The Weekly Review: Week 45

Ava this Week

Ava had a hidden talent that has recently become quite prominent. She is a born manipulator. She is impressively good. She has started having trouble falling asleep at night. She'll leave her room over and over and over. Sometimes this will go on for 90 minutes and the number of excursions will reach 8-10.

Now, I have a plan. The plan is to not interact with her at all. The plan is to simply pick her up, return her to her bed, tuck her in, and leave the room without even making eye contact.

Well, that sounds great in theory, but Ava knows how to derail that plan. For example, this is how the other night went...

Round 1: First she needed help going to the bathroom. And she actually produces when she's there. It doesn't seem right to just tell her to pee in her pullup.

Round 2: Then she wanted some treasured item she needs to sleep that has been forgotten somewhere in the house. She has about 8 things she cuddles in her bed so inevitably something has been forgotten. She knows how to play it too. Her eyes are wide, her voice trembles, she asks so nicely. I feel like such a grinch not responding to her when all it takes to be responsive it to walk three feet into the next room, pick up the requested item, and hand it to her.

Round 3: Then she'll hear a scary noise. And this time there are some tears and an actual quiver in the voice.

Round 4: Her tag reader pen (which she carries everywhere listening to stories) runs out of batteries.

Round 5 Her tummy hurts. She acts pitiful when delivering this line. Somehow, "I don't care, go to sleep sweetheart" doesn't seem like the appropriate parental response.

and so on...

I am so hoping that this is a brief stage in her development.

The Weekly Michael

The issues with Michael are already becoming more complex. How am I supposed to respond to the following:

"What does stupid mean mama?" (Where did he even hear that word? I certainly don't use it. Must be school.)

"Boys don't like pretty things mama." (I was speechless. I stammered something about Daddy and Grandpa certainly liking pretty things.)

I'm sure this is just a tip of the "big kid issues" iceberg and I don't much like it.

Weekly Home Therapy Focus

We are still working on /s/, /sh/, /f/, /l/, and /k/. /k/ continues to be remarkably stubborn. In fact, it has been worse this week than it was a few weeks ago. /sh/ and /s/ are moderate. /f/ and /l/ are coming along nicely. We're doing those sounds in sets of three (light, light, light) and in pairs where I put out two cards and the same time and she'll say each word with an and in between (light and lamb). We also are practicing those sounds in short 2-3 syllable phrases.

Weekly Song

Sung to the tune of Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone.

Oh where, oh where did the pm nap go?
Oh where, oh where could it be?
I took care of it and I loved it so,
How could it abandon me?

(It isn't completely gone, but it is going. I'm wondering if Ava's night-time sleep issues might actually be because she doesn't need her nap any more.)