We practiced more...

Disregard my explanation of the grenade...she just looked terribly confused looking at it.  :)

Have a fantastic New Year as well!  Maybe between now and then I'll be able to video Angelus doing something or singing a "catchy tune".  I'm sure gonna try.  Faith can't be the only movie star in the family.

Hope Christmas found you well and with a peace that only Christ can give.

Christmas has now came and went.  It was a fantastic one.  Everyone was doing well, appeared to be healthy and we got to hang out with the family.  The night before Christmas Eve Faith, Angelus and I all embarked on the adventure of making fudge.  It smelled like fudge, looked like fudge, and in the end even tasted like fudge.  Yea!






Christmas eve we usually open gifts here with our little family.  It's a pretty nice tradition.  It started with Tommy's family and we just kept it.  He and I get almost as excited watching the kids open their gifts than what they get opening them.

Angelus got lots of things that were Star Wars, which is always a hit with him.  He got some movies and video games, puzzles, toys, a TMNT snuggie (that's huge).  He LOVED it all.  He thought Santa did good. :)  Faith got a lot of musical instruments.  She may be able to start her own one-man-band.  Tommy got a new (warm) coat, that he would probably talk about getting a new one but never really get around to getting one.  He also got a nice sweater, a couple of pocket knifes and an awesome alligator key chain.  Really.  It looks very cool.   Then Santa decided that Tommy and Angelus were really good and delivered a PS3 and some games.  It's *apparently* awesome...according to both of them.

I got a beautiful diamond and gold bracelet, Tetris worlds, a Nook and a $50.00 eGift card to go with it.  Very awesome!

Christmas Day was spent with my family.  We had a nice big dinner and got to visit with them for a while.  Jennie, Carl, Volare, and Carl's mom were there along with Buddy, Mom, Dad, Erin and Jennifer and my little family.  I always enjoy visiting with them.  The kids got more toys from the grandparents and I got a new shirt, jewelry, stuff to keep me warm and a new movie.

Of course we woke up to our heater not working Christmas morning, but after the dinner and the opening of gifts at my parents my Dad came over and got our heater to warmin' us all up again.  Thank goodness.  It's been a wonderful Christmas with my family the smaller and larger family

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few nights ago as I watch Faith sleep it took me back to when I took her in for her 2month old check up.  She was sleeping peacefully, but every now and then her hand would "twitch" uncontrollably.  It did this most of the night as I watch her sleep.  When she was two months old I took her in for her well child visit and asked the doctor about her "twitching" because at that time her legs and arms tended to do it a lot (I didn't remember that ever happening with Angelus).  The doctor stated that her "neurons are still connecting and not to worry about it, it's perfectly normal".  Now I wonder if they would have listened and taken that concern more seriously if there really was (is) something to it and what kind of progress may have been made at this point in life.  Nothing that can be done about it now, and we're finally getting things in place for her but still makes me wonder if I was actually seeing things that really were there (and not being "all crazy") before someone had enough sense to start really listening.

Hope everyone else had a wonderful Christmas Holiday as well!

The Holiday's are Coming!

We're gonna try again with this whole "Jingle Bell's" on Christmas day. We've been practicing...still only doin' the airy/whispery kinda thing she's doing there, but maybe Christmas Day she will be all for gettin' loud. :)

I could've, should've....and finally did (update, that is).

I should have updated, but I hadn't yet.  Last week we did a review on Faith's IEP for Speech.  She has made tremendous progress in the past couple of months.  The last review we did she hadn't even accomplished 50% of her goal(s).  This time she hit over 80% of two of her stated short-term goals.  Mimicking the therapist more often, showing some interest in some things and just kind of finding a "niche" to work with.  We have also started drawing up the letter we will need to send off with the O.T. for a swing for Faith.  It's about 10ft. long and 8ft. tall (so pretty good size)...Faith just always seems so much more contented after swinging on it for an hour or so.  It can be taken down and put up indoors or outdoors.  On the Communication Device front, we're still in the fairly beginning stages of working on getting it.  Her Primary Care doctor will have to sign off on it (and my primary care doctor has said that she would sign off on it for us, since Faith has been being seen by a clinic instead of an individual doctor most of her life).  The Speech therapist will also have to sign off on it.  We have also began talking to the principal about starting Faith in school next year.  She will only probably go a few hours a few days a week, we will just have to wait and see how it all unfolds and what she can and can't handle.

Angelus is also doing well.  Thursday night he did his school Christmas play where the kids sang a song, that was pretty cute and I understood most of what they were saying.  Tuesday he got to go with the Gifted & Talented program to Muskogee to sing at the VA Hospital and to see some pretty lights.  Apparently he thought the bus ride was the funnest part 'cause they sang songs and played "all kinds of games...any kind you can think of".  Faith "visited" Santa in that she didn't flip out or anything when she saw him and she wasn't about to take candy from him or sit on his lap, but she did just laugh at him hysterically every time she looked at him.  I thought that was pretty good for her.

Her new thing now is to jiggle a door knob then knock, repeat, repeat, repeat....we went to Stage and she was doing that, I found it really funny and fantastic that she totally understands the concept.  Although, I'm pretty sure others in the store were gettin' a little frustrated with her.  They had stuff that needed to be tried on. :)  That's okay, I just enjoyed the moment.  It's what you're supposed to do in life.  Enjoy moments.

One day I am looking forward to "getting on to" my daughter.  I know that sounds silly, but I see other Mom's and their frustration of their kids not doing what they ask or just being difficult in general to them.  I usually think (to myself, obviously)...how great would it be for me to tell Faith "go clean up your room" and she gets it, she understands what I'm saying.  Even if she stomps her little feet and says "but I don't wanna!".  Inside I know I'd be smiling, but I'd still hafta make her clean the thing up.  :)

One week away from Christmas.  May everyone be as lucky and blessed as we are in the Brownell household.

Red 'n Yellow, Black 'n White...they are precious in His sight

Speech therapy this week was hilarious (and somewhat unproductive).  Faith woke up Monday morning around 3-3:30 a.m. and was doing some weird growl-y vibrating noise.  She'd make the noise for a long period of time, then laugh hysterically.  She continued to do this up until the middle of Occupational Therapy which was around 11:00.  On our way to Tahlequah to Occupational Therapy she learned that she can get herself out of her seat belt and car seat.  She also found this hilarious.  I did not.

Now we're looking into getting a swing for the house for her.  It seems to help regulate her.  We also are going to work with her with music therapy.  I just need to send off the order form for it.  I have it, have it filled out and everything.  Just haven't sent it off.

Some randomness:  Faith likes to get her food all lined up FIRST, then she will eat them one at a time.  It has to be lined up just "so".  She also loves fries, but she wants them (no matter how big or small) broke into 3 pieces AND she wants you to help.  Then she will eat them..

Angelus is still hoping for a "real" light saber and is convinced Santa will deliver because "he's magic"...so he can make one.  I've been using this to convince Angelus he needs to go to school for Electrical Engineering for the blade part and Mechanical Engineering for the hilt part.  Dude is smart, he could totally do it.

**********************************************************************************

Someone at work mentioned going onto "motivematters" to find out what our color was, so some of us did that.  I figured out what it was going to give me before it sent me the results, but anyway... Possibly my worst personality trait or at least in the top 5. I never had a name for it and I like the way they worded it, silently stubborn.
Apparently I'm a White which means I'm motivated by peace.  I like that.  I'm also silently stubborn A LOT.

Whites (Motive: Peace)

Whites are motivated by Peace. They seek independence and require kindness. They resist confrontation at all costs. To them, feeling good is more important than being good. They are typically quiet by nature, process things very deeply and objectively with great clarity. Of all the colors, whites are the best listeners. They respect people who are direct but recoil from perceived hostility or verbal battle.

Whites need their "alone time" and refuse to be controlled by others. whites want to do things their own way and in their own time. They ask little of others and resent others demanding much of them. whites are much stronger than people think, but are not often seen for their strength because they don't easily reveal their feelings. whites are even-tempered, diplomatic, and the voice of reason; but can also be indecisive, unexpressive, and silently stubborn. When you deal with a WHITE, be kind, accept and support their individuality, and look for non-verbal clues to understand their feelings.

Point for the Mall....(and I don't like malls a whole lot).

Tommy told me about this being in the Tulsa world, so I looked it up.  I think it's fantastic! and if Faith seemed to care to see Santa even a tiny bit, we'd take her.  Then again, maybe she does and I just don't know it...yet.

 

 

Sensitive Santa event

Tulsa Promenade mall

12/05/2010 09:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.

Considering approximately three to six children out of every 1,000 have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it can be difficult for families of children with autism to enjoy some of the holiday celebrations and traditions most people take for granted, including simple things like sitting on Santa’s lap in a busy shopping mall. That is why families touched by ASD are invited to Tulsa Promenade Mall on December 5 from 9AM-11AM this season to celebrate “Sensitive Santa,” an event that caters to children with autism and allows them to enjoy one of the holiday’s joyous memories - sitting on Santa’s lap.
For the event, the Santa area will become “sensory friendly,” meaning the lights and music will be turned down, staff will be instructed to avoid loud, distracting movements, and the mall will be closed to shoppers. Tulsa Promenade mall in partnership with Worldwide Photography will also provide each family that attends with a free 4 x 6 photo keepsake to commemorate the holiday season.
“We wanted to create an event that celebrates the spirit of the holiday season and brings a small, but memorable part of the holiday season to families with autism,” said Susan Frederick, Marketing Director, Tulsa Promenade mall. “‘Sensitive Santa’ will allow these children to experience the same enjoyment with Santa, but in a much calmer, less intimidating environment.”