Happy Birthday Rachel!

Today, 10-10-10 is Rachel's birthday.  She is seven.  Where has the time gone? I still think of her as my baby, but she really isn't a baby anymore. 

For her birthday she got a little indoor trampoline, two books, and a Kids Bop CD.  Her favorite thing was the card she got from some friends that plays "The Hamster Dance."  So much for the gifts..........;-)

Let The Fun Begin!

We have a very busy weekend ahead of us, and the girls could not be more excited.  Our friend, Bill, who passed away in August, left behind a wife and four kids.  They will all be coming down from Alabama to spend the weekend with us.  Allison and Leah cannot wait for the kids to arrive.  They have been on pins and needles for the last week, and they were just silly all afternoon and evening they are so excited.  I am hoping that Rachel will be well for the weekend.  I kept her home from school today because she had had several bouts of diarrhea the last two days.  She seemed to feel okay, but I just thought it would be best to keep her home.  About noon today she threw up, but shortly after she was fine and has been fine all evening.  I am praying that everyone will stay well for the weekend!  It should be chaotic with seven kids...:-)  It will be strange to have Joanna here without Bill.  I still cannot believe he is gone.

In addition to the company, Rachel's birthday is Sunday.  My plan was to get out today and get some shopping done, but with Rachel home sick, that did not happen.  That means I have to try to work that into Saturday.  It should be lots of fun to have all the kids here for Rachel's birthday.  I plan on getting her one of those little trampolines that they use in therapy.  She LOVES to "jump" on the trampolines in gymnastics.  The problem is, she cannot jump.  She cannot get both feet off the ground.  Maybe if we have something for her to practice on she can finally reach that milestone.  She will have fun trying to get there, anyway.     

OOTS!!

I almost let the day get by without a post........well, actually the day is over here in Florida, so I will just have to pretend I am on Central Time tonight!  "Oots" is Rachel word for oops.  It is one of the many things that she mispronounces.  Mollie from across the street is "Moss", kitty is "killy", Whitney is "Nee", horse is "see"-see is also fish and cheese........we sometimes have to resort to sign language to tell which "see" she is talking about. 

I have waited so long to be able to communicate with Rachel and if you were to ask me today if she can communicate, I would say not really.  But, I have recently noticed that she is saying many new words.  She is still limited to one word at a time, but she is really increasing the number of words available to her.  Tonight the doggie gate going into the kitchen was a little hard to open.  When Rachel pulled on it and it did not open, she said, "Locked."  It is really cool to be hearing the new words.  Hopefully soon we will be hearing sentences!!     

Is It Just Me?

Today Rachel had speech therapy.  She gets speech in school, three days a week, and I take her in to someone else once a week.  Rachel has had speech since she was an infant.  Over all these years, I have been given numerous oral motor exercises to do with her.  I always try to be the good mommy and attempt to do what I am told, but it never fails that, even if I get off to a good start, I end up tappering off.  I always have some excuse not to do them.......it is too late, Rachel is too grouchy, there is not enough time, I will do it later, Rachel doesn't feel good, I don't feel good, we are off our schedule with travel or friends visiting, etc.....  I always have good intentions and have spent lots of money on these intentions, only to let them fall by the wayside over time.  Take the eProReading program.  We got through the first coouple of sets of cards, and then I started missing days.  Days became weeks, and now we are not doing it at all.  Am I the only one out there that has a difficult time doing all the recommended exercises? (I am not any better with the PT or OT exercises either, by the way)  If you are good about following through on things, how do you do it?!  I just feel overwhelmed with the things I am supposed to do.  All three girls seem to have a thousand things that they are supposed to be doing, and I feel like I just cannot keep up.       

School Pictures.......She Looks So Grown Up!

October 2006

October 2007

October 2008

October 2009

October 2010

I cannot believe that Rachel will be seven years old on Sunday, but when I see this recent school picture, I have to say she is growing up!