Zip Lock Bags of Toys=FUN!

Last night, I did something different with the toy area in our living room.  I got a bunch of gallon size zip lock bags and put all of the small stuff in the bags.  In one bag, I put all of the small animals, both stuffed and plastic, a couple of rattles, and bells.  In another bag, I put all of the wooden puzzles pieces that always get misplaced.  The next, I put all of our wooden blocks, along with the little cart that they go in.  In another, I put the stacking rings and stand... so on.  After breakfast, the Twinkies were both very interested in the way I sorted everything.  They couldn't wait to get into the bags!  Griffin was just kind of taking it all in but Little G was all about digging in.  I paced her and made her play with one bag at a time and made her clean up each bag before she moved to the next.  We had quality play time!  It was fabulous!  Griffin has played more than he has ever played.  I bought Griffin 2 plastic dinosaurs before we even met him, took them to the orphanage, and he wouldn't so much as even touch one.  Today, when Little G took them out of the bag, he picked one up and walked it on the floor!  Then I took the other one and mimicked what he was doing.  Next, he took interest in the wooden puzzles that Little G brought out.  He was able to put together a 3 piece wooden puzzle with a little bit of assistance!   So proud of him.  Little G was able to stand all of the animals up on their feet.  However, when one would fall, she would instantly bite her hand, or buckle backward and hit her head.  <sigh>  I would say "HELP!" and she would say, "hep", but she wasn't making the connection that I will definitely help her if she would just say that word!  It's so hard to read her and I have zero time to try to prevent it because it happens in an instant.

I wasn't able to be here for speech therapy for Little G today because I had planned on taking Big G on a mommy/daughter date.  We went to the library, to the sporting goods store to buy new ballet slippers, and then to Macaroni Grill with friends.  We had a great time!  Papa held down the fort back home and had a nice conversation with the speech therapist.  She was very interested in hearing about Little G's behavior after both trips to the ER within about 2 weeks of each other (the first trip for a cut, the second one for her arm).  Both times that she went to the ER, she was extremely well behaved.  When she got home, she was tremendously happy, calm, snugly, just a totally different little girl.    The speech therapist is going to talk to their occupational therapist to discuss these scenarios.   She believes that Little G could be extremely routine oriented.  Around July, she was in the ER for an extremely bad, out of the blue, ingrown toenail.  So it was at that trip that she really learned what happens at the ER.  That trip was difficult for her, but the next 2 trips weren't.  So the ST thinks that she may find peace in those routines, even though the ER isn't a pleasant place to be, it meets some kind of sensory need.  With all of this being said, I have a pretty good routine going on every day, so that can't be all of it.  Wake up, bus stop, breakfast, dress, Sesame street or Signing Times, snack, play, lunch, nap, bus stop, snack, play/read/or outside, dinner, family time, bath time, bedtime.  Some days we have appts so that may throw her off a bit.

Griffin just goes with the flow.  He never wants for anything, except when Little G takes a toy away that he's playing with.  He never asks for food.  I wonder when he will start doing this?  As you can see from our routine, I make sure he has plenty of food since he has the food frustrations, but eventually, I would like to see how he lets me know that he's hungry.

I have noticed that Griffin is singing "la la la" to his orphanage song that he loves.  It is actually pretty much on tune and I can definitely recognize the melody!

Anyway, that's about all that's gone on here today.   I just want to thank all of you for your prayers and encouragement for our future.  We appreciate all of you so much!  God bless y'all!

Love and Hugs!

PS.  Griffin LOVES spinach!