CenTerpiece

Here's is my new table centerpiece...

Baby has learned how to climb onto the chair and then to the table. Funny, because I am so excited she has made it to a new milestone of climbing up on things but know it just adds a whole new element of "fun" at my house. (smirk)

This is how Baby woke up from her nap yesterday. It must have been a good sleep...

 She signed and said "go." And just this morning she signed and said "milk," more like "ick" but, I was so excited to hear her try to tell me what she wanted. I do a LOT of guessing and mind reading with her when it comes to fulfilling her needs. I am so thankful for even the little bit of speech that she has. Oh, and her newest talent is when I say, "one" she says, "two" and sometimes, "three (dee)" right after. My mom started her on this one but, I think she has now perfected it.

After getting tubes in her ears her sense of balance is a lot better. She walks better and can even handle swinging better. She has even started to try to jump. This jumper is a good starting place for her. So exciting to see her moving forward. I think the tubes have also contributed to her sudden burst in chatter. Sometimes it sounds like she is singing the ABC's.

 Baby is such a comedian. She loves to makes sounds and faces to make us laugh. And she laughs even harder when we laugh back.

I took the kids to a splash pad park. It was a bit windy so I didn't think they would actually play on the splash pad and maybe just the playground equipment but they had a blast getting sprinkled on too.

Later that night I was getting ready for Brother's big Scout campout with dad and thought I should make some granola bars. Sister asked me if she could "cook too" and then asked for her frog apron. I had to come up with something else to make and the oats were already out, so we made granola. She still wanted to cook so then we made oatmeal cookies! This was a first for her. I was excited beyond happiness when she wanted to cook with me. It shows so much interaction and a need for socialness on her part. It was so awesome. These pictures will forever be priceless to me:

You know, I am so thankful that I have taken all these pictures. I so often feel that I don't do enough for my kids. There is so much to be done. So much therapy that I need to do as a parent, so much educational play, techniques to help stop stimming, techniques to encourage speech, techniques to help develop physical milestones, techniques in helping communication and transitions, teaching appropriate behavior in light of anxiety and hyper-arousal. Man, I seriously feel each day that I don't do anywhere near enough for my kids. I wonder how much better off, or further ahead they would be if I had all the time, money, patience and creativity it would take to do all the things I should do just to help them keep up with their peers.

But, then I see pictures like these and I feel a sliver of hope.

These pictures remind me that my children are the centerpiece of my life.