Lyla has always been a "loner" playing by herself while the others play together on the other side of the room. That turned into playing alongside her siblings, with something different than them, but nearby. Recently she's been attempting to interact with them, but usually goes about it physically, and therefore not getting the result she really wants, but attention nonetheless so she continues and seems to find it funny.
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| Lyla in her space. |
Last night she went and got out a bag of tiny figurines, mostly Disney characters, something she's always gravitated towards. She sat down in the middle of the living room, dumped the bag and started playing on her own. Everyone else was doing their own things at this moment as well, and then Noah decided he'd like to play with the figurines too. He went over to the pile, and grabbed what he wanted and Lyla, though not playing with that particular one, didn't like that. As you can imagine, there was some yelling and grabbing and pushing. Sitting across the room, watching this play out, I knew I'd have to intervene soon, but I just witnessed Lyla using appropriate language, "No! That's MINE! Give it back!" I was sitting there, jaw on my lap, thinking; Did she really just say all that, on her own without prompting? Woah. When she started getting a little physical, swatting and kicking at Noah, I got up and we talked through it, and as much as we wanted her to share and play with her brother, Noah go the short end of the stick and went to play with something else. I can't say I blame him, If some one's kicking at me, I'm out of there.
About 10 minutes later she started making her figurines talk, or was talking to them, not quite sure because it was all jargon. But she was moving them around and lifting them in the air, it was fun to watch. Andy decided he'd try to join in her play. You see, it's not easy for us to just sit and play with Lyla, as we can with the boys and Emmalee, she typically reacts as she did towards Noah, or she'll just get up and go do something else. This time she kept playing.
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| Lyla letting Daddy in... |
She shared toys with her daddy, even imitated what he was doing. Lyla's always had a stronger pull toward adults, so I find it quite appropriate for her to let him in, when she just had a meltdown when her brother tried to play with her. Then, as you can see from the above picture, Owen was making his way into her space. I was taking the pictures, and was sure I'd have to put the camera away and have a teachable moment about sharing with her siblings too, not just with Daddy. But I kept the camera ready just in case...and snapped these:
She let him in, and he was touching the toys, and talking with her and Andy. It was such an amazing little moment in time, and it only lasted about 3 or 4 minutes, but in our world that's HUGE progress. She's starting to let us in, a little at a time, on her terms. We're figuring out ways in, though they may only work one time, and then not the next.
School really is helping her, she's surrounded by her peers for half of her day, and though most of her language is defensive, and frustrated, it's functional language, she's learning and retaining these phrases, and using them appropriately. I wonder what she'll say next?
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