Conversations with Ellie

Using flashcards this morning...

Me: Ellie, what do you want to eat?
Ellie (choosing among flashcards): Pancakes!
Me: What do you want to drink?
Ellie: Tea
Me: Do you want me to pet you?
Ellie: No

Well OK then.

Yesterday we had a bit of a break through. Never before has Ellie ever been open to basic reasoning. I either have to bribe her into good behavior with treats or deal with her whims. Yesterday I was cleaning their room and she was on my shoulder. I asked her to step off my shoulder because it would be easier for me to work. She refused.

So then I looked at her and said, "Ellie, Mom has to clean. Please off." "Mom cleans" and "off" are parts of her vocabulary practice. And you know what? She hopped right off. That was cool :-)

In other training news, Ellie is learning how to categorize her world. This is actually a lot harder to teach than anything else I've taught. For instance, I started with colors. I held up her color objects as well as the color flashcards with words and asked for each one, "Is this a color?" She had to select yes or no.

That's was simple enough and she figured out that all of those things are colors. The trouble came when I tried to distinguish between colors and other objects. For instance, I held up a book. "Is this a color?" She selected yes.

And I realized, actually, it is a color. It has red and green and blue on it. So that didn't work. Next I tried my keys. She said yes again. And it's true! My keys are black, silver, and other colors.

Then I thought, "I'm not awake enough for this..." >_<

So, I gave up.

We started working on opposites like in/out, up/down, inside/outside, hot/cold. She figured that out really quickly, and it was pretty cute because she already knew the difference between hot and cold from general living. For hot, I gave her tea. For cold, I had a small cup of ice water. She refused to touch it! She knew exactly what it was, and apparently does not like cold!

Anyway, all is well with that. Isabelle is definitely having a hard time learning. She mostly wrestles the foam letters to the ground, or throws them across the room. I'm not sure if this is going to be a happening thing! But I will keep trying!! And at least she's cute! I laugh so hard!!! :D

For now, I am off to make Ellie's pancakes and tea :-)

Santa Loves Birdies Too!

As part of her vocabulary practice, I've been introducing Ellie to Christmas. Her flashcards include: Santa, Frosty, Christmas countdown (advent calendar), Santa brings gifts, gingerbread house, Christmas, Christmas lights....

Here's my cute girl with her Christmas Countdown Calendar - a nut for each bird, each night!

Tonight my mom and I drove her to a holiday light fantasy--drive through lights about an hour away. She was fascinated! "Christmas lights!" I reminded her!

When we got home, I put her to bed and mom and I put together their Christmas stuff--tons of handmade and inexpensive toys, all wrapped and under the tree for our little bird girls tomorrow morning! (And Ellie got a TV to help with learning and spelling.) :)

So excited!

And All is Right

Eight years ago my beloved Sophia died. Today is the anniversary. And for years I cried myself to sleep every single night, missing her. I still cannot talk about her without tears.

Eighteen months ago Isabelle entered my life, fourteen months old and traumatized. And it was so odd because some random psychic the year before said, "Sophia is coming back to you."

The moment I met Isabelle (a little baby recovering from amputation at the vet's office, and needing a new mother) I knew I had to bring her home, and as I held her that night, my heart healed, sewed up and complete.

I no longer have since thought, "I with Sophie were here for..." I forgave life, stopped fundamentally hating the earth, the universe, the world that took my little Sophia away.

Tonight I held my Isabelle close and she fell asleep against my bare chest, her head tucked into my neck. Tonight the Christmas tree shines brightly in my own forever home, with my three sweet girls, my dearly cherished Joe not too far away.

Tonight, eight years since my Sophie left, life is ok, beautiful and perfect, even.

I never thought this day would come where I wouldn't spend December 14th sobbing.

I am thankful. ♡

Ellie and Linear Reading

I presented three cards at a time (instead of two) this morning. I started with TEA WATER JUICE, since she clearly wanted some tea. It was fantastic! She picked accurately! Then we moved on to vocabulary words. Her interest level and accuracy increased on the two wing cards, although I had to teach her that there's also a word in the middle!

Interesting--we worked on reading sentences this morning. Something I didn't think of, I believe she's reading words like looking at a picture. She looks closely at the words, but not linearly, if that makes sense, just looking at the letters in no particular order. I think I'm going to have to teach her to read from left to right.