Busy Summer

 

 This is a beautiful puzzle that I am not buying because I don't like 1000 piece puzzles.  If it were 500 I would definitely want to get it, even better if it was 300.

My clinic placement is going well.  I only get 6-8 hours a week which is pretty terrible since I drive 6 hours a week and spend over 20 between driving and canceled appointments etc...  But I'm learning a lot and I'm glad I got to work with my supervisor.

Recent events remind me that I don't win by complaining.  While in graduate school I am visiting someone else's house and they make the rules.  If they want me to succeed, they might make things easier for me.  If they don't want me to succeed, they will make things harder for me.  Focusing on the hard isn't going to change anything.  Looking for the good will help me be happier.

P is doing several AP trainings then we'll go pick up M and visit my dad.  The next week I take M to Auburn then continue on to pick up G.  I've got to finish up a few projects and take 2 more tests.  My semester is mostly over.  Phew!  Then I'll have a few weeks off as the kids get settled in school.

This summer has been busy but also really good.  The boys have a piano teacher again.  Hurray!  LP and L are doing a swallowing therapy to help with their teeth.  lP goes to cross country for fun a few mornings a week.  I've been able to do a few walking dates.  lP and B went to orchestra camp.  I'm really proud of P and me for making sure the kids still got to do nice things even though I've been doing a placement and P has had several weeks of AP things.

What's Next? School Placement

 The kids are doing good in school.  I spent the last 2 weeks volunteering at a deaf pre-k and getting my audiology hours with an audiologist at the hospital.  One my last day one of the kids from the pre-k came in for an appointment.  We played and hung out so mom and the audiologist could actually counsel.  It was a beautiful way to end my time with both places.  

I'll be going to an elementary school and middle school this semester MTW.  My goal is to get 150 hours which I should be able to get in 11 weeks at 15 hours a week.  I need 244 hours to get my medical placement in the fall.  I need 13:45 hours of child dx speech and 1:40 hours of language dx.  For adult I need 20 hours of speech dx, and tx, 19 hours of adult language dx, and 4:20 hours of language tx.  I have had 2 adult clients so far so I have gotten a good chunk of my language therapy hours for adults.  In my medical placement there will hopefully be plenty of dysphagia hours so I can get what I need.

School is going well.  I like to stay ahead on assignments so it's going to be OK.  This semester is hard but it's OK.  Our new professor has us writing a lot and wants us to do a big research project and presentation at the end.  I'm weird so I say "bring it!" Being an adult in graduate school is great.

Back in the spring I started working on an AAC user that had sign language pictures for icons.  What I love about this is that hearing parents can use this like a dictionary to build sentences.  The app's ability to show the icon with the word removes the working memory burden moving from single signs to phrases and sentences.  I'm so excited about this. I was going full steam for a few weeks but then classes picked up and life.  I submitted the idea as a proposal to a conference and forgot about it.

When G came home I asked him to pick up the project and keep adding signs to the platform.  He's done several pages and it's nice having his help.  A few days ago I heard back from the conference telling me that they would like me to prepare to be a back-up presenter.  They offered me free registration to be flexible.  I wrote back saying I'd like to and asking if my son could also be included since he is working on it and graduated from the school in the town the conference is being held.  They were really excited about that.  So maybe that will happen!  Of course it is the week before graduation but I'll be done with finals and everything will be awesome!

lP is working so hard on her AP US history class.  I'm glad she has the opportunity to work hard.  It's a life skill. She walks home from school several days a week.  She keeps surprising me with different ways that she is shy or doesn't want to do things that are no big deal to me, yet she does other things so easily.

L did not know he was supposed to be doing specific IXL assignments so he is 20 behind! He also didn't know he should do his bellringer work at home.  So we're playing catch up.

M called last Sunday and it was so nice to chat. She has 6 classes, RA, rowing team, life guard, lab assistant, busy and amazing.

B loves being in the band and getting good grades.  We sometimes have some time together in the mornings and we play a round of solitaire together.  He's so fun.

Today was a day of service for our congregation.  P, G, and B went to help someone move.  L and I went to help with clean up of a tree that was cut down for a ward member.  Folks here are so competent.  It's awesome.

I passed!

 I took my praxis exam Friday and passed.  

With G home this last month we have seen miracles with his ability to get to all the specialists and all the things.  Blood tests, ultrasounds, ENT, Audiology, deaf things, sleep things.  It has been awesome.  We got letters to support his petition for dropping classes from SF.  We'll find out in October if his petition is granted.

At the end of summer semester my professor mentioned that we should take the Praxis now so we knew what to expect.  I had a month between semesters and the kids were going back to school.  I scheduled my exam for the first day of my semester and purchased the reschedule option just in case life happened.  Life did happen and with all the appointments for G I pushed my test date back a week.  By Wednesday of this week my brain was ready to pop.  I couldn't learn anything else.  I just had to keep it all in.  It was such a relief to take the test and know that I can look things up going forward.

Today we had an RS conference and all the inspirational talks reminded me of hard times in my life.  Having gone through so much with G I just feel reminded/triggered rather than inspired listening to the courage of these women going through hard things.  I'm so grateful that he lives, that he can communicate, that he is a fun brother, and helpful son.  He's had an unfair share of life but he's so capable.

Falling Flat

 

LP refuses to read lord of the rings so I came up with an evil plan to give her this awesome shirt, then she'd have to read it.  Nope.  She totally turned down my bid for attentions.  Teenagers are hard.  

I got the boys room reset today.  It's fun to see L diving in to playing the drum set and legos.  Yay!

We made a human pyramid.  We have good times yo.

G came home to go to school in town.  His petition to clear his school record has been denied twice and he has one last appeal.  Trying to get things figured out for the appeal has forced us to get his sleep issues diagnosed and it's severe.  So I'm glad that this crisis has led to hopefully life changing treatment.  

This song comes to mind.  We have certainly been blessed by the trials in our life. I'm grateful to have a husband who draws close to me in trial.  Whoooo!  So close.  He's awesome.

Manners

 We have a copy of the 52 Modern Maners.  Today B was reading the "Be a great houseguest" page. He asked me what it meant by hostess gift.  I tried to explain it since we have never stayed with anyone but family really.  He was still confused for a while.  It turns out that he thought the "small hostess gift" was a small baked good by the company Hostess.  He's a delight.

P came back from AP reader camp.  lP came back from FSY camp.  They each had funny stories to share.  lP had counselors who delighted her and lots of funny pictures. All are safely gathered in except the two that grew up.

We had fallen behind on our scripture stories for the old testament.  With my different schedule we were trying to catch up.  B and L wanted to skip ahead, but we persisted.  We read/signed/voices almost every day the last week and are getting close.  Last night P signed 7 panels for me to voice so we would get caught up.  

I love the culture of our family.  We are nice to each other.  We sign.  We work things out.

lP's band is going to London for the New Year's Parade in 2027/2028.  She'd like to go.  Luckly she already has a little job and is saving money for that.  I told her to save $2000 and we'd make up the rest. It's a pretty big deal.  I've never gone to London.  She didn't go on the trip this past year because... but also with the hope of going with B when they are in high school together.  Now she's got a big goal, B doesn't even want to go because it costs money.  That's life.

Summer beauty

 P made us a rain barrel! We had a really nice lunch at Ro's Grille when we drove to pick up the rain barrel.  

lP and B are at a camp for the youth orchestra this week.  lP's oboe teacher let us know about it each year but it was always the same week as a church camp.  This year it worked out and I was glad to send B as well.  They have been having a good time.  The music they are playing is very challenging, great literature.  I'm so glad they have had a chance to go.  Yesterday they had their chamber ensemble concert.  lP played a trio with 2 flutes.  B played in a jazzy quintet.  

The J's invited us to come pick their blueberries which L and I did one day while lP and B were at camp.  Blueberry pies, frozen blueberries, fresh blueberries, it has been grand.  The 90 minutes of great conversation with sister J was awesome.  When we were prepareing to leave she and her daughter surprised us by giving us what they had picked as well.  It was such a beautiful morning.

P is away at AP reader "camp" for Computer Science.  He has had some dissapointments recently and I'm so glad for him to have this chance to shine.

Today lP and I will attend a tea party with the S ladies of pie day and Christmas scavenger hunt fame.  I was just telling HS that so much of the beautiful things I have enjoyed living here are because of her awesome contributions to social gathering and adventure.  

lP goes to FSY next week.  Life is so good.

Clinic placement

 I started doing a rotation in a clinic.  I see clients aged 1-65 and really enjoy it.  My supervisor is really cool and I am looking forward to having her guidance for the next 2 months.

P is doing an awesome job of managing everything I am not getting done.  He's so good at getting the kids to their appointments and making dinner on nights when I have class.  I'm so grateful for him.