21 December 2009

Report on Monday

So maybe we all have bad days once on awhile just so we can remember how many good ones are in between those ucky days. Julia, who has a very pleasant and cooperative morning, was a demon on wheels at speech therapy. Julia refused to do anything that Kara wanted her to do. She didn't want to read, didn't want to be read to, didn't want to draw pictures about a story. Julia spent most of her time tantrumming, although she was not out of control for any of the time. When we could not calm her or get her to work, I took her in my arms and held her, hoping to disapate her anger. I held her for a long time and that did not work. Then I had her sit on the floor. She screamed a few times and kicked the door. She also punched the door once and recoiled with the pain of it.

In the car on the way home, Julia apologized many times. I was not angry -- tired and somewhat frustrated with the waste of time -- but Julia felt the need to tell me over and over that she would behave better. She was incredibly solicitous, making sure that I felt good. We went to the post office, and she waited patiently with me in a long line and was polite to the clerk.

When her at home therapist came over, she transformed once again. After playing with a little pile of pine needles that she had saved from what had fallen off the tree, Julia would not do anything that Morgan wanted her to do. We finally decided to make paper chains for the tree. Morgan and I started cutting paper strips and glueing rings of paper together. Julia came around and she and I worked together on one end of the chain and Morgan did the other. Most of the time, when therapists are at our house, Julia much rather talk and interact with the therapists. She has asked me to leave at times. Today, I was the only person Julia wanted to talk to for a long time. And there was much too much of, "Mama" "Mama" "Mama."

After Morgan left, Amy came. Julia started out playing with Amy and the doll house. They played a short game and Julia managed to get a sticker for that. Then there was nothing else that Julia wanted to do but decorate the tree, and so, Julia and Amy put the single decorations on the tree. I will do a little adjustment here and there, but they did a great job.

When they were finished and Amy was about to leave, Julia wanted us to hold hands and sing Christmas songs. She is so excited.

Oh, gosh, what a strange day. At the end of the day, we are watching tv for a few minutes before Julia goes to bed. She is talking like a machine gun at her Daddy.

What will tomorrow bring?

No comments: