I CAME DOWNSTAIRS 2DAY 2 THE MOST JOYFUL VOICE REPEATEDLY SINGING, "I'M 5 YRS. OLD 2DAY!" I SIGNED "HAPPY BIRTHDAY," & THOUGH FIA DIDN'T KNOW THE SIGN, SHE IMMEDIATELY GUESSED IT. SEEMED OBVIOUS ENOUGH I'D SAY "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

I THINK I HAVE BRAGGING RIGHTS AS A MOM & AN EDUCATOR: TWICE THIS MONTH, I HAVE REALIZED MY KIDS R AMAZINGLY SMART . ZACH IS SO FAST AT UNDERSTANDING MY ASL—NOT AN EASY TASK & I CAN ONLY HOPE IT COMES IN HANDY SOMEDAY, LIKE ON A MISSION 4 R CHURCH. JESS IS AN AMAZING READER–ALTHOUGH SHE THRIVES ON CONTEXT CLUES, SHE OFTEN FIGURES OUT A WORD I’M NOT DONE TYPING & DOES SUBERB HAVING ME, OFF ALL PEOPLE, HELP HER SOUND OUT A WORD. FIA IS STARTING 2 READ & AT 4, & GRASPS MATH CONCEPTS A KINDERGARTENER STRUGGLES WITH.

SINCE THE KIDS LEARN FROM MARK & I, & MARK TEACHES SPANISH 2 JESS’ 1ST GRADE CLASS, THE KIDS HAVE BECOME MULTI-LINGUAL: ENGLISH, SPANISH, & ASL–WHERE THEY UNDERSTAND MORE FINGERSPELLING (I OFTEN SPELL WORDS 4 THE GIRLS 2 WRITE, BECAUSE THEY CAN USUALLY IDENTIFY MY LETTERS) & IF IT’S DONE SIGNED 2 THEM (RATHER THAN THEY DO IT).

1 QUES: ONCE, AS JESS WAS FIGURING OUT A NEW WORD, & I AGREED IF IT WAS A SOFT OR HARD VOWEL, I COULD C THE IMPORTANCE OF MY EDUCATION (AT TIMES LIKE THESE, I'M SO GRATEFUL 4 MY EDUCATION & STUDENT TEACHING 1ST GRADE, SO I CAN NOD YES OR NO 2 HER QUES. ABOUT HOW A VOWEL SOUNDS), BUT USUALLY I WONDER, WHAT GOOD WAS IT 2 LEARN 2 TEACH YOUNG KIDS, AS FAR AS MY FAM. IS CONCERNED, IF I CAN'T TRULY TEACH? (REMEMBER, THIS WAS A RARE INSTANCE, & ONLY HAPPENED ONCE—& I UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH IT MEANS 2 SET AN TEACHER THROUGH EX., BUT I DIDN'T NEED A TEACHING DEGREE 2 DO THAT!) ZACH, MY OLDEST, WAS JUST STARTING 2 READ WHEN I STROKED. NOW I’M MISSING TEACHING THE GIRLS 2. IT’S BITTERSWEET–THEY’RE CLOSER 2 BEING ABLE 2 SPELL & FINALLY UNDERSTAND ME AFTER ALMOST 3 YRS., BUT I WISH I WAS TEACHING THEM 2 READ!

ON A FUNNY NOTE, WE WERE PLAYING THE APPLES 2 APPLES GAME: SOME1 GETS A DESCRIPTIVE WORD ON A GREEN CARD. ALL OTHER PLAYERS TRY 2 WIN THE GREEN CARD BY CHOOSING A WORD THEY THINK THAT PERSON WILL CHOOSE AS THE BEST MATCH FROM THE WORDS ON THE RED CARDS. I HAD A GREEN CARD THAT SAID “USELESS.” MY FAV. RED CARD CAME FROM 6 YR. OLD JESS–“MY BODY!”

P.S. MARK JUST BROUGHT ME “DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING” MAG. FROM SIMPLE SCRAPBOOKS. MY SCRAP. PG. IS FINALLY PUBLISHED, & IT MENTIONS THIS SITE! ONLY THING IS THE ADDRESS CHANGE 2 WWW.JENANNLYNN.ORG, BUT THANKFULLY THE OLD ADDRESS DIRECTS HERE!

FORGIVE ME 4 NOT POSTING LAST WEEK! I TRIED &, OBVIOUSLY, FAILED! MY SISTER, MISSY, & HER HUSBAND, DUSTIN–WHO HELPS RUN THIS WEBSITE, CAME 2 VISIT. MISSY WITNESSED 2 THINGS FEW DO:
1. A PHONE CALL I HAD W/MARK—YES, THERE'S A SYSTEM, BUT I ONLY ANSWER IF I HEAR HIS RING—IT'S DIFFERENT.
2. ME WALKING –APPARENTLY, READING ABOUT ME WALKING IN POOL THERAPY IS DIFFERENT THAN ACTUALLY SEEING IT!

I HAVE DECIDED 2 SHARE WHAT'S IN THE POCKET OF MY WHEELCHAIR, BECAUSE I THINK U WILL FIND IT ENLIGHTENING. MARK STARTED SHARING IT W/ME A WHILE AGO, & IT WAS VERY ENTERTAINING. IT SHARES A PERSPECTIVE ABOUT MY LIFE I OTHERWIS WOULDN'T SHARE—MOST WOMEN DON'T SHARE THE CONTENTS OF THEIR PURSES! HE USES WORDS BETTER THAN I—I AM BORING IN COMPARISON—BUT HE MISSED STUFF OR EXPLAINED IT WRONG. SO HERE'S MY BORING POINT OF VIEW:

I HAVE 2 POCKETS, 2 THE LEFT & RT. OF MY SEAT CUSHION, ABOUT 8 IN. LONG, 3 IN. DEEP. I CAN'T ACCESS THE LEFT 1WELL, BECAUSE MY ARM DOESN'T MOVE, SO THINGS MARK USES 4 ME R THERE: SUNGLASSES IN THE SUMMER (I'M LIGHT SENSATIVE), BOBBY PINS (4 A RARE OCCASION I GO OUTSIDE & IT'S WINDY), ALL-PURPOSE BLACK PONYTAIL ELASTIC. LATELY, FIA BEGAN PUTTING SMALL TOYS "4 ME" IN IT, BUT MARK STOPPED HER WHEN IT WAS BAD! (SHE LEFT THE TOYS IN INDEFINATELY & JUST ADDED 2 THEM—I CARRIED A MINNIE MOUSE MINI-STATUE AROUND 4 WEEKS!)

THE RT. POCKET IS MUCH MORE FRUITFULL. THIS POCKET CONTAINS WHAT I USE FREQUENTLY &/OR DAILY:
1. CANKER SORE MED.—IN THE BACK OF MY CHAIR, IN A PURPLEBAG, IS 1 THAT LASTS LONGER, TASTES BETTER, HAS AN APPLICATOR SO I ALWAYS GET REASONABLE AMOUNTS WHERE EVER I AM, & & NUMBS ME BETTER. THIS 1 IS 4 EMERGENCIES—I ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE A MOUTH SORE OF SOME KIND—IT SEEMS AS SOON AS 1 CLEARS UP, I BITE MYSELF OR FORM A NEW CANKER—BUT I RARELY MEDICATE THEM UNLESS IT'S SUPER BAD (IT SEEMS 2 FEAL IT FASTER), OR A PRE-CAUTION 4 EATING.
2. KLEENEX—I CRY A LOT, DUE 2 MY PBA, & SLOBBER/SPIT, BUT IT' USUALLY 4 A BIG CRY.
3. FLAT LASER POINTER—I USE IT 2 POINT. THE KIDS GET IT 4 ME 2 POINT AT WHAT THEY SHOULD CLEAN UP. IT'S FLAAT SO IT'S EAASY 2 HOLD. I AM BUMMED BECAUSE SUN. I WAS DIRECTING THE KIDS 2 CLEAN, TRIED 2 USE IT, & THE BATATERY MUST BE DEAD & I DON'T KNOW IT CAN BE REPLACED—
4. METRONOME—I'M IN MUSIC THERAPY. DID U KNOW I PLAY PIANO 1-HANDED & PLAY LIKE 7 SONGS FROM MEMORY (MANY ARE CHURCH PRI. SONGS), & FIGURE OUT OTHERS BY SINGING THE SONG IN MY HEAD?
5. COUPONS FROM ZACH FROM A MOTHHER'S DAY CARD LAST YEAR!