Speech....

Ok if you ask anyone that knows me - speech is nothing I have a problem with. By speech I mean the art of talking - not that of speaking in front of people. (that I have no talent in)
So inherently, my boys (at least the two that can use actual words - and heck the one that can't) have the gift of gab. So you may find it odd that I found it necessary to have Silly Pants and Monkey evaluated for speech problems. Yes, I the big talker - thought that my boys had a problem with speech.
I will start by telling you why I thought this - please hold your comments till the end...
Both of my boys have a problem pronouncing the "L" sound.
Silly Pants has a bit of a stammer with the first word of come sentences & he does this "and this, and this" thing as well
Monkey has what I think is a lisp

So me being the thoughtful, loving, protective (apparently overly), and cautious mom that I am scheduled them both (yes both) to be evaluated at Children's Clinic in Minnetonka. So there we went on Tuesday - me and my 3 boys, with Mini C attached in his carrier to me...
Silly Pants was first, I (with the two other boys) went with into the room to make him feel comfortable and so she could ask me a few questions. I told her that same as I stated above. So off I went with Monkey and Mini C to the waiting room, where there were toys.
Now kind of off on a different direction (I find that this is worth adding - if only for a mental picture that could be rather amusing) While in the waiting area Monkey had to go to the bathroom. So I (with Mini C still attached) took him to the ladies room and helped him go what I found out was the big #2. So he finishes and I do all I can to get him clean and fully dressed again - while Mini C is still on. So we go back to play. 15 minutes later I smell something....you know where I am going with this right??? I check Monkey and sure enough he had pooped again - I'm pretty sure he knew he wasn't finished before but wanted to play with the cool toys that were there - and being the stubborn, task oriented boy (Like BF)(not that I think she would EVER do this) he is dealt with the poop. So then I take him back to the bathroom. There is no baby table in the handicap stall (like most restrooms have) so I have to do this on the floor. Now by this point Mini C is sleeping and I don't dare take him off me - that would be horrid! So I get on my knees in the stall and help Monkey remove his pants and underwear as best as I can without getting him (or me!) all nasty. Of course this was not a small one...this was a big one...so here I am trying to get him clean and still have Mini C attached. I finally get him clean and fully dressed again (In clean clothes!) As we are exiting here comes Silly Pants wanting to know what we were doing. Sure enough Monkey tells him and the speech lady!

So the lady sits down with me while the boys play and tells me that Silly Pants is pretty much just fine. It is very common for boys not to fully develop the "L" sound until almost 6. And the stammer and the other thing are only there because he is.....wait for it....trying to get so many thoughts out at once and needs to slow down....yea I know.. Where did he get that from!
So now that we know Silly Pants is right on track it is Monkey's turn. This one is a bit funnier...

So with him all three of us go in a room and instead of the lady going through different speech and word practices she is showing Monkey pictures. This is a small example of how it went -
Lady "What is this a picture of?"
Monkey "House"
Lady (wanting to be able to see him say it)"What is this a picture of again?"
Monkey " A House I told you!"
Lady"What is the boy doing?"
Monkey "Swimming in Grandma's pool"
Lady "Can you just tell me what he is doing?" (see she needs to see him say it
Monkey "Ugg! I already said it swimming in GRANDMA's pool!"
(Oh and I will add the lady found it all quiet funny)
Lady "What is this a picture of"
Monkey "A birdie in the birdhouse I made for grandma"
Lady "What kind of animal is this?"
Monkey "A BIRDIE in the birdhouse! I already told you!"
Lady "What is the boy playing with?"
Monkey "It's a basketball"
Lady " Can you say just ball?
Monkey " No it's a BASKETBALL"
This goes on like this for 36 different pictures - those are the ones I remember now...but as you can see...it was interesting...
So after Monkey finishes his turn the lady looks at me and actually chuckles...I mean come on now! She then says "Monkey he just fine - the lisp I feel he has isn't really a lisp, it's more of a way he pronounces and he will grow out of it. And as I stated already the "L" sound is normal. If I were to submit this to insurance, the school district - just about anyone, they would laugh. He could have had over 40 more mistakes and still been fine."
So all in all - I have done this to my boys. I and I alone. My talking to fast and running 300 miles a minute have done this. No one to blame but me. How sad is that? I as their mother have caused this? Now you ask - what am I going to do to fix it? Well everything I can - I am going to try to slow down when I talk to them, stop and get down to their eye level every time (or at least a lot more) Let them talk until they are done and wait at least 5 seconds before commenting on it. Anything and everything I can do I am going to do. I do not want this to be a problem for them, (as it has been for me every so often)
Can you imagine - most men - especially my husband, brother and big uncle you have to drag and pull a full sentence out of on most days - and here we will have my boys - talking nonstop as their mother does...how the hell are they going to find wives if the women can never get a word in???
I have to stop this madness now!! God be with me in over coming my biggest personality trait! If not for me - for my boys!!!!