I STARTED HORSE THERAPY TODAY! I GOT 2 PRACTICE TALKING (TO THE HORSE, & THE THERAPIST), STANDING, WALKING, & OF COURSE MY ABS HAD A WORKOUT (BUT IT WAS MUCH MORE FUN THAN BOUNCING ON A “PEANUT BALL” FOR THAT LONG!) I WAS EXHAUSTED FOR HOURS AFTERWARDS!
OUR UKRANIAN VISITOR, DIMA, HAS STARTED 2 FIGURE OUT THAT I SPEAK ENGLISH AS WELL AS HE DOES (ONLY MY “ACCENT” IS SLURRING WORDS), & THAT I COMMUNICATE W/ACTIONS & THROUGH THE COMPUTER LIKE HIM, BUT I THINK YESTERDAY WAS A BIT OF A TURNING POINT: HE SAW MY HUMOR, SO HE LAUGHS AT WHAT I SAY MORE, IF IT WAS MEANT 2 BE FUNNY, & TODAY, HE LAUGHED AT THE FUNNY PICTURE ON MY SHIRT-WHICH I HAVE WORN B4!
PLUS, I WAS ABLE 2 SPEAK REALLY WELL YESTERDAY, & THE COMPUTER GUY WHO HELPS ME, UNDERSTOOD A LOT, WHICH SEEMED 2 OPEN HIS EYES. & I DON’T THINK HE’S SEEN ME WRITE B4, BUT HE PICKED UP THAT I WROTE WHAT I COULDN’T SAY, & I THINK HE WAS ABLE 2 SEE MORE HOW IT IS JUST AS DIFFICULT 4 ME 2 COMMUNICATE AS IT IS 4 HIM.
ALSO, I JUST RETURNED FROM A LYNN FAMILY REUNION IN DESTIN, FL. I WAS SO IMPRESSED BY HOW OUR VISITORS FROM THE UKRAINE WERE JUST TAKEN IN, & I REALIZED HOW FORTUNATE I AM!
Everyone has a “voice” even the non verbal because a personas true voice Isn’t in the things they say. Its in their actions, thoughts and feelings.
“People with Disabilities Rock” FB Page
WHILE THERE, I SAW A SHOW THAT POSED THIS QUESTION: “WOULD A GOD WHO LOVES U DO (SUCH & SUCH)?”
I GUESS I COULD ASK IF A GOD WHO LOVES ME WOULD LET ME HAVE A STROKE, & DENY ME MANY THINGS IN LIFE. I DON’T KNOW IF HE DID OR NOT: POSSIBLY HE DID, CUZ HE LOVED ME ENOUGH 2 LET ME SUFFER SO I COULD GROW…
(I CAN’T FIND IT, BUT I WANTED 2 INSERT A QUOTE ABOUT HOW GLAD WE ARE THAT GOD LOVED US ENOUGH TO NOT GIVE IN WHEN IT GOT HARD & CHRIST WAS PLEADING TO REMOVE THIS CUP, & LET CHRIST BE CRUCIFIED/SUFFER)
BUT WHETHER OR NOT HE DID, GOD MADE SURE 2 PLACE ME IN A LOVING FAMILY, & MARRY INTO A LOVING FAMILY. NOT A DAY WENT BY WHERE I WAS NOT IN WAS BY GOD’S LOVE 4 ME, EITHER THROUGH MY HUSBAND, MK, OR THROUGH AN EXTENDED FAMILY MEMBER. THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS IS HUGE. I NEVER REALIZED HOW HUGE, UNTIL RECENTLY. I WAS NOT LEFT ALONE, OR PUT IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION WHERE I COULDN’T FEEL GOD’S LOVE!
4 SEVERAL DAYS NOW, I HAVE BEEN TRYING 2 WRITE A POST ABOUT THE NEW ADDITIONS TO OUR FAMILY 4 THE SUMMER (OVER THE WEEKEND, WE PICKED UP 2 KIDS FROM THE UKRAINE, DIMA & MAYA). BUT LIFE CHANGES DAILY, SO BY THE TIME I FINISH WRITING A POST, & HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY 2 POST IT, IT IS OUT OF DATE!
ANYWAY, ZACH, WHO USED TO BE SHORT, UNTIL HE HAD HIS RECENT GROWTH SPURT, IS A GIANT, & EVEN SOPH, WHO IS YOUNGER THAN 1 OF THEM, IS STILL BIGGER THAN BOTH OF THEM! DIMA & MAYA DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH–YET—BUT THEY ARE LEARNING! SAT. NIGHT, AS I WATCHED MY FAMILY ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM, I GOT A HUGE KICK OUT OF SEEING EVERY1 DEAL W/THE COMMUNICATION BARRIER THAT I DEAL WITH DAILY. BUT I BET THEY WILL PICK UP ENGLISH SUPER FAST, OUT OF NECESSITY, CUZ THAT’S LIKE ME NOT BEING ABLE 2 SIGN EVERY DAY (& I DO ONLY 1-2 “NO SIGNING DAYS” A WEEK)! BUT I’M GLAD DIMA & MAYA HAVE EACH OTHER–THAT COMMUNICATION BARRIER IS LONELY & TOUGH ALONE!
IT’S ALWAYS INTERESTING WHEN PEOPLE MEET ME, & SINCE THESE KIDS DON’T KNOW ME, & WE CAN’T FULLY EXPLAIN ME TO THEM, IT HAS TAKEN AWHILE 4 THEM 2 “GET” ME, BUT WE PLAYED A GAME LAST NIGHT THAT I THINK HELPED THEM TO UNDERSTAND ME BETTER, & I HAVE BEEN MAKING AN EFFORT 2 COMMUNICATE MORE WITH THEM—AFTERALL, THEY SPEAK 2 EVERY1 ELSE “MY WAY”—BY TYPING ON GOOGLE TRANSLATE ON THE IPAD), OR THEY PANTOMINE/SIGN.
AT THE AIRPORT, I WAS ALREADY USED 2 PEOPLE NOT BEING SURE HOW 2 REACT 2 ME, SO I WAS FINE W/MEETING THEM. BUT WHEN WE MET THEM, I GOT THIS OVERWHELMING FEELING THAT GOD PERSONALLY KNOWS THEM, & SENT THEM TO US. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THEY WERE SENT TO US, & WHILE I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT I WAS A CHILD OF GOD, IT WAS WONDERFUL TO KNOW THAT GOD KNEW THEM TOO, & CARED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS 2 THEM, TOO!
THERE WERE 4 WAYS:
1. MY IPAD HAS A PROGRAM CALLED “SPEAK IT,” & I HAD MY QUESTIONS PRE-PROGRAMED IN IT. WHEN I TAUGHT, I HAD SPEAKERS ON MY CHAIR, SO THEY COULD HEAR MY QUESTIONS. (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speak-it!-text-to-speech/id308629295?mt=8)
2. I ALSO HAD A VOLUNTEER, & DIFFERENT, TEENAGE GIRL EACH MONTH AS MY TRANSLATOR–SHE WOULD WRITE ON THE BOARD, PASS OUT PAPERS, REPEAT THINGS I HAD SAID ON THE IPAD, & TRANSLATED ANYTHING I SIGNED.
3. I ALSO HAD THE GIRLS PARTICIPATE A LOT: I USUALLY HAVE LOTS OF HANDOUTS & A POWER POINT TOO, SO I CAN HAVE VOLUNTEERS READ STORIES, QUOTES, ETC.
4. I WOULD SOMETIMES REALLY TALK–THINGS LIKE “1 MINUTE,” “THANK YOU,” ETC. 2 CALL ON VOLUNTEERS 2 READ 4 ME, I WOULD SIGN THE WORD “WHO” & AS I SIGN A LETTER OF THE ALPHABET, I’D TRY 2 SAY IT, & THE TRANSLATOR WOULD REPEAT IT, & THE PERSON HOLDING A HANDOUT WITH THAT LETTER WOULD READ THERE HANDOUT, OR HAVE DIRECTIONS 2 READ A SCRIPTURE OR THE POWERPOINT.
I WENT UPSTAIRS 2 GET LUNCH FRIDAY. ONLY MK WAS HOME, BUT IT APPEARED LIKE HE WAS RESTING, & I DIDN’T HAVE THE HEART 2 WAKE HIM UP, SO I OPTED 2 SEE IF I COULD GET MYSELF LUNCH…IT WASN’T TOO LOFTY OF A GOAL, BECUZ I HAD DONE THE STEPS B4:
1. A FEW WEEKS AGO, I HAD USED MY GRABBER, & GOTTEN A CUP OUT OF A CABINET, FILLED IT W/WATER, & PUT ON THE LID
2. SOPHIE HAS BEEN WORKING W/ME 2 GET A PAPER TOWEL BIB MYSELF, & I TRY 2 PUT THEM BACK ON ALL THE TIME, IF THEY FALL
3. I HAVE GONE IN OUR PANTRY, GOTTEN A GRANOLA BAR OUT, & OPENED IT UP
4. I HAVE GONE IN OUR BREAD DRAWER, TAKEN OUT MY FAVORITE WHEAT BREAD, UNTIED THE BAG, GOTTEN A PIECE OUT, & RE-TIED THE BAG
SO, I GOT MYSELF WATER, THEN A BIB, BREAD, & A BANANA (THEY WERE GETTING OLD, SO IT EASILY PULLED OFF, LEAVING AN OPENING AT THE TOP, SO I COULD PEEL THE BANANA. A STEP-STOOL BLOCKED OUR BASKET OF GRANOLA BARS, BUT I GOT SOME MORE BREAD INSTEAD! LOL WHAT AN AWESOME FEELING OF SUCCESS!
L8R, ON BYU’S SATELLITE RADIO STATION, THEY WERE DISCUSSING SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT (I THINK THE BOOK WAS CALLED, “WHY DOESN’T MY CHILD LLIKE SCHOOL?”), BUT THE THINGS THAT WERE BEING SAID TOTALLY APPLIED 2 MY SITUATION, CUZ THEY WERE DISCUSSING HOW IT IS NOT BAD 2 FAIL…U HAVE 2 TRY 2 FAIL, SO FAILLING IS NOT TRYING, & “PERSISTANCE RESULTS IN SUCCESS.”
COURSE, THE SUCCESS DOESN’T MEAN I’M FEEDING MYSELF NOW, UNLESS I WANT THE SAME FOOD FOR EVERY MEAL, & I WANT 2 SPEND 40 MIN. DOING IT EACH TIME, BUTIT’S NICE KNOWING THAT I CAN DO THAT MUCH INDEPENDENTLY!
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