Feeling Thankful for These 10 Things!

-
Image
Thanksgiving is of course a time to reflect upon the things for which we are thankful. But like I told Faith the other day, I think we both thank God every day for the blessings he has bestowed upon us.  Each night, we read a scripture together (it's usually one Faith has memorized such as Psalm 23 or John 3:16-21). After our scripture, we recite "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). At the end of that verse, we add our little cheer, "Do good deeds! Say nice things! Be kind!"  This little cheer is just a way to remind both of us, that's how God wants us to act every day. Then we pray, which often begins by thanking God for all that He has done for us and then we pray for others. But the other night after prayer time, I asked Faith to tell me some things she was really thankful for. I told her what I was thankful for as well.  This year, we are feeling especially thankful for ...
Post a Comment

Faith's iPad

-
There's a blog I read called Caleigh's Corner about a little girl with CP. Her symptoms are similar to Faith's except that Caleigh is nonverbal. One of the posts discussed Caleigh having her own iPad along with a special language app to enable her to "talk." I saw the photos of Caleigh with her iPad and thought how awesome that would be for Faith to have her own.

Then, a couple of months ago, during a visit with friends, Faith discovered the Apple iPad for herself. I saw her with an app called Pocket Pond and how she could press the screen to make a splashing noise and the water ripple. She loved it! 

She also checked out a piano app where there are the actual keys of the piano. After she was done looking at it, she looked at me and said in the sweetest voice, "mommy, can we please take that little screen home with us?"

I discussed the prospect of Faith having her own iPad with her speech and physical therapists and they both agreed it would a great tool for Faith, educationally and therapeutically. They both encouraged me to apply for Great American Bike Race (GABR) funds to get Faith her own iPad.

The funds went through, and we excitedly made the purchase for Faith. Before giving it to her, we wanted to find as many useful free apps as possible and also download some of her Sesame Street videos. Finally, the day came for us to give it to her. She was soooo excited! She laughed and screamed, "I have my very own little screen!"

Faith playing Pocket Pond on her iPad with it sitting on her lap

Over the weekend we've been trying to help her maneuver around on the iPad. She's great about pushing the bigger icons but it's going to take some practice for her to touch some of the smaller ones. It's really great practice for using her fine motor skills, though! She needs to have an open hand to operate the touch screen and also be able to put her pointer finger in the right position. I've seen her do that several times this weekend and I'm so excited!

There are tons of apps out there - and I can't wait to be able to purchase some of them. Right now, we have some learning apps that help her with letters, sounds, numbers and sight words. Another app called Dragon Dictation allows her to speak into a microphone and it puts the words on the screen - perfect for our little storyteller!

Faith playing with her iPad while lying on the floor

I really believe having her iPad will help motivate her with learning and with attaining new skills. An added bonus is that it is so light and ultra-portable so we can take all of her apps with us wherever we go!

Faith sitting at the table, playing the piano on her iPad

We are so thankful to GABR for making this a reality for our daughter. There are many parents of children with special needs in other states who do not have funds available to make such a purchase. We can't wait for Faith to bring it to therapy to show everyone!

Having fun with the alphabet on her iPad

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular Posts

Faith's Epic 22nd Birthday Weekend

-
Image
 A while back I had asked Faith what she wanted to do for her birthday. A concert? NDSU Bison game? A mini trip somewhere? Nope, nope, and nope. All she wanted for her birthday was to have a party at the church. She then started naming names of people she wanted to invite. And then she just kept inviting people. (And even recruiting people to help decorate). It was going to be a big party!  Birthday cookies!  Her birthday celebration actually began on Friday. Instead of sharing cupcakes this year with her day program peers and staff, she wanted her Auntie Dawn to make monster cookies for everyone. Faith was so excited to stop by Dawn's office on Friday morning to pick up the cookies.  That evening, I took her to adaptive dance at Northern Plains Dance and was surprised to learn she had a different helper for the evening - her good friend, Maddie! They had fun, but I think Faith just wanted to visit with her instead of dance! After getting home, Faith relaxed to watch...
Read more

Feeling Thankful for These 10 Things!

-
Image
Thanksgiving is of course a time to reflect upon the things for which we are thankful. But like I told Faith the other day, I think we both thank God every day for the blessings he has bestowed upon us.  Each night, we read a scripture together (it's usually one Faith has memorized such as Psalm 23 or John 3:16-21). After our scripture, we recite "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). At the end of that verse, we add our little cheer, "Do good deeds! Say nice things! Be kind!"  This little cheer is just a way to remind both of us, that's how God wants us to act every day. Then we pray, which often begins by thanking God for all that He has done for us and then we pray for others. But the other night after prayer time, I asked Faith to tell me some things she was really thankful for. I told her what I was thankful for as well.  This year, we are feeling especially thankful for ...
Read more

5 Fall Things Faith Loves

-
Image
I swear we just flipped the calendar to August and now September is right around the corner. How can that be? School has started for some of Faith's cousins and the air is a bit brisk during the morning hours.  Fall is definitely my favorite season, but for Faith, I think she likes Spring better. She loves it when winter is finally over and there are no more threats of snowstorms to ruin her plans! That being said, she is looking forward to some things next month and during the upcoming fall season.  1. Fall Leaves/Fun Flavors One of my favorite parts of transporting Faith back and forth to her therapies and day program is that we get to cross the Missouri River twice a day. We love looking at all the trees by the river, the boats in the water, and even some wildlife like antelope, wild turkeys, and lots of birds.  Along with the pretty leaves, there is a cool crisp feel to the air, and the mosquitoes are long gone. Lots of fun flavors make their comeback in coffee shops ...
Read more

Some Thoughts on World Prematurity Day

-
Image
November 17 marks World Prematurity Day . One might wonder why awareness needs to be raised about premature births. Well, I can tell you firsthand that it is a really good thing when more people are aware of the risks and complications, not to mention the emotional toll, of having a baby born too early. Having a baby born prematurely is not something most expectant parents think about until it happens to them. Most moms-to-be who first learn they are pregnant automatically think they have seven or eight months to prepare for one of the biggest days of their life. Expectant parents usually have one response when asked if they are hoping for a boy or a girl - "As long as the baby's healthy." But sadly, sometimes that's not always the case - especially if the baby is born too early. I will never forget the book I was reading shortly after finding out I was pregnant with Faith - "What to Expect When You're Expecting." It was a great resource that o...
Read more