Becca's Logical Leaps

Becca, my 5 3/4 year old daughter, has had a little 'thinking explosion' recently.  Kind of like when both kids had language explosions at various times.  (Becca has Down syndrome)

Story #1
Last Saturday I took her to Pierce's birthday party at Sun Country.  He's one of her kindergarten classmates, and most of the class was there.  Becca had fun and especially enjoyed the ball pit.  At the very end, the Sun Country helpers were calling for the kids from the bday party to line up.  All the other kids came running, but Becca didn't want to get out of the ball pit.  I called to her, the other kids called to her.  I started to take my shoes off to go in after her, but changed my mind.  She's almost 50 pounds now, and it's really hard for me to try and forcefully carry her.  And I didn't want to make a scene in front of her friends.

So I told the group to go on ahead, we'd be there in a minute.  Then the negotiations began.  I told Becca it was time to go, that she would be getting a balloon.  Not interested.  I told her it was time to go back to Nani's to pick up Joey.  She asked "My turn see Nani?"  I told her yes, she would get to see Nani.  "Mommy Joey?" she asked.  I laughed.  That was the logical leap.  Yes, I told her.  I would take Joey and she could stay at Nani's by herself!  Then she crawled out of the ball pit on her own.

Story #2
Becca has a little fixation on Christian's older brother Spencer.  So when we were getting out of the car one day at home, Becca starts in on "Spencer my house?"  No, I told her, Spencer is a big kid.  He plays with big kids.  Becca is a little kid.  You play with little kids. 

Becca thinks about this.  Then she asks "Courtney little kid?"  Yes, I tell her, Courtney is a little kid.  Then Becca proclaims happily, "Courtney come my house!"  LOL.  What an adorable imp!

Joey learned to ride his bike!

Mimi and Papa Bob are away at Pelican Inlet this week.  I picked up both the kids from school today and we went to check out the newly re-opened Possum Creek Park.  Now it has a skate board area.

Then I took Becca to Uncle Bill's and Joey and I came home for a few hours.  I told him I wanted to have him practice on his bike.  He said he thought today was the day.  I said then so did I!

At first I had him pushing along the curb on his bigger bike.  Not much success.  We went back to the driveway, I wanted to show him how to glide without putting his feet on the pedals, so I got on his big bike.  Then I said why don't you go get your small (red) bike and we can both try.

That did it!  He said, Mom let me try, I think I can do it.  So I let him be while I rode around the driveway some.  Sure enough, within a few minutes he rode out into the cul de sac!!!!

I dropped the bike I was on and ran out screaming 'Joey you did it!' and gave him a big hug :-)

We went around the cul de sac together (each on a bike) a few times.  He's still wobbly, catches and stops himself by putting his feet down, starts best with the momentum of going down and off the driveway.

In the end, I think what gave him the final motivating push is that his younger cousin Natalie (4) is learning to ride a two wheeler.  Joey is 7, turning 8 this month.

Anyway, Joey is ecstatic!  I'm ecstatic!  It was a good, good day.  He called Nani, Daddy, and Mimi & Papa Bob to tell them all the great news.