Playing Catch-Up!!!

Oh, it's been a busy couple of weeks. Here are some updates...

Lucy Goose is getting smarter and smarter by the minute. Her latest display of geniousness includes counting and imitating the ABC's. If you say, "1" Lucy says, "2". If she has an item in each hand (ex. a brush in each hand), she says, "2 ______" (ex. 2 brushes). Not only does Lucy imitated letters when you say them, but she also says the sound that they make. I'm telling you, she will be off to Harvard by the time she's 10. She has also discovered who the Gamecocks really are. Of course I blogged a few weeks ago about how she says, "Geecocks" when she sees a picture or image of the Gamecock mascot, but she was formally introduced to the Gamecock football players last Thursday night. We allowed her to stay up an extra few minutes to watch kickoff and now any time she passes he Memaw and Pepaw's TV, she says, "Geecocks" and does a precious little dance. (She doesn't do that when she sees anyone else's TV so I guess she thinks they only play on Memaw and Pepaw's TV.) I will do my best to get some video of our little Cocky doing her dance in her cheerleading uniform this weekend.

Today she proved herself to be a true southern belle by insisting on wearing her Memaw's pearls after nap time. (Sorry no pics of the Princess in her pearls; I've gotten very slack with the picture taking.) Not only is she a brilliant, athletic, beautifully fashionable girl, but she is also growing spiritually. While I was reading her Bible story tonight, she looked at the picture and said, "Jesus". (Very clearly, I might add.) That is just music to a Mommy's ears!

We have also begun redecorating/repainting the living room, hallway, Lucy's bathroom and surprisingly, the kitchen. The painting in the living room is done. We just have a few more things to hang and we're good to go. All that is left in the hallway and kitchen is the trim, touch-ups and, of course, hanging things. I haven't started on Lucy's bathroom, but I have found the decor. We're going for a sophisticated ocean theme...

http://www.amazon.com/Tiddliwinks-Seahorse-Bath-Coordinates/dp/B003FPVHAO

(I couldn't get the pictures to come up so follow this link for the complete collection.) We are going to throw some pink in there as well (of course). And, I'm looking at bubble wall decals and vinyl letters to say "Life is the Bubbles... Under the Sea". I'll be sure to post pics when everything is complete.

A Great Day to be Alive...

I started seeing students yesterday which is always a very exciting time. For one, I get to see what kind of progress they have made with their speech over the summer and for two, they all have great stories to tell about their adventures during the summer (most of which are made up). My most favorite thing is sitting back and letting my kids talk to each other. (I don't do this normally because, being the control freak speech therapist that I am, I like to rule the conversation and the speech room.) Yesterday I met 4 new 2nd graders and began our sessions by allowing them to tell the most spectacular thing they did over the summer. After explaining what "spectacular" means, the stories began. And they got bigger and better as they went. The cutest thing about the group was a sweet little guy who would look at me every now and then and say things like, "I like your hair" or "I like your necklace". To which his group mate would follow with "Oh, me too!" I think they were just trying to get beads (part of my reward system), but none-the-less it was cute!

Today, while walking with one of my 7th graders, this is the conversation we had...

Me: "Andrew, where did you get all of those Silly Bandz?" As I stare in astonishment at the stack of Silly Bandz creeping up his arm to his elbow.

Andrew: "This summer, I cleared out my bank account and spent all of my money on them."

Me: "Wow, you must have had a lot in there!"

Andrew: "$800."

Me: "You spend $800 on Silly Bandz?"

Andrew: "What, I like to buy nice things!"

Bless his heart. (I told you most of the stories were made up. This was before he told me that he went to Florida and swam out into the middle of the ocean and dove to the bottom of the ocean -11 feet in all- and then felt a shark fin touch his leg.)

After a very entertaining day, I went to pick up Lucy, who was finishing a 2.5 hour nap. She woke up as I was coming in MeMaw's door and was in a happy little mood. She insisted on taking out the bottom drawer of MeMaw's jewelry box (she loves pretties) and rummaging through it's contents. As she was playing, she found a pin. She looked at if for a few seconds before shouting with a big smile on her face "Gee Cocks"! (Lucy for "Gamecocks") She handed the pin to MeMaw and sure enough, it was a Gamecock pin. Oh joy of joys, she's a Carolina Girl!!!

As if the day couldn't get any more full of life's simple pleasures, I came home to a mailbox full of magazines and catalogs. I had never heard of one so I opened it first and was so pleasantly surprised when this greeted me from the front page...

Lucy's 1st ski suit! (Not snowsuit because she will be learning how to ski this year!!)

I wasn't incredibly impressed with the rest of the catalog, but they do have a few other cute things including leggings and leg warmers and PRECIOUS clogs! I give hannaAndersson.com 2 thumbs up for kids clothes (whoever Hanna Andersson is).