Odds and Ends about The Love Magnet

For weeks The Love Magnet has been yelling "PIZZA!" to departing guests, friends leaving Primary, and her fellow students at school. I couldn't understand her motive. She wasn't talking about dinner (she requests mashed potatoes or orange chicken and rice). She wasn't calling her friends "pizza". I just chalked it up to an odd sense of humor.

Today I went to her class to pick her up early. She didn't want to leave until I suggested that if she wave goodbye to her classmates, they would wave goodbye to her. She waved enthusiastically and yelled "PIZZA!"

"PEACE OUT!" her class yelled back.


Oh. Huh. I get it now.


The Love Magnet is just too cool and hip for me.

***************************************************************

Today we went to the pediatric orthopedic surgeon to have The Love Magnet cleared for gymnastics. Dr. Orthopedic wasn't excited about TLM taking any kind of gymnastics, even if it was training for Special Olympics. You see, my daughter used to have Atlanto-Axial Instability which is not common in people who have Down syndrome, but can be one of the many things people with DS have to deal with. If you want to know more about it, click here. TLM was diagnosed around age 18 months. We were originally told that she would need her neck fused when she was 10 years old. She was x-rayed every year until she was 4, when they found that the AAI had resolved fairly well on it's own. The doctor at Shriner's hospital in SLC was amazed. I asked them to run a 2nd x-ray to be sure. She would be okay. But no gymnastics. The doctors were afraid the AAI fix would be temporary and suggested x-rays every three years.

Today's x-rays were like all the other x-rays my daughter has had taken. She did what she was told and held the odd neck poses with no problem. She has done it enough that she knows the drill. X-ray techs were amazed and impressed.

After waiting a bit longer, the surgeon came in. He did something that doctors rarely do: he sat down by me with printouts of the x-rays and proceeded to spend 15 minutes explaining the x-rays and AAI. Bottom line? My daughter doesn't have AAI. She doesn't even have the gap typical of people with Down syndrome due to low muscle tone and loose ligaments. She has the neck bones of a typical person. Yeah, glorious surprise! Oh Happy Day! Dr. Orthopedic was amazed at her muscle tone, her neck, and her high function. He also check out her spine, hips, legs, and feet.

He approved her whole-heartedly for adapted gymnastics provided it is associated with Special Olympics.

We will invite him to her first meet in a year or two.

*************************************************************

My daughter can spell 'middle', 'riddle', and 'fiddle'. She is going to ace her spelling test next week. She wanted to know if the average Joe on the street could spell "fiddle". She is asking everyone. Fair warning to brush up on your spelling should you run into her.

*************************************************************

The Love Magnet is finally understanding that she can not hug everyone. She is learning that a handshake, a high five, and a fist bump are completely acceptable forms of greeting. It makes me a little bit sad. At least she still hugs her mom.