Bright and early tomorrow morning, we'll be flying to Austin, TX for Christmas with my family. We always spend Dec. 23rd in East Texas (near Beaumont), visiting my dad's side of the family and doing presents with them. The 24th is spent in Houston, where there's a huge family gathering at my maternal grandparents' house (we're talking 40-60 people in one sprawling house in the country), where the kids do a gift exchange, everyone eats, the wine flows freely, and we sing Christmas carols in the living room. Then we drive back to Austin to spend Christmas morning at my parents' house.
Christmas is my favorite time of year, and Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year. The family togetherness, the connection to my gajillions of cousins, the food, the singing, the warmth... It's just incredible. Sometimes, I get overwhelmed, and I have to take a few minutes to go sit in the walk-in closet in the guest suite until my nerves defray a bit, but when I come back out, no one says anything about it, and I just slip right back into the festivities. It's grand.
Last year, I missed Christmas Eve because I was on a gig with the band. This year, I'm thrilled that the hubby, C, and I will all be a part of the celebration. One year, it actually snowed in Houston on Christmas Eve, so we all went outside and sang Frosty the Snowman in the snow. It was absolutely magical.
Of course, our trip will encompass more than just Christmas with all the pieces of my family. We're staying through New Year's Eve, our anniversary, and New Year's Day, hubby's birthday. I know hubby is anxious about spending two weeks with my family (in-laws stress everyone out, even if they're great in-laws like my parents), but he's keeping the grumbling to a minimum because he knows how important this is to me. Next year, he'll be working through the Christmas season and won't be able to take off long enough to travel, so we'll be apart for Christmas. It works out that way every other year, which is why me working out of town last Christmas wasn't a big deal (except that it meant missing Christmas Eve in Houston!).
This year has been hard on our marriage. We hit some speed bumps along the way, but we pulled through it together. We renewed our vows in October, so, in a way, this is almost like our first Christmas together. Certainly it's our first Christmas since we've been this close and strong in our relationship. I can't wait!
We're celebrating a mini-Christmas tonight at home with the gifts that didn't get shipped to my parents' house. I don't think hubby sent any of my gifts to Texas, whereas I sent all but two of his down there so he'd have them to open on Christmas Day, on our anniversary, and on his birthday. We're not going to do a fancy Christmas dinner tonight or anything more than exchange gifts, really, because we're trying to cut back on spending, and it'd be foolish to cook a huge meal and have to throw away the leftovers because they'd spoil before we get back. Besides, we have to do things like pack for the trip and assemble our new guest bed tonight. ;)
I don't know how active I'll be here while we're visiting my parents. I may post a brief message or two from my cell phone if there's anything interesting to share. Hopefully I'll think to snap a picture of the New Year's Eve "hubby's birthday" fireworks over Lady Bird Lake and post that, just to be festive, but I know you'll all forgive me if I don't spend my anniversary/my husband's birthday blogging. ;)
I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season, however you choose to spend it, and I wish you all joy and warmth in your hearts.
<3, WK
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Monday, December 19, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
A Time to Mourn
Yesterday afternoon, a friend's father passed away. He had been in the hospital, but all reports had been good, so I was shocked to hear of his death. This afternoon, my husband learned that a very old friend of his passed away Monday night. Still young, she died in her mother's arms. I urged him to take comfort that she died somewhere safe and happy. I mean, I can't think of a better place to go than in the arms of someone who loves me.
Last year, a very dear friend of mine passed away just a few days before Christmas. He was a high school friend's father, my youth minister, and he was in my wedding ceremony. When he passed, it absolutely crushed me, and I remember being furious at God for taking away such a wonderful man just before Christmas and leaving his (grown) daughters with no one.
Losing a loved one is certainly never easy; no one has ever claimed it was, to my knowledge... But somehow, that loss seems profoundly deeper during the holidays. At a time when we are urged to celebrate family and togetherness, to express our love for one another, and to flock to our homes, it's devastating for a key figure in that image of Christmas Past to be missing.
My heart goes out to the two families whom I know have lost members this week, and to anyone who may be reading who is grieving the loss of a loved one. We all experience loss in our lives, and there's just no way to make it easier or to make it painless. This time of year, it's really thrown in your face if you've just lost a family member... There just are no words to make it right.
I wish we could have a guarantee that, during the month of December, no one would die. No one would suffer, accidents wouldn't happen, the ill would feel a temporary respite, and everyone could celebrate and love one another without fear of tragedy. I, for one, will be holding my husband and daughter extra close this season, telling my parents and brothers that I love them, and treasuring my Christmas celebrations with both sides of my extended family. I'll embrace being back home for the holidays. I'll be grateful that all my loved ones are near, if only for one night, and I'll put aside complaining about how life isn't quite what I had planned. Life is too short to be unhappy, and you never know when tragedy will strike. I'm going to make sure that Christmas is full of joy and love.
Last year, a very dear friend of mine passed away just a few days before Christmas. He was a high school friend's father, my youth minister, and he was in my wedding ceremony. When he passed, it absolutely crushed me, and I remember being furious at God for taking away such a wonderful man just before Christmas and leaving his (grown) daughters with no one.
Losing a loved one is certainly never easy; no one has ever claimed it was, to my knowledge... But somehow, that loss seems profoundly deeper during the holidays. At a time when we are urged to celebrate family and togetherness, to express our love for one another, and to flock to our homes, it's devastating for a key figure in that image of Christmas Past to be missing.
My heart goes out to the two families whom I know have lost members this week, and to anyone who may be reading who is grieving the loss of a loved one. We all experience loss in our lives, and there's just no way to make it easier or to make it painless. This time of year, it's really thrown in your face if you've just lost a family member... There just are no words to make it right.
I wish we could have a guarantee that, during the month of December, no one would die. No one would suffer, accidents wouldn't happen, the ill would feel a temporary respite, and everyone could celebrate and love one another without fear of tragedy. I, for one, will be holding my husband and daughter extra close this season, telling my parents and brothers that I love them, and treasuring my Christmas celebrations with both sides of my extended family. I'll embrace being back home for the holidays. I'll be grateful that all my loved ones are near, if only for one night, and I'll put aside complaining about how life isn't quite what I had planned. Life is too short to be unhappy, and you never know when tragedy will strike. I'm going to make sure that Christmas is full of joy and love.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Back to Normal
Things are slowly getting back to normal around here. I slept a lot yesterday, sleeping off the exhaustion that resulted from my 13 hours of medical misadventure on Monday, and possibly fighting off a bug that seemed to be trying to worm its way through my immune system barriers. I woke up today and got C ready for school as usual... Only to then find a note in her backpack that today was a staff development day, and there would be no school. Doh!
So C went on an errand with me. What was supposed to be a quick trip to the car dealership for my 10,000 mile oil change and check-up turned into two hours of me watching her amuse herself with the various toys in the "Kids Corner" at the dealership. She bounced around from the toy trains to the toy diner, the dry-erase board to the video games to the books. Two solid hours, and not a single complaint out of her. No whining about being hungry or tired or bored... Just constant exploration and play. I have to say, I was really impressed. The time flew by just watching her amuse herself, and I actually had an enjoyable time.
I also was able to order a can of touch-up paint for the two "oops!" spots on my car. (Oops.)
When we got home, I had about two hours to go until I had to leave to take my final exam for my Serving Individuals With Disabilities and Their Families class (long name, eh?). I reviewed my lecture notes and watched a little Law & Order while C played in her room. Hubby came home with Starbucks for me (yay!), I made the hour-long commute to school (boo), and I finished the exam in 20 minutes (whew!). Then I drove back home, the fall semester officially behind me and a glorious Christmas break beginning.
C has school tomorrow, then next Mon - Thurs, and then she's on break for the holidays, too. We're spending almost the entire break with my family in Texas, and I can't wait. It's a little bit tiring to be there with C for extended periods because their house isn't kid-proofed and doesn't really have anywhere where we can let her run free and play, so there's a lot of chasing C around the house and redirecting her back toward appropriate play things and safe areas. She also doesn't sleep much there, so that's a bonus. =/ All that being said, I am REALLY looking forward to my trip "home," to seeing friends and family, to Christmas Eve at Maw-Maw & Paw-Paw's (an ENORMOUS family event!), and to a very special anniversary night off from parenting to enjoy being with my husband.
The only bad news today is that hubby still hasn't been able to get his referral to a neurologist about his migraines, and C still hasn't passed the penny, which means more x-rays to make sure it's not now lodged somewhere in her gastrointestinal tract. I swear, she's going to be glowing by Christmas at the rate she's going!
So C went on an errand with me. What was supposed to be a quick trip to the car dealership for my 10,000 mile oil change and check-up turned into two hours of me watching her amuse herself with the various toys in the "Kids Corner" at the dealership. She bounced around from the toy trains to the toy diner, the dry-erase board to the video games to the books. Two solid hours, and not a single complaint out of her. No whining about being hungry or tired or bored... Just constant exploration and play. I have to say, I was really impressed. The time flew by just watching her amuse herself, and I actually had an enjoyable time.
I also was able to order a can of touch-up paint for the two "oops!" spots on my car. (Oops.)
When we got home, I had about two hours to go until I had to leave to take my final exam for my Serving Individuals With Disabilities and Their Families class (long name, eh?). I reviewed my lecture notes and watched a little Law & Order while C played in her room. Hubby came home with Starbucks for me (yay!), I made the hour-long commute to school (boo), and I finished the exam in 20 minutes (whew!). Then I drove back home, the fall semester officially behind me and a glorious Christmas break beginning.
C has school tomorrow, then next Mon - Thurs, and then she's on break for the holidays, too. We're spending almost the entire break with my family in Texas, and I can't wait. It's a little bit tiring to be there with C for extended periods because their house isn't kid-proofed and doesn't really have anywhere where we can let her run free and play, so there's a lot of chasing C around the house and redirecting her back toward appropriate play things and safe areas. She also doesn't sleep much there, so that's a bonus. =/ All that being said, I am REALLY looking forward to my trip "home," to seeing friends and family, to Christmas Eve at Maw-Maw & Paw-Paw's (an ENORMOUS family event!), and to a very special anniversary night off from parenting to enjoy being with my husband.
The only bad news today is that hubby still hasn't been able to get his referral to a neurologist about his migraines, and C still hasn't passed the penny, which means more x-rays to make sure it's not now lodged somewhere in her gastrointestinal tract. I swear, she's going to be glowing by Christmas at the rate she's going!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Another Week Comes to a Close
This week was a fairly typical week. I went to the gym Monday and Wednesday mornings, I went to my therapist and started EMDR on Tuesday, I had class Wednesday night. I played WoW Tues-Thurs nights for about 2-3 hours each night (raiding), and I spent Friday being as lazy as I could possibly manage while Ceili was home because there's no school on Fridays. This morning, I woke up early to go to the salon and get my roots touched up and my bangs cut.
I had Starbucks four or five times this week, including this morning. I stuck to my diet 3 days, cheated on dinner the 4th day, and cheated outright yesterday, although it IS a flex plan with two days off per week, so it just means I have to get back on the diet tomorrow instead of waiting until Monday.
I spent three days on the phone with our pediatrician's office trying to get follow-up X-rays on the coin(?) in C's throat that showed up in her X-rays on the 22nd, which the doctor felt needed foll-up X-rays to see if it was still lodged in her throat and/or needed surgical removal. That battle to get someone on the phone and to get a phone call returned resolved in them calling me after closing on Friday to tell me I could pick up the X-ray order on Monday morning, so I guess I'll be going by there while C is at school and taking her for X-rays when she gets home. It makes me nervous knowing there was something in her throat and that it's taking this long to verify whether it's still there and whether it needs removing.
I also spoke several times with the company that will be making C's custom wheelchair, as ordered by the orthopedist at Shriner's. Things seem to be progressing well so far. They're going to talk to C's PT at the school on Monday and schedule a time to go down and evaluate C, measure her, etc to determine exactly what kind of chair and cushions she needs. That will be done before they can get authorization from our insurance company, but it seems our insurance company has a good track record of approving mobility assistive devices from that company when a doctor orders them (no small miracle there!). The insurance company typically covers $3,500 of the cost of the chair, which should be enough, unless it's determined that she needs custom molded cushions as opposed to just regular cushions that are cut to size and placed strategically for her needs, so there's a chance this new chair could cost us nothing, which would be an enormous miracle. Now I'm just crossing my fingers that there's any chance we could get the chair before we leave for the holidays on Dec. 20, because we use our current wheelchair heavily while traveling, and it would just be fantastic to have the new one ready in time for our trip!
I foolishly bought "one last" gift for my husband for Christmas, even though I couldn't afford it. It's something I know he wants, though, so it'll be worth it when he opens it and bursts with childlike excitement over the silly thing. I'm having all of his gifts shipped to my parents' house in Texas, which is where we'll be spending Christmas. His anniversary and birthday presents are going there, too, as we'll still be visiting there when those special days roll around.
For our anniversary, which happens to fall on New Year's Eve, we'll be staying at the same hotel we stayed on our wedding night, with the same view of the river and the fireworks that are set off over the river at midnight. My mom is babysitting C overnight, so we'll get to go out to dinner and/or drinks if we like, have a romantic night in a luxurious room, and try to remember what it's like to be a couple instead of just parents. Sometimes it's difficult to be both, and parenting always seems to come first, so it should be a really good night off for us. I can't wait! Plus, the next morning is his birthday, so he can open anniversary and birthday presents all in the hotel room, and I won't have my mom looking over shoulders grumbling about how I spent too much money on gifts. ;)
Ceili's school didn't send home any art projects this week, which was a bit of a disappointment. Some weeks, they send home a few things on Thursdays, and then other times, they wait a few weeks and send home a whole bag of stuff all at once. I guess they'll be sending a bag one of these weeks, so I can at least look forward to that, but I just burst with pride when those things come home from school, especially since she's doing more and more of the work by herself, and I can see her influence expressed in the art. Looking at her fingerpaintings, I can see her in my mind, hands covered in paint, smearing the page and squealing with utter delight. That's half the joy of getting her work.
I missed the post-Thanksgiving weekend 60% off custom framing at Michaels, so I'm going to have to wait for their next framing special to get a favorite fingerpainting and her first completely solo watercolor done with a paintbrush framed to hang in the hallway. I intend to turn the hall walls into a C museum with all of my favorite works. She's getting watercolors for Christmas this year, so she'll even have some homemade works to hang on the wall. (I need the hallway because, let's face it, a refrigerator door just isn't big enough to showcase all of the artistic masterpieces made by an only child with special needs!)
I've been plugging LakeshoreLearning.com on Twitter lately, and with good reason. They have an amazing array of toys and furniture that are perfect for parents or educators of children with a variety of special needs, and many of C's Christmas presents are coming from there. The biggie was the sand and water table I ordered on Nov. 28 that arrived at my door just FOUR DAYS later, on Dec. 2. I'm not going to set it up in her room until after we get home from Texas, but she is going to LOVE that. The water table is her favorite station at school, so I know it's the perfect Christmas gift for her. I'm going to have to get creative about covering the carpet in her room, though, or I'll never be able to get the sand out of it! ;)
I had Starbucks four or five times this week, including this morning. I stuck to my diet 3 days, cheated on dinner the 4th day, and cheated outright yesterday, although it IS a flex plan with two days off per week, so it just means I have to get back on the diet tomorrow instead of waiting until Monday.
I spent three days on the phone with our pediatrician's office trying to get follow-up X-rays on the coin(?) in C's throat that showed up in her X-rays on the 22nd, which the doctor felt needed foll-up X-rays to see if it was still lodged in her throat and/or needed surgical removal. That battle to get someone on the phone and to get a phone call returned resolved in them calling me after closing on Friday to tell me I could pick up the X-ray order on Monday morning, so I guess I'll be going by there while C is at school and taking her for X-rays when she gets home. It makes me nervous knowing there was something in her throat and that it's taking this long to verify whether it's still there and whether it needs removing.
I also spoke several times with the company that will be making C's custom wheelchair, as ordered by the orthopedist at Shriner's. Things seem to be progressing well so far. They're going to talk to C's PT at the school on Monday and schedule a time to go down and evaluate C, measure her, etc to determine exactly what kind of chair and cushions she needs. That will be done before they can get authorization from our insurance company, but it seems our insurance company has a good track record of approving mobility assistive devices from that company when a doctor orders them (no small miracle there!). The insurance company typically covers $3,500 of the cost of the chair, which should be enough, unless it's determined that she needs custom molded cushions as opposed to just regular cushions that are cut to size and placed strategically for her needs, so there's a chance this new chair could cost us nothing, which would be an enormous miracle. Now I'm just crossing my fingers that there's any chance we could get the chair before we leave for the holidays on Dec. 20, because we use our current wheelchair heavily while traveling, and it would just be fantastic to have the new one ready in time for our trip!
I foolishly bought "one last" gift for my husband for Christmas, even though I couldn't afford it. It's something I know he wants, though, so it'll be worth it when he opens it and bursts with childlike excitement over the silly thing. I'm having all of his gifts shipped to my parents' house in Texas, which is where we'll be spending Christmas. His anniversary and birthday presents are going there, too, as we'll still be visiting there when those special days roll around.
For our anniversary, which happens to fall on New Year's Eve, we'll be staying at the same hotel we stayed on our wedding night, with the same view of the river and the fireworks that are set off over the river at midnight. My mom is babysitting C overnight, so we'll get to go out to dinner and/or drinks if we like, have a romantic night in a luxurious room, and try to remember what it's like to be a couple instead of just parents. Sometimes it's difficult to be both, and parenting always seems to come first, so it should be a really good night off for us. I can't wait! Plus, the next morning is his birthday, so he can open anniversary and birthday presents all in the hotel room, and I won't have my mom looking over shoulders grumbling about how I spent too much money on gifts. ;)
Ceili's school didn't send home any art projects this week, which was a bit of a disappointment. Some weeks, they send home a few things on Thursdays, and then other times, they wait a few weeks and send home a whole bag of stuff all at once. I guess they'll be sending a bag one of these weeks, so I can at least look forward to that, but I just burst with pride when those things come home from school, especially since she's doing more and more of the work by herself, and I can see her influence expressed in the art. Looking at her fingerpaintings, I can see her in my mind, hands covered in paint, smearing the page and squealing with utter delight. That's half the joy of getting her work.
I missed the post-Thanksgiving weekend 60% off custom framing at Michaels, so I'm going to have to wait for their next framing special to get a favorite fingerpainting and her first completely solo watercolor done with a paintbrush framed to hang in the hallway. I intend to turn the hall walls into a C museum with all of my favorite works. She's getting watercolors for Christmas this year, so she'll even have some homemade works to hang on the wall. (I need the hallway because, let's face it, a refrigerator door just isn't big enough to showcase all of the artistic masterpieces made by an only child with special needs!)
I've been plugging LakeshoreLearning.com on Twitter lately, and with good reason. They have an amazing array of toys and furniture that are perfect for parents or educators of children with a variety of special needs, and many of C's Christmas presents are coming from there. The biggie was the sand and water table I ordered on Nov. 28 that arrived at my door just FOUR DAYS later, on Dec. 2. I'm not going to set it up in her room until after we get home from Texas, but she is going to LOVE that. The water table is her favorite station at school, so I know it's the perfect Christmas gift for her. I'm going to have to get creative about covering the carpet in her room, though, or I'll never be able to get the sand out of it! ;)
Monday, November 28, 2011
Christmas Present Success!
I finally found a gift for C that's developmentally appropriate, that she will LOVE, and that I'm proud to give her! My mom, who knew about it because of my sis-in-law (who also has kiddos with sensory issues and disabilities), turned me onto LakeshoreLearning.com, which is chock-full of educational toys and goodies. When I found a Sand & Water Table, I couldn't resist. It's right up C's alley.
Sure, I'll have to reorganize her entire room to find a place for it, but I'm cool with that. That room needs an overhaul anyway, now that she gets out of bed and destroys things on her own, whether it's naptime, bedtime, or playtime. Her teacher is always telling me how much she enjoys the water table at school, so I know this is something that C will L-O-V-E, and it's not going to break or be forgotten in a month.
Sadly, it wasn't an inexpensive gift... But we're justifying it by calling it her Christmas and birthday (in January) gift combined. We couldn't have afforded it without the 30% CyberMonday special that Lakeshore is having, so I'm very grateful for that. At last, a gift that C can use, appreciate, that's BENEFICIAL to her, and that I can be happy giving her. This will be a Merry Christmas after all!
Sure, I'll have to reorganize her entire room to find a place for it, but I'm cool with that. That room needs an overhaul anyway, now that she gets out of bed and destroys things on her own, whether it's naptime, bedtime, or playtime. Her teacher is always telling me how much she enjoys the water table at school, so I know this is something that C will L-O-V-E, and it's not going to break or be forgotten in a month.
Sadly, it wasn't an inexpensive gift... But we're justifying it by calling it her Christmas and birthday (in January) gift combined. We couldn't have afforded it without the 30% CyberMonday special that Lakeshore is having, so I'm very grateful for that. At last, a gift that C can use, appreciate, that's BENEFICIAL to her, and that I can be happy giving her. This will be a Merry Christmas after all!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Christmas Gifts, Revisited
I wish I could read my daughter's mind. Then, perhaps, I'd know what kinds of toys and gifts to give her for Christmas. I might get an idea of what would interest her and what will be explored once and then forever forgotten.
This year, she is getting stacking cups, an inkless light marker set (so she can't destroy the carpets... although she's more likely to rip up the paper than actually color on it), and an Aquadoodle coloring mat. I figured I'd focus on fine motor skills and work on developing her ability to hold and manipulate markers, crayons, etc. She's also getting a wind-up toy duck, because she has an inexplicable love of ducks, and that was her first real word. Oh, and the pop-up princess's castle tent, which won't be anything more than a pink place to sit for her, as she has not developed the skills for pretend play and has no idea what a princess is.
It won't be a very glamorous Christmas for her, and I feel guilty about that. I mean, I come from a family where Christmas is a big deal and you spend more money than you have on ultra-special gifts for your family... But I just don't have a clue what she'd like, understand, or play with. I spent about 1/10 on her presents what I spent on my husband's gifts... And I feel a bit like I'm cheating her out of a special Christmas.
Then again, she doesn't know what Christmas is, doesn't understand or appreciate the concept or meaning of gifts, and it's all a crap shoot anyway, because I *can't* read her tiny little mind and get clued in.
I just hope that, when she's older, she'll be able to think of things she wants and express those desires. I hope she'll be able to understand Christmas and what presents are all about. I hope this magical, family-filled season won't be meaningless to her...
...But hope can be dangerous. Some days, it's better to just focus on what she CAN do, what she DOES understand, and just not worry about what may or may not come in the future. I think today may be one of those days...
This year, she is getting stacking cups, an inkless light marker set (so she can't destroy the carpets... although she's more likely to rip up the paper than actually color on it), and an Aquadoodle coloring mat. I figured I'd focus on fine motor skills and work on developing her ability to hold and manipulate markers, crayons, etc. She's also getting a wind-up toy duck, because she has an inexplicable love of ducks, and that was her first real word. Oh, and the pop-up princess's castle tent, which won't be anything more than a pink place to sit for her, as she has not developed the skills for pretend play and has no idea what a princess is.
It won't be a very glamorous Christmas for her, and I feel guilty about that. I mean, I come from a family where Christmas is a big deal and you spend more money than you have on ultra-special gifts for your family... But I just don't have a clue what she'd like, understand, or play with. I spent about 1/10 on her presents what I spent on my husband's gifts... And I feel a bit like I'm cheating her out of a special Christmas.
Then again, she doesn't know what Christmas is, doesn't understand or appreciate the concept or meaning of gifts, and it's all a crap shoot anyway, because I *can't* read her tiny little mind and get clued in.
I just hope that, when she's older, she'll be able to think of things she wants and express those desires. I hope she'll be able to understand Christmas and what presents are all about. I hope this magical, family-filled season won't be meaningless to her...
...But hope can be dangerous. Some days, it's better to just focus on what she CAN do, what she DOES understand, and just not worry about what may or may not come in the future. I think today may be one of those days...
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Speaking of Christmas Shopping...
It's Plug Time!
Two super crafty and multi-talented friends of mine have online shops full of beautiful handmade jewelry.
http://www.zibbet.com/Polkadotbandit for all your silver needs, and Maoiliosa for Japanese-inspired chiyogami jewelry and goods. Get your holiday shopping out of the way with handmade items from hard-working crafters and support small business!
Both of these girls are sweethearts, and I want things from both of their shops. Feel free to shop for me at either. I wear a size 6 ring, and I like necklaces a lot. ;)
Two super crafty and multi-talented friends of mine have online shops full of beautiful handmade jewelry.
http://www.zibbet.com/Polkadotbandit for all your silver needs, and Maoiliosa for Japanese-inspired chiyogami jewelry and goods. Get your holiday shopping out of the way with handmade items from hard-working crafters and support small business!
Both of these girls are sweethearts, and I want things from both of their shops. Feel free to shop for me at either. I wear a size 6 ring, and I like necklaces a lot. ;)
Christmas Shopping
Christmas shopping for a four-year-old should be easy. You pick up the latest Dora toy, or the latest Yo Gabba Gabba whatever, or a Leapster LeapPad and some games. Done. Game over.
Shopping for a four-year-old with the cognitive abilities of an 18-month-old is a little tougher. She doesn't watch Dora or Yo Gabba Gabba (I'm really not even sure what that is) or anything else for that matter. Whether it's because she's legally blind and gets limited satisfaction from visual cues on the television or because her attention span is too short for things she doesn't understand, I don't know or care. The fact is, she only recently discovered the tv, and all she wants to do is touch it and bang against it. She might watch for a minute or two if there's something colorful and pretty going on, but that's about it. So we can knock all the show-related toys off our Christmas list.
This year, I wanted to get her a LeapPad. She loves playing with my iPhone because of the touch screen, so why not give her something of her own with a touch screen and educational games? The problem, of course, is that she won't understand the games. It will be just like anything else where she touches it and something either happens or it doesn't, and she'll enjoy tapping her finger against it for as long as things happen or for five minutes, whichever comes first. So perhaps my best-yet idea isn't such a great one.
It's difficult to buy developmentally appropriate toys for a child with disabilities. You want to buy them toys that challenge them so they grow and develop, but the toys have to be within their cognitive grasp. You can't just sit them down with a computer and toddler computer games and expect them to learn how to spell when they still have very little receptive language and no spoken language. It's a real challenge... So I have no idea what Ceili is getting for Christmas this year. I've got a 3' tent shaped like a castle for her to play in (although the castle significance will be lost on her), some stacking cups because we're working on putting things in and stacking, and butterfly magnets because she likes to play with the magnets on the fridge. That's the best I've come up with so far. Maybe I'll go by the teachers' store in Reno tomorrow and see what sorts of educational/developmental toys they have there... Because when you have a child with delays, you don't buy toys that are just toys. Everything is a learning opportunity, and you don't waste time on things that won't help them grow.
I also need to find Ceili about 20 new board books, because she's tired of her current books and has started tearing them up. (This is why we buy board books and not paper books--tougher to tear.) Surely the teachers' supply store can help me out with that one, too...
Shopping for a four-year-old with the cognitive abilities of an 18-month-old is a little tougher. She doesn't watch Dora or Yo Gabba Gabba (I'm really not even sure what that is) or anything else for that matter. Whether it's because she's legally blind and gets limited satisfaction from visual cues on the television or because her attention span is too short for things she doesn't understand, I don't know or care. The fact is, she only recently discovered the tv, and all she wants to do is touch it and bang against it. She might watch for a minute or two if there's something colorful and pretty going on, but that's about it. So we can knock all the show-related toys off our Christmas list.
This year, I wanted to get her a LeapPad. She loves playing with my iPhone because of the touch screen, so why not give her something of her own with a touch screen and educational games? The problem, of course, is that she won't understand the games. It will be just like anything else where she touches it and something either happens or it doesn't, and she'll enjoy tapping her finger against it for as long as things happen or for five minutes, whichever comes first. So perhaps my best-yet idea isn't such a great one.
It's difficult to buy developmentally appropriate toys for a child with disabilities. You want to buy them toys that challenge them so they grow and develop, but the toys have to be within their cognitive grasp. You can't just sit them down with a computer and toddler computer games and expect them to learn how to spell when they still have very little receptive language and no spoken language. It's a real challenge... So I have no idea what Ceili is getting for Christmas this year. I've got a 3' tent shaped like a castle for her to play in (although the castle significance will be lost on her), some stacking cups because we're working on putting things in and stacking, and butterfly magnets because she likes to play with the magnets on the fridge. That's the best I've come up with so far. Maybe I'll go by the teachers' store in Reno tomorrow and see what sorts of educational/developmental toys they have there... Because when you have a child with delays, you don't buy toys that are just toys. Everything is a learning opportunity, and you don't waste time on things that won't help them grow.
I also need to find Ceili about 20 new board books, because she's tired of her current books and has started tearing them up. (This is why we buy board books and not paper books--tougher to tear.) Surely the teachers' supply store can help me out with that one, too...
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