tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89239921966006000022024-03-13T09:09:23.757-04:00My Pea and CarrotTwo daughters, sisters forever. They are like peas and carrots. Quite opposite but so similar in so many ways. This blog is dedicated to my girls and will share with you the smiles, tears and surprises of being a mom to two little girls.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-79314399505207731672013-08-21T23:43:00.000-04:002013-08-27T00:31:56.674-04:00Lauren turns 4Its hard to believe that Lauren is 4. The size of a 2 year old, this peanut toddler loves to eat, jump on the trampoline (a new milestone!), read books, listen and dance to music, play with baby dolls, loves to wear dresses, and is always full of smiles. Happy Birthday Lauren!<br />
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/72708334">Lauren 4 Year Birthday</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user6111647">k8 law</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-88992089572681351172013-06-04T22:07:00.001-04:002013-06-04T22:07:20.222-04:00Cruise 2013 VideoThought I would share our recent trip to Miami and our 6 day cruise onboard Carnival Breeze. Enjoy the video!<br />
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-33051150790561917812013-04-11T00:01:00.002-04:002013-04-11T00:01:43.015-04:00Lauren : Egg Hunt, Kayla : Tooth, Kate : 36<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We did our annual easter egg hunt this year with some friends at a nearby park. This was the first year the kids hunted for eggs in a field.</div>
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As Lauren is still a very slow runner, if you can even call it a run (its probably closer to a speed walk), Steve lifts Lauren up and scoots her to the field</div>
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Good ol' daddy helps Lauren look for eggs in the field</div>
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Lauren was very hesitant about picking up the eggs. Not sure if it was a sensory thing to the grass or a visual thing with the eggs blending in with the grass or just because "its a new activity and I don't want to do it cause you are pressuring me to do it". All Lauren wanted to do was to stomp on the eggs.</div>
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Eventually she picks up an egg and examines it, realizing its just a plastic egg.</div>
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After 20-30 minutes, Lauren finally "gets it" and starts to pick up the eggs and places them in the basket!<br />
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We've now been doing easter egg hunts in our home, and Lauren loves looking for the eggs that Kayla hides.<br />
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Kayla lost her first tooth last week</div>
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Sunday mornings in my bed...smiles, laughs and warmth, while Daddy sleeps and its 10am....<br />
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For my birthday, Steve bought me and the girls matching dresses. What a sweet idea. This was the first time he has bought clothes for the girls ....and he got their sizes right! </div>
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Happy 36th birthday to me!</div>
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-39538621974215933652013-03-25T21:46:00.001-04:002013-03-25T21:46:35.657-04:00Weekend Getaway to Rochester<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some pictures from a recent trip to the <a href="http://www.museumofplay.org/" target="_blank">Children's Museum</a> in Rochester, New York. The kids had a great time and Lauren surprised us all by exploring a lot of areas on her own and trying new activities as well. Kayla's favourite part was the grocery shopping at the mini Wegman's grocery store and Lauren enjoyed Sesame Street.</div>
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-56046898800586769922013-03-25T21:40:00.002-04:002013-03-25T21:41:13.164-04:00No ASDI had brought up the question of whether Lauren might be autistic at her developmental assessment last year because she seemed to be exhibiting some autism red-flags like no expressive speech, no social interaction, poor communication, seems to be in her "own world" at times, etc. At the time, the developmental pediatrician did a developmental assessment and a partial ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) and concluded Lauren would not receive a diagnosis of autism based on the fact that she did not exhibit any behavioural traits like walking on tip toes, lining up cars, flapping, etc. The developmental ped did agree that Lauren had a lot of the speech and communication disabilities that were similar with kids that had autism, but this alone was not enough for an autism diagnosis.<br />
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As a follow-up Lauren went for a full ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) exam 2 weeks ago. Some of the testing elements I remember from a year ago. I remembered when she was 2, the report remarked that Lauren did not show any joint attention with parents. There was a table full of toys in the room, and during the assessment Lauren walked straight to the table and proceeded to play for 20 minutes or so, without once "checking in" with us (i.e. looking at us, bringing a toy to show us or coming over to us and taking us to the table). This time, a year later, same table with the same toys, she walks right up to the table, takes a toy and immediately brings it over to us to show us! She then went back to the table, played a bit and came back to us to "check-in". Long story short, her communication skills have improved since last year. She is pointing alot more, showing us things and using her eyes alot better to get our attention and to communicate. The assessment and report concluded she does not have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She is diagnosed with global developmental delays (GDD) which was already known to us.<br />
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We weren't really surprised with the final ADOS report. As her communication skills have improved and she is beginning to show more social interaction with both adults and kids, I think my initial thinking of autism was due to the developmental delays. My primary reason for inquiring about whether Lauren might be autistic was more to do with therapy options and schooling options than the actual diagnosis. There are specific therapy approaches such as ABA and IBI which are often used with autistic children and that have shown great success. To receive such therapy and/or to get government assistance for this therapy, you need a diagnosis of autism. Also, in Toronto, there are specialized schools and kindergarten programs available only to autistic children.<br />
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We spoke to the developmental pediatrician at length about Lauren. We know she is severely delayed in expressive speech, but I am happy to say we are starting to hear some word approximations and attempts to imitate verbally! When we ask Lauren what her name is, or we tell her to answer "say Lauren", Lauren will say "La-len". Well kind of. Its only really us that hear it and she doesn't articulate well so sometimes it sounds like "La-La", other times "La-en". But at least its a first step! So we've been working with Lauren every day, asking her what her name is, and of course what her sister's name is, and my name. We haven't worked on "dada" because she can't do "D"s. Its funny though, even though we know she can say "mama" as she will babble it now and then on her own (without meaning), and we know show knows how to make the "m" and "a" sound, she cannot say "mama" when we ask her what my name is. She uses her tongue and it sounds like "nana". I think she has a hard time with motor planning of her mouth and tongue, to get her mouth and tongue to coordinate, to do what she wants it to do. We have also been singing alot of nursery rhymes with her and she is starting to fill in some of the basic sounds like in Old McDonald: e-i-e-i- O. She will say the "o" part. She has also started to imitate "uh-oh". Part of the challenge is she only has a few consonants/vowels under her belt, so you can only make so many sounds with the same letters.<br />
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Overall the development report stated that Lauren has a really happy and easy going personality and the pediatrician said that was something we should be thankful for. Steve and I absolutely agree, as I've read and talked to other parents who also have kids that are special needs, but they also deal with behavioural issues like hitting, biting, and punching..and one mom actually showed me the bruises on her arm from her child!! So we are absolutely counting our blessings on Lauren's happy, easy going, lovable personality. We were told that Lauren will continue on her own path and will do things in her own time. Over the years, we have become more accepting of this, and while we know Lauren will need help along her journey, we know we have a really good support system of family and friends who are always there for us and supporting us.<br />
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I've finally stopped the comparison to friends who have 2 typically developing kids around the same age as Kayla and Lauren and the wonderment of what life would have been like. Its been mind over matter, but also as we have friends and family members going through difficult times with health, we know that we should be thankful for what we have today as life can always take very unexpected and sudden turns. Lauren and Kayla are happy and healthy and that should matter more than whether they are able to pull off their own socks, tie their own shoes or make a lasagna co-operatively.<br />
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-33776701428320856992013-03-12T00:46:00.000-04:002013-03-12T00:46:18.347-04:00Making Marshmallow Pops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-85092068603314167092013-02-24T23:19:00.001-05:002013-02-24T23:19:37.773-05:00Update on LaurenLauren is coming out of her shell and is becoming more social, not only with family members but also with her friends. You can see that she is really trying to interact with other kids by giving hugs, tugging on their arms and holding their hands but I think its coming off as socially awkward because she's 3.5 years and this type of gesturing you often see much earlier on in age. Plus the fact that she isn't talking and thus can't say "let's play" makes it difficult for friends to interpret and understand. While I'm thrilled that she is trying to reach out, its also hard to see other kids turn the other way or not understand her gesturing. So for now, it looks like the peers who understand her the best are those who either just know her, like her sister and cousin, or those who are much younger and seek the same type of social interaction. Her school teacher also mentioned that Lauren gave another child a ball at school in attempt to initiate play and they were over the moon when they saw this. I too was completely shocked. At best Lauren parallel plays, but I have never seen her initiate play with a peer without specific direction to do so. Another proud moment.<br />
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We got a copy of Lauren's report card from school and according to it, Lauren is doing well. Well, let me re-phrase, Lauren is doing well compared to Lauren. Her teachers only evaluate Lauren against Lauren, and not against her classmates or other children the same age as Lauren - so when they look at Lauren now compared to Lauren in September, they report she has made many gains. I guess when you look at it this way, it's always going to be a positive report...which I guess is good because I already know what she's not doing, so its nice to hear what she is doing. Lauren is starting to learn her colours and shapes. They are also starting the ipad with her for communication. Lauren is engaging more with her peers (which I too have noticed), is more vocal (agree), and is completing basic puzzles (completely in shock). Lauren can recognize her own name (shock again), is mastering her PEC book (can believe), and is starting to like the tricycle (...interesting..). We talked about Bloorview and her teachers are hopeful she'll get in. We find out in April/May. We need to continue to work on her focus and attention, it is still very short. They have now put up a blank 3 sided project board around her when she is working on her tasks and they report this has helped her to focus at the task at hand. They also tell me that her learning style is definitely repetition, repetition, repetition. Same activity, over and over again, until she completes it.<br />
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Summer camp is coming up again, and I'm planning to sign Lauren up for a Social and Communications Camp. Sounds nerdy, yes, but they focus entirely on social and communication skills. Last year, after 6 weeks, they saw no progress with Lauren's willingness to interact or communicate with any of the other campers. Hopefully this summer will be different. One can only hope.<br />
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Other than the update above, Lauren is doing well. Happy, smiley, drooling (what's up with that again?!), and eating like a champ. She continues to love to bounce to music and is addicted to carrying purses, bags, anything with handles around the house. We started taking her to gymnastics on Saturdays and the only exercise she willingly participates in is the trampoline. Everything else is like screaming murder. Obstacle course, nope. Bar, nope, beam, nope. trampoline - yes. hopefully it will get better, 6 more weeks to go...Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-42405560742782383612013-02-14T23:00:00.000-05:002013-02-14T23:00:15.157-05:00Kayla Turns 6Happy Birthday Kayla! Dressed all in pink (her choosing), she celebrated her 6th birthday at school with a Valentine's dance and popsicles and strawberries for her classmates. It was just 6 years ago that Kayla was born, weighing only 5lb 12. I remember her feet being as small as my thumb and we were able to cradle her head in our palm with her feet shy of our elbows. She was the our firstborn and the first grandchild to the family. She was an awful eater for the first few years and we had to use distractions of tv, music, silly faces, puppet shows and toys just to get her to eat. Thankfully, she has grown out of this stage and is now a much less picky eater and she enjoyed having sushi, udon noodles and a shirley temple tonight for dinner.<br />
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Its hard to believe Kayla is already 6. Where does the time go?? If only we could put a hold on time. I would love for Kayla to stay 6 - its such a fun age. She's old enough to be independent, to ask thoughtful questions, to want to learn why things work a certain way, but at the same time she still tells me every time she has to go pee (even when we are home), still needs me to feed her (unless I want a half eaten meal), and likes to be carried up the stairs every now and then - all reasons to still baby her. Love her, love her, love her.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-50958796194068852872013-01-28T23:41:00.002-05:002013-01-28T23:42:00.141-05:00Lack of BloggingI apologize for the recent lack of blogging. Not that there isn't a ton to write about, but just finding the time to put all my thoughts on paper has been a struggle. First I got addicted to sewing and spent my time working on projects, then it was Christmas crafts and projects, next it was Christmas and since the holidays are now over, I've been planning Kayla's birthday party, painting my bedroom, catching up with friends, planning summer camp schedules and Spring activity schedules for the kids, planning for the kid's school for September and thinking about planning a family vacation. When do I ever get a break?<br />
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The planning for school for September has been taking up most of my time as of late. I think we are almost 100% sure Kayla will be attending French Immersion school in the Fall for Grade 1. So we'll be pulling her out of Montessori where she has been for the past 3 years and putting her into the public school system. Its going to be a huge change (maybe more so for us than her), as school starts at 8am and finishes at 2:30pm...which we can't wrap our heads around how Kayla (and us) are going to wake up so early, and everything in Grade 1 will be 100% French including math, music, gym etc....and we don't even know French! But what we do know is that Kayla is very strong in languages and she currently enjoys learning French at the Montessori. Also, the French Immersion program can only be entered into in Grade 1, so we figure she should try it out, and if she doesn't like it, we can always put her back into the regular public school. </div>
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Lauren schooling has also been on the top our agenda these recent weeks. The options for her are the local regular public school, where she would be starting Junior Kindergarten with some extra support in the classroom or Bloorview Childrens Rehab Centre, which has a JK/SK/Gr. 1 program for special needs kids. We went today to meet the intake team at Bloorview as they wanted to meet Lauren. As we walked down the halls at Bloorview, you definitely felt that it was a very loving and warm environment, however it was tough seeing toddlers with varying challenges, and of course the physical challenges and disabilities being more notable. I saw kids as small as Lauren using walkers of varying sorts and using other physical apparatuses (I'm not even sure what they are called) to get around. I saw a child, maybe 6, crawling, as she became frustrated with her walker and therapist. We met with the co-ordinator, an OT, PT, and ST. They had Lauren engage in some play and Lauren did really really well...actually I thought she probably performed to the best of her capability at the interview...which was a huge surprise for Steve and I. Lauren was engaged the whole time, didn't cling onto us and interacted with the therapist and us. She did some good joint attention with her eyes, and then the ST sat her down and gave her a few instructions which she followed nicely. The ST used Lauren's PEC book and asked Lauren to select an activity, which she selected ball, and Lauren proceeded to throw the ball to me, Steve and the therapist one by one (never seen her do this before). Lauren also selected the Hungry Caterpillar book and when the ST asked her to point to the caterpillar, she got did so correctly, and when the ST asked her to point to the ice cream, she also did it correctly...so all of this was a huge shock for me, cause I read her that same book almost every week before she goes to bed, and when I ask her to point out certain objects, she just randomly points to anything in the book!! Maybe I need to change the tone in my voice...as the ST did have a very calm, SOFT, gentle tone...unlike me...harsh, overbearing, commanding...</div>
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Overall the interview went well, Lauren did really well (maybe too well) and they all loved Lauren - now its more of a question whether she will be a good fit for their program. Its a very small class ratio, 1:6-8 with 2 teachers and an OT/PT/ST - so really almost 1:2 or better. They would likely place Lauren with similar peers (i.e. communication disorders) such that they can work together on common goals. The school follows the same curriculum as a regular JK class and they have music, art and swimming. They would bus Lauren in from where we live (about a 45 minute ride) with school starting at 8:30 and finishing up at 3:00 or so. We are excited about this potential opportunity and I think if we get accepted we will most likely take it, try it out, and if it doesn't work for her, we can always move her to the regular public school board. We find out in April/May. Cross our fingers.</div>
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Its ironic how two sisters could be on such opposite poles with their language and communication skills. One is clipping at a pace that probably puts her at a grade 1/2 level and the other is crawling so slowly even her younger cousin, who is not even 2, is passing her by. Nevertheless I'm happy that Kayla and Lauren have found some common ground for communication and understanding. Its not about the words, what you say and what you don't say, but more about the winces and smiles, the twinkles in the eye and the gesturing of sorts and the hugs and kisses. Yes it does hurt to see Kayla laugh and giggle with her friends and cousins as they share secrets and jokes and know that Lauren cannot do the same (and as my Dad would say "not just yet"). But, thankfully, those tears and heartaches are far and few between. We continue to focus on the positives and the many improvements she has made the last few months, the last year. </div>
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Which reminds me that I really should continue to post pictures of her most recent "inchstones" - the most immediate ones that come to mind are:</div>
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- Lauren fed her baby without being prompted</div>
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- She undid the zipper on her own ski jacket, took it off and put it away</div>
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- Lauren took off her own pajama pants almost completely on her own (I had to help her get it over her bum)</div>
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- Lauren lets me floss her teeth at night</div>
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- Lauren is handing picture cards to non-immediate family members and adult friends and requesting items</div>
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- The pre-school has told me she is able to recognize her own name....not sure if I believe that one.</div>
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Will definitely post some pictures soon.</div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-40627322213511825612013-01-10T20:52:00.003-05:002013-01-10T20:52:53.196-05:00Christmas 2013 Holiday Video<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/57177759" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="500"></iframe> <br />
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After many sleepless nights rifting through photos and videos clips - at least now the holiday video is done and the girls will have another video to watch on my iphone during dinner time at restaurants and on saturday mornings at the breakfast table. Another project to check off my list.<br />
<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-67527329063688187362013-01-08T23:56:00.002-05:002013-01-08T23:56:48.351-05:00Holiday 2012 Photo Collage<br />
Photo memories of this past Christmas and holiday season.<br />
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-14971988848320645972013-01-07T15:53:00.003-05:002013-01-07T15:54:45.622-05:00Lauren Skates - VideoLauren cried hysterically the moment we snapped on her helmet, but after getting use to it, she enjoyed herself on the ice. We couldn't be prouder. This was only her 2nd time on the ice this winter, and she adjusted quickly to her new environment and shoes.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/56796357" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="500"></iframe>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-3052024565673684422013-01-04T00:02:00.000-05:002013-01-04T00:02:17.340-05:00Happy 2013Its been a whirlwind of a Christmas. I'm working on a video which I will post shortly, but in the meantime, Happy 2013 from Kayla and Lauren in their matching holiday attire. We wish you happiness, smiles and peace.<br />
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-33273519337243044892012-12-17T00:11:00.000-05:002012-12-17T00:11:34.556-05:00Getting Ready for ChristmasIts been a whirlwind the last few weeks. Been busy getting ready for Christmas and working on some last minute projects. Here are some pictures below of what we've been upto lately.<br />
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We went to the Richmond Hill Santa Claus Parade...and we'll probably never go again. It was awful, a few marching bands (which was the highlight) and then just tons of advertisers and local businesses walking the parade....finally an hour or so later, Santa shows up, gives a wave and is gone. The worst part was that it was freezing that day and Lauren's nose was running a marathon. At least we were some what shielded from the wind as we sat watching from the back of my car.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91236507@N08/8279190381/" title="PB256978 by k8law2012, on Flickr"><img alt="PB256978" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8077/8279190381_e3280a093c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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We went to storytime with Santa at the Eaton Centre last weekend. The girls loved it and Lauren actually paid attention when Santa was reading the book. Kayla insisted on wearing pink shoes (i wanted her to wear black shoes). Now looking at the picture, she probably does have better fashion sense than me!<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91236507@N08/8280245042/" title="PC087030 by k8law2012, on Flickr"><img alt="PC087030" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8487/8280245042_314ec2f254.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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This past weekend, the girls made gingerbread cookies and cake pops. Lauren helped with cookie cutting and rolling and of course sampling. Kayla enjoyed eating the leftover sprinkles.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91236507@N08/8280278084/" title="PC167134 by k8law2012, on Flickr"><img alt="PC167134" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8210/8280278084_3437a77882_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91236507@N08/8279223887/" title="PC167120 by k8law2012, on Flickr"><img alt="PC167120" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8478/8279223887_8be0b5d999_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91236507@N08/8279222813/" title="PC157117 by k8law2012, on Flickr"><img alt="PC157117" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8499/8279222813_388617dd01_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91236507@N08/8279224815/" title="PC167126 by k8law2012, on Flickr"><img alt="PC167126" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8337/8279224815_d09eb42b6f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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On a crafty note, I found a great way of reusing old Christmas cards from the realtors, financial advisors, dentists who use Christmas as a way to "keep in touch". I've converted them into gift tags!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91236507@N08/8279186867/" title="PC087019 by k8law2012, on Flickr"><img alt="PC087019" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8347/8279186867_071cf590d3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91236507@N08/8280245892/" title="PC087025 by k8law2012, on Flickr"><img alt="PC087025" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8343/8280245892_1109e16373_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-70246599837793608222012-11-27T00:48:00.001-05:002012-11-27T00:48:34.254-05:00Christmas Photo Shoot @ Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A decorated tree, matching outfits, sticker earrings, a nice array of natural sunlight, and a lot of patience, singing and bribery (raisins for Lauren), I quickly snapped a few pictures of Kayla and Lauren this past Sunday in a 45 minute photo shoot. It was definitely a challenge to keep Lauren's attention and to get her to crack a smile in front of the camera but thank goodness for the continuous shooting mode, she's bound to flash her pearly whites sooner or later, especially when you bribe her with raisins.</div>
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-16474900157908017122012-11-13T23:55:00.000-05:002012-11-13T23:55:21.798-05:00Random RamblingLauren is continuing to increase her vocalizations daily and is becoming more communicative with her family. She is finally doing some nice shared joint attention and is showing better understanding and comprehension of following simple directions. I'm reducing my direct points (e.g. I will often point to her shoes when I say "Lauren put on your shoes") and I am noticing she is still able to successfully carry out the action. PECs is continuing to go well. We are still on phase 3 with single pictures but the school has now fully incorporated PECs into her class and she is using pictures to request not only snacks, but activities as well. The next step will be to start bringing the PEC binder outside of the house and having Lauren work with other adults and children, i.e. exchanging cards. . Its such a drag, lugging around a binder full of cards - but it must be done! I also think it would be nice for other kids to see and understand that there are different ways of communicating and that verbal speech is only one method. Maybe we'll start with the cousins...<br />
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November has been busy. The girls are exhausted with late nights and early mornings - birthday parties, housewarming parties, play dates and some shopping. We look forward to this weekend where we don't have much on our schedule.<br />
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Kayla and Lauren are enjoying their swimming lessons on Tuesday nights. Kayla is learning to do back and front floats and is now extremely comfortable in the water on her own. Lauren is in Parent and Tot with Steve and is also becoming more comfortable in the water . She loves to kick and splash and and is finally more willing to lie on her back in the water.<br />
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I've been busy "crafting" these days. A good friend lent me a sewing machine and I sewed my first project - ballerina dolls, with tutu and ballet slippers. Having not used a sewing machine since grade 7, I endlessly watched youtube videos of how to thread the machine and bobbin. For the dolls, I downloaded the pattern from <a href="http://dollsanddaydreams.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Dolls & Daydreams</a>, bought the suggested material, and started sewing away. It was a learning curve trying to control the foot pedal and trying not to loose control of the sewing machine. The first doll took me a few weeks working on and off each night, but once I got the hang of it, the next 2 dolls were much faster to complete.<br />
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My house is a mess so in effort to organize some of the crap, I've turned to mason jars. A few yards of twine (dollar store), cardstock tags (Michaels), mason jars (Canadian Tire) and Kayla and I created jars for hers to organize all her arts and craft items. I also created similar jars for my own room for pens and coins.<br />
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My kids have not grown since last winter. Lauren and Kayla are both able to wear the exact same jacket as last winter - this is actually a good thing given Lauren's jacket cost me a small fortune. Mostly everything from last winter still fits now, including pjs and socks. Lauren is still in size 2 and Kayla is in 4 going on 5 for some items. </div>
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-1380217119327051712012-10-29T23:40:00.000-04:002012-10-29T23:40:37.299-04:00My Family: a Fairy, a Mouse and an Amish Rapper<br />
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Our next American Idol star...<br />
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-14820556215654890542012-10-28T23:38:00.001-04:002012-10-28T23:38:13.039-04:00Growing Up KaylaMy baby girl Kayla is growing up. This is her usual sleeping pose below, thumb in mouth, blankie in hand. The blankie, a sleep sack, has been with Kayla since she was about 9 months old. She has never missed a sleep without this blanket at her side. Kayla is now 5.5 years old.<br />
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Up until quite recently, Kayla couldn't sleep without either soothers. Last year we tried having Santa send her a "magic" glove that she could wear at night to remind her not to suck her thumb, accompanied by a letter that said she was getting to be a big girl and shouldn't be sucking on her thumb - and of course that didn't work. Kayla wanted to stop sucking her thumb, she even told me she wanted to, but she said she just couldn't stop. Kayla told me how it would take her a lot longer to fall asleep at night because all she would do was think about how much she wanted to suck her thumb. Since I couldn't bare to have her lose sleep over it (she is only just 5), I reluctantly told her to go back to her thumb sucking for now and we'd figure something out together later on. How do you help a lifelong thumb sucker stop?<br />
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So I googled around and found physical contraptions for the thumb, pj's with nubbed sleeves, and repellant spray for the thumb. None looked promising.<br />
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Last month, Steve took Kayla to the dentist who commented that Kayla was getting an overbite and would need braces because her front teeth were starting to protrude due to the thumb sucking. The dentist told Kayla she should stop sucking her thumb.... And so she did. We aren't sure what happened, but the dentist told her to stop and Kayla just stopped on her own. I think maybe having a third party tell her to stop sucking her thumb struck a chord with her. Later on Kayla told me her secret is to put her hand underneath her pillow while she sleeps such that she can't suck her thumb. Now why didn't I think of that?<br />
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Coincidentally around the same time, Kayla's blankie went missing for almost a week. We searched the entire house looking for her blankie and because it was nowhere to be found, she ended up having to go to sleep without it. One night turned into two nights turned into a week. Finally when we found it during the weekly folding of the laundry (it had gotten tangled inside a bed sheet), Kayla was happy to see it and the thumb sucking returned. Obviously the blankie and the thumb sucking were self perpetuating each other at night.<br />
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A few days later we "lost" the blankie again. Surprisingly, Kayla only asked for the blankie the first night and has since seemed to have forgotten about it. And the thumb sucking has stopped.<br />
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Its now been about 2 weeks. The blankie is hidden in my closet and every day I tell her I am so proud that she no longer sucks her thumb. I know its such a hard habit to break as I sucked my thumb for a very long time as well. I feel bad that I've hidden her blankie from her as its been with her for so long, but she doesn't seem to really need it anymore - she's growing up......maybe I'll start sleeping with it as it reminds me of my Kayla as a baby.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-33854168060269817852012-10-21T23:22:00.001-04:002012-10-21T23:22:02.776-04:00Fall Weekend Pictures<br />
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-41246163504641694862012-10-19T00:30:00.001-04:002012-10-19T00:30:35.883-04:00Fall Weekend At WonderlandMaking full use of our Canada's Wonderland season's pass, we took the girls this past weekend for their last visit to the park. It was a bit wet, but they had fun going on the Halloween treasure hunt, going though the haunted house and just splashing around in the puddles. The park was very empty and Steve managed to hop on some roller coaster rides with no wait and the girls jumped ride to ride, even staying on their favourite rides for an extra turn. Steve has become a carnival game junkie and took his first attempt at climbing the rope ladder....and would you believe it, on his first try, he was a WINNER! Thank goodness they gave him a choice of a huge stuffed animal or a MP3 player.<br />
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Kayla learned the poem at school and wanted to share it with us. We all think the poem is hilarious and her depiction of the poem is cute.<br />
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-66838199466326426242012-10-09T00:04:00.000-04:002012-10-12T21:39:43.488-04:00Zero Words but she can Sing Lately Lauren has been singing! She has zero real words but she can sing in tune to over a dozen songs using "ma", "ah",a little "ba", and other sounds. Its quite amazing as she picks up on the tunes of new songs quite quickly and is able to sing the song back in tune and with the right intonations. Lauren often sings while in the car and playing. Her favourite songs to sing to are Old McDonald, Five Little Ducks, Wheels on the Bus and Happy BIrthday. I've even heard Laren sing along to a classical piece from one of her toys and Glad You Came by The Wanted. Its interesting how she can so quickly imitate a tune but when it comes to motor actions, it takes so much more effort and practice. Her love for music come from multiple sources. Lauren is in music therapy and Kindermusick classes once a week and Kayla is often singing around the house too.<br />
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Last week Lauren's SLP said she heard Lauren say "Lauren" while looking at herself in the mirror and "no" when responding to a question yesterday. I am in complete shock and disbelief - but then again, we heard Lauren say "hammer" and "banana" several several months ago and those words never came back. Often we will hear her say a word once in therapy and it never repeats itself.So I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.<br />
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In the meantime we continue to use PECs as Lauren's main form of communication. Her school has incorporated PECs into snack times and is working on incorporating it into her activity time. At home, we continue to introduce new cards and she is learning them well. Of course, I keep going back to the old cards and testing her just to make sure she hasn't forgotten them! We have now about 10 food cards and a few toy cards. Her favourite card is raisins (you can see how its so worn). The cards in the first picture are ours, and the cards in the second picture are the ones the school uses.<br />
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I've been leaving the PEC book in the same place in our house so Lauren knows where to go. Lauren will spontaneously go and grab the PEC card and bring it to us indicating what she wants. She pulls the card off the velcro and will yell loudly "mamamamma", calling for my attention, while running to me with the card. Of course I always make her go the extra mile, so sometimes I'll simply open the pantry or fridge and then ask her to point out the item she has on her card. I know she must hate me sometimes...so much work to get one little box of raisins!<br />
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I've noticed lately that Lauren is doing more shared and joint attention. She is often looking at me with more meaningful looks and glances and trying to get my attention to show me something. Since school started she has been pointing a lot more and using her point as a way of showing me something, which is fantastic. The other day she tugged at my pants while I was washing the dishes and then pointed to her socks. I asked if she wanted to take off her socks, and of course got no reply (so assumed yes since she had pointed to them), and told her to sit down and take them off and sure enough, she did just that. When I took her to Kindermusick class for the first time (Steve usually takes her), she entered the music room and kept pointing to the shakers on the shelf and kept looking at me and looking at the shaker - great joint attention! </div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-35828432068113310272012-10-01T22:08:00.000-04:002012-10-01T22:08:45.135-04:00Let's Go Blue Jays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Jays vs. Yankees - a Saturday game with the kids and their cousins. They were a bit restless, but thankfully there was plenty of empty seats for the kids to roam around. Armed with snacks, drinks and popcorn, we managed to stay till the very end. Lauren loved the popcorn and Kayla covered up her arms with blue jays tattoos. While nobody paid any attention to the game (except for Steve), it was a fun experience - although not really worth the $50 a seat for the kids who barely sat.</div>
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Kayla presented me with my own invitation when I walked in from work this evening. It was such a warm and happy feeling. Her writing is maturing and her pictures...well they are still very "sticky" but coming along in her own time.<br />
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This year Kayla has homework. Her Montessori (she is now a Graduate or Senior Kindergarten equivalent) is now asking that she do a page of Math and English from her workbook every night. Kayla loves doing her homework and asked if she could finish the entire work book on her first homework night. I asked the teacher, but they politely told me no - just 1 page/night - boy was Kayla was disappointed.<br />
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-84265827700550731272012-09-25T23:07:00.002-04:002012-09-25T23:09:00.997-04:00Fall GardeningWe finally got top soil for our garden, bought some shrubs and did some fall gardening last weekend. Kayla was eager to help out and wore her kid size gardening gloves, perfect for those tiny fingers.<br />
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Lauren's feet are still a tiny size 5 and the smallest hand-me down rain boots I have from Kayla are size 6. So I splurged last weekend and bought Lauren rubber boots that will fit her for the fall, especially since she loves splashing in puddles and stomping in the mud.<br />
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Next year we'll have to work on the grass...or what's left of it...our grass has been raided by clovers.<br />
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Our outdoor playset is about 5 years old and is on its last legs (you can see that one of the walls is about to break off). And I've been waiting 3 summers for Lauren to enjoy the playset and finally, last weekend, she climbed all the way to the top by herself surprising both Steve and I. Now if only she liked going down the slide...<br />
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Happy Tuesday everyone! Lauren after a good spaghetti dinner.<br />
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-91731973797179677152012-09-18T21:50:00.001-04:002012-09-18T21:50:12.155-04:00Drooling and BibsLauren has always been a drooler. While I know its normal for babies to drool, Lauren's low tone in the face magnified her drooling to the point where I remember Lauren going through 15+ soaking wet bibs per day around the age of 1. A bib became part of her normal dress attire and the only time it came off was at nap time. We have christmas bibs, easter bibs, days of the week bibs, nice boutique bibs for when we are going out, crappy washed out, stained bibs for the days we stay at home and plastic bibs for eating. If Lauren didn't have a bib she would soak, i mean really soak, her t-shirts and tops. My purse was filled with bibs when we went out on day trips.<br />
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Last Christmas, Lauren went through a period of a 2-3 weeks with minimal drooling and I thought that I was finally be able to throw the bibs away, but then the faucet came back on. Then this past summer Lauren's drooling stopped. I wasn't sure if it stopped or if the sun and heat was drying up the drool but I chose not to look into it and just enjoyed her not wearing a bib around all day. I crossed my fingers that this was it, but then once school started this past September, the faucet turned on again. While the drooling has lessened significantly over the past 3 years, Lauren still drools here and there, and more so when she is focusing and concentrating on a task. I brought up the concern of drooling to her pediatrician who told me that it was "normal" for kids to drool and that their is a drooling clinic, but i can't take her there until she turns 6!<br />
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Today I did a count and dump of the worst offending bibs. In total, Lauren has 70 bibs in my home, taking up a full dresser drawer. And this count is not including the bibs I had to leave at both grandparents home for the afternoons when they watch her. So I'm sure I have close to 100 bibs. Most are stained, have unsticky velcros, stretched necklines and are discolored. I threw all of them away with the exception of the "top 10" . Knock on wood that I did the right thing and Lauren doesn't revert back to her old ways. Please let the drooling stop!!<br />
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923992196600600002.post-90782356793788053112012-09-12T23:55:00.001-04:002012-09-12T23:55:27.770-04:00Miss Those Summer Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some pictures from our trip to Centre Island this past summer..miss it so much.</div>
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03451782142339890402noreply@blogger.com0