Fostering independence and sparking communication

Little Miss Independence

One of the things that we really work on is fostering Ellie’s independence.  This is why she’s been doing trash duty, laundry, dishwasher duty, and feeding the pets for a few years.  Her “folding” leaves much to be desired! She is really into being like Daddy and Mama so she loves to dust mop the wood floor.  Now if only I can get her to do bathrooms!  We are still working on dressing independently, but she did learn how to put on her coat by herself and she is so proud of herself!

Now potty training, that is another story.  Although, I do find it entertaining that she is enamoured with public restrooms.  She tells us 3 x at Noble Sandwich Company she has to go — all because they have black toilets.

At this point, we are teaching her how to manage her medical care.  She helps me make her enema in the kitchen, gets her wound care supplies, and helps with her abdominal binder.  She recently started a daily inhaler for asthma (more on that later) and it learning to do it herself.

Apparently, the pie was so good that she had to dive in face first.  When we told her to use her fork . . . well, she did.

Communication: 

Bear Bear is really trying to talk.  There are sentences, but we don’t understand them.  She made up another a sign and was saying something, but we just didn’t get it.  It wasn’t on her speech device.  The frustration and tantrums were epic.

We finally figured it out when this past week I caught her packing her lunch, loading up her daycare backpack, and putting on her shoes.  Kidspa.  She wanted to go to Kidspa, the drop in daycare aka “play school”.

Unfortunately, it was New Year’s Day so they were closed.  We told her tomorrow. She wasn’t getting it.  We showed her the calendar and really tried to help her understand.  Finally, we told her first she will go to bed and then in the morning she would go to kidspa.  So here it was 2pm on and I see her grab her blanket, turn on her oxygen, turn off the light, and climb into bed. Five minutes later, she comes out and gives me this exaggerated fake yawn and again gets her backpack and shoes.  

Ellie has definitely taken to using her Chat device. 

Me: “Ellie do you love Mama?”

Ellie goes to device.

Ellie: “I love Dada.  I love Baba [grandma]”

I see how I rank.

Happy Holidays

Earlier in December, my parents and brother came down for a visit.  We crammed so much in.  Seeing Santa, riding the train at the mall, decorating the tree and decorating a gingerbread house as well as having a family holiday meal at Threadgills [southern cooking and live music, the armadillo world headquarters, where Janis Joplin got her start].  On Christmas Day, we celebrated my friend’s in-laws’ house which is becoming a lovely tradition. 

As for New Year’s.  Oh yeah, I stayed up late . . . until 10:30pm.  We certainly know how to party in the Theurer household!  We hope that all of your are doing well and that your 2018 is off to a good start!

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