Speech Therapy Success (and blackmail)

Neeky and DH headed off on Thursday for the second Speech Therapy session. Had a good talking to Neeky before she left about how important it was that if she knew the word to say, also how important she attempt a word if she wasn't sure.
To make sure that she did behave I added a little teensy weensy bit of blackmail. It went like this "if you are really good at trying with the Speech Lady today, you know that Hannah Montana T Shirt, you spotted in my wardrobe? you can have it AND Daddy will take you to Mcdonalds on the way home".
Now I normally do not use blackmail and will never allow my kids to bribe me or be bribed by good behavior equals lolly rewards at the supermarkets, but this speech therapy is really important and once she settles in, I think she will be fine (or have a VERY large collection of Hannah Montana t shirts that she won't fit because of all the visits to Mcdonalds!!!). So for the next week DH and I will be doing our part and playing word games with her.

Speech and Speed Bumps

Took Neeky (7) to New Plymouth to see a Speech Therapist on Wednesday, what a mission, got myself a wheelchair so I could get around easier and avoid breaking my other leg by falling off my crutches...that was the theory, but with the skills of the pushing team crutches may have been safer. Neeky was allowed to push me into the lift at Centre City (shopping mall for non Taranaki Ites) - thanks for that hon! but she pushed just my leg in (which was stickin out in front on some random looking contraption) and then the door started to shut, I saved myself from that one!!!
After hitting just about every bump going back to the van (thanks again hon) we drove to the zoo. I wanted to see the rats that are currently living the the monkey cage (yes, I love that odd sort of thing), they were worth the visit, not at all concerned about being watched and just huge (DH got a tad freaked as furry things aren't his thing...clarification furry animal things aren't his thing). Neeky ran me off the track and into the grass (no surprise there really) and we headed to the Speech Therapist.
My Neeky is a stubborn child (no idea at all where that comes from...alright it's all me), and upon arrival she decided that today was not the day for a Speech Test, she mispronounced words that she knew, pretended she didn't understand words and basically made it impossible for the assessment to be accurate. However, we did (we meaning the Speech Therapist) hear enough to decided she would benefit from further weekly therapy which was what we expected anyway.
We have had Speech Therapy through the school system but visits were inconsistent and as usual with anything Government funded she was deemed to have improved enough at the end of school last year to be released from School Speech Therapy... even though WE her parents still can't understand her when she gets excited or is in a hurry to get it all out!!! And if we can't understand you can imagine how many other people or kids can understand her.