Walk Now for Autism...

"Team Giraffe's Song" will be participating in the Walk Now for Autism event in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 18, 2009.

Please click here to visit our team page and make a donation. Even if you only have one dollar to spare in these difficult economic times, it is one more dollar that we didn't have before. Every little bit counts.

Thank you, as always, for visiting my blog and reading about our experience with autism.

“Never doubt that a small group of dedicated people could change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Braids, Barrettes, and Balls...

This morning I decided to braid Katelyn's hair. Katelyn thought it was great and asked for "more braid" and began to pull on her hair. Since she had pulled some strands of hair loose, I decided to put a barrette in her hair. Well, that was all it took to bring out the girly girl in Katelyn! She began demanding more and more barrettes! I finally had to say it was enough because otherwise she would have the entire box of barrettes, clips, and scrunchies in her hair all at once :)

Later on while the girls were napping, I decided to bring up Katelyn's old ball tent/tunnel set that she hasn't seen in about a year. The thing is huge, so I only assembled the ball tent and two tunnels. When the girls got up from their naps, I brought them over to the tent. Katelyn immediately became ecstatic and wanted to get in there and play. Ashley also was very interested, so I plopped her right in the middle of the tent.

The girls had a blast, Ashley sampling every colorful ball and Katelyn going in and out of the tunnels. Katelyn also learned to "shoot hoops" with her bumpy ball.

It is indescribable how rewarding it is to see the girls playing so well together. As Ashley gets older and is able to interact more with Katelyn, Katelyn is becoming more and more interested in her baby sister. And of course, Ashley absolutely adores her big sister; her smile lights up the room when she sees Katelyn. Nothing beats seeing my two girls sharing special moments together, making memories that will last a lifetime.

Caught in the Net (Swing, that is)...

When we first showed Katelyn the net swing, she was afraid of it and wanted nothing to do with it. Then a few days later, she asked for it out of the blue. We quickly hooked it up, not wanting to miss the golden opportunity to have her try it out. Just like I had expected, once she tried it, she loved it!!! Now she requests the net swing even more than her "baby swing" (that is what she calls the toddler swing).

The net swing is perfect for her because she can either sit up or lie down in it like a hammock. She also loves to snuggle with Giraffe while relaxing in the net swing. It seems to calm her down, which is a huge plus because she has been extra "stimmy" lately. Now when she feels the need to swing, she will go and grab either the net swing or the "baby swing" and drag it over. It is so nice to be able to provide her with one of her favorite activities while also serving her sensory needs.

Here are some pictures of Katelyn and Giraffe enjoying the net swing: