Spencer Toddler Time

Okay, this is a really old post I wrote quite awhile ago. But I'm posting it anyway.  This was before he started his preschool, and before he turned 3. Many of you know he has a severe speech delay, and we are starting to see a sensory disorder (I'll post more about that later), so he was being helped by a group called EDIS (Early Development something, something).  Anyway, they've been with us for about a year and a half. They supply services for children who aren't developing like they're supposed to.  They helped me to get Spencer speaking sign language again and helped with making sounds, as well as other areas of development.

One service they give is a three month spot in a special Toddler Time daycare.  It's for four hours Monday, Wednesday and Friday and is based on the fact that he really needed to be with other children his age developmentally, as well as an organized classroom with the same teacher and same kids.  I already knew he would love this because he was already in their Hourly Program (where I put him in whenever they had openings or if ever I had to go somewhere), he LOVED the routine and he learned so much from all the other kids. The only problem with "hourly" was that there were different kids each time, and they switched the teachers around so much.  I just knew he would love being in the same classroom learning to learn, share and play with the same kids, and be able to depend on the same teachers.

I'm bummed I didn't get more pictures of the room.  I took these pictures the day before his last day. He turned 3 on June 16.

This book area is Spencer's favorite place.  Every time I came to pick him up, he was waiting here (all the other kids were laying down for their naps).  And he always wanted me to read him books.  He couldn't get enough of me reading books to him on that red couch. :)

This is the Family Board. Every child had a laminated picture of his/her family.  If they were feeling sad or missing their parent, they could go take it off the Family Board and carry it around with them.  It's kinda funny, but ours is on the top left, but it's upside down.  You might have to click on this picture to make it bigger to see it. It's our old Christmas picture before Spencer was even born.

This is Ms. Gerlinde (kind of pronounced like Galinda from "Wicked").  She's German and Spencer loved her!  She was a bit strict but was also very warm and kind. Spencer needed that and he really loved seeing her every day. He knew he could count on her to keep the routine and schedule.  We were all very sad when he had to leave.  And I swear, from the picture it looks like he's not happy, but he is.  He just wanted to play more, but he knew he had to go home.

This is Miss Diana. She was one of the helpers. Very soft spoken so very sweet with the children. Spencer loved her too. We see her around the base sometimes and he gets really excited to see her.

I probably don't have to tell you that he developed miles and miles in this program.  He got really great at doing routines that would carry over when we got home.  He loves to wash his hands and brush his teeth, and he started to help me clean up without even having to ask twice.  He tried new foods and was just an all around happier child.  We are seriously happy that he could take part in this 3 month program.

Update: Spencer's in a new preschool program (I'll post on that later), you've seen pictures from when I posted about his first day. But it only is until 10:40 so sometimes I need extra daycare. I go back to this same childcare center to put him back into hourly, but he's in a different class with a woman named Ms. LaJulia and older kids (some of them 4 and 5, so a little older than him).  He loves seeing Ms. Gerlinde, Diana and Ms. Sydney (I didn't get a picture of her) and it's fun to see their warm connection with him.  It seems like many of his caregivers develop a warm spot for him. He's a very loving and kind and calm child.