This is Ellie on her first official day of First Grade. She is growing up. Next two pictures are of the pie Dave made with Ellie last night after we went apple picking. We found this great, small, easily accessible orchard, Dowse Orchard, and Ellie had a great time and we were able to wheel her right up to the trees. She picked most of the apples!
This is the first pie Ellie has ever made. Dave brought our coffee table into the kitchen and put all the ingredients on it ready to go and easily reachable for Ellie. He used the small dry erase to teach her about the ingredients. She used measuring cups and took flour out of the bag and put it into the food processor as well as the butter. We put the food processor on a switch. Ellie kneaded dough, put apples in the pie, shaped the dough round the edges. She did the spices and everything. Dave is so patient and enthusiastic about her. Even when she has moments of averseness to new experiences he never lets that dampen his sense of fun in the doing things with her! As a result, Ellie had a great time. You can see the E in dough on the top of the pie. E for Ellie, what else? She was very excited when Dave showed her the steaming hot pie coming out of the oven! Dave Rocks!
First time on the bus this morning. In the first picture she is pointing to her car.... In the second she is not so happy about going on the lift. Third picture is of Juan and Marge securing Ellie's chair. Fourth picture is Ellie in the wheelchair van...not looking too happy. Fifth picture, Ellie in the bus with a wall of glass and reflection between me and my only child. Did I prepare her enough for this...apparently not. Dave just called me and reported that the Juan and Marge said Ellie did not cry, but she didn't want to play with her toys and was very quiet the whole way to school. When she got there Dave was waiting and she did not give him her usual huge smile and the happy throwing up of her arms at the sight of him. Instead she was quiet....is this going to be an issue for her and her therapist later in life...? I imagine she is feeling somewhat betrayed and processing this change. If this makes her unhappy and she does not adjust the 3.5 hours of extra time a day is just not worth it. But I will give her this week to try it... :-(
9 comments:
I love the pie story. Love Love Love it. Dave is the best Dada, and I can absolutely picture this scene, and his soft voice and Irish accent, and hear Ellie's squeal. What a great pie.
Also, long legs, long hair= I am pretty sure she will like her long school day :)
yum that pie looks awesome. FIRST grade?? Holy crow, she is so grown up!!
She is so grown up now. What an amazing Dad Ellie has baking an entire pie from scratch with her. Elizabeth loves baking but it is a messy endeavor her earlier aversions have turned to extreme seeking behaviour so I have to protect what we are making from a child who would really like to dive in the bowl.
I hope Ellie begins to enjoy school and ease your conscience soon.
I remember these days so well... I remember putting my daughter pies and busses... I was so upset during the bus-acquaintance phase.
Turned out ok for us--hope it does for you as well.
She was not any happier returning home and I think she had very little interaction with anyone on the bus, her aid included. I don't know if this is the best use of her time...two hours a day of complete brain deadening boredom...seems like torture...I thought the aid might be more interactive with her. But Ellie's aid didn't once even crack a smile the entire time and would barely meet my eyes when they got back. How am I supposed to interpret that? It all just feels bad. WE are gonna give it one more try tomorrow...I guess. But not sure it will stick. It would be so much better if the aid didn't have to sit so far away from Ellie. I really hate this whole thing the more I think about it. Look at her face in the pics here. It's just not right.
What a beautiful thing -- thank you for sharing and I wish that I could have a piece of that pie!
Dear Kathryn,
It was good to get an update on your lives again. I am really praying for the bus to work out. It would be so great for you not to have to make the drive... just wondering, you said a bus drive without interaction was two hours of wasted time for Ellie -- I guess that means you talk to Ellie the whole drive to school normally, right? You are always an inspiration to me in relating to your child authentically.
The story about the meds was frightening. I too hope you can get Ellie off of extra medication.
Your family is in my prayers,
Anon, Thanks for your kindness. And YES "talking" to Ellie isn't even the half of it. We play I spy, she has her toy, we sing, we do the I love you game...I don't expect the bus people to do all of that. BUT I do expect them to treat her with dignity and pick up her toy if she drops it and be kind to her and us...
WE have taken Ellie off that med - and she is doing fine. I have replaced it with homeopathic remedies which seem to be working GREAT. Who knew? I am so happy she is holding her own on only one med. Who knows, maybe the meds were making her worse off ...i shudder when I think of her liver and all it has had to process. So far so good. It's a journey.
I linked this post into my pumpkin bread recipe.
Barbara
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