17 February 2008

Party, computers, and snow

Interesting weekend we are having. Right now, it is snowing after a rain all morning that made ice covered walkways and roads. Latkah hated it on her walk this morning. She has been great about the snow and ice, but she can't take the very cold water she had to walk through today. It looks like the water penitrates her fur in a way that the more solid ice and snow doesn't.

And now the snow has begun. We are predicted to get 7-10 inches. And we are inside for the day.
We were expecting a play date today with two families I met through an autism support group. Julia was looking forward to playing with the boys, but no one is goin' no where today.

David is doing lots of household tasks that he has wanted to do for awhile. I don't want to do anything because . . . . well, all I do is household tasks. I can't even think of that last part with a whine or complaint, and not really either. Really.

Yesterday, we went to a Chinese New Year party hosted by our local FCC (Families with Chinese Children) group. Lots of kids, mostly Chinese girls, running around a community center with parents watching or running after them. I was in the later category.

Julia agreed to wear the last of the Chinese chothes that we brought home with us from China (She has not worn any other other outfits that we brought home either because she just didn't like them or they had pant). It was the dress with pants she tried on two weeks ago. I didn't expect her to wear it but was so happy that she did. She looked so lovely! I did her hair in real “Chinese circles” as she calls them with two decorations in each bun. I'll post pictures.

Julia had a wonderful time at the party. My internet friend, Cathy, was there with her 4 daughters. Julia had met three of them before and hung on 2 of them for most of the party. She just loves to be with kids. These girls are so very nice to Julia, and Julia appreciates it so. When we were leaving she hugged each of them and told them that she loved them. Couldn't have been sweeter.

I also met a woman with a daughter from China who is on the spectrum. Cathy introduced us. She has been at it longer than I have, and I may have found someone to compare notes with. Comparing notes, that's what I need right now. As I read and research, I still have so many questions, espeically about results and of course, prognoses. The short answers seem to be that no one has been doing the interventions that they are doing now for a very long time, and also every autistic child is different. But it will be good to talk to someone who has been told some of the same things we have been told and to compare notes. Although her daughter came home younger than Julia did, her parents have many of the same unknowns.

Her daughter and Julia say close to eachother during the performance and speeches. No doubt that both girls have related challenges. You know, there is still a part of me that wants someone to find they madea mistake, that Julia is just slowly adapting and one day she will wake up and be normal. How long does a mother hold on to that wish, how long to keep wishes on stars?
At the party, there was two dance performances – one a Manderin nursery school and the other a kid dance and drum group. Julia liked the dancing but she was waiting for the Chinese lion dancers – a New Year's tradition. She first covered her ears when the cymbals and drums began but she eventually uncovered her ears and took everything – the sounds, the music, the dancing lions in. She did stay on my lap but was so excited to see them. We “fed” the lion, another tradition with is supposed to bring good luck for the new year, with dollar bills in red envelops. After the dragon dance, we all sat down to dinner. Julia spent a lot of time examining the lion heads and she was even allowed to try one on.

Dinner was cater and Chinese (of course), and beside the noodes, rice, and sweet fried dough, Julia especially liked going through the line with Cathy's girls instead of with David and I.

This morning, Julia woke up in a wonderful mood. She usually wakes up in a fine mood but today she was esepcially happy. We worked on a computer game – a jump start numbers program. For the first time, Julia had the patience to sit with me and to listen to and be helped to follow directions. This is a GIANT step and I am so proud of her. It was a numbers game – matching the number of “astroids” with the number of other objects in a spaceship. She had to click on the correct number of astroids, put the astroids into the ship and then click on a lever. If the number was correct, the ship sailed away. She needed help with the number of astroid to put in the ship but she was happy to have the help time after time and to get the ship to sail away.

Much later, and it is still snowing. We are debating whether to go out and try to do something about it or to wait for it to end. Oh, I hate to go out, but maybe a little blowing of that mess will be of some good tomorrow.

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