I noticed Riley has been saying Focus! (or something) when she gets upset or frustrated. I couldn't figure out where she'd heard it, figured iCarly or Hannah Montana or whatever. So I asked her.

Papa says it. Ohhh. Papa (Ryan) doesn't say Focus! but he has been known to say another word that begins with f on rare occasions. And, of course, on those occasions Riley has heard it.

I explained that it was like stupid, (she calls anyone out who uses that word) something we shouldn't say, and I told her to substitute something else like Goodness! or Gracious!

I haven't heard her use it again, but I'm sure it's lurking!

Watch your language around the kiddies ... even if you think they're not listening! :-)

Riley is enjoying summer so far. She better make the most of it because there's only a little over a month left. I really don't like that school starts back so early; I could do without a fall break anyway.

Her speech is improving every week, and she's catching herself when she makes expressive mistakes. She is also taking our corrections/modeling much better. She is repeating 7 numbers consistently and sentences with 8-10 words.

She is also reading books to herself and retelling the stories to us. She gets the main points, but now we're working on getting her to give us more details. I'm reading the first Nancy Drew to her now, and at our next therapy session she will tell Ginger about it.

She is now the proud owner of all three "High School Musical" movies, and she can perform with them. I got an iPhone and gave her my old iPod mini. I immediately had to load some HSM songs, and she goes around with her headphones singing along with the Eastside gang. :-) She also knows the dances. It's hilarious and cute and sweet and I love it!

And as you can see in the photo below, she's a little monkey. Her fitness skills are pretty amazing – she'll be taking Jazz and Acrobatics in the fall, and we may go ahead and throw in Ballet since it's the same night as the other two. She loves dancing and has definitely decided to skip soccer this season.

I'm loving hanging out with my little girl, who is now turning into a big girl. That's bittersweet, but fun!

Riley is spending the week with my parents, and I call every day to talk to her. I called this morning and my dad told me something she said that nearly broke his and my heart.

Riley: "Pawpaw, why do have to wear implants? Why can't I talk?"

After a choked-up pause, Daddy told her, "You can talk as good as anybody else. You sound just fine."

He said it broke him up to hear her say that and wondered if someone had told her she couldn't talk right.

It's possible, but I certainly hope not.

When she gets in a big hurry, we tell her to slow down and use her words, but we never tell her she can't talk correctly. We just tell her to use her words so everyone can understand her.

I hope that hasn't prompted her questions. Looks like it's time for more positive reinforcement.

By the way, she's sounded awesome on the phone this week, appropriately answering all my questions about Vacation Bible School, doing math with Pawpaw and having fun.

And the best thing, I hear every day? "I love you!"

Riley went to her first real indoor concert a couple of weeks ago (not counting The Wiggles): Dierks Bentley and Keith Urban. It was a great show but probably not the ideal situation for a 7-year-old, even though she loves Keith. She made it through Dierks' set and then melted down. She perked up long enough to see Keith do her favorite song: Once in a Lifetime, but after that she took off her processors and went to sleep.

To us grownups, it was an incredibly fun show. And we're happy we got a chance to see them here in Huntsville.

Waiting for the stars to take the stage.

Dierks lookin' hot in his jeans and plaid shirt. Niiiice.

Riley rockin' out with DB.
Dierks rocks the guitar.

Keith shows off the reason for his popularity: his guitar skills, of course!
All right, another reason Keith is so popular: He's easy on the eyes.

Riley's dance showcase as part of the Heidi Knight School of Dance was last night. She did fantastic, and the production is first-class professional. It was incredible the number and talent of the dancers. We were all so proud of her!

Riley and her six Little Mermaid classmates pranced onto the stage in front of about 2,000 at the VBC and did their routine to "Kiss the Girl" like it was no big deal. She knew the dance better than her teacher, who told me as much after the show. She didn't miss a beat or a step ... not bad for a deaf girl! Those cochlear implants really work.

Here are a few pics from the dress rehearsal (complete with curlers) and after the show.

The Senators lost their first game of the tournament Tuesday night, ending the season, but not before playing hard and nearly coming back. It was a good season, and Riley (and Ryan & I) made lots of new friends.

Tonight was the team party with pizza, cake and bobblehead trophies. The girls had fun, and the parents enjoyed grown-up conversation.

My friend, whose daughter plays shortstop and outfield and can smash the ball, was nice enough to snap some photos of Riley during games. (Thanks, Mel!)

Now we're considering whether to talk her into playing fall softball or letting her play soccer again. She says soccer, but I think she'd want to play softball if her buddies play, too. Ultimately, we'll let her decide, though. Don't worry ... we're not that pushy.

The fabulous Val of Cochlear Kids came up with the idea of a blog that contains stories from Alabama kids with hearing loss, and she asked me to help out.

The result: Bama Ears. From the site, "If you are an Alabama resident and have a child with hearing loss, we want to hear your story." Go the page, click on the word Guidelines and check out the rules.

We hope sharing the stories of families who have "been there, done that" will help those who are just starting the journey to sound.

Let us know what you think, and send your stories to Bama Ears by using the email address on the page.

Thanks, and rock on!