Happy Halloween!

I wish everyone a happy and safe Halloween! I am heading out trick or treating soon with Fancy Nancy and Curious George! Later we will have a few pieces of candy and some toasted pumpkin seeds. Our pumpkin had 468 seeds!

LEA Puzzle online

Here is a great website about the LEA Puzzle. Your child can practice with the puzzle on the computer! Another fun way to learn the puzzle and it's relationships. Also teaches colors and spatial awareness. I am hoping Frankie can be tested with the LEA Puzzle when he goes for his next eye exam in December.

Updates and Halloween Fun

Frankie has been doing really well with the potty! He is still in pull-ups, but he goes on the potty almost every time he sits on it. We try to go every hour. So I think he will be there pretty quickly, which surprises me, I didn't think he would be this young. He will be 2 1/2 next week!

I have started things a little with the IEP process. We went to our integrated preschool and his EI specialist has sent in the beginning paperwork. I am happy thing are getting done, yet it is nerve-wrecking at the same time.

The kids are getting quite excited about Halloween. Lizzy is going to be Fancy Nancy and Frankie, Curious George, (big surprise)! We did a pumpkin picking hayride yesterday and a school Halloween party on Friday. Tomorrow is the library parade. It seems like there are many more Halloween festivities then when I was a kid! : )

Edaville

Last Sunday we went to Edaville in Carver, MA. It was such a nice fall day and they were having the annual cranberry festival. There is a 2 mile train ride past the cranberry bogs, on this weekend the cranberries are floating to the top and being harvested. There are many rides; carousel, flying dumbo, tilt-a-whirl, scrambler, ferris wheel and more. There is a playground and a train to play on, also an indoor playground. For the cranberry festival, there are also many vendors, cranberry juice tasting and cranberries to buy. We bought some cranberries and made homemade cranberry apple muffins and cranberry sauce.
The park also hosts a Day out with Thomas in the summer and fall. It is much more crowded on these days. There are other days with costumed characters and shows. Starting in November, the festival of lights starts for the holidays. We have not been, but I hope to go this season!

Frankie's 2 year Evaluation, Part 2

This past Wednesday, Frankie's EI teacher, another teacher and his TVI, all came to discuss his evaluation and ways to move forward to help him. He scored quite well on his evaluation, with his speech and cognition almost that of a 3 year old. He was low is gross motor. So we all made a plan together of areas to work on, gross motor being one. We also discussed helping him learn shapes, colors and distinguishing animals in a book. I felt it was very productive. We also scheduled the first IEP meeting for November, where I will learn all about the process. I am excited and nervous!

New Vitamin D Recommendation

The American Academy of Pediatrics raised the daily amount of vitamin D for children to 400 units. Vitamin D supplements will need to be taken by millions of children now. Since one of the best non-food sources is the sun, Frankie already takes a vitamin D supplement, but I am going to check with his doctor to see if he needs more. This new recommendation is an issue with children with albinism, since they are not getting the sun exposure.
Read the full article here.

Discovery Toys

I have been selling Discovery Toys for over 6 years now, I started when Lizzy was 9 months to make extra money and meet people with children. This fall I have tried to jumpstart my business again and have been asking many more people to host parties, buy toys or join my team. So it has been going well and it feels good to have my business take off! My goal is to pay for our trip to Disney World in the new year!!!

Frankie's 2 year Evaluation

Frankie Started Early Intervention 2 years ago this month. His EI teacher did his yearly assessment this week. He did really well! He had trouble with some fine motor tasks that required a lot of vision, but overall he did well. Next week, we will discuss the results, then it will be time to start thinking about his transition to preschool next year! I can't believe it.
And he went in the potty yesterday!!!

"Hammah Ontana"

This is just too cute! Lizzy, being 7, loves Hannah Montana. So she talks about her, sings her songs and has a poster. Frankie, of course, picks up on this and now says, "hammah ontana" when he sees her. : ) It makes me laugh.

Feeling Poorly

Does anyone have tips on strategies to still spend time with your kids and get things done, when you are not feeling well? I have been so exhausted, achy and having a headache, some days I don't think I will be able to do make it till bed! I know it will pass, but sometimes things seem longer when you are in them.

Starting to Board the Potty Train

Frankie started using Cars pull ups today, and was quite excited. He was sitting on the potty every hour or so this afternoon, no success on the potty yet. He is very eager to sit on it, and we got him a new book about the "potty train". He really likes that, and Lizzy made him a potty chart, so we can put stickers on it when he goes in the potty. I don't really know if he's ready, but we'll try it and see how it goes. I would like to switch to underwear soon, when he has some potty success!

Homework for First Graders

Lizzy has started her homework this week for first grade. Today she had a math game, which we played together this afternoon. She also has a reading log, where she needs to read or be read to for 15 minutes each day. While she is participating and doing the homework, I feel the reminding her to do it and keeping track of it falls to me. Which is just funny, how much of the younger grades' homework contains a lot of parent participation. I think it is beneficial for the students, but the parents are an integral part. It does help us to be diligent to read each day. We have always read a lot, yet this makes sure we read each for 15 minutes or more. Frankie gets involved because he loves to listen to Lizzy read each day!