Shortly after Asher arrived here from Serbia, we noticed he would often find patches of sunlight shining on the floor. When he found them he'd do all he could to get his entire body into the patch on the floor. If it was only a small patch he'd put his hand in it, wiggling his fingers in the warmth.Now that it's (slowly) been getting nice outside, he craves being out in the sunlight. He's very quick to race you to the door if he knows you're going out. This morning Dean was watering the plants he gave me for Mother's Day. He went back inside to refill the pitcher and returned to find…
Down Syndrome
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Most Topular Stories
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Kid or Cat?
Garden of Eagan14 May 2012 | 9:24 am -
50 meter dash: special olympics
Life According to Emma & Joe14 May 2012 | 10:40 amHere is a clip of Joe, Tri, Hussein, and Leah running the 50 meter dash on Friday. If you look in the right lanes you will see Joe (yellow shirt, orange sweat pants) slowing down to check on his best friend Leah (in white) half-way through the race. -
Giveaway Review: Pinterest for Dummies
Mom-Blog: Parenting, life, growth, and sanity16 May 2012 | 10:01 amWhen I got the opportunity to review “Pinterest for Dummies” by Kelby Carr, I jumped at the chance! In case you don’t know Pinterest, this is an amazing tool that lets you “pin” pictures to a board a you create. These pictures mostly come from around the web … so when you find an article that you love with a great photo, you can pin. I use my Pinterest board most frequently for pinning luscious looking recipes that are gluten-free. The image links to the original content. You can also upload pictures to Pinterest. This book will teach you… -
Poll: Romney leads among women
Mommy Life16 May 2012 | 7:16 amShock Poll: Romney now leads among women May 15, 2012 -- 11:08 AMPaul Bedard 791Comments Women for Romney. Ann Romney sits with an audience of women supporters during a campaign event at Exhibit Edge, a woman-owned company that makes graphic and trade show displays, May 2, 2012 in Chantilly, Virginia. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Obama's claim that the GOP is mounting a war on women has proven to be a failure. A month into his assault on the Republicans and Mitt Romney, the new CBS-New York Times poll shows that the GOP presidential candidate now leads among women--and men.Since… -
Avoiding Bitterness
Not That You Asked16 May 2012 | 8:34 amOn Mother's Day, our pastor spoke at church about warding off bitterness as a woman (haha! Sidenote: he's not a woman) about the things in life that don't go our way. Mother's Day is difficult for many because of mother's who are no longer with us, because of memories of a childhood with a mother who was less than loving, because of longing for motherhood and finding pregnancy elusive. He went on to say that we should consider it "pure joy" (James 1:2-4) when you face life's problems because it represents the testing and refining of your faith in God who loves you. He…
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Garden of Eagan
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Kid or Cat?
14 May 2012 | 9:24 amShortly after Asher arrived here from Serbia, we noticed he would often find patches of sunlight shining on the floor. When he found them he'd do all he could to get his entire body into the patch on the floor. If it was only a small patch he'd put his hand in it, wiggling his fingers in the warmth.Now that it's (slowly) been getting nice outside, he craves being out in the sunlight. He's very quick to race you to the door if he knows you're going out. This morning Dean was watering the plants he gave me for Mother's Day. He went back inside to refill the pitcher and returned to find… -
School Lunch
14 May 2012 | 7:56 amAsher is in Kindergarten. He is in a regular classroom and is just one of the regular kids. Today, to get a "taste" of 1st grade, the kindergarteners are eating lunch at school. I've been really tempted to just keep him home. He's so NOT ready to be eating at school yet. We're working hard to get rid of his very bad oral motor habits. Him feeding himself is a horribly messy scenario and I don't want him stigmatized at school for the way he eats. I'm so tempted to keep him home. He's not going to first grade next year anyway. Hmmmmm Decisions. Decisions. -
5 months home
13 May 2012 | 11:24 pmAsher has been home 5 months now. Five very amazing months. There has been a lot to learn about this world crammed into these first months home. Watching all the "firsts" of life is a most wonderful thing for a parent to witness! -
Houston, We Have Lips!
10 May 2012 | 12:12 amFive months ago today Asher and I stepped off that last plane and our new life together as a family began. The journey to get Asher eating safely - and relatively normally - was one of the first things on my agenda. There are lots of videos in this post but I promise I tried to only post the shortest ones!Asher was feeding himself in the orphanage, but his technique left much to be desired, plus he at in that super-fast orphan speed, afraid the food would get taken away. I decided to feed him myself for a couple different reasons. There is the whole bonding thing, him learning that he CAN be… -
Shhh it's a secret!
6 May 2012 | 12:26 pmNo, I have no good secrets to tell, only my opinion of keeping certain secrets. Some secrets, when kept, cause more damage until the secret keeper can't contain themselves another minute. By that time, a lot of damage has already been done.Lets say you hire an accountant to manage the finances of your business. You use this accountant for several years, only to find out they've been stealing money from you all along. What do you do about it? Do you keep it a secret, feeling guilty that your speaking up would put that person out of business? Or do you report the problems to the necessary…
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Life According to Emma & Joe
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50 meter dash: special olympics
14 May 2012 | 10:40 amHere is a clip of Joe, Tri, Hussein, and Leah running the 50 meter dash on Friday. If you look in the right lanes you will see Joe (yellow shirt, orange sweat pants) slowing down to check on his best friend Leah (in white) half-way through the race. -
Happy Mothers' Day!
13 May 2012 | 2:18 pm -
Special Olympics, Track and Field
12 May 2012 | 9:45 amJoe, Miss Joan, Molly, Tim, and Tri waiting for the next event. Joe and his classmates doing a practice 50 meter run to Chris (not shown in photo!). Joe is crouched down, ready to… -
Good Citizen Award
8 May 2012 | 7:58 amJoe receiving a good citizenship award at the East Lansing School Board meeting.Last night the members of Joe's class won awards for being good citizens in their school. They were nominated by a 4th grade teacher for four reasons: running the terracyle recycling program (that makes Red Cedar school a Green Michigan school); for setting up and cleaning up the sandbox toys for the whole school everyday; for maintaining the birthday board and giving everyone in the school a Hershey's bar… -
Jam Session
3 May 2012 | 6:39 pmEvery month Joe goes to a jam session with music therapists sponsored by our local down syndrome association. Joe loves the group and is always happy to sing, dance, and play instruments.
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Mom-Blog: Parenting, life, growth, and sanity
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Giveaway Review: Pinterest for Dummies
16 May 2012 | 10:01 amWhen I got the opportunity to review “Pinterest for Dummies” by Kelby Carr, I jumped at the chance! In case you don’t know Pinterest, this is an amazing tool that lets you “pin” pictures to a board a you create. These pictures mostly come from around the web … so when you find an article that you love with a great photo, you can pin. I use my Pinterest board most frequently for pinning luscious looking recipes that are gluten-free. The image links to the original content. You can also upload pictures to Pinterest. This book will teach you… -
Review AND Coupon: Lil Jelly beans Kids Consignment Shop Online
16 May 2012 | 9:46 amMonday, I reviewed Baby Cheapskate. One of the big go-to resources that author Angela Wynne recommended to buy affordable (and often barely used) baby and kid clothes are consiqnment shops. If you’re like me, you’re at a loss where to find these great resources specifically for kids’ clothes, so today I’d like to introduce you to an online resource, Lil Jelly Beans Kids. Best of all, right now, Mom-Blog readers will get 10% off their entire order when they enter the code: BLOGMOM. Lil Jelly Beans was started by Mrs. Carmen, a stay at home mother of 4, whose passion… -
The Shocking Truth about Parenting Autism
15 May 2012 | 10:08 pmTo put it bluntly, I’ve been struggling lately. I’ve been battling with issues of self-esteem, lack of worthiness, and enough second guessing to make me uncomfortable with every decision I make. I had no idea why all this was going on, and I thought about it very hard, prayed on it, and thought some more. It’s actually very simple what’s going on: No matter what choices, decisions, disciplines or rewards I have set down for Zoe, I am unsure if any of them measure up to what my little girl needs. This is not so with Amelia. I can look back and recall the year and a… -
#Giveaway: Sterling Silver Personalized Name Necklace
14 May 2012 | 11:08 amThis week’s bonus giveaway is jewelry! I love personalized jewelry, I wear my ginabad necklace all the time. Aziza Browne is a jewelry designer in Brooklyn, NY and this week, she is giving one of my lucky readers a personalized sterling silver name necklace with a pearl. Aziza’s jewelry is unique because she makes all of her glass beads herself, using a process called lampworking. She uses a 3000 degree gas torch to melt Italian glass and reshaipe it into beads. How fun! Check out her Etsy Shop. Coupon Code All Mom-Blog readers right now get a coupon code. Enter MB15AG… -
Review & Giveaway: “The Baby Cheapskate Guide to Bargains” – A Nursery on a Budget!
13 May 2012 | 11:01 pmGetting ready for a new baby and not sure where or how to save up for it? Worried about the expense? “The Baby Cheapskate Guide to Bargains” by Angela Wynne of the blog BabyCheapskate.com is a great book! I learned things about couponing that I did not know, so even though I’m not the audience for this book it still had its value. My opinion? This book is a “must have” for all first time moms. Wynne shows you the in’s and out’s of everything you will need to get ready for baby, and how to save money doing it. She gives you lots of options…
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Mommy Life
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Poll: Romney leads among women
16 May 2012 | 7:16 amShock Poll: Romney now leads among women May 15, 2012 -- 11:08 AMPaul Bedard 791Comments Women for Romney. Ann Romney sits with an audience of women supporters during a campaign event at Exhibit Edge, a woman-owned company that makes graphic and trade show displays, May 2, 2012 in Chantilly, Virginia. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Obama's claim that the GOP is mounting a war on women has proven to be a failure. A month into his assault on the Republicans and Mitt Romney, the new CBS-New York Times poll shows that the GOP presidential candidate now leads among women--and men.Since… -
Noam Chomsky: Palin right about Obama
15 May 2012 | 9:24 pmMedia Noam Chomsky: Sarah Palin Was Right About Obama Posted on May 15, 2012 at 5:21pm by Mytheos Holt Probably the last person you'd expect to cite Sarah Palin favorably is Noam Chomsky. Yet in an interview with the Leftist news organization Democracy Now, Chomsky did precisely that, saying Palin was right to mock Obama for his lack of substance. "I don't usually admire Sarah Palin," Chomsky said, "but when she was making fun of this 'hopey changey stuff,' she was right, there was nothing there." Watch Chomsky's surprisingly honest admission below: (H/T: National Review) -
Newsweek: Obama first gay president
14 May 2012 | 2:29 pmI really don't think this is going to go over well. For those of you too young to remember, the reference is to the popular saying during the Clinton era that he (Clinton) was our first black president. Because the Left always makes perfect sense. . . . Also, obviously Time's cover last week sexualizing breastfeeding must have driven Newsweek into a competitive frenzy. Your thoughts? -
Gallup predicts huge loss for Obama
14 May 2012 | 2:23 pmFebruary 1, 2012 9:51am ? Comments Gallup state numbers predict huge Obama loss byConn Carroll Senior Editorial Writer Gallup released their annual state-by-state presidential approval numbers yesterday, and the results should have 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue very worried. If President Obama carries only those states where he had a net positive approval rating in 2011 (e.g. Michigan where he is up 48 percent to 44 percent), Obama would lose the 2012 election to the Republican nominee 323 electoral votes to 215.Read more at Beltway 'Confidential -
Mother and Child in Art album
13 May 2012 | 10:57 amThis is a a slideshow/album I put together in 2009 as a present to my readers: To see the artists and titles - or to pause - run your mouse over the bottom of album to bring up the controls. To see the pictures in album format, click below: ~~Mother and Child~~ From Barbara on Mother's Day This is a gift that keeps on growing - feel free to send me pictures to add (I am not using Madonna pictures in this one - saving that for later) It is also one that can keep on giving - please pass it on - you can use the Share buttons above or send a link to MommyLife!
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Not That You Asked
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Avoiding Bitterness
16 May 2012 | 8:34 amOn Mother's Day, our pastor spoke at church about warding off bitterness as a woman (haha! Sidenote: he's not a woman) about the things in life that don't go our way. Mother's Day is difficult for many because of mother's who are no longer with us, because of memories of a childhood with a mother who was less than loving, because of longing for motherhood and finding pregnancy elusive. He went on to say that we should consider it "pure joy" (James 1:2-4) when you face life's problems because it represents the testing and refining of your faith in God who loves you. He… -
Words to Live By
9 May 2012 | 2:46 pm"You'll never be as hurt by being open as you have been hurt by remaining closed." Martha Beck from Expecting Adam -
Upheaval
2 May 2012 | 8:56 amEverything feels discombobulated right now. My literal physical house is in a shambles at the moment, or at least part of it is. Three years ago we started a kitchen renovation that included converting the screened porch to a dining room and new appliances. That was phase one. Phase two is happening now which involves new floor, moving of cabinets to open up peninsula (we have dubbed it the "one butt kitchen), new countertop and new backsplash. We are doing all the tile work ourselves, but the plumbing and cabinets and countertop stuff is all a flurry of dusty, noisy… -
Honoring the Process
22 Apr 2012 | 9:26 amYes, this. -
Discovering What's Left
21 Apr 2012 | 5:20 pmI stumbled upon this post yesterday and I have been thinking about it since. It's about deconstructing and rebuilding one's faith. This is a good description of what I have been attempting to do for several years now. It has been a long, lonely, scary, sad, process. I have felt so completely lost, but one of the things this fellow wanderer wrote was that "all who wander are not lost". By definition, a journey is a trip from one place to another. I have not yet arrived to a new place, but the idea that I am not lost but simply still on the journey was the…
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Praying For Parker
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Poop is a 4-Letter Word
15 May 2012 | 7:43 pmYesterday we got to take a field trip to Provo to visit Dr. Oz, Parker’s infectious disease specialist. Worry not, Parker doesn’t have anything contagious, unless you count cuteness….heh. We went because of the never ending sinus infection and what the antibiotics are doing to Parker’s stomach. It’s grim, people. Grim to the point of me telling Dr. Oz’s nurse that I was worried about getting Parker to this appointment with out an explosive incident. Or several. I have collected a LOT of poop samples over the last few weeks. According to Dr. Oz, 80% of… -
A Brave Hero’s First Day of School
11 May 2012 | 10:39 amWednesday was Parker’s first official day of school. Well, kinda. He arrived at 10:30 and left at 11:30. Yup. One entire hour. Considering Parker’s health, I think that’s pretty remarkable…..for me that is. (ahem) We did all the usual first day of school stuff: The Traditional First Day of School in front of our front door picture. Parker was less than impressed. But once Parker got to his classroom, he hopped right up into his seat and began his assignments. It was as if he had been going to school from the beginning. I’m PROUD to say that… -
Choosing what’s most valuable.
3 May 2012 | 8:17 pmI started my day with a Diet Coke and a handful of stale popcorn. Breakfast of Champions? Nope. Breakfast of a Mama who has been dealing with what has been coming out of a certain Brave Hero’s nether regions since early this morning….yup. Smelly stuff comes with Parker’s territory. What’s a few wilted nasal hairs between family members, eh? We are still pow-wowing about Parker’s echo last week. Not worse. Not better. Next time going to be sedated because this kid doesn’t understand the meaning of sitting still. Totally typical for a Hodson… -
But will we still be smiling after tomorrow’s echo?
25 Apr 2012 | 9:04 pmThursday morning will find Parker with EKG probes on his chest and covered in ECHO goo. Yup, it’s time to visit the cardiologist again. Words can’t describe how much I hate these appointments. If it were possible to send Reed while I stayed home tomorrow, I would……with my bottle of valium clenched tightly in my fist. I’ll have to forgo the mood enhancements tomorrow, cause I’ve got to drive. I can already feel the worry demanding the worry of my heart. I’ve held it at bay until now, but I know I won’t sleep tonight…..and… -
The little bits of happiness and a beautiful life with Down syndrome.
24 Apr 2012 | 10:14 amThe last time we took Parker to the dentist he was still so small that the dentist held Parker’s head in his lap and Reed held Parker’s feet in his lap. Me? I prayed like hell this would hurry quick and be over. Yesterday we took Parker to the dentist again. This time he climbed right up in the the chair as though he were the King and the office his Kingdom. I love the look on Parker’s face as the Dentist walked in. He’s saying, “Dude, any funny stuff and your butt’s headed straight for the dungeon.” As we walked back to the car, the nurse and I…
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Prince Vince Meets the World
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Göteborgsvarvet 2012
12 May 2012 | 10:38 am2.01.33 A fun race with quite a hilly track. The time is so so, but considering my cold and cough that keptme from training the last week I am fine with it. The sun came out just as we were starting so nice weather but strong winds, especially over the bridges. Now party time at casa Gidlöf!! -
1 hr 20 min to start
12 May 2012 | 6:15 am -
Ready!
11 May 2012 | 8:52 amReady for tomorrow! I start at 14.37. As for the weather it is supposed to be windy, rainy and a max of 11c. At least low risk for dehydration. I am running the race for charity, hence the shirt. O Sm I -
FINALLY!
10 May 2012 | 12:57 amI am finally feeling A LOT better as in I almost feel fine. So excited to meet this person tomorrow! And on Saturday my job is to not get beaten too bad by her time. She kicks butt at running (and a lot of other things too). -
Swedish Class
8 May 2012 | 1:31 pmMr B started Swedish class last week. Tonight is apparently homework time.
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- Ramblings of the Bearded One -
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Sean Taylor and the personal gig
8 May 2012 | 5:02 amSinger/songwriter/excellent guitarist, Sean Taylor, was back in the area on Friday appearing once again at The Mill Sessions. For those of you with good memories, you may recall I photographed him last year (and for those that don’t, here’s the link - Sean Taylor and the Mill Sessions). And he and his manager liked the photos so much, they were used for his new album, Love Against Death. So with Sean back for another performance, it seemed liked a good opportunity to take a few more shots. This time he arrived earlier in the day, so rather than rushing to get a shot in just before the gig… -
Books for your iPad or iPhone
3 May 2012 | 8:25 amLast year I put together a book called Facing The Weekend which included all the portraits I took over the Spring Fling Open Studio weekend, and the year before, I created a book of my exhibition, Staring Back. Facing The Weekend, and Staring Back were both published using the online service, blurb.com (as the new book will be too). Now while the quality is superb, the drawback is they are not particularly cheap. By the time printing and postage costs have been added, you won't get any change out of £30, even for the softcover edition. However, Blurb have recently introduced the option of… -
Wonky Ears
26 Apr 2012 | 2:52 pm2½ years ago, I was aware my eyesight wasn’t quite what it used to be, so visited the local optician. After various tests he told me my eyesight was still ok, but I had abnormally small pupils, which had a side effect of giving me better eyesight than I should for the level of deterioration (for those who understand aperture settings in photography, it’s like having pupils set at f/8 when the rest of the population has f/5.6, thereby giving me a better depth of focus. For those who don’t understand aperture settings on photography – never mind, it’s not really that important). 6… -
Ad Preferences
20 Apr 2012 | 2:15 amI'm sure everyone is familiar with the phenomenon of experiencing the same ads cropping up on many different sites as we surf the net. The reason why I constantly get ads for camera equipment, but Maggie continually gets them for [...in the interests of privacy and matrimonial harmony, this piece of information has been removed...] is simple - cookies (small bits of data inserted into your browser by websites - not biscuits) are tracked by various commercial organisations. The more sites you visit, the more indepth a profile of the kinds of things you are interested in is built up. So ads are… -
Mileage
17 Apr 2012 | 5:59 pm26 years ago today, I passed my driving test. I can’t say with absolute certainty how many miles I have driven in that time – some years have been considerably more than others. However, I think it’s reasonable to assume I will have averaged somewhere between 12,000 and 16,000 a year. This means I have driven about 300,000 to 400,000 miles since I was 19½ years old. If we put all those miles into one journey, it would have got me to the moon, but nowhere near back again. And at that rate, it would take me more than another 6,000 years to reach our sun. Or 1.76 billion years to get to…
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Reflections and Musings
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Skating with my boys
8 May 2012 | 7:33 pm -
Brant's Spine
5 Apr 2012 | 8:22 pmSo pretty much everyone who knows Brant knows that there's something up with his neck. When he was 4 1/2 years old he was diagnosed with spinal cord compression and went for a 13 hour long delicate surgery in which he had his top 4 vertebrae dismantled and rebuilt using synthetic bone and one of his ribs and held in place by a rod and screws that are attached to his skull and 5th vertebrae (C-5). This is not common with children who have Down syndrome (AAI or Atlanto-axial instability which is an instability of the top 2 vertebrae is fairly common) but does happen on occasion as… -
Update on Brant
24 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amBrant went for an appointment with the pediatrician yesterday. We were referred by others to this pediatrician - he came highly recommended as one who "knows his stuff" in the disability world. We have had some concerns with Brant - especially with regards to his small stature, his walking (he tends to walk on his toes and doesn't bend his knees properly plus he usually leans when he stands), and he still has a few incontinence issues (we wanted to find out if there was a medical reason for this). First of all, his size - he is at about the 10th percentile on the Down… -
Snow and a suprise visit
22 Jan 2012 | 2:58 pmSo the past week has been snowy here! The kids went to school for only a half day on Monday (sent home at noon) and then have had the rest of the week off. Sadly, I still had to work Mon-Thurs but I took Friday off since Colin was in the middle of night shifts and needed to sleep during the day. We had a ton of snow fall but by Friday it had changed to Freezing Rain and now, after "the Great Snowfall of 2012" we are experiencing "the Great Melt of 2012" :) The main roads are pretty clear but this morning I nearly got stuck in the ruts of our little culdesac that has… -
A little Blog redesign :)
9 Jan 2012 | 10:17 pmI need to get a good graphics program installed on my computer again. I used to use Paint Shop Pro but it was painfully slow and I haven't bothered to buy their latest version because it's pretty pricey. Photoshop is even more expensive but you can usually get Photoshop Elements for cheap or free (with the purchase of a printer or scanner or camera) - in fact I believe I have a copy of it somewhere with all my disks and what-not. In the meantime I've been using a digital scrapbooking software as well as picnik online. I used a header from shabby blogs that I customized…
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SHAMPTONS
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love
5 May 2012 | 5:59 amToday I took the twins to a birthday party. The party girl is my goddaughter and she has just turned 5. The theme was mermaids and pirates and I gotta say that there was a whole lotta pirates there (of both sexes) and my Hannah was the only mermaid...the birthday girl wore a beautiful soft candy pink skirt and top...but no tail :)So both children joined in with the party games that were organised by a duo - a maiden and a pirate. They passed the parcel, did the limbo, danced the chicken dance, played with a parachute, caught bubbles and followed the leader - or taunted him as in cheeky Kit's… -
Bloom
20 Apr 2012 | 1:08 amI've preordered my copy of Kelle Hampton's book but am still waiting on my copy to arrive - every day someone posts a photo of it or comments on their copy arriving on fb - even some in Aus....it made me so crazy I emailed B&N to see if I needed to worry cos my copy wasn't here yet...they have told me to relax...these things take time...yadayadayada....so in the meantime I check out other people's comments on it and I continue to read Kelle's blog....where today I found this quote which I consider to be truly inspirational."Life didn't go as planned for me, and I've never been happier. -
Cafe De Flore
18 Apr 2012 | 5:34 pmNSW DSA mentioned on their fb page that they had some free passes to see Cafe De Flore at the Circular Quay Dendy. Being school holidays and with Dad staying with us at the moment it seemed a perfect opportunity for a 'date' with my husband. I am not a huge movie buff so I read a couple of reviews first to make sure it looked ok and then we put our names down to go.It was such a rainy day in Sydney. I caught the bus in and Phil went straight from work. Just being by the harbour was lovely - the bridge was in the foreground and there was a misty cold rain covering everything and the… -
reflections
17 Apr 2012 | 7:05 amtoday was a lovely day. Hannah had a friend over and so did Kit. All the kids had a good day despite the rain, rain, rain....Given the weather and their age (eye roll!!!!!!!!!!!!) I let them go 'online' for a bit... but the girls really preferred the ipad and some more traditional passtimes:... a tea party and a Barbie dvd :)I also contemplated with enjoyment and gratitude, the things that bring me joy:my roses,my little memento of Europe,the water I am lucky enough to live by, andmy very very beautiful children, andmy quiet corner of the house, to be with my husband and to reflect....upon my… -
17 Apr 2012 | 2:04 am
17 Apr 2012 | 2:04 amOne of the things that I didn't realise the first time the drs mentioned 'Down Syndrome' aka "The diagnosis" was the people that we would get to meet simply because we were lucky enough to have Hannah.To this day the thought of her cardiac paediatrician and heart surgeon makes me smile - they were such wonderful gentle men and without their skill and care we mightn't have Hannah still with us. Then all the 'professionals' who we established that peculiar not friends but more than prof-client status friendships with...and then there were the fellow travellers on this journey and their…
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Big Blueberry Eyes
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Magnolia Plantation
16 May 2012 | 1:30 pmI usually post a picture of Kayla in this spot for Special Exposure Wednesday, but it doesn't appear that feature is happening today.So instead I'll share a few pictures of Lucas for this Wednesday and give him some of the spotlight :) Last Friday was National Public Park day and parks throughout the country offered free entrance. So Lucas and I took advantage of that to visit Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. I love how Lucas and the pygmy goat are peeking around the fence at the peacock.This is now one of my favorite pictures; I love how it turned out! -
Ability Path
15 May 2012 | 8:53 pmAbilityPath is an online special needs community for parents and professionals to learn and connect. Experts from AbilityPath's team includes educators, parents, therapists, and medical professionals.Several weeks ago I was interviewed for an article on their site about being a military mom and raising a child with special needs. I'm thankful for the opportunity to give a glimpse into both parts of those worlds. I thought the article A Special Needs Military Mom's Story came out great!Right now they are running a contest - share your best tried and true mother-approved tip and you could win a… -
Do You Want Another Baby?
13 May 2012 | 1:31 pmThe other day Lucas and I walked by a couple who were changing their baby in the back of their van.He asked me, "Mom, do you want to have another baby?"I hesitated before answering him. Do I? I have to admit there are times I get 'baby envy' and miss those baby days. I miss the feel of a new life growing inside of me. I miss the days of a baby discovering their world.But then I remember the seemingly endless nights requiring multiple feedings, nursing pads, diaper bags, dirty diapers etc etc etc. Pros and cons to everything.I answered Lucas, "Umm...I think I'm pretty good with having you and… -
Special Exposure Wednesday
9 May 2012 | 1:13 pm -
Something Of His Own
8 May 2012 | 2:48 pmSometimes it feels like much of what we do as a family is centered around Kayla and special needs. Not to say that there aren't things we do that don't have anything to do with special needs, but a lot of what we do does. We go to Miracle League ballgames where Lucas sits on the sidelines, Buddy Walk, Family Connection Disability Walk and Festival, Special Needs day at the Lowcountry Children's Museum, Special Needs Night at Monkey Joes, Exceptional Family Member Program (on base) support group meetings and events, Easter party/Summer Picnic/Christmas Party with the local Down syndrome…
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down-syndrome « WordPress.com Tag Feed
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Have You Asked Him Yet?
2 May 2012 | 8:50 amBy Sandra Brese Rice Bethesda Lutheran Communities “I’ve had a breakthrough! I’m so excited!” proclaimed a friend of mine who just began to pastor a congregation in Pennsylvania. He was referring to John, a young man with Down syndrome who attends church regularly with his parents. John does not like to be touched. My friend was trying desperately to figure out how to do a blessing for him without involving touch, yet personal enough for John to recognize the importance of communion. Each time John was in church, Pastor made sure to approach him, talk to him and make him feel as… -
When A Non-Cuddler Cuddles...
2 May 2012 | 7:25 amWhen a non-cuddler cuddles on a cool, wet spring night, it’s Heaven. -
D is for Dots - Modified Glue, Scatter and Shake Activity
1 May 2012 | 10:51 pmYay! Finally an activity using some of that nifty stuff I bought on clearance after Easter. I got -
Life is a Celebration...No Matter the Hand You're Dealt
1 May 2012 | 5:56 pmMalformations, developmental challenges, illnesses be damned! Life is a celebration and always worth fighting for. Check out a few short clips of our precious boy! Looking at this peacefully sleeping little boy, I’d ask you, why should 92% of babies born with Down Syndrome be aborted? Does he look like a lost cause to you? Or like he has no future? Below are a couple videos showcasing Gabriel’s vigor and lust for life! Hope you all enjoy! Remember, life is a celebration and to love is to create a more beautiful existence. … -
Life is a Celebration...No Matter the Hand You're Dealt
1 May 2012 | 5:52 pmMalformations, developmental challenges, illnesses be damned! Life is a celebration and always worth fighting for. Check out a few short clips of our precious boy! Looking at this peacefully sleeping little boy, I’d ask you, why should 92% of babies born with Down Syndrome be aborted? Does he look like a lost cause to you? Or like he has no future? Below are a couple videos showcasing Gabriel’s vigor and lust for life! Hope you all enjoy! Remember, life is a celebration and to love is to create a more beautiful existence. …
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Noahs Dad
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We’re Thankful For Noah’s Biggest Fans: Supportive Grandparents!
10 May 2012 | 2:11 pmToday we had a blast hanging out at Noah’s friend Miss T’s first birthday party. We met Miss T’s parents through the Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas and have become good friends with them over the last year. Their little girl was also born with Down syndrome and a month younger than Noah, so it’s a lot of fun watching them play together. By the way, don’t you just love Noah’s cute little Hawaiian shirt? This was a Hawaiian themed birthday party, so he had to rock one! One awesome thing about having children is all of the birthday parties you can… -
Win 1 of 14 Adaptive Bicycles in Friendship Circle’s: The Great Bike Giveaway
2 May 2012 | 3:50 pmI’m often approached by companies and organizations asking me to promote their product, service, or contest to this awesome community of friends we have here. However, my goal is to promote only those items which provide a high value for my readers. And I think The Great Bike Giveaway from The Friendship Circle fits that description. If you don’t know about The Friendship Circle here’s a brief description from their website: Friendship Circle is a non-profit organization that provides programs and support to the families of individuals with special needs. In addition… -
3 Pro Swing Set Buying Tips From a First Time Swing Set Buyer
1 May 2012 | 1:42 pmToday marked a huge milestone in the life of our little boy, and one of the biggest and best purchases of his life… His very first swing set! A first swing set is a rite of passage in the life of a child. It’s the day they cross over from being a baby to being a boy. The day they trade their pacifier for a safety slide. The first day of the rest of their life. And today was that day for our son! If you’re in the market for a swing set, or perhaps you’ve already been there, done that, and just want to laugh at a first time… -
Looking For An Epic Place For Your Kid’s Birthday Party? How About Home Depot!
18 Apr 2012 | 12:28 pmA few months ago I wrote about why I hoped every child with Down syndrome could have a friend like Charlie, well today I want to tell you why I hope every person on the planet has friends like Charlie’s parents.” I could tell you a million great things about them, but let’s be honest; since most of you reading this are parents, and parents are always looking for good (or free) deals, let me share a few important lessons I’ve learned from Charlie’s parents. 3 Life Changing Lessons I Learned From Charlie’s Parents 1. Dressing up in tin foil can sometimes… -
Milestone Alert: The Inchworm And 4 Types Of Early Crawling Methods
16 Apr 2012 | 11:41 amCreeping vs. crawling…what’s the difference? A few days ago Noah started getting into quadruped on his own. It wasn’t a milestone post, but it was a huge one in our book. Check him out...he's on all fours! Why so big? Well it shows that Noah has the strength to possibly start crawling. As I was researching for this post, I learned an important thing. In the world of physical therapy crawling is actually defined as moving forward with belly on the floor pulling with arms and pushing with legs…who knew. Creeping is defined as moving on hands and knees with stomach up,…
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Down Wit Dat
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On Motherhood
10 May 2012 | 9:14 amThis Sunday is Mother's Day. Although it is celebrated on different days all around the world, most cultures set aside a day to appreciate our Mothers and all that they do for us. Sunday morning will probably see my news feed awash with photos of homemade cards, breakfasts in bed and flowers, some of which, undoubtedly picked by tiny fingers (and quite possibly from the neighbour's garden). It's a day of emotion for most, of remembrance for some and celebration for many.It is such a powerful word, "Mother". It invokes many of its permutations, from the sacred to the profane, all of… -
What a Long, Strange Trip it's Been
4 May 2012 | 6:34 pmThe last little while has been a complete blur of appointments and late nights. Copious amounts of carbs have been consumed (and cheese, most often together). Much sleep has been lost or interrupted. Tempers have been a bit short on all accounts, including both of us, the kids and the people that we have had to interact with. At various points, this past week has seemed to never want to end.It started the day after the birthday party (Monday, April 23rd). We had an OT visit where several things were looked at in detail. One, how well Wyatt's mobility has… -
In the News - April 2012
30 Apr 2012 | 6:09 pmEvery month I compile a list of the stories I post on Down Wit Dat's Facebook page. They are stories of inclusion, of advocacy, of education, of hope and of love. These are from the month of April.Legend: AUDIO indicates an audio clip BLOG indicates a blog post EVENT indicates a scheduled event - NEW! LINKS indicates links or resource materials PHOTOS indicates photos STUDY indicates a study THREAD indicates an online discussion thread - NEW! VIDEO indicates a video Understanding and Treating the Cognitive Dysfunction of Down Syndrome Sensory Integration for Children with Autism: … -
Peace, Love and Transformers
24 Apr 2012 | 10:18 pmMy eldest is turning six this week. It's a bit of a landmark age as he is decidedly no longer a baby and definitely now a kid. At four I could tell myself he was still baby-ish and at five I could be totally in denial, but six... six is grade one. Six is BIG. Six is well beyond "where the hell did the time go" and entering the city limits of "holy crap am I old". Six. Wow.My husband and I do this every year (and now, twice a year!) to ourselves. What are we going do for his birthday party? Last year, when the babies were still very tiny and… -
Splish, Splash
20 Apr 2012 | 11:01 pmWe guard our sleep fiercely in this house. I'm not kidding. Every bedroom has a blackout blind and regardless of the time of day, we have the ability to seal out the light and hope to get a few minutes rest. Last Sunday night was uncharacteristically warm which gave us a chance to sleep with the window open (a real treat this early in the spring). Not surprisingly, Monday morning greeted us early with the rising sun. We awoke to the birds and the gentle hum of morning traffic. Perhaps it was the soft breeze or the smell of Saturday's rain still in the air, but…
