As I'm trying to multitask and get some online gifts ready for my family, I wanted to thank people for reading my blog yesterday and liking it on Facebook and/or texting me or emailing me directly with your support... As I said to one friend in response to her email, here I was thinking I'd be helping others!! When, in fact, the support I received gives me strength. I was excited and thought all night of what to post next. I decided, that since this is a long journey, it will be out of order. I will get to what has led to the diagnosis of Asperger's and some of the things that were memorable over Sienna's early years. I do want to state for the record now, however, that the people who know me, know that it is my passion to advocate for students with disabilities. So when I say that this is "out of my comfort zone" what I mean is that it is out of my comfort zone to broadcast my personal life through social media! Throughout my checkered education (LOL) and variety of career ideas (LOL), I think I can be so bold as to say that Special Education has been my calling for the last 12 years. My path, and the people in it, have led me here. And now... it is my purpose.
I love to hear children hum, whistle, sing, and tap to the beat just as much as any other adult human being, recognizing that those are usually expressions of joy and happiness! However, this morning, my hummer and I met in a very dark and dingy bedroom around 5:30am... and by the time the bus picked her up at 8:48am, I had heard the humming of Jingle Bells, Old MacDonald, some Beethoven (or Bach or whatever!), and finally Oh My Darling Clementine... and quite possibly I Love You Like a Love Song Baby, although I can't remember as it's all a blurr to me now... LOL!!
This child loves to hum. It is endearing, I admit. On the flip side, the humming never ends! These songs were hummed at least fifteen times each in a three hour span this morning; amidst the cartoon imitation voices, the sounds made to indicate yes/no (without using the actual word), the grunts to indicate unhappiness, the meltdown because a corn pop fell on the floor and the dog ate it, and the ah-ah-ah-ah to various beats. I want everyone to know -- my daughter is smart! She CAN speak and she has just as much vocabulary as the average 4 1/2 year old. She just chooses not to use it. In addition to that, she has always had an affinity for music. She has loved the Little Einsteins at times throughout the past few years and can hum any and all of the composer music - and even told her dad once that he was being too "fortissimo" (or whatever word means loud - see, i'm not even smart enough to remember that!!) one day in the garage... hahaha! She enjoys playing the drums and her dad is currently teaching her We Will Rock You (yes... great choice huh? LOL). And she has always (and continues to) learn very efficiently through music as opposed to a traditional teaching method - the singing toothbrush taught her to brush her teeth properly. No amount of coaxing or encouraging (or frustration) on my part could do that! Now, if only there was a song for getting dressed, going to the bathroom, eating a meal... ;)
We are so used to the noises that we don't often really notice them until we go places with her. Otherwise, when we do happen to notice at home, it's because there's an increase in humming, tapping, and noise-making when (we're thinking) she's feeling stress - maybe not from that moment, but from something throughout the day that has thrown her off!
There are moments, after a busy noise-filled school day for example, that my patience wears thin and I just want silence! And I try my best not to ask her to stop - because clearly it is an outlet of some sort for her. I'm not perfect however. And although My Darling Clementine is probably the most annoying children's song out there - it is my daughter who is humming it...
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