Proof is in the Numbers

I don't have the official numbers in front of me because they will be mailed to me, but I got a sneak peek at Logan's Phonological Test Scores. Here is the rundown:

Age 3 when he entered Phono: 181 (profound)

Age 4 beginning of the year: 165

Age 4 at the end of the school year: 151

So that's why they recommended he continue Phono in the class, he hadn't really made enough progress and was still high on the scale of needing help with speech.

So, they tested him this week, about 6 months after his last exam:

You ready? He scored a.... 24

Holy cow what a difference! 24 is considered "Mild" so my boy has improved quite a bit! So exciting. He had his last day of Phono, I had his IEP meeting where we changed his goal and met the new in-district speech teacher. She was already putting together ideas for Logan at the meeting and he will most likely come in with one other child from kindergarten. The speech room is right nearby and he will enjoy bonding with one other child for sure, the kindergarten class is pretty large, and he won't feel alone.

Graduating from Phono!

It started at age 2, we did Early Intervention where he ended up getting therapy sessions in my mother-in-laws house.

Then it moved to Early Childhood with testing and placement in the Phono class. 3 Days a week he went to Kensington and 2 days a week he got on a bus and went to Phono preschool. 5 days a week of papers, parties and treats and special days to coordinate, with things to practice at home from both schools.

Then he turned 4 and did the same thing all over again.

Then he turned 5 and while I wanted to pass him out of it, they weren't really offering the option. So we did phono again with the bus and the crazy schedule of 3 different schools to get 2 different children to on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

And finally I was able to get the school district to allow him to do therapy for 15-30 minutes a week during kindergarten hours! I was all worried that his Phono teacher would talk me out of it, and she said she agrees, he has improved enough to "GRADUATE" from phono!

I know it's a silly thing but this has been a part of our lives for 4 years and I guess I'm just taking this moment to revel in the fact that he has moved ON. We have survived, we have done a good thing and he is now in regular kindergarten with a mostly intelligible speech! I couldn't have done it without the grandparents. And it was worth it. This summer we had a meeting and they specifically said that all of our hard work (especially Logan's hard work!) has kept him out of Special Ed. Yeah for Logan!

He has always been my quirky backwards, do everything different than the books say, intense beyond belief for that first year to the point that I had to quit my job, adorable and not predictable boy. He has mellowed to a sweet boy beyond compare and now I can stop being the mom at the park who has to interject for him when the other kids don't understand. He talks to his friends on the playground and he talks a LOT more then ever before.

I just wanted to share my good news and send a note of encouragement for any mom in the group heading down the long road of "therapy" in any of its forms. It's so worthwhile to give your child a hand up when they need it so when all they want to do is be a "normal kindergartener" they have all the tools at their ready.

Playground Anctics

This was all this morning, in the 5 minutes waiting for the school bell to let my son into Kindergarten.

A to Logan: "You're #5 in line! How come you didn't get here first?"

W:"You know what Allison told me? She told me she likes me!"
A: "No she did not! That's a lie!" W looks like he's going to cry.

I turn around to see Allison making eyes with a boy in the next line. There is a cluster of girls saving a spot for another girl and all clamboring around Allison. She's cute, she's got a big sister and apparently she's not afraid to talk to the boys. Should I warn her mom?

A: "Hey Logan, guess what?"
Logan: "What?"
A: "BLPHTTT!" practically spits in his face and makes faces. Nice huh?

Geesh! This is KINDERGARTEN kids? Where's the sweetness? Apparently left behind in preschool.

11 -5 year old Boys.

Oh my! I just attended the first birthday party of the kindergarten year. This party was at home which to me conjures innocence, fun games and homemade cake. Well we had the second two but innocence, man I can picture some of these boys in junior high already. I think I need to send a spa certificate for their teacher this Christmas. Or perhaps buy her a trip to the Bahamas to recoup and get ready for round 2 of the rest of the year!

There was rowdiness, pure insane disregard for the kids toys, and knocking over of juice cups by whipping an inflatable pumpkin everywhere. They had some fun Halloween decorations like the one with a skeleton hand that comes out, and instead of just standing there laughing, it became a contest to see who could break the darn thing faster.

The mummy contest was crazy. The musical chair contest was ruthless. And the pinata left some kids in tears!

The parents hosting were great, they really did try to keep a handle on things. But what do you do when you announce "Time to play a new game!" and a child stands their ground and says "Not me!" and continues to destroy the playroom by throwing things all over the place.

I was actually happy to be there as I had to defend my son a few times, steal his toy gun back from 3 different kids (who took it right out of his hands), and pull a few boys off of him that were in a punching kinda mood. Good grief!

We have a birthday party coming up at Chuck E Cheese for Logan with the same 11 boys, and a Halloween party at kindergarten, I'll be curious to see the behavior of the kids for these events.

And to think, the 11 boys are only half of the kindergarten class. Now I'm glad to be an architect again!

What's for Dinner?

This is a typical dinner for the kids and me. I love serving the kids in these trays, as Logan especially is not very "Mixed food" friendly. He would flip out if I served him a casserole, he prefers compartments. Plus it makes it easier to say "eat all of your veggies or fruit" Since we had a big lunch and neither child is in a growth spurt at the moment, I had to do some cajoling to get them to eat this.



This, on the other hand, is Logan's dinner request. And lunch request. He tells me he would like to eat Ramen all the time. Even though it isn't healthy. And every food presented comes with the question "Is this healthy?" and eaten better if it is healthy.



I have to say it is nice to have ONE food you KNOW the kids will eat, no matter what. Sylvie's fav is rice from the in-laws restaurant. For a Long LONG LOOOOONG time, Logan preferred Hot Dogs, Scrambled eggs, Chocolate Milk and Breakfast Sausage. Sylvie is not as routine, she goes in phases. Usually when you stock up on something, she decides she no longer likes it:)

Robot Control Tower

I had a blast with the kids pulling out some old boxes from the recycling bins, our art supplies, and let them go to town. I made them 3 of the "cottages" and they made the others. Sylvie's is the well-colored variety and Logan's is a "Robot Control Tower." We had a great time!

A few weeks back, you know, when it was warmer!

I can't believe it was warm enough for a sundress and a sunny trip to our favorite sandbox park just a week or two ago! It's so chilly and wet and windy right now, Fall has come aknocking. I even turned on the radiant floor to help keep our toes warm!

I love this park. The smaller equipment is in a huge sandbox. There is a very accessible playground with neat swings and lots of ramps (not pictured). And there is the "Age 5-12" park. The kids took on the big kid park with gusto and had a great time! We stopped at Target on the way there to buy kites, but they were put away for the season- waah! This park even has a "kite-flying hill."

Room Parent

I'm so in love with the idea of helping when I can in Logan's school. Believe me, I'm not the one with 50 ideas and volunteering for every committee. Have to make sure I'm not spread too thin. Plus, everything I offer takes a bit away from either the kids time or my husband's time, or both. But there is just something so cool about walking through those halls with art projects and kids' names and desks lined up that makes me so happy for my Logan to be in school. I guess it means I have good memories from my school days and I'm excited for my kids to be given the chance to go just like I did.

But yes, I am excited to wrap things for a Halloween surprise and have some fun helping at the "parade" and so excited for all of these fun experiences we give these kids and watching them enjoy enjoy enjoy!!!!!

In the green schoolbag- Sylvie

And here are Sylvie's drawings. She likes to draw something and then change her mind about who it is depending on who she is discussing it with. So for me, in my interpretation, she always tells me all tall people are me. I like being tall:) I'm the one in purple. She recently drew some stick figures with REALLY long legs and said they were Logan- grown up.



I really like this apple tree she brought home this week. Very directed in what and how to make it I'm sure, but pretty nonetheless!

In the Backpacks- Logan

I thought I would show some papers that have come home from school that put a smile on my face recently


This one cracks me up. They do a cool activity where they have teh 4th graders come in and read to them. Apparently they read half the story and the kids had to draw/discuss what they thing the end was. The story was about a "big golden surprise thing." Logan drew a spaceship and was all excited for what it could be. He was extremely disappointed that the "Golden thing" was a sunflower. How boring compared to a spaceship!

We have words! Lots and lots of words! Most of his worksheets involve him copying words from somewhere, he lets me know which words he got to "pick myself."





And this one made me actually laugh out loud. This drawing is very different looking than anything he had previously done. He said it's an ice cream truck. Running over a mouse. BOYS!