Working Bee at the family home on Sunday

Kit has a best friend at child care. His best friend, Toby, has a baby brother not yet one - named Lachlan - so on Saturday night when they were bathing their babies and I asked them what their names were (these dolls have been called 'baby' since they first got them years ago!) Kit says something like Blockie and Hannah says something that sounds like 'Bikkie'. I couldn't understand where they had got quite such whacky names from until I ran into Toby's mum when I was picking them up from childcare - and she had Lachie in her arms. Kit had been telling her that he had a new baby at home too so I think she was also wondering whether she needed to congratulate me!
While I was at the Downsed conference - P was at home - dare I say 'in charge'? Anyways it looks to me as if his little angel is demanding 'cake' in this photo:

Downsed

The conference I went to organised by NSW DSA with Downsed UK was great! The inclusion message came through loud and strong! It is something that we don't do very well here yet - I came away feeling a greater commitment to obtaining a mainstream opportunies for Hannah. Still it won't be easy. There was lots of talk about language and numeracy - and lots of ideas on how to help our kids use their strengths and to help strengthen their weaknesses. I got to catch up with lots of otehr parents I know from the same EI service as Hannah and from NSW DSA involvement. So yes a tiring, useful day with lots of positives and it almost goes without saying I know - but a fair amount of guilt - I really should be home making flashcards etc and engaging Hannah in 'learning' activities more than I do ...sigh ... I know that isn't their intention but still ... I felt a bit like a naughty scholol girl who hadn't done her homework!

On a more positive note - Hannah's PT was thrilled with her progress when she saw her. hannah has very loose ligaments - she has a definite wonky walk - but such determination to try things and keep at them. We are instituting weekly wheelbarrow races with her and Kit (for upper body strength) as well as some other activities - for when I am not using the flash cards and story books with ehr I guess - never mind encouraging the various types of play, getting her fine motor drawing and cutting skills up to scratch ... sigh ... do I need to say that the level of stress blew out witht he usual domestic argument of 'who does all the work around here?'!!!

And back to bad news - Hannah did well for the PT today but her hearing is worse than the last time it was tested - so now I am off to the GP to see if by some miracle it is simply an infection that can be treated with antibiotics (she has already had 2 courses of them this winter) or be referred to an ENT - and from there ??? I don't know - gromits? The audiologists were very impressed with ehr manners though - they had given her a lovely loud Banana in Pajama to play with while they tried to look in her ears - and when it was time to go and they asked if she was going to leave the toy - she walked over and put it back ont eh chair where one of them had got it from for her - such excellent manners! I was rather impressed that she clearly remebered their duracell bunny playing the drum from her last visit and kept looking over at it whether there was sound or not!

So then it was off to the shopping centre to buy a small toy for each brat - Kit because he did a 'big poo' on the toilet this morning and Hannah bear for being so good at her ear appointment even if she failed the test.