"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance.
The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break."
- Chinese proverb - - We are a family. Our faces are different as are our races. In the end, what really matters is our love for one another. We are blessed beyond measure.
Enjoy as we share pieces of our life with you.
It's the South. It's almost 70 degrees. You have to go to the park!!! Randy and Judson were busy with scouts but THANKFULLY Anna and Tia came. They helped me wrangle my brood.
Today was skating day in Sawyer's adaptive PE class. Each parent sent a can of shaving cream (preferably unscented) and an extra set of clothes. They put all the shaving cream on a tarp and let the kids skate and learn different moves. From the 'smell' of Sawyer and his first set of clothes, many of the parents had the same problem I had. They apparently do not make unscented shaving cream.
Now in theory, he should not have had to change clothes. I sent him in sweats with elastic bottoms so that they could push them up. But really, where's the fun in that?
The bus driver told me Sawyer was covered from head to toe with shaving cream. (I'm sure the teachers told her to tell me) I asked: "Sawyer, what happened?" His reply, "I fell down". I asked, "Did you have fun?". His reply: "Yep".
That's all I know. He's a man of few words because 'what happens in school, stays at school'.
Our Tamirat (on the left) celebrating the Ephiphany.
(A Christian feast celebrating the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi.)
He has not stopped talking about this. He had the best time both spiritually and socially. It is one of their biggest celebrations of the year. The high point being 3 days of singing praises. Not just a few songs. Many MANY hours of singing.
Hmmmmm. Contemplation. Yep. He's definitely thinking something. Not sure what. He's working out something in his head. While he's working it out, I've got my eye on him. He doesn't know I'm watching because I'm across the fire station. BUT. I'm watching. Anybody that knows him, KNOWS you better watch him when this look comes across his face.
"Anybody Up There?". Suddenly, it all became clear. He was NOT devising a plan to bring the fire station down. Nor was he going to try to swing on water-filler thingy. He was just going to use it as a communication devise. That's when I let out a sigh of relief.
Then it became an item of curiosity for many kids. (You can see Sawyer is leaving. His work is done.) Now either these kids are saying "Hey, look. That's cool!" Or being as they are all siblings of kids with Down Syndrome, they are saying "Hey, the kid with DS didn't get in trouble. Let's go check it out." Let's face it. That's what Sawyer's siblings do. They put Sawyer up to it (or watch carefully to see if he's doing it) because then they do it and if they get in trouble they can always say "Sawyer did it first!".
Can't keep us down. After 5 days of incarceration, we executed our escape.
At 4:30 (in the a.m.) this morning I got up and Wearily happily got Judson dressed. He and Randy headed out of town to have a scouting adventure on the USS Yorktown.
The other 3 did not get up until 7:30! (Of course, I couldn't fall back asleep between 5 and 7:30 so didn't matter) Fed them the breakfast of champions! (Cinnamon rolls and juice) We then headed to the fire department with our local Down Syndrome group. Let me interject right here, I totally understand why school was called off. There were places where the ice was 2+ inches thick. There were side streets where neighbors were gathering and trying to dig out. For the most part, the main roads were clear and we had minimal problems getting to the fire station. I will say Sawyer had EVERYONE laughing. The kid has a talent for meeting people. (He takes after his Dad) He'd go up to anyone (and everyone) and ask "What's your name?" He especially loved the little kids. He'd go up and try to hold them (much to their parents dismay). He'd say something like " Hi baby, nice to meet you" You can't help but smile when he is around.
Ansley and Turner were much more subdued but were very good at listening and doing what I asked. That made for a nice visit to the Fire Station. Turner was not very Turner-ish. He was not talking (I Know, SHOCKING). He would NOT get in the fire truck. Would not touch the lady in the fire suit. She was scary looking but I was so glad they had someone dress in the suit (complete with mask and oxygen tank). The thing you don't want is for kids to go hide when they see that suit. Of course a funny thing is, when we got back into the car Turner says "I want to be a fireman one day".
(Okay, he went up to her and hugged her and said "KISS" and then kissed her mask)
I think this is what they use to fill the trucks up with water. Sawyer yelled into it "Hello, is anybody in there?"
After our trip to the fire station, we had lunch at a local pub. Yes, I took 3 kids by myself out to eat at a sit down, waitress come take your order restaurant. The waitress handed me the beer menu and said, "We bring this to all our customers but I'm guessing you're not ordering". Give that lady a prize! The kids each got a kid meal complete with drinks. Yep, you guessed it. I now have enough food for dinner. If only I can get them to eat it.
The temperature is up to 46 today so hopefully the rest of this stuff will melt today and tomorrow and life as we know it in the warm and sunny south can continue.
Ansley: Mom, I don't know what to do with your hair. Mom: It's curly. Not much you can do with it. Ansley: I know. When you were little, it was nice and straight. What happened?
Ansley: How old were you when you got glasses? Mom: I think I was in high school. Ansley: Oh, so you were about 7? Mom: No, probably closer to 15. Ansley: WOW...you were old. You were practically an adult.
Don't make Ansley angry. Apparently, Turner did. So, while he was hiding under the bed she placed a big underbed storage bin in front of him and would not let him out.
Mom: Ansley, why did you trap Turner under the bed? Ansley: WELL, HE MADE ME MAD FIRST!!!!!
Some things make you smile. Some just make you shake your head in disbelief.
I'm pretty sure the main streets are passable but the side streets continue to be icy. Judson just asked if we could go out to eat today. Ummmm.......no. However, I will HAVE to venture out tomorrow as we will be out of chocolate milk. One does NOT tell Sawyer we are out of chocolate milk and live to tell about it.
Today, I pulled out a project for Sawyer to work on. Santa brought him a bank to build. So, I threw caution to the wind and gave the boy a hammer while I held the pieces in place. To his credit, I still have all my fingers and no bruises. This is what he built.Now, I'm sure many of you moms see the benefit of this beyond just your ordinary piggy bank. You see something that helps him work on fine motor skills (by placing the coins in the slots) AND it also helps him with coin recognition(penny, nickel, dime, quarter) AND the front panel keeps up with the total money in each slot(addition)! Isn't this the coolest thing ever? The other kids want one too. Hoping Lowe's still has a few left.
Judson: Mom, I am writing a sentence about Sawyer using adjectives. Me: That's good. Judson: I have 2: brave and strong. Me: That's great. Those are very appropriate for Sawyer.
Judson: I need 1 more. I'm supposed to use 3. Me: How 'bout "tenacious"?
Judson: I've got it! Pugnacious! He loves to fight. Me: There you have it.
(Yes, I looked it up and pugnacious does fit Sawyer's nature)
You know how you plan each room and as money and time and inspiration come along, you start decorating it? I had plans for my living room. You know that formal place as you enter the front door? The one where all visitors enter? It was going to have a nice sofa and be all casual yet nice. That's not how the vision turned out. It just isn't that time in our lives. We are at that 'functional' time when you have to use every space for real life. So that room now contains a china cabinet, my grandfather's old desk, a computer center, a piano, and this..... A lab for The Doctor. Room for him to experiment and create. And you know what...it makes him happy. It makes me happy too because now his 'stuff' is not on my dining table 24/7. Don't get me wrong, there is still an occasional spare part left on the dining table but the vast majority lives here. The funny thing is NOW everyone else wants their own table.
Way over due.... Today I took Ansley and Judson to see their first movie in a real theater. I think they enjoyed it. And with only 2 bathroom breaks (1 for each child at different times) during the movie, I don't think I missed too much.
Our Tamirat (on the left) celebrating the Ephiphany.
Hmmmmm. Contemplation. Yep. He's definitely thinking something. Not sure what. He's working out something in his head. While he's working it out, I've got my eye on him. He doesn't know I'm watching because I'm across the fire station. BUT. I'm watching. Anybody that knows him, KNOWS you better watch him when this look comes across his face.
"Anybody Up There?". Suddenly, it all became clear. He was NOT devising a plan to bring the fire station down. Nor was he going to try to swing on water-filler thingy. He was just going to use it as a communication devise. That's when I let out a sigh of relief.
Then it became an item of curiosity for many kids. (You can see Sawyer is leaving. His work is done.) Now either these kids are saying "Hey, look. That's cool!" Or being as they are all siblings of kids with Down Syndrome, they are saying "Hey, the kid with DS didn't get in trouble. Let's go check it out." Let's face it. That's what Sawyer's siblings do. They put Sawyer up to it (or watch carefully to see if he's doing it) because then they do it and if they get in trouble they can always say "Sawyer did it first!".
The USS Yorktown. Commissioned in April 1943. Decommissioned 1970.
The The New Ravenel Bridge. The bridge has a main span of 1,546 feet (471 m), the longest among cable-stayed bridges in the Western Hemisphere.
The Adventurers!
(Okay, he went up to her and hugged her and said "KISS" and then kissed her mask)
I think this is what they use to fill the trucks up with water. Sawyer yelled into it "Hello, is anybody in there?"
Today, I pulled out a project for Sawyer to work on. Santa brought him a bank to build. So, I threw caution to the wind and gave the boy a hammer while I held the pieces in place. To his credit, I still have all my fingers and no bruises. This is what he built.
Now, I'm sure many of you moms see the benefit of this beyond just your ordinary piggy bank. You see something that helps him work on fine motor skills (by placing the coins in the slots) AND it also helps him with coin recognition(penny, nickel, dime, quarter) AND the front panel keeps up with the total money in each slot(addition)! Isn't this the coolest thing ever? The other kids want one too. Hoping Lowe's still has a few left.
The Gang
A lab for The Doctor. Room for him to experiment and create. And you know what...it makes him happy. It makes me happy too because now his 'stuff' is not on my dining table 24/7. Don't get me wrong, there is still an occasional spare part left on the dining table but the vast majority lives here. The funny thing is NOW everyone else wants their own table. 
And with only 2 bathroom breaks (1 for each child at different times) during the movie, I don't think I missed too much.
