Art Day 2011 Pictures

Let's see if I can successfully post these pictures from Chloe's fun but exhausting day of enjoying art!

Chloe's new hobby!

I have been looking for several years now for a hobby that Chloe would actually enjoy doing. She didn't really like dance, gymnastics, piano, soccer, or Girl Scouts. She has issue relating to her high-functioning autism with movement in large spaces. We had difficulty enjoying the free admissions to the Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center because Chloe has sensory issues related to large areas. She gets upset when she doesn't know exactly how to get somewhere. She is unable just to cruise around looking at different exhibits or objects on different tables. It actually causes her anxiety and to act out. However, when we went to her first pottery lesson that afternoon, she became totally observant and concentrated on the pottery wheel very well. I was sort of pleasantly surprised, because you never know how any child will react to a new activity, especially an autistic one. I have had many years of frustration watching other children able to successfully handle a new situation or activity without a lot of direct teaching, but Chloe was finally able to follow instructions while getting to use her hands in the way she prefers. It's so ironic that she has been observed to have fine-motor difficulty, because she really enjoys playing with water/clay/mud a lot, so I'm hoping that this pottery activity is something we can pursue as a hobby. Jeff actually agreed that we could start coming to Richardson about once a month, to either make pottery or paint it. They also offer other types of lessons in other types of art: such as mosaics, clay sculpting starting at age seven, glass fusion, etc. These are all types of art that Chloe might really like in the future, but that I am unable to teach her at home due to my own fine-motor limitations!

Spring 2011

I seem to be having trouble posting Chloe's spring pictures. Not really sure why I can't get the pictures in chronological order!

Spring 2011

Here a few more pictures from the city park!

Spring 2011

Chloe and I went to the Commerce City Park to take some spring pictures. Chloe doesn't really like to have her picture taken, but if it's outside it seems to make it more tolerable for her! I bought these cute dresses at Kid to Kid in Greenville, which is a resale shop, selling children's clothes for around half the price or more than you would find new in stores.

Winter Fun 2011

Here are a few pictures from Christmas posing and the beginning of 2011. We had a little bit of a snowstorm at the beginning of 2011. So far January is shaping up to be very cold and rainy. Chloe's friend, Guya, came over for a Saturday morning playdate. Guya is really Chloe's only friend she really talks about sometimes. I really like Guya, I just wish that Chloe would take more of a interest in other children. She did close her door to her room while they were playing, and I could hear Chloe talking to Guya, so maybe she will learn to make a few friends after Guya moves back to Greenville with her family and no longer attends Commerce next year.