AGAIN, IN SPEECH PRACTICE, I HAD ANOTHER FUNNY. THE LAST THING I DO IS SAY 10 RANDOM WORDS OR SHORT PHRASES. SINCE SOPH USUALLY HELPS ME (PROBABLY WHY SHE UNDERSTANDS ME SO WELL), SOMETIMES SHE THROWS IN ANY WORD SHE WANTS ME 2 SAY. THURSDAY, THE LAST THING I WAS INSTRUCTED 2 REPEAT, WAS, “THX 4 HELPING ME.” GOOF! IT’S RATHER FUN 4 HER 2 MAKE ME SAY WHATEVER! LOL GLAD SHE’S HAVING FUN…

ALSO ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, SOPHIA WAS IN A SPELLING BEE. SHE WAS LEARNING 2 SPELL WORDS I CAN’T EVEN DO! (HER DAD GAVE HER SOME FABULOUS MEMORY TRICKS ON MANY WORDS, THOUGH, & SOPH RESPONDED SO WELL 2 HIM!)

I WAS ESPECIALLY HAPPY THAT I DIDN’T NEED 2 PRONOUNCE THINGS (LUCKY ME, IF I DID MORE THAN WATCH HER PRACTICE, I COULD MAGNIFY THE WORDS, SO I COULD SEE HOW 2 SPELL/TYPE THEM, BUT MAKE MY COMPUTER SAY THE BIG WORDS!)

I AM NOT THE WORLD’S BEST SPELLER (OBVIOUSLY—THOUGH I LIKE 2 TAKE SOME CREDIT, SINCE SHE HAD 2 LEARN 2 SPELL AT A YOUNG AGE, SO I COULD TALK 2 HER…PLUS, MY BAD SPELLING IS MORE PRONOUCED BY MY KEYBOARD & DOUBLE VISION, SINCE IT DEPENDS ON HOW I HIT THE KEYS, IF A LETTER IS SKIPPED, REPEATED, ETC…BUT, SHE ISN’T A GOOD SPELLER FROM ME!) IN FACT, AFTER MY STROKE, B4 I COULD SIGN, I WAS INTRODUCED 2 “BLINK SPELLING”—THE WAY I COULD COMMUNICATE (I’LL DESCRIBE IT IN MY NEXT F.A.Q.) I REMEMBER THINKING, “U’VE GOT 2 BE KIDDING ME! SUDDENLY, I SHOULD BE THE WORLD’S BEST SPELLER?!?”—SENSE THE SARCASM?)

ANYWAY, WEDNESDAY, AFTER PRACTICE, I WAS GIVING SOPHIA SOME ADVICE…I SPELLED “TOMORROW”—ONLY WRONG–THAT WORD ALWAYS TRICKS ME, BUT SHE “DINGED” & A THIRD GRADER CORRECTED ME! LOL

BTW, I DON’T KNOW WHY, BUT B4 MY STROKE, I WAS OBSESSED WITH TAPING MY VOICE. I RECORDED 6 BOOKS (SOME 4 MY EL. ED. DEGREE, & SOME ONLY ABOUT 6 MONTHS B4, SO A PART OF ME COULD BE THERE 2 READ BEDTIME STORIES 2 MY KIDS WHEN I WENT 2 LONDON), THERE’S ALSO A VOICE LESSON, 2 TAPES WITH MY COLLEGE ACAPELLA GROUP, ME SINGING SOLOS, DUETS, QUARTETS, KARAOKE, & A GEM WITH ME ONLY ABOUT 12 YRS. OLD (WITH MY 4 YOUNGER SIBLINGS).

THIS LAST SUMMER, SOPH ASKED 2 HEAR ME SING, (B4 MY STROKE), AFTER OVERHEARING ME TRY 2 SING. ALL THE KIDS CAME, & HEARD ME SING. THEN I READ 2 SOPH BY USING THESE RECORDINGS—SHE HAS SAT TILTED IN MY LAP, & LISTENED 2 ME READ. SO COOL! THOUGH I’VE BEEN COLLECTING “EASY” BOOKS, SO I CAN AT LEAST CONTRIBUTE 2 A STORY!