Tangled Doll Hair

Lane brought her Rapunzel doll to me and told me that she couldn't "let down her golden hair" because it was tangled. (The pun isn't lost on me.) I wasn't entirely sure that doll hair could be fixed. Lane and I googled how to fix messy doll hair and we found many different ways to fix Rapunzel's hair. 

I giggled about how this wouldn't happen with the boys. It was definitely a "girl" adventure. The boys have had dolls but they didn't care if the hair was messy and I think their dolls all had no hair or very short hair, making messy hair impossible.
I found one easy way to fix the doll's hair. We started by getting the doll's hair wet. 

Then we put the doll on a towel and divided her hair into six equal parts. This doll has a LOT of thick, long hair. Then we added lots of conditioner to the hair and let her sit for half an hour.
We returned to the doll and brushed her hair. I honestly didn't know if it would work but it didn't take long and Rapunzel was able to let down her golden hair again. 

Lane was a happy four year old once again.

Peacock, flower, and indoor hopscotch

Lane's friend came over last minute for a play date today. There something really sweet about watching two four-year-old girls interact. They picked out dress up clothes including wings, asked me to have a tea party, and created a mini grocery store. Shortly after that, I had to rescue the two princesses and baby Rapunzel from an evil villain who invaded the kingdom.
Then the girls wanted to take chalk outside for hopscotch. I did not feel like going out in the heat though so I offered to make it inside with them. They both gave me a funny look when I grabbed the colored duct tape left over from the birthday parties and the markers. We quickly made hopscotch in the hallway on the tile and they were jumping away. They also practiced writing numbers inside the squares. Ah - learning and they didn't even notice!

We looked at my Pinterest board and picked out a couple crafts to make and then we invaded the art room for some creativity time. We made cute peacocks. It was easy. The girls painted coffee filters blue, green, and purple. Then we added bodies, wiggle eyes, beaks, and feet. 

Lane's friend added feathers too. Of course, I had to talk about the letter P and the sound as they painted.
Then we made a flower craft. I cut out a tulip and put it on contact paper. The girls added tissue paper squares and that was it. 

I look forward to our next play date!

U Scream, I Scream

One afternoon the kids were wild.  Absolutely wild.  They could not occupy themselves without yelling, bickering, or running around the house. It was 95 degrees with humidity that made it feel like pea soup so playing outside did not sound appealing to me.

I pulled out the little ice cream makers Alex received for his birthday. We found the recipe for vanilla ice cream and dumped the ingredients into the makers. The kids shook and shook the heck out of the things. I didn't think it would work but I was happy the kids were all occupied with shaking in the hopes of vanilla ice cream. 

Whipping cream, vanilla extract, ice cubes, and salt created a soft ice cream that made the kids happy and content. This activity actually saved our day and they were sweet children after they consume their ice cream. I was pleasantly surprised that the things worked! 

Magic Kingdom

We spent the afternoon at Magic Kingdom this past Saturday. It was a hot, hot day but we managed to have a good time. We are really lucky in that we can take our time when we go and go on the rides that interest us. We don't have to feel rushed or cheated when we go since we have seasonal passes for residents. 

Lane wore a full Snow White costume and as the day went on, her hair formed perfect ringlets from the humidity. We went to Gaston's Tavern mid-afternoon and got healthy snacks (for real!) and drinks. Lane, at the young age of four was able to score free chocolate milk and a souvenir Belle goblet. She really wanted that $9.99 cup and I really didn't want to pay $10 for a cup that looked like it would fall apart within a week. Since it was free, we were both thrilled. She loves her Belle goblet and says that it's her favorite cup ever.

After our snacks and drinks, Alex found a small door. He was positive that Gaston was hiding behind the door. He knocked hard but no one answered, much to his dismay. I don't think I ever noticed that little wooden door before, despite all the times we've been in that area of Fantasyland.

Lane insisted on riding the carousel. It's a nice carousel but we've never gone on it before. It seems kind of silly to get on a carousel at Disney when there are so many other incredible things to experience. The kids thought it was super cool though so what do I know after all??

We went on one of my favorite rides, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. Gabriel and I usually ride together and work to defeat Zurg. Usually I'm in charge of the spin feature in the middle but Gabriel took over and we spun. And spun. And spun. Oy. It might not be my favorite ride any more. The kids insists on a photo with Zurg at the end of the ride.

 
During our visit to Magic Kingdom, we found out that Gabriel is afraid of clowns now. This fear isn't a quiet type of fear, it's a full screaming, holy crap, clowns freak him out fear. We first found out when we saw a group of clowns while walking to the Ariel ride. Andrew had to walk an extra distance with Gabriel because Gabriel couldn't handle walking near the clowns and they blocked the entrance. I thought we were in the clear after that encounter of clowns because clowns aren't commonplace in Magic Kingdom.
Gabriel asked to go on It's a Small World to see the little people. We happily went through the Fast Pass lane with our red disability pass and laughed about how we get stuck on this ride EVERY time. As annoying as the song, It's a Small World gets when you're stuck on it, it's manageable because it's air conditioned and on a zillion degree day, that is a favorable location.
Did you know that there are CLOWNS on It's a Small World??!! I didn't. I learned something though. If your son with autism has a fear and you get stuck on a ride, the object of that fear is bound to be right where you get stuck. My G-d, that was torture. I know, what a ridiculous thing to complain about and I sound like a whining spoiled brat, complaining about a ride at Disney World, where people save up to travel for a vacation of a lifetime and we go on a whim on a weekend.
But my son became a terrified screaming little monster. I think he would have climbed down my throat had he been able to rip my mouth open far enough. He was trembling and his eyes were huge saucers. Guess what? There is NOwhere to go when your 8 year old is panicking on the boat in It's a Small World. Stupid clowns.
We were able to finish our afternoon at the block dance party where the kids danced with Chip and Dale, the chipmunks. Alex thought he could climb on the float to dance with Mickey Mouse too. I don't know where he got the idea that it was okay but it took a minor miracle to get that child to the sidewalk so the floats could continue and the poor, underpaid, sweaty dancers could find air conditioning. 

Six week preschool

I'm a member of a home school group in the central Florida area. It's free so it's not a huge membership commitment. I joined when the issues with the boys at the public school began at our last school. I keep the idea in my back pocket, just in case we hit walls and can't deal with the public school system any more.
It bothers me that I have to continue to think about home schooling. I think it's fine and some people are really great at home schooling. I don't think I'm one of those people. I am fine with the idea of school. Just as a whole the system in Florida is a broken mess. There are great people who have their heart in the right place but there are butting heads with a system that doesn't have enough money, time, or the correct laws in place to help the students. Many teachers are stuck in a box and don't think creatively to help their students be successful. I don't blame the teachers, most of them any way. They have a job to do that is measured by bench marks, scores, and passing grades. The power has been taken away from them.
Whew... in any case, I remain in the home school even after the boys are back in school full time because I am home schooling Lane and I want to stay up to date on things if the days comes when I am against a wall and need to keep the boys home.
The owner of the group rents an office building type space for classes for home schooling families. It's a neat idea. One teacher started a preschool class for 3-5 year old children. The fee was nominal. I want Lane to remain used to the idea of attending courses, even if it is with me so I signed her up for the six week course. I don't want Pre-K to come as a complete shock next year, though I'm unsure if anything ever prepares a child for attending school every day. 

She LOVED it. She learned about tractors during the hour session. She sang songs, counted, ate a mud snack, colored, and counted. Lane also painted brown mud with a green tractor. I really like these types of activities and used to do them with the boys often when they were this age. When it's just Lane and I, I don't feel like I get as creative though so I fully appreciate another adult pulling the activities together.
Even though Lane loved it, I was a little disappointed. Other mothers had to bring their infants to the class. I understand completely and without their preschooler attendance, we might not have a preschool class at all. The class consists of five students and we need all of the kids there. It was also an hour drive to get to the class. I was misinformed as to the location when I signed up and it was much farther than I thought. I will continue the class through the six weeks but I don't want to continue to drive an hour for an hour class. I don't even want to figure out how much I'm spending on gas for the drive. However, she loves it and it's paid for so we might as well continue to go.

Babies

Lane has become baby obsessed. She had a big interest two years ago but it seemed to wane. It's back again and she carries two or three dolls with her.  She seems hopeful that I will giving birth to twins as well because she tells many people that is in our future.  

She insists on keeping the double baby stroller in the car so she can take her babies to the school to get the boys.  Thankfully the stroller has been limited to the house and the school so far. 

On the day of Alex's IEP meeting, Lane had triplets in tow.  The third baby wasn't human looking but that didn't matter to her. 

The only time I get frustrated by the parade of babies with their bibs, bottles, pacifiers, diapers, etc is when Lane insists the babies are buckled in the car. She panics if I don't strap them in immediately. This usually happens when we have little time to get somewhere because she has had a meltdown about shoes or socked right before we get in the car.  If you look in our van, don't be surprised if you see babies strapped in all over the place. Don't let Lane fool you - she can't buckle them in, I did it 

A hug, Dd, Senses, and Texture

This past week Lane and I worked on the letter D. We made a dog puppet, a D duck complete with feathers, and practiced writing the letter D. Lane didn't write many letters until recently and her progress has been significant. I'm really proud of her.

We are also working on the Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Engelmann. I need to get into a better routine with her. She works well on that book because she learned the letter sounds in Montessori and understands putting the sounds together to make words but we need to work on it more. Practice, practice, practice....

I read the book, What Happens When You Use Your Senses? to Lane. She already knew a lot about the senses so it was an easy topic to cover. She fascinated by seeing eye dogs and asked a very important question - what would happen if the dog went blind too? We covered our eyes and our ears to see what it was like to not have hearing or vision. It was fascinating to her.
We created a "Lane has 5 senses" masterpiece. It includes her traced hands and a little paper face. I got the idea from this web site: http://www.littlegiraffes.com/fivesenses.html

I taught Lane about textures since we learned about senses. We traced her hand and added five textures, one on each finger. The textures were hard, soft, bumpy, rough, and smooth. I walked around the house with her and pointed out items that fit each of the textures and then we glued little things to the hand to represent each texture.
I got the idea from this web site:
http://bainbridgeclass.blogspot.com/2012/01/handy-way-to-learn-about-texture.html

Our last project was a hug from Lane for Grandparent's Day. It will arrive late but we sent it prior to Grandparent's Day and lately that is as good as it gets in this house. We put two painted hand prints on yarn and sent a hug to her grandparents. I hope they like because Lane giggled away when I painted her little hands.

On the way home from a store, Lane told me that she shouldn't go back to school   because she doesn't want me to be lonely.  I explained that I will be fine when she goes back to school but she was very worried that I wouldn't know what to do without her at home.  I couldn't ease her fears by explaining that I found things to do before I had kids and I am sure I can figure it out when they are in school.  

Meet the Teacher 2013

The boys are both in second grade this year.  Gabriel attended half days last year and it was our decision to have a "do over" year. Without a solid base, I think he will end up struggling again. 

Gabriel is with the teacher who is working with the IEP kids this year and Alex is in the advanced classroom. They have team teachers and I will admit that I had a lot of hesitation when I found out. The boys are very competitive and physical with each other at home.  I worry that thy will be in the same room and will forget about appropriate behavior at school.  Last year they saw each other on the playground and immediately wrapped their arms around the others neck and began wrestling. I envisioned two suspended little boys. 

I voiced my concerns in Alex's IEP meeting and hope the teachers don't let their guard down when the boys are together. 

Their teachers seem caring and wonderful after two weeks.  Alex's teacher has called us at home because he left the school upset. She didn't want him upset before his weekend started. She also takes her time with Alex and works well with him so far. 

We went to Meet the Teacher a little early in order to avoid the crowd and extra commotion. I wanted to start off on the right foot this year.  The boys were given lots of fun stuff from their teachers and I was impressed by their creativity ad thoughtfulness. 

I'm very hopeful for a successful second grade school year. 

Laney the girlie-girl

Lane's is normally very curly with almost perfect ringlets on some days. I love the way her blonde hair is light and bouncy. She, however, wants long, straight Rapunzel hair.  She asked me to straighten her hair for the first time today and I obliged. 

My little wiggle worm sat perfectly still while I ran the hot straightener over her hair   She loved it.  I think it makes her look older and that wasn't easy for me. I'm at ease with her being young and carefree for a long time. 

On occasion she also asks to have her nails painted. She had Princess nail polish that stays on for a matter of hours. I can't decide if that's a good thing or not. I don't want my four year old walking around with make up on but I also don't want to paint little nails often.  They are pretty cute little ties though.