Say It With Me Now... Choo Choo!

This is going to be a long one, so I'd recommend grabbing a cup of coffee or a Diet Pepsi or something before you start reading. Go on. I'll wait.

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Settled in? Okay.

So. Miss P (who turned 3 on Wednesday) has a language delay. Not a Oh My Goodness This Is A Huge Problem language delay, but I'd say she's about 6-9 months behind her peers in terms of vocabulary and enunciation. On top of her tendency to put 'sssss' in front of most words, she also struggles with anxiety - particularly when in unfamilar places or around unfamilar people. As you can imagine, this has made our efforts over the last 15 months to improve her speech/language development rather difficult.

We worked with the local Parents as Teachers group and enjoyed the playtime interactions but I'm not sure we were really accomplishing anything in terms of language. Miss P managed to keep moving along at her own pace, making leaps in word counts and enunciation, but still with an approximately 6-9 month delay. In October, we decided we needed to pay a little more attention to these issues, particularly since she was about to age out of the free services provided through Parents as Teachers. We got in touch with a local organization that also provides free services (but only until age 3) and they brought out a speech pathologist, a psychologist, and another early childhood professional (referred to as ECP from here on out) and did a battery of observational assessments. I say 'observational' because it's rather difficult to assess the verbal abilities of a child who won't talk to you.

Heh.

Anywho, this second local group decided that their best bet would be to help Miss P qualify for and then transition into the services provided by our local school district that begin at age 3. They came out on a weekly basis to play with P, working on that anxiety issue. We encouraged P to use her words and basically built her comfort level with the ECP. Then, we had a couple of meetings with the school district, which relied on the ECP's observations and our own parental input to assess Miss P's skill levels and needs going forward. Normally, there is a litany of tests that must be performed in order to qualify for these services but ... once again ... difficult to test the kiddo who is silent. Luckily, the district folks recognized a challenge when they saw one and decided Miss P qualified to enter the school district's early childhood program.

On Monday, the school district's speech language pathologist (SLP) came out to go over Miss P's IEP (Individual Education Plan). For those of you who are going through this sort of thing, her goals for the first seven months of service will center on fixing substitution errors (using one letter sound in place of another) and cluster reduction (using one sound at the beginning of words when there should be two). Goals also were developed for her anxiety issue, with "making requests of adults" and "initiating turn-taking with peers" being the focus.

Now, let me make this clear: When Miss P is at home, she has ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM making requests of adults (in fact, we hear a few too many requests thankyouverymuch) or initiating turn-taking with her sisters. At this moment, she and Miss A are screaming at each other in what is obviously a sharing, caring, turn-taking moment with the legos.

However, put her with other adults or with kiddos that aren't her sisters and it's a different story.

So. Ummm... Goals. The goals are very reasonable, in my opinion. We're shooting for things like "producing two sounds together at the beginnings of words where appropriate with 80% accuracy" and "initiating play routines with 1-2 prompts during a 30 minute session with her SLP". These are not overwhelming goals, but rather something that will be worked on over the course of her first year in the program.

And how will we accomplish these things you might ask? Well, you might not be asking but I'm telling. Do you need more coffee or Diet Pepsi? A bathroom break??? :)

Since the anxiety issue also is a part of this IEP, the SLP wants to develop a strong relationship with Miss P before she enters into the preschool program. To accomplish that, the first 7 months of service (until August 2010 - the new school year) will consist of weekly home visits with the SLP and weekly phonology group. The home visits will last for 30 minutes and will be primarily play-based, emphasizing the need for Miss P to use her words and communicate effectively with her SLP. The phonology group will help develop appropriate sound usage. We had our first session today and, because you've stuck with me this long, I'll give you a play-by-play.

There are 8 kids in phonology group, ages 3-5. Miss P is obviously the youngest and the oldest will be going to kindergarten in the fall. I was the only parent there and the goal is for me to eventually be able to drop Miss P off and go about my business for an hour or so. Our SLP runs the group, assisted by two more SLPs. Each group session centers on a word sound. Last week was the final T - cat, hat, and so on. This week was CH - cheese, chair, etc. The session begins with a review of last week's sound, accomplished by having the kids bring an item for show and tell. This week there was a hearT, a haT, and a lighTsaber (let's face it... the kid's parents missed the mark on that one!). After show and tell, there was a review of the phonological alphabet - each sound has an item and an action associated with it. For instance, CH is associated with a train and the 'Chugga Chugga Choo Choo' hand motion.

... which I am currently demonstrating... but you can't see me... I'm so smart sometimes.

Then it was story time with a book about a train, so the kids could say 'Choo Choo'. For art, the kiddos made a mouse who eats CHeese and for snack, they pretended they were mice who eat CHeese. Right before we wrapped it up for the day, the kids played musical CHairs. Next week, the kids will start with a review of the CH sound and then spend the rest of the session on a new sound. Is that cool or what???

Anywho, that's all I know for now. I'm excited to get a few weeks into this and see how Miss P is doing. The goal is for her to join the daily preschool group in August, at which time she'll be reassessed and a new IEP will be written to recognize the goals she's already accomplished and set new ones. I'll keep you updated.

In Which I Try To Smell Pretty

Back in the day, I had a signature fragrance. It was actually my friend Jen's signature fragrance and I stole it. Well, I bought my own... and she didn't really mind... so I guess I didn't steal it...

This is going nowhere fast, hmmm?

Anywho.

I wore a Jil Sander fragrance (Jil Sander Woman II) and I loved it. It was a tad pricey but it was perfect for me. Not too floral, not too musky, not too much citrus... and so on. And, as these things often go, not too much in production anymore. C'est la vie.

Since the demise of my signature fragrance, I've meandered half-heartedly through body sprays from Bath & Body Works and cheap perfumes found at the local department stores. I've ripped open every magazine perfume sample that wandered across my path. I've lingered at cosmetics counters and sniffed my friends and even accosted a couple of strangers but still... no luck... no new signature fragrance for me.

Until two weeks ago, when the magazine sniffing finally paid off. Lancome has a new fragrance called Hypnose Senses, which has been described as "carnal and disconcerting”. I find that description a tad "disconcerting" but I refuse to let marketing put me off a scent for which I've been searching for close to seven years.

Well, I'm a little put off. It's not all about the marketing, either. I'm having a hard time pulling the trigger, especially since we're talking about a $45 bottle of perfume. What if it's not the one? What if I'm wrong? What if the quick spray from the cosmetics counter has led me into a false fragrance love? What if people think I'm "carnal"???

I may be due for another day leaning over the counter at Macy's, sniffing bottles.

I Hate January

It's January again. I don't like January. No one in my office likes January. I didn't like January last year, and I don't like it this year. I can almost guarantee that I won't like it next year either.

I just thought you should know.

The Little Running Store That Could

If you know me and we hang out on Facebook, then you know that I've been championing the cause of the best local running store in the world. The running store has been in financial trouble for about a year and they've finally reached the end of the line. Creditors are calling and it looked like the doors would need to close. The best local running store in the world needed $35,000 to stay open and all of their options had been exhausted.

Or so they thought.

Then, another small business owner stopped by the store and gave the owners a check for $1,000. He told them that all they needed was 34 people just like him.

So they sent out an email to their supporters and asked for donations. At the same time, they announced a 24 hour treadmill-a-thon. They hauled a treadmill out onto the sidewalk outside of the store, in full view of cars passing on the street, and started running.

Now, there are a couple of ways to view this.

1) It's a small business. Yes, it's sad, but small businesses that aren't run in financially-smart ways sometimes have to close. It's the way of the world. And why on earth would you donate to for-profit business when there's no guarantee that they won't be in the exact same situation in another couple of months?

2) Small businesses didn't receive a bailout like the automotive and banking industries. Why shouldn't small business owners cry out for help? And why shouldn't their customers and their community support them?

I see both sides of the argument. The husband is a small business owner and I'm employed by a small business. This story hits close to home. But... these people are my running family. They have been my support for an entire year while I've embarked on this personal journey of mine and there's no way I could not be there when the going gets rough.

The story doesn't have a happy ending... yet. The 24 hour mark has passed and the treadmill-a-thon is over. More than $25,000 was raised, and the little running store that could is still praying for a miracle.

Running store owner Karen has posted this as her Facebook status several times throughout this stressful time:

Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

I hope they make it.

In Memory of Lost Babies

There's this thing going around on Facebook. No, not the bra color thing. I haven't participated in that, but it's making me feel much better about the lack of Wow! factor in my own lingerie selections... although that's really not where I'm going with this post...

Anywho, there's this thing. Maybe you've seen it. It goes something like this:

Put this as your status if you or somebody you know has suffered BABY LOSS. ♥♥♥ The majority won't put it on, because unlike cancer, baby loss is a taboo. ♥♥♥ Break the silence. ♥♥♥ In Memory of all the ~Angel~ babies gone too soon but never forgotten!!

I haven't posted this as my Facebook status, although I certainly meet the criteria. I see my family members posting this, and I nod my head, remembering those losses and the grief they felt. Or I see a friend posting this and I think, 'Wow, I didn't know'. And I comment on the post so that they know I know and that now, while they're thinking about it, I'm thinking about it too.

But I haven't posted it, even though I've lost babies. Even though I still remember every August, December, and February that I could have babies with birthdays in those months. Even though I still wonder what those babies would have been... would have looked like... would have become.

It's not that I haven't accepted those losses, because I have. If I hadn't lost the first pregnancy, I wouldn't have my sassy Miss N. If I hadn't grieved through two more miscarriages, I wouldn't have my miracle girl, Miss A. And if I hadn't been emotionally destroyed by that last loss, I might not have leaped quite so fearlessly into Miss P's adoption. Because those three babies weren't meant to be born, I have three daughters who were meant to be mine.

But I haven't posted it on Facebook. Not because it's taboo. Not because I don't want my friends or family to remember my losses. Not because I don't think it's important. But because it seems to require so much more than a status update on Facebook.

In Memory of all the ~Angel~ babies gone too soon but never forgotten!

Ultra Runners

I stopped by the best local running store in the world on Saturday. Technically, I was there to buy some socks that would keep my feet from freezing when I'm brave enough to venture outside, but mostly I was there to get a kick in the butt since the weather and the flu have sidelined my committment to forward movement.

While I was lamenting the lack of mileage in my life, my friend J (who works at the best local running store in the world) was telling me that she still has a nagging hip injury that flares up anytime she runs more than 18 miles. And, after smacking her in the head and suggesting that she stop at around mile 17, we moved on to discussing my neighbor, K, and the 100-miler he's planning to run this fall. Then we chit chatted some more about life in general and running apparel in particular (ultimately deciding that the $80 running shell was not essential to my happiness but would make a lovely Valentine's gift... which I need to suggest to the husband).

I left the store with my toasty new socks and the much needed kick in the butt. It was only after I got home and had a few moments to myself that I really thought about my running friends and why on earth it seemed normal to be standing around talking to someone about running 18 miles.

Remember, it was just one year ago that I started running. And by started, I mean started. Running two minutes at a time was barely conceivable, let alone two miles. I went to the best local running store in the world, bought some new shoes, made some new friends, signed up for a few races, and away I went. It's only now - a year later - that I understand why these new friends embraced me and my complete newness to running so completely.

They're crazy.

And they want to suck me into their craziness.

People, all my running friends are ultrarunners. Ultrarunners aren't satisfied with wimpy 13.1 or 26.2 mile distances... they want more! They run 50ks... 50 milers... and even 100 milers! They're completely nuts! Adorable... and funny... and supportive... but NUTS!

My running friends and community include:

W, the running store owner, who ran four 100 mile races in 2009.

B, my coworker, who ran her first ultra in October (a 50k - go B!)

J, my friend and running store employee, who ran at least one 50 miler in 2009

K, my neighbor, who wasn't a runner 2 1/2 years ago but ran his first 50 miler in 2009

No wonder I thought nothing of going from running for two minutes to running for 14 miles last year. No wonder I've decided two half marathons seems perfectly reasonable for my 2010 goal. I've been brainwashed!

And it only took me a year to figure it out.

To The Library

There's no place I love more in this town than our library. People, our library rocks. You already know how much I love reading and how I feel about books in general, but our library takes things to a new level. With an art gallery, an auditorium, meeting rooms, a volunteer-run used bookstore, and a cafe, I could literally live in our library.

There are plenty of nooks for reading, tables with electrical outlets in the floor underneath, and wireless internet access. There are huge expanses of books for adult readers, an entire room devoted to large-print books for vision-impaired readers, and - this is the best - two huge areas for those under 18. The first room is for tweens and teens, with computers, Wiis and PS3s, board games, and marvelous books.

The second area is the size of most small town libraries and it's devoted strictly to those under 12. Books for the smallest ones are tossed haphazardly into a large wooden boat and an equally massive car, the better for those little ones to dive in to reading - literally. Shelves are stocked with books and movies and cds. Computers are everywhere, with restricted access so that parents don't have to worry about inappropriate sites. There's even an entire room of computers for toddlers, preloaded with games suited for short people. There are lego tables, puzzles to play with, and an aquarium stocked with Dory and Nemo.

There are always programs in progress at our library - lunchtime book clubs, local celebrity readers in the children's area, classes on geneology or computer use, chess instruction happening in the youth rooms... And in the summer? Our library goes all out, offering summer reading programs not just for the elementary students, but for the teens and adults, too.

And then there are the book sales. Each fall, volunteers organize hundreds of thousands of books, cds, movies, games, and more. They stock an entire hall and, for three days, people come from miles around to haul out bags full of goodies - most of which are priced under a dollar. N and I have been going to that book sale every year since we moved here (that would be seven years, thankyouverymuch) and never fail to walk out with more bags than we can comfortably carry for less than $40. Today, the library held a mini sale in the auditorium and I was just in time to pay $5 for a brown paper bag, which I then stuffed with as many books as I could pack in. What. A. Deal.

Once I'd ensured myself a supply of reading material for the next couple of weeks, I grabbed a few movies for the girls and then met a friend for a leisurely latte in the cafe. After what seems like weeks of confinement thanks to the weather and the flu, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect couple of hours. Thanks, Library. To know you is to love you.

Some People Are So Demanding

Geesh, take a few days off and that darn Leigh Booth is yelling at me for not updating the blog. Since someone... and I'm not saying who (Leigh Booth)... hadn't updated her blog in months, I'm a little surprised by the attitude. Then again, I've just invited myself to dinner at her house in June so I guess it goes both ways. Hee!

Anywho!

New Year's Resolutions! They're on everyone's mind so I thought I'd toss mine out there. They are pretty simple:

1) More time for me.
2) More time for my kiddos.

Numero uno will be accomplished with a continued focus on my running. I've targeted two half marathons for this year, plus a few 5ks and that 10k night trail race that was such a blast in 2009. Even better, I've gotten my sister to agree to running the first half marathon with me in May, plus at least one other friend so it will be impossible to fall off that bandwagon.

I've also set a personal goal of running at least 300 miles in 2010. Thanks to a flu bug that's been sweeping through my home, I haven't managed even one mile yet this year, but that all changes on Wednesday and I can't wait! I haven't found time to run since Christmas Eve and it's getting to me.

Number Two is not quite as simple, but much more important. As the girls get older, they tend to go off and do their own things and I tend to let them, relishing my own 'alone' time. But that means I'm missing some special times with the kiddos, so I'm going to make a concerted effort to be with them more. Yesterday, we all curled up on the couch together and watched a movie. It was a nice start.