Toilet Paper

Kimmie has started this new silly thing.

When I take her up for a bath she opens the drawer with the extra toilet paper rolls. She takes one out and puts the tube hole up to her eye like kids do with empty paper towel or toilet paper tubes. Kimmie, however, does this with a full, double roll. She looks really silly with this big roll of toilet paper hiding pretty much her whole face. The first time she did this I laughed and told her she was silly. Now she does this before every bath and then she giggles and laughs. Such a funny girl.

I asked her what she was doing and she signed, "Telescope." I asked her what she sees when she looks through it. She signed, "Stars."

I was trying to remember to save her an empty tube so she could have it to play with. Last night we had one. We gave it to her and she looked through it a couple times. Then she threw it in the trash can. We were surprised. We asked her, don't you want it to play with. "No."

I guess it is a lot more fun to be silly with a big roll at bath time.

--Mom

Singing/Signing in the Bathtub

Kimmie: "Little Lord Jesus sleep hay, reindeer bright nose . . ."

Hmmm.

I wonder if she realizes that Santa Claus and Rudolph are not in the Bible?

--Mom

Adventures in Bathtime

A few weeks ago I told Dad that I thought we needed to buy a bath chair for Kimmie.

Since her scoliosis surgery, she has just not been comfortable sitting in the bathtub. Sitting with her legs straight out in front of her is uncomfortable.

Getting her sat down and back up is another issue. When you sit down in a bathtub, you curl your back forward to balance yourself. That's something Kimmie cannot do with the rods in her back. I would have to hang onto her when she's sitting down so she doesn't fall backwards. And then getting her stood back up when everythings wet . . . challenging.

To solve all those problems, we bought her a bath stool. The first time we used it I wondered if she would balk at sitting on it, but she plopped herself right down and sat there like it was her royal throne. She loved it and said it was more comfortable.

The bath stool has made bathtimes more of an adventure for me. The adventure is in trying to keep the water IN the bathtub and not on me and the floor. I've tried positioning the chair different ways, but there always seems to be a body part the water runs off of and onto me and the floor. Elbows. Knees. Shoulders.

But, all in all, the bath stool has been a huge success . . . much less strain for both of us. One of the best purchases we have ever made.

Only problem is what to do with her collection of plastic ducks. The ones she used to play with in the bathtub. Especially those special plastic ducks she picked out from the dentist's treasure box!

--Mom

Invisibility cloak

Kimmie has been doing a little routine at bath time. She is never eager to leave her toys for a bath, and had usually fussed at us for interrupting.

One evening she was a bit happier than usual, and she started giggling as we went upstairs. She sat down, still giggling, while I went into her room to get fresh pajamas. She giggled even harder while I was gone, so I knew she was up to something.

When I walked back in the bathroom, she had gotten a washcloth from a drawer and spread it over her head. She laughed out loud, and ducked her head in that way that always means "you can't see me".

She did this more often, now it is almost every bath time. And she usually picks a blue or aqua washcloth.

We asked her tonight if she is invisible when she has the washcloth over her head. She looked a little confused, and then signed"yes". But her giggle will always give her away.

Dad