Spring is Here

Spring is here and slowly beneath the melting snow we can see the tulips coming up. We engaged in one of our favourite spring activities, a trip to the maple syrup bush. As usual Elizabeth savoured and searched for every lick of the sweet syrup. The maple syrup of course was the best on the pancakes.

March break

 

Elizabeth had a great March Break. Things were pretty low key which was nice as we still have a pretty busy schedule. The weather was nice and we even got to go for a bike ride with her Triton bike. One of her highlights was going to a reptile play center and holding a tarantula called Mrs. Fuzzybottom. It still amazes me how fearless she is and how much she loves animals. She does still scream for Daddy if she sees a spider in her room but once we catch it she keeps it confined as her pet. She also enjoyed going accessory shopping which is her new trend, she chose lip gloss, a headband and sunglasses which she keeps in her pink purse (along with her Dinosaur).
We also celebrated her homecoming this week. It has been 6 years now since she has been home with us and we can't be any happier to have such a great kid. It is amazing that 6 years ago she came home like this.

Firsts

 
Elizabeth has had some pretty exciting first experiences which we are so happy about. She has had her first play date where a classmate invited her over to play. Elizabeth went to her friends house without me to play and had a pretty good time. I could tell she was pretty anxious as she almost chewed through her shirt she was scared by some of her friends toys (Buzz Light Year and Ken). This friend is a really sweet girl who always goes out of her way to help Elizabeth, she is the first in line to carry her backpack to me when I pick her up at school. Elizabeth also went to a classmates party on her own. Elizabeth has an epi-pen due to her nut allergy so it makes another reason to stay with her at parties but the parents who were both teachers had no concern with her nut allergy and were comfortable in using it if they had to. The mother running the party remarked how amazing all the girls were at helping Elizabeth on the stairs and watching out for her.
We are very lucky to have her in the school she is in the class is quite small and the families have all been so accepting. Over the past few months I am really noticing the social gap between her and her peers getting smaller and her interactions are much more appropriate and unprompted.
Another first here was Elizabeth's first bad word. It occurred while we were playing Doctor. Elizabeth was the Doctor, I was the Nurse and Daddy the patient Elizabeth while checking her patient directed the 'stupid nurse' to complete a task. The irony is I am a Nurse and so I took a bit of offense and sent her to her room. The patient had to leave the room for a chuckle.

The Dragon

 

 

Elizabeth is finishing up her yoga class at the children's treatment center where she receives her PT/OT/SLP services. This yoga class is a bit amusing as most of the children there are not zen like (Elizabeth may be the least zen like). It can get pretty wild and giggly but the instructor is calm and patient.

Elizabeth has really improved over the course of the group she can hold poses for longer and can get into her most favourite pose the dragon. The dragon is a great pose which she is really motivated to learn. To complete the dragon she must get into a high kneel and then go up on leg and maintain her balance. These steps are what we have been working in PT so she begin to get up to standing in a more mature pattern.

To practice her yoga at home we ordered these Yoga Pretzel cards they are a fun way work on strength and balance.