Mali Likes Apps, Too. Here's Her Top Ten.

You've heard a lot from us about Leo, his iPad, and apps. In fact my latest BlogHer post is on which apps Leo thinks are fun, as opposed to which apps support his communication and learning.

But you know what? Leo has a little sister. And Mali likes iPods, iPads, and apps too -- with a fiery passion that is both a great motivator for chores, and a problem should anything require doing while she is mid-game or book.

Here are ten of Mali's favorite apps, if you're looking for some Christmas Eve instant gift recommendations, apps for loading up that new iPad or iPod, or kindling for burning through those holiday iTunes gift cards.

Stack the States ($.99) Mali will play this indefinitely, and is completely sucked in by its combination of state trivia and shape-matching with a stacking game. Earned points unlock new game levels. And it's fun -- our family played it together during yesterday's San Francisco to Las Vegas road trip. Only hitch: it doesn't pronounce the states' names in voiceover, so while Mali can now instantly name almost all 50 states' capitals, we still get an occasional "Ju-wah-know" for Juneau, Alaska. I hope the content gets even richer (State birds! flowers! Flags!), and that a Stack the Countries app is forthcoming (former Geography software producer being wishlist-y here).

Doodle Hangman (Free) Animated hangman word game. You can upgrade to a full paid version, but so far we've been quite happy with the categories, which include elements, countries, human body, and Kings & Pirates. She and Iz like to play this one together.

Wurdle ($1.99) A timed word search app that lets you chain letters into words in any connected pattern you like. I am a bit bummed by how close her and Iz's top scores are to mine.

Square Off (Free) Field of dots, close off square vs. the computer, different difficulty levels, strategy required. If I sound less than enthused it's because I hear this game's sounds effects in my sleep -- a testament to just how much Mali likes it.

BrainPop (Free) Mali is all about iPad novelty, and BrainPop lets her watch a new educational movie every day (I actually downloaded BrainPop for her big sister Iz, but hey). Today's episode was about snowflakes, the science of how they form, and are they really all different. Nifty animation, built in quizzes, and bonus "Where did you learn THAT?" factor for parents.

Cut the Rope ($1.99), Angry Birds ($.99), Finger Physics ($.99) I'm grouping these as they all combine physics with strategy. And they're all really popular;  you may own all three already. There's a reason -- they're clever, crisply designed, fun, and fluidly animated. Seymour is amazed by her mastery of all three apps; she's much better than him.

Stray Sheep: Poe's Christmas* ($6.99) An beautifully (truly) illustrated interactive book about a sleepwalking sheep's adventures. Mali's favorite part is when Poe meets the "man in red" (guess who?). She also likes the slider puzzles, and the Spot the Difference games (at which she is much better than me).

Little Miss Spider* ($7.99) Even though this expanded interactive book is about spiders -- they would normally give Mali the willies -- she loves Little Miss Spider's video-quality animation and interactivity, as well as the matching game (though Leo is better at it), paint program, and the adjustable-level jigsaw puzzles. This is a high-quality production.

All About Dragons (Free right now) Our girl is dragon- and fiery-creature-in-general obsessed. She used to play with/read this book every day when she got home from school; the only reason she doesn't refer to it as often is, I suspect, that she has it committed to memory -- she loves it that much.

Thumbelina for the iPad* ($4.99) A very cool interactive book that not only comes in several different languages but lets the reader record her own voiceover. I showed this app to Mali's Spanish teacher and she thought it was fantastic for reinforcing bilingualism & biliteracy in combination. But don't take my word for it; watch Mali give a demo:



Other apps Mali likes: Snow Wonder* ($1.99) for building snowmen "with girl hair and girl faces," Zombie Farm, Plants vs. Zombies, Edge, Cupcakes, Pocket Frogs, Jelly Doodle, Doodle Jump.

What apps do your kids like? If (ahem) Santa was to leave Mali a $10 iTunes gift card in her stocking, which apps should she download next?

*Disclosure: gifted by the developer, but so were lots of apps that didn't make her favorites list. These are the apps she likes.

Both Our Brothers Have Autism!

Actually, the direct quote, as Jake's & Leelo's little sisters made gingko "leaf showers" and waited for their brothers' bus, was "We're sort of twins because we both have both have brown hair and we both like the color pink and we both like candy and both our brothers have autism."

Last-Minute Holiday Gifting: 5 Fantastic Kids' Books

Do you have a sassy, spirited, clever, imaginative, creative, unpredictable, emotional, intense, amazing, capricious, occasionally obstreperous, mostly wonderful, never boring child in your life? Do you want to get that kid an awesome book for the holidays? Do you want books that deal with emotions and/or girls as main characters but appeal to boys too? Are you freaking because you have no idea which books to choose and the holiday clock is ticking?

Here are five recommendations for young readers, all favorite family favorites, all ones that newly-six-year-old Miss Mali and I both agree are not just keepers but worth daily go-overs:


The Day Leo Said I Hate You tells of a loving but fiery little boy named Leo (the best name in the world, though this Leo is conversational). Leo gets angry and -- having overheard his mother use the word "hate" about broccoli -- decides to test out the phrase "I hate you" on her when her thoroughly reasonable but firm parenting choices make him angry. He is instantly horrified over having said something so hurtful, but his mother skillfully uses silliness and honesty to talk him through and past his penitence. It's a sweet, lovely, useful book, with lively illustrations.

The illustrator, Molly Bang, also created our family's beloved When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry... -- a gorgeously colorful, empathetic take on a small girl working through an angry outburst on her own by leaving the scene until she cools down and feels reasonable again.  When Sophie Gets Angry and The Day Leo Said I Hate You are similar to one of my own Leo's perennial favorite books, The Chocolate-Covered-Cookie Tantrum, in that they legitimatize the full explosive glory of the children's emotions before showing rather than preaching about how the kids found their ways back to calmer places.

We also love love love love My Name is Not Isabella by Jennifer Fosberry, in which a small and also intense, capricious, and clever girl spends a day declaring herself alternately named "Annie" (Oakley), "Sally" (Ride), "Rosa" (Parks), and "Marie" (Curie), and telling of the historically accurate things she will be doing as she channels each notable woman's persona. Fosberry's light, deft take makes each scene a romp rather than a lesson, and she includes biographies at the back for the kids (and parents) who get hooked and want to know more. Note to the author: A starting point for the sequel could be the Rosalind Franklin episode from the My Favourite Scientist website -- brought to you by the wonderful Periodic Videos folks from the University of Nottingham. Note to parents of inspired children: budding scientists can get find the coolest gear at Educational Innovations or American Science & Surplus.


Are you all done with happy pink &/or good fairy crap like Disney Fairies and Pinkalicious? (The latter seems awfully inspired by A Bad Case of Stripes, to my mind.) The tales of pint-sized mad scientist Franny K. Stein might just be the series for your family, especially if you have no intention of raising your children as delicate flowers -- these books show that it's OK for a girl to be socially awkward, occasionally antisocial, and interested in things that are gross plus in science and in geekery. We need more characters like Franny!




Babymouse is also quite awesome -- as a character and as a series. My girls are completely hooked on Babymouse's slightly neurotic but always exciting daydreaming and waking life adventures, whether our hero is a Rock Star, a Dragonslayer, or a Cupcake Tycoon. In fact, my eldest left a precious Babymouse behind when we two flew back from Cambodia -- and that loss rather than our trip was almost all she could talk about for several days. Babymouse is the goods.




Tell Me a Dragon is possibly the most beautifully illustrated children's book we own, and features various children's imaginings (so we're told) of their dragons' appearance and personalities -- and shows the dragons in forms you may have not considered, all hail dragon diversity! If, like Mali, your child champions The Lord of the Rings' fiery Balrog demon and enjoys listening to older kids' fantasy books like Tamora Pierce's Wild Magic -- or just likes dragons (or should like dragons, damn it), this book is an excellent choice.

For those looking for even last minute-ier gifts, I'll be publishing reviews of both Mali's and Leo's favorite iPad apps next Monday and Tuesday.

Disclosure: I was sent review copies of The Day Leo Said I Hate You and My Name Is Isabella, but was not otherwise compensated in any way. This review is entirely my own opining, and features not one scrap of promotional copy. Jennifer Holm, who writes Babymouse, sent us a copy of Cupcake Tycoon (Babymouse #13) but did so well after and in fact because we were established fans.

Lenses and Teeth for My Little Changeling

I'm not just talking about mercurial Miss Mali's personality. Look who got glasses yesterday:

They are surprisingly thick glasses, due to a complicated prescription. Our girl has 20/30 vision, an astigmatism and farsightedness. Her eye exams up to this point have always been inconclusive due to, shall we say, compliance complications. But now folks can really tell just how green green green her eyes are.

But that's not the only thing that happened yesterday:

Who is this girl? Seeing as she got those glasses and lost that tooth on a Friday afternoon, we're considering lopping her locks before she returns to school Monday, so her transformation will be complete.

Side note: the Tooth Fairy brought her a Zachary Taylor gold dollar. She thought it was a penny, Seymour had never heard of such a coin. What is it going to take for the US to have successful beyond-quarter coins like Canada's Loonies & Toonies?

We're In: Wear & Share Star Wars Day

Are you participating in Wear & Share Star Wars Day? It's to support Katie, a first grade girl who got teased for liking Star Wars because "Star Wars Is for Boys" AS IF! Info from the FB campaign page on FB:

 Katie is a first grade girl who has been teased for bringing her Star Wars water bottle into school because the boys in her class say Star Wars is only for boys. Since her mother posted the story on the web, people of all ages have read and commented to show support for the girl to like whatever she darn well pleases.

The hell! I lined up with all the other kids when I was seven to see the first Star Wars movie. All the other equally excited-out-of-their-minds kids -- not just the boys. And I have always been a fan, though like many I gritted my teeth through the second wave of movies.

And my kids? They're fans too (although poor Mali, being a third child, hasn't had much exposure). But the two big kids have always been geared up. Here's Iz with the Darth Vader lunch box that was her pride and joy in 1st grade -- and which, like Katie, she stopped using in 2nd grade due to teasing. I talked to her this morning and she's still skittish about sporting Star Wars wear & lunch boxes because the other girls would tease her (stupid middle school social dynamics), though she says she wouldn't mind an Ewok shirt (which got Seymour musing about the wonders of the Ewok Christmas Special, and whether copies might exist anywhere ... anyone?).

Leo's got quite a bit of Star Wars wear as well -- clothes and jammies. He doesn't pick them, but I think he likes them. And I remember an interview with author Nick Hornby, who has a teen son with autism, talking about how he tried to be mindful about getting age-appropriate cool clothes, posters, etc. for his son, thing he thought his son might like.  So it might be time to put some of Leo's Teletubbies toys away, and see if he notices -- though I'm torn, as I feel as though our boy should get to play with whatever makes him happy in the sanctuary of his own room. Happy is primary!

• Best post I've seen so far on Wear & Share Star War day, by Jen from Cake Wrecks: http://www.epbot.com/2010/12/star-wars-smiles.html 
• And I adore James Hance's super-cute cartoon Star Wars mashups: http://jameshance.com/cartoons.html

May the Force be with our kids!

Three Kids, Three Days, Three Doses of Thankfulness

Thursday: Leo participated fully and joyously in an extended family-and-friends Thanksgiving. Two years ago this kind of festivity was unimaginable; Leo had such a hard time wearing his own skin that our family fell into two separate pieces for Thanksgiving and Christmas, as it wasn't fair for his sisters to be sequestered for family holidays. A happy Thanksgiving will never ever be taken for granted, not in our house, not with our social but easily overwhelmed boy.

Friday: Mali's sixth birthday. This kid is a joy and intensity molotov cocktail; our lives would be so much duller without her. I still can't believe she's here, still give thanks every day. Count yourself lucky if she counts you as a friend -- but don't turn your back on her, either.

Saturday: Iz, Leelo, & I were treated to a sneak preview of pianist Stephen Prutsman's Bach & Forth concert at San Francisco's Herbst Theatre (tonight's official show was an autism fundraiser, and itself preparation for a performance at New York's Lincoln Center). Iz was acutely aware of the unexpected gifts that come with being Leelo's sister as she watched Mr. Prutsman's hands blur across the keys, lost herself to his music (Bach does that to people, Mr. Prutsman's lovely & gracious wife commented), and then got to hop on stage after his performance, to play Kabalevsky's Sonatina. The experience was all kinds of magic.

I hope you had much to be thankful for during this extended weekend, too.

How to Get Your Kid With Autism That Wonderful iPad

So, you have a kid with autism and you know iPads can be awesome for kids with autism but your family budget isn't accommodating expensive right now, no matter how much of a difference an iPad could make for your child's ability to learn and play.

Basically, you know your kid with autism needs an iPad but you can't afford one. What to do? I'll tell you.

First, download an application from HollyRod Foundation's holiday iPad donation campaign to see if your child qualifies -- the two primary bases are family income and communication delays. (Everyone else: please donate to the HollyRod iPad campaign, either on their site or on CrowdRise.)

If your child doesn't qualify for the HollyRod campaign, don't fret. Instead, consider harnessing the combined powers of the holiday season and the Internet: set up an iPad fundraising campaign for your own child on ChipIn.com or GiveForward.com. These campaigns allow people to contribute whatever they can, directly to a fund that you set up. Then blog the campaign, tweet it, post it on Facebook, email friends & family -- enlist as many people as you can, cite as many articles as you need to to let everyone who cares about your child know how much your kid could benefit from an iPad.

Going hat-in-hand may not come naturally to you, but consider that you can ask as many or as few people as you like, that any contribution will make a difference -- and that you may actually be helping out all those relatives who wrestle with what to get your child for Christmas, Hanukkah, or birthdays. Remember: people can always choose not to contribute, but they can't contribute anything if you don't ask them.

Please trust me on this one: people are generous, the Internet is powerful, and your kid needs an iPad. It's a great combination. Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions.

P.S. If your child already has an iPad, iPod Touch, or access to an iPhone, tell friends & family who ask that nothing makes such kids happier than an apps-enabling iTunes gift card.

HELLO WORLD I AM SIX YEARS OLD TODAY

photo (c) 2010 Kelly Nicolaisen

Seeing iPads Through Chestnut-Colored Glasses

Leo has had his iPad for six months now. It's hard to imagine our lives without it, honestly. What did we do? What did he do? (A hell of a lot more advance planning and materials set up, that's what we did.)

It's not that Leo uses his iPad all day long -- he does plenty of hiking and puzzling and snuggling and hanging out and working and playing and doing chores -- but the iPad really helps when Leo needs self-directed distraction, or engagement, especially during the kind of activities or errands that a typical kid would be expected to tolerate, and which have historically been challenging for our boy. Here are four iPad-made-easier Leo scenarios from just the past five days.

Waiting during sisters' activities
Just as his sisters have had to wait during Leo's various therapies, activities, and appointments, he sometimes has to wait for theirs. But this waiting hasn't always been easy for our boy, especially during his traditional winter grumpiness -- In the past I often begged off waiting on the sidelines, then piled unhappy Leo and his spare sister into the car so we could drive around until pickup time. But here's Leo contentedly hanging out at the restaurant/pub next to Iz's new soccer practice field, playing Letter Tracer. We made it through her whole practice, no problem. (Locals: guess our location!)

Sister homework time
A time when tempers have been known to flare, if three kids are clamoring for attention and needing keeping-on-task, and two of them are possibly whining and making excuses. Since Leo can now navigate his iPad & apps himself, I check in with him occasionally (he does have autism, he has been known to perseverate on certain apps, like Monkey Preschool Lunchbox, pictured) but I can now give his sisters 95% instead of the previous 50% - 70% or my attention.

Costco Runs
Sometimes our boy's not in the mood for Costco. I understand; I'm not a fan myself -- but our weekly runs are part of our family schedule, and there are complicated consequences to aborting a trip or trying to go on a different day. Leo can usually get through a Costco trip without incident, but he has been prickly lately, plus he has been exhibiting unpredictable irritation towards his little sister. If it occasionally takes playing Tappy Tunes in a shopping basket nest for Leo get through Costco, so be it.

Going to the Library
Three kids quietly engaged at the library. Two of them are reading books, one of them is playing ShapeBuilder on his iPad (with the volume turned down). Library visits like this were simply not possible before the iPad, as Leo only likes the books that Leo likes, and he doesn't like them in new scenarios, e.g., the children's room of the local library. But now the girls can suggest a library trip without bracing themselves for a No!

So, yes, I still consider Leo's iPad a near-miracle. And Leo still considers his iPad the most motivating and entertaining item he owns. (I urge you to consider helping near-miracles happen for other kids like Leo, through the HollyRod Foundation's Holiday 2010 iPad Campaign.)

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Liz, Jen, & I spent part of our Saturday night at local parent & author Susan Walton's reading for her new book Coloring Outside Autism's Lines. Susan stressed the importance of getting out and having fun as a family, finding full-family activities that everyone enjoys. I think our family does a decent job, and we're always pushing ourselves, taking risks, and trying new things. Like local chestnut-gathering, which I've never done but which Leo enjoyed and we all found addictive (the chestnut gathering and the eventual chestnut gorging, oh my goodness they are delicious).

 

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Turns out my fretting over Mali's leaning in to read signs at Muir Woods was justified. She has an astigmatism, which makes her nearsighted, plus she's also farsighted. The ophthalmologist was able to get her a prescription that will give her 20/20 vision, and the real glasses should be here in a week (these are the clear-lens model of the frames she chose).

I wonder if a non-fuzzy version of the world will blow her mind. Moreover, I wonder if a non-fuzzy version of her classroom will lead to improved behavior.

I only have one worry, which is Mali's concern about a specific friend at school not liking her glasses. This not unkind but definitely bossypants-why-wouldn't-my-opinion-be-the-only-one-that-matters little girl also pooh-poohs my explanations about Leelo's autism, saying, "Well, he just shouldn't do that." I know it's not realistic to expect empathy and consideration from most six-year-olds; I just wish our exuberant and usually supremely self-assured girl would hitch herself to a more thoughtful friend.

Iz's First Book Review: Saving Hannah

Reviewed by Isobel Rosenberg, age eleven

When my mom first handed me Saving Hannah: Or How to Rewrite History by Andrea Stein, I was a little bit skeptical. The title made me suspect yet another "a group of girls, one of their friends disappears and they have to find her" story. but after I opened the cover, my suspicions were erased. From the first page, this book was in my hands until it was over. I really loved how the girls in the story were proud of who they were and did not pretend to be someone else because they considered themselves not good enough. These girls inspire me to be a better person.

The many plot twists and turns provide a break from the normally predictable "mysteries" that I read and had trouble telling apart. The book was extremely creative, and I especially like how they included a few details about fashion and did not seem to imply that fashion and makeup are bad. Rose, Daisy, Lilly, and Poppy are four girls everyone should have the chance to read about.

Disclosure: Iz was sent a review copy of Saving Hannah by the author.

Postivity Explosions: Autism Events and Milestones

Sometimes I feel like we're living in the middle of an events tornado. It's exhilarating, but sometimes it's hard to catch our breath. Things the wind's blown our way that you might want to know about:

Photo (c) 2010 Kelly Nicolaisen

Do you want to get your child with autism an iPad? The HollyRod Foundation has started a holiday campaign to give iPads to kids with autism from families in need. You must understand why I think this is a marvelous idea. If you'd like to get your child an iPad, download an application now to see if your family qualifies. I also appreciate Kristina's explanation of why she supports the HollyRod campaign, and why iPads are so important for our kids in general. If HollyRod isn't an option, at least two wonderful parents, Niksmom and Julie Harley have successfully raised funds (themselves, or via their friends) to get their kids iPads using my favorite online fundraising site, ChipIn.com -- another idea for autism parents who are wondering how to get an iPad into the hands of kids who could benefit.

Here are some very cool upcoming autism events, iPad-related and otherwise.

• November 20th: Mellow Militia, developers of the Tiki Toss 3D app, will be donating an iPad and six art boards for auction at The Surfers Healing Art Benefit and an iPod touch to The Surfing Santa Contest on November 20, 2010 in Southern California.
• November 20th: TPGA contributor Susan Walton will be speaking about her new book Coloring Outside Autism's Lines at Kepler's in Menlo Park, at 7 PM. I am totally going.
• November 27: Come see pianist and autism dad Stephen Prutsman in a benefit performance for the Azure Program, San Francisco's Summer Camp for Children on the Autism Spectrum. I am very much going to try to go.

I'm hosting a bloggy pre-holiday potlatch & potluck tomorrow, which is like an in-person Freecycle. We'll be passing on/swapping good but no-longer-needed things to friends and folks who will actually use (or re-gift) them. And socializing and nibbling on tasty treats, of course (I may even share my wonderful, finally ready limoncello). This event should be so helpful for someone like me who is never going to have time to sell things on eBay, and who wants no-longer-needed items to go to people who want and will use them. We'll be taking any leftovers to a local church. I'll let you  know how it goes.

Everything is coming together for The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism book. I keep writing how blown away we are by the content -- both in quality (damn!) and quantity (hence the delays). We're going to be announcing the contributors on Tuesday November 30th, so stay tuned.

I interviewed three wonderful parents of wonderful kids with cerebral palsy for BlogHer: Jennifer Byde Myers, Ellen Seidman, and Bridget Henry. As I wrote,

"I'm used to Leo's quirks, I'm comfortable with them, they're just one part of the boy I love so much. But there's as much of an onus on me as there is on anyone else to get more familiar with other children with special needs and their stories."

These families' stories are so different and so important; I hope you learn as much and love those boys as much as I now do.

On the family front:

• Leo took cold pizza for his school lunch yesterday, which was his first non-PB&J lunch in five years. 
• He also got his little sister a snack -- complete with plate -- yesterday upon her request instead of trying to thump her. I was not involved at all -- no prompting, no encouraging, just a bystander with mouth agape. I'm going to get to use that incident for weeks, to remind Mali that her brother can be awesome. Though I hope socially savvy Miss Mali doesn't start taking advantage of her sometimes-too-obedient brother.
• It took Mali four months but: this week she finally had five days of good behavior in a row in both her Spanish and English classes! I'd been having to get in-person updates from her teachers ever day after school, since August. Her reward: PLANTS VS ZOMBIIIES. 
• Mali's teacher conference went splendidly. Her primary teacher said that after a rocky rocky start, our girl's classroom performance is now all the things a parent wants to hear but which tend to bore or irritate readers.
• Iz's Science teacher said similar things about Iz. That class is legendarily difficult, with proportionately problematic parent-teacher conferences. The teacher requested a conference with me because she wanted a happy conference, and to pat our girl on the head for being a synthesizer rather than a regurgitator.
• Iz is joining a club soccer team. Lord help us. She and Seymour are beyond thrilled. And it's a team that focuses on skills-building, not just planning scorched-earth defeats. I guess this was inevitable, once we had the minivan.

Have a loverly weekend, all!