Speech Therapy, please.

So its horrible. I'm an english major and my children's articulation is horrible. I don't know why, I talk to them alot! Now if you ask my mom, she'll say I don't. I don't know why, but it just feels weird to have a running conversation or sing to my children in front of people. So I don't.

But at home... all day.... alone.... they are the only three people I can talk to.

Billy went in last week to get his evaluation done. He has articulation problems, duh, I know that. When he says "Mommy, I brought your phone." It really sounds like "Mommeee, I bought yer bone." I can correct him till I'm blue in the face, and it accomplishes nothing.

But!! I do get boasting skills... as Ms. Sue was testing his vocabulary to see where he stood on that scale... she started... he answered.... "Oh, Mom, just so you know we are already at age 6." and I'm thinking what the hell does that mean? Am I supposed to be shocked that my kids knows all these words? If he didn't, I would be shocked. Of course he knows body parts, animals, and activities....

"Ok, we are at 10." What? "oh, it means he has the vocabulary of a 10 year old child." Ok.

He's 4... almost 5.

"We're at 12, now" .... then he got envelope wrong... he knows what an envelope is. He always checks the mail with my brother.

13....

and he finally got 5 wrong in a row, so she stopped the test. My 4 1/2 year old recognizes objects and words that a 13 year old should know.
WOO HOO....

So, then I call Tri care and run around with them on the phone, because they have managed to send my boys to two different locations. So we get it squared away. And I take Beau in this morning.

Literally, I have to carry him in. He had decided last night, that he was going to stay up after mommie went to bed. So I put all my kids to sleep and then went to my room to lay down. I can hear my kid playing Dora on the computer in the living room.
He crawls into my bed a little after 2 am... and this morning at 8, he doesn't want to wake up. No surprise. So I take him to the therapists and he's kinda like, "hmmm, I just wanna go back to bed." Then she starts the questions and words games and he perks up. He loves these games at home.

So then she tells him, he doesn't have to say the words anymore, he has to point to the picture... but thats not what he wants to do. He wants to tell her what every picture in the squares are... She's trying to hurry the test along because she remembers how long Billy took.

So, then... he gets bored. If he can't tell you what he wants to tell you, then you can just go away. She asks him what a shoulder is... he points to the hand... she asks him on another page what the elbow is... he points to the wrist. What's the panda? He points to the other animals and tells the names... she asks to point to the panda... he flops his finger on the page, rolls his eyes at her... then looks at me and says he wants the ipad. I've offically given up at this point, I already know he's done. Boo is in the room with us and she knows he's done. She has sat down at the table because Ms. Sue told her she would let her answer a few questions... so she's waiting.

So I know my 3 year old made it to at least 6 year old vocabulary... what the actual test would have been... no clue. but that's my stubborn evil genius for ya. ;)

Speech Therapy....

So we always knew Billy was pronouncing some letters wrong... instead of Gee it sounded like Dee... and other letters, but he was 2 & 3 & finally 4... we figured he would eventually grow out of it.

When he started Pre-k this fall, his teacher pointed out that he might need a speech therapist to help him with his articulation. If we were able to get help outside, than it could speed up the school's processing to get him seen.

In October, I made the appointment with his pediatrician. His doctor agreed that he was hard to understand and put in the recommendation to see the pediatrician speech therapist for review.

I was finally able to make an appointment, but of course it was at the hospital across town instead of our regular hospital. So I make the thirty minute drive, get on base, unload my double stroller, and pack it with three children.

I walk into the huge hospital, ask for speech therapy, they send me down the hall, upstairs, around the corner, and I wait. I'm late, but I'm standing in line. She finally calls me to the desk.

"You need to go to pediatrics."
Are you kidding me..... Do you realize how hard it is to push a regular graco double stroller.... now stick in a 4 yr, 3 yr, and 2 yr old. Ugh. I'm sweating.  So I try to pull this stroller out of line and head back down the hall, pass the elevators, to the other side of the hospital.

Hi Pediatrics... Nope... wrong place. Ugh... It's ok. Just go next door.

So I go next door. We meet Sherri. Billy does his "test," my other two find it fun and start trying to do it as well. Sherri decides that Baby's too young, but she's going to test Beau on the spot. Yay.

Well, if we get Billy in speech therapy now through the base and in school, he will be understandable by next year. If we get Beau in therapy now, he will be understandable by school start in the fall.

So we wait for the therapy to call. They finally called, but only for Billy. Really? Whatever... So he has his evaluation next week...

Upgrading Beds....

For birthdays this year, my mom wanted to purchase beds. Well, I finally cleaned out the spare room.

So Boo picked out pink paint and her room was painted.

(Details of the moves and pictures will be later. )

She upgraded out of the crib finally ;( (my babies are all growing up) and recieved her brothers toddler bed. All of her stuff went into her new room and somehow it doesnt seem big enough ;) I am happy though that she not only upgraded her bed, but her closet is now twice the size.   ;D

Billy was given a full bed and bedroom set including a night stand and dresser/mirror. He loves it. He picked out light blue paint and constantly says he lives underwater now. It is a very calming room.

Beau was moved out of the shared bed room with his brother. He now lives in a neon green room! My papa brought over a wooden twin bed w shelved head board and a night stand. Beau is getting used to the upgrade in bed size.

So soon pictures will follow with the process to get these rooms decorated and we will finally start on our room and the play room.

Pizza Lasagna

Pizza Lasagna

 

 

 

Yes, that is exactly what I said!

 

 

So, my mom is a Family Consumer Science Teacher... Home- Economics renamed.  A few things. 1 my mom does not like marinara sauce - its gross to her. So when I went on my lasagna kick, she tried it but didn't like it. Then I made her the chicken alfredo lasagna and she loved me for it.

 

2. She hates cooking lasagna and refuses to. So when it came up in class to cook, she asked me. No, she didn't call me. She asked me point blank in front of her students so I couldn't back down. ;D I love her.

 

 

So she asked about the recipe... it was so long and tedious... ugh, no. That's not how I cook it. So I told them a faster easier way to do it.

Then I asked what kind they were cooking.

Kind?

There are different kinds of lasagna.

Ohyeah baby!

 

 

I have cooked chicken alfredo

sea food alfredo

beef marinara

turkey marinara

vennison marinara

2lb beef

and about 30 variations of beef... depending on how much sauce, cheese, and meat i put in each.

 

Then I said there had to be like a mac& cheese lasagna... or a pizza lasagna.

 

 

So here are the ingrediants:

1 lb sausage

1 can marinara sauce

9 strips of lasagna noodles

1 pack of pepperoni

1 bag of italian blend or pizza blend cheese

mozerella to top

and grated parmesean to dust on to eat

 

optional:

is basically whatever toppings you like in pizza... you add in!

The girls wanted mushrooms.

 

 

Layers...

Sauce only!

Noodles (3 across) (After you cook your noodles)

meat/sauce (make sure you have cooked your sausage)

cheese

pepperoni

noodle

meat/sauce/toppings

pepperoni

cheese

noodle

meat/sauce/toppings

cheese

left over pepperoni

mozerella

 

cook for about 30-45 min on 350*

after it cools

ENJOY

Alpha Phi Legacy

My mother chose St. Mary's University as her college in the 70/80's because of its high established reputation. She took her classes and walked the campus. She would see the Greeks on campus and always dreamed of joining one, but as she puts it, she was too "proud" to let someone humiliate her in front of everyone. She couldn't or rather wouldn't go through rush back then to join.

When I chose St. Mary's as my college choice, my mother was estatic. She had a legacy that she could pass on, but as my first semester came to a close, she began to feel sad. When I asked her what the problem was, she told me about her views  of the sororities. She admitted that now, she regretted not joining because she would be able to have me as a legacy in her sorority. I laughed it off and comforted her.

In the late 80's and 90's Sororities and fraternities went through a major makeover due to large amounts of hazing, deaths, injuries, and other emotional trauma. Laws were passed that now prevented these same acts from happening. Several chapters from all of them were shut down across the nations universities. St. Mary's included. I told her that if she had joined, there would be no legacy to pass on. She questioned my remark. I told her that all of the sororities that were there at her time, were all kicked off campus and they were all new. She smiled and agreed, but still wished she had greek letters to pass on.

Well, spring Formal recruitment came and after spending time with different members of the other sororities during the fall, I knew where I wanted to be. It was fun hanging out with the women of Alpha Phi. I didn't get along with alot of the girls in high school, but this mixed group of personalities made it work. They all showcased each other and brought out the best.

So after going through Open House, and the second night, Pref night came. Jennifer point blank asked me what she had to say to get me to join. I told her, it was as simple as saying she wanted me to join. So she did. That night when I signed my card, I "suicided" Alpha Phi.

I was super lucky that all the girls liked me, because on Bid Day... I got to go "Home".

*~ * ~ * ~ *

 

After my first year in Alpha Phi, I understood my mothers desire for a Legacy. So I surprised her with a gift of lifting regret. Alpha Phi allows women to join through the Alumni chapter. So I asked my mother to join, then went even further and convinced my grandmother to join! In one day, a year after I joined, I shared my experiences with the most important women in my life and became a 3rd generation legacy all at the same time! =) It was wonderful.

 

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

It has been 8 years this year since I have joined. I still love and cherish my sisters. This summer, I was able to take my daughter through New York on vacation back from my aunt's. While we were there, today we stopped and I took her picture in front of the Founding School's house. I hope that when she finally goes to college, she will choose Alpha Phi. She will be 4th generation and it will be great to get her picture in front of the house again in 16 years.

 



Legoland

While we were visiting my cousins in Dallas for her wedding, we decided to take the kids to Legoland. It starts off in a rollercoaster style ride. Then you can go into different themes... We collect giraffes for my oldest, so it was a treat for him to sit on it.

 

 

They have a ton of activities to do and all ages can play. Legoland in Texas was a great adventure for the kids for behaving during the wedding.

Dallas Wedding

My cousin got married this weekend. She chose a beautiful church because of its architecture. It had natural lights at different times of the day because of the unique shape of the building and angle of the windows.

 

For her venue she chose a natural preserve. They host weddings and events to help keep up the costs to keep the natural habitats at bay and not over run by the public.