Living in America... visitors welcome

[SuperBunny]

East Coast
MaNanny - Boston
Twinmommytobe - Boston
MuminCT - CT
Greatgooglymoogly - NY State
Yesthereare4ofthem - NY State
Brooklynmom - NYC
alarkaspree - NYC
MKG - New Jersey
Mummimamma - PA
Poetmum - PA
Twirl - MD

South
Earlybird - TN
jabberwocky - AR
Sunchowder - Florida
Marls001 - Bentonville, AR
Tinpot - NC
MadameDeathStare- AL

Midwest
SuperBunny- Chicago
Dodgykeeper - Dayton, OH
Chocchipcookie - Ohio
MonkeyLover
KickAssAngel - Ann Arbor, MI
MumofFivemeanschaos

Rockies
Alipiggie - Boulder, CO
Ribena

Northwest
AnnieLaurie - Seattle, WA
Dooneygirl - Oregon City, OR

California
SittingBull - nr San Francisco
Califrau - Milpitas
loopsngeorge - Brentwood, LA
Syd - Manhattan Beach, LA
SofiaAmes - LA
LATyke - Redondo Beach
CarmenSanDiego - San Diego

Texas
Texan - Dallas
Tiggyhop - Houston
Vixie78 - Houston
BananaPudding - Austin
Cosmicdust - East Texas

Canada
Hellish - Ottawa
Shouldlistenedtomymum - Hamilton
Nooka - BC
Jacksmama - Langley

Exotic Islands
Anorak - Bermuda
cp - Trinidad
Barefeete - BVI

Brazil
Albert

They recommended OT in the States (mostly for his handwriting) so definitely something to follow up. He would love a hammock, although actually at home he isn't a (particularly) difficult child. When he was younger, and really threw terrible tantrums at school they used to use one of the sensory rooms as a reward for good behaviour/calm down space (we had a unit for children with significant behavioural problems, and ds benefited from the special equipment). What's frustrating I guess is that he really seemed to have grown out of most of this, and it really wasn't an issue in NYC. Still I guess that might just have been because we weren't there long enough.

I just sold my cello

Hello ladies - can i interrupt your thread briefly?

I am going to Bermuda in June and wanted to chat to Anorak about it (had mentioned it to her many months ago but it's all booked now) so searched for her and her last post was on this thread over a week ago.
(She was going for a checkup in Boston.)

Anyone heard from her since?

Anorak - if you're lurking, wanted to say we're staying at the Rosedon in Hamilton unless a special offer comes up somewhere else or my brother finds us a housesit.

Hello swimming, Anorak is not far from a computer. If you mention Scrabble, she might come out of hiding

We have snow

Snow? wow!

Scrabble, hmm i'm not very good at scrabble, will keep an eye out, nothing urgent

Am sure she'll pop on soon.

Hello!

We'll have to meet up. I'll CAT you.

Swimming I can't CAT you as your preferences are set not to receive messages. Can you CAT me and I will give you my email address.

Anorak! How are you?

think i have sorted CAT and messaged you anorak

I'm fine SB, how are you?

Swimming, sometimes CATs take a while to come through as they have to wait for MN towers to send them. I'll reply when I get it.

I'm ok.

I'm making English muffins.

nooka, I forgot you were in BC.

This is the swing we have. I think sensory behavior is something one could easily fall back into in times of stress, such as a move. We have integrated lots of things in the playroom for ds1. In addition to the swing we have a mini-trampoline, bean bag chair and a little climbing wall.

I had a parent consultation this week for DS & his playgroup. Whilst he doesn't have the sensory issues that the other children have, the leaders (developmental psychologist & occupational/ play therapists) said that when DS is stressed (eg by other children shouting or someone taking his toy or being aggressive), he tends to become very 'fast' and needs to move his body a lot. They said that lots of children do this, which I hadn't really noticed. Anyway, they said he is beginning to soothe himself in other physical ways, eg by playing in the rice box or lying in the beans or going on the swing - they said the pressure and motion really helps him. They said, good stuff to do at home would be:

Wrap him tightly in a blanket (as a game, obviously) like a baby burrito.

Have a mini trampoline

Have a swing

Fill a duvet cover with cushions so it is big and puffy like a 'cloud' that they can lie in. A bean bag would be similar.

Not sure why I am sharing all this but it seemed to be similar to what Jabber was saying.

Yes, all good suggestions. One of the things I have done with ds1 is play the cookie dough game. He lies on the floor as the dough and I "roll" him out with deep pressure. He also loves to get under the comforter in his bed and I pretend I'm making up the bed and can't understand why it is lumpy. So I keep pushing the "lump" to try to smooth the bed.

hi guys, sorry i ran out in the middle of my angst, rl happened to get busy (good busy for once).

as dd is starting to feel more confident with her class, i'm not going to push her to skip a grade this year. there's a big shuffle of kids going from grades 2 to 3, so if she skipped from grade 1 to 3 at the end of next year, she'd be joing a class that had a load of different kids in, rather than an established group. it's really awkward as she seems to be about 6 months ahead generally, so she just doesn't fit the system.

i took dd shoe shopping this afternoon - oh, the agony!!

anorak - is there any way of playing scrabble on facebook now we're in the US? now i just need some US friends to play with. we used to play scrabble in the uk loads on facebook, groups of us teachers & it was vicious!! i NEVER let the kids see my facebook pages, the language was very, erm, educational, even for the 6th form.

Anorak beats everyone every game. And we still keep coming back anyway. (And think she's great!)

Kickass - are you on FB? I'll play lexulous with you (the sucky US version)

Cookie dough is a great idea. We sometimes play 'cooking Dinner' - which means DS lies on the bed and I chop him up, roll him around and sprinkle him with cheese before baking him then eating him

And, another favourite like Jabber's, when DS won't go to bed, I tuck him in then pretend I am going to go to sleep and 'forget' that he is there then lie on him, not understanding why the bed is lumpy. He thinks it's hilarious and I think the deep pressure for him is soothing.

lol at cooking Dinner

at the cello SB

I keep looking at the space where the cello was and reminding myself that it is a move toward better things. Hopefully. The wad of cash on the table helps somewhat.

my best friend at school had a cello, she rarely used to remove the spike on it, and happily gouged her way along the school corridors. it was fun being behind her until she let it swing backwards! even more fun crossing london on the tube.

ok, how do i find people on fb? do we give away our names here, or are you all CATable?