PROMPT

William has benefited so much from PROMPT speech therapy. So I was excited to find another PROMPT trained therapist that was also a Scholarship Provider. We went to meet her this past week.

She was very nice, but explained she only has level 1 training. Apparently a large hospital in this region brought in trainers from the PROMPT Institute in New Mexico to do a level 1 PROMPT training seminar last fall.

We will continue to use our beloved SLP Lisa for as long as she is available. But it's exciting that William's school therapist will at least have some PROMPT knowledge and skills. And it's also exciting to know that there are now more SLPs in the area with that same ability. Hopefully that will mean more success for more kids with apraxia across the region.

Crystal

This winter we got Frosty's Winter Wonderland from the library. It's a sequel to the original Frosty movie and tells how Frosty got married to a snow lady named Crystal. Both kids loved that movie, and Lily's been asking to make Crystal ever since. Yesterday we got our first real packing snow, and so today we made our version of Crystal. Not quite like the movie, but good enough to satisfy Lily. As ready as I am for spring, I'm praying she doesn't melt too quickly.

Waiting for Class

Lily waits all week for her days to go to (preschool) class. Here she is with some of her friends this afternoon while we waited for the teachers to open the doors.

President's Day Parade

One of William's favorite jobs at school is to hold the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance. So his teacher let him be the line leader in the President's Day Parade. He did a great job!

Visitors

This past week we had the treat of having our dear friends, the Stengeles, stop on their way to and from Wisconsin. We had fun catching up, joking around, and trying out the apple kringle they brought us. Yummy! They are our third set of friends to visit us from NJ- pretty amazing considering the distance.

Good News

I had a final sonogram yesterday to estimate the size of the baby. She looks nice and little- probably Lily's size or maybe a little smaller, so my chances of VBACing are good. Praise the LORD! They still don't want me to go late, so the C-section is scheduled for March 11th. I'm praying that I will go into labor before that.

Grandma B and Lily came along with me for the sonogram. I wasn't sure how much Lily would understand, but she was well-behaved and seemed interested. The technician let her have the pictures, so she's had fun showing them to people. When we came home she wanted to look again at the sonogram pictures of when she was in Mommy's tummy.

Installation

Yesterday William's teacher commented how interesting it is to watch William when he's allowed to work with materials however he wants. This morning was a perfect example. He created this modern art installation out of the kitchen chairs and items from the activities cupboard. He was both shy and proud to pose with his creation.

"Mommy, You Died It"

I don't have a green thumb. I know that. But when the kids were so sick and I was looking for educational stuff to do at home, I thought this Rootview mini farm would be a good activity. You plant the seeds (advertised as hearty and fast-growing), and watch them sprout and grow into radishes, carrots, and onions.

The kids were all excited when we first put it together. Multiple times a day Lily would ask to check to see how our seeds were growing. They sprouted and we could see the roots as advertised. William loved to count them.

But now, instead of watching the vegetables form, we are watching the plants die off one by one. I'm not sure what's going wrong. We put them in the basement to keep them off limits and because that's the warmest place in the house, but maybe the heat changes from the dryer are hard on them. Maybe my fear of more dying has led me to over water them.

At any rate, we're not checking on them quite as regularly. And the main lesson we're learning is that the grass withers and the flower fades. I guess in some ways that's a good thing; we're less traumatized now than we were with the first few. And the kids weren't going to eat the vegetables anyway. I'm just glad I chose the plants instead of a ladybug or butterfly habitat.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yesterday William and Lily were going down the slide in William's room. All excited, Lily came running over to tell me about it. "I'm playing with Bubbie. He's my friend!" she exclaimed before running back to play. What a gift to this mommy!

It's Potty Time

Lily has shown a renewed interest in the potty lately. It may be partially due to the fact that I finally gave into her begging and bought another copy of the It's Potty Time video since we accidentally recorded over the old one. More likely it is because I finally found a good motivator- Hello Kitty stickers.

Anyway, between her renewed interest, William's ongoing training, and my very pregnant self, we're spending a good portion of each day in the bathroom. Yesterday at dinner, Lily randomly started singing, "I use my potty when I have to poop." Eric and I both smiled, and I explained, "Well, Love, that's where we live these days."

Now I See

Before: Oh, where is my hairbrush?

After: I once was blind, but now I see!

Poor Bingley was in desperate need of a haircut. He let me trim up around his neck and feet, but not his face. So today, since we were home from school yet again with colds, I finally took him to the groomer's. I always feel bad taking him there- he starts shaking as soon as we get in the van. But I can't help thinking he's happier now that he can see.

If You Were a Fly on the Wall...

Thanks to William's great progress and Lily's usual talkativeness, our home is no longer quiet. If you were a fly on the wall in our house, you'd hear the following:

William: "Me do!" (whenever I encourage him to do something himself) followed by, "Hurray! We dih it!"

Lily: "Where was me?" when looking at pictures of things before she was born. It's been fascinating watching her try to wrap her mind around her own finiteness.

William: "Fire! Fire! Hot!!" when playing with his trains. It's fun to hear some of the pretending that's been going on in his head.

Lily: "Oh, bother!" anytime she doesn't get what she wants.

William: "Here ya go stay" (not sure what the "stay" means) as the kids share snacks in the van.
Lily: "Thank you"
William: "Wecome"
After a while, they'll switch who's holding the bag, and then William gets to say, "Danks!"

And, this is my favorite:
Sometimes William says to Lily: "Hewoah, Dizzy!"
To which Lily responds, "I'm not dizzy! I'm not dizzy!"
William apparently gets a kick out of her reaction, because then he'll repeat it, "Hewoah, Dizzy!" and watch her react again and again. Such a typical brother!

More Decorating

William's Interior Decorating

William must have missed the garland on the mantel. He decorated it with his trains the other day.