Fay like Pirate Booty

It is often challenging to know what a non verbal child likes and dislikes. Raising Fay is all trial and error. I know that she likes the sound and feel of potato chip bags. How do i know this? Well she often goes into the pantry and pulls down the basket with the children's snacks. She reaches in and pulls out every bag of chips she finds. She then proceeds to crinkle the bags up either with her hands or her mouth. If she is lucky enough she will bust open a bag and eat it's contents.

Last night, while her siblings where enjoying there before bedtime snack, Fay crawls over to me in the kitchen and starts hitting me with a bag of pirate booty. Hmmmm does she wanna eat this? I mean she just started eating food a few weeks ago and everything is so new to her. So I sit down on the floor of the kitchen right next to her and ask: Do you want some pirate booty? Fay knows sign language, well actually she only knows one sign, that is the sign for MORE, which she will use for YES as well. So I ask her if she wants some pirate booty and faster than I can blink she gives me the sign. Pirate booty it is. So we sat on the couch and my daughter ate half a bag, I ate the other half.

So watch out for your booty, I mean Pirate booty, my daughter might beat you up for some.

Hello blog land. It's been awhile since I have visited. As usual life in the Riggio household has been busy.

All the kids have started back at school, even Faith. It can be challenging to have all 4 kids home 24/7 for 3 months, so school is a nice break for ME. Paris has started 4th grade. She will be 10 this month and has a lot of changes going on physically, emotionally, socially and educationally. She is becoming a preteen and it totally freaks me out. Roc, well Roc is Roc. Baseball keeps him busy, which he loves. His passion for the sport blows my mind. He is now in 2nd grade and loves it. Rex, well Rex is trouble, always has been. He is in preschool and depending on the day, he isn't always happy about going and thinks he has a say so. Rex is my helper. He loves to cook. He says when he gets big like Mommy and Daddy he will cook for us. With that being said we signed him up for cooking class, which he calls kitchen class. He loves everything about it, especially his recipe book and apron. Faith started preschool at our districts special needs classroom. The first few weeks were rough. She goes 3 days a week and I had to join her the first few weeks until she felt comfortable with the environment and teachers. She is doing well now and her personality is beginning to shine.

Me, well I get a little me time, which I thought I'd spend going to the gym, but all I wanna do is stay home and eat junk..Decisions, decisions...

Everyday I am reminded of the miracles GOD as aloud me to witness and I feel sooooo blessed. I have 4 children that all love and hate (lol) each other so much. God has aloud me to witness my 3 bio children fall madly in love with our adopted child. They love and protect her like they do one another. It is so unconditional. It's funny when they say to me "Mommy are we going to tell Fay she is adopted". They don't see her as any different from them and they don't realize that her ethnicity will tell the story. It is a blessing. Faith is a miracle in her self. We often take so much for granite. Fay's needs have prevented her from doing things in a manner in which typical kids do. Watching her everyday is watching a MIRACLE. She has come so far in her 3 yrs of life. Over the last 2 months she has been progressing nicely. She can now pull her self to a standing position, and does it all day long. She also has started to eat none pureed foods, such as cereal bars and a PB and J sandwich. She doesn't like touching it so feeding does take sometime. Her progress is nothing short of a miracle. I cant imagine my life without all my amazing children. Motherhood has been my greatest gift ever.

Fay eating an oreo and Rex in his halloween mask

Rex in Hawaii

Roc enjoying some tubing in Hawaii

Paris in Hawaii
Fay on a field trip for school. Riding the train at a carnival
Fay standing up..okay so the pics upside down