlings are just the smartest. She was right! So now we are working on matching the color word to the colors. We'll see how this goes. It is the "whole word" approach advocated by most of the research that I have read.

Today my kindergarten class went on a field trip to local Corn Maze. We had a blast! It is so much fun to see them get excited. My favorite student from CDC who has Down syndrome got to go with us. He did such a great job. What an improvement from last year. He participated in every activity except going thru the maze. By then he was just worn out! I was so proud of him. His mom got to come too but honestly she didn't have to really do much at all for him. It warmed my heart to see some of my "mother hens" little girls help Jordan know what to do. I really hope that I can do what is best for him this year. He has come so far and I want him to have every opportunity to show how smart he is.

On another note Abbi's transition meeting is scheduled for Oct. 6th. Be much in prayer for us if you will. You would think that b/c I am a teacher that I would not be nervous, but it is like a double edge sword when you work in the school system.

So tomorrow begins the final two weeks before the Buddy Walk. Can't wait it is the highlight of my year!

Final IFSP

We had Abbi's final IFSP yesterday. In a few short months we will be on the slippery slope of IEP's. Sometimes I feel as if the transition from Early Intervention to the Public School System is a very traumatic one. Families go from such a positive environment to one of uncertainity. It feels as if the wind is being sucked out of your sails for a while. It really shouldn't feel this way. There is no reason that teachers and parents can't work together to truly do what is best for a child. How do we make it happen as educators? I have asked myself this question since Abbi turned two. I still don't have an answer, but I have to believe that one is out there. As a kindergarten teacher, I am committed to making my classroom an inviting one for all types of learners. I can only hope that when my Abbi starts school she will encounter teachers who will want to make the same accomodations for her.

So during the IFSP I realized that Abbi had made 6 months or more gains in every area except speech. I keep asking myself when will she say MAMA! She says ball, bye,hi, block, and duck nearly perfect. It seems to me that she should say MAMA easily, yet she will not say it. Or atleast not say it in reference to me. Oh the little stinker can say MAMA when we are doing her oral motor therapy but when I ask her who I am she just looks at me and signs "MAMA". Well I can wait.

Now if I can only make her smile and laugh as much as Elmo does. Seriously the kid is addicted to Elmo. You should see her little face when he comes on TV. I am honestly thinking of getting an ELMO suit!! :-)))))

Summer Video

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Puzzles!

Tonight when we got home,I decided to spend time doing puzzles with Abbi. I hadn't done one with her in a while and expected her to need a lot of help as usual. We have several Melissa & Doug puzzles with the pictures printed behind the puzzle pieces so she matches them up.

I laid all of the puzzle pieces out in the floor and to my surprise she began to pick them up and match them one by one all by herself! I actually sat there and watched her pick up each piece look intensely at it and then scan each part of the puzzle to decide where it should go. I could actually see her "thinking". It was amazing. Each time she matched a piece she would look up at me and say "YEAHHH" and clap her hands. Abbi loves praise and thinks everyone should clap for her each time she does something. I think it is very cute and doesn't everyone want praise when they do something well???

She has also begun to say "no" when she doesn't want to do something. But she usually complies anyway. Most times I can't resist those cute little cheeks on her chubby little face. I am so proud of her!

Blessed!!

Well, I haven't posted lately b/c school has started again. So far this year I have 13 kids in my classroom. Their first full day is Friday. Abbi has adjusted well to getting up early each morning for the trip to Nana & Pop's. Although some mornings she still rolls over and cuddles her little bunny. The nice thing is that she is going to bed early each night so I have a few moments to unwind from the day. I got a call from out TEIS lady the other day about Abbi's first transition meeting. I can't believe she will be 3 so soon. I am not ready for this!! You would think since I am a teacher that I would be but I am not. I have so many dreams and goals for her and I get very afraid when I think about her starting school. She is my little Abba Dabba.
Nana has adjusted well too ,and they are back on their old schedule of Kindermusik and therapy sessions. Mom also does her "lessons" each day where they work on colors, shapes, oral motor therapy, and o.t. stuff. What would I do w/out Nana!! There is simply no way that I would have the time or energy when I get home to do all this. Abbi doesn't have the energy either at that time of day we are both "all done" as she would "sign". It is nice to get to come home and play w/her. I am doubly blessed!!! Thank you Nana!!

Is this the 21st Century or the Dark Ages??

Dear Friend,

I invite you to be a fan of dignity and join me in a campaign to stop the use of the “R-word.” This week, the film "Tropic Thunder" opens in movie theaters across the nation. While intended to be a satire on Hollywood actors and producers, the film has a scene which is offensive and demeans people with intellectual disabilities.

I am asking you to help me in this campaign by boycotting the film "Tropic Thunder." If we can hurt the ticket sales of this film, we will have made a statement to Hollywood that we will not stand for this type of content that is hurtful to people with intellectual disabilities.

Be a fan of Dignity, don’t say the R-word. Visit www.R-word.org.

Thanks,
Ford, Sabrina, & Abbi

Poo Poo in the Potty!

We are still working on potty training. Today I noticed that Abbi had the "poo poo" face so I took her to the potty. After I convinced her to sit down, she went "poo poo" in the potty. We clapped and made a great deal over it. I thought it would be a good idea to show her what she did so she would begin to understand. I turned her around and pointed to the poo and told her what a great job she did. Before I knew it she was reaching for it. Luckily I grabbed her hand before she got to it. Shew.... glad I got there first. That would have been a mess. My thing now is what do I do when we are out and have to use a public restroom. She is so small that she almost falls in. Not to mention touching the public toilet is a little more than I care to think about. I have thought of getting child potty seat covers. Anyone reading my blog have any suggestions..........

The Eye Doctor

Since school starts back next week, I thought today would be a good time to get a new pair of reading glasses. Well it was an interesting visit to say the least. This very young doctor did my examination. Apparently I am older that I realize b/c he informed me that I needed bifocals!! I informed him that I did not need bifocals and would just take a pair of reading glasses. Thank you very much. He went ahead and gave me the prescription for glasses to see far away too. So now I have two prescriptions. One for near and one for far!

So during my exam I happened to mention that I took my daughter to see Dr. Carlsen for her eyes b/c she had Down syndrome. He proceeded to tell me about his experience in Alabama working with children with Downs and how happy they always were. Well after the day I had had with Abbi and her whining, I decided to let him know that DS kids are just like any other kid. I said" Well I'd like to know where my happy DS kid is b/c mine has whined all day........." This put a funny look on his face and he said something to the effect of I'm Sorry and changed the topic of conversation. A small triumph for me. I finally let one person know that DS kids are just like other kids and they aren't all happy all the time. Believe me when it's time for Sesame Street I told him my daughter is just like any other 2 year old. If you get in front of Elmo, it's melt down time........

So he helped me pick out my glasess and sent me on my way. I am sure he was glad to get me out of there....

Scared for the First Time!

Tonight I saw Abbi get scared for the first time. It was actually one of her IFSP goals to be "scared" of something unfamiliar. Usually she isn't scared of anything. Tonight at the end of her Elmo video there was a puppet with wild orange hair against a black screen that was singing a song. I looked up from the computer to see her running toward me with open arms and the biggest "poochy" lip I had ever seen. She climbed up in my lap and buried her head in my chest. Then she would look back at the TV to see if it was gone. I was quite amazed as I had never seen her scared before. I was actually happy in a small way because that meant she had developed a new emotion! I guess other parents don't feel this way when their child shows they are scared, but for me it was a cause for celebration. Yeah for normal emotions!!!