Trying something new...

It's time a change of blog.  Tripod has some annoying glitches, so I'm going to switch over to WordPress and see how I like that.  This change is a little hard because I am emotionally attached to the look of this particular blog.  I created it for family and friends to follow our jouney to China.  It has been symbolic to me of my greatest joy in life, Linlee.  But the new Young Adventures will still be my same thoughts and stories, just in a different format.  So come on over and please say "hi!"  Be sure to bookmark or save the new link!

Click here to continue with: Young Adventures 

Jumping on the Couch

Feeding a toddler, an oxymoron.
When we brought Linlee home from China, she would happily eat anything.  She particularly seemed to love Italian food.  She remained a pretty good eater all the way until the last few months.  Suddenly the list of "Linlee approved foods" is becoming very small.  And I'm not happy about that.  We all have preferences, but her new unwillingness to try something that I know she would like is frustrating.  Tonight, for instance, I made spaghetti.  Come on, good, old fashioned spaghetti with meat sauce; a kid's dream.  Linlee pushed her little bowl away with such disdain that I actually felt offended.  In the past, I've popped rejected food (based on appearance only) into Linlee's mouth when she wasn't quite expecting it and it has worked well.  Linlee can actually be very reasonable upon finding something tasty in her mouth and she will continue to eat the rest of it from her plate.  Tonight as I tried the same tactic, I was met with lips tightly sealed shut.  And there I was getting meat sauce all over her face as I was trying to wedge some of it into her mouth (which was not going to open even if it would save her life) and I wondered if perhaps I was crossing a line...  So I gave up the battle and sat down to eat my meal.  It was her choice to eat or not, but I certainly wasn't going to prepare a second meal for Linlee.  She chose not.  Two seconds after letting her get down from the table, she brought a book over to me and tried to climb in my lap while I was still trying to finish my meal.  Not only was she not going to eat, but she wasn't going to let me eat either.  UGH.  I gently told her that I was not going to read to her right then because I was finishing my dinner.  She sat down on the floor and began to cry.  Great.  Now I felt guilty for wanting to eat my own dinner!  I don't even know how people with more than one kid manage.  I really don't.  I think they all must be very skinny.

Driving the Shopping Cart

I had the happiest little shopper with me at the grocery store today.  This morning Linlee discovered the shopping carts that have the pretend car in the front of them.  (Kids can actually sit in the car part and pretend to drive the steering wheel.)  I guess she had never noticed those particular carts before, but today she spotted one and hopped in ready to drive before I could even catch up with her!  Linlee was grinning from ear to ear as I pushed the cart (and she drove) up and down the isles.  I wish I had had my camera!  She even made a little fuss when it was time to get out of the cart and go home.  I guess I know what shopping carts we'll be using from now on!

It's a cold, rainy day here in the Pacific Northwest, so here are some inside piano pictures... 

And a little walk down memory lane (April '06 when we first got the piano)...

One year of early intervention...

Linlee had her one year reevaluation with the school district's Early Intervention program.  Naturally she still qualifies for weekly speech therapy.  She made a lot of progress this year, but not with speaking.  Basically we came up with new specific goals for Linlee to achieve.  Believing that she is hyperlexic, we have a better idea of how to approach her therapy now.  We also got a jump start on qualifying her for the school district's preschool when she turns three in January.  Chances are she will qualify, but we'll need to go through some more processes in December before we know for sure.  While I am all for sending Linlee to the preschool, I was sort of caught off guard when I found out that it was four days a week.  I had thought it would be two or three days a week.  Doesn't four days a week seem like a lot for such a little person?  When I add Little Gym on the fifth day, that doesn't give Linlee one "home day" at all (and she is a child who retreats into herself when she is over-stimulated).  Hmm.  And then I nearly fell off the couch when the coordinator told me that Linlee could ride the bus to preschool.  WHAT?  Put my toddler on a B-B-BUS?  Not in this lifetime.  (But that's not really an issue because I can easily drive her.)  After the group of three professionals left, I have to admit, I did have to dab some tears away.  Not because Linlee is so behind on her speech; I'm accustomed to that now.  It had more to do with the fact that I will have to "let go" at some point.  I know Linlee will need some time in preschool before she enters kindergarten.  Whether I agree the time is right this January or next January, it's in our future.  I realize I have some real issues with letting go of my daughter, even the tiniest bit, but I'll save those thoughts for another post.

Now some pictures of my happy girl (while the rain took a break)...

She's still cute even with strings of hair in her face...

Look at those sweet little lashes...

Family Dinner

My parents are back for one night on their way home to Spokane.  My brother came up and joined us for Sunday dinner.

Mémé and Linlee...

Must be a really funny nursery rhyme... 

My dad reading the newspaper with his eyes closed.  Hmm...

My brother, Michael, and my mom looking at digital pictures...

Linlee likes pumpkins!

I think one of Linlee's first memories is of going to the pumpkin patch last year.  Ever since then, her favorite Biscuit book (we have them all) has been Biscuit Visits the Pumpkin Patch.  In the grocery store the other day she saw a stack of mini pumpkins and pointed excitedly.  Of course we came home with one.  The next time she handed me her book, she hopped off the couch and came running back with her pumpkin, which she held happily throughout the entire story.  Isn't she just too sweet?  I think taking Linlee to the pumpkin patch next month is going to be really fun.

 

Video
Below the bookworm post is a video of Linlee sounding out some letters.  If you'd like to comment on either post, you'll have to do here.  For some reason when I add video, Tripod's comment section goes all wacky.

Bookworm

I never even saw how she got up there...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sounding out letters...
This isn't the best example of Linlee sounding out letters. I had the camera pointed at her, which she doesn't like. You can't really hear her when I ask her to say the sound for D. I'll have to try and catch her again later at a moment when she doesn't know she is being obsevered. However, you can hear her say the sounds for K, L, M, N and O at the beginning. Then later she points and says the sounds for R, S, T, U, V. Kind of hard to tell unless you've heard her do it before...