Fun Day at School

One of the things I love is when we get home from work/school and I look at my camera and see that Allie's teachers have surprised me with pictures of her during the day. On Wednesday I got that surprise. I had picked Allie up rather late, so I didn't get to find out the story behind some of the pictures. The next day I inquired and we all had a good laugh. During nap time, they had put Allie down on her cot with her way cool bed mat and proceeded to put the others on their cots to rest. Seems they weren't fast enough for Ms. Allie. She climbed off of her cot and grabbed her pillow and went to a nice cozy spot between the bookshelf and the wall... right next to one of her buddies, Elliott P. Before she put her head on her pillow, she patted it down so it was just right and then took her nap.

Then, after nap time, Allie was wide awake. Her teacher set her in the red beanbag chair to play for a moment and seconds later... Allie had fallen into a deep sleep. I guess it was cozy! (Editors Note: Allie had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction on this particular day. Oh, it is nothing to hit the newspaper and get the media in a frenzy, but it does cause a Mom to explain. Her leg snaps on her adorable Elmo overalls broke. I had trouble that morning with them, but I just assumed it was me, because well.. it usually is these days. But, turns out it wasn't... they just were ready to not snap anymore. This picture shows her adorable red "biker/spandex" shorts, too. Okay, not our favorite accessory, but for children with low muscle tone, they help a lot. So, you may see them from time to time in her pictures. Thanks to her school and her buddy, Daniel, she has many colors - yep, the last post you probably saw her black ones. We don't have all the colors, but I do at least make attempts to match.)

So, do you notice anything interesting about Allie playing with the toy on the table next to Andrew? That's right!! She is STANDING! This was the day that Allie got to try out a "Stander". These are also common for children with low muscle tone. Just helps prepare them for standing and weight bearing activities. We are so fortunate to be at a school that has such good connections. While they didn't have one small enough for Allie, the Bell Center - which is a local facility that provides many of the same therapies for children of all special needs - including lots of Allie's Down syndrome companions. They lent theirs to the school just for Allie (well, at least I think it is just for Allie). Her OT, Melissa, has been working really hard with Allie and has been impressed with the strength she has shown and the form that she also demonstrates. So, it seems today was the day to test her out in the Stander. This is something she will be in occassionally for only about 10-15 minutes at a time. Everyone commented that Allie did really well in it. I can only imagine how different things looked and felt for her. For a change, she stood next to her classmates. Everything looks different when you stand verses sit verses lay down. She is just growing and seeming to enjoy it, too! They also captured a picture of Allie and her classmates coloring. It doesn't seem long ago that Allie wouldn't color at all. Now, I show up to school and she is coloring like she is a pro. Allie is doing so well. We are so proud of her!

Just wanted to share one of her school days with you! Have a wonderful Sunday and fabulous week!