Too Funny

We had our friends Evie and Doug over for lunch today. So good to visit and catch up with the haps in their lives. So, I made this bean dip to eat with lunch. Nothing special, just 'okay'. Sawyer and Turner DEMANDED that I give them some right after I made it. They didn't want it with chips, just wanted to eat it with a spoon. Sawyer went on and on about it being 'licious'. SO much so, that Ansley and Judson decided they'd try it. So, I gave them a microscopic bite. They both gagged it up. It was hilarious. T and S ate seconds. A and J will never understand why.

Poor kids. Don't have any furniture to sit on. They have to sit on cases of cokes.

Meet Connor Gifford The Author

From his BIO: CONNOR GIFFORD lives a full life in Nantucket where he works and volunteers for many organizations. He is a Board member of STAR, an innovative provider of services to children with special needs. He loves going to films and the theatre, collecting videos, and reading history. Right now,I am living on the island of Nantucket. My parents are Julie and Chuck Gifford. I have two brothers: Cameron who is 23 and Hunter who is 22. I am 26, the oldest, and I love my life!

During my growing up years, we lived in Perrysburg, Ohio where I graduated from high school in 2002. Some subjects I did poorly in, like math and science. But, I succeeded in English, and my favorite of all, history.

He has written a book: America according to Connor Gifford

Go read his blog here. Go see pictures of him here. Make sure you click on the "Excerpts" button and read from the book. Extremely interesting.

'Splain Me This

Why is it, my daughter chooses THIS 3-piece fleece ensemble to wear on this 85 degree day.

Yet tonight, she chooses to sleep in this when she doesn't sleep with any covers.

Wordless Wednesday

How Can I Help?

This time of year, many people start looking for ways to help those who need it. This year, especially, there will be no shortage of areas to help. SO, I thought I'd mention a couple here. First, is the Reece's Rainbow Angel Project. It will kick off in November. You will have the opportunity to sponsor a child for adoption. It's a worthy cause so keep it in the back of your mind. You can find out more, starting in November by going to www.reecesrainbow.com.

Another worthy cause has an immediate need. You may or may not have heard about Tom Davis and his Red Letter Campaign. It's a pretty awesome initiative. Even if you are not 'religious' per se, you cannot deny his life is a testament to his faith. The specific cause I am referring to is to sponsor an orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He is looking for a church or even a civic organization (or maybe several) that will step up and sponsor the Kechene orphanage in Addis Ababa. I know of one little girl who has been adopted from that orphanage. Oh my, what a sprite she is. Full of life and love and happy and smart, a true blessing to her family. The reality is, that most of the kids in this orphanage will not be adopted. In fact, Tom Davis is directly addressing the kids who will not be adopted, which is the majority of kids in this orphanage or any orphanage. There is nothing wrong with these kids. They've been dealt a lousy hand but they've done nothing wrong. The harsh reality of adoption is, once you are over the age of 2, you're not likely to be adopted. If you get on most any adoption group, you'll find the vast majority of people adopting are looking for Infant Girls. (as young as possible and as healthy as possible)

So I hope you will look at his blog HERE. You can click on his Red Letter Button and see more in depth information. Read about his hopes and dreams for this particular orphanage. Maybe you know of a group that would be willing to help. Maybe you can just say a silent prayer for the kids who live there. In any case, maybe you'll learn a little more about the lives of these kids.

AND IF YOU WANT PICS OF MY KIDS, scroll down. I've been trying to post daily about Down Syndrome as part of the Down Syndrome Awareness month of October. So there are more posts than normal.

I Have Become My Grandmother

Remember as kids, you would laugh at your grandmother for not being able to call the correct name of the person to whom she was speaking. We laughed at my grandmother many times for wanting to talk/yell at one of us but she went through many names (cousins,kids,aunts,uncles,etc) before she'd get to our name.

Well, I am that person. I didn't do it frequently with 3 children. Now, with 4, I do it ALL OF THE TIME. I call through all the kids names, even the cat or dogs names sometimes. Then finally, I either give up or say something like "Child of Mine" stop doing this or go do that.

Is it senility? My grandmother died at the age of 95. Her mind was quite sharp for her age. Plus, she was doing it way before she was 95.

I even did it to my friend's child. They came to visit and I was going to thank the child for coming over. Couldn't remember her name. Went through all the names in my head...alas, it would not come to mind.

You have to laugh but it does get frustrating at times. I guess I'll start a new rule. If I'm looking at you, you better do what I say because likely, it's you to whom I'm speaking.

Just wait til Christmas. Oh my, the cousins' names I'll have to go through just to get to the right child.

A few pictures of the kids. I'd label them but for the life of me, I cannot remember their names.

What happens when you come home from a long day at school.


Happy Kids!


A boy who is secure in his masculinity.


What's up with those goofy smiles?

Melissa Riggio

As published on the National Geographic Site.

When I first started to work on this story, I thought maybe I shouldn’t do it. I thought you might see that I have Down syndrome, and that you wouldn’t like me.

My mom thinks that’s silly. “Have you ever met anyone who didn’t like you because you have Down syndrome?” she asks me. She’s right, of course. (She usually is!)

When people ask me what Down syndrome is, I tell them it’s an extra chromosome. A doctor would tell you the extra chromosome causes an intellectual disability that makes it harder for me to learn things. (For instance, some of my classes are in a “resource room,” where kids with many kinds of learning disabilities are taught at a different pace.)

When my mom first told me I had Down syndrome, I worried that people might think I wasn’t as smart as they were, or that I talked or looked different.

I just want to be like everyone else, so sometimes I wish I could give back the extra chromosome. But having Down syndrome is what makes me “me.” And I’m proud of who I am. I’m a hard worker, a good person, and I care about my friends.

A Lot Like You

Even though I have Down syndrome, my life is a lot like yours. I read books and watch TV. I listen to music with my friends. I’m on the swim team and in chorus at school. I think about the future, like who I’ll marry. And I get along with my sisters—except when they take my CDs without asking!

Some of my classes are with typical kids, and some are with kids with learning disabilities. I have an aide who goes with me to my harder classes, like math and biology. She helps me take notes and gives me tips on how I should study for tests. It really helps, but I also challenge myself to do well. For instance, my goal was to be in a typical English class by 12th grade. That’s exactly what happened this year!

But sometimes it’s hard being with typical kids. For instance, I don’t drive, but a lot of kids in my school do. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to, and that’s hard to accept.

Dream Job: Singer

I try not to let things like that upset me and just think of all the good things in my life. Like that I’ve published two songs. One of my favorite things to do is write poetry, and this singer my dad knows recorded some of my poems as singles.

Right now someone else is singing my songs, but someday, I want to be the one singing. I know it’s going to happen, because I’ve seen it. One day I looked in the mirror, and I saw someone in my head, a famous person or someone who was somebody, and I just knew: I will be a singer.

It’s true that I don’t learn some things as fast as other people. But that won’t stop me from trying. I just know that if I work really hard and be myself, I can do almost anything.

See Me

But I still have to remind myself all the time that it really is OK to just be myself. Sometimes all I see—all I think other people see—is the outside of me, not the inside. And I really want people to go in there and see what I’m all about.

Maybe that’s why I write poetry—so people can find out who I really am. My poems are all about my feelings: when I hope, when I hurt. I’m not sure where the ideas come from—I just look them up in my head. It’s like I have this gut feeling that comes out of me and onto the paper.

I can’t change that I have Down syndrome, but one thing I would change is how people think of me. I’d tell them: Judge me as a whole person, not just the person you see. Treat me with respect, and accept me for who I am. Most important, just be my friend.

After all, I would do the same for you.

Adoption Update

We're coming up on 2 months since we took placement of Turner. We're getting ready to schedule our 3 month post-placement report and I just thought I'd give you some idea of how things are going.

We cannot be more pleased and pleasantly surprised. The comparison between Ansley's adoption and Turner's adoption are like night and day. To say the honeymoon is still going is an understatement. It fills very natural and really no stress. I have to say, the stress level 2 months after bringing Ansley home was very high. Are we seasoned veterans? Nah. Just differences in personalities and experiences, I'd say. Ansley tends to be moody. Turner is just a happy-go-lucky kind of guy.

The kids are doing great together. Lots of sibling rivalry as well as camaraderie. Turner just jumps right in and joins the fun. He annoys his older siblings every chance he gets.

His English is great for the amount of time he's been here. He has too many words to mention. He also uses signs and has quite a few signs. He goes around singing "where is thumbkin" and "I love you, You Love Me". He loves music. He loves Sawyer. He loves food. (Not necessarily in that order)

Health-wise, not much going on. We've still not discovered the origin of his poopy distress. It does seem to be slowly getting better.

Are we tired? YES. We were tired with #1. We were tired with #2. We were tired with #3. So, YES, we are tired with #4. Are we happy? YES Ditto w/#1,2,3, and 4. Would we recommend adoption? YES Would we recommend adoption from Ethiopia? YES Would we do it again? In theory, YES. The reality is, 4 kids is a lot-finacially, physically, emotionally, timewise, you name it. We won't shut the door to #5 but I can say it's not on the horizon. Check back in 2 years. We seem to get the 'we need another child' bug every 2 years. If we make it past 2010 without another child, I'd say we're set.

Jacob Halpin

From his website:

Jacob may be the only high school varsity athlete with Down syndrome to have earned All-State honors. In Alabama all 402 high schools are included in one classification to compete for the State Swimming and Diving Championship. Jacob was the first handicapped swimmer to qualify for the championship finals at the 1999-2000 state meet. Personal best finishes at a state meet for Jacob are - 7th as a member of the 400 yard freestyle relay team, 26th in the 500 yard freestyle and 30th in the 100 yard butterfly.

In 2003 Jacob was a co-captain on the Gulf Shores High School swim team and received the Alabama High School Sports Magazine's Humanitarian Award.

Jacob F. Halpin, Class of 2003
Gulf Shores High School, Gulf Shores, Alabama

High School Swimming:
4 high school varsity letters in swimming
All-State honors
All-County honors
Featured in Alabama High School Sports Magazine (AHSSM)
Received AHSSM Humanitarian Award
Co-Captain GSHS Swim Team in senior year
Participated in 4 High School State Championship Swim Meets
State Meet personal best finishes (402 school classification)
400 yd. freestyle relay - 7th
100 yd. butterfly - 30th
500 yd. freestyle - 26th

Selected for inclusion in:
24th Annual Edition of Who's Who in High School Sports
25th Annual Edition of Who's Who in High School Sports
2003 Who's Who Among American High School Students

USS Swimming:
1,650 yd. Freestyle - 2nd at 2002 USS Southeastern Regional, District South

State Games of Alabama (State Games of America):
100 yd. Butterfly - Alabama State Silver Medalist

Special Olympics Alabama State Swim Meet:
2002 - 3 Gold Medals
2003 - 3 Gold Medals
Instrumental in founding Snook Family YMCA Special Olympics Swim Team

Attended Auburn Tiger Swim Camp at Auburn University - 3 years
City of Gulf Shores USS swim team assistant coach

Down Syndrome International Swimming Organization (DSISO):
First swimmer from United States to hold DSISO world records
2005 1,500 meter freestyle world record
2005 800 meter freestyle world record

PRETTY IMPRESSIVE STATS!

John Mark Stallings

Excerpts from this article.

You can go to the finest schools and get any advanced degree they offer. Or you can read all of the business and self-improvement books you want. But for a Ph.D in true wisdom, take a look at the life of Johnny Stallings.

You may have never heard of Johnny. He had Down Syndrome. When he was born, 46 years ago in Alabama, the doctors said he wouldn’t live even a year or two because of a severe heart defect. Other well-meaning doctors advised his parents to put him in an institution. “In a year,” they said, “you’ll forget you ever had him.”

But fortunately for all of us, Gene and Ruth Ann Stallings didn’t take their advice. They chose to treat Johnny as a vital part of their family.

....

But perhaps the most important thing that Johnny Stallings accomplished is this: he taught us that it doesn’t matter what awards you win, or what worldly accomplishments you achieve, it is how you live your life that matters most.

....

Gene Stallings, a star football player, champion ship coach and tough enough to be one of Bear Bryant’s legendary Junction Boys, probably used to dream of a son who would be an impact player, who would change the world, make a difference and someday maybe — just maybe — wear a National Championship ring.

“I prayed to God that He would change Johnny, but He changed me,” Coach Stallings once said in a speech. He added that if God offered him the choice of going back and having a “perfect” son without a disability or having Johnny, “I’d take Johnny every time.”

Read the whole article HERE.

Bernadette Resha

From her bio:

Born in Nashville TN with Down Syndrome, Bernadette has become well known in the art community worldwide.

Her exposure to the art world and culture started as a child attending as many art galleries, museums, concert halls and plays as her time would allow.
From an early age she was encouraged to draw and color in her own style as a form of expression and therapy. This has resulted in a body of work which documents an artist developing a unique style entirely her own.
With an artist grandmother and a mother fully committed to allowing her to use this medium of self expression for as far as she would care to take it, Bernadette now exhibits in numerous art galleries, art and craft shows throughout south east and attends many conventions throughout the United States showing and selling her work.

Check out her work HERE. Check out her wedding photos HERE.

Notice a similarity amongst all the folks I'm telling you about. (Besides Down Syndrome) Notice the artistic talent and creative outlets they were given as children.

Michael Johnson-Famous Artist

From Michael's Website, here: Michael Jurogue Johnson loves to paint every day. He uses watercolors, acrylics, and oil paints in a cheerful, naive style. His subjects are often flowers painted with bright colors and playful animals with expressive faces. Even Michael's night scenes are filled with energy, light and color. Michael has been painting fulltime for nine years. This gifted artist was born with Down syndrome, but he was also born with an inherited artistic talent. His family tree is filled with artists, engineers, and classical musicians.

Check out Michael's art work on his website:
http://users.psln.com/sharing/Michael/mainMichael.html

They are very interesting and many are for sale!

Buddy Walk 2008

The Buddy Walk is history. We all had a great time. We want to thank everyone who donated in Sawyer's name. We really appreciate it. Here are some pictures from the day. (Just a side note. Remember the 'worst haircut' I got right before Randy came home? I finally went and had all my hair cut off and am starting all over. It was that bad!) The only complaint I heard all day was while we were actually doing the walk, Miss Scarlett could be heard saying things like: "Get that sun out of my eyes", "I can't walk anymore, I'm tired", and "I'm hot". To which I (being the ever so sympathetic mom that I am) said: "Okay, sit here, we'll come get you in a little while". Consequently, she went to walk by Daddy. He's much more sympathetic than I.

Remember to click on the pics to enlarge them.

We jumped on the jumpy things!


We hula-hooped!


We rode the train!



We chilled (because this orphanage was bigger and louder than what we were used to, so we just watched from the sidelines this time)


A great time was had by all!!!!

Bit on Ethiopia

If you have a moment, take a look at this video. The man in the video, Belay, is one of the in-country staff with Gladney, the agency we used. Belay is an interesting man with an interesting history. The video is only about 5 minutes long but it gives an overview of the work Gladney is doing in Ethiopia.

Sujeet Desai

From his Website here: Hi, My name is Sujeet Desai. Suj is my nickname. I am 26 years old. On June 22, 2001 I graduated from Fayetteville-Manlius High school in Syracuse, New York with (4.3 GPA) honor roll. In May 2003 I graduated from the Berkshire Hills Music Academy in South Hadley, Massachusetts after two-year residential Post-secondary study in Music and Human services. After returning from the academy I moved to Rome, NY to start a job as a musician . In july 2006 I got married to Carrie Bergeron. Now we both live in an appartment in Rome, NY and enjoy our independent life together
Oh! I forgot to tell you that I was born with Down syndrome!

Be sure to read his brothers essay by clicking HERE.

Win A laptop

Just check out this blog and see.

Jane Cameron

As copied from her biography Here: Born in High River, Alberta, in 1949, Jane Cameron had an exemplary life. She travelled the globe, met dignitaries and stars, filled her room with medals and trophies commemorating her feats, and earned the esteem of countless individuals who praise her art and her grace.

When she was diagnosed with Down syndrome at four months old, Jane's parents were told their daughter was "retarded" and that they should: "Put her in an institution and forget about her." They were shocked and, despite knowing little to nothing about Down syndrome they decided that what their child needed was as much love, care and education as they could possibly give her.

Her biography goes on to tell about her enrolling in a school in Massachusetts. It tells of her artistic ability and her designing tapestries that now hang all over the world. It tells of her winning swimming medals in international Special Olympics competition. It shows many of her art pieces. So click on the word Here highlighted at the top and read more about her. She's an interesting and talented person who happens to have 47 chromosomes.

Down Syndrome Awareness

October is Down Syndrome Awareness month. So I thought I'd post about famous people with Down Syndrome. People who are doing 'everyday' things and making headlines. People who happen to have 47 chromosomes.

Ever heard of Chris Burke? Sure you have. He played the brother in the TV series "Life Goes On" many years ago. He also is part of a musical group. He and brothers Joe and John deMasi have a folksy kind of sound. They played last year at our Buddy Walk. One thing I remember from them is they told a story of Chris' parents. At the time Chris was school age, the school system where he was would not allow him to attend. His parents had to put him in a private school. Another story, several people with the show "Life Goes On" were hesitant to hire him. They feared he'd slow production down from sickness or not knowing his lines, etc. Chris was the only actor who showed up EVERY day and always knew his lines. Never called in sick. Did NOT slow down production. You can see more of his story here.

More later.....

Tom Sawyer (2nd post today)

So my husband (aka Tom Sawyer, the one on the ground) asked a buddy from work to help him cut down some limbs from our neighbor's tree. The limbs were encroaching on our power lines. Note: This buddy, within the last year, had a heart attack and a stent. I did hear Randy ask many times for the two to swap places. Not sure how sincere he sounded but he asked. To which his buddy commented: You've got dependents. Let me just say, Randy owes this man big time. Here's a few ootie pictures of our 'dependents'.


Note about the last picture. Turner has decided that Sawyer is his best friend. Sawyer is a lone wolf of sorts. He's quite content to be 'alone', so it bothers him sometimes to have a pesky little brother around. The funny thing is the two are very much alike. They both have a great sense of comedy. (Ansley and Judson are silly but T and S are really comics) They both have a 'happy' personality. Just happy all of the time. Both are very much people persons. They love the interact with people. Both are so easy to love and be around, everyone falls for them when they meet them.

Tell Me About It

So, this morning I went for my annual run to the liquor store for some cooking whiskey. Seriously, I needed some for a recipe that I wanted to make. Now, I may live in the South and I may have some 'country' (but not red neck) tendencies. BUT I do NOT carry my kids into liquor stores. Thus, I left 4 kids with Randy and took off for 30 minutes of silence. (I mean I ran my errand)

I call from the store asking Randy if he'd like me to pick up a bottle of wine or something, since I don't frequent that store very often I figure it's a good opportunity. About the time I ask, several kids start screaming in the back ground. His response (in much the same tone as the night of the spiders) was, "I don't know, I have four kids to look after".

I wouldn't know anything about that.....

Mom Plus Four At The Store

So, tonight we are 'hoping' to go to Bingo Night at Sawyer's school. Since this is also my scheduled grocery night, I made an executive decision. I took the kids (All 4) to the grocery with me. You've already seen the shopping cart of choice at my particular store. So three rode while one walked. One of the three was NOT a happy camper. She thinks she is as big as Judson and should be allowed all privileges granted to her big brother. (Let me just state, had I an option to put all four in a cart with a belt on, I would have used that option. I was constantly telling Judson to stop touching the food/produce since other folks didn't want his germs on their food.)

Mom, being the 'bad mom' that she is, FORGOT to give the kids their mid-morning snack before leaving the house. SO, being the 'bad shopper' that I am, I grabbed a bag of rice cakes and opened them up in the store. Three of the four loved them. Sawyer, threw his on the floor. A mini-meltdown was averted!

Gotta say, you get sympathy from the baggers when you carry multiple kids to the grocery with you. They never carry my groceries to the car when it's just Judson and I. Add one more kid, and I get the royal treatment. Add 3 more, and they are eager to get you out of the store and jump at the chance to take the groceries out. The teenish guy that carried our groceries out loaded the groceries and held Turner while I strapped Sawyer in the car. (Scared I might leave him??) He said something like, "Parenting isn't a game" TO which I replied, "It aint for sissies".

So I live to tell the tale of going to the grocery with 4 children. It was pleasant for the most part and all survived. Sawyer and Turner had a great time greeting everyone they saw. We all got a laugh out of watching Turner towards the end of our trip. He was knodding off while sitting on his perch. He looked like the perverbial old man at church...sitting straight up but knodding his head back and forth. I was sure he'd conk his head on the buggy but never did. Will I do it again? Ummmm....let's hope that dad will be able to watch the majority of the pack next time.

My Thoughts Exactly

This person puts it better than I could. (Click on the link and you can read her thoughts) It's the internal struggle you have when you adopt. It's a paradox of sorts. You are so happy with this child and feel so blessed. Yet, in the back of your mind there is this ghost or maybe a family of ghosts. People who gave up a piece of themselves. They didn't do it because they were callous or shallow. They didn't do it because they were bad people. They did it so their child would have a chance. A chance to survive....

I'm not trying to be depressing but trying to shed light on this subject that is a huge part of my life. People sometimes have a misconception of what people are like. People have said to me a million times, how lucky Ansley and Turner are to have been adopted by our family. The truth is, the exact opposite it true. They are the ones who gave up everything. They are the ones who lost the lives to which they were born. They are the ones who have to adjust. We are the lucky ones. Randy and I are. We are the ones whose lives are enriched by these beautiful children. Hopefully, in the end, we will have enriched their lives too. We are the ones who got a peak into cultures that we might have only read about. Now we get to live them to an extent. We are the ones who are forever tied and indebted to a community of people half way across the globe. We are the ones who are now tied to a bigger community right in our own backyard. A community that might have gone unnoticed had we not adopted. I have had people who said, "Your children should be very grateful to you for having 'rescued' them". It is we who are grateful. They owe us nothing. We are grateful to a family who made a plan, a plan for their child(ren). We are grateful that those children are now 'our' children. Grateful for our family!

Someone Asked One Time

Do you find that your family is a recipient of negative comments and attitudes around your community?

I have to say NO. Of course, you come across an occasional jerk who is ill-informed or just plain stupid or mean. It would happen if I had a homogeneous family, I'm sure.

The reality is I really never pay much attention to people and their reaction to my family. (I expect there is quite the reaction if I tuned in) I only am aware of my surroundings as they pertain to my family's safety. (when I'm out with 4 kids, 3 in car seats by myself, it's paramount) Sometimes someone will catch me off guard with a comment but usually that is when I'm amongst 'friends' so if someone says something, it really takes me aback. Upon occasion I make it a point to see what people's reaction is. I did this on Monday.

I had dropped Sawyer off at school, so I was a 'free woman' with only 3 kids. Judson had a doctor's appointment but we were early, so I headed to the BK Lounge (otherwise known as Burger King) for some cini-minis! As I was getting everyone situated a man came in. I have to say this man scared me. He just didn't appear quite 'right'. (Years of being single, I make snap judgments sometimes assessing the safety issue) He wouldn't make eye contact. Turner said HI about ten times and the man never made eye contact. Is the man a raciest? I wouldn't say so based on that one interaction. I doubt he would have made eye contact had any of my other kids or I said HI.

Then as I was walking out the door with Turner in my arms and holding the others' hands, a black man stopped me and asked if Turner was black. A bit confused, I said "he's from Ethiopia" He said, "Then he's black". (Whew, glad I got that cleared up) He went on to say, he and his wife had been having a discussion about how 'white folks just don't adopt black kids'. I nicely said that many white people I know were adopting children of color. (internationally and domestically) He said, "Well, I think you are doing a wonderful thing, thank you".

From my Burger King excursion, I took away positive vibes.

Got to the doctor's office. We were the only ones in the well waiting room. I positioned myself in front of the door to prevent any escape. A family came in. They become concerned that Turner has been left (he was inside the toy box and hidden away) because his family is not in the room. I laughed and said, I'm his mom. They were in shock. They looked at Ansley and then the light came on, Ah adoption. So I explained the situation. (because really, I could talk about my kids and adoption all day long) We all laughed and I had another positive experience.

Do I think it will always be that way? That would be very naive, wouldn't it? Will I get tired of explaining my family? Maybe, haven't so far. I figure when my kids get tired of being the subject of the conversation ,then I'll have to find a new topic. Will I go around trying to pick a fight with everyone that looks my way or take offense? Nah, that would be too tiring. Will I 'fight' for my family when necessary? Of course.

Like I said, I rarely pay attention to other's reactions. Let's face it, I'm usually just trying to keep my herd together. I figure it takes a bold person to come up and say something negative to me or my child. If they are going to be that bold, then I don't have a problem being that bold (read: RUDE) back to them. I also don't go in assuming that their intention was to be rude. Maybe it is, maybe not. If I don't 'bite' then they can't win, can they?

That said, one reason we like living in a metropolitan area is for the diversity. Even with the diversity, we stand out. Then again, we meld in too. It's great.

So the answer is, NO, as a whole I don't perceive negative attitudes from people I come in contact with. I realize that my kids are 'cute' right now. When they are teenagers, I might feel differently. People might not be as accepting. Heck, I might be less accepting of them then too.

Guess What We Did Today?

Nope, didn't watch my team get clobbered in football. (I have a feeling, I'm going to have a LOT of free Saturdays this season) We've been saving this box forever for such an opportunity as this. Nice sunny, yet not HOT day. Old clothes and lots of energy. I REALLY don't like messy projects in the house but I LOVE any project that is done outside and they can get as dirty as they want.

Notice those nice, Picasso-esk strokes! He's still deciding between Left or Right hand.
Some got into the painting more than others

After the painting, the boys got haircuts, outside. (No clean up) Lesson learned....cheap hair clippers aren't the answer. We seem to be going through the more expensive ones every 4 sets of haircuts. So I tried the cheap ones. They weren't strong enough to cut through Judson's thick hair. They did good on Turner's hair though.

All In One

Lots happened today.

1) The Rules

The rules on gum. #1 No gum in Mommy's car. #2 Gum ALWAYS stays in your mouth

Someone forgot the rules:
Ansley started screaming at me while I was driving. "My hand is stuck to the window". I say, "What? take it off". To which she replies, "I can't, it's stuck" It was. Guess who may NEVER get gum again?

2) Score one for Mom

On the way home from picking Sawyer up from school, I swung by a Garage Sale. Low and behold, they had a girls bike (we were going to buy one for Ansley for her birthday) just the right size for a Gum Chewing Rule Breaker. It was like new.

3) So while Ansley was learning to ride, guess who went to the grocery? We've come a long way since my mom used to have to drag 4 of us with her to the grocery.

My Favorite Team

So, it's football time in the south. Let me introduce you to my favorite team, dressed in 'team colors' of Orange/White/Navy. (Not that nasty Florida blue)

Mr. Happy
Been with the team about 1 month. Great addition to our group. Happy, Go Lucky.
Loves everyone and is learning his role fast.
Loves to eat.
I expect him to grow into a offensive lineman
The Team Captains
Loving being the 'examples' (when they are not fighting amongst themselves)
Great kids most of the time.
The Cheerleader (also very HAPPY)
Always in the thick of things
Ready at a moments notice to take on whatever comes his way

I couldn't ask for a better team. How lucky am I!!!!

My Night (all that I remember)

At 9:45pm, I crawled in bed. I was feeling good to be in bed before 10. Ready for a decent night's sleep. At 12:30, Randy jumps out of bed screaming there are spiders in our bed. Not the way I want to be woken up, mind you. I'll admit, I'm not the nicest person when I'm woken like that. I tell him there are no spiders in the bed and to go back to sleep. (In my mind, I was as nice as I could possibly be under the circumstances. To hear him tell it, I was not so nice. Who are you going to believe, the man yelling spiders are in the bed or the sane person trying to get some sleep) He storms off to sleep on the couch. It's 12:30ish and I'm awake. Therefore, I have to go to the bathroom. I crawl back into bed after and tell the spiders they can stay if they are quiet because I need my sleep.

At 3:30ish, Judson came running into the bedroom. He's had a very bad dream about scary bones. (Can I say I hate Halloween and skeletons for this very reason) You might see the pattern here. Judson is wired just like Randy. Very vivid imagination! He cannot go back to sleep and he gets as close to me as he can get and he's still VERY scared. So he squirms and tosses and turns but does NOT sleep. Consequently, I do not sleep.

At around 4ish, Sawyer starts screaming for momma. He cannot breathe and a pullup change. So I change his pullup and put him into bed with Judson and I. At this point, the spiders get very huffy and decide to go sleep somewhere else. I try to close my eyes but I feel like I"m being watched. I open my eyes and 4 eyes are looking back at me, wide awake.

Not be be left out, Turner, who is sleeping in a pack-n-play at the end of my bed is a very loud sleeper. All the noise disturbs him so he starts whining/moaning/groaning.

Finally, at 6am I crawl out of bed and give up. Ansley comes out of her room and wonders why Judson isn't sleeping in his bed.

Interesting Article

By Melissa Fay Greene about Bullying.

http://wondertime.go.com/learning/article/bullyproof-your-child.html

Everybody experiences it.  Here's another approach to disable the bully.

A First

I've had gum cut out of my hair when I was a child. I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and woke up with gum in my hair. Today, I had gum cut out of my hair. Why? Because my son who had gum in his mouth came up behind me to hug me while I was changing Turner's diaper. His gum fell out of his mouth, into my hair. He grabbed it (Trying to remove it) and smooshed it into my hair. Randy had to cut the gum out of my hair. Talk about adding insult to injury. The day before Randy came home from Ethiopia, I rec'd the world's worst haircut. I've been trying to grow it out so I can get a new and improved haircut. Now, I'll be growing out a bald spot on the back of my head. Just gotta laugh, don't ya?

Happy Boy

This kid is just a happy kid. Plain and simple. He finds happiness in everything.


Watching TV with my brothers. I don't understand what is said but I laugh if everyone else is laughing.

Playing Tea Party with my sister.

Ready to Go, all color coordinated.

Big Weekend

Wow...we've been busy lately. Trip to the Botanical Garden (sans Sawyer who was at a special event at school), Judson's Birthday, Nana and Pop, and our neighbor's granddaughter came to visit. Plus, this afternoon, Dumplings start back up. go...go...go...

From L to R: Taiwan, Ethiopia, China, USA (Our version of the United Nations)

Pop and Nana

Pinata


At the children's garden

Happy Birthday, Little Man

My little man is growing up. He is growing into a wonderful person, too. Loving and caring. Sensitive and eager to please. Smart and loves to learn. Each day brings new amazement at his development. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, his most common answer is "I want the most eco-friendly job there is". He occasionally says he wants to be president or work with computers. Ultimately, he decides he won't have time for those jobs because he'll be too busy saving the earth. How can such a little man have such a big heart and carry so much weight on his shoulders? He truly gets very upset when he reads anything about animals becoming extinct or clear cutting the rain forests.

Even with so much 'worry', he's still a little boy. When asked what he wanted to be for Halloween this year, his thought was " Do you get more candy if you have a scary costume or a nice costume ". He still beats up his sister when she gets on his nerves. He still helps his baby brothers when they need his help. His favorite things to do: play Risk with Dad, Go on special outings with Mom(even if it's just to the grocery), play on his fort/swing set, go to Karate, play with his siblings, and play on the computer.

When told we might not could get everything he asked for his birthday, namely, a pinata, his response was, "That's ok. It wasn't a necessity, just something that would be fun" Guess what I did last nite? Drove across town for a pinata!

So, tomorrow we will make his favorite train cake and bust open his pinata and make his favorite dinner. I will kiss and hug on him and thank God for sending me such a wonderful little boy which is what I do every night.