Zach's new favorite song .

These are the lyric's from a song that is on the ending credits of the "new " Charlotte's web dvd .
Zach & Madilyn can sing the entire song ! Sadly when Zach sings it you can not understand what he is saying , but can identify the melody .

A place in the Sun
Originally performed by Stevie Wonder

Like a long lonely stream
I keep runnin' towards a dream
Like a branch on a tree
I keep reachin' to be free
movin' on , movin' on

'Cause there's a place in the sun
Where there's hope for everyone
Where my poor restless heart's gotta run
There's a place in the sun
And before my life is done
Got to find me a place in the sun

Like an old dusty road
I get weary from the load
movin' on , movin' on
Like this tired troubled earth
I've been rollin' since my birth
Movin' on , movin' on

'Cause there's a place in the sun
Where there's hope for everyone .
Where my poor restless heart's gotta run
And before my life is done
got to find me a place in the sun

When times are bad
and your feeling sad
Always remember that ,
There's a place in the sun
where there's hope for everyone.

Dry Sensory Play

Beans


Wheat

Today being Tuesday , is my "light " day as far as the schedule is concerned . I always try to get in a few sensory activities on tuesdays . We have wheat , beans, rolled oats , flax seeds , flour that we play with on a regular basis . Today is was wheat and beans . Zach really enjoys the beans and he will touch them and play with little hesitation . However, the wheat because it has a smaller hull , tends to more of a sensory challenge for him so you see alot of "tools" in the bin to hopefully encourage him to touch . The sensations proved to be too much for him today , he got OVER stimulated and became aggressive so that was the end of that .

Zach will be starting in a preschool class at USDB [ Utah school for the deaf and blind ] on Fridays . This will hopefully expand his functional vocabulary , whether through sign or speech . He will also be able to choose the communication method that is most comfortable for him to use . The class is for kids between 2 1/2 and 3 , with mild to profound hearing loss . We are very excited for him to have the chance to explore different peer groups .

Peyton is still is T ball and having fun building sand castles while she is supposed to be catching the balls . Lonnie and I have had a ball as the coaches , we have a great team .

Peyton and Madi's special day .....

On Friday Sept 26th Peyton was out of school ..... I don't know why and frankly after this day I am against the whole no school idea . So I tried to be the "fun Mom " [ I have made many attempts at this .... and all have back-fired ! This day was no exception .... ] , my plan was to have the kids play with the water tubs , play in the tunnels and tents , make pudding pies and then have a really long nap . Sounds like a good plan hah? They did enjoy the water tubs and shaving cream play , Peyton and Madi played in the tunnels .... with a bit of arguments and screaming and tattling, the occasional time out for hitting ... a normal day .... I should have stopped there . I made the pudding pies since they seemed to be having fun , they ate the pudding pies okay ... Peyton didn't really care for the pudding . Madi and Zach did take short naps ... [ so much for my long nap idea ... ] .

The rest of the day the girls spent either escaping the play room , ignoring any sound resembling my voice , or in time out . Madi even got a swat on the butt , after I had put her back in time out about a dozen times .... which she responded to by looking me in the eyes defiantly and swatting her own butt ! Obviously very effective form of discipline .

By the end of the day I was ready to take Zach and run away , Peyton and Madi wouldn't have noticed my absence since my voice was inaudible anyway ..... they would have gotten hungry eventually . I wonder if hunger could be considered a form of discipline ? .....

Baby food finger painting .

Today our sensory activity was baby food finger painting . I gave them each a tooth brush to paint with , in hopes that they would taste the foods . My plan was mildly successful .... the chocolate pudding was a big hit !

Zach has found himself !!!!

This morning Zach was playing peek-a-boo , and said "Where is Zachy ? " .... this is the first time he has said his own name . His therapist were all very excited about this new development ! His next step will be to identify himself in the mirror , since he still likes to show his brothers all of his toys . He used a few new signs today too , want , my turn , drink , stop and go !
Zach also was able to say "Good-Bye " spontaneously and appropriately to each person he saw today ! He even said "Good-Bye , tomorrow " [ Good-bye see you tomorrow ] to Heather , who is his favorite therapist . He did VERY well in class today , and if he does well on Wednesday he will graduate to the advance class !
For Peyton this is the 3rd week of 1st grade , and the first day of carpooling with her new best friend Breanna who lives 2 doors down from us . Peyton loves the fact that she now has a friend in the neighborhood .
Yesterday Peyton and Daddy made tie dye shirts with her kit that Grandpa Rock sent her from Oregon . I will post pictures of her creations when they are ready . She will also be starting T ball on the 16th of this month , which will be good for her to have an outlet .

Our GIANT Cucumber !

This is an Armenian Cucumber .... and boy is it huge ! We have estimated it weight at somewhere around 10 lbs [ scales were outlawed in our house ... lol ] . Peyton is loving 1st grade , and even has a friend in her class that lives just 2 doors down !

Sensory play ....

Peyton LOVED this !
Madilyn did NOT!

For Zach this was a HUGE deal , I would have been happy that he would just touch it one time .... But he just kept touching and touching !

As part of Zach's therapy we do alot of sensory activities . We have played with shaving cream [ which Madilyn thought was torture !] , and then the water play with bars of Ivory soap , and bath fizzy tabs that change the water color , and more shaving cream [ or islands as peyton calls them ] .