school

Since mid-March Ella has been attending a MINC-T (mixed intense needs class-toddler) in a local elementary school. She has done very well and made lots of progress. So, she is being moved up for next school year. Beginning in September she will be in a 3 year old preschool class (as opposed to a MINC-Preschool). It is still a special ed class (half of the students are in the special ed program and half of the class, called peers, are paying "normally progressed" students), but the children in it have less intense delays or disabilities than in the MINC.

I am very happy that she has made so much progress that they want to move her up to a "better" class, but I am sad for her at the same time because none of the kids who are in her class now will be going with her. Given how social she is, I am sure that she will love the new class just as much as she loves her current one.

Also, she is attending a summer session of classes (called ESY: extended school year) so that she won't lose any of her skills over the long break.

colds and naps

I have another cold. I have lost count of how many I have gotten since Ella started school. This one, however, seems to have come to me via my husband. He and I are both sick and Ella is fine.

Yesterday Ella spent her nap time playing with books on the floor of her room. No sleeping. So, when I get her out of her room she is especially snugly and cuddly. After some time on the couch reading books and playing a little she tells me she wants to play on her swing. So, we move to the back porch for some swinging. After about 20 minutes on the swing she begins to stare outside and stop interacting with me. Next, her hands go behind her head (her preferred sleeping position when she was younger). Within 5 minutes she is asleep, still swinging.

speech progress

For the longest time the only consonant sounds Ella will reliably make are "D" noises. You could get her to occasionally make "B" or "N" noises. She would even, through rarely, make "M" noises. Also, when you try to get her to purse her lips to create a concentrated stream of air (like you would to blow bubbles) she would only blow out with her mouth and throat wide open (as you do when you try to fog up glass).
The great progress is that she is making "B" noises much more frequently. Also, last night she repeatedly pursed her lips to blow a concentrated stream of air. We even got her to blow about 10 bubbles over a couse of 3-4 blows on the bubble wand.