Tori may struggle in the memorization department but she is turning out to be quite an asset as a Teacher’s Aide.???? I use Memory Joggers to teach multiplication facts (and it works SO well).?? While Tori doesn’t recognize the numbers, she does remember the pictures.

Me:?? Ty what is 3 times 7.?? The tree and Kevin.

Tori:?? The cake!

Me:?? Ty what is 8 times 4.?? The door and Nate.

Tori:?? Thirsty too!

Me:?? What is 8 times 3??? The tree and Nate.

Tori:?? Treehouse!

I realize that won’t make any sense to you but my point is that Tori remembers the cues and she gives the cues to Ty.

She was also sitting with him during math today and was pointing out the correct angle he was supposed to choose.???? Later, during reading time, she sat beside him and caught him trying to skip some pages.?? “Ty you lost the page!?? You are right here!”???? LOL.?? Yes.?? This is working out quite well for me.

She follows Ty around with her pen and notebook scribbling away.?? She tries to make it look like cursive.?? When Blues Clues comes on, she runs for that pen and notebook.?? I am not really sure what that is all about but apparently Blues Clues has clues your supposed to write down??? I really should watch it I guess.

Tanner has started an online typing course.?? He got all the keys down pretty quick and is typing 13 words per minute with 95% accuracy as of yesterday.?? I think that is pretty good for the first 4 weeks of school.???? Ty finally learned to count on his fingers this week and that is really helping him conceptualize addition and subtraction facts.?? He uses an abacus but that gets him confused sometimes.?? You would think counting on fingers would be easy but with his poor OT skills, holding up the right number of fingers to count is actually pretty challenging for him.?? Can you believe I still can’t decide if he is right or left handed??? He still switches continually.?? Today I decided he needs to stick with his left for handwriting but some days he tells me he wants to use his right.?? I think he actually does better with his left though but it’s hard to tell.

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At 12 years of age, I began singing on our church worship team.?? While in elementary school through High School, it was with Casey and Kari.?? From High School on, I sang with Tom, Tony, and Jay.?? I took a sabbatical when Ty was born because baby needs prevented that commitment.?? After that I would return for short bits but…well…seasons of life you know…it was time for a change and I have spent the last few years singing from the pew.???? Recently, I decided to return to the worship team and this morning was my first Sunday back in quite a long time.???? Living in a house with males, affirmation seems to run in short supply (much to my dismay).???? At lunch though today, I once again treasured the fact that I finally have a DAUGHTER who is not so hesitant to affirm.?? She was eating her Mr. Goodcents sandwich and suddendly climbed out of her chair and walked around to my side of the table.?? When she got to me, she looked at me with a serious expression (so like Tori) and said “Mom.?? You sing good.”???????? Awwwwwwwww!???? It was the sweetest thing.?? Then later this evening she was talking to me about the day on my bed and I asked her what she enjoyed at church today (expecting she would talk about her class) and she said “I looooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeed your song.”?????? I remember before Tori was born, I had Zandi over one day and she told me that I smelled so good and I grinned ear to ear relishing what it felt like to have a GIRL in the house who noticed and commented on the little things of life.???? I should also balance this out and mention that Ty was interested in mommy being on the platform instead of on the pew with him as well.?? So much so that after the thirdish song, he loudly yells out “Are you almost done??!”?????? At that point, I drilled my brother Dusty with my eyes because he was sitting with Ty and apparently missed the memo that while I am singing “The Village” is on duty.

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Tori has been talking to me all week about her (imaginary) friend Jessica.?? Apparently, Jessica is also quite close to Justin Beaver (Bieber).???? All week we have been expecting a visit from Jessica and Justin.?? Justin is so nice that he even agreed to play “Bows” with her in her room.?? (“Bows” is what she calls her magnet dolls and what she regularly plays with her Daddy).???? Jessica has a really nice mom, one brother and one sister, and dark hair like Tori.?? Tori told me that Troy was going to be “shy of her” but he wouldn’t be “shy of Justin”.???? She said she first heard Jessica talk in her sleep and that Jessica was very far away.

On Thursday, I decided to go visit Papa and Sweetie and chose to take only Troy with me.?? This decision was not popular with Tori and Ty.?? To settle Tori, I (thinking I was being smart) said, “Tori – you don’t want to come with me right now because you said Jessica and Justin were on their way”.?? She didn’t pause 2 seconds before she said “No!?? They are going to Papa and Sweetie’s!”???? I should have known she would one up me.?? Somehow she manages the last word all too often.

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Brag Alert.?? I am warning you because this is such a serious brag it is almost tacky but I am going to share it anyhow.

On Friday, our adoption case manager came to the house because she is writing her final reports for Troy’s hearing.?? (We have a date and I will be sending info to family on this soon by the way).?? Troy was eating when she got to the house so she didn’t really see him up close.?? When he was done, I turned him around.?? She glanced up and startled.???? Why??? Because she was taken back by how striking he is – so much so it caused a double take.?? Seriously.?? :)???? He really is THAT cute.?? For real.