Celebrating our fantastic weekend team

We have been very lucky that for almost two years, and one year, respectively, two fantastic ladies, Shampaigne and Martalicia, have been coming to our house on the weekends to play with our kiddos. At 8am the bell rang, and I knew that my kids would be loved and challenged for the next hours while playing with these ladies. Shampaigne just graduated, so she is moving back to Dallas, and Martalicia will spend the summer in Mexico and will come back in the Fall. We will miss you, but I know we will be always connected. Thank you so much for all your help during all this time! We love you and will be forever grateful for your love for our kids!

Ideas for Liam

With Liam, focus on these ideas this week:

- Follow the leader/Simon says type of games

- Puppets and Pillow Pets in pretend play - go wild with scenarios you have never tried before

- He seems very interested in Sesame Street characters (went to Duch room to take Rosita and put her in his tent--first time I hear him saying "Rosita")

- Writing words on the white-board by himself

- Remember to focus on the play, not on the language -- the language comes through the play and connection -- the more connected and involved in the play, the more language he will use.

Mary's graduation

Throughout the years, I have been very excited about all my SonRise team members' graduations from UH -- Jessie's, Kristen's, Shampaigne's, Mary's undergrad one - or St Thomas - Bensy's - but I had never been able to be in one. Finally, I saw Mary graduating this Saturday from BAUER, and it was really a happy moment filled with pride and gratitude for this amazing lady who has played with my kids for hundreds of hours since October 2010. She is the real deal: an accountant who loves to play with kids with autism. I still remember when I interviewed her on the phone in 2010 :) Thanks for all these years of play, Mary! We will enjoy the time we still have with you in our team until you join your accounting job in August :) Here is the first picture I have of you in a group meeting!