Making Life Easier One Shoe at a Time with Xpand

*We received the following product free in exchange of our honest review.

When you have a big family, there is a LOT to juggle! There is no extra time, so any second saved is precious. I'm always looking for ways to save time (and energy), so I was thrilled to discover a time-saving product - Xpand!  

With Xpand, you never have to tie your shoes again! I love the concept behind this product, especially for Liam. We love them so much that we're replacing ALL of our laces with Xpand laces!

Putting on shoes is so much easier these days. It truly does save me time, and is much less stressful! And if you have little kids or a child who has extra needs, Xpand is a must have!

Why We Opted Out Of Extended School Year

When Liam was born, we were introduced to a whole new world, and a whole new lingo. IFSP, IEP, LRE, and ESY became everyday words for us. Just like any other child, having a child with extra needs can be difficult at times, and navigating the school years is probably the most stressful thing to deal with!

From birth until age three, children who have special needs are given an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), which helps the child with development, and helps the family with services they need to support them. We live in Pennsylvania, and Liam qualified for Early Intervention. He received weekly therapy from three different therapists within our home until his third birthday, then transitioned to the preschool years with an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Suddenly, we had to stress over LRE (Least Restrictive Environment), Inclusion, and ESY (Extended School Year). 

When you have a child who has extra needs, so many questions fill your head. Am I doing enough? Am I overwhelming my child? Am I making the right decision? What is the RIGHT answer? I know I tend to stress over every single decision I have to make, and I know I'm not alone. Sometimes you just have to weigh the pros and cons, and go with your gut. YOU know your child best!

How To Set Up a Simple & Fun Homeschooling Corner

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through, and make a purchase, I will earn a commission. Everything I recommend has been tested by me or my family!

We are on week five of remote learning, and we've finally found our groove! Just kidding...every day is a new adventure around here. Some days are really good, and some days are REALLY bad. (I didn't sign up for this!!!) The homeschooling corner, however, is my A+ project!

BSC (Before Social Distancing), I was a homeschooling mom to a 15 year old, and I didn't have much to do other than to oversee his education. Now, I'm overseeing four educations, actively assisting my 8 year old, fully supporting my 6 year old, who has Down syndrome, and "attending" daily circle time, and 5 additional teletherapies a week for him...all with a needy baby on my hip. The terms OCI, remote learning, Zoom meetings, and teletherapy are a part of my daily lingo.  (I repeat...I didn't sign up for this!) 

After the first few weeks of trial and error, it became apparent that we needed a homeschooling space. 3 of my 4 school-age kids will be returning to school in the Fall (PLEASE!), and Dylan only needs a laptop and a shelf for supplies, so I didn't want to do anything major. A homeschooling corner was the solution, and guess what? I think we'll keep it!

Snack and Play Edible Rainbow Sensory Bin

As we headed into week two of social distancing, my kids were bored, lonely, and snacking non-stop. I am so thankful that we have books, streaming services, and FaceTime, but this situation that we're facing is scary and uncertain, and it just plain sucks! My older kids can usually find something to do, but my youngest two needed something to capture their attention - enter the "Snack 'n Play" Edible Rainbow Sensory Bin!

Sensory play is a big part of our lives. I believe my kids should be given opportunities to explore, so I'm always coming up with new ideas for them. They love sensory bins, so I always try to create 1-2 new sensory bins each month for them. Now that we're stuck at home, I'm changing them up weekly. We have done edible sensory bins before, but it has been a while. Last week was the PERFECT time to set one up and introduce Coen to edible sensory bin fillers!

Needless to say, it was an instant hit! The kids had fun playing, snacking, scooping, and color sorting. Sensory Bins do not have to be complex. It really can be as simple as throwing in dry cereal and marshmallows, and giving them tools so they can play. Just doing something out of the ordinary can make it extra fun! 

The First Official Day of Quarantine Homeschool

When my four older kids went back to school in September, I never would have guessed that I would be homeschooling one - let alone FOUR - kids by April! One child is homeschooled by choice, and the other three are now homeschooled by necessity. It's definitely a huge adjustment for all of us!

I started homeschooling Dylan in November. To be fair, he is a teenager, and he does Cyber School, so I'm not really teaching him. It's just my job to oversee his education, make sure he gets exercise, give him additional educational experiences, encourage a healthy social life, and make sure he reads and is exposed to the arts. (He is a talented artist, so no problems there!) I still have to share the reasons why we chose this for Dylan, but it has been a positive experience for him and for me!

Homeschooling is definitely not for everyone. While it works well for Dylan, it isn't the best option for Lexie, Lily, and Liam, who thrive in a public school setting. Lily and Lexie are very smart, and they are very involved in school activities. Liam has Down syndrome, which means he has an IEP. He has a wonderful team working to help him thrive - a general ed teacher, a special ed teacher, a para, a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, a physical therapist, and a social worker. He receives all therapy at school, and has so much support. The three of them LOVE school, which is why this new homeschooling adventure is difficult for all of us. But with schools now closed indefinitely, it's now our new normal...

Social Distancing the Big Family Way

It's unbelievable how much life can change so quickly. Two weeks ago, I had no idea that our lives were going to change so drastically as I dropped my kids off at school on a perfectly normal Friday morning. Two weeks later, my family is finishing our second week in quarantine like most of the country, and "social distancing" is now an everyday term. 

Life still feels so surreal, but the threat of coronavirus is very real. We are missing our normal, busy life, and I'm realizing just how much we took for granted, but the safest place for my family right now is home. In two short weeks, so much happened. Our schools initially closed for two weeks, by the order of the governor, until March 30th, but it was extended until the Monday after Easter. (That being said, I doubt they will go back then since the virus just hit our county.) My husband ended up working from home, because his office is closed due to the governor ordering that all non-essential businesses close. And as of Friday, our county officially has a stay home order. No going out unless it's to exercise, go to the grocery store, check on family members, or (safely) drop off or pick up essentials from another home.

Our health and safety, and choosing to protect others by staying isolated, is the most important thing right now. Life in isolation is definitely tough, though. It's so difficult not seeing our family and friends, we are worrying about our health and the health of our loved ones, we are trying to explain to the kids about what's going on, and our kids are dealing with the disappointment over school being closed and so many important events and activities being canceled. There is so much uncertainty and fear right now, but we're just trying our hardest to stay positive during this incredibly difficult time!

Arctic Sensory Bin for Indoor Winter Sensory Play

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through, and make a purchase, I will earn a commission. Everything I recommend has been tested by me or my family!

The calendar might say it's Winter, but Mother Nature is a bit confused! Our weather has been all over the place lately. Last Monday, it was 65 degrees and sunny, and on Friday, we woke up to 4 inches of snow. Just two days later, all the snow has melted, and it's raining and in the high 40's. No matter the weather, we decided to make the Arctic our theme for this month's sensory bins!

I'm sure you already know this, but we are big fans of sensory play here! So much that we actually have a sensory table in our living room, and allow the kids to engage in messy play. Play is such an important part of early learning, and there are so many benefits of sensory play. I would rather have my kids explore a sensory bin than sit in front of the TV or iPad!

This month, we have been talking about the Arctic and the animals that live there. Even when my kids are in school, I believe in learning within the home as well. In addition to creating an Arctic world for my kids to explore, we read books about Arctic animals (National Geographic Kids has some great options), and there are some fun documentaries on Netflix and Disney+ to help kids learn more about the Arctic!

Holiday Gifts 2019 - Tablift

I was gifted product in exchange for my honest review.

The countdown is on! Only 23 days until Christmas. I come from a big family, and I have a big family, so there are a lot of holiday gifts to buy for the wonderful family members and friends on my list!

I discovered some awesome products this year, so I'm going to share a few of them with you each week leading up to Christmas. I buy gifts for people of every age and ability. I hate buying the same type of gifts over and over again, but often fall into that trap. I'm always on the lookout for something new and different!

The tablift is perfect for almost everyone on your list! It's perfect for tech lovers. It's perfect for people who have limited mobility or special needs. And it's perfect for people who travel. If they have a tablet, they will love it!

Myrtle Beach Family Vacation - Reminiscing About The Last Day

It has been almost one full year since our last family vacation. If you have been following along for a while, you already know it was a big one. While we were in Myrtle Beach, we found out we were expecting baby #5! And the rest is history...

My final Myrtle Beach family vacation recap got lost in my drafts folder during those 9 very long months of morning sickness, and those exhausting early days with a newborn. Because I tend to be very particular about some things, I can't just leave it hanging around in there. I have to finish my recap, or else it will bug me until I do!

Right now seemed like a good time to recap, and I found myself reminiscing as I finished writing this post. Sadly, we're not going to the beach this year, and it's my happy place. I'm very bummed (my husband and kids are, too), but traveling that far this year was going to be very tough. It's a combination of adulting, and having a new baby who DESPISES the car.

Every so often I want to say let's just do it, then I imagine being tethered by a breastfed baby who likes to eat all the time, while my 5 year old runs in the opposite direction toward danger, and I change my mind. Plus, 8-12 hours each way of Coen screaming would be rough. But I want to - I really want to - and if we didn't have to get a new SUV or pay for some home repairs, I would go anyway. So I'm just going to look through all of these pictures when I feel a longing for the beach, and count down the time until we can go back. (But not too fast, because my kids need to slow their grow!)

Here's what we did on the last day of our Myrtle Beach vacation, and on our trip home...

What I Bought on Amazon + An Awesome Amazon Tip

Oh, Amazon Prime! It's no wonder so many people are fans. Their selection, pricing, and super fast shipping speed can't be beat! Amazon took over my household, and they're pretty much taking over the world!

We're big Amazon Prime fans! We buy so much from them on a monthly basis - gifts and necessities. I even use Amazon as my "store" of choice when I'm running low on a household item and don't want to drag 5 kids to an actual store!

We bought 21 things from Amazon in June, but I'm not going to list them all. Some of them were wedding gifts off of an Amazon registry, some of them were gifts for friends and family, and I have no business or interest in discussing the blade attachment my husband bought for our weed wacker! (Just keeping it real.)

Check out the Amazon Prime purchases I made in June, and keep reading to find out an awesome way to save if you are a special needs family...

Water Beads & Soap Foam Sensory Bin - A Sensory Play Experience for Kids of All Ages

It's the first weekend of Summer, the weather is beautiful, and we're so excited to be outside! The only problem is our hose is temporarily out of commision, so water activities are a no go right now. Cooling down with a Water Beads & Soap Foam Sensory Bin was a fun alternative!

My kids are obsessed with water beads! I don't really blame them. They really are fun to play with. There's a reason they put them in gel masks now! ;) Plus they are super inexpensive, and a little goes a long way!

We are big fans of sensory play, and I'm a proponent of letting kids get messy and learn through play. Play really does matter, and introducing sensory experiences at a young age is really important. Sensory play helps kids learn with all of their senses, AND helps them work on their motor skills! Water Beads are a super cool sensory bin filler, and even babies can play (with supervision). Supercharging it with foam soap makes this bin extra fun!

Glow In The Dark Space Sensory Bin

We currently have a tough decision to make. Initially, we signed Liam up for Extended School Year so he doesn't regress between the end of this school year and the start of the next one. Now we're reconsidering, because we have a busy Summer ahead of us, and we think Liam deserves the chance to just be a kid and enjoy Summer Break. I think his once a week speech therapy session, baseball, lots of outdoor play, and sensory bins might be the path we take this Summer!

Our sensory bins, kids activities, and posts about Down syndrome bring this blog the most traffic, but I stopped sharing all of our ideas due to the busyness of life (more coming on life with five kids soon)! I'm getting back into creating weekly themed sensory bins, and pairing them with books, learning activities, crafts, and an occasional outing. This weekend, our town had a huge Mars New Year celebration and NASA attended, so I focused on a space themed sensory bin for the week!

Like the majority of our sensory bins, this space sensory bin is easy to put together. I reuse a lot of our fillers and just mix and match according to the theme, and everything I use is inexpensive! And this sensory bin is extra fun because it glows in the dark!

Liam and the Very Special Arts Exhibit

Liam is 4th in the lineup of five kids. With three older siblings, he is always coming along to support them during their many activities, sports, and school events. Now that Liam is in Kindergarten, he has his OWN activities and school events, and it's our turn to support him!

This year, Liam's art teacher submitted his Kindergarten artwork to the Very Special Arts Exhibit. It  is currently on exhibit at Grove City College's Pew Fine Arts Center until April 17th, with artwork from other K-12 students in three counties. Very Special Arts is an international organization on arts and disability, and provides arts and educational opportunities for people with disabilities, while helping increase the access to art for everyone.

On Saturday, they hosted a reception for all the young artists who had artwork on display. It was a fun event, and such a special day for our sweet Liam!

How To Build Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Language, and Cognitive Skills Through Play (Featuring Cubbie Lee Toys)

This post contains gifted products from Cubbie Lee Toy Company.

Up until Liam was born, I didn't think much about the quality of play. Play was just something that all kids did. I certainly didn't think in terms of gross motor skills, fine motor skills, language skills, and cognitive skills. Learning those valuable skills was just something I took for granted until my fourth child was diagnosed with Down syndrome. That diagnosis introduced us to a whole new world, including actually thinking about and researching how much play matters.

See, playing is more than just something kids do. Play not only inspires creativity and imagination, but it also leads to healthy brain development, and it builds fine motor, gross motor, language, cognitive and social skills. Kids can actually learn more through play at an early age, than by sitting down with learning materials, so it's important to fill your home with quality toys and encourage kids to play as often as possible!

We were introduced to the concept of quality play when Liam was 2 months old. At that point, home-based early intervention therapy services began. A speech therapist, an occupational therapist, and a physical therapist began to visit our home each week. I closely observed what the therapists were working on, asked lots of questions, began to research toys and activities that helped build important skills, and asked for toy recommendations.

It turns out that we already had a lot of quality toys, but from then on, I became very selective about the toys that we purchased. I also encouraged Liam to play with a wide variety of toys that would help him develop and grow! Using play to help build fine motor, gross motor, language, cognitive and social skills isn't just for kids with special needs. It's important for kids of ALL abilities!

Dear Hollywood Screenwriters, Please Reconsider Your Use of the "R" Word

Dear Hollywood Screenwriters,

I tend to be an open minded person. I don't get offended about much, I don't get caught up in controversy, and I try to understand both sides of an issue. But today, I need to bring light to a very serious topic that affects millions of your fellow human beings, including my own family: the overuse of the word "retarded" in the entertainment industry.

The word "retard(ed)" isn't just a casual word to toss around in everyday conversation. It has one particular meaning, and it's directed at an entire community of people who have a disability. It's derogatory, it's hurtful and it's extremely offensive. Did you know that "retard" was voted the most offensive word related to a disability? So why do so many of you continue to use it so freely?

Puppy Love: Introducing Ella the English Mastiff

After a 3 year hiatus from dog ownership, our family grew by 4 feet this weekend! The kids have been begging for a puppy since our beloved Great Dane passed away, but I just wasn't ready to bring another dog into our lives. Their pleas could no longer be ignored, and I was starting to miss having a dog, so we started researching breeds 6 months ago. We finally decided an English Mastiff puppy would be a great fit for us, and we welcomed 11 week old Ella into our family on Saturday!

We Went On A Family Trip...And Left One of Our Kids At Home

Before we became parents, there were so many things my husband and I said we would NEVER do as parents. Even after we had children, we still had quite a few things on that never list. We quickly learned to never say never because life happens. And this weekend we did something on our never list...we went on a family trip and left one of our children at home!

The Top Five Indoor "Playground" Toys for Kids {Friday Favorites}

Happy Friday!

I don't know how the weather is where you live, but I'm fairly certain Mother Nature is drunk! We had an unusually mild winter this year. It didn't get very cold and we didn't get much snow. Honestly, it has felt like Spring for the past month. Last night (or tonight since I haven't gone to bed yet), Lily and I left her dance studio without coats, and it felt warm! Two hours later, there was an inch of snow on the ground! WHAT?!?

I guess winter is having its last hurrah because the forecast calls for cold, wintry weather over the next week. That pretty much means I'll be locked indoors with four wild animals for a week. And considering Liam doesn't go back to school until Wednesday, it's going to be a rough one! Cue this mom going stir crazy in 3...2...1.

If I'm going to survive, I'm going to need some backup! Over the past year, we've accumulated a great collection of indoor "playground" equipment, and those items quickly became favorites. After last year, I knew we needed something for cold, snowy and rainy days. Joke was on me since we were able to spend most of winter outdoors! But I have a feeling we're going to be using our indoor playground a lot over the next week!

Little Tikes Foldable Slide

The Little Tikes Foldable Slide was actually a birthday present for Liam last year. We wanted something that we could store easily, but bring into the house during inclement weather so Liam's gross motor skills would stay strong. It turned out that Lily loved it just as much! (Mom Tip: Wait to buy until the middle of Summer. It's half the price then!)

In case you were wondering, it does fold flat easily!

Imaginarium Bouncy Horse

The Imaginarium Bouncy Horse was a great physical therapy tool for Liam. Even though it has been a long time since he mastered using it, he and Lily still love it! It's small enough to tuck away out of sight and the kids love bouncing through the house on it on rainy/snowy days!

Nerf Basketball Hoop

Liam's former physical therapist recommended getting a basketball hoop for Liam when he was just learning how to stand to encourage reaching and strengthening his arms. The baby ones were too small and the plastic toddler-sized ones were too tall. We had to get creative!

I discovered that an inexpensive Nerf Basketball Hoop was perfect for him! Because it is meant to be used indoors and outdoors by hanging it on a door or a wall, it can be easily moved, AND we can control the height. Right now, placing it on the back of one of our tall chairs is the perfect size for him!

Even better? It comes with a ball that's perfectly sized for little hands and it folds completely flat. When Liam's done playing, I just fold it flat and slip it under our couch!

Eocusun Folding Tent, Tunnel and Ball Pit

The Eocusun Folding Tent, Tunnel and Ball Pit is truly one of my kids' favorite toys! It can be used indoors or outdoors and it folds completely flat. It's durable and very inexpensive, too!

{SOURCE}

The three pieces can be connected together for a full playground or separated for individual play.

Almost every day, Liam or Lily asks to play with this, and since it sets up in about a minute, I always oblige!

When they are done playing, it easily folds up and is completely flat for storage. I actually keep the pieces behind my couch! They are completely out of sight but easily accessible!

As for the ball pit balls, I just keep them in the original bag and store them under Liam's crib.

Giant Inflatable Ball

When all else fails, I pull out the show stopper! The Giant Inflatable Ball is technically an awesome outdoor toy, but last year I grew desperate. After a particularly long bad weather streak, I inflated this bad boy indoors!

My kids were amazed and it kept them entertained for days. Yes, we had a giant ball in our family room for a week, but since it takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R to inflate and deflate, I was perfectly okay with that!

Thanks to confused Mother Nature, my living room is going to look like this for the next 7 days. Thankfully, setting it up and tearing it down takes just a few minutes. Anything that keeps my kids busy makes my favorites list. And if my kids are busy and content, then I'm one happy mama! 

How do you keep your kids active and busy during winter or rainy weather?

Let's Connect!

TWITTER // FACEBOOK // INSTAGRAM // BLOGLOVIN // GOOGLE+ // PINTEREST  

 

Linking up for Friday Favorites  //  Oh Hey Friday  //  High Five For FRIDAY 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! I can hardly believe it's the last weekend before Christmas!

I wish I had all kinds of exciting things planned for this weekend, but I'm going to be spending it Christmas shopping. And wrapping. And panicking because we have to fit in a million activities into 4 days next week. And kicking myself for not starting sooner. But in all fairness, there is literally NO extra time when you have four kids who are in school and activities.  That's the reason why I don't sleep and why I do all my blogging at 3 AM!

I'm switching things up a bit for my Friday Favorites this week. Instead of mostly sharing products I currently love, I'm going to keep things simple and mostly share the moments that made this week so special!

{ONE} 

The joy we feel when the Steelers win a game and Sunday afternoons spent with family!

{TWO}

Phase Two (AKA Lily and Liam) cuddling and reading books on a sunny afternoon. We're going to miss Lily so much when she stays at school all day next year!

{THREE}

An early Christmas gift!  Strider Bikes sent Liam a balance bike to review over on Pittsburgh Moms Blog. You can read all about it and why it's such a great gift for kids of ALL abilities HERE. The Strider Balance Bike is an amazing gift. Liam absolutely loves it and I can tell it's going to get a lot of use!

{FOUR} 

Afternoons spent together as a family. Nothing makes me happier than when all four of my kids are home and getting along well!

{FIVE} 

The joy over a snowfall! We got a few inches of snow this week and the kids were so excited! Well, 3 of my 4. Liam wasn't allowed to go outside because he had a little cold. I'm sure we'll get more snow this winter that he will be able to enjoy!

 

{SIX}

How I do snow and cold weather: In 5 minute intervals with LOTS of layers. As in a pair of tights, a pair of fleece lined leggings, a pair of socks, a pair of boot socks, a tank top, two thermal shirts, a sweater and scarf. It's how I roll! Hidden coat (later found stuffed under Liam's crib) and all my others stored away in the attic above the Christmas present-covered steps meant that I had to get creative!

A photo posted by Stefanie (@lexieloolilyliamdylantoo) on Dec 14, 2016 at 5:20pm PST

{SEVEN}

The wish list chalkboard from the Target Dollar Spot that some of my crew stares longingly at each day. The wishes never changed this year! 

I've got two of the four covered, but I don't think I'm going to have much luck finding that second Hatchimal. We got lucky with the first one. My friend's mom had it on layaway since the Spring and my friend's son didn't want it so it was ours. Now we have to decide if the girls will share it (my husband says no) or just Lily gets it (then I'll feel bad for Lexie). Such an important decision to make over an overpriced toy that only hatches once!

Dylan, Lexie and Lily's wish lists are very small this year so finishing up our shopping should be easy!

A photo posted by Stefanie (@lexieloolilyliamdylantoo) on Dec 12, 2016 at 10:20am PST

{EIGHT} 

Liam's joy over reading gets me every time! He's currently loving his books from Join the Story Box, which is a monthly subscription service for young readers. We opted for the Board Books package this month since he's in toddler tornado mode!

{NINE} 

Dylan had his choir, orchestra and band concert last night and we are so proud of him! The 6th graders did such an amazing job. 

Chorus is mandatory for the entire grade, but next year it's an elective and Dylan will not be continuing. He said it isn't his thing! He opted to play trumpet in band for the second year and he just started playing violin in orchestra. He told us he's going to continue with band and orchestra next year, but I'm not so sure. He only decided to do it this year because his girlfriend (Yes, he has a girlfriend. OMG.) plays trumpet and violin, too. And, well, if that ends...

Whether or not he decides to continue, this experience was a great one! We're encouraging his musical ability and we love watching how he's able to play more songs on his guitar and on our piano just from being a part of band and orchestra. We're so glad he joined this year!

That's a wrap for our busy week! I'm heading to bed at 4 AM and feeling incredibly grateful that we can sleep until 9:30 AM thanks to our second 2 hour delay, due to cold weather, in a row! After that, I'm going to spend the weekend spending LOTS of money and preparing myself for all the Christmas events we have planned next week! I hope you all have an amazing weekend!

Let's Be Friends!

TWITTER // FACEBOOK // INSTAGRAM // BLOGLOVIN // GOOGLE+ // PINTEREST  

Linking up for Friday Favorites  //  Oh Hey Friday  //  High Five For FRIDAY 

Liam's First Day of Preschool

I knew the day was coming but I was living in denial. As the big day drew closer the worry and fear began to set in. I poured my heart and soul into this post but there wasn't anything I could do other than brace myself for the harsh reality of my baby starting preschool.

Liam's first day of preschool came and went and we both survived!

It wasn't easy to hand him over to a stranger. There were no tears from Liam which is exactly what I expected. He doesn't have stranger anxiety.  He did, however, look a bit confused as his teacher picked him up, shut the classroom door behind behind them and took him to his seat. I'm sure he was wondering where I went. There was no time to say goodbye. It felt so weird to walk out of the school with only Lily's tiny hand tucked into mine.

I held it together until I started to drive away from the school.  It just felt wrong to leave him behind! That's when the tears started to fall. I cried the entire 1/2 mile to the library and had to sit in the parking lot for a few extra minutes to compose myself before taking Lily in for Storytime.

The entire afternoon felt so strange. It was weird sitting in the silent library completely alone while Lily was in Storytime. That hasn't happened in 3 years! It was weird eating lunch without him. And afternoons just aren't the same without that Toddler Tornado tearing a path through my house.

Thankfully those 2 1/2 hours flew by!

While I waited in the hallway outside of his classroom I peeked in to see what he was doing. It took me a few seconds to spot him. He was sitting behind a table, all by himself, flipping through a book.  He wasn't smiling but he didn't look unhappy.

Liam had a busy day! During those 2 1/2 hours he also receives his weekly therapies.  His therapists who have been with him since he was born no longer come to our home each week. He has a new set of therapists and all therapies now take place in school.  It's definitely a huge change for us!

The teacher assured me he had a good day and his speech therapist said he was using a lot of words. He also had his weekly physical therapy session in the gross motor playroom.

When his teacher brought him out to me he just looked overwhelmed. I don't blame him for feeling that way because I felt the same way. I'm sure it was confusing and overwhelming for him! He immediately reached up his arms so I would pick him up and he held on for dear life. It felt so good to have him back in my arms!

When we arrived home we looked through the papers in his take home folder. It was so funny to see his first two pieces of schoolwork. He's too little for that!!! After that I had so many emails and sweet messages to go through. I guess it was evident that I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown! I was definitely touched that so many people were thinking about us.  It wasn't easy but we made it through the first day!

 

 

Liam had today (Wednesday) off due to teacher training sessions so we headed to the eye doctor instead. Yet again we were relieved to hear that his eyes are healthy and his vision is perfect! He returns to school tomorrow and I'm really hoping for a smooth drop-off. He knows what to expect so it really could go either way!

Liam will be attending this special ed preschool on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 12:30-3. There are 9 kids total in his class but not all of them are there every day. Some kids are there 2 days a week, some kids are there 3 days a week and some kids are there 5 days a week.  The structure of the day is very similar to a typical classroom and the ultimate goal is to have Liam ready for full inclusion next year. 

Liam's teacher has an assistant and there is also a speech therapist in the classroom on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Liam will receive a half hour of PT and a half hour of OT each week during school hours.  That's all he qualified for and no outside therapy is needed at this time.

My worries eased a bit after I dropped Liam off on Tuesday. I was so worried because he is the tiniest and youngest kid in the class. The entire class was together last year so that means he is the new kid. I thought he was the only child with Down syndrome so I was thrilled when I spotted another little boy rocking his designer genes when I dropped Liam off. And guess what his name is? Liam!!!

I'm trying to stay positive about the whole situation. I think it is going to be good for Liam but if it isn't we have other options. As for right now I'm just going to go with the flow and hope for the best! My fingers are crossed that tomorrow goes well, too!

The first day of preschool wasn't as difficult as I expected it to be but it's definitely going to take some time to adjust to our new normal! I truly can't believe Liam is in preschool!

Let's Be Friends!

 TWITTER // FACEBOOK // INSTAGRAM // BLOGLOVIN // GOOGLE+ // PINTEREST