The Tooth Fairy

I was fixing breakfast when I happened to glance over at Antalya who had her hand in her mouth, and a sudden look of fear on her face.
I knew what was happening before I even looked in her mouth.
I admit, my first impulse was to panic. And I did for a minute.

But then, my first born surprised me (as she usually does).
She got excited about that little wobbly tooth in her mouth and couldn't stop playing with it.
And for three days she proudly showed everyone her loose tooth.

And then as we were getting ready for bed, and Antalya was practicing her singing in the bathroom mirror, the little thing popped right out.
She stopped singing just long enough to reach in, pull it out, flash me a smile, and hand the tooth to me.
Then she was right back to her singing, as if something huge hadn't just happened.

I tried to explain the Tooth Fairy.
Antalya wasn't interested at all, but Victoria got excited thinking Abby Cadabby (the fairy from Sesame Street) was coming to their room that night.

The Tooth Fairy came.
Antalya did really care.
But Victoria still talks about when Abby Cadabby came to their room and took Antalya's tooth and brought her some money.

And now, (even with a dirty face) Antalya has just climbed at least ten notches on the cutest scale!

Ski Lesson I

Today was the day!
My little girl put on a pair of skis for the first time.

The boots were heavy.
The sun was shining.
The instructor was perfect.
There were lots of smiles.
And she's excited to go back next week!


Victoria and I only stuck around for the first few minutes to take a some pictures. I'm pretty sure she was the only one on the slope rocking pink shades and striped sock shoes. She played the very concerned younger sister and didn't want to leave Antalya's side.


Jason strapped on his skis and stayed with Antalya for the session to help her feel more secure. He said she did really well, and once the instructor put the leash on her which allowed her more independence, Antalya really loved it.


She's got four more lessons to go. I think by the end of the session she will be pretty confident in a pair of skis!



Now for any of you that live in Utah and have kiddos with special needs I must add that I was incredibly impressed with the National Ability Center. They teach recreational and sports activities to children and adults with all sorts of special needs. This is our first experience with them, but I think after today, this will be an organization we will turn to for many things for years to come.

• I was impressed that they gave detailed directions to their office (including which way to turn when you exited the elevator). It is so frustrating wondering around lost when I'm trying to keep Antalya with me. 
• They provided free parking that was really close to ski slope. No battling with the crowds for a spot.
• The lessons are private, so Antalya had one-on-one attention the entire time. 
• The instructor was amazing. I filled out pages of information in order to register which included questions about how to best communicate with the child, and how to handle situations when the child is uncooperative. The instructor carefully read over all of it, and used key phrases I had written down that help Antalya stay focused, listen, and communicate.
• They provided all the equipment, including helmet and goggles.
• They are very reasonably priced.
• They offer a ton of classes from skiing, snowboarding, swimming, horseback riding, rock climbing, and so on. 

So go check them out!

Evaluations

I know most of you moms will think I am absolutely crazy when I admit...
I love evaluations!
Sure, it highlights all the things Antalya isn't doing that her peers have already mastered.
But, it's a chance for her to show off all the things she CAN do!
I'm sure it helps that my daughter is a performer. You get her in a room with several sets of eyes on her and she just eats up all the attention.

Today Antalya was evaluated for adaptive PE services.
Victoria and I served as her cheerleaders during the process.
It was so much fun watching her do her best to catch a ball, jump over a rope, hop on one foot, gallop, and throw overhand.
But the highlight of my day was most definitely watching my little girl try to walk sideways across the gym floor. At first she couldn't figure out why everyone was walking sideways when it was so much easier to just turn and walk normal. But she did her very best to follow the instructions, and very slow, but steady took one step after another, eventually making her way.

You should have seen the smile on her face!!
(And my grin was just as big!)

She wasn't the least bit concerned that she didn't have perfect form, or that she went incredibly slow, or that it was really difficult for her. She was just thrilled that she had tried, and somewhat succeeded at a new task.

And that is one of the many things I love about my Antalya!

First Day on the Slopes

Antalya resists things she doesn't understand.

Especially if that something involves anything else touching her, or any stranger talking to her. 

This is why we continue to struggle with things such as band-aids, visits to the doctor, and her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

So when it comes to new experiences, we try to expose her to as much of the new experience we can before the actual experience.

Next week Antalya will have her first ski lesson at the National Ability Center.

We really, really, really want this to be a positive experience! 

Jason and I enjoy skiing, and it would be so great if this were something that we could do as a family. 

And it's right up her alley - Antalya loves speed, loves being outside, and loves anything she can control herself. 

So to get her ready for her first experience, we decided to take the girls to a local ski resort, watch the skiers, and have a picnic. 

The weather was absolutely gorgeous. 

Fresh snow, the sun shining, and blue sky. 

We took time to point out the big boots, the tall skis, the helmet, the gloves, the coats, etc.

And then watched as the skiers young and old came down the hill and then stopped. 

After our picnic, we decided it wouldn't hurt to ask if we could hop on the lift since there were no lines.

They said yes!

Watching the skiers whiz down the slope from way up high on the chair lift was perfect.

The girls love it!

It was a completely free family activity.

And hopefully when next Saturday rolls around and a stranger is trying to fit Antalya with a pair of skies, she will remember how much fun we had on our "ski picnic" and be happy to go along with the flow of things.