Good stuff

* IDS, our intensive autism therapy providers, will start Julia's therapy on July 1 so that we can fit in a trip to Jersey right after the close of school. They told me to call if I needed more time.

* We may be able to take a week's vacation from the therapy if we make it up during that calendar month.

*Julia wanted to walk to school today.

* Thursday is bathroom renovation day. It will be a busy week after that but then our bathroom will be soooo much nicer.

* Our last playgroup is this Wednesday. I am say/relieved to have it over for this semester. But as soon as it is through, I can start building a curiculum for Julia for this summer. I want to include all the things I want to do with her, including some field trips and of course, swimming. Considering that once we get back to Madison, we will be doing 4-5 hours a day of therapy, it will be a challenge fitting in learning. I am thinking that it means lots of hands on stuff with reading and writing on the side.

* The result of Julia's receptive language testing is 5 years and 4 months which is great considering that last year sometime she was testing at about 3 and a half.

* To a child how has been hungry and who has owned little in her life for a long time, the story of the three bears is strange for a fairy tale. No happy ending because the little bear's chair remains broken and his porridge eaten. Julia's verdict: Gooldy Locks has very bad behavior. Long time out!

* My singing hurts her ears.

* Julia went to OT and speech therapy at 11 and noon today. I picked her up from school and collected her lunch box. I offered it to her in the car but she had just had snack in class. Midway through speech therapy, Julia became really angry. She refused to follow direction and started calling names. I braced myself for a tantrum. Thinking about food, I asked her if she was hungry and she said she was. I brought in her lunch box, she ate her rice dish like a starving person and then was absolutely fine. So there is a trigger for you!

Wednesday

We had our ninth play group today and the kids did very well. Julia's partner did not particularly want to play with her but they did talk a bit during the make believe play. Both of them worked on their craft project -- toilet paper roll animals -- and I was particularly pleased to see Julia have no trouble at all focusing on this project.

Julia is moving forward with her reading. She has been repeating the -at and -an words in school. Last night, she ask if she could learn to read one of the book that I usually read to her. She followed along with me, reading out the sight words that she knew, and repeating the words that I gave her.

We enjoyed Marianne's visit this past weekend. She had worked with lots of kids and has experience with all sorts of challenges. She got on so well with Julia and fell very easily into teaching her. Julia had no trouble with that. Interesting how Julia takes to people. After Marianne left on Tuesday, Julia asked where Marianne was eating and sleeping. Good questions, both.

Marianne did a past life regression with me. I haven't done one in more than 20 years and then it was with groups both times that I participated. With Marianne, I was able to talk about what I saw and she able to take lots of notes. It was exciting and that person/part of me has been with me since.

Last night, walking the dog, I tripped and fell hard. I scraped one side of my face and chipped two of my teeth. I have been in pain all day today and finally called the dentist by the end of the day. Oy! Embarassment, yes. And feeling very foolish. I can't believe that I could trip and mess up two teeth!