Yesterday, Jessie wanted to wrap a gift for Gracey. I didn't understand before what it was she wanted, or I had something for Gracey she could have wrapped. I was busy doing something else and didn't really pay attention to what she was doing until she was finished. Jessie found in her room, a musical Cinderella jewelry box and wrapped it for her friend. I SO wish I had gotten a picture. She took white paper (because mean mommy didn't understand what she was doing when she asked, and didn't give her real wrapping paper, she improvised and made her own!) and snipped all the edges in a decorative way, like we have done before to "make grass" out of the paper. She used 2 or 3 pieces of paper, snipping the edges of each piece and "wrapped" Gracey's gift, and wrote her name on it. She went to a drawer where I keep bows and ribbons and found 2 colorful bows to put on top. One was bright yellow, and one purple. Such a labor of true love. Today Gracey came over to play and Jessie gave it to her.
A few months ago, when they first started to occasionally play together, after a short while Jessie would come in the living room and want to watch t.v. It's almost like she just couldn't play cooperatively or pay attention for a long time at once. She loved Gracey so, and would beg for her to come over then wouldn't stay engaged for very long. Well, no more! Monday, Jessie played with Gracey for hours non stop. Same thing again today. Barbie's, babies, McDonalds, Gracey read to Jessie. Jessie's friendship with Gracey has been such a blessing. It's been interesting to watch; now Gracey mostly understands what Jessie says, but if she doesn't, then like the rest of us, just kind of keeps going along as though she had understood.
Some of the things I allow Jessie to do, I would never have let my other kids do..at least not without fussing about it. Every since we wrapped gifts together a couple of weeks ago, Jessie has been very interested in the tape. She's wasted much of it; but, it has helped her to learn to get the tape off the dispenser (some of the time) without it being wadded up. Today, she and Gracey probably folded 25 pieces of notebook paper (each only had a few words on it) in half then taped them. Bunch of wasted paper and tape, BUT we've worked on folding papers in half and this is her way of practicing. Much less expensive than an OT session!
Jessie has really been into creating things lately; it really seemed to take off after the art class she had at coop last semester. One of her Christmas gifts is going to be a set of the clear drawers filled with art supplies. White paper (a whole ream all her own!), construction paper, and other art supplies that she can have access to anytime she wants. In the past I have kept the scissors put up, but am thinking I'll let her have some in there, hoping I don't regret that one!
I've been sewing today while Jessie was playing with Gracey, trying to finish 3 pillowcase dresses I was making as Christmas gifts for my little nieces. I'm trying to convince myself that I still have energy to do some wrapping now...
Merry CHRISTmas!
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