Friday, August 13, 2010

The letter A...

...is one dot. A Braille cell is made up of 6 dots - 2 vertical columns with 3 in each column. The letter "A" is dot number one, the upper left corner position. Zelda is learning the Braille alphabet. She is grasping the concept of reading - left to right, starting in the upper left hand corner. Just like Creed is learning the concept of reading by holding a book upright as opposed to upside down, moving his eyes from left to right, following the letters, words and sentences. I am very specific with her teachers when we get together to set her IEP (Individual Educational Plan) for the school year. Her goals must be the same as a sighted child at her age. In this case (among so many others!), it's great to have twins; not to compare them, but to track and be aware of age appropriate goals. So, Zelda is learning her ABC's and every time she feels one dot, one button or even a small knob, she will proudly announce "A"!

Another thing Zelda likes to do is snuggle, kiss, and pat my body. She'll gently pat a part of my arm and ask "Mommy, what's this?" And I'll respond, "That's my wrist, Zelda" - constantly trying to add to her specific vocabulary.
"Mom, what's this?" "That's my back, Zelda."
"Mom, what's this?" - as she pats my chest. "That's my chest and those are my breasts."
And then... she feels my nipple and proudly says: "Mommy, "A"!!!"

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Merci, Madame Darla...

A brief interlude, a photo shoot and a connection to my Blackmail Design Blog... go there to see more photos and read about that morning...


Zelda