Making Christmas Ornaments

As I was starting to make Thanksgiving preparations this morning, Blondie and Cheesie were sitting at the table working on a craft kit for making wreath ornaments. Cheesie ripped through her half, but Blondie was getting frustrated. I started holding the pipe cleaner she was using to string beads, and Brian started looking for her grip thingie (I don't have a better word for it).

She used to use this when she was little to hold paper when she was cutting, but this year she hasn't needed it as her left hand holds paper down sufficiently and she really didn't want to use it at school this year. We initially bought 3 of these and we kept one at home, one in her classroom, and one in her art classroom. We bought them here: www.allegromedical.com/daily-living-aids-c519/easi-grip-free-hand-paper-holder-p500980.html We did however buy several different clamp to hold it to the table because the one that came with it was insufficient. We have a traditional little orange clamp (looks like a C with a twisty thing that screws down the clamp), and the blue one you see in the picture which is our favorite (made by IRWIN). Blondie can use this one quickly to release and adjust, but it doesn't do fatter tables like the traditional one does

Today we used it to hold the pipecleaner, and then her left arm had to be used to stabilize the other end while she put the bead on and slid it down. One thing our kids are weak with is the fine motor skills in BOTH hands. Blondie didn't play with 2 hands once she got sick at 2.75 years old, so the fine muscles in her right hand are also weaker and it shows in her handwriting. Anything we can do to have her working it is great.


I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving, and may your family and friends all be healthy and safe.

Lefty playing games,

A few nights ago, Blondie was playing the computer, and called us to come see her use her left arm to play. Please disregard the junk on the table....




Here is a shot of the nasty eye bruise.... thankfully its getting better.

Black Eye

I came from my conference on Friday, and about 40 miles out I got a phone call from Brian. Blondie had been pushed down on the playground on Thursday and had a really bad black eye.... but he was on his way to the pediatrician's office because her eyelid was actually bruised... and the white of her eye was now bright red. This morning, Sunday, we woke up to the red having spread.... it's gross.... it is now out to the bright blue of her iris. We'll be calling the ped, and the opthamologist tomorrow if it continues to spread. Has anyone else "bruised" their eyeball? Ick. I can't bring myself to post the picture. Maybe tomorrow if a bunch of the face bruising is gone. Sigh.... does this ever end? Do we keep her from playing on the playground? I don't think so, but between the possibility of a broken arm, and now a bruised eyeball, I'm going to have to come up with something.