Playlab mid-year report, CLP Clinic

Here are some things that Howdy, her teacher, said about Dalia in her mid-year review:

She is delightful, an extrovert, she introduces herself to people.

Her "dramatic play", and the degree to which she stays in character is very advanced, very unusual. If she is Lightning McQueen (from Cars), and she is thirsty, she asks to drink "oil." If she is Painted Dream (a horse), she asks for "hay." If she is Perdita (from 101 Dalmatians), she wants puppy food. She has costumes, without wearing anything, and uses her imagination for props.

She is flexible, has healthy attachments, plays games, is a ringleader with her peers in a good way. She is clearly her own person, who she is as an individual is clear, and this is a strength.

She does have some boundary issues with body language and a bit of teasing, but it is age appropropriate.

She is always busy, can make anything challenging for herself.

She is recognizing letters and associating them with her classmates names -- all on her own. She says "that's a B, like Bella; or A like Armando, C for Charles."

From her report: "Dalia is a delightful child. She is outgoing, popular with peers and adults, and very engaged in everything that is happening around her. She is curious about everything and has a great sense of humor. She is very clearn in communicating what she wants and what she does not want." [Indeed!]

Dentist visit to Dr. Shon, her dentist. Her teeth are healthy and clean. Yea! What a relief. She is missing two of her teeth. An upper molar is coming in...

We also went to the Craniofacial (Cleft Lip/Palate) Clinic in Burlington. Dr. Laub (surgeon), Marinell (social worker), Liz (Laub's nurse), Gayle Belin - speech and Language pathologist (SLP) were there. Deb Tetrault, her SLP from Middlebury drove up for the appointment to learn more about what she could be doing with Dalia and the 2 other CLP kids she works with.

Within a few minutes, Dalia was sitting on the dentist's chair in the middle of the room. Gayle brought toys over, and she and Gayle were having detailed conversations about all of the characters, from Toy Story. Dalia was asking lots of questions, saying funny things, and making wise observations. The rest of the room was caught between laughter, amusement and amazement. Dr. Laub brought the chair up, leaned it back and Dalia opened her mouth wide so he could have a look.

Here's where we're at: Though her vocabulary is off the charts, and her pronunciation is much better, there are still some questions about whether her palate is able to close off and move as it should to allow her to make certain sounds without air coming out of her nose. We don't know whether this issue is habit or anatomical.

So - next step, in addition to increased speech and language therapy, i.e. possibly visiting Gayle in Burlington once a week in addition to the hour/week that Deb spends, Dalia is going to have a nasopharyngoscopy Jan 20 with Dr. Hubbell. It is outpatient, at his office. A scope will go into her nose and past her palate... it will be filmed and sent to Dr. Laub. From this we will know whether she needs to have another palate surgery, and when.

Brave girl!

Here is a photo of her with some of the CLP team from that day.

Thanksgiving in New York

Asia November 2011 Middlebury Presidential tour was amazing. I missed Dalia as she spent the week with her Dad and Grandma Ginger and Ripton family and friends. And then - I walked in the door from Singapore to Newark to Burlington to Vergennes at 11:30 PM on Saturday Nov 12... and I could hear Dalia upstairs crying - a very unusual sound. Walked into my room and she was snuggling with Grandma Patty, with a 104.3 fever. Two days later - diagnosed with ear infection. Two days after that - diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. Poor honey! I have never seen her so sick. Thank goodness my Mom was around to keep the laundry going, help with food, and extra love and care while Dalia was sick and I was up with her and jetlagged.

10 days later, it was time to Give Thanks. We did so by heading down to the New York City! We drove to Albany and got on the Empire Service down the Hudson River into Penn Station. As we sat in the big chairs, I looked out the window at the river, on a beautiful, sunny day, I thought "I am truly happy right now." And I did give thanks. I thought of my Mom's friend, Mary Dose, with cancer, whose day was made memorable because she was able to be pushed in her wheelchair around the hospital and outside.

We got off the train and into Penn Station on Thanksgiving Day. I don't think Dalia had been in such a cacophony of so many people, weaving past and into each other, since her first 18 months in China. She happily sat up straight in her stroller, in her purple snow suit, observing, and talking (though I couldn't hear her). Up the elevator, bags over my shoulder, coat OFF as it was 50 degrees, I walked and pushed her the 5 blocks to our hotel on 31st between Broadway and 5th, the Herald Square Hotel. Highly recommended for an inexpensive but clean and pleasant place with good service.

Took the taxi up to the Central Park Zoo - where Renee was waiting for us, tickets in hand. It was beautifully landscaped, small, but with plenty to see: sea lions, monkeys, birds of all kind, a sleeping polar bear and the snow leopard.


Walking around NYC with Dalia is pure joy. Everyone who sees her, smiles. Everyone! And as we look at people, she says, "Happy Thanksgiving!"

When we left the zoo and walked along the park, 4 high school girls and their Moms, from Kansas, who had participated in the Macy's Day Parade, stopped and leaned down and said, "oh, she is so beautiful!! Can we take a picture with her?

Thanksgiving dinner was at a Korean restaurant on 32nd St, aka Koreatown. The neighborhood was buzzing even though it was the holiday. After dinner, to Baskin Robbins for mint chip ice cream (Dalia), and then to the Muppets movie. After 30 minutes of bad previews, and 30 minutes of the movie, which was hard for Dalia to follow - she wanted to go "home."

Friday morning we got up early and took the subway to Brooklyn to see our friends Jake and Suzanne at their beautiful new apartment. Dalia loved the subway! And was fascinated by my having to push the emergency alarm in order to get through the gate with the stroller. Astonishing at how loud it was... by the end of the day and 4 subway rides later... we were used to it. Thanks, Jake and Suzanne for breakfast and excellent company! Then to the Children's Museum of the Arts... we got there too soon but walked around. Very cool. Walked around the Village a bit then up to the Museum of Natural History.

The day after Thanksgiving... PACKED! So many people... you can get off the subway and walk directly into the museum entry. We waited in line for 15 minutes to buy tickets. Our friend, Darcy, was game enough to meet us there on this crazy day. Dalia loved the museum - the huge animals, running from Hall to Hall, elephant to water buffalo to giant whale. So excited. She even loved the dioramas, the farm scenes, and the wolf in winter. We spent another 15 minutes at the Christmas tree, decorated with origami animals.

Then a snack, and a nap... and then up to Carnegie Hall to see Jason Mraz! Our seats were the first floor of the Dress Circle (the third balcony). In front of us was a red velvet railing, behind which Dalia could stand and look down at the people and the stage. Dalia clapped after every song, didn't talk much, and kept to herself. The woman sitting next to Dalia, a hip Japanese American in a shiny blue puffer jacket, smiled and took photos. At around 9:15, Dalia crawled onto her chair and curled up, with her head and entire body on the chair. When the peppermints (Dalia) and cough drops (Mom) ran out, we took a taxi back home to the hotel.

Saturday morning, we had a leisurely breakfast then walked all the way up 5th Avenue, past the holiday store windows (Saks, Lord & Taylor, Tiffany, Cartier, Gucci, Louis Vuitton), fully decorated in winter scenes, to Central Park - then caught a cab to the Jewish Museum for the Ezra Jack Keats ("A Snowy Day") exhibit with Renee. I was in tears, looking at the actual artwork for this book that I grew up reading, and kept a copy of in my college dorm room into adulthood. After some delicious gelato, courtesy of Renee's friend, we schlepped back to Penn Station, found a red cap to help us, were escorted to the packed sitting room - where we ran into Suzanne's parents, visiting from Killington.

It was such a memorable trip. I feel so fortunate to have been able to go there, to take Dalia, to see and be with friends and explore with my little girl.