Taking the Scenic Route

Zora’s valentine’s cards

Flowers from Zach and the kids

The cards Zora handed out.  She wanted the “teasing cards”.  (they change pictures when you move them)  She carefully chose stickers to put on each card and attached each to a little packed of conversation hearts.  (nerdy mom thought “conversation” hearts were a very appropriate gift for a speech therapy preschool.  lol)

The cards Zane handed out.  He also put stickers on his cards and attached conversation hearts.  He deliberately chose the ones that said “You’re a good Fur-iend” for the boys in his Friendship Group (social skills group), and the “You’re a Cool Cat” for Terese.  I think he had the “I smell a Valentine”  for Diane, and I can’t remember what he chose for Rosie any more.  (I probably have pictures of  the actual cards sent out, but they are trapped on the defunct hard drive).  I thought it was interesting that he loved this pack so much…there was no debate, once he saw these, he wouldn’t even consider any others.

After we took Zane to his last day at Heartspring, I left Zach and Zane at home to go to Zora’s Valentine Party at school.  She handed out the valentine cards with the conversation hearts (which seemed more appropriate than usual at a “speech-language-hearing” clinic) to all of her friends and the teachers.  Since she can barely write her name, and can’t really write it small enough to put on the cards, I did the writing in a crayon of her choice and then she put stickers on the card.

Then she made a 2 cards from all of the fun supplies.

This is the Clinical Educator and Student ST in charge of her individual therapy.  The valentine’s cards that Zora picked were those hologram ones where there are two pictures that change as you move the card.   In her ST sessions this week they had similar hologram stickers  and called them “teasing” stickers (they were stickers in the session, and they were talking about teasing), and when Zora saw these valentine cards she wanted the “teasing ones”.    Here she is showing them the valentine’s card she bought, plus the one she made (the white paper with the “writing” on it), connected to the baggie of conversation heart packages.

She had fun and it was good to see her at school.

Last year I was the bad mom who didn’t even think to buy valentine’s cards for the kids to give out, so this year I made sure to get to the store and have the kids pick some out before they were gone.  Zane also picked out a going away/thank you/valentine’s gift for Diane since we are leaving Heartspring this week. (a Reese’s peanut butter heart)

The kids talked us into giant lollipops, something I can’t remember them ever having before, and they relished them, sitting side by side, quietly licking the lollipops.  It was really sweet.

Zora was throwing a huge tantrum when Zach left to run to the store.  She was inconsolable.  A few minutes pass, then Zane walks up to her and hands her one of his valentine’s cards (we made for his therapists and friends at Reading Explorers and the other kids in his group speech therapy) and tells her “Happy Valentine’s Day” and then goes to get a lollipop for her and brings it to her.  It stops her in her tracks and she becomes the happiest girl ever.  I look at the card he handed her and realize he actually filled it out and folded it up like they are designed to do.  On his own.  Totally.  Not only did we not prompt him in any way, we didn’t even know he was doing it.

Two for one. 

One card,

a happy little sister, and a teary eyed, overwhelmed Mom.

I love my little guy.