Snowy Chloe

Chloe got out for a little fun in the snow. She didn't seem to mind walking in snow that was up to her waist. She wore a hat, which she usually won't, but she refused to wear gloves.

You May Have Heard About the Snow...

Chloe hasn't been out yet, but Simba's having a great time. See video below.

Looking for a Holiday Photo

Getting the right holiday photo takes several tries. Here are some samples from our first. The swinging one is a good shot of her tooth gap, and we love the one with Chloe's hand on Mark's head!

Old Teeth, New Teeth

As you can see, Chloe lost her second tooth -- so now she's missing both front bottom teeth. It's been hard to get good photos of that area, but the bottom one clearly shows her adult teeth already coming in.

A Happy Day

This year we are thankful that Chloe is healthier than she's been in a long time, that she smiles and laughs more often, and that we have so much support and love from family and friends. We hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. Here's Chloe at Thanksgiving dinner. She had a great day.


In the morning, we went to Wal-Mart, and the highlight was trying to get her to try on a hat. She doesn't like anything on her head, but she was a good sport while I got these photos.

Thanksgiving Update

Chloe's been having a good few months. She hasn't had a drop seizure -- one when she's awake -- since Halloween Day. In all, she has only four recorded seizures in November so far. But last night, when she was sleeping with us, she had one and woke up crying. For the past week or so, she's been waking up about once a night crying, and now we're wondering if she's been having more seizures than we know about.

But she's been happy, engaged, and energetic, and we visited her at school last week and were very impressed with her level of engagement and progress. Kindergarten got off to a rough start, partly because it was a big transition after being at the same school with many of the same teachers for three years, and partly because she was having a lot of seizures in September. On one hand, the teachers learned how to deal with a seizure and keep Chloe safe, but on the other hand, she wasn't very open to learning and participating, especially with new people.

Now she seems to be settling in to her new routine, and seems to be getting the concepts of waiting when she's in group activities.

Happy Thanksgiving! Look for photos tomorrow.

Simba the Volunteer Dog

Easter Seals sent us a few photos of Simba from his past few visits there with Chloe. You can see how much he loves the attention, and how much the kids like him.

Chloe's New Wheels

Chloe has a new tricyle, and as you can see, it's a very special one. It has a seatbelt, support for her waist, straps for her feet, and a cushioned bar to help her steer. It can be used with or without the bar to pull her, but as she learns to use the pedals herself, that will be really helpful. Look how good her posture is -- her seat is at the lowest level, so she'll be able to ride it for many years. Here's a one-minute video showing her first ride:

Chloe Lost Her First Tooth!

Yes, Chloe lost her first tooth -- and she REALLY lost it. It came out while she was at home with a therapist, who noticed that her mouth was bleeding a little. Chloe didn't seem to be in any pain, and we noticed that one of her front bottom teeth was gone. We looked for it -- either for a souvenir or the tooth fairy -- but it was nowhere to be found. I've been trying to get a photo of the new gap, but the best I could do was this video of her laughing. She even seems to be pointing to the spot where her tooth used to be.

Tricking and Treating

We got an early start trick-or-treating with some of Chloe's 5-year-old friends. Chloe, Amy, and I all wore hockey jerseys as an easy costume, and Simba came along. It was fun going as a big group, and then we came home early for Chloe's dinner and bed.

The group

Pre-Halloween

Today Chloe had a Halloween party and parade at school. Unlike her small preschool, this was a full-blown dance party with a dj. One by one, each grade marched around the basketball court with their teachers, and I was disappointed that the school- and community-based children like Chloe were identified separately. So instead of marching with the other kindergarten students, Chloe marched with the other special-ed students. They did get a nice round of applause from the other students and teachers, so that was nice to see. But if the goal is inclusion, it seems contrary to single out the special-ed students like that.

Chloe's "costume" was an Asian outfit that someone gave us a long time ago. It was very practical and soft, unlike many traditional costumes.



Working on coloring, with "block" crayons that are easier for her to hold. She still has very little interest.


Chloe's favorite costume? This little boy who dressed as the Fruit of the Loom grape guy, with balloon grapes.

Chloe's on the Go

We love watching Chloe run. The people who own this big yard share it for the neighborhood's Octoberfest -- and it's the best spot for sledding when it snows.

Walking Simba

This week is the first time Chloe has ever held the leash to walk Simba. To be honest, it has a lot to do with her interest in the leash itself, but it's still great to see her walk her dog.

Octoberfest

Chloe had a good weekend, including spending part of Sunday at the annual Octoberfest in our neighborhood.

Starting the day in a great mood.


Walking the dog.






Simba joined the rest of the family on the hayride around the neighborhood.

The Corn Maze

At first this 52-second video clip may seem pretty boring -- following Chloe as she walks through part of the corn maze at Butler's Orchard -- but pay attention to a few things. First, Chloe has been so healthy lately that we felt comfortable letting her walk (a few times) on her own -- without using her backpack, helmet, or holding her hand. Second, her stability is excellent. She was navigating uneven terrain and following the winding path perfectly.


This video is self-explanatory -- Chloe laughing while playing in the hay. She's playing with the "tail" of her doggie backpack.


Sorry about the quality -- I took these with the camera, not the camcorder.

A Great Fall Day

If you wonder what Chloe's best days are like, today is a good example. She woke up, ate her breakfast, and was in a good mood. She went to Sunday school and participated in all the activities, including quietly sitting on the floor for circle time and at the table for an arts project. She came home and had lunch, then took a LONG nap. Then we went to Butler's Orchard, a pumpkin patch with a Halloween festival that's become a family tradition. She rode a pony, played with hay in the barn, walked through the corn maze, and happily posed for a lot of photos (see below). Then home, dinner, bath, and bed.

In a good mood before we even pulled out of the driveway:


Exploring the hay:


In the corn maze:


Getting a drink after conquering the corn maze:


In the barn:

Fingers Crossed

Chloe continues to do very well -- just two seizures in the past nine days, and even happier and more energetic and playful. Today poses a challenge to this streak. Chloe got her seasonal flu shot, and she's had bad reactions to her past few vaccinations. She was very brave getting her shot -- not even a whimper, compared with a boy before her who kept yelling "I DON'T WANT TO DO IT! I DON'T WANT TO DO IT! I DON'T WANT TO DO IT!"