Things That Make Me Smile

Judson's crystals.

(would have been better if I had focused the camera)

Ansley's collection but Judson's display

Just big, goofy, hairballs

Begging for a haircut.

A Lot To Think About

I have four very special and most wonderful children.  Each day they bless me with warm accepting smiles and hugs.  They understand that I am imperfect.  They don't care.  They are just happy that I am their mother.  How cool is that!

What I want most for my kids is to be allowed to grow and achieve all their abilities will allow.  I don't want to have to worry that because my  youngest has 'brown' skin (as he says), some vigilante will shoot him down.  Or some company may not hire him.  Or some STUPID mother won't let him date her daughter. I don't want his heart or his spirit to be broken. I don't want his life cut short.  http://globalgrind.com/news/michael-skolnik-trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman-race-sanford-florida-photos-pictures

I don't want to have to worry that my middle son will not be allowed to work or learn or have a girl friend or whatever he wants, because he has Down syndrome.  http://davehingsburger.blogspot.com/2012/03/i-saw-someone-today.html?m=1

I just want ALL of my children to be allowed to dream, and be, and grow, and achieve.  I want what everyone wants for their children:  Acceptance. 

Overheard Conversation

Had the best time today.  Our buddy, Charlie came for a play date.

This is just one of the conversations I heard today.

Turner:

"Charlie, you have to sound out words so that you can spell them.

MOSS

Mmmmmmmmm-oss

M-S-S.

Mom, How to do you spell MOSS?"

Mom:

"You mean the green stuff that grows on trees?"

Turner:

"No, the little things that fly around outside"

Mom:
"You mean MOTH.

M-O-T-H"

Turner:

"Charlie, you spell moss, M-O-T-H"

No pictures today.

Just lots of fun.

Those two are a pair!

Hope we didn't confuse poor Charlie.

He doesn't have the same speech errors that Turner does.

So he may think you spell MOSS, M-O-T-H.

We Like To Run

I use "we" in a loose sense, since I REALLY do not like to run.  Judson, Daddy, and Turner like to run.  Ansley is going to try running soon.  Sawyer and I are more the walking type.  Even when we try to run, it seems more like a walk.  Not even a fast walk.  More like a "I hope I can make it" walk. 

Today Randy ran in his 2nd marathon. Even as I am writing this, I have no idea how he did as we have not heard from him yet.  We did see him run though.  We posted ourselves at the 14 mile mark and waited.

Our patience was rewarded with a great smile.

I know how much work he put into this.

I am very proud of him.

I appreciate that he is also setting a great example for our children.

Setting goals

Keeping healthy

Pursuing your passion

Things We Like to Do

We are growing our own crystals using an egg shell,

Salt, Water, food coloring, and time.  We are waiting for the

water to evaporate.  It's been two days and the water is slowly evaporating.

(I think we all know who is doing this one)

Build 'houses'.

"Mom, we didn't have to dig a hole to get the mud to hold the sticks up.  We just used the hole from where the tree fell"

(Somehow, I don't remember the hole being that big.)

Thankfully, the pups knocked down the 'house'.

(I always knew they were good for something)

Track mud into Mom's house.

Look carefully at the dried up Georgia clay.

Face, legs, hands, clothes.

"I couldn't help it, I accidentally fell down"

How many times did he accidentally fall down, you might ask.

THREE.

I also took ALL 4 to the eye doctor.  Just for kicks, don't you know. (Only 3 had appointments, so one just came along for the ride)

Ansley needs glasses.  Judson does not.  Sawyer is about the same.

Funny thing.

While we were in the room you wait in as your eyes dilate,

Sawyer entertained the crowd.

One man was there with his daughter, who happened to be blessed with an extra chromosome of the 21st kind.

Another man had a daughter (who died 15 years ago at the age of 33).  She, too, had T21.

Another man was friends with the man whose daughter had died.

Let me tell you, Sawyer TRULY blessed those people that day. 

They all were smiling and happy and excited to see him and talk with him and just be with him.

And in turn, those people blessed me with their kind words.

"Love makes the world go round"

Great Weekend

Lots of fun this weekend.  Girl Scouts.  Boy Scouts.  Bike Riding. 

Not everyone can pull off this look.

Ethiopia hat AND bicycle helmet.

First casualty of the season.

Mr. Ambassador

I took Sawyer to the doctor yesterday.  He has a rash that will not go away.  Turns out, they were not too concerned with the rash but with his ear.  Apparently, he has an ear infection.  I could have predicted that.  Anytime I take him in for anything, ends up he has an ear infection.  He NEVER shows any of the typical signs of ear infection. (fever, pulling at his ear, etc)

What was unique about this visit was they had a visiting med student from Emory.  So, our doctor sent this kid in first to let him do the exam.   The guy was very new to medical study, probably 1st or 2nd year at most.  He was good with Sawyer and could understand much of what Sawyer was saying to  him.  As he was looking through the medical paperwork, he came across the notation that Sawyer has Down syndrome.  He had not picked that up via his exam.  He asked me when Sawyer was diagnosed.  I told him we knew he had the markers in utero but we chose not to have amnio because it would not change our life choice.  He seemed a bit surprised by that but voiced no opposition.

When the doctor came in, they went over his diagnosis of Sawyer's condition, etc.  I mentioned that he had not picked up on the outward signs of Down syndrome.  Our doctor said, He is new to medicine and we are trying to raise him up right.  Our doc went on to explain to the kid-doc how smart Sawyer was and what a good kid, etc. 

So my hope from this experience is that this kid-doc will look beyond what the books say and probably what his teachers say, and remember the smart kid he met once early in his career and REALLY see that the answers to life's questions are not always found in books.  Sometimes they are found in the heart.

*SMILE*

Scouts

Three of our four children are in scouts.   One wants so badly to be but is NOT old enough just yet.  I admit I have many reservations about scouting, both boy and girl.  I also recognize there can be a lot of good too.  So I try to keep an open mind.  That being said, this has been a full weekend of scouting.

Last night, Ansley had  2012 Thinking Day at scouts.  It was for her whole service unit which is pretty big.  Each troop picked a country and decorated a booth.  They also served food relating to that country.  Ansley's group chose Mexico.  (one of Ansley's favorite food groups-Mexican)   Now, the weird thing about Girl Scouts (at least to me) is that they really don't encourage parents to be involved.  Sometimes you're made to feel welcome and encouraged to get involved. (cookie sales)  Others, you don't get a warm fuzzy feeling that they want you involved.  Last night was one of those, "You can come but please don't" nights.  So I dropped her off and we took the boys out to eat.  When I picked her up, she seemed to have had a good time.  When I asked what her favorite thing was she responded " The rice"   (aka, Mexican rice her troop served)

I only got one picture.  I think she had candy or ice in her mouth.  

Today was the annual Pinewood Derby for the boys' scout  group/den/pack, whatever.

Both Judson and Sawyer entered a car.  Each had a part in designing/making their car.  Obviously, Judson did more on his car than Sawyer did on his.  They divided up the kids into 2 groups.  The Tigers (which is Sawyer's group) had their own group with 4 cars.  Then the rest of the boys (all ages combined) were in a group together.  There were 20 cars in that group.  (I think you see where I'm going with this)  Sawyer won 1st in Show and 2nd in speed.  He was so happy and excited.  Judson did not win a trophy but handled it pretty well.  (this is the first time he did not win something, I believe)

Sawyer's is the red pickup truck.

Judson's is the blue one.

Super cool action shot!

Front row seats for all the action!

Whew, another year down for Pinewood Derby.

I'm trying not to think of how many more years of car racing are ahead of me.

Tomorrow....clean this house day.

(maybe even get the PEE smell out of the bathroom, if only for a few hours)

In My Dream Home....

I will have a boy's bathroom.  It will be in a spot all by itself.  It will be made of concrete.   Over the toilet will be one of those pull down hose thingies (like they have in fancy restaurant kitchens for cleaning).  It will have plenty of force to clean all of the boy pee that goes everywhere except the toilet.  I shall call this bathroom, The Out House. 

Three little boys.

Just sayin'.

Valentines 2012 * Stricklin Style

Happy Valentines Day!

This year the kids came up with the menu and decorations.

We made it for lunch, since Randy is able to join us most days for lunch.

Ansley made the white chocolate layer cake with strawberry icing.

Judson chopped up strawberries.  (after all, he does have his whittling chip from scouts)

Turner made the lemonade for strawberry lemonade.

Sawyer helped supervise, taste test, and set the table.

Mom made the spaghetti as well as the shrimp scampi.

Dad fixed the tea.

So it was a family affair.

The kids loved it.

We ate off of the good china

And tried to use our good manners.

(some more successful than others)

And what would Valentines be without a little bling.

They each got a dog tag with their name and phone number printed on it.

Ya Know What's Curious?

Sometimes you just gotta get away, 

even if it is up on top of Mom's frig.

When you are old, you can get away with such things.

She used to get shot with a water gun when she did such things.

Now, not so much.

Give a Boy a Chicken Leg

And he'll gnaw it down to the marrow and ask for a 2nd one!

(Btw...J will not eat meat.   T will only eat ground meat.)

Week In Review

So, what did we do this week????

Play date with new friends.
Home School.  (finished day 113 of 180-we are on the down hill slide!)
OT for Sawyer
Speech for Sawyer
Well Visit for Ansley.  Grew 3 inches and gained 5 pounds this year.
Saturday School for Judson

Sewing

Thankfully, Ansley is not too picky about Mom's sewing expertise.

Mommy-Son, Daddy-Daughter Date Night.

Daddy-Ansley went to Chickfila Annual Daddy-Daughter date night.
I took the boys to try out a new restaurant in town.
Both dates were a success!
 
Lots of outside play because it's February and 60 degrees!

 No, it's really not that cold out.
However, Ansley's signature color is PINK.
So, she found everything she could that was pink and wore it!
Don't be hating because you don't have a pink hat like that!

Things We Are Doing

So, I've been slacking.  Not on purpose.  It's just been busy getting back into the swing of things.

Sawyer has O.T. and Speech, weekly.
Ansley and Judson are doing gymnastics.
Plus, home schooling, doctor's appts, scouts, Saturday school, dentist appts, etc.
I'm also working on a few sewing projects. 

I don't have many pictures.  Why?  Because I'm a LOSER.

Took the kids to Yellow River Game Ranch.  By.My.Self.   Took our friend Luyushu, too.  So you will forgive me when I tell you I left the camera in my front seat.  I did not lose any kids though.  Major accomplishment since the place was packed because it was $1 day.

I did take one picture when they got home.  You will see they have their backs to me.  Our friend Luyushu is doing pretty well considering all she's been through over the past year.  A bit sad.  A bit less exuberant/bubbly. 

Here's another picture of Little T.  Notice the hat.  It was a gift from Santa.  He never takes it off.  Even sleeps in it.  It's his Ethiopian hat because it has the same colors as the Ethiopian flag.

Sawyer received an Elmo hat (SO CUTE) from Santa.  (don't have a picture though)  Suffice to say, he wears it a lot also.  Anytime we go out, he has to have it.   Never mind the temps around here hover around 60 these days, we have to hunt the hat down before we can leave the house.   Thank you Santa for shopping at Rosey Posey!

So, we aren't sick or boycotting blogger.  We are just busy.  Maybe February will bring some more pictures!

It's About Time!

Yeah..I know I've been slacking.  But really, I've been 'in the mix' so much, I haven't had time to take many pictures.  This weekend was a picture weekend!  Hooray!!!! 

Randy took Judson and his cousin Abigayle to the NASA Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. They went with a group from Judson's scout pack. 

(I Stayed home with the other 3 and took ZERO pictures)

There were rockets, capsules, and other space stuffs.

They also watched an IMAX movie (or 2) and built and launched

their own rockets and rode a few rides/simulations. 

(Yes, I know I'm being vague.  They are too tired to give me clarification.)

They spent the night onsite also.

I think I'm safe in saying, "A Good Time Was Had by All".

As for me and the 3 littles, we had a good time also.

We made a trip to Walmart.  

I took them out to eat at Applebee's where Sawyer pointed out he was using his good table manners.

We played Ants In  Your Pants.

And Ansley had her "Every time Dad is gone, I'm going to push Mom to her limits" moment.

It was not the worst she has had but I sure wish she'd just 'outgrow' them.

Tomorrow?

Yellow River Game Ranch.

Maybe even a few pictures.

So You Think You Can Dance?

Yeah, well.  

Anyone who went to weddings with Randy during the nineties and early 2000's, know that isn't true.  He has a gumby-ish style of dancing.  It's quite fun to watch and even dance with him because then people hardly even notice how bad a dancer you might be.  

(I mean, if I were a bad dancer it would be nice.  But I'm not.  OKAY, enough already.  I'm horrible.  But we aren't talking about me)

Tonight was the Girl Scout Father-Daughter dance.

Ansley was pretty excited about it.

I even think Randy was pretty pumped about it.

Ansley wore a new dress in her signature color.

We painted her nails in the same color.

Fixed her hair.

Dad found a suit coat and tie he hadn't worn since the last wedding he went to in forever ago.

And away they went.

I hope they have a great time!

Sawyer's first words when he saw Ansley in her dress:

"You look like a princess"

When he saw Randy: 

"Look at you!  Nice."

Happy Birthday to my little girl.

Every Mother has one.  The child that pushes you to your limits.  The child that makes you think you are a terrible mother but in the end will make you a better mom.  This is that child.  

She pushes.  She pulls.  

She never lets up.

Every day I feel myself growing as a result.

In spite of it all, she is an amazing little girl.

Artistic (just like her middle name predicted), 

smart, funny, beautiful.

 No, we didn't have cupcakes for breakfast.

She stayed in her pj's all day.

You can do that when you home school.

Happy Birthday, Pooh!  

We Love You.

WHEW....We're back!

So we made the trip to Tennessee this year.  400 miles, one way.   This year, we did it in the DRIVING RAIN.  Ever been over Mount Eagle Mountain?   In the rain? Yeah...lots of rain and fog.  So, not fun.

Buuut....when we FINALLY made it, we had a great time.  Visiting with family for 5 days.  Our annual Christmas Eve party had about 40 people. (all related somehow or another)  Lots and lots of kids.  Love Christmas even more when there are kids involved!

We had our annual visit from S.C.  Ansley is pretty sure she knows who was in the Santa suit. All but one child was willing to sit on Santa's lap.  Sawyer LOVED Santa.  He could not get enough of SC.  He did pretty good about giving everyone their turn but he would have loved to sit in Santa's lap for the whole night.

Then, of course, we had Christmas morning and Christmas with my Dad on Christmas Day.  Yet, I was so busy playing with toys, etc I didn't get many pics.

All I can say is "There's nothing better than seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child"

A Song for the Holidays!