{OPAT} A Learning Experience

A few weeks ago Ryan, Dylan, and I packed up with Grandma and Grandpa and set off to Norman. A few family friends were hosting an OU vs. Texas party. Dressed to win, we joined the house full of crimson and cream and had so much fun! Martha and Jerry were such gracious hosts, and as always I got to scour the house marveling at all of their beautiful thrift and antique treasures. My sweet sister-in-love, Jennifer and darling niece Jaeden were there to play. The cousins had such a great time playing together!

Ryan's co-workers from Norman and OKC have the most delightful wives, and I love catching up with them. Sue was chatting away with me about Dylan, making me feel so wonderful about breastfeeding and my mothering skills. She asked me if I had ever heard of Parents As Teachers.
She went on to tell me about an AMAZING program hosted by Oklahoma schools. When you sign up for the program, a teacher is assigned to your family. They make monthly visits to your home to help you learn how to be the very best teacher for your young child. The teacher visits each month for the first three years of your child's life and with each visit, evaluates development, shares age appropriate games and skills, and gives support to the parents. Are you ready for the best part?? It is completely FREE! I was shocked and so excited to learn about such an awesome opportunity.

We signed up the very next week, and earlier this week I got a phone call letting us know we were accepted into the program! Our first meeting was Thursday morning and it was fantastic! Dylan and I met our wonderful, sweet teacher named Carman. She is enthusiastic, optimistic and in love with her job. She has been a child educator for 21 years. I felt so comfortable with her, and elated that we got such a wonderful teacher. She and Dylan became friends in no time, and he was running circles around us as we got to know one another. She was so kind to my family, even loving on Chloe (our Corgi) for most of our visit. She had such a way with Dylan. He and Chloe were chasing each other while we chatted on the couch. One wrong step left him crying on the floor, and no matter what I did he kept crying. Carman all of the sudden broke into song and dance, and he whipped around with bright eyes to listen and watch her.  It was darling!

We talked about his strengths and weak points, and she assigned me a month full of fun homework to do with Dylan. We are working hard on his talking - he has an incredible grasp for vocabulary; going to get anything you ask him for, shaking his head yes or no to questions, and signing his wants and needs, but he has been a bit stubborn when it comes to verbalizing. We are continuing to read like crazy, and to sing and talk non-stop. I narrate my day like I am in a movie, telling him about my every move and action. Flash cards cover the floors in our house. Words have to be right around the corner! I can't wait to hear his cute little voice.

Carman said that drinking from a cup is important for several reasons, including helping develop muscles in the mouth and jaw that aide with speaking. Sippy cups, bottles, and breastfeeding don't stimulate his mouth in the same way. She recommended that we give him a Dixie cup full of water at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While a bit messy, he loves drinking like Mommy & Daddy. Most of it ends up on his shirt and tray, but he is getting the hang of it.

He is continuing to sharpen his fine motor skills, and we are finding new projects to help. We got a funnel out and let him drop spiral noodles into the small hole at the top. He loved it! He decided they were pretty tasty too...

Next thing we are working on is his acceptance of textures.
We noticed his aversion to dirty hands very early, but it was most apparent at the big moment of his cake smash on his first birthday. Everyone was gathered around cameras in hand as he stuck his hands in his cake, looked at me for help and started wailing!

Carman wants us to get his little hands in all sorts of different objects and textures. We will continue playing with his sand and water table outside, and make a makeshift texture table inside. She recommended one or two new items each week for his to feel and explore. Her ideas were: rice, beans, rolled up masking tape, sandpaper, and ripped up tissue paper. I can't wait to see what we can find around the house!  The spiral noodles doubled as texture play, and then he had a blast with beans and tangelos at GreeGree's house.

Then we tried shaving cream. He hated it. We will get there eventually though :)

Our first meeting was just spectacular, and I am elated to already be putting her advice in action.
We were also excited to learn that there are optional weekly gatherings too! Each week a group of Moms meet with their kiddos and for an hour they do art projects, have story time, share snacks and play. I so look forward to taking D to meet some new little people!

I have been stuck in this rut where I felt like I needed to be doing more for Dylan's development, and then this landed in my lap. This program is wonderful, and Ryan and I are so thankful to have learned about it. I am looking forward to the fun we will have over the next month being creative with new learning experiences, and I can't wait to see Carman again!

{Check out her miniature farm!}

My best advice: Get out there and look around for some neat programs in your school district!