Fall Fun

Hello, everyone. I am hoping that you haven't given up on me and are still checking in! Here are a few tidbits on Ziva since the last entry...Ziva has settled into school again, but without those naps every other day (like last year), she is a whiny thing when we get home! I still try to do some "homework" with her every day but sometimes it is difficult!

Lately, Ziva has been getting very snuggly with me, loves to sit on my lap, and loves to be picked up. I know, she's 4 1/2 and may seem too old to be picked up and carried around...but hey, we are both just making up for lost time! When we are out together, she absolutely loves to point to me and tell people, "MY mommy!" She is getting rather possessive! I know I have mentioned how much Ziva loves music and singing. She will often sing songs to the tune of "Old McDonald" or "The Farmer in the Dell"...but the only word she keeps singing over and over is "Mommy". It's adorable.

When Ziva went to the doctor's in July, she was 92.5 cm tall; last week we measured her and she is now 96 cm! No wonder her pants are too short on her every two weeks!

Ziva is loving swimming lessons. She loves the water so much, but the entire experience is still overwhelming to her. For the first few weeks, Scott was allowed in the pool with her and he said that her heart races the entire time. Her adrenaline is in overdrive. She dunks her head under the water so often that she doesn't even listen to the instructor or do what she is supposed to be doing. But I guess that is why we are going...so eventually it will not be overwhelming to her.

Our greatest frustration as of late has been with how other people interact with Ziva (at Sunday school, swimming lessons, school, bank, etc). If they have never met Ziva, we always need to explain that she doesn't really talk because, inevitably, they'll ask her her name, how old she is, or something like that, and she will not answer. Once people find out she doesn't talk, they start to treat her like she is stupid. They seem to think that because she doesn't talk, she also doesn't understand. We have also realized that it is easy for people to take advantage of her because she doesn't talk. We are just constantly reminded of that fact that we are her voice and her advocates.

I have told people that Ziva really reactes to bug bites. And people almost always say back, "Oh, yeah...me too. " Like this? (The bite location is at the black mark.) Poor thing.

First trip to an apple orchard to pick apples.

Thanksgiving Day: a walk at Scotsdale Farm

Jack-o-lantern carving was a hoot this year. Ziva literally dug in...she loved the sensory experience!

All dressed and ready to get some candy! And no, her face isn't wet- that's the gross sparkle gel that I put on her face. She was the cutest butterfly...or angel...or fairy...