Meanwhile, the Children...

So, I should also write a bit of an update about the girls.

Gwen: Gwen is doing really well. She has her assisted speaking device now (the Vanguard), which is a bit large and clunkly but will soon be replaced by the Vantage -- the same device but smaller and more portable, and is learning how to use it at a steady clip. The other day she wanted pasta soup and found the 'macaroni' icon then went to the abc screen and spelled out S O U O P. Then she hit the button to make it all be said together: Macaroni Soup. She giggled and hit it a few times. I was insanely proud -- I had no idea she knew how to spell soup! (We of course got her pasta soup, pronto!) She's intensely clever, but I worry all the time she's off in here own world too much and is so used to the idea that nobody will understand her abstract thoughts and questions that she's given up on trying to communicate them. For instance, her wonderful uncle, zantony, gave her The Giving Tree for the holidays, and we read it together. Afterwards, she was making great eye contact and looked so contemplative, and was slowly and thoughtfully saying a lot of things, half-questions, half-statements. In these I could understand the word 'tree' repeatedly but... that was it. I tried as hard as I could to make supportive and encouraging responses and tried to get her to repeat things to give me a second chance to understand but... she wandered off. Sigh. And the Vanguard ("talk box") is not yet helpful in situations like these as she doesn't yet know how to express complex, abstract thoughts with it. (neither do I for that matter. I worry it really can't be used that way.) She remains very interested in shepherding her little sister -- both for the sake of safety and for the sake of keeping her out of her own toys.

Glory continues to be a wonder -- but this week a very congested and mildly flu-ridden wonder. She has many words -- words for fish and cat and bear and book and apple and eggs and a host of other things. Fish are her favorite thing ever -- so much so that ibizar and woldkill gave us a 10 gallon tank they weren't using and we now have it stocked with three rosie barbs and 2 tricolor "sharks". Running into Christopher's office to watch the fish antics is more or less Glory's favorite activity apart from chasing her big sister around the house. She's into everything, she loves to be read to, to do her peg puzzles, stack a few simple blocks... a host of things. Her other absolutely favorite thing is music of any kind -- she loves to play her simple percussion instruments, or to hit the music buttons on battery toys and bop around. She walks forwards and backwards and climbs flights of stairs and couches and I am pretty sure would fly if she could sprout wings.

And now... I'm cutting this a bit short, as Mom is about to come over and relieve me so I can take a shower. She's also bringing hot bagels. She really is awesome. I just wish we could talk instead of all the ranting and lectures.