Special Olympics

Alexis participated in the freestyle assisted with flotation and the backstroke assisted with flotation. She got third in both races. We are so proud of her. When it comes to swimming she doesn't go very fast because she doesn't want to get out of the pool.
Showering after the race. She hates showers. I made her smile for me.
After wards with part of her cheer team. Grandma Burton, Grandpa Burton, Daddy and Emily had left by the time we took our picture.
The proud winner. She always says, "I win! I win!" I love Special Olympics. I get emotional every time.

Glasses

We took Alexis to her annual eye exam. We have been seeing Dr. Archer for 10 years I think. For a few years we didn't see him. He performed her two eye surgeries and diagnosed her Brown Syndrome.

She did so well. When she was younger, I had to have her sit in my lap and she did not cooperate very well. So I was amazed at her behavior this time. I guess she is growing up.

Protecting her dilated pupils.
Ta Da! New glasses. She doesn't keep them on very well. We will have to get used to them.

Hygiene

I wish there was a way to help Alexis learn better hygiene. Every morning I get her up and right away she goes to the bathroom and gets into the tub. I wash her hair and then her body. I do this everyday that she is at home (she goes to her dad's every other weekend). Yet every day she hollers and cries about how it hurts when I wash her. She says "ow my boobies!" which is inappropriate. I ask her if I am touching that and she says "no". I then ask her what I am cleaning and then she says "ow my (whatever I am cleaning)!" It is so frustrating.

Then a few hours later she has body odor again. In the beginning it wasn't so bad and she has only been potty trained for two years, but she is getting older fast and other people are noticing. I have talked to a mother of an older girl who also has 1p36 and she told me that body odor will always be a problem. sigh

Speech Wednesday

I have been scouring the internet and stores clearance sections looking for Montessori projects for Alexis and her siblings. While I was out after Christmas, I found plastic colored jems. I thought they would be great for sorting. So this is how I set up the tray. I recycled yogurt cups for the dishes.


Alexis knew exactly what to do when I put the tray in front of her. Using the tongs is very challenging for her. Manipulating utinsels is hard but I make her do it anyway.


When I am not looking she stops using the tongs and just uses her hands. It gets the job done sooner. I stop her and make her start over trying to use the tongs.


After a few more attempts,I just let her use her hands. She will sort them for awhile and then she gets bored. I handed her the bag to put the gems away and she plays with the bag for awhile. Putting the gems in and then pouring them out. Whatever makes her happy and out of her sister's hair.


I made these writing pages for Alexis. I laminated the pages so that she can use them over and over again. They have snowflakes and snowman on them which are some of her favorite things.


I had Alexis work on her speech. These are pages from when we were going to Speech. Alexis has to do work to earn the balls for her favorite toy.


Then she gets to play with them twice and then we do more work to earn them again. This toy was a motivator while Alexis was attending Speech therapy. So when I saw it at Target I had to get it. It was on clearance which was better.


Lexi likes this time of day on Wednesday. I think it is because I am just focusing on her. It is hard to share mom when you've had her all to yourself for most of your life.

Disney World Dreams

On Monday we told Alexis that we are planning on going to Disney World. Wow was she excited! We are planning on going in December for her thirteenth birthday. I am excited to take her. Not only will we be at Cinderella's and Mickey's house but it will be Christmas. That is Lexi's favorite holiday. Didn't you know everyone puts the lights up for her? Anyways, we made a bank for Family Home Evening.
This is Alexis and her sister putting the money in the bank. This morning Alexis wanted to spend the money to go Disney. I told her we needed to save it for later. I have a feeling she will be talking about it all year. You know how it gets. They get stuck one thought and repeat it over and over and over.

Ouch!!!

Last Wednesday I went into Lexi's room to wake her up for school. When I was getting her baby sister out of her crib, Alexis said her head hurt. I turned around and saw Lexi rubbing her eye. When I got closer I saw that her eye was swollen shut and there was dried blood in her nose. I freaked out! I asked her what happened and she said that she fell out of bed. After I cleaned her up, I saw that she had a black but it wasn't as bad as I had initially thought. Although it was still pretty bad. Lexi is a violent sleeper sometimes and she has fallen out of bed before but was never hurt. Poor Alexis.

Misleading

Lexi's ailments can be misleading. She does not let us know when she does not feel right. She came home from school yesterday and she had really bad body odor. Her teacher sent a note home saying that Alexis had gone to the bathroom a lot. Not knowing if there was something wrong, I made an appointment at the doctor's. She did not have an infection. I think she is using the bathroom to get out of doing what she is supposed to be doing in the classroom. I know she tries to use that at home.