The Abster is a grumpster this morning, didn’t want to get ready for school! We distract and stay busy once we’re all ready and waiting for the bus!
She wasn’t very into doing her exercises with me this morning, but she did them. Then we smelled the roses and pulled the petals off to stay busy for the rest of the time. This is a favorite activity for Abbey, but I don’t let her do it very often, so she sure got into that!
Here she is with the roses:)
Click on the video below to see her doing her exercises, rather grumpily:
Here’s Abbey actually playing with some toys appropriately, which is hard to come by! Ok, well, kind of.:) It’s super neat to see her playing and not ‘stacking or piling!’
You’ll also notice the sensory component that is included in everything she does!!
Abbey has made so much progress communicating and with so many of her really hard behaviors, but why does it seem like when they make great progress in one area, another area gets harder?
It seems like Abbey’s sensory world just gets completely out of control, out of this world crazy sometimes, and we’re seeing it now more than ever! Is it just because she’s so much bigger and older now? She has broken a very long list of things in her house like her window, holes in walls, our couch, her bed, more chairs than I can remember, just to name a few…and none of them when she was mad! She broke all of these things just rocking, bouncing, jumping around in big, huge movements. We have swings inside and out, exercise balls, stuff to chew on, sensory stuff all over our house for her to play with…but it’s just not enough. Will we be able to find something that is enough? I don’t know, but we’re working on it! We’re working on another outside trampoline as her inside one just doesn’t seem to do much for her…but, problem is, she’s so heavy and so rough on things, we need a really good, safe one…yes, expensive, just like everything Abbey needs and breaks! Well, more praying! AND, as we work on these really hard things, we’re just gonna keep on focusing and celebrating the great things that are happening, ’cause that’s what it’s all about!
Ugh, sensory issues are so hard! Just when you think, just maybe, the days of picking tiny pieces of non-edible things out of their mouths is over, it’s not. The need obviously comes and goes, for Abbey anyway. Pica, or chewing on all those non-edible things, has always been a problem for Abbey. We go through so much Spry gum, it’s crazy!
We’re working on getting her a big trampoline again, realizing how much she really does need that outlet and that sensory input. Finding the sensory things that help them, can make such a difference and teaching them to learn to ask for those things is imperative!
There are so many apps out there that we have tried with Abbey that we feel help calm her, and let her explore her creativity. She loves water, I mean really loves water, so Koi Pond has been a big hit of hers for a long time. There are now several like this, but this remains her favorite one.
So, click on the video below to see Abbey’s favorite calming and creative apps!
Abbey’s Year, 2012 video, click here. It’s just a brief glimpse of what our world, Abbey’s world was like in 2012, of her triumphs and struggles. She’s growing and learning, she’s continuing to communicate more, initiate more, reference us more…it’s truly amazing, blessings abound!
In the video you’ll see glimpses of her communicating with her iPad, with Proloquo2Go. You’ll see her first trip to Disneyland. You’ll also see some FIRSTS that were so exciting for us, her birthday blew us away this year, no pun intended.:) Christmas was incredible, seeing a true desire to celebrate, remembering from past experiences and truly enjoying the tree and presents, not to mention her little Nativity Scene, even!
What you’ll also experience with us, with Abbey, are some struggles…ugh, those stinkin’ doorways, what is it about doorways? We may never know, for sure! And, elevators, yikes! She was so incredibly brave on a trip in the car to California this year. I really didn’t know how it was going to go, it took a HUGE leap of faith…and, she did it! She did so well! There were some tough times, but overall, she sure surprised us, like she loves to do!:)
I really do want to thank all the people working with Abbey, helping her and us and all the friends and family praying for us every day….without you all, Abbey would not be the happy girl she is, succeeding in so many ways! I also want to thank a totally amazing husband who had enough faith for both of us that Abbey could succeed on a very long road trip, you were right, honey! One more thank you, thank you Lord for all of your provisions for our family, especially for our Abbey, for the strength you give us every single day to make it through the hard days and succeed on the good days!
Enjoy, and please, let us know what you think! Don’t forget to visit the link at the top of the page to see all of Abbey’s other videos on youtube, to see more!
Thank you!
Apps Abbey’s using are Proloquo2Go, to communicate and Count TV, a Sesame Street counting app, to help her learn to count.
So, yes, it’s hard every year to pick out presents for Abbey. She can’t go on Amazon and make a wish list like my other kids…yet. So, sometimes we pick winners and sometimes we don’t. Here are some great things that were definite winners this year!
First is a little hand massager. We put this on her communicating app, as an option and she asks for this at bedtime. It helps her relax. (Picture is a link for it, it is a paid link:)
Next are see through blocks that nest and stack. The ability to pick which size fits in which is an early math skill that Abbey still needs help with and she LOVES to look through transparent things with different colors, so 2 awesome features in one. Transparent Stacking Tower, link for it (paid link.)
And finally, Abbey loves squishies, I mean really loves squishy toys. Our problem is, we go through them quickly as they pop and sometimes quite messily if they are filled with goo! Here is a totally cool one that Abbey loves that will hold up!! (Picture is a link for it, it is a paid link:)
Hope this gives you guys some ideas! Great to offer the pictures of these objects and have them ask for them, to work on communication too!
(Picture is a link for it, it is a paid link:)
, link for it (paid link.)
(Picture is a link for it, it is a paid link:)
abbeysvoice 