Parties and pirates

Our thanks to Jack and to Daisy for inviting us to their 4th birthday parties. Angharad will throw one of her own on Saturday 27th March, venue and time to be confirmed over the next few days. Jack's party was in the Pentre Gwilym, on Thornhill, which has a fantastic soft play area. No usable pics came out on my camera... mostly they show A's backside climbing up things or disappearing down slides. Daisy's party was themed Mermaids and Pirates. Angharad was a pirate.

Bouncing off the walls

Angharad was invited to Eva's party today, a friend from her Thursday afternoon movement/dance class. Here is a pic of the candle-snuffing, with Eva in her party togs looking lovely. (Angharad is to Eva's right, in red dress and ponytails!)

It was a great afternoon. Angharad ate jelly for the first time. She usually flings it away in disgust. Then she spent two hours on soft/climbing-toys and a stupendous bouncy castle. Kids with DS may take a little longer than kids who don't have it at some skills (e.g. fine motor control) or some intellectual tasks (e.g reading, where a memory deficit of phonological information can delay the ability to speak for a while). But I am convinced that there is precious little between kids who do and don't have DS when it comes to emotional understanding. Angharad's classmates, at Nursery School and dance class alike, laugh and cry at the same things, seek comfort at the same things and react similarly to events. Today, kids up to age 8 and above played with Angharad gently and thoughtfully and she was as one with all the kids her own age. A lovely afternoon all round with new friends made and a delightfully tired little girl who has just asked to go to bed (at 1715 hours - this NEVER happens! Result!) Now to curl up with a good book and some wine!

Angharad fingerpicks. Sort of!

I was browsing in shops this morning, visited the guitar shop in the Bay and bought Angharad her first guitar. It came with tuning pipe, carry-case, spare strings and strap. For £27.00p! Excellent value for what is a good-quality instrument. As you can tell from the link below, she knew what to do even if not yet able to translate that into 'proper' playing. At one point you hear her proudly stating that it is HER guitar and even attempting "Twinkle, twinkle, little star".http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dYDiifeqMs (An apology for the video being sideways-on. That's 'cos my new moby and I are not yet as one. I couldn't find a way of rotating it 90 degrees.)