I found this on Three's a Charm and she found it on Malakai Stow. It's too good to not keep passing along! In Sean's short four years of life, I have found this to be so true for him as well. So many people have said, "When he hugs you, he hugs you with his whole self." Doug has a second cousin, also named Deb, that taught dance and she once said, "Sean moves with his whole body, every sense of his being. It takes years to teach dancers how to move like that and many never get there." His spirit is just.right.there.
"Always Reaching" written by a father of a child with Down Syndrome:
From the STL DS Newsletter
by Matthew’s Dad
Every time I see my son, I reach for him.
It doesn’t matter if he rounds the corner 4 seconds after I have seen him last, or if I am picking him up from school and have not seen him for hours…I reach for him.
I can be 1 foot away or 100 feet away…I reach for him just the same. I reach for him with my arms, with my eyes, with my heart.
I wonder sometimes what I am reaching for.
I have seen this in other people when they see my son.
My family, my friends and perfect strangers. They all reach for him.
I see the same movements, the same gestures, the same need to hold out their hands for him. They want him to come to them, some know him and some don’t. Some call his name and others just motion for him. But they all seem to want him to come.
For a moment, you can see his spirit reflected in their faces. I watch the smiles grow across their faces with a fullness that is unavoidable.
When he falls into their arms (which is what he does to everyone), I see a momentary peace envelop them, and their eyes close, they pull him in and they experience what I call “The Joy of Matthew”.
He gives it to you. He wraps you in it. He wriggles and squirms and mashes the love into you. If you did not know what to expect, you may be surprised and find yourself amazed at the feeling, overwhelmed at the emotion he carries with him.
I am lucky. I get to hold him all the time.
And I have been able to think about that feeling and where it comes from and what it may mean. I think Matthew is a window through which we see a pureness of emotion… pure happiness, pure sorrow, pure joy and pure love.
Despite what some may think, our special children are closer to God than we are. We see so much in them that we lack. We wish quietly in so many ways that we could be more like them. And when we hold them, if just for a moment, we feel closer to God.
That must be why I am always reaching for my son.
That must be why they all reach for him.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Tastier than McD's
but really not that much healthier!
I told Doug today, "Let's eat in for lunch, I want something better than take out." So I made Turkey-Bacon Guac Sandwiches with a side of Cara-Cara Oranges. It looks good, tasted delish, but once I got to thinking about the ingredients I realized it probably wasn't much healthier than McD's!
4 Deli Thin Slices of Turkey 115 calories
2 slices bacon 284 calories
Tablespoon Cream Cheese 75 calories
Tablespoon Guacamole 108 calories
Monterey Jack Cheese 106 calories
2 Slices Wheat Bread 140 calories
1/2 an Orange 30 calories
Total for the meal= 858 calories
My usual Micky D order: Quarter Pounder with Cheese & Lg Fries (that I share with a kiddo usually) is 1010 calories.
This is just an FYI post to my thighs...
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Singer Sessions, Vol. 1
And so it begins...
My first sewing lesson on my new The Singer Simple sewing machine. My mother-in-law, Janice, was kind enough to come over and get me rolling. She taught me how to thread the machine and set up a bobbin (Doug has had oodles of fun making lewd bobbin jokes since then.) I decided my first attempt at sewing would be to make some cloth diaper wipes out of old receiving blankets. I figured I had a ton of them and it seemed like an easy thing to start with. I showed Janice my idea and she helped me set up a cool stitch pattern to use and away I went! It seemed to be going well, so she took off so I could figure it out on my own.
Unfortunately, I forgot to ask her how to turn corners, so my first attempt is pretty "reinforced" in the corners. LOL Nevertheless, I was proud of myself for trying and snipped up the strings and edges and showed it to Doug. He said, "Not bad, not bad. Let's see how it works, Ella just pooped" and he handed her off to me. Nice. Well, I am happy enough to say it made an efficient butt-wipe. :P
I called my mom to tell her what I was working on and she told me how to turn the corners. This morning, while the boys were at school, I made another wipe and it turned out much better. I started on the third one, got one edge done, then ran out of thread on the bobbin. By that time, Ella was tired of sitting in the highchair next to me and demanded I pick her up.
Lucky for me, she went to sleep fairly early tonight so I had time to re-fill the bobbin and make a few more. I got six 8 x 8 wipes made out of 2 blankets. Not bad!
Aidan wants me to hem up his PJ pants that he got for Christmas, so that will be my next session. I can see this becoming a very fun and useful hobby!
My first sewing lesson on my new The Singer Simple sewing machine. My mother-in-law, Janice, was kind enough to come over and get me rolling. She taught me how to thread the machine and set up a bobbin (Doug has had oodles of fun making lewd bobbin jokes since then.) I decided my first attempt at sewing would be to make some cloth diaper wipes out of old receiving blankets. I figured I had a ton of them and it seemed like an easy thing to start with. I showed Janice my idea and she helped me set up a cool stitch pattern to use and away I went! It seemed to be going well, so she took off so I could figure it out on my own.
Unfortunately, I forgot to ask her how to turn corners, so my first attempt is pretty "reinforced" in the corners. LOL Nevertheless, I was proud of myself for trying and snipped up the strings and edges and showed it to Doug. He said, "Not bad, not bad. Let's see how it works, Ella just pooped" and he handed her off to me. Nice. Well, I am happy enough to say it made an efficient butt-wipe. :P
I called my mom to tell her what I was working on and she told me how to turn the corners. This morning, while the boys were at school, I made another wipe and it turned out much better. I started on the third one, got one edge done, then ran out of thread on the bobbin. By that time, Ella was tired of sitting in the highchair next to me and demanded I pick her up.
Lucky for me, she went to sleep fairly early tonight so I had time to re-fill the bobbin and make a few more. I got six 8 x 8 wipes made out of 2 blankets. Not bad!
Aidan wants me to hem up his PJ pants that he got for Christmas, so that will be my next session. I can see this becoming a very fun and useful hobby!
Softly, but Beautifully Spoken
Saw this a couple days ago and loved it. Jennifer Graf Groneberg reading from her book Roadmap to Holland. I loved seeing all the photos of her family and hearing her voice tell their story.
Life With My Special Ks: New year... new YOU!! (Blog style)
Life With My Special Ks: New year... new YOU!! (Blog style)
I need this makeover! I would love to have a pretty, more unique blog layout but have no idea how to make one. Rebecca at Rebecca Creates is so talented at putting together great designs. Wish me luck in this contest!
I need this makeover! I would love to have a pretty, more unique blog layout but have no idea how to make one. Rebecca at Rebecca Creates is so talented at putting together great designs. Wish me luck in this contest!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Eleanor's First....
Mommy, there's something strange going on here.
I'm not sure if I like this at all!
It feels like a little pointy thing in my mouth.
A tooth! A tooth! My very first tooth is popping out!
Welcome 2009!
Happy New Year everyone! I hope it is a wonderful new year for everyone. I predict our year will go by so fast as we see Ella grow into a toddler, Sean developing more language, and Aidan morphing into a 1st grader. I know that Doug's year will be busier for him at work, the company is buying 80 new accounts this year from a former competitor. Hopefully we can all adjust to the longer hours Doug will need to work. The boys just love their Daddy so much. We have been so lucky that he has been able to provide for us and still be here when we need him. Most single-income families do not have that luxury. I hope the new year gives me time to enjoy my kids, learn new things, help my community, and work on being a better wife and mother to my family.
Doug and I actually managed to see the new year begin together. After an evening out, we got the kids to bed and kept our eyes open long enough to share a kiss at midnight. Too bad Doug ate enchiladas with onions for dinner. LOL
Today we took the kids to spend their gift cards from Grandpa Steve and Becky at WalMart. Aidan picked out the Imaginext Gorilla Play Mountain that he's been wanting for a few months. So far it's a big hit with both of them. They got the Imaginext Pirate Ship last year for Christmas and have played with it daily since. It looks like the Gorilla Mt will get a lot of playtime as well. Sean got a Hot Wheels Light & Sounds trike. He is so excited about it! Luckily it was on sale, so we only paid $30 for it. Doug put it together and the boys took turns riding it in the house the rest of the day. Sean seriously didn't want to get off it!
I made a bunch of snacky things for dinner, inspired by fellow bloggers shared recipes. We had the Elliot Dip and Sliders along with boneless hot wings with celery, and cheese & crackers. Uncle Curt & Kenzie brought over Rice Crispie Treats and Brownies. Aidan had me put out a bowl of Cheeto Curls. Yummy stuff!
I went to bed early with Ella, so when she woke me to nurse at 5 am I couldn't so back to sleep. I kinda like my early am time to myself. I get a little laundry done, have quiet time to read or write. I do end up burning out by afternoon though, so that is a downfall. Well, it won't be long before Seanie's looking for me, so I might try to sneak back into bed.
Doug and I actually managed to see the new year begin together. After an evening out, we got the kids to bed and kept our eyes open long enough to share a kiss at midnight. Too bad Doug ate enchiladas with onions for dinner. LOL
Today we took the kids to spend their gift cards from Grandpa Steve and Becky at WalMart. Aidan picked out the Imaginext Gorilla Play Mountain that he's been wanting for a few months. So far it's a big hit with both of them. They got the Imaginext Pirate Ship last year for Christmas and have played with it daily since. It looks like the Gorilla Mt will get a lot of playtime as well. Sean got a Hot Wheels Light & Sounds trike. He is so excited about it! Luckily it was on sale, so we only paid $30 for it. Doug put it together and the boys took turns riding it in the house the rest of the day. Sean seriously didn't want to get off it!
I made a bunch of snacky things for dinner, inspired by fellow bloggers shared recipes. We had the Elliot Dip and Sliders along with boneless hot wings with celery, and cheese & crackers. Uncle Curt & Kenzie brought over Rice Crispie Treats and Brownies. Aidan had me put out a bowl of Cheeto Curls. Yummy stuff!
I went to bed early with Ella, so when she woke me to nurse at 5 am I couldn't so back to sleep. I kinda like my early am time to myself. I get a little laundry done, have quiet time to read or write. I do end up burning out by afternoon though, so that is a downfall. Well, it won't be long before Seanie's looking for me, so I might try to sneak back into bed.
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