Wednesday, August 29, 2012

school...

camden started toddler class yesterday (which is a preschool prep course)...it's just once a week for one and a half hours but it is suppose to help them get into the routine of having a routine at school.  we shall see how the next four months go...
he had a good first day...
 
he tried to get out of activities by giving out hugs, and then refusing to let go and sit down haha...i am not really surprised.  i am pretty proud of the little man though overall and i think the class will be great for him, since most of the kids in there just seemed a little speech delayed...so cam is definitely the under dog, but i am sure he will rise to the challenge.
 
aside from school we are also starting a little gym class tonight...my hope is that toddler class, music class and little gym will help cam start to follow routine and directions better...he seems to engage in activities more when other kids are engaged in the same activity...so we are going with it!
 
on a side note...what do you do for your kid when therapy just isn't working anymore. ok, i'll be honest, camden has never really done well with "therapy"...cam does best when you follow his lead.  i have always watched for camden to get an interest in something and then tried to foster it, since if you try to push an activity on him, he shuts down.  he doesn't like any sort of pressure...and if he knows you want to get something out of him, he will do everything he can to make sure it doesn't happen.  frustrating...to say the least.  he never really has performed well for therapists...which has always worried me, especially now that preschool is just around the corner, he just doesn't have an interest in doing things that other people want him to do, unless you make him think it's his idea.  stubborn...YES! in fact today his speech therapist told me that out of the thousands of kids she has worked with my guy is one of the, if not the strongest willed of them all. he pretty much completely shuts down for her, and all communication goes out the window, because he knows that's what she wants from him.  and she is not the first...he has done this with all of his other therapists with one exception, his early intervention coordinator...who has been with him since he was six weeks old....and won't be around once he graduates out of early intervention in four months. i love cam, and he is doing so great in so many ways...but my biggest fear is that he will get to school and shut down and refuse to try anything...they will then think he isn't capable of doing things that he is capable of and he won't progress.
 
my husband thinks he is two and that i am expecting him to act like a five year old...and i know there is a lot of truth to that. would i be so worried about him if he did this and was a typically developing toddler? i don't know...what two year old performs? what two year old isn't strong willed? what two year old doesn't throw a tantrum...and in all honesty, with the exception of a hair pull and a hit thrown out on occasion during a tantrum he is really well behaved for the most part (for a two year old). i just worry, i want to help him reach his full potential and sometimes i am just not sure what road is best for him, or if there is a road paved yet at all...
 
so those of you with a stubborn little one...what have you done to help foster learning? what have you done to help them get engaged in activities that they need to learn but are difficult for them...? today i am in all honesty at a loss.
 

Friday, August 17, 2012

my little star...

camden acting out the opening scene of toy story...this is a stick up!

Monday, August 6, 2012

buddy walk time...

every year our family supports our statewide buddy walk, and this year is no different! the buddy walk helps to raise awareness for our loved ones with down syndrome, it also helps our local down syndrome foundation and the national down syndrom society to raise the funds necessary to continue supporting families, providing education efforts, offering activities throughout the year and educating the community through advocacy. please click the picture below and join us in walking or donate to support our cause! thank you!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

it's really hot outside...

it's been a rough few months...and i am not lying when i say, i can not wait for this summer to be at it's end. being sick since the end of may, i am longing for the sweet relief of cooler weather and being able to do things alongside my toddler again...who sadly is babysat far too often by the glow of the television these days. i am longing to get going on the new playroom for the kidlets but i can only last on my feet for a few minutes before i need to either eat again or lay my head back down. there is something divine i tell you in the planning of this pregnancy since i can't get on my feet long enough to get myself into trouble, all the while we have decided to curb our spending habits, because my husband decided to jump off of a financial cliff in may, quit his job and we are flying along as risk takers as he is starting a new company until our wings either give out or grow new feathers...we will see what happens come doomsday mid august when he pitches to get funding, meanwhile i have had my eyes out at every "hiring" sign in the near vicinity of my home...just in case. ya we are crazy like that, and i kind of sickly love it. anyway...we have been trying to keep busy and here is what i have...
 a couple of days at seven peaks
 some lakeside beach time
bubble blowing
a very used chalkboard
wrestle mania
finger painting
refusal of nap time
 too much tv
pool time
 playing barefoot in afternoon thunderstorms

 swim trunks...because we love them ok...
and an ever growing belly.

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