Joel and Evan have officially started speech therapy. Testing showed that there expressive language (actual speaking) is about that of a 20-month-old. (So about a one year delay; both tested the exact same in every area.) They don't have actual speaking issues (no problems with articulation, fluency, etc.), so they are receiving developmental therapy services instead. They love their therapist, Ms. Sam, and do a great job attempting to speak with her. Hopefully we'll see some quick improvements, because these boys have a lot to say and are getting frustrated that we just don't understand.
To aid in their speech, they will be starting preschool this fall! Due to the speech delay, they qualify for the early childhood (special education) program through our school district. They'll be riding a bus, attending four days a week (just 2 1/2 hours per day); I have very mixed feelings about this, but we had their full evaluations done today and the team all agrees they are in need of the services. Interestingly, they both tested above average in receptive language (understanding what others are saying.) Basically, that means we better watch everything we say, because as soon as they start talking, we're going to really find out just how much they've been listening!
All this speech stuff has pretty much consumed our month, but we've been finding bits of time to enjoy ourselves when possible. My youngest brother, Dylan, graduated high school this year, so we attended his graduation party and were able to see a lot of people (family and friends) that I have not seen in years. It was so wonderful, even though I was pretty distracted the whole time and couldn't converse too easily. (And, for those wondering, yes, I'm much older than my siblings. The closest in age is five years younger, and Dylan is a whopping twelve years younger than I am! I plan to use this to my advantage when I turn old and gray.)
On top of getting to see my side, we were able to make a short and sweet visit to visit Todd's family. It was only a few days, but still great to see them, as we only make it down there once or twice a year. Oh, and BONUS!... no carsickness this time! Could we possibly be outgrowing the issue? The boys actually did really well in the car, although the five hour drive was really closer to seven hours, mostly due to potty breaks for the twins every half hour. I guess that is the drawback to being potty trained; you actually have to let them use the potty whenever they need to!
And now, it's time for some eye candy:
Enjoying time outdoors
Joel givin' Luke a bit of love!
This is the best shot I could get of Evan and Joel together. The rest are all action shots! (As in, the blur of them running away from me.)
(Evan's in front, but you knew that, right?)
If I smile really sweetly, I bet she won't even notice that I've been eating a crayon!
Mellow Evan. He's been really easy going lately. I love it!
"Mellow" is not a word I use to describe Joel. Adjectives that better fit him:
mischievous, goofy, naughty (he especially likes that one!), active
Here they are a the local splash park. They love to run circles around the play area. I like the little girl who decided to join them in the fun; she followed them the entire time they ran!
June has been a great month, and I'd really prefer it just stick around! We celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary with a trip to a local waterpark resort. The kids loved it, Daddy loved it, Mommy loved it. Okay, maybe not the most romantic anniversary ever; in fact, our celebratory dinner was cut short (I had to bring Joel and Luke back to the room, and Evan stayed at the restaurant to finish dinner with Daddy.) Nevertheless, it was a fun trip, and something we look forward to doing again (should we ever forget that we are broke and can't really afford it.)
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