Southern Moms

Im not a southern Mom, lets get that out of the way right now. I wasn't raised in the South, Im a transplant from New England who landed here purely by accident. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I did.  Ive lived here twelve years, and even though I'm  still not used to the heat, the isolation of small town living, how everything is FLAT...I'm grateful we live here. Sure, sometimes I miss city living, like every day when I have to drive to the store vs. walking. Or when I have an insane craving for Chinese at 3 a.m, and everything is closed. 

But, for the majority of the time, life here is pretty good. It's certainly been a learning experience for me. As a pre K teacher, Ive been able to observe many people over the years. And I've found that Southern moms in particular are very different from the moms I grew up with. Many years ago, I started thinking about the different Moms you see on a day to day basis, you have your sporty moms, crunchy moms, working, sahm, pro formula, pro breast, the cry it out moms, the cuddle moms, the helicopter moms and the free range parent. Homeschool vs. Public school, germaphobes and the moms who's kids eat dirt. 

with that in mind, I wrote down a list of the types of Moms you might run into here in the South, should you decide to visit.

The types of Moms you'll see at a preschool in the South

#1. The Chevron Mommy: This mom brings her child in spotless boutique clothing, if its a girl, it's usually chevron print with ruffles, and there will be a bow the size of a small helicopter perched on her head. Chevron mom also comes with everything monogrammed.

#2. Redneck Mama- This mama is tough, but laid back. She takes no lip, But let someone do or say anything to her "yungin'", she will kill them with her barehands. And she knows how to skin it, too. Look for her to drive a mid size pick up truck with anti Obama and NRA Bumper Stickers.

#3. Football Mom- You will see her dressed in school colors every Friday night. Her kid will come decked out in their colors as well, and will try to tackle other children.

#4. The butt whoppin' mom- This mom sends a belt with her child, with instructions to use it to whoop her child if he doesn't behave. (I'm not kidding, this has happened to me several times)

#5 The Farm Mom- Similiar to redneck mom, except she will bring you fresh tomatoes as a thank you gift. I love farm Mom.

#6. The Southern Grandma-She can be your biggest enemy or your biggest ally. Do NOT tick off southern Grandma. However, she will come in handy as a threat when junior acts up. He knows Grandma is home, and likely has time to come down to the school and whoop his butt. 

#7. The Southern/Redneck Daddy- look for a full size pick up with a dead deer and a gun rack.

One Year Later

Yes, I've been neglecting my blog. Poor, underfed blog. But, in my defense, I have a very good reason. My tiny toddler has grown into rambunctious almost 3 year old, and all my energy goes towards keeping her from pulling the house apart. :)

We recently celebrated one year of L being under the awesome care of her three therapists, Ms. Crystal, Ms. Keri, and Ms. Carrie. Ms. Kari with a "K" had to leave us, she moved into the school system, and L misses her terribly, but her replacement, also named Ms. Carrie, is fabulous, and L adores her.

The one year mark gave me a chance to reflect on just how much progress has been made. This time last year, L was speaking and functioning at a 6 month level, and showing signs of  A.S.D.
Now, she says almost 100 words consistently, including 12- 15 twos word sentences, she engages in play, and communicates with us, not always verbally, but often with sign language.She knows close to 25 separate signs.  Academically, she now identifies colors, shapes, ALL of her letters by sight and sound. Her speech is more articulate, still behind but catching up fast. She still has some "stemming" behaviors and prefers to play alone, but her therapists are confident she is not on the Autism Spectrum!!!

We will have a final diagnosis in November, right before her third birthday. This date is always in the back of my mind. There are still days I see those subtle traits in L, and it makes me nervous. In those times, I just ask God to keep me in the mindset that the outcome is already decided. God has a plan for L, and whatever it is, He will guide us, I don't need to worry, the path ahead is already known to Him, He's already paved the way for us, we just have to take his hand and walk it.

"For I know the plans I have for you, says The Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope, and a future." Jeremiah 29:11