ToddlerTube : babble

Not Dead Yet!

Susie Felber — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:02:00 GMT

I've just been working very hard.

Well OK, I'm not dead yet but this blog will be soon. Yes, big news to the many throngs of Toddler Tube fans -- this blog will be ending. Like in a just a few more posts. I've got a bit more to share and I'll perform a stunning dismount, but then it will be time to say goodbye from here.

Nothing bad has happened twixt Babble and I. It was a mutual and mutually beneficial decision. I adore this site and appreciate the opportunity to be here, but I've got too many other fish to fry. That and they've got to be feeling the pain of having to keep my blogger trailer fully stocked with ice cold Stoli, Spanx and Lion Bars. And let's not even go into Hugo's outrageous demands! Hint: He needs all of his diapers hand-painted in trompe l'oeil.

So, we'll be back at you soon with more blather and a big bye bye video of wonderment.

xoxo,

Susie

Total Balls

Susie Felber — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:33:00 GMT

Is the title of this post perhaps about Hugo's early intervention assessment? No, not really. I'll tell the whole early intervention story soon, but the long and short of it is that:

#1 I liked the women who showed up this morning much more than I expected. They were kind and they were pros. Until recently I had forgotten that I was in speech therapy from age 5-12 and somehow couldn't get sprung from it once in. So I've bad memories of being trapped against my will, missing regular class in a land of dull dittoes and dull children, "taught" by sincere speech teachers I wanted to run screaming from even then. And due to this I've a chip on my larynx about the whole speech business, ya dig?

#2 I liked them speech ladies even more when I found out that Hugo is advanced in most areas, and just has a "33% speech delay." What exactly that means I'm still not sure. But I've a piece of paper declaring him a social and developmental star and that's nice. The fine motor skills of a 28 month old? The social/emotional skills of a two year old? The cognitive skills of a 33-year-old genius? Well slap me with a flounder, and call me Cedric! Thats fantastic! Oh and that last one was a bit of an exadggeration, but only slightly.

Speaking of balls, Hugo is obsessed with them. Here's two days in a row of ball kicking action. The first soccer ball you see wasn't his, he simply swooped in and stole the ball from a group of sweet Hispanic kids. The kids were really kind and also distracted by the dogs who had joined us in the park. Ever since the basketball net broke, the park has blossomed with all ages and genders and species and sports. We're all hoping the net doesn't come back. When the basketball net went up, this little park became for men 18+ only and there was no room for little girls, kids skating, playing handball, playing with their dogs, playing soccer, etc. Note to self: Call the Mayor's office tomorrow to request the net not be fixed...

G'night Internet. Lotsa love. xoxo, Susie

Late Early Intervention

Susie Felber — Thu, 08 May 2008 03:47:00 GMT

It's late right now. At night. I had a rare night out with an old friend. Bouley Bakery. Fantastic. The company, if not the grub. And this friend so tender and genius-y and fun, recently got a book deal based on her This American Life story that aired on the radio and was so good I had goosebumps and kept driving around and around the block (with Hugo in the back) just to hear the whole thing.

And I'd love to tell more but it's near midnight and -- oi -- the NJ early intervention team is (finally) coming tomorrow way early to stare at Hugo and listen and take notes on his talking and/or lack of it.

I know this is a big issue because my first post about this has gotten many search engine hits with things like: http://www.google.com/search?q=my+son+does+not+speak+at+all+and+he+is+18+months

Also "speak 18 months boys" and "how many words should child speak at 19 months" and "my baby is 28 months but does not talk full sentences" and on and on and so the site stats reveal the full neurotic spectrum. Stuff a parent might've silently worried about now gets poured out to the all-knowing oracle that is the internet. And the interweb sends them to me? Poor things.

I'm a bit peeved because even if he isn't using a lot of words, I know he's normal and smarter than normal and I'm not saying that because he's mine. He understands everything, he's delightfully social and ever since he turned the babble back on, the fact that he's got his own language doesn't bug me. However it's the early intervention folk I'm worried about.

I had to call them the other day. This 34 second video will explain all or some, or my annoyance.

Awesome, ya? Ya. OK pals. More on this fun tomorrow.

For now, xoxo & I remain,

slightly cranky and also,

Susie