JAN. 14

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!

WANTED 2 SHARE

BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT:

IN SPEECH THERAPY, I’M DOING A RATHER INTENSE PROGRAM 2 BUILD UP MY BREATH SUPPORT. I PRACTICE SPEECH EXERCISES 4 DAYS A WEEK, & TWICE A DAY FOR 4 WEEKS. IN THE EXERCISES, I SAY “AAAH”, DO VOCAL SLIDES, SAY SOME “FUNCTIONAL PHRASES”, SAY WORDS, & MAKE A GOAL (LIKE I DECIDE 2 SAY HI BACK 2 ANY1 WHO SAYS IT 2 ME).. I KEEP EVERYTHING ORGANIZED 4 PRACTICE IN A “SPEECH BINDER.”

HOWEVER, I SEEM 2 SUFFER FROM SOME “STAGE FRIGHT”, SO IT’S EXTRA HARD 2 SAY THINGS I KNOW I CAN SAY WHEN I’M OUT & ABOUT. BUT AT HOME, I HAVE “TALKING” DAYS. I STICK MOSTLY TO SINGLE WORDS (LIKE YES, NO, HI, BYE, OR MY FAVORITE: WHATEVER!). OCCASIONALLY I DO SHORT PHRASES (3-5 WORDS), BUT IT’S SO FUN 2 TRY LONGER, TOO! I’M NOT CLEAR, BUT IF MY FAMILY UNDERSTANDS, I’M TICKLED WHEN THEY DO UNDERSTAND & RESPOND. (I’M EASY 2 AMUSE! LOL)

MY PHILOSOPHY IS 2 SAY ANYTHING I’D SIGN (W/IN REASON!). I MAY LUCK OUT, BE UNDERSTOOD, & NOT NEED 2 SIGN! THOUGH MY FAVORITE IS WHEN I THROW OUT SOMETHING I THINK, BUT NEVER SIGN, AM UNDERSTOOD, & ANSWERED (LIKE IF I OVER HEAR SOMETHING, & DON’T UNDERSTAND, I MAY THINK , “WHAT?”, BUT IT’S 2 CONFUSING 2 ASK, & I DON’T REALLY NEED 2 KNOW, SO I LEAVE THE QUESTION IN MY HEAD. OR I DON’T BOTHER SHARING COMMENTS LIKE “YES U COULD” OR SHARING COMMENTS WHERE I’M JUST BEING SILLY –THE FUNNY MOMENT IS OVER B4 I FINISH SIGNING IT, SO WHY BOTHER SIGNING IT? BUT SOMETIMES NOW, I THROW IT OUT, & IF I’M HEARD & UNDERSTOOD, VERSUS BEING IGNORED, OR KEEPING IT IN MY HEAD, IT’S A BONUS, & EXCITING!).

ANYWAY, IN PRACTICE, MY LONGEST FUNCTIONAL PHRASE HAS 6 WORDS (“PUT LEFT FOOT ON FOOT REST”), & I USUALLY NEED 2 BREATHS 2 SAY IT. MY GOAL WAS TO USE 1 BREATH TO SAY IT, & TUESDAY MORNING I DID IT!

I ALSO HAD A GOOD LAUGH: A FUNCTIONAL PHRASE WAS ADDED 2 THE KEYRING I USE 4 SPEECH PRACTICE. IT READ: “JESS ROCKS”. (GUESS WHO ADDED THAT 2 MY LIST OF FUNCTIONAL PHRASES 2 SAY?) I LAUGHED SO HARD WHEN I FOUND IT–IT WAS LAMINATED & EVERYTHING, 2 LOOK LIKE THE OTHERS! U’D NEVER KNOW IT WAS ADDED, IF THE KEYRING WAS NEW 2 U!

THE BEST PART WAS HOW UNEXPECTED & QUIET IT WAS! & I BET IT’S BEEN THERE A WHILE, BECAUSE JESS HELPED ME PRACTICE THURS. NIGHT (& REQUESTED THAT PHRASE EXACTLY WHEN WE GOT 2 THE PLACE WHERE THE NEW “JESS ROCKS” CARD IS NOW), THEN I TOOK THE WEEKEND “OFF”, & I DID MY MONDAY PRACTICES W/O MY SPEECH BINDER , SO TUESDAY MORNING WASMY 1ST CHANCE 2 C IT, SINCE THURSDAY NIGHT, WHEN SHE HELPED ME! LOL

VACATION


I JUST RETURNED FROM THE 1ST FUN VACATION I CAN REMEMBER IN THE LAST 6.5 YEARS! WE STARTED THE WEEK AT UNIVERSAL. THERE, MK CARRIED ME 2 TRANSFER ME 2 A FEW RIDES. LONG STORY SHORT, L8R THAT WEEK, WE WENT 2 DISNEY, & AS THE WEEK PROGRESSED, I WENT ON MORE RIDES. THE 1ST FAST RIDE I DID WAS FAST TRACK (A HIGH SPEED ROLLARCOASTER W/SUDDEN STARTS & STOPS). I SERIOUSLY THOUGHT MK WAS KIDDING WHEN HE OFFERED 2 TRANSFER ME ONTO THAT! I THOUGHT MK & I WERE CRAZY 2 TRY–I KNOW THERE’S A DISNEY RIDE I NOW HATE, BECUZ IT TOSSES ME EVERYWHERE–BUT I STAY ALONE IN MY WHEELCHAIR, INSTEAD OF BEING HELD IN PLACE FIRMLY BY MK. STILL, I NEVER EVER IMAGINED ROLLER COASTERS! I WAS SURE THAT PART OF MY LIFE WAS OVER!

BY THE LAST NIGHT, I DID TOWER OF TERROR (A FREE FALL RIDE), & AREOSMITH’S ROCKIN’ ROLLERCOASTER (SUPER FAST, & WENT UPSIDE-DOWN TWICE) I WASN’T SURE IF I WAS EXCITED OR SCARED ON THE LATER–I SAT ALONE. I KNEW IT’D TEST MY NEW CORE MUSCLES & MY NECK MUSCLES. MK CINCHED ME IN SUPER TIGHT, & I DID AMAZINGLY WELL–WE EVEN GOT 2 GO TWICE!

above ARE PICTURES 2 PROVE I WENT…

Even better, what are real life examples to go with it?

REGARDING WHISPERINGYELLING, & INSTEAD OF “I WISH…” OR “I CAN’T…”, I THINK ABOUT THINGS LIKE THIS:
THIS YEAR, I WAS AGAIN THE ANGEL AT OUR WARD CHRISTMAS PARTY. I HAD 2 PARTS, SO BOTH GIRLS HELPED. AT THE END, WE STOOD IN THE NATIVITY SEEN. THE GIRLS WERE GOOFING OFF, & I COULD DISCIPLINE THEM ON STAGE. IT’S GREAT AT CHURCH MEETINGS 2!
& I HAVE GONE 2 EVENTS 4 A KID ACROSS A ROOM. WHILE I CAN’T YELL, I CAN SIGN, WHICH CAN BE BETTER, SINCE IT’S NOT DISRUPTIVE!