Mind the Gap...

Each Holiday season, I tend to enjoy the TV commercials that advertise the Gap. I know, it's trite - but they're usually upbeat with good music and fun dancing, nevermind that the clothes are of no interest to me. This year, there is one in particular that just makes me happy and sad at the same time.

Have you seen this commercial? There is a group of adorable little girls - probably ages 4-7 - they are all dress in whacky bright colors, stripes and patterns, scarves, sweaters and leg warmers. They dance and smile and seem to be genuinely happy with each other. At the end, they sit and form this human caterpillar and all scoot out of the frame...

I want Zelda to be that happy. I want her to dance with glee with her friends. And hold their hands and communicate with them. To acknowledge their existence and relate to their companionship. Right now, she does well at school but still plays by herself. She'll smile and chat but she seems to be alone most of the time. She has to be taught how to play, what friends mean and do and how they relate...

Yesterday, I dressed la petite Z in a flowered skirt, pink tights, striped socks with little ankle boots and a pink and tangerine sweater. She was at least as cute as those girls on TV and I hope just as happy...

the People, the People...

So, for those of you who missed the infamous People magazine article, since the Oprah cover story is now being replaced by Tiger Woods and his scandal:

Update...

1) 1st photo in a very long time of Zelda with her eyes open.

2) back from TCH in Houston, kids had head CT's and all looks well with their brains and their VP shunts.

3) I am going to have my ovaries removed to cut back on the risk of recurrence of cancer.

More later...

Ze plan, ze plan...

we have had an educational plan for Zelda this year and it has thus far, worked really well...As you know, both Creed and Zelda started at Ecole, their French immersion Montessori school last year. We love the school and they love our kids but this past September we decided to add a bit to Zelda's academics by putting her in PPCD (Public Preschool for Children with Disabilities) each morning for 3 hours. We drop Z off at Gullet Elementary and proceed directly with Creed to Ecole. Three hours later, la petite Z hops on her very own bus that takes her over to join Creed and her other amis at Ecole. So far, it has worked out swimmingly. Zelda receives the extra speech therapy and structural learning as she was at times experiencing frustrations with too many unseen choices in the academic part of the Montessori day. The PPCD program has 2 teachers for 6 students and she has a lot of directed activities as opposed to free time. When, she gets to Ecole, she has socialization, lunch, reading, nap and then hangs out with the other kids for extended day. She still has the French immersion and is doing quite well with it.

Now here's the problem...this 3 hr PPCD program is only for this year at Gullet. So, the hunt has begun for her next level PPCD program which unfortunately will go until 2pm and unfortunately at another school...then over to Ecole. The twins won't start kindergarten until fall 2011 as their birthday misses the cutoff in September. I am thus far feeling exhausted by the prospects of always trying to find the appropriate school for Zelda but at the same time knowing that once she's there, she will be a superstar. The other part of "Ze plan" is getting Creed into the same school and on the same bus when the time comes. For now, he's a happy camper at Ecole - understanding everything that's said to him in French but not really speaking it. La petite Z, on the other hand, out of the blue will say things like..."Il fait chaud" and "J'ai faim."

Ca continue...

La pleine lune...

We introduced them to the full moon these past few nights.

Creed: Mom, the Man in the Moon has no body!

Creed: The Man in the Moon sleeps in the sky. We sleep in houses.

Zelda: I can see the Man in the Moon.

My kids are genuises...

p.s I love this photo so much it hurts..photo: Todd V. Wolfson

My dad died...

...one week ago today, I said good-bye to my Dad. He was 89. God, I loved him. He was so strong, smart, loyal and loving. My Dad was born in 1920 in Ford's, NJ, in a basement on a cold winter's night. His father owned a little grocery store. He was the eldest of 3 children.

He was a superstar in high school, drum major of the marching band, excelled at many musical instruments and in art as well. Our Nana, his mom, used to tell us what a flirt he was. And boy, was he handsome - like Errol Flynn.

He was a Marine in World War II and in the Korean War as well. His stories were infamous and made us laugh. He wedded my mom in 1946 and they stayed married for 63 years. He was a Labor Relations Negotiator before there was such a thing and would tell us stories of Jimmy Hoffa and late nights in Baton Rouge. He knew every good restaurant in the country because he traveled so much, meeting with boilermakers, electricians, masons, steel workers - you name it. He worked as a consultant until he was in his 70's.

When Dad turned 80, he and Mom moved here to Texas to play golf year round and to be closer to us - their 3 girls and their grandchildren. I am so grateful that he got to see the twins and especially his namesake: Credence Paul Chovan Voyles. They called him PopPop and he loved them so.

I saw my Dad again at the funeral home on Tuesday. We had to identify the body before he was sent off to be cremated. He was so cold, so still. I hugged him and didn't want to let go. I still don't...

Playground question...

Is it okay to kick some 3 yr old's ass?

Every day, we receive a report of Zelda's activities in her PPCD classroom - this is the public school program that she attends for speech and structural learning before she continues on to Ecole each day to join Creed. She's there from 7h4am - 10h45am and then a bus takes her to Ecole.
The report says things like: "Super listening today!" "Nice verbalization!"
And then yesterday: "A three yr old boy from the class next door pushed Z down on the playground, stole her glasses and hid them. We talked to her about it and she seemed ok."

This morning I told her that if it happens again to say "Hey!" and to hold her head up the way she does, smile and say "I'm gorgeous!"

I think it's time...