I started a blog a while back titled "schools out for the summer", but had a writers block and never completed it - I was going to continue on that blog entry, but school WAS out for the summer and is commencing again in just a few weeks! Where has the time gone?!?!? We've had a pretty busy summer thus far - from 2 camping trips, a few agricultural fairs, We've been to the Peterborough zoo 3 times, out visiting our favourite people (the Hoogstra's), and to the beach almost every weekend! And things are progressing :) Parker is walking! Lincoln is loving his days at home with his new play set and newly renovated back yard (to accommodate the playset)! It took a whole day with 5 people to set up this play set, and it only took about a month for Lincoln to brave the slide ALONE!! It kind of looks like a death trap really, u cant see the bottom, and its SUPER fast!! Our speech block just finished today, (which was once a week for 6 weeks) and were they ever impressed with how well Lincoln is doing! He loves imitating and will copy every word (or try to copy - he is trying SO hard to talk!), and has just started combining 2 words together - which is huge!! His first two word combinations were - "Parker, NO... and Parker, bath" (as we were waiting for him to join us for a bath!) So, hes a bit bossy, but we can only continue to encourage combination words - even if they dont sound the best. Our speech path said she is so impressed with how well Lincoln is doing since his last "re-assessment" in May, that if he continues to progress this quickly outside of the block, he will be in for another block sooner than the usual 6 month block break up!! We are currently also working on "P, B, and M starts and finishes eg. top up pup mom more move baby cup etc. Now, a speech block is really just a play session with ideas on how to encourage more sounds to come out, so if the PBM starts and finishes keep coming as smoothly as they are now, we will get in quicker to have another block to start something else!! Not only is Lincolns speech progressing, but so is potty training! Children with down syndrome tend to have a delay in potty training due to their ability to contract those "certain" muscles that help them start and stop. We started around the beginning of July, and are doing pretty good!! He still doesnt tell me when he has to go, but as long as i'm on top of it - we usually make it to the potty every time, and go thru one pull up a day!! He does respond to me asking him if he has to go which is a good help too! We let him flush the toilet (yup, he thinks it soo much fun, he takes it as a reward lol) and give a sticker for every successful potty break on a piece of paper that is hanging in the bathroom - that has his favourite cartoon character traced on it - we've gone thru a buzz lightyear, mator the tow truck, a minion and are currently on a lorax poster - so to keep up the excitement, we're always in the hunt for a new movie to watch! Lincolns eating is still going great! we just tell him (or sometimes he tells us) when its time to eat, he sits in his chair and is content with his fork and bowl sitting beside dad until he says "all done"! He occasionally likes to pretend Nama and Papa are over, and points to the empty chairs saying papa - its cute. He is still pretty picky on what he eats tho, as far as "different things." He loves every dinner, loves every lunch, but is still un sure about raw fruit. Parker will walk around with a banana and eat it whole, but Lincoln still needs his mashed - strange. We had their cousins over for a visit on a hot day, and everyone got a popsicle and Lincoln actually ate a whole one!! but none since - now usually i give freezies, and Lincoln wants one every time Parker gets one, but he prefers i dont cut his open - silly boy, theres no flavour in that!! AND - ONCE, parker was eating raspberries, and Lincoln did put 2 in his mouth and ate them, but had the strangest face afterwards. He loves apple sauce, but hates apples ... so, we are still working on that. Other than that - not too much is new! We are excited for school to start again to see how things can continue to progress now that new sounds are starting and the thought of picking up a "different looking" piece of food is starting to set in as well! Until next time - thanks for reading :)
