Three Questions

In the past few weeks, I've been asked a few questions that I thought I'd answer here since they have to do with things I've previously written or with blogging in general.

#1 Now that you have four kids, are you still "punctual?"

I have a small reputation for being on time (and by that, I mean people think I'm a freak). I wish I had a greater talent to claim, but this is what I've got. Punctuality. It is completely natural for me. I didn't have to work hard for it - it's just the way I am.
 
The short answer to the question is, yes! Of course!


The long answer is...

Yes, I'm still punctual, but it's a little bit harder now. With Zoe's "terrible three's" lifestyle, it goes something like this:

Everyone is ready from head to toe (this took about an hour to accomplish). I load the baby in the car seat, and when I turn around, Zoe is completely naked. She laughs, "Haha! Mommy! I naked!" Quite pleased with herself, she then begins to run away from me.

I chase her through the house, and when I catch her, she starts screaming, kicking, and biting. I have to pin her down and put her diaper and clothes back on her. To heck with shoes and socks (that's not gonna happen!)

By the time I have her clothes on, she is hysterical, and I've been kicked in the jaw no less than six times. My hair is a mess, and there is a smear of nasty boogers right across the bosom of my shirt (because they always froth at the nose during tantrums, and they make sure to leave a mess on you right on the boobs or in the crotch where it truly counts).

I have to change my shirt, and while I do, Zoe thrashes about, trying to take off her clothes, but this time I used a shirt that buttons in the back. She can't get it off, but she can get it up over her head just enough that she's now stuck inside with her arms above her head rolling about on the bathroom floor howling like a banshee.

I pick her up, fix her shirt, and carry her flailing body out to the van. I then get to do that thing where you try and put a board in a car seat, and the board slaps you repeatedly across the face.

Once the board is in the car seat (it takes a good five minute to accomplish), I go back in the house for the baby, and the other kids have completely disappeared. One is in the bathroom pooping (the bowel schedule of this child is just ridiculous), and the other has decided that she needs to change her shoes from sparkly cowboy boots to to sparkly tennis shoes, but she can't find one of the sparkly tennis shoes, so she has torn apart the whole house and dumped everyone's shoes on the floor (we keep our shoes in baskets).

There's always quite a delay when trying to get out of the house as I deal with crisis after crisis, so sometimes I leave a little late-er, but I'm still on time (the exception is when you're Heidikins waiting for me in a parking lot, and I'm looking for you on the wrong side of the road, and I have to loop back around to find you).

#2 What's going on with Zoe's preschool and speech?

A few weeks ago, I briefly mentioned that Zoe is in preschool for speech therapy. I haven't ever mentioned it in detail, but Zoe is about a year behind in her speech development. All of my kids have been slow to start speaking, so for a while, I wasn't worried about Zoe, but then at her two-year check-up, the doctor suggested that I have her speech tested. At first, my reaction was, "Pssssht! She's fine!" and to be honest, I though speech therapy would cost and arm and a leg, so I wanted to avoid it if possible. But then, over the following six months or so, I started noticing how far behind Zoe was compared to her peers. They were speaking full, understandable sentences, and Zoe was babbling like a Minion.

I started noticing the huge impact it was having on our family not being able to effectively understand Zoe, so I finally called the Early Intervention program and they came to our house and tested her and recommended her for therapy. It turned out that therapy was income-based, so it was very affordable (I think I paid $5 a session). Zoe did therapy through Early Intervention until she turned three.

Right before she turned three, she was tested again by the school district and qualified for special ed preschool. As soon as she turned three, she started the SpEd program and has been going to preschool twice a week since November. 

Currently, Zoe talks a lot and speaks full sentences, but I can only comprehend about 50% of what she says. It's breaks my heart.

#3 How do you have time to blog?

Most of my blogging is done either at 5:00 in the morning when I'm not yet mentally ready to do homework or while my kids are in the tub. I very frequently write these posts while sitting on the toilet or on the floor right outside the bathroom door (as I am now).  The main thing is, I enjoy it, so it's easy to find a few minutes here and there to do it, but I also know when I need to take a break.