I saw this story on one of our local news station the other night, and had no idea this restaurant e
Down Syndrome
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Most Topular Stories
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Tim: The Only Person With Down Syndrome to Own and Operate a Business
down-syndrome « WordPress.com Tag Feed15 Jan 2012 | 8:38 pm -
Six!
Dream Big21 Jan 2012 | 10:32 pmI am so in love. Entirely, over the top, in love. Six years ago I had no idea my heart had room to love another baby this much. I also had no idea ... how tired I could get.how happy I could get.how angry I could get.or how quickly my hair could turn grey. Nor did I know ... how hurtful the R-word could be.how powerful inclusion could be. how expensive therapy could be.or how hard I would fight for equality. And what I never wanted to know ... how it felt to hold a sick child.how many families are touched by childhood cancer.or how many parents have to say good-bye way too soon. Today we had… -
Therapy
Garden of Eagan27 Jan 2012 | 7:29 amIn the next couple of weeks we will start assessments for private therapy services for Asher. We're going to hold off on speech/feeding until after his surgery, but PT and OT are a go! I'm anxious to get him started. He's so eager to try new things!Today I brought him back to OT and ST with Axel, so he could get used to the environment a bit. He was very excited about OT (particularly the swings!) and he got to play in the ball pit with Axel. It was fun to see Axel take on the roll of big brother, helping Asher do stuff!Later we went to speech and while Asher was more interested in looking… -
26 Jan 2012 | 10:50 am
Life According to Emma & Joe26 Jan 2012 | 10:50 am -
Book Review: “Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches”
Mom-Blog: Parenting, life, growth, and sanity27 Jan 2012 | 12:09 pm
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Dream Big
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Six!
21 Jan 2012 | 10:32 pmI am so in love. Entirely, over the top, in love. Six years ago I had no idea my heart had room to love another baby this much. I also had no idea ... how tired I could get.how happy I could get.how angry I could get.or how quickly my hair could turn grey. Nor did I know ... how hurtful the R-word could be.how powerful inclusion could be. how expensive therapy could be.or how hard I would fight for equality. And what I never wanted to know ... how it felt to hold a sick child.how many families are touched by childhood cancer.or how many parents have to say good-bye way too soon. Today we had… -
No Funny
4 Apr 2011 | 10:49 pmI tried to dream about what this would be like. What would my daughter's voice sound like, what kinds of things would she say? I often wondered if we would understand her well enough to laugh at the cute things she came up with. The answer is yes. We were headed into the bathroom tonight and I asked her if she wanted a bath or a shower. "Shower," she replied quickly. Then she immediately changed her response, and while holding her knee, she said, "No. Bath. No band-aid off." She has a fear of band-aid removal these days. It could possibly be that she's traumatized from all the dressing… -
FDA: Is food dye making kids see red?
29 Mar 2011 | 10:22 pmIronic that I finally decided to open up this topic on the blog last night. Here's a short story done by Brian Williams. He mentions the Feingold Diet which is where we started with Logan in December. Of course he's been a bit of a puzzle and we've further eliminated things from his diet, but I truly believe the artificial dyes play a large role in the focus, attention and hyperactivity of our children. FDA: Is food dye making kids see red? Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy -
Normal
28 Mar 2011 | 11:04 pmI don't want perfect, just normal.Logan hits his little sister.He yells at me and gets ticked off when I tell him to put his clothes away before he can play the Wii.He tries to sneak chocolate chips from the cabinet when he thinks I'm not looking.So what?I can handle that. All of it. That's what's expected of a seven year old boy. Seven year old boys don'tscream and cry for hours,at the drop of a hat,until they throw up.They don'ttake pleasure in abusing,and killing living things,then show no remorse.They don'tset out to destroy everything in sight;new gifts they've been given,or old… -
A Whoopin Anyone?
9 Mar 2011 | 9:18 pmI thought the day she was born was my darkest day - I swore I could never raise a child with a disability ... but now Miss Chelsea lights up my darkest days. We went to church tonight and by the time we returned home, Logan was jumping off the walls (literally). Before he broke anything else or hurt anyone I told him to go brush his teeth and he was going to bed. This caused an instant meltdown (he thought he was getting a cupcake for good behavior in church ... ha, ha, ha). So after carrying him back into his room three times, protecting myself from his attempts to hit and kick me, I got him…
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Garden of Eagan
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Therapy
27 Jan 2012 | 7:29 amIn the next couple of weeks we will start assessments for private therapy services for Asher. We're going to hold off on speech/feeding until after his surgery, but PT and OT are a go! I'm anxious to get him started. He's so eager to try new things!Today I brought him back to OT and ST with Axel, so he could get used to the environment a bit. He was very excited about OT (particularly the swings!) and he got to play in the ball pit with Axel. It was fun to see Axel take on the roll of big brother, helping Asher do stuff!Later we went to speech and while Asher was more interested in looking… -
Very concerning! Anyone with seizure experience please respond!
27 Jan 2012 | 1:18 amIn a couple of posts I've commented that Asher does this funny little blinky/winky thing at us when we tell him no, or to do something he doesn't want to do. It just lasts for a second, and it took me many tries to be able to catch it on video.And then today happened. Today something is wrong. The morning was going along just fine and everything was normal. Asher and Axel were in the bedroom and I went in there to see what they were up to. That's when I found Asher with his face going crazy. He was grimacing and winking/blinking constantly. It looked very seizure-like. I was able to talk to… -
Too much cuteness!!!
27 Jan 2012 | 12:31 amI don't know if our house can stand any more cuteness! Look who got his new glasses!!!!And is it just me or does he look like "Squints" from the movie The Sandlot?Asher has been absolutely excellent about keeping his glasses on. The only time they've been off his face is when they've gotten bumped by something (like when he drags his head getting off a chair. LOL) I think because he's been so good about wearing them, I *think* he is already able to see with them. (he should have had trouble seeing with them at first since one eye was not functioning much and his brain would have to re-learn… -
It's Hairy
26 Jan 2012 | 10:29 pmOur life. It's hairy at the moment.Just a couple weeks before I left for Serbia, we decided to refinance the house and remodel the kitchen. (blog post about the kitchen designed for the kids is already in the drafts folder!) We have the best timing EVER! I knew I was going to dread becoming "basement people". The last time we did it, we were putting in hardwood floors on the main level and there was just Angela here. We spent a month in the basement, and it just about drove me crazy. That was nothing.....Anyway, we signed a contract with the cabinet guy the beginning of January, and now the… -
Meeting the needs of The Least of These
26 Jan 2012 | 11:16 amMy friend Gretchen, adoptive mom to Stas from Ukraine (along with several other kids!) is working with Chalice of Mercy and Sisters Mission Outreach to gather medical and therapy equipment for an institution in Ukraine. She has been given the list of needs directly from the facility director. Please hop on over to Gretchen's blog. With only two weeks to pull it all together, there is a rush! Maybe you have something they could use?
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Life According to Emma & Joe
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26 Jan 2012 | 10:50 am
26 Jan 2012 | 10:50 am -
Bowling
24 Jan 2012 | 4:29 pmThe bowling gangMolly and JoeEmma and MollyThese photos were taken by Stacy sometime in December. -
Women's bball game
15 Jan 2012 | 6:52 pmToday I spent the morning at my friend Alice's church talking with a group of adults about writing my "This I Believe" essay and parenting a child with special needs. That group is about to begin composing their own essays and have started thinking about what they will write. My suggestion for getting started was to fill in the blanks for the following three sentences:1. The number one thing that I want everyone to know about me is _________________.2. I learned this important fact about myself when____________________________.3. The reason I want everyone to know this about is… -
The View from the Fridge
14 Jan 2012 | 4:51 pm -
Snow!
14 Jan 2012 | 4:47 pmChris and Joe heading outJoe on the drivewayMikey Mouse Hill: Amy & Joe on far left (orange sled)Amy and JoeEmma and Jonathan
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Mom-Blog: Parenting, life, growth, and sanity
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Book Review: “Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches”
27 Jan 2012 | 12:09 pm -
School, Kids, Progress, and Self-Discovery
26 Jan 2012 | 8:51 amTuesday we had a meeting at school. It was not an IEP – and I drove up in shock to realize we still haven’t actually had one for Zoe. It was a technology assessment, in which we met with an expert from the school district to discuss assisstive technology for Zoe to better communicate. It was a really good session! We discussed both her strengths and weaknesses, and her learning style, and what would cause a negative reaction from her. It was good to get down to brass tacks, and the woman from the district was organized, clear, and knew her sh-, I mean stuff She also… -
A New Baby Guide for Toronto Moms
25 Jan 2012 | 11:40 amI remember when I first had Amelia. It reminds me of that comedy routine by, I think, Chris Rock, where he jokes about how you get a 300 page manual with your VCR, but they hand you a baby and wish you on your merry way! I had so many questions for my pediatrician that I could here the sigh in the nurses voice whenever I called – and call I did, every week or more. Not to mention that I was new to the area and had no idea where or how to get what. (One of the blessings from the burden of Amelia’s heart murmur was that staff were happy to refer me to all the resources I… -
Overwhelmed, Tired, and Drained from Being a Special Needs Mom? Help is Here!
24 Jan 2012 | 9:33 amThis week’s post is from my friend and client, Stephani McGirr, who not only support special needs parents doing restrictive dieting, but is the mom to a special child herself! Stephani is promoting her new program, “Nourishing the Special Needs Mom, A 5 Week Transformation for Body, Mind & Spirit”, designed to help moms like you feel better about life and recapture the energy they need to help their children thrive! Does this sound like you You wake up, not looking forward to the day, stressed about your child’s struggles, and wishing you could go back to bed… -
Giveaway: IncredibleScience.com Toys Gift Certificate
23 Jan 2012 | 8:19 amWelcome to the return of Giveaway Mondays! This week, we have a special giveaway for all of you science geeks – or who have kids who love to experiment! IncredibleScience.com is giving one of my readers a $20 gift certificate. With science fair and invention festivals just around the corner, this is the perfect time of year to get your child fired up about science. IncredibleScience.com has been around for 10 years, and brings you exciting experiments for kids to learn and have with. They test run all their products in the classroom first – they only carry the products the…
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Mommy Life
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Obama targets Catholic Church, hospitals
28 Jan 2012 | 7:17 amNow the persecution begins undisguised as Obama breaks his phony promises (we told you so!) on respecting religious freedom and upholding the conscience clause in any abortion matters. The Catholic Church is his enemy, he always intended to grind the church into the ground, and his tactics have become so alarming that the UCCB is preparing to sue the federal government to keep our hospitals open and serving patients. A principal precept of medical ethics: First, do no harm. Only a tyrant would force medical professionals to go against their conscience to kill babies the government… -
Conservative Black Chick: leftist intolerance
28 Jan 2012 | 7:02 amIf you think you suffer intolerance because you are conservative, imagine being a black conservative! Conservative Black Chick writes: Eat, Pray, Love and Be Black but Don't Be a Republican Apparently, all black people walk, talk, eat, pray alike AND fit squarely in the Democrat Black box, basking in the glow of liberalism. There also is a "black issues manual," which I have yet to see, that all blacks must adhere to. Wait, there's more. Unlike whites and Hispanics, blacks claim another phenomenon- black ambassadors sometimes loosely called "our leaders," who speak on behalf of "ALL blacks… -
Romney Loses Bigfoot Endorsement
28 Jan 2012 | 6:59 amBig Foot v Mitt Romney -
Down syndrome awareness: Cali
27 Jan 2012 | 4:26 pmCali: You are beautiful -
Yellow ballons at March for Life DC and Dallas
26 Jan 2012 | 8:10 pmRemember the Yellow Balloons for Life in Chicago? Well, they came to DC for the March for Life: Brother Joshua writes: Also, I thought you might like the concept of the "Life Boat" - the youth of St. John Cantius Church are carrying Br. Chad McCoy, SJC. They also threw "Lifesaver" candies overboard to the crowds. Yellow balloons were also used at the Dallas March for Life, as you can see in this poignant video: Love this lighthearted, joyful, memorable approach.
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Not That You Asked
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Up to His Old Tricks
24 Jan 2012 | 10:47 amJude has escaped his teacher or aide in the school building twice this year. Once in the fall, and again yesterday. He's a runner, a flight risk. I have told the school this every way I know how to short of skywriting. When he did it in the fall, they were right on his heels and he actually did exit a door and LEAVE the building, but didn't get but a few feet out onto the sidewalk before he was dragged back, him laughing hysterically and the aide who had been chasing him having had years sucked from her life. When his teacher called to tell me about it, she was nervous and… -
Sunday Thoughts
22 Jan 2012 | 2:35 pmIt's been a long, long time since I posted anything here on the ol' blog. I was just recently bragging to my friend Stacey about how evolved I am these days, not needing so desperately anymore to be understood by people. Stacey says that's one of the many benefits to being over 40. You stop giving so much of a shit what everything thinks. It's true. I used to blog all the time, almost every day. At least a few times a week. I first started in the winter when my twins were about a 18 months old. I am a stay-at-home-mom (well, I substitute teach a little now that… -
Alternate Reality
9 Apr 2011 | 8:28 amLast night Steve and I took the kids to the movies. Steve, Simon and Jude saw "Hop", and Chloe and I saw "Source Code". Afterwards, when Steve was trying to exit the theater with Simon and Jude, he looked down and realized that Jude had taken off one of his socks and shoes. He bent down in the darkness to try and locate them, looked up and realized that Jude had gone under the rail and escaped down the aisle! He and Simon were trapped in behind everyone else exiting in front of them and couldn't just trample over them to get out and chase Jude. Luckily, our movie… -
The First of the Kennedy Tragedies
8 Apr 2011 | 11:03 amI am loving "The Kennedys" mini-series on the Reelz channel. Greg Kinnear is great as JFK; Barry Pepper is great as RFK; Tom Wilkinson is doing a great job portraying the SOB patriarch Joseph Kennedy; Katie Holmes, well, she looks cute in those little outfits.Last night I learned about Rosemary Kennedy, Joe and Rose's third child and first daughter. At an IQ of somewhat less than 100, she was deemed mentally retarded by Kennedy standards. Though her diaries show that she was literate and could do arithmetic and went to dances and worried about such things as disappointing her… -
On being "the other one"
5 Apr 2011 | 2:56 pmOn Being The Other One is the title of a book I read shortly after the twins were born. It was a collection of thoughts from a group of people who had grown up with a sibling with a disability. Most of them were bitter about the experience. They thought they had not been given enough attention, that family life revolved around the disabled brother or sister, and well, that just life in general had been worse for them because of that circumstance. I don't think it's realistic to think that a person's experience with a sibling would be all bad or all good no matter what, disability…
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Praying For Parker
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What I feed my g-tube enhanced kid.
26 Jan 2012 | 9:28 pmMy g-tube enhanced Brave Hero has done so well on the blenderized diet I prepare for him daily. He lost a significant amount of weight from being sick so many times this season, but we are back up 2 pounds…..two more to go before we are back to his baseline! I use this for Parker’s recipe book. You can actually find recipes for 1,000 calorie diets, 1,200 calorie diets, etc. It tells you exactly how much of what to add. I use a lot of nuts in Parker’s diet. I was concerned that I wasn’t adding the proper amount of nuts (1.5 ounces). I finally invested in a kitchen… -
Snow Painting
25 Jan 2012 | 7:31 pmIt happened. Finally. It snowed. Snow. Finally Not so much as to be a hassle. Not too little to notice. Just enough. Snow used to be a sensory nightmare for a certain Brave Hero. It’s better now. Except that gloves aren’t tolerated. Even if hands are cold to the verge of frozen. Instead my littlest of Hodson boys will raise his hands to me, my cue to wrap his hands in mine…..warmth without the sensory issues of gloves. We stopped to visit the trees. Then we painted. Yup. Painted. I purchased these sprayers and liquid water color from Discount School Supply. The… -
Even if the rest never follows.
24 Jan 2012 | 10:14 pmSometimes the once upon a time me sneaks up and reminds the me in the present of goals set and dreams once dreamt. She reminds me that debt and doctors and pulmonary hypertension were never supposed to be part of our future, and that when my kids finally reached they age they have I would enter into the time that would be known as mine. For the last year I’ve hoped the internet might provide a way for me to bring in a bit of extra income. The sometimes paycheck and recognition my writing has brought in has been nice. While maybe not consistent, it’s been very… -
The Red Thread and My Child with Special Needs
23 Jan 2012 | 10:03 pmThere is a Chinese folklore, which tells about the connection of family members. The Chinese say that there are invisible red threads that connect a newborn child’s spirit to all of the people that will be important in their life. As the child grows, the threads shorten to bring these people closer together. Parker’s red threads came in the form of oxygen tubing, ostomy bags, schedules, medications, therapies, Dr. appointments, maxed out credit cards, and long sleepless night. Yes. You read that right. All of these things have helped bring our family closer… -
Would it kill them to stop doing that? The R-word and it’s derivatives.
23 Jan 2012 | 9:27 amIs a lack of consideration the new black of today’s social culture? When I’m really in the mood to raise my blood pressure I’ll find myself reading the comments section of our local Utah newspapers, namely the comments following articles on the topics of education or politics. I don’t know why I do this to myself. If I were wise, I’d totally ignore both of those issues in this state. Embrace the whole ignorance is bliss idea. Instead, I regularly keep up to date with the decisions made by or about to be made by those holding public office. I guess it has…
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Prince Vince Meets the World
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Time’s Up
27 Jan 2012 | 10:26 amVince and I are flying back tomorrow. We have had a very productive and successful trip in many ways. I will get into the results of the school meeting and mainly the meeting with the new therapy centre that did not leave me very impressed at all. I finally got a real run in this morning. The first of the week. I blame it on the many minus degrees and the darkness… It felt great, but a bit heavy in the snow. My shoes are all clean and shiny after running in the clean snow. And this afternoon we spent quite some time outside in the snow and Vince enjoyed it! -
Big Day
24 Jan 2012 | 11:18 pmVince and I are in Sweden this week to prepare a few things for the move.Today is the biggest preparation day so far. We are meeting with day care,school and his new therapy team. We are choosing a typical class for Vincent, that means full inclusion.The place we will live is a smallish town just north of Gothenburg and there is only one school. There will be three kids born -06 who have DS. After a lot of researching cities and areas we found this was actually the only one where the people I spoke to were only satisfied with what the municipalities, cities and schools had done for their… -
Vincent
19 Jan 2012 | 6:32 amVincent is doing great. He just wrapped up his dance class which he enjoyed a lot. He is still doing swim classes and has private classes twice a week. He can swim a few meters alone and he jumps off the little jumps in the water, pushes off from the bottom and swims back to the side and climbs up and jumps again. He still has his 4 therapy sessions a week at KiGa and he is moving along there too. Speech is the main thing of course, but he is learning new words and he is more communicative to people. We have all our DVDs on an external computer drive as the kids were just scratching the… -
Edgar
18 Jan 2012 | 1:24 amHe is pretty funny 85% of the time, the other 15% he is a pure monster. Terrible twos are hitting us hard and he can do everything on his own. And God forbid that you try to help him along with something to speed things up. His newest thing is that he has to have two spoons when he eats his yoghurt. He goes to the drawer and grabs a handful and says two. If you ask him how old he is, he is five (really two). He is talking a lot. Like A LOT. Some of his words are a mix between Swedish and German, like nyssel (Schluessel und Nyckel meaning key). He mainly talks German but understand… -
Kettlebell
17 Jan 2012 | 4:16 amOh my god in heaven. I bought myself a kettlebell, complete with training DVD. Do you know how they work? You kind of swing it back and forth and around and up and down and you get this fab, toning complete body workout. YouTube it and you can see for yourself. The running I can do, fairly easy. Just close my mind and keep going. Listen to the music, spot someone or something on the trail and all of a sudden a km has passed. This thing? Exhausting. I went for the 8kg and now almost 40 min after the workout my arms are still complete jelly. Countdown to half marathon 1 this year (March 25th,…
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- Ramblings of the Bearded One -
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ME, me, and Gaelic TV
27 Jan 2012 | 7:07 pmOn Monday past I was on the telly. On Monday coming I will be again in the second of a 2-part programme about CFS/ME and the controversial treatment, Mickel Therapy. It began last summer when I was contacted by a researcher for TV production company, Mac TV, who had discovered my blog and some of my writings about CFS/ME and wondered if I spoke Gaelic. I said I didn’t, but would be interested in being kept informed about the programme they were planning. I can only guess they were struggling to find enough people who a) had CFS/ME, b) spoke Gaelic, and c) were prepared to have a TV camera… -
Burns Suppers
25 Jan 2012 | 2:12 pmThe 25th of January is Burns Night – when Scotland, and many around the world of Scottish descent, celebrate the birth of the nation’s poet, Robert Burns. The traditional meal for the occasion is haggis, neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes). In our household this evening there were 4 different variations being served between the 6 of us. My stepson, Rory, who’s currently staying with us for a wee while, had the real thing – a proper haggis made of sheep’s heart, lungs and liver wrapped up in a stomach lining – which he bought from a local butcher. Maggie and my stepdaughter,… -
The Challenge of the Self Portrait
20 Jan 2012 | 11:01 amLast year I was asked by The Stewartry Camera Club to give a talk to their members about Portrait Photography. It seemed to go down well and I was asked back this year to talk about self-portraits and to set a competition, which I did on Wednesday. In some ways, self-portraits can be seen as one of the most challenging forms of photography for most photographers, because there are significant obstacles to overcome on 2 levels. The first is to do with the technical difficulties in getting the exposure, composition and focus right when you can’t actually look through the lens – at least if… -
2011 in Photographs
9 Jan 2012 | 8:24 amIt seems that once something has been done 2 years in a row, it becomes a tradition. So I thought I'd better keep up with the tradition established with 2009 in photographs and continued with 2010 in photographs, with a collection of images reflecting the past 12 months with my camera. As always, feel free to click on the images for larger versions January - Uncky Rogan When I was a teenager, I was extremely awkward with small children - I had no idea what to do with them. My son, Rogan, on the other hand, is a natural. Kids love him, and he's brilliant with them. When the grandchildren came… -
Interview by Conny Wenk
3 Jan 2012 | 5:24 amOne of my favourite photographers, Conny Wenk, has started a new blog series called “25 on Tuesday”. The idea is to interview creative people she has met over the years (via blogging or real life), and to start off the series I feel rather honoured that she’s chosen me. So if you’re interested in finding out something I consider to be over rated, or what the last book I read was, then pop over and take a look – 25 on Tuesday: Kim Ayres However, if you’re not a regular visitor to Conny’s site already, then ignore my post and keep scrolling down to enjoy some of the most wonderful…
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Reflections and Musings
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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… -
Not really ... well maybe a little ;)
8 Jan 2012 | 6:34 pm -
Cleaning & Organizing
7 Jan 2012 | 11:38 pmKeeping my home clean and organized has never been something I've excelled at. As a child I had a messy messy room. As an adult I do my best, but I find I have a hard time letting go of some things - I figure I may need them again someday! As a result I end up having clutter. Not to the point of those shows where there's so much crap in the house that you can't even walk through - but enough to make it look junky. I have a shelf in my kitchen that always has extra papers, pens, etc on it. I have limited storage space and the extra stuff just gets put… -
Volleyball
5 Jan 2012 | 11:37 pmAs I mentioned, Kristina is playing on the grade 5/6 Girls Volleyball team - at their first game I snapped a bunch of photos and here is one of them. Kristina and I had fun "doctoring" the photo on picnik.com! To see it closer up you can click on the photo. The girls are all new to Volleyball this year and it's been super cool to see how their skills have improved so much even since they started! Way to go girls!
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SHAMPTONS
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The New Year
21 Jan 2012 | 1:03 amJust after Christmas we went to the Australian Museum for the Canning Stock Route Exhibition of Aboriginal art - it was great - plus thanks to fb I have been able to keep in touch with my QLD cousins - so we met Ch and her partner there too - they were holidaying in Sydney from Cairns.The next day we went up to Pearl Beach where friends of ours had a holiday house - we went up for lunch and a swim. We don't often go tot he beach - except for January - when we normally rent a place for a week somewhere near water. This year after our European Extravaganza it was decided to forgo our usual… -
Not Just Pink Anymore
21 Jan 2012 | 12:08 amJust wanted to give you a heads up - Hannah has a blog of her own. Well I will be it's 'caretaker' until she wants to do it for herself. I have added the link to it on my sidebar. It is called Not Just Pink Anymore. I hope you come and have a peek - and that you enjoy it! -
Christmas
12 Jan 2012 | 6:25 amStarted with a Christmas tree and two santa sacks:Lucky while O/S a little forward planning kicked in - this bauble is courtesy of the Ufizzi Galleryand Buckingham Palace:and Domayne at Alexandria - but hey - it's as close to Paris as I could get for now :)And so the scene was set. We had made our gingerbread house, baked our Christmas cake and steamed our Christmas puddings. On Christmas Eve the kids participated in the children's pageant:Kit was a shepherd and Hannah an angel:After mass we went to our friends' annual Christmas Eve do...always a pleasure. Then home - the kids to bed and Phil… -
Dancing Hearts
11 Dec 2011 | 5:49 amHannah had her dance concert tonight - the one for children and adults with disabilities. It was heaps of fun! The dancers all looked great and had a blast. The Dance teacher had put in so much work. It was a good afternoon. Hannah was quite shy on stage but she clearly had a good time. She was also thrilled to see her 'support club' there and to receive a trophy and to win a prize in the raffle. Here are some picsWe also did some Christmas craft in the afternoon -
Advent
10 Dec 2011 | 4:03 pmPreparing for Christmas is always lots of fun. Money is tighter this year than usual thanks to our O/S sojourn but with the sun shining and everyone in good health there is the same fun as usual to be had. Dad has come to visit for a couple of weeks and has brought my nephew with him - he is 8 years old born 1 day shy of the twins' birthday the year before they appeared. Kit is in heaven and Hannah is quite pleased too.The advent calendars are out - I bought Hannah a tacky Barbie one from Target, Kit has last year's Lego one set up again and there is of course the quilted wallhanging one that…
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Snippets
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Snippets
26 Jan 2012 | 8:12 pmTime: 6:41 pmLocation: My desk Weather: 66 degrees after a high of 76 today...Eating: Spaghetti for dinnerNot Eating: ROFL - brownies!!!! I forgot to put the egg in it and it was a hot messDrinking: WaterWearing: jeans, green long sleeve t-shirt over a tank, my hair in a ponyFeeling: my sweet tooth with the no brownies Needing: the brownies - double ROFL!Listening: To Michael flip channels and the boys play the Wii together... yes, I said together. :)Thinking: Which 1/2 Marathon I'm going to sign up for since my 1st choice for my 2nd 1/2 sold out... :(Enjoying: The fact that I… -
64/2 | week 33 | violet red
10 Dec 2011 | 10:33 pm64/2 | week 33 | violet red, originally uploaded by Rynonut Mom.My Christmas decorations seem to be my go to spot for now - LOL!For the group www.flickr.com/groups/sixtyfourcolors_roundtwo/ -
64/2 | week 32 | olive green
2 Dec 2011 | 8:52 pm64/2 | week 32 | olive green, originally uploaded by Rynonut Mom.For the group www.flickr.com/groups/sixtyfourcolors_roundtwo/ -
64/2 | week 31 | orange
27 Nov 2011 | 5:12 pm64/2 | week 31 | orange, originally uploaded by Rynonut Mom.Little boken of the last of the fall lights....For the group www.flickr.com/groups/sixtyfourcolors_roundtwo/ -
64/2 | week 30 | mahogany
19 Nov 2011 | 9:41 am64/2 | week 30 | mahogany, originally uploaded by Rynonut Mom.fading beauty...For the group www.flickr.com/groups/sixtyfourcolors_roundtwo/
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The Flege Farm
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Jungle Book
22 Jan 2012 | 7:59 pmAs it gets one week closer to Maysons 6th birthday, I still seem to have a hard time believing it. This morning as I watched her sleep in bed, she still looked like a baby to me. She rubbed her little eyes, rolled over and went back to sleep.Today, she came up to me and said, "Mom, come on", while he she hands me the wii remote. I asked her if she wanted a movie. She replied, "yes, jungle book". And yes, jungle book was said plain as day! I have waited and waited soooo long for her to reach a time where I could understand her wants and… -
Her 6th birthday is approaching.....
16 Jan 2012 | 5:10 pmI just realized that Mayson's 6th birthday is just around the corner..... Hard to believe that she is going to be six.... silly girl still is the size of a 3 year old. Looking back, its amazing everything she has accomplished in her little life so far. Doing sooo many things that any typical kid would do regardless of her down syndrome. I am so proud of what she has done from being able to drink from a bottle, to a straw, sitting up on her own at 7 months, standing at 11 months, eating independently, walking, starting to talk, learning her letters, numbers,… -
ready for christmas....
24 Dec 2011 | 11:24 amFor as long as I can remember my grama and grampa J would give us ornaments each year for Christmas. Usually they were hand crafted ones. They loved to craft and spent most of their time after their retirement making hand made crafts, woodworking and sewing. You have to remember there are 8 children with their spouses and 23 grandchildren. That doesnt include the greats and the great greats!!!!! I have saved all the ornaments made by grandparents have made us over the years. Here is a sampling of them from over the… -
dr maymay
5 Nov 2011 | 3:28 pmDr Maymay is now talking new patients:)Mayson loved Halloween this year. She would walk up to the door, say trick or treat and thank you!! When the kids came to our door, Dr Maymay would drop a piece of candy in each of their bags saying "there you go" ,,,, not sure what she liked more, getting the candy or giving it!!!!!! -
Adoption......
26 Oct 2011 | 12:36 pmAdoption plays a large roll in my life. If it wasnt for adoption, my hubby would of never been born in Iowa and we would of never hooked up, as he is adopted. I have had many friends adopt, whether it be local or out of the country. Adoption is not easy, especially when it comes to all these sweet kids that have down syndrome or other issues, that are not wanted because of a disability. It takes special people to open up their hearts and homes to these kids....... and raise the money to go over and fight for their right to give these precious children a new…
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Big Blueberry Eyes
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More On Inclusion
26 Jan 2012 | 9:58 amA follow up to my post Inclusion vs Segregation.The following video A Vision For Abby is from the Possibilities video series. The videos "focus on the lives and accomplishments of individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. ...Each video shows the myriad possibilities and options that all people have as they grow up, become independent, and pursue their life's dreams and goals." There are 4 videos, including one with a young girl with Down syndrome just starting out in school.Meet Abby, a 21-yr old adult with Down syndrome and is an assistant in a preschool classroom. She… -
Special Exposure Wednesday
25 Jan 2012 | 12:56 pm -
Inclusion vs Segregation
24 Jan 2012 | 11:11 amLast week NBC Nightly news aired a story on Ryan, a 6 yr old with Down syndrome who was recently in an ad for Target. (story and video clip at that link).According to a Target rep they have been including people with disabilities in their ads since the early 1990s. I shared a picture (on Twitter) of an ad they had last summer that included an adorable little girl with Down syndrome. Ryan has been modeling since he was 3. He has also been in Nordstrom catalogs (and Nordstrom has been using child models with Down syndrome since 1997).In the above article it is mentioned that Ryan goes to school… -
Gluten-Free Saver Deal
23 Jan 2012 | 11:02 amToday's deal from Gluten Free Saver: $9 for $17 from Katz Gluten Free.The voucher is good until Apr 29th and can be used immediately at Katz Gluten Free. They have bread, pies, cookies, cakes etc. I think I need to stock up on pizza crust for Kayla; it seems there is always pizza at some event or another that she needs to bring her own GF pizza!I don't recall that we've tried any of the Katz products yet, so I was excited to see they offer a sample pack of items that you can get for free by using code SAMPLE and just pay shipping! -
Pamela's Products
21 Jan 2012 | 1:56 pmOne of the better brands I've found on this gluten-free journey is Pamela's Products. The first thing we tried was the Baking and Pancake Mix. This made for some yummy gluten-free pancakes (and there are plenty of other recipes on the site for this mix as well.)Another of their yummy doesn't-taste-like-gluten-free products is the Chocolate Brownie Mix. What's even better is this can be ordered in a single-serving pack. It's microwaveable and done in about a minute. This is great for a quick and easy brownie mix for on the go. All you need is a little bit of oil and water and a microwaveable…
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Brady's Bunch
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wow - how did I miss that?
17 Jan 2012 | 3:44 amhmmm - it was supposed to be a New Years Resolution - concerning my blog....wow.....well - that's about how things are going here - so I guess I shouldn't be surprised LOLHappy 2012 y'all...... -
ummm - I'm a little...
11 Jan 2012 | 12:56 pmbehind?Don't worry - I have a news resolution about my blog....Stay tuned ;) -
Thank you for your prayers....
9 Sep 2011 | 5:15 pmmy amazing big brother, Brant, passed peacefully away on Tuesday September 6th. He fought valiantly to stay with us, the surgeons and doctors fought valiantly to save his life, but in the end, Heavenly Father called him home.I have so many thoughts and emotions about it all. I can see so many tender mercies from the Lord in his life and our lives over the last year - things you don't really notice or see the Lord's hand in, until you start looking back and realizing how many things that you may not have thought were blessings, really were.Brant endured several really difficult trials during… -
Prayers - pretty please???
3 Sep 2011 | 11:31 pmHey everyone who reads this blog - who I imagine are not very many in number LOL Just wanted to ask for prayers on my brother's behalf. He is critically ill and needs a miracle - and I know the power of your prayers!! So - if you could spare one or two or three or more, that would be sooo appreciated!!! Thanks so much!!!! -
Sunday Grains of Gratitude....
7 Aug 2011 | 10:51 amHello friends! Sorry about my delinquency in my grains posts :( I promise it isn't because I am NOT grateful - just busy! I know, I know - that is a very lame excuse :( But - it IS the story of my summer! It really has been a crazy busy one! And - it is drawing to a close :( School starts in 2 short weeks :( I am DREADING it :( I hate it when school starts :( And - Brady is going into 3rd grade - which is such a HUGE jump in all areas - it is going to take a lot of support to help him be successful, and I am worried at how that is all going to pan out this year. I know I am on board though…
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down-syndrome « WordPress.com Tag Feed
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Noah's Courage - The Evaluation - 06/2011 to today 01/2012
16 Jan 2012 | 3:11 pmIn June 2011 Noah had his first evaluation by a private SPL (speech and language pathologist). Although I felt like he had given a good representation of his abilities, I was stunned by the initial report. He was diagnosed with severe receptive expressive language disorder and speech disorder as well as his obvious Down syndrome. She said he exhibited a severe speech and language delay placing him approximately 3 years below his chronological age (that would put him at age 1 when he was really 4-1/2). She said his speech skills were not even functional. (Somehow I knew that, but… -
Noah's Courage - An Introduction
16 Jan 2012 | 2:31 pmThis section was slated to be called Noah News. In writing my first post here, though, I’m realizing it’s about much more than news. It’s about a boy whose middle name is literally “Courage” and his courage, his willingness to do hard things and go beyond what is comfortable for him. So, we’ll move forward with Noah’s Courage. This is where we’ll keep track of Noah’s progress in speech, language, and learning in general. It is as much for me as it is for you. It can be disheartening to see all the things that Noah still… -
Good morning 2012
16 Jan 2012 | 6:15 amThere’s something a little magical about a new year. It’s like somehow in between Christmas day and New Year’s day, we go to sleep and wake up feeling somewhat refreshed, ready to take on a new year, face new challenges and adventures, experience new joys. As difficult or confronting as the passing year may have been, we cross this imaginary line in the calendar and begin the new year afresh and alive with energy. I love that. This year, I’m feeling a little more realistic than in years gone by. Rather than having a hundred things on my New Year To-do List, I’ve… -
Today's Featured Read
15 Jan 2012 | 10:55 pmThe Cheap Kindle Daily read is My Emily by Matt Patterson The genre is Inspirational Non-Fictionwith a 5 star rating at only 99 Cents! “Sometimes God takes the greatest tragedy and shows us an opportunity to grow, to come closer to Him, to be enriched by a life no matter how short it is. This is the message of My Emily. It touched my heart. It made me cry. But, above all, it gave me hope – hope that transcends all understanding and a reminder of God’s love that can heal all hurts. Thank you, Matt, for sharing your story.” –A. E. Arndt (Amazon Review)… -
Tim: The Only Person With Down Syndrome to Own and Operate a Business
15 Jan 2012 | 8:38 pmI saw this story on one of our local news station the other night, and had no idea this restaurant e
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Noahs Dad
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25,000 Reasons Not To Worry About The Results Of A Down Syndrome Screening Test
27 Jan 2012 | 4:34 pmIt breaks my heart that for every 1 of these little Noah’s you see, there are 9 Noah’s you don’t see. 9 our of 10 children who are known to have Down syndrome through prenatal testing are aborted. These children are never given a shot at life. Never given a chance. So many families are told a lie. The lie is that you have to be afraid of the results of a Down syndrome screening test. Some in the medical community even make it seem as if having a child born with Down syndrome is this sad story. A compromise. Some women are even afraid to have children out of fear… -
Free Download: Procedures To Use The Treadmill Training In Infants With Down Syndrome
25 Jan 2012 | 8:09 pmWe are back to physical therapy today and on the treadmill. They are trying to get Noah to be on there for 8 minutes each day we that he has physical therapy (which at this point is twice a week.) As Rick mentioned before, Dr. Ulrich is doing fantastic research to help children born with Down syndrome grow and develop. His idea is that the sooner children walk and explore their environment the better it is for their development as a whole. I have heard frequently; “Once my child started walking their speech improved significantly.” I am not trying to rush Noah, I know he will walk when… -
Noah Gets His First Flu Shot…and 3 Reasons Why Everyone Should Get Theirs
23 Jan 2012 | 4:46 pmToday Noah got to visit his pediatrician, whom we love. She’s so encouraging. She gets excited when she sees Noah and shows him off. She also takes time to listen to us, because even though I too am a pediatrician, I still have questions. There are no words to express how much we appreciate her and what she does for our son. The Flu Shot: Separating Fact From Fiction Pretty sure Noah's daddy is a bigger baby when it comes to flu shots. Noah received his first flu shot today. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard that the flu shot gives you the flu. I thought I would give… -
This Kid Is Flying High…And I Couldn’t Be More Proud!
22 Jan 2012 | 4:16 pmThis little boy is seriously flying high; and I’m so excited about the plans God has in story for this little guy. I can’t believe I get a front row seat to this story. I may come off as a cheesy dad sometimes (ok all the time)….but what can I say, this little boy brings out the cheese in me. I’ve now become that annoying dad who pulls his phone out at dinner and shows you pictures and video while you’re trying to enjoy your yummy P.F. Changs! I can’t believe it. But I totally am. What can I say…I’m one proud (and cheesy) dad. And… -
9 Months Old And He’s Already Rocking The iPhone
21 Jan 2012 | 9:53 amNoah’s at that age where he wants to put anything and everything in this mouth….especially things that are bright and shiny….like my iPhone! The problem with that is, even though the iPhone is very strong, it’s not baby proof. In fact I’m pretty sure if you were to look at my iPhone closely you’d find some little baby Noah teeth marks on it. That’s why I’m glad to have come across the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Apptivity iPhone Case. It’s seriously great, and completely encloses and protects your iPhone / iPod touch so that…
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Down Wit Dat
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Down, But Not Out
26 Jan 2012 | 9:15 pmAs I was pulling on my "Mom uniform" this morning (yoga pants, random oil stained T-Shirt, slightly too-tight hoodie, raggedy pony tail), two things occurred to me. The first thought involved cursing with the realization that I was going to need socks (AKA Satan's footwear) for my eventual run to Costco. This irritates me every time as I abhore socks and rarely wear them. Even in January. In Canada.The second thought involved a bunch of new information about the twins, especially Wyatt. Miracle upon miracles, the socks came easy, the Costco run (and most of the… -
Seeing Double
22 Jan 2012 | 9:20 pmSnoozing in a sunbeamHaving twins brings on a unique set of circumstances. You sleep less, you multitask more. You learn who your friends are and how much stuff can actually fit into your house. You rival any Time Lord with the ability to manipulate time and space. You learn very quickly that if it isn't crying, threatening collapse, bleeding profusely or actually on fire, it can wait.You also learn that these separate-yet-together little people are giving you a myriad of little experiences that you will never see or fully appreciate otherwise. The… -
There Be Monsters
17 Jan 2012 | 3:59 pmThrough the 11 months (!) that my twins have been on this earth, I have been exposed to many things and many new concepts. Along with my "twin mom" hat came a "special needs mom" hat and there have had to be some accompanying adjustments. It's the second hat, my "special needs" one that has forced me to consider quite a few things that, in my own ignorance, did not even occur to me. It never even crossed my mind that in this day and age, there would be people that did not even know what Down Syndrome was; however, I have found myself explaining it numerous times over the… -
Therapy Thursday: Workin' It!
12 Jan 2012 | 9:00 amIt's been a while since I gave a proper update on Wyatt's progress. That's not due to anything other than time, or rather, my profound lack of it. Then there were things like holidays and anniversaries to consider... and, well, I fell into that trap of thinking that there wasn't much to report over all. However, since the end of November, our little guy has made some strides.Wyatt is still working on rolling both ways and "pushing up" on his hands. Like his siblings, he seems to be more intent on discovering his verbal prowess, so it has been a bit of a frustrating… -
What a Year a Difference Makes
6 Jan 2012 | 10:16 pmOne year ago today I was sitting in a neonatal cardiologist's office watching fish.There were a variety of goldfish and a large sucker fish who was avidly doing its thing as it hung on the side of the glass. It sat there, mesmerizing me and munching on microscopic algae as its tail waved in the current. The hum of the filter provided balm to my already fraying nerves; my aunt had passed away a few days before and I had just heard that a dear colleague had been almost killed in a car accident. My belly had grown to enormous proportions and I could barely walk, stand or…
