Teeth

All Whitney wants for Christmas is her teeth to not hurt. She has molars coming in, front teeth coming out and coming in. No wonder she only wants liquids. I got some oatmeal in her this morning. It was not easy but it was better than the tears the cereal produced. Thank goodness for pediasure; she would probably starve without it.

We are in trouble

Tonight's conversation:

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Mom: Whitney, who is your best friend at school?

Whitney: MICHAEL

Mom: Michael? What about Julianna?

Whitney: Michael...He's CUTE.

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Oh Lord help us.

Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk

My goodness, what a leap this week in sentences! I picked up whitney from school and she said "Had a great day today, Mommy!" She followed up with "Sang caroles and movie!" That is the most information she has ever imparted to me in one conversation. I think it was being around her cousins non-stop this weekend.

Thanksgiving Celebration

Bike

Whitney got her first bike last night. She has been completely uninterested until recently, but she has let us put her on bikes and push her around stores recently, so we thought it was time. We were a little nervous because when we asked her if she wanted a bike, she kept saying "NO!" We know she has been sitting on a bike over at her sitter's house.

Mom was not home for the new bike event, but Jeff sent a very bad photo of her on the bike in the driveway. Whitney let him push her around the drive for at least 5 minutes. They took the bike inside and she pet it and pushed it around in her room the rest of the night.

Now if we can just teach her about pedals and helmets. Now HELMETS will be a struggle that may keep her off the bike forever. Thank goodness we have a LONG driveway to practice in.

School irritation

I'm so irritated with Whitney's teacher right now. They are going on a fun field trip next week to a pumpkin patch. Parents are required to attend with their children - the trip is from 9-1. When did they tell us this? Thursday, one week before the trip.

Don't other parents work? How can people handle late notice like this? It's like last year when we got notices like "tomorrow is PJ day" at the last minute. How am I to respond that quickly?

Let's get real, school, and provide parents some advanced notification. Now Whitney will have to miss the trip because it is too late for her parents to make arrangements at work.

I'm so irritated.

Growing

It was one of those mornings where whit's growth spurt became so apparent.
This shirt came mid thigh last month, and last week, those pants drug on
the floor. It's amazing.

Science

I think Whitney has a love of science. No surprise there.

Last night, we went through her work from school and there was a ton of science assignments in there. She "read" back through them for hours, talking about butterflies and trees. Now, you have to understand that last year, Whitney SLEPT through science every day. I'm not so sure she's not this year too. She will only sleep 8 hours at night - no more, so she still takes a nap at school.

So, I asked her about the butterfly life cycle, and while pointing to pictures, she told me what each was: "pupae (egg really - she got a little confused), caterpillar, cocoon, butterfly" Pretty darn good vocab for Whitney.

Ballet

Whitney apparently likes to see herself in her ballet clothing. Once we get
to ballet, she stares at herself in the big mirrors so much that she tends
to forget what she is supposed to do. It's very cute.

Progress Report

Oh yipee! A GREAT progress report.Satisfactory progress across the board. Of course that means she is getting to pre-school work.

She is holding writing tools more correctly, and is making good pre-reading progress. Whit is even using adaptive scissors by herself.Yesterday, she drew a "purple circus." It definately had circus-like elements.

Progress felt good after the struggles this week.

Turmoil

Rough night tonight.

Some nights, Whitney just loses her mine over the smallest thing. I sat her at the outside table for dinner, and the chair was a little too low....it was downhill after that. Food flying, screaming...This is becoming more normal than I would like. It transferred over to homework, where she threw her crayons and ripped up her paper. She has the words now to tell us what is wrong, but she reverts to this awful behavior so quickly, I don't know how to stop it. We have tried time out, but she doesn't quite get it.

Jeff is so good and patient. I just have to let him take over and handle these times. I'm just a mess and not doing anyone any good.

Interesting comment

Whitney had such an interesting conversation with a friend of mine today,
albeit short.

My friend, Cheryl, was sitting in a chair and Whitney came up to hug her.
Cheryl had one hand full, and Whitney grabbed it and wrapped it around her
to get a REAL hug. Cheryl said "oh, I'm sorry!" meaning she was sorry she
wasn't hugging hard enough. Whitney stepped back and said, "Sorry? Why?" I
was just floored. It was such an analytical question - one like we never
hear from Whitney. Those big events are coming so much more often now. I'm
convinced she has started to read - she often sees words and blurts them
out. "Pizza," "electricity". Does she pick the easy words like "no"....of
course not. That would be too easy.

Whitney had her third dance lesson Saturday. She really loves it. I'm
standing there going "it's just like therapy!" But put in 10 little girls
in pink, and suddenly, all those moves are FUN! She has even started to try
to stand on one leg at home to do her "passe'" moves and "pique'." Yep,
she knows the words too. She does her "plie's" too. She had a GREAT helper
today. Teenage girl. She will be there every week. She really helped
whitney by moving her limbs, then letting her take over. It worked really
well.

I think tap is a little easier for her. The ballet part of the class is all
over the place - and only some of it is repeated week to week. It's hard
for her to keep up. Tap, though, repeats the same song every week, and
Whitney comes home and does the steps, so that is sinking in. The hardest
part is the warmup exercies - stand up, sit down, get on your back, on your
belly, sit up , stand up....its really hard for her. By the time she stands
up (with her helper, mind you) they are on to the next thing. She will get
it if they repeat a few times, but it's going to take a while.

Sick Day

School called today - Whitney was sick. I went to pick her up and she was
in the dark Nurses's office resting. I picked her up to leave, and she
threw up ALL OVER me. Oh god. I was so calm - the model mommy. So we get
cleaned up - sort of - and we get to the car. What does Whitney say?
"Doctor, please." Now if you know us, she didn't get that from Mommy and
Daddy. How odd of her to say that.

Of course, she is just fine now, watching Barney. She doesn't want to eat,
and I'm not pushing THAT one.

Chores

Whitney has her first chore. She is very good at helping with the dishes.
It also gives her a chance to practice sorting.

She seems to like it...at least way more than me.

Tooth update

So the loose tooth from the bathtub fall finally fell out. Whit is a much
happier little girl this week. It must have been really bothering her.

We start ballet this Saturday. I am really hoping she loves it. They will
have an assistant to help her. Now to get the piano fixed.....she is
showing some signs of coherent playing.

Fay come to tea

TERRIBLE picture..sorry. It was pouring in my face and camera, which I had tried to waterproof. Whitney is in the canoe going down the driveway.

Fay hits home

Tropical Storm Fay visits our house. This has been the most water we have EVER seen on our property.


1 PM



This is Harlock Road, Melbourne. It's not visible now.















Harlock Road, looking north.

This is our driveway, north Harlock Road.

Chairs in our yard. Compare with the 7:30 AM picture of these same chairs below.

____________________________________________________________

7:30 AM





This is our driveway. Water is 4-12 inches deep along the length.
















That tiny strip of green is the grass next to the front road...the water is the drainage ditch. The tiny dark strip to the right of the grass is what is left showing of Harlock Road.











Loki is very confused. He is in the front field here.















Loki explores the chairs in the field.











This is the bench by our pond by the little dock. The bench top is normally about 3 feet above the water.

IMG00064.jpg

Fay comes to melbourne. This canal is up several feet.

Birthday party

Well, I'm recovered from the birthday party Sunday. We ended up missing 1/2
the kids. Some forgot, some got busy. I was actually a little thankful - it
was a lot to manage even with the smaller attendance.

I sure do need little girl friends for Whitney. Almost all her friends are
boys, and she is SO into girl stuff now. Of course she still likes trains
and fish.

Summer Camp

Despite the worries of yesterday, Whitney was happy to get to summer camp
today. Jeff said she was all smiles. This is the first day they are going
somewhere with the group; they are going to do ceramics. Despite being the
youngest one and the smallest one, she seems to get along well. Of course,
she is always the smallest and youngest. Good thing she can wrap older kids
and adults around her little finger!

Powder Puff Girl

Whitney had some fun with mommy's bottle of powder tonight. This is her
Martha Washington impression.

sadness

This deep blackness spreads over me sometimes when I think about Whitney's future. I tell myself I should not worry, that she is so loving she will have everything and everyone she needs. How do parents cope with this? It's such a deep sadness that I almost can't stand it. I heard a parent say once that finding out their child was autistic was like dealing with the death of a child - the death of the future you pictured. Every day you have to deal with that. It's so selfish of me - it's my vision that disappoints me, not hers. I couldn't ask for a kinder more beautiful child, yet here I sit crazy with worry about what is to come for her.We have come so far though. She is communicating very well, and many of the physical challenges have been overcome. There is a lot of hope. It's good sometimes to not have a diagnosis.

It's just really starting to be noticable to people that she is different, and people are mean. It amazes me what people, adults even, will say in the presence of my child. A woman stared me down tonight for helping Whitney with a bowl of ice cream. My goodness -she was eating it almost completely on her own. I had to help break it up a little, and hold the dish which was very light. Those disapproving eyes just bore into me, and the head shaking..... Add that to the experience in the restaurant in PA where the woman said Whitney was so thin it was disgusting, and adults and kids commenting on her still needing pullups - I'm just about at my wit's end.

Dentist

Whitney had her first dental appointment today. About 2 years ago, my
dentist advised me to wait until she was about 6 to allow for a little
maturity unless there was a problem. With her fall in the bath tub 2 weeks
ago, I was still a little nervous, so Jeff took her in. The top teeth are
wiggly, and her gum looked funny still.

Well, she did great. It was a quick in and out. She didn't WANT to be
there, but she didn't scream. She did say, "done, done, done" often.

No cavities. I guess my obsession with brushing her teeth paid off.
Not to worry about the crooked bottom teeth - they should straighten.
Not to worry about the wiggly upper teeth. A year ago, we would have
worried, but they are ready to come out anyway.

So, that's over for another 6 months! Thank God for Jeff taking her though.
I would have been a mess. I can barely handle myself at the dentist.

First Haircut

Whitney had her first haircut today. Our friends Tony and Cheryl had the honors. Cheryl chopped the bottom 5 inches off, then Tony neatened it up. Boy did it make her look more grown up. It wasn't so radical for mom though.

Gulf Wars

Whitney went with us to Gulf Wars this year. She had a really good time. We walked a lot, but she also made us put her in the wagon. Her little legs gave out after a good long walk over the uneven ground.

She certainly was the star of the show. People were coming out of their merchant booths to give her gifts.

Whitney Jabber

Here is a link to an mp3 of some Whitney jabber and songs: Whitney Jabber