Five years Laila update
2026-May-14, Thursday 18:35![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dorchadas
Happy birthday Laila!
Holding her Coco doll.
The last time I wrote we were nervously looking at Laila's upcoming surgery. Now the surgery is over and so is almost all of the recovery. The week after next, she'll be going into the doctor for a checkup to see if she's ready to go back to normal physical activity again. I hope so, because she's ready to spin and flip and go to the park. She's been ready for months. She feels fine and while she intellectually understands the restrictions, which I'm honestly pretty impressed with--for me at least, she's never thrown a tantrum or complained when I asked her not to spin in place or do a somersault or told her we can't go to the park, and she always points to her head and says "it's gotta heal"--I can tell she doesn't really understand the reason for them.
I do regret to inform you all that she's brainrotted, though. Not six-seven, but she has a particular song she'll random want to listen to. Over, and over, and over. I can't find a YouTube video but it's the last track on this Yoto card. At random moments she'll see her Yoto and say, "Yoto!" then turn to one of and say, "Yoooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuu put on Bounce To the Beats" (which is a lyric from the song). She's branched out a bit lately and started listening to Frog and Toad stories and Raffi songs, but "Rhythm of Happiness" is still her #1.
Along with her love of music, she's started singing songs in earnest. She's also started playing ball, though until we're medically cleared it's just rolling it across the floor. She'll come sit over near me and say "Roll" and try to play ball with me even while I'm at work. We also had a fun time sliding her Ariel doll across the floor, that sent her into fits of laughter.
I have no idea how school is going. She's having her IEP served at a different (but still local) school, but we get no updates from the teachers and when we heard Laila muttering "Go back to the classroom" to herself, we emailed and asked if she was running out of the room. They emailed back and told us no, but there was another kid who was allowed to go outside to calm down occasionally and maybe that's what she had overheard. To our questions about how she was doing, they just say she's doing great. Her language is getting better and we can have simple conversations now but she still won't tell us much about what she's thinking and she won't tell us what happens at school. Not really unusual for kids, though--we've heard other parents tell us the same thing about their kids.
The sad part is fortunately only sad for us, our parents, and that's that Laila has been waking up at 5:30 or 5:45 a.m. and coming in to wake us up. She used to do this when she was at the grandparents' house but would wake up more like 6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. with us, and now it's fully shifted to the later time. We really need to start teaching her to play in her room and wait a little bit, until 6:30 a.m. or so.![[instagram.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png)
sashagee told me about some clock for children that used shapes and colors to help teach them when to get up and how long they have. I'm sure it'll take a long while to sink in--we still have to remind her to wash her hands, even though she's mastered the other aspects of using the bathroom--but we won't know until we try.
We haven't really had a party yet, just something small with family. We're going to have a bigger party next month and invite some of the people from her class at her old school. Right now,sashagee is thinking a roller rink party, but that's contingent on Laila being cleared for physical activity. We'll know more later. Laila already really likes the idea of roller skating and sashagee is excited to do it with her.
What other ways will she grow and change?
Holding her Coco doll.
The last time I wrote we were nervously looking at Laila's upcoming surgery. Now the surgery is over and so is almost all of the recovery. The week after next, she'll be going into the doctor for a checkup to see if she's ready to go back to normal physical activity again. I hope so, because she's ready to spin and flip and go to the park. She's been ready for months. She feels fine and while she intellectually understands the restrictions, which I'm honestly pretty impressed with--for me at least, she's never thrown a tantrum or complained when I asked her not to spin in place or do a somersault or told her we can't go to the park, and she always points to her head and says "it's gotta heal"--I can tell she doesn't really understand the reason for them.
I do regret to inform you all that she's brainrotted, though. Not six-seven, but she has a particular song she'll random want to listen to. Over, and over, and over. I can't find a YouTube video but it's the last track on this Yoto card. At random moments she'll see her Yoto and say, "Yoto!" then turn to one of and say, "Yoooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuu put on Bounce To the Beats" (which is a lyric from the song). She's branched out a bit lately and started listening to Frog and Toad stories and Raffi songs, but "Rhythm of Happiness" is still her #1.
Along with her love of music, she's started singing songs in earnest. She's also started playing ball, though until we're medically cleared it's just rolling it across the floor. She'll come sit over near me and say "Roll" and try to play ball with me even while I'm at work. We also had a fun time sliding her Ariel doll across the floor, that sent her into fits of laughter.
I have no idea how school is going. She's having her IEP served at a different (but still local) school, but we get no updates from the teachers and when we heard Laila muttering "Go back to the classroom" to herself, we emailed and asked if she was running out of the room. They emailed back and told us no, but there was another kid who was allowed to go outside to calm down occasionally and maybe that's what she had overheard. To our questions about how she was doing, they just say she's doing great. Her language is getting better and we can have simple conversations now but she still won't tell us much about what she's thinking and she won't tell us what happens at school. Not really unusual for kids, though--we've heard other parents tell us the same thing about their kids.
The sad part is fortunately only sad for us, our parents, and that's that Laila has been waking up at 5:30 or 5:45 a.m. and coming in to wake us up. She used to do this when she was at the grandparents' house but would wake up more like 6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. with us, and now it's fully shifted to the later time. We really need to start teaching her to play in her room and wait a little bit, until 6:30 a.m. or so.
sashagee told me about some clock for children that used shapes and colors to help teach them when to get up and how long they have. I'm sure it'll take a long while to sink in--we still have to remind her to wash her hands, even though she's mastered the other aspects of using the bathroom--but we won't know until we try. We haven't really had a party yet, just something small with family. We're going to have a bigger party next month and invite some of the people from her class at her old school. Right now,
sashagee is thinking a roller rink party, but that's contingent on Laila being cleared for physical activity. We'll know more later. Laila already really likes the idea of roller skating and sashagee is excited to do it with her. What other ways will she grow and change?
no subject
Date: 2026-May-19, Tuesday 21:15 (UTC)I don't think randomly singing is necessarily "brainrot." I was a teacher when Frozen came out and the kids couldn't hold it back any more. They were singing that song constantly. I think it's only brainrot when it's internet garbage.
no subject
Date: 2026-May-19, Tuesday 21:41 (UTC)Get her started on Bananaphone or Badger Badger LOL.
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Date: 2026-May-20, Wednesday 05:22 (UTC)(At 7/8, he's better about it. (And he can just read the time anyway.) Although the playing in his room is rarely "quiet.")
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Date: 2026-May-20, Wednesday 08:46 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-May-20, Wednesday 11:27 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-May-20, Wednesday 14:02 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-May-20, Wednesday 14:04 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-May-20, Wednesday 14:05 (UTC)(The other, my red hair, she did not get)
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Date: 2026-May-20, Wednesday 15:38 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-May-20, Wednesday 17:08 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-May-20, Wednesday 18:49 (UTC)