Puzzling

Brady P. has been into puzzles lately.

Pretty much every day we do at least one of those big floor puzzles.  Anywhere from 32-60 pieces.  And he is getting really good at it!

He's got many to choose from: dinosaurs, Charlie Harper animals, pirate ship, farm and (his new favorite) the United States of America.

It's quite charming to hear him say "United States of America" because, well, that's a mouthful!  He says it so fast that sometimes it just sounds like "Jamaica," but at least I can recognize what he's getting at!

So we'll sit down and do a puzzle or two in the afternoon.  The puzzles sit on the floor for a little while and when he comes back to one, he'll pull a few pieces out, bounce that little index finger in the air and say, "one more time."  Then put them all back in.

I find that quite unique.  I haven't known anyone else to do that before, but I like it.  If we leave a puzzle on the floor, he will do part of it over. 

He will actually do it several times and pull apart different corners or edges of the puzzle.  And he always gets it back together 100% on his own.

What a guy!

He is also really into these opposite cards.  He is quite proficient in matching each of the opposites together.  Then he likes to sink them all back in the box.

Never ending entertainment, I tell ya!

And to recap our bowling event last weekend, it was a success!  A few families came.  All the kids made friends with each other (I could tell by how they were all chasing each other around at the end).  A few of the parents exchanged phone numbers and some picked up resources for future use.

We will do this again with older kids soon.  Thanks for your support!

Rainy Day Genius

Yesterday it rained for part of the afternoon.  One of those hallelujah soakers that top off a gorgeous week of sunny and 70's with no bugs right before the humidity rises to a sweltering heat.  You know, that one or two days of hot and muggy per summer that we get here next to Lake Superior.

Luckily, Brady P., Grammy Linda and I already sat out on the shore to throw rocks.  We were certainly sun-kissed when we returned home for the little man's nap.

He passed right out.  Another hallelujah moment.

On rainy days, we have to get creative.  Luckily, Brady P. is easily entertained with books, puzzles, music and animals.  He is, quite honestly, a nerd when it comes to books.  If it's just the two of us, and I am performing my household duties, I'll notice that things are a little quiet.  That's when a mom worries.  Then I'll franticly look to where I saw him last, and find him sitting down with a book in his lap, flipping through the pages like he's studying for a test.  I just chuckle to myself.  That little nerd.

When it comes to puzzles, he's a genius.  We may as well get rid of all the puzzles that have the back board matching the piece that goes on top of it.  Way too easy.  He need ages 3+ puzzles, and he is not three years old yet.  

One puzzle that I am particularly amazed by is the shape puzzle.  I could type up a detailed analysis of how impressive his skills are with this puzzle, but you probably wouldn't believe me, so here is a video.

Well, that was most of the puzzle.  I don't even know if I would have the attention span to complete it while listening to my dry tone.  He has completed it many times, however, and that was take number seven for the day.

So you may or may not be amazed that a two-and-three-quarters year old boy with Down syndrome can do a puzzle like that. He actually conquered it last winter.  But do you know why he is so smart?  Because somebody believes in him.  I believe in him.  His whole family, all his friends and our community believes in him.  He defies the odds in many aspects of his life, and this is certainly one of those aspects.

A month before this video was taken, I had Braeden show his Early On coordinator (a program that helps give parents and children with extra needs the tools for success during ages birth to three) the shape puzzle.  I asked her, "Can we show off for you?"

"Please do," she answered.  When I pulled out the shape puzzle and dumped out the pieces, she added, "Now, you know this puzzle is for ages three to four."

"Okay," I shrugged.  Then I asked Brady P. to find the blue trapezoid.  When he picked it up and put it in, she about tipped over!

"Wow, Amanda," she gasped.  "I figured he could put the pieces in, but I never expected him to know the shapes!"

Bam.  Brady P. knows his shapes.

He knows a lot of things.  Though he is still working on speaking, he can point to the numbers 1-10 if you ask.  He can point to many letters of the alphabet correctly.  He can pick out just about any animal in the world.  He knows big from little, happy from sad and up from down.  He can recognize and show me about thirty signs in order to communicate.  He is just starting to understand the concept of colors.

And even sweeter than all the numbers and shapes in the world, he knows when somebody needs a hug, and he gives them one, making their day better.