We're adding time! WHOO HOO

Angela is doing so fantastic in school this year!!!! So far, there has been ONE DAY where there was a potential problem. Today at conferences her teacher told me, "There was a day last week when I asked her to do something and her body kind of stiffened, and she gave me a sideways glance so I quick thought of something to ask Angela about what she was doing after school and all was well."

Wow..that is a LONG WAY from how things were going last year!

Angela is also one of the "copy" kids. She and another student take a cart and go all over school picking up/dropping off copies for the teachers. At first I was not thrilled with this job, except that it gets Angela out of the room when she needs a break. Then I realized just how great this job is!

First of all, it gives very social Angela a chance to meet EVERY SINGLE TEACHER in the building, and EVERY student in every grade knows who she is as well. She has quite a following. Wink

This job also involves all kinds of skill learning that is snuck in there:

There is a card file, with an index card for every teacher in the building. She has to put them back in alphabetical order.

The teacher name cards are color-coded, and there is a map of the school that is color coded as well. So Angela has to see which part of the building that teacher is in, THEN find their class room on the school map.

There are different keys to different elevators in the building. Angela has been dubbed "the key master" because she's the most responsible with the key. Last week the special ed teacher couldn't get the elevator to work right, and Angela showed her how to fix the problem. Laughing

She has learned that if she gets to a classroom and that teacher is teaching, she cannot talk to them. She quietly goes in and checks their copy box and takes out the necessary papers. If she's delivering copies she sets them on the teacher's desk. One teacher has treats for her on occasion. LOL

For two plus years Angela has been coming home from her HALF DAY and sleeping for 1-2 hours after school. This year she comes home and is wanting to know "What's next?" So, it's time to start adding time to her school day. On the 27th (have to get transportation arranged) she'll get an hour added to her day, and we'll see how she does with that.

Some of you know we chose her current time to come home because it coincides with when the other 6th graders go to art. Ummm...Angela doesn't DO art, and this year I agreed I wouldn't push the issue any more, as it was hell for everyone involved. Well, a week or so ago Angela suddenly became obessed with drawing. You have to realize that where drawing is concerned, Angela is at about a 3 year old level. Her people don't even have bodies on them yet, just big eyes and a mouth. Well, now she wants to go to art, because she hears the other 6th graders talking about their clay masks. So, we'll see how she does with a SHORTENED art experience.

Also, right now she leaves school before the other kids eat lunch, so she's been eating alone in the classroom. This is actually ok, because she hasn't been able to handle the school lunch room for several years. It's just too much for her and she hates all the noise and commotion. Also, with her blood sugar issues, even though she gets a snack in the morning they eat way too late for her. Well, adding time to her day she's still going to eat in the room, but when the other 6th graders eat lunch she'll have short snack with them and have a bit more social time with her friends.

Assuming there are no problems. (we are moving into winter, and she usually starts getting sick in November) then after the 1st of the year we'll revisit the issue and see about extending her to a full day. I can't wait! Maybe, just maybe, I could go back to work!

Doodle people are weird

Doodle people (as in Goldendoodle or Labradoodle owners) are a little bit weird. Everyone knows it. It happens because our dogs are very much like people under their fur. No...really...you can see it in their eyes! Anyway, one of my litters turned a year old over the weekend, and her family sent me these pictures of her birthday party. Is this too cute or what?

Can't call her a rock anymore!

You may remember this post that I made about this time last year. Somewhere I have a video of it. And a few months later (this past April) I posted this update with a video. Last week I did a new video of Angela's swimming progress. I can't believe how far she's come, particularly in the area of self confidence! (make sure to watch both videos so you can see the difference!)

Fruit Flies

My last night in New Jersey we were trying to finish up the Funky Monkey ingredients, when we notices there were fruit flies everywhere. It doesn't take much to entertain us. Well, the fact that we can't SAY "Fruit flies" should be an indicator why! (I only know of 4 people who will actually find this funny, but hey...I'm running out of blogging material!)

Tail of the Dragon

The first week of April, 2009, my friends Tink, Scharlett and some others are planning a trip to Deals Gap to ride the Dragon's Tail, which is on the Tennessee/North Carolina state line. This ride is NOT for the faint of heart. In fact, here's a video from one guy who had a camera on his front fork. I sure hope I can make it on this trip! Oh...and I can't watch more than 2 minutes of the video because watching stuff like that makes me motion sick. (can't play car racing video games either. LOL)



The big question is how I get down there. April isn't really riding weather here yet. It's pretty cold, and...well...I get cold really easy. LOL Yes, I could wear a heated vest and heated gloves would help as well. But that is even MORE money that I don't yet have to spend. Maybe Santa will bring me some of these things for Christmas???? Anyway, I could trailor my bike to some point further south, then meet up with the group somewhere enroute. Lots of things to consider between now and then.

Oh my gosh, I missed a day!

Uh oh. I can't believe I missed a day. Shame on me! So what can I tell you that's interesting?

Well, SOS Players started up again. This is a theater group Angela is involved in that is absolutely wonderful. They do two "demo's" every year...winter and spring...so Angela is now working on her monologue to be performed sometime around Christmas.

You might remember the one she did last spring, with our friend Greg. This time, (well, as of right now, we might change it) she's doing all on her own. All the kids do monologues that are about real-life situations (but are written by someone else.) For Angela, it's easier for her to memorize if it's something meaningful to her. Where last time she told her birth story, (which made for a lot of tears in the audience!) this time she's explaining Down syndrome, and I found a way to address the "R word" in there too!

Special Exposure Weds

Today you can watch Angela grow up in pictures.


5 days old

a few days old

4 months old

26 months

3 1/2 years old with the most amazing hair!

7 years old

8 years old

Posing at 8

Hacky Sac at 9

9 years old

9 going on 15

Still 9!

Turning 10


Not happy about sleep studies at 10

Unless, of course, it involves ice cream!

Finally 11!


6th grade and 12 years old. My little tomboy. Wonder where she got that from?

Think Before You Pink

October is Down Syndrome Awareness month, but it's also Breast Cancer awareness month. Today I saw an yogurt ad on TV, something about pink tops and proceeds going to benefit breast cancer research (or something along those lines.) But tonight, one of the blogs I read that is written by a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 (?) years ago wrote a very interesting post called "Think Before You Pink". Go have a read there, and then...do as she says...Think Before You Pink!

Time to Say Goodbye

Yes, sadly, it's that time of year again. In just a few short weeks the snow and ice will start blowing here in Minnesota, and as usual I'll spend the winter dreaming of moving south. (Actually Dean says if I can find a job for him in a southern state, he's there! LOL Unfortunately the chances of that are very slim for several reasons.)

So what does this mean? Time to say goodbye to Nooner and Spank for the winter. I'm going to miss them a lot! I spent 6,000+ miles on the seat of Nooner this summer, and Angela spent a fair amount riding in Spank.

For the sake of space they'll spend the winter separated, on opposite sides of the garage. I hope they don't miss each other too much, and I hope the mice leave Spank alone! I probably won't seem them again until the end of March or so, which seems like forever away right now. I have tentative plans for a big trip in April, (which seems even further away.) And then Dean and I have plans to ride several big charity runs next summer.

Goodbye Nooner. Goodbye Spank. I'll miss you!

How cool is this?

You may remember my posts about High School Musical, and meeting our new friend Dante Russo, one of the cast members.

Well, today I was googling my blog to see where else it shows up, when I found this. It's the opening speech for a large fundraiser gala that was held in New York. I am truly touched!

You Have Superpowers!

Lifted from the "Love Notes for Special Parents Gallery".

Win a Bedroom Set!

5 Minutes for Mom is running a contest to win a new bedroom set for your child. All you have to do is enter a photo of your child sleeping. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Go here to find out more!

I have lots of photos of Angela sleeping, and some are better than others. In some, she was clearly not well, and the picture shows it! Particularly the ones when she got her new hospital bed. There are others that she looks like a sleeping angel. I think it best I post an "angelic" picture, huh?

Bowling

Angela had her area bowling tournament yesterday. (and of course, I forgot to bring the camera!) Dean took her to the last practice she attended and with his coaching she did great, but I was a bit worried because she missed the last couple of practices all together. To get some practice in quick she and I went bowling on Saturday at the same lanes the tourney would be held at. She's very familiar with the place since it's where Dean league bowls on Thursday nights. Yeah...our little practice didn't go so well. The first game she didn't hit ONE single pin! Every ball was in the gutter. They're not allowed to use bumpers in the tourney, so I wanted her to bowl at least one game without them. The second game I put them up, and although she never once hit them she scored a 52.

So yesterday there were 8 kids between 2 lanes, all of them around the same age and ability. The first 6 frames of the first game NOT ONE PIN was hit between the 8 kids. They were all quite frustrated. Keep in mind that for the tourneys coaches can't coach, and parents can't be down on the floor either. So those of us with control issues sometimes give ourselves a timeout to the parking lot. (we'd go to the bar, but it's closed for this event. LOL) Anyway, finally all the athletes found their groove. Angela ended up scoring a 58 the first game, and 54 the second. She even picked up two spares. Needless to say she was quite proud of herself.

I have decided to get her a ball of her own though. There were about 50 athletes there yesterday who all needed a 7 pound ball, which are hard to come by. I'm going to let Angela pick a really cool one like Hello Kitty or one of the other million design choices.

Dean left early Friday morning to go hunting/fishing/mostly male bonding with his twin brother Dave, while Angela and I just hung out and bowled.

Deaf Couple on Super Nanny

The Friday, October 10th episode of "Supernanny", will feature a family headed by a deaf couple. This episode should provide insight into the interesting situations you never thought about when the parents are deaf, kids are hearing.

Here's a link to a preview, although I just discovered there's no sound. LOL Anyway, it's the mom giving a synopsis about how they got on the show, the interview process, etc.
http://www.aslclips.com/mar2008/supernanny_marie.swf

For the mothers

This was forwarded to me tonight, and I thought I'd share it here, since it IS 31 for 21 month. This is for all "those mothers". You know who you are.

Some Mothers Get Babies With Something More
written by: Lori Borgman Columnist and Speaker

My friend is expecting her first child. People keep asking what she wants. She smiles demurely, shakes her head and gives the answer mothers have given throughout the pages of time. She says it doesn’t matter whether it’s a boy or a girl. She just wants it to have ten fingers and ten toes. Of course, that’s what she says. That’s what mothers have always said.

Mothers lie.

Truth be told, every mother wants a whole lot more. Every mother wants a perfectly healthy baby with a round head, rosebud lips, button nose, beautiful eyes and satin skin. Every mother wants a baby so gorgeous that people will pity the Gerber baby for being flat-out ugly. Every mother wants a baby that will roll over, sit up and take those first steps right on schedule (according to the baby development chart on page57, column two). Every mother wants a baby that can see, hear, run, jump and fire neurons by the billions. She wants a kid that can smack the ball out of the park and do toe points that are the envy of the entire ballet class. Call it greed if you want, but we mothers want what we want.

Some mothers get babies with something more. Some mothers get babies with conditions they can’t pronounce, a spine that didn’t fuse, a missing chromosome or a palette that didn’t close. Most of those mothers can remember the time, the place, the shoes they were wearing and the color of the walls in the small, suffocating room where the doctor uttered the words that took their breath away. It felt like recess in the fourth grade when you didn’t see the kick ball coming and it knocked the wind clean out of you.

Some mothers leave the hospital with a healthy bundle, then, months, even years later, take him in for a routine visit, or schedule her for a well check, and crash head first into a brick wall as they bear the brunt of devastating news. It can’t be possible! That doesn’t run in our family. Can this really be happening in our lifetime?

I am a woman who watches the Olympics for the sheer thrill of seeing finely sculpted bodies. It’s not a lust thing; it’s a wondrous thing. The athletes appear as specimens without flaw - rippling muscles with nary an ounce of flab or fat, virtual powerhouses of strength with lungs and limbs working in perfect harmony. Then the athlete walks over to a tote bag, rustles through the contents and pulls out an inhaler.

As I’ve told my own kids, be it on the way to physical therapy after a third knee surgery, or on a trip home from an echo cardiogram, there’s no such thing as a perfect body. Everybody will bear something at some time or another. Maybe the affliction will be apparent to curious eyes, or maybe it will be unseen, quietly treated with trips to the doctor, medication or surgery.

The health problems our children have experienced have been minimal and manageable, so I watch with keen interest and great admiration the mothers of children with serious disabilities, and wonder how they do it. Frankly, sometimes you mothers scare me. How you lift that child in and out of a wheelchair 20 times a day. How you monitor tests, track medications, regulate diet and serve as the gatekeeper to a hundred specialists yammering in your ear. I wonder how you endure the cliches and the platitudes, well-intentioned souls explaining how God is at work when you’ve occasionally questioned if God is on strike.

I even wonder how you endure schmaltzy pieces like this one — saluting you, painting you as hero and saint, when you know you’re ordinary. You snap, you bark, you bite. You didn’t volunteer for this. You didn’t jump up and down in the motherhood line yelling, “Choose me, God! Choose me! I’ve got what it takes.” You’re a woman who doesn’t have time to step back and put things in perspective, so, please, let me do it for you.

From where I sit, you’re way ahead of the pack. You’ve developed the strength of a draft horse while holding onto the delicacy of a daffodil. You have a heart that melts like chocolate in a glove box in July, carefully counter-balanced against the stubbornness of an Ozark mule. You can be warm and tender one minute, and when circumstances require intense and aggressive the next. You are the mother, advocate and protector of a child with a disability. You’re a neighbor, a friend, a stranger I pass at the mall. You’re the woman I sit next to at church, my cousin and my sister-in-law. You’re a woman who wanted ten fingers and ten toes, and got something more. You’re a wonder.

New project

I'm working on a new project (the full idea will be announced sometime later...when I know what the full idea is. LOL). Here is my first-ever attempt at sculpting clay, specifically a clay baby. I was going to make a WHOLE baby, but notice I stopped at the whn I finished the head. LOL This will eventually be a Down Syndrome related project, but right now it's just me playing around with clay, trying to make a baby that looks...well...not as ugly as my first one! LOL

Did I mention

Did I mention that my dog is going to be famous too? My Zurri (pictured below) will be appearing on the front of "Loyal" dog food, a brand that can be found nationally. We had a photo shoot a couple weeks ago that was really a lot of fun! Unfortunately she won't be called again for awhile. She came in heat the morning of the shoot, and we managed, but hopefully we'll announce a pregnancy in a few weeks and she'll be out out of commision for awhile!

Don't ask me if we'd ever feed this dog food! I can't reply on the grounds that my dog would loose her job! LOL

So you want to get a puppy

(puppies pictured above produced by D & L Doodles)
This post is in response to the 10-15 emails I get every week from people who are interested in getting a puppy for their family. These aren't people looking to buy one of my puppies per se, but after reading my website decide I'm a safe person to ask some specific questions. Guess what? They're right!

First, never ever ever ever ever buy a puppy from a pet store! EVER! Was that pretty clear? 99% of pet store puppies come from puppy mills. If the store owner says, "Our puppies come from local breeders." Ummm yeah so? Does that say ANYTHING about the conditions of the breeding operation or the number of puppies they produce? Not only that but NOT ONE GOOD BREEDER, who knows ANYTHING about canine puppy development would sell their puppies through a pet store! Ok..I'll stop there. If you want to read more on that topic go here.

AKC registration means NOTHING about a dogs health or quality. Think of the AKC as a large file cabinet, keeping track of the heritage of each litter of puppies registered to them. That means if I have a puppy born with deformities or health problems, I can still register it with the ACK. It's still a purebred. There are many breed groups who hate the AKC because they don't REQUIRE health testing (see below) on the parents of litters registered. This eventually ruins breeds, and is how they end up with a high incidence of things such as hip dysplasia.

Health testing. This is NOT THE SAME as "All my dogs/puppies are vet checked." I would hope that every breeder has their dogs "vet checked". No, Health testing is much more involved, and much more expensive. What does "Health Testing" entail? It depends upon the breed. Each breed is known to carry specific genetic disorders that you do NOT want passed on. However, you don't know the dog has one of them until they've been tested for it. Hip Dysplasia is one problem that is prevalent in MANY breeds. Let me use the Standard Poodle as an example. First, there is blood work: Subacious Adenitis (SA) is a skin disorder common to poodles, and involves a skin biopsy. Von Wilebrands Disease (vWd) is a bleeding disorder similar to hemophilia in people. It is a genetic disorder and found by a blood test. The hips, eyes, elbows and heart should also be xrayed and sent off to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) to be read. The eyes should be examined by a CERF vet. This is a special canine opthalmologist. They will rule out things such as juvenile cataracts (prevalent in MANY breeds!) that cannot be seen using the tools a regular vet has.

To get all the testing completed on one adult dog is approximately $1,000 depending upon where the breeder lives and how easy it is for he/she to get to the appropriate clinics. Some tests need to be repeated. CERF should be done yearly, and Hips done somewhere around a year, and again after age 2. ALL of the tests should be done and paperwork back before a dog is ever bred!

Health Guarantees: Breeders who do the health testing appropriate for their breed will have no problem giving you a 2 or 3 year health guarantee against genetic problems. Breeders who aren't SURE their dogs don't carry any of the breed disorders...IE those who don't do the health testing, will be reluctant to give you ANY guarantee. Some states like MN require a minimum of a 1 year guarantee under the MN Lemon law for pets. Unfortunately 1 year doesn't get you much. Most genetic problems such as hip dysplasia don't show up until after 1 year of age.

And what does that health guarantee say? Does it say, "We'll replace the dog."? Do you really want another dog from the same breeder if there is a problem? Does it say you have to return YOUR dog, whom you've grown to love, in order to get a replacement? QUALITY breeder contracts will say something to the affect of, "We'll refund up to the original cost of the puppy, OR give a replacement puppy." In other words, you get the choice. Most won't say, "But we have to have the original puppy back first!" Who wants to give up their baby?

Most of the breeders I know also have a re-home policy. That means, if something happens in your life next year, and you find you can no longer keep your dog, the dog comes back to ME. I don't want ANY of the dogs I've produced to end up in a shelter ANYWHERE. I want them HERE. If there are problems, I want to know about them. If there's a behavioral issue, I will retrain the dog before re-homing him.

USDA registered breeder. If the breeder you're considering is a USDA registered breeder, don't assume that's a good thing. The only reason to have a USDA number for dog breeding is to produce high numbers of puppies. Here's a link to a list of USDA "Class A" breeders. I believe this is the current 2008 list. Here's the link to the Class B list. (meaning they can sell their own puppies through pet stores AND sell puppies from other breeders as well!) Use your computer's search function to find those listed in your state. I searched MN and found it VERY interesting that a breeder I'm quite familiar with now has their operation listed under the name of one of their adult sons. Hmmmmmm Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Spay/neuter agreements. Good breeders will, at a MINIMUM, require you to sign a spay/neuter CONTRACT which they ENFORCE! This is to prevent people who don't know what they're doing from becoming back yard breeders. Some breeders (myself included) spay/neuter their puppies before they leave for their new families. We found it quite difficult to follow up on spay/neuter contracts on puppies that are on the other side of the country. We did our research, and agree with the opinion of our reproductive specialist who was president of the MN verterinary medical association for many years, that the benefits of early spay/neuter far outweigh the potential risk to the dogs later on.

A common misconception is that the "small breeder" means "backyard breeder". Which is backward thinking. A "small breeder" is just that. Only producing a couple litters per year, but still doing all the appropriate health testing. A "Backyard breeder" is one who might produce a lot of puppies, but they don't do the appropriate health testing for the breed, incorrectly ASSUMING their dogs don't have/carry any of the disorders known to their breed. It has nothing to do with size, and everything to do with knowledge. Backyard breeders tend to breed puppies they don't have homes for. You can easily find them in the paper saying, "price reduced!" etc. Most quality breeders don't have any problem selling their puppies. Ours have always been sold before they're even BORN, which is how a lot of breeders I work with also sell their puppies.

I hope, if you're in the market for a family pet, that some of this information has been helpful, or at least enlightening!

Next, watch for my "So you want to be a breeder?" post!

Win a laptop-Help an adoption

I'm an avid blog reader. (wish I could get paid for it. LOL) One of the blogs I follow "The Sunflower Chronicles" is written by a mom who has 3 kids. A 12 year old son, a biological daughter Caelia who has DS, and Valeria who aslo has DS and was adopted from Ukraine this year.

They are also in the process of adopting another child who has DS. However, there have been some policy/political changes and their expenses have dramatically increased. To help with their adoption process they're holding a raffle for a Dell Mini Inspiron laptop. Entries are just $5!

If you'd like to learn more, please visit her blog post here. Or, if you'd like to just enter, click on the "chip in" button below.

Underarrested

Monday, as we were driving through beautiful Pennsylvania, a state patrol officer decided he'd like to have a little conference with me on the side of the interstate.



Angela, sitting in the front seat engrossed in a movie, wasn't even aware that we'd pulled over. Suddenly there was a State Patrol standing next to her window that I had just rolled down.

With eyes as big as saucers she said, "Uh oh! Was I bad? Am I underarrested?" He assured her that no, she was not. Pointing at me with her thumb she asked, "Is my mom underarrested?" No...your mom isn't under arrest either. "Is my brother Tyler underarrested?" No, not even Tyler.

He proceeded to ask me for all the necessary documentation. The insurance card was right where it was supposed to be, but I couldn't find the car registration. I couldn't even think straight enough to plead my case and get away with a warning instead. Hard to do when you're doing 82 in a 65. Doggone Sante Fe has a mind of it's own!

Anyhow, $150 needs to be sent to the state of Pennsylvania this week.

Times Square... we're HOME!

I can't believe a week went by! As Angela would say, "Holy cows!"

First, the drive out (20+ hours of driving) went very well. Angela did GREAT and we didn't have one single issue. NOT ONE! She slept for a whole 40 minutes of the whole trip. For her, the highlight was swimming at the hotel. LOL

We got to my friends in NJ on after getting only a tiny bit lost (can you hear the sarcasm?) at 10:30 pm on Thursday.

Friday was a fun day! We met Erin Leigh and her family at Chuck E Cheese. Angela had a BLAST playing video games and stuff. Dillion is a DOLL child and it was so fun to see him in person. Say a prayer for Erin Leigh, as she's having c-section this week on Friday. She's anxious to be DONE! LOL

Saturday we went to watch my friend's daughter at her Fencing practice. I've never seen fencing before, and knew NOTHING of how it worked. Angela had fun watching too...that is when she wasn't asking for money to go get snacks from the lady at the snack table. Typical 12 year old! LOL

Sunday was THE BIG DAY we had come for! Oh my gosh..where do I begin? How about getting to the train? We had to leave the house at 7:15, and were up in plenty of time, but Angela was pokey eating breakfast so we didn't leave until about 7:25. Bad...bad...We were to meet Stephanie at 8:00. My friends husband lead the way, and I followed behind in my car. We pulled up to the station at 7:58, and he ran in to get our tickets while Angela and I parked the car, did a record-fast unload, and raced to the building. I order her to "SIT NOW!" in her stroller and we RAN down the hallway to where the train was. As I scanned the crowd for Steph and her family, my friend turned the corner to this big flight of stairs...and me with Angela in her chair. No time to wait for the elevator, I ordered Angela to walk fast down the stairs (yeah right) while I carried the chair down, and David held the train. Before I knew it we were on and headed on our way. I called Steph, and they had just gotten to the station and would be catching the next train so we met them at NYC Penn Station.

Ok, the first time I cried was when I got to hug Steph! We've met before, and it was great to see and "old friend"! And a HUGE relief that I was no longer alone. SHE was the woman of knowledge that day and got us everywhere we needed to be. I don't know what I would have done without her. I came out of the train station looking like a tourist with my video camera rolling. LOL

We made it to Times Square just as the video was starting. As soon as the first picture came up, I got all choked up and couldn't even talk. The coolest thing was every time someone's kid came up on the screen, you'd hear their family cheering somewhere in Times Square. It gave me the chills! For us, Megan's picture came up first, and it was so exciting to see beautiful Megan up there! But I couldn't share in the celebration, afraid that if I took my eyes off the screen I'd miss Angela. To give you a reference point, it's hard to see in this picture, but there is a patch of sidewalk in the MIDDLE of the street. Right smack dab in the middle of Times Square, that THAT is where we were standing! In the background you can see people crowded on the sidewalk, but there is another street right behind it. I was very nervous that Angela would step into the street and the traffic that was ZOOMING by!


On that picture, notice the black screen that says "Panasonic". That's the screen Angela was on. It's about 5 or 6 stories off the ground, and is 40 feet tall.


And then all of a sudden there she was...40 feet tall for all the world to see, right there in Times Square. She was SO EXCITED to see herself up there, but I was too choked up to say ANYTHING! I did video tape the event, but one of Steph's entourage snapped a still shot.


And then it was done! About that time it started P-O-U-R-I-N-G. We were supposed to catch a shuttle bus to Central Park, and all morning I'd been torn about going or not. Steph's group wasn't, and I had yet to meet Tom and Michel. Fortunately the weather made my decision for me, and we went back to the square.

And there stood Tom and Michel!!! The Mommy and Daddy of Downsyn! I can't tell you how thrilled I was to finally meet the two of them, and especially Mikey! Of course, we all know Tom is a very smart man, and right away he said, "You look MUCH younger in person than you do in pictures!" What a schmoozer. Wink And Michel was full of compliments on my beautiful Angela. All of us looked like drowned rats by that point, but at least we were happy rats.

Here's a picture of Michel, Megan, Stephanie, Angela and me, taken while taking cover under an awning in Times Square. It was POURING out!


I have more pictures, and lots of touristy video, but I have to fine my firewire to get them off the video camera!


We "did lunch in the city", with Mikey flirting with Angela the whole time. It was interesting to see Angela's reaction to the couple of love punches Mikey had for her. Tom...really...it gave her a dose of her own medicine! She looked quite offended at first, but once I explained that Mikey used his hands to talk, and that he was saying he liked her, she changed her approach and started engaging him. Well, that and dishing up stuff for him. Mikey lasted a LONG time in a crowded restaurant. When he made it clear it was time to be done Angela announced, "Someone's having a bad day." in a sing-song voice. Then Tom came back for a bit and Angela had her TRUE love all to herself for a bit! She no longer had to share him with that Michel. LOL She would have gone home with you in a heartbeat Tom!

When it was time for Tom and Michel to head home we said our goodbyes and went to Toys R Us with Steph's group. It is right on Times Square, and is Toys R Us on steroids! Holy cow!

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the train, where I got to spend the best time with Megan!!! Olivia was busy sleeping, so Megan got my undivided attention. She and I sang songs, and I taught her a new one which she loved. She is the most beautiful child! Talking tons, and reminds me so much of a blonde Angela at that age. We had a tearful goodbye at the station (ok, I was crying, everyone else was fine! LOL) and we made it back to the house without even getting lost.

Angela and I headed for home Monday morning, and after a small detour in the Poconos, we were on our way. Note: while the colors in the Poconos were BEAUTIFUL because they were peaking, we weren't SUPPOSED to see them! LOL When I saw, "Last rest stop in Pennsylvania" I thought "Wait a minute. Pennsylvania is MUCH bigger than THAT!" Sure enough, I'd missed a turn which added about 100 miles to our trip. LOL

We're home now. By 8:00 last night it felt like we'd NEVER make it home, but we did at 9:30. Angela is anxious to get back to school today. As for me, after a grand total of 45 hours of driving, I think I'm laying low.

I have to go buy another fire wire for my video camera so I can get the pics off it.

We're here! We're here!

WHEW! We made it! We left about 1:30 Weds, and drove to Portage, Indiana where we stayed the night in what had to be the most disgusting hotel I've ever stayed in. Note to self: Just because it says, "Days Inn" on the sign means NOTHING! Yes, they'll be hearing from me!

Yesterday was a marathon drive. I seem to have a lot of marathons in my life these days. Anyway, we left the hotel at 8:30 a.m. and drove another 800 miles to Tink's place. I only got us a tiny bit lost on the New Jersey turnpike. Just enough that by 10:00 pm my brain was fried, it was raining and pitch dark, and I'd had it. I called Tink's husband and told him where I was, and he came to meet me...just a few minutes from their house! Really it was a HUGE relief not to have to THINK, instead just following the car in front of me!

Angela did AWESOME! She's such a great traveler, really. The last half hour was lots of, "I'm so tired mom. Soooo tired!" But she's like her mom and doesn't want to miss a thing!

Today while Tink is working Angela and I will hopefully be hooking up with friends from the DS community. I can't wait!

Almost ready!

Angela woke up at 4:30 this morning, "It's Wednesday! Time to go to New York!" She *really* didn't want to go to school today, preferring to stay home and help me pack, when in reality I needed her to go to school so I could pack. LOL

The last load of laundry just got thrown into the dryer so it's done before I have to leave, and while it's drying I'm going to make a quick Walmart run. The house is NOT picked up but I will try to do a little quick before we get on the road.

Dean is going to have a busy fun time while I'm gone. ;-) Zurri is in heat and will be ready for breeding over the weekend. Roman is back and will require a huge amount of watching so we don't end up with the wrong kind of puppies, and...oh yeah...we'll have an extra dog here..Zurri's boyfriend.

31 for 21

It's right around the corner! October is Down Syndrome awareness month, and with it comes the 2nd annual "31 for 21" blog challenge. Last year I really had a great time participating, and look forward to doing so again this year! If you'd like to participate, contact Tricia and let her know. Don't forget to grab the code for your button!

In my spare time

Yesterday I didn't have anything better to do so I decided to teach
one of my dogs to ride in the sidecar. I've worked with 2 of the dogs
already and neither of them are too thrilled with the idea. But
Roman...aahhh Roman my red mini poodle. He's game for anything if it
means he's with Mom, so he was my victim yesterday.

I got him some mini doggles (which are too damn cute!) and a harness,
which I buckled to Angela's harness in the sidecar. He seemed ok with
that, so we took a ride up the street, and he just sat there looking
not at all nervous. Of course I gave him lots of treats while we were
doing this, so that helped!

A few times up the side streets, and as fast as 40 mph and he seemed
just fine, so we headed out onto the highway. That's when he decided
he didn't like the doggles. Actually, he's due to have his face
trimmed and I think he just couldn't see around the stuff in his eyes.

Anyway, I wouldn't say he ENJOYED the ride, but I wouldn't say he was
scared either. Maybe slightly confused about the doggles on his face,
but otherwise he seemed fine. This weekend I plan to work with him on
being in there longer than 10 minutes at a time.

I love the smiles my rig brings to the faces of older men who wish
they had one, and small kids who wish they were riding in it. And it's
pretty clear Angela is the coolest kid in 6th grade!

We're GOING

Angela and I are going to New York!!!! I sooo want Dean to come along, but he can't take any time off work. He's really disappointed that he has to miss it. But...Angela and I are going! Unfortunately it's too late to get decent airfare so we're going to have to drive, but she and I both like road trips, so we'll enjoy the time.

Here's the plan. We'll drive to my friend Tink's house next week. Then on Sunday morning her husband will drop us off at the train. Since I'm clueless about the area, I have a friend who will be meeting us on the train along the way, and she will hold me hand all the way to New York, and then to Central Park where the Buddy Walk is being held.

I can't believe we get to go to New York! Have I mentioned I've never been there and have always wanted to go?

UGH! This makes me SICK!

This article appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune today. "State Facility Impropertly Handcuffed Retarded Residents". Need I say more? Probably not, but I will.

So, residents were handcuffed for things like biting their own hands, bumping into staff or other residents, going outside without a coat, or touching a pizza box. This went on for TWO YEARS! That means some new administrator or other leadership position decided one day that this would be a good way to control the behavior of residents. Who made that person GOD? The fact that the rest of the staff went along with it makes me even more sick. These are the type of people that scare us parents to death. Will THEY be caring for our kids after we're gone?


"When family members and guardians complained or demanded that restraints not be used, the staff threatened retaliation by limiting visiting times and withholding information, the report said."

Please please tell me that administrator is gone!

And training. Where's the training? The article states "Opheim noted that budget cuts in recent years have sharply reduced the amount of resources for staff training at the Extended Treatment Program." Shouldn't that be one of the first things on the list? I mean, you can't care for the residents if you don't know how to care for them! Good grief!!!!

HOM furniture: What happened with that?

Someone asked me what happened with our HOM furniture problems. Well, I'll be more than happy to tell you. HOM Furniture stores SUCK!

First, you may remember a year ago in May we bought 2 pieces from HOM. A beautiful entertainment center to the tune of $2600. We picked it out not only because it was very unique, but because we could close and lock all the electronics away, protecting them when Angela gets in a mood and the remotes start flying! We also bought a leather sectional about the same price. Plus $190 for delivery. Because the leather was "custom" dyed, none of the furniture was delivered until August. When they arrived we went out and bought a TV specifically to fit inside this huge unit.

In May of this year I noticed a major defect with the entertainment center. On all the uprights all the laminate was coming unglued. Upon further inspection (looking into the corners with a flashlight because the lighting in that room is horrible.) I found that the stain was flaking off all over the place! Frustrated, I called HOM and told them about the issue, so they sent someone out.

By the time the guy came, we'd also discovered a major problem with the leather sectional as well. The guy agreed the entertainment center needed to be replaced, as did one ene (which equals two pieces) of the sectional.

We went to HOM to pick out a new entertainment center. Remember, we had specifications (has to be able to PROTECT the electronics AND fit the huge tv we bought to put in it!) We couldn't find one single thing in the store to fit the bill. Not only that, but we found the display model of our entertainment unit, and guess what? It had the SAME defects, only someone had tried to fix them.

We finally called customer service and told them we wanted our money back on the entertainment center. We couldn't find anything to fit our needs. However THEIR policy was to REPLACE or give store credit, NOT a refund. We explained how we understood that, but they didn't HAVE anything we could USE! We fought with them for an entire month before they agreed to give us a refund..which two months to get to us. Oh, not only that, but they charged us $195 to pick up the THEIR defective piece of furniture!

As for the leather sectional, we're STILL WAITING for our replacement pieces. They were ordered the end of May, and we were told they'd be here the first week of September. Let's see....today is the 17th.

We have yet to find an entertainment center that suits our needs. All the stores (Schneidermans, Becker, Ashley, etc.) stock from the same catalogs, and it's all crap. We've decided in order to find what we want, we'll have to find some Amish guy to build us a QUALITY piece of furniture!

Now THAT was a first!

Whenever I have the sidecar out, it ALWAYS gets a lot of looks! It's very common for me to come out of a store to find some guy drooling all over my bike. How could they not? It's SO COOL!

Once, while loading a couple bags into the tub, I noticed a man on the opposite side of the parking lot (about 100 yards away) stop in his track and watch me. I finished what I was doing and looked again, and he was still standing there, car door 1/2 open, just watching. I could practically SEE the drool from where I was. I waved, and hollered for him to "C'mon over and take a look!" He spent about 1/2 hour "looking" at Nooner and Spank and talking sidecars with me. I bet he bought one the next day. LOL

A couple weeks ago Dean and I were out on our bikes and stopped at the drug store. As we were pulling out, I noticed a guy who was just throwing his leg over his own bike, STOP with his leg in mid-air to look at my bike. It was dark, and I was in the middle of the lot, waiting for Dean to back out when the guy came walking over to talk to us. I think we sat there a good 15 minutes answering his questions about my way cool ride.

But today, yes today was a first. At least to my knowledge! I took Angela to her Dr. appt, and on the way home, as we came up to a red light, we pulled behind another car into the left turn lane. To my right, I noticed the car next to us didn't pull all the way up to the line. I turned my head to look, just in time to see Angela waving at the guy as he snapped a picture of us!!! I smiled back, then said, "Hey! That's 5 bucks!" (I was half serious! LOL)

I have to admit that I love the attention. Mostly it causes Angela to be a mini celebrity wherever we go. As she climbs out of the sidecar people are amazed to not only see this lovely young lady, but as she takes off her helmet they're even more surprised to see she has Down Syndrome. (Like..if she has DS she wouldn't be capable of sitting in that thing????) But whatever it is that fascinates them, it causes them to TALK to her. It gives her something to talk about with THEM, and causes smiles all around. It's given her typical peers at school something to be envious of. They are GREEN with envy, and I love every second of it. After all, there are lots of things in THEIR lives that they get to do that she just isn't physically able to do. But riding in a sidecar? How many kids get to do THAT?

So I'm thinking somewhere on a MN blog is a picture of my sidecar taken by some guy sitting at a stoplight. LOL

Update

So, Friday we went back to the ped. (not her regular one, who was at a conference.) Her fever was gone, and she was talkative (vs. falling asleep in the middle of a sentences and on the xray table the day before!) The doctor decided not to repeat the blood work since she was improving.

Friday night her regular ped. called to say her urine cultured high levels of E-coli, which isn't unusual for her. So clearly a UTI, but according to the doctor "Not a typical presentation of UTI, but then again, this IS Angela we're talking about!"

By that time Angela was already at her dad's for the weekend. I didn't hear from him all weekend and figured no news is good news.

He brought her home tonight, and she was very chatty and talkative,and no fever, but her color is horrible. He said last night she went to bed at 5:00 and didn't wake up till 10:00 this morning. After she came home she was in bed for the night at 7:00.

If it's nice out tomorrow I'll be bringing her back to the doctor. I say if it's nice, because when we got home my Tahoe won't start and so my only vehicle is the sidecar. Lovely.

Update

Update: Ok, temp was 102 point something. She is temder around her hip/upper abdomen, but difficult for the dr. to isolate EXACTLY where. She's walking fine on it though. We did a hip xray, and pelvic xray...both fine, although they did see alot of stool in her colon, but not enough or in the right area to warrant the tenderness. We put her on ducolax to clean her out.

Because of her history of UTI's, we did a Urinalysis, and while it had a elevated white count to indicate a slight infection, not enough to warrant the high fever. (and also, Angela doesn't usually run fevers with UTI's, but hey...ya just never know.) Nor the tenderness. We put her on an antibiotic for that. She is NOT tender around her ovaries or appendix (I have this vague memory that she doesn't HAVE an appendix, but I don't remember why I know this. It's possible it was one of my other kids, or that I dreamed it. Although, two of her brothers had theirs out. Who knows???)

Her CBC was only slightly skewed. Of course, the only number I remember was her White count was 8,000, which is within normal ranges. Her platelet count was on the low end of normal. Can't remember what the exact number was...

Anyway, her regular doctor is in a conference today and tomorrow (naturally) but the dr. we saw called her anyway. She said to start the anti's tonight, and come back tomorrow morning and repeat the blood work, and that we may have to repeat it again on Monday.

So that's what I know....tomorrow I'll write down all the numbers so I can remember it once I've walked out the door of the dr's office!

Trying not to freak out

I've already talk to Ann,(my good friend who's 5 year old son John just finished 3 years of chemo for ALL) who tried her best to calm my fears. But, I'm still freaking out, and with each additional phone call I make, or keyword search on Google, I get a little more freaked out.

A few days ago Angela started complaining about her hip. She was holding the area at the top of the hip bone, and grinding her teeth. She was crying REAL tears (very unlike her to EVER cry, even during blood draws and stuff) and woke up several times during the night crying in pain. There was no bruising, and she's bearing weight on it just fine. The next morning she seemed ok.

Yesterday she went to school and was fine. However, she came home, went for a short walk with me when she said, "I wanna go home get a drink, and take a nap."

yes....Angela asked to take a nap.

We came home, at without eating dinner, at 5:00, she got herself into her PJ's and went to bed for the night. I woke her up at 9:30 so she could watch herself on TV (another post....sorry).

This morning, after 14 hours of sleep, I DRAGGED her out of bed for school. Once awake she was fine, ate breakfast and went to school. However, they called me at 11:30 (she comes home at 12:30) to say she was begging to go to bed, and complaining about her hip.

At this very moment she's in my bed, crying hysterically because her hip hurts, and she's got the chills from the fever she's running. She got up to get a drink and could barely hold the glass because of the tremmors. I just went in there to try to calm her down but she doesn't want me to touch her.

I'm taking her in, but because her chart is flagged that she needs extra time, I can't get her in until 2:45. That's an hour and a half away, which with her crying and in pain seems more like 3 days away.

I just got off the phone with Ann again. Poor Ann always gets my phone calls when I'm near hysteria. It doesn't help that we're dealing with other major issues right now with Tyler, and that we're supposed to be out of town this weekend for my parent's 50th anniversary.

An hour and a half.....Angela is no longer crying, and is instead moaning in bed. Still won't let me touch her. I don't want to give her Tylenol as it will mask the fever when we go in.

I'm praying for strep or synovirus or something else that doesn't require this level of freaking out but that all of us do anyway when something like this happens.

My internet connection is sporadic right now. If I can't get online to update I'll call Ann and let her do it. Sorry Ann.

WOW!

You remember my twin Tink? On Labor Day her daughter sang the National Anthem at the race track. When you listen to them, her daughter Anna is the harmonizing voice, the one you hear the most, and that hits the high notes. Stuff like this gives me the chills.

Life Support

I put my computer on life support overnight, and was able to revive it. This morning it's functioning on it's own, but I don't know how much time it has. Could be hours, days, or even weeks, it's just hard to tell. Lets just enjoy it while it's here, shall we?

Disconnected

Ok, I think my computer is officially trash. About 2 weeks ago, while using Word, that program would shut down in the middle of whatever important project I was working on. (it's always the few times I do something "important" that something happens! This one happened to be my parent's 50th anniversary project!) Then a few days ago it stopped registering that it was connected to the modem, and now won't read the modem at all.

So, if you're trying to reach me via email...forget it. Also, if you're trying to reach me via cell, forget that too! Mine is disconnected for several weeks as I try to scrape together funds for New York.

Right now I'm at the library so I could finish my parent's project for their party this weekend. The library near our house is closed for remodeling so I had to find a different one. What a pita.

Anyway, My posts will be few and far between till I can get things figured out.

On a good note, the house is clean. ;-)

Building and Bowling

We got that darned play set up! The 500 page instruction booklet says, "two skilled craftsmen: Approximately 24 work hours". Ummmm I would not call Dean and I "skilled". We're not dumb, and we can read directions and stuff, but we are not skilled.

Angela's favorite PCA Brett was DYING to help us build this thing. So Saturday morning I picked him up in the sidecar (his first sidecar ride, which he loved...I think.) and we were working by 10:30. We did the very first 2 or 3 steps and had to re-do them a couple of times because boards were the wrong way. This caused some frustration, (and a bad word or two) and to be honest, I was really worried that this project was bigger than us! Once we figured out the quirks of the instruction book though, things went much more smoothly.

At 7:00 I came in the house to make dinner and realized I had totally forgotten a birthday party Angela was supposed to attend, that started at 5:00! It was a hotel pool party until 9:00 so we ran over there. The big pool had been closed due to a toileting accident by a little one, but the small pool with all the great water toys was open and Angela has a BLAST playing in there! And really, and hour and a half was her LIMIT anyway, so it turned out to be a perfect evening.

Sunday morning Brett was here at 7:00 a.m.! That boy is ruthless! He was so excited to see this thing going up that he gave up his only day to sleep in to come help with it. He was able to stay until noon before he had to leave for a family event. He didn't WANT to leave though. He was soooo excited. It didn't seem we had that much further to go. Dean and I took a break for a short rain, and worked until 8:00 pm last night. We got the last of the floorboards on, and the roof. Today while Angela's at school I promised to attach the slide. Then Tuesday Dean and I will finish up by attaching the swingset part that's still in the box.

We did make a modification to the struction, and still aren't sure it will work. We turned the swingset portion so instead of making one long structure it's now "L" shaped. I did remember that my video camera takes still pictures as well, so I took LOTS of them. Now, if only I can figure out how to get them on my computer. I seem to have lost my firewire for uploading from my camera.

Other fun for the weekend. Angela started Special Olympics bowling yesterday. She skipped two years due to her HUGE ventral hernia, but got to okay to bowl this year. We've bowled for fun a few times over the last year though. For Special Olympics, if you bowl with bumpers you can't bowl in the tournaments. In the past, the athletes who needed bumpers could bowl with everyone else, they just couldn't participate in the tournaments. But this year, because we have such a H-U-G-E team and not enough coaches, (really, I think it's too big and needs to be split.) the bumper bowlers can't participate. So...this is Angela's first year without bumpers.

It didn't go so well, and one mom was really annoying me. Her daughter, who is much older and can bowl without much instruction was paired up with Angela. She kept wondering out loud why they paired up the athletes the way they did (I reminded her that this coach is new to the team and doesn't know ALL the kids, so the first week it's inevitable.) and after Angela's 15th gutter ball that got stuck 1/2 way down the isle she asked me, "So at what point do "they" decide a kid should be bowling with bumpers? I said, "Ummm it's really not up to the coaches, but the parents. Angela's at the point where the bumpers aren't helping her learn how to get the ball where it needs to go. You know, if you don't want your daughter bowling with her, how about you talk to the coach instead of me?" She really irritated me. I totally understood her frustration, as her daughter (who seemed fine with it) was having to wait a lot. But at the same time, GOOD GRIEF..have some PATIENCE woman and know IT'S THE FIRST WEEK there is stuff to be ironed out!!!!

Angela was being a great sport, and not getting upset with all the gutter balls, and really by the second game was starting to understand she had to keep her eyes on the pins, and that where her arm (sideways) is where the ball would go. I think she and I will be doing some bowling on our own this week so she can get some more practice in.

Prayer please

Ok... I'm not quite sure what to do. Angela's picture is being shown on the Jumbotron (or whatever that big screen in Times Square is called) on the 28th, and I still don't have the money for airline tickets. We have a place to stay, and a hand-holder to get me from the train to Times Square, but...no money to get there in the first place! UGH! My sister asked how much I'd raised in my first-giving funds. Apparently she (and maybe others?) thought those funds were for the trip. THEY'RE NOT! Those go directly to the National Down Syndrome Society.

All I can do right now is ask people to pray for this. That those funds come in. I mean, it's kind of a big deal for your kid's face to be shown 40 feet tall in the middle of Times Square, right? Something you kinda might wanna be there for!

There is a few thousand dollars that is owed to me. Some of it was paid back in July, but I haven't seen any since. If even $500 were to come in, I could manage the airline tickets.

So that's what I'm praying for this week...money to get to New York.

Call Before You Dig

Ok...I kinda fell off the planet for a couple of days. Well, not really, but it sure FELT like it! You know that whole "Call Before You Dig" thing? Well, we did call, but it was way back in June when we were getting ready to put the new fence in. LOL Anyway, some of the flags were still up in the area we're putting Angela's playset, and we hand dug around those lines. Unfortunately we discovered the hard way that there was a whole BUNDLE of lines (5 individual cables) that were NOT marked, and so they were severed by the bobcat.

It was a long 4 days without ANY services. Just so happened that the timing of this event coincided with my cell phone bill...well....that's a whole other post. (Tink, I'm still dealing with Sprint from the JULY incident!) which left me absolutely 100% disconnected with the world.

The house is clean, every stitch of laundry is done, and life is good. Just in time too, because we got hooked back up yesterday afternoon!

I've started a new, unrelated blog. "Leah's Off The Couch", which is my attempt to do just that...get off the damn couch. Actually I've been doing pretty well, and am now up to walking 3-4 miles several times per week, but this blog is my journey through the Couch to 5K program. Should be interesting!

Bittersweet

Four and a half years ago Dean and I re-landscaped the back yard. His twin brother wanted to get married here, and we looked around and decided it needed to get done! There is one area that is heavily shaded and NOTHING grows there except moss, so I designed an area with walkways and lots of hostas. It's a pretty area that we never ever ever use. We intended to put a water feature w/bench in one corner, but it just never happened.

Fast forward to yesterday, and the arrival of Angela's new swing set/climber thingy. We measured out the space we needed (37 x 22 1/2!!!!) in a couple different areas, but they all interfere with our view from the house to the pond. (you know, the pond I hate but is still here!) Dean wasn't happy with that AT ALL!

And then I turned and saw this beautiful area. This picture was taken in the early spring when the hastas are just starting to come up, so they're still small in the picture. Really though, these pictures don't do it justice.


Oh, edited to add: Here's the same area later in the summer. Look how SMALL Angela was!!!


This area just happens to be JUST the right size! Not only that, but for my kid who has Anhidrosis (inability to sweat) the fact that it's in full shade ALL DAY LONG means she can play and play without overheating like she would in the full sun in another part of the yard.

Anyway, yesterday I stared the arduous task of ripping it all up. My heart is crying tears, because I love this spot so much. It's lush, and green, and very quiet. As I was removing plants, hoping I wasn't doing the wrong thing, I realized that most of the hastas were ready to be divided, and were becoming unhealthy because they hadn't been yet. I also noticed that one of the varieties really wasn't doing all that well there, compared the same ones planted in a different area of the yard. There are also ferns, which I had transplanted from the woods. Previous years they've been lush and beautiful, but this year they've been trampled by the dogs and are suffering. I think they're going to like their new home better.

I have already removed all of the rock borders, and I have about 1/2 the plants removed, and placed in the location of their new homes. (though they still need to be divided and actually planted.) which I think will look really nice when it's done. It will also (hopefully) deter the dogs from digging under the fence. They're not doing it yet, but they're certainly interested in that area right now! Their noses are constantly under the fence by the woods! I still have to remove all pea rock, and the fabric underlayment, and THEN I have to find someone with a bobcat to come level the area. When all that is done, then we can start building the climber.

Yesterday Angela very eagerly helped remove rocks....for about 10 minutes...That's when she realized, "Oh no! My hands are dirty! LOOK MOM! My hands are DIRTY! I'm going to go wash my hands!!!" (this from the kid who I'm constantly fighting with to get her to wash her hands! LOL)

Well, that's enough of a break for now. Time to get back to digging hastas!

McCain Chooses Palin as VP pick

Well, this is kind of excited. First, she's a woman, and secondly, last spring she and her husband had a baby with Down Syndrome last spring.

Now, I usually stay away from politics. Many years ago, when I was in my early 20's (wow, that WAS "many years ago", wasn't it? LOL) I was very involved in politics, and even spoke in the Rotunda at the MN State Capital on two different occasions. But since then I've stayed out of the mayhem. I also like to keep my views to myself. It's not a debate in which I choose to participate, because I'm not going to be changing anyone's minds about which candidate they do/don't support. Besides, I'm not even sure I like EITHER candidate running in this campaign. I know I prefer one only slightly over the other, but actually prefer the write in Ron Paul over both of them. I was really tempted to not even vote at all this year, but then I wouldn't have the right to complain about who does get voted in if I don't like him. ;-)

So, why am I posting this then? Because if McCain gets voted in, that little guy with DS is going to be at the podium with the rest of his family, and for the next four years the United States is going watch this little guy with DS grow up and be just like every other 4 year old. THAT, my friends, is very exciting to me!

And no, I'm not going to vote based on who has what kids. Or vote for a candidate just because his VP pick has a child with DS. I'm not THAT shallow! There are a lot of issues involved in this race, as there are with every race. I just think that for those who have been on the fence, this could make things quite interesting.

It's here! It's here!

The new playground thingy is here! I can't believe this thing fits in FIVE boxes. (ok, they're big boxes, but still.) On the outside of one of the boxes it says, "Actual swing set dimentions" and gives those, then it has "Safe play area dimensions 37' X 22.6"" Dean saw that and....well....the look on his face was priceless. :-)

GASP

Found this on another blog today. Can you say, "OUCH!" (click on the picture to make it bigger so you can read it. AND, don't read with a kid over your shoulder.)

Because I'm supposed to be working

Back Yard Fun

Ohhhh I can hardly stand it!

Our yard is very boring for Angela. Other than a lovely fence we put in this spring to keep her in it, there's nothing for her to do. We had a cheapo swingset that was flat out dangerous, and a pond she gets into trouble with by throwing non-pond items into. Other than that...NOTHING! I've been looking all over for a back yard climber thing that not only is big enough for a "big kid" (who's small for her age. LOL) but is also something we can afford. There was a Rainbow System that would have been perfect, and she could have played on it till she's 25....IF I wanted to spend $4,000 on it!

Anyway, I've spent all summer digging around online, and finally ran accross WillyGoat Inc. What a great site! They have lots of very affordable options, most of which come with the lumber pre-cut, pre-drilled and treated. We ordered a set for Angela today, and it should be here in time for us to spend Labor Day weekend putting it together. LOL Here's a picture of the set we ordered. Dean is going to hate love me. To put it into perspective, the slide is 10 feet long. Dave, if you're reading this...don't tell Dean how big it is yet! We'll just let him learn about that as we go, shall we? LOL (hey! It had to be big enough for a big kid, remember?)


Those of you who know Angela know she's been DYING for a "playhouse" that she can fit inside of and use as a hiding spot, and play with her real AND pretend friends. In fact, it was the #2 item on her Make A Wish list when the interviewed her. Her specifications were, "It has to be HIGH, have a slide, and swings, and be red." Well, this one just about fits. I'm not painting it red though!

Reaching Goals

Some of you may remember that I was accepted into a study of weight loss programs. The specific study I'm in is for Jenny Craig. JC PAYS for the study, but they don't conduct it. It's actually being conducted by 4 universities nation wide, one of them being the University of Minnesota.

Anyway, I started the second week of January, and had lost about 8 lbs when I shattered my wrist which sent me back on a downward spiral. Since then I have stopped and started JC several times, the last time in June. So, I've been two straight months off JC and just feeling crappy about. Talk about feeling like a failure.

I do have my excuses though, and one of them is Dean. It's really hard to sit and eat my little tiny dessert when Dean is sitting next to me eating this mountain high bowl of my favorite chocolate cereal! UGH! Or ice cream...or...or....or. Chai Lattes don't exactly help out either! (add the vinte size and 2 extra pumps! LOL)

Well, 6 months ago Dean quit smoking. I'm so proud of him. What a HUGE feat! For 35 years he's been a 2 pack a day smoker. He used Chantix for the first month, and then just quit. He's just now starting to feel better, but as happens to many smokers, he immediately put on weight. In fact, 25 pounds of weight. He was overweight to begin with, but this really put him over the edge emotionally.

Finally it was decided...we'd do JC together. He got a spouse discount which helps some. It's still expensive, but I believe well worth it. We started last week, and I must say, I'm a bit jealous! Men loose weight much faster than women! Holy cow! The Wii scale seems to be pretty accurate, and since my very expensive scale was mysteriously broken while we were out of town, we've been weighing on the Wii instead. However, tomorrow is our first official JC weigh in together. Dean has lost DOUBLE what I have. According to the Wii, he's down close to 10 lbs, and I'm down 5. Tomorrow I'll post our official weights. Well, mine anyway. I'll have to ask Dean if it's ok to post his.

Jenny Craig is an interesting program. I had done Nutri System before, and...OMG...their food is HORRIBLE! I don't know how people eat it, because it is just plain nasty! The frozen Jenny Craig food is very much like Lean Cuisine. They have some that are not frozen but I can't bring myself to eat them, as it reminds me too much of Nutri System stuff. You don't have to get them though, instead choosing foods from their menu, then adding in your own fresh fruits and veggies. The biggest thing about JC is making you aware of appropriate portion sizes. Once you're half way to your goal weight they start weaning you off their program and start you doing more of your own cooking. It's stuff we all know, but sometimes you need to be accountable to someone other than yourself to get you to your goal.

We're very happy with our choice to do JC, and to do it together. As part of the study, once every 6 months I have to go back to the U of M for a check-up. They do weight, blood work, a physical fitness test, and then several questionares about how things are going. When I went for my June check-up, my coordinator was telling me about another woman in the study who's husband and daughter decided to join as well. Between the three of them, in the first 6 months they'd lost over 100 lbs. WOW!!! That is just awesome! Dean and I have about that much to loose between the two of us.

And, one more thing about this goal of mine. Angela was delivered by emergency c-section. Sometimes, when the procedure is done in a hurry, it's not done quite the same way as if it was planned ahead of time. In my case, Angela was nearly dead in utero and they were really in a hurry to get her out. The way the scar formed, and how I was put back together didn't work so well, so my belly is a mess. Dean told me the other day that when I reach 160, he will pay for me to get my belly fixed!!! (aka, a tummy tuck) I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I'd love to do this before Christmas, but that might be pushing it since we should have a litter of puppies here at that time. Maybe right after Christmas so it's done and I'm back to myself before we leave for Arizona in March? That means I have 25 pounds to get to my tummy tuck goal. My ultimate weight goal is 155, but I'll loose about 5 lbs with a tummy tuck. :-)

How others see me

Ok...so I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes, and a little bit...well...I don't know what, really.

You've been reading about my epic journey, and I'm sure you're probably tired of it by now. (though I'm not done with it! Just taking a thinking break! LOL)

Most bikers name their bike, and their bikes are either male or female. No...really...this is how it works. You just have a "feel" for the gender of your bike. I knew my bike was male, but I was still working on his name. Nothing was feeling right. I'd been calling him "Red" because...well he IS red. But I knew that wasn't his forever name. And then I added the sidecar which needs it's own name, complicating things since the names have to somehow go together. And, the sidecar is definitely female.

While on the Epic Journey the discussion of bike names came up. (as I'm writing this, I see it I'm getting off on a totally different subject than the title of the post.) As we spent the trip laughing, joking and getting to know each other, we also learned the personalities of each bike. We even PRAYED for a name for my bike. No...really.

Finally it came to us. I think it came to Tink, but I really don't remember. We named him "Nooner", and sometime over the winter I'll have his name emblazoned somewhere on his body. Nooner for the quick rides I can take when I need to. (both in the literal and figurative sense.)

But I still needed to name the sidecar. Bev and I left the others in Sault Ste. Marie, MI and headed south west to home. Somewhere along the way, little tubby's name popped into my head as I rounded a particularly beautiful corner. "Spank". Spank is the little sidekick. A companion when I need one. Secure in herself to keep my little rider safe.

Nooner and Spank....my ride...That's how I see my bike.

But how do others see me? (Ha! You thought I'd have trouble getting back to the title, didn't you?) Do you ever wonder that? How others see you? Well, this morning my friend Tink added another blog entry about the Epic Journey. (she's a brand new blogger and it took awhile to convince her she could do this, so she's a bit behind.) Today's entry is about us...the women who went on the epic journey with her. For some reason her entry about me made me cry. It's taken me a few minutes to figure out why, but I have. First of all, she GETS me! There are very few people on the world who totally understand me. I'm not even completely sure my own mother understands me, but Tink does. That's because Tink is me with a (much) smaller body, longer hair, living on the east coast instead of Minnesota. Secondly...she totally hit the nail on the head. If you know me in person, you'll see she's right on. If you've never met me before, you can now know exactly who I am.

Bussing

You may remember this post where I had to choose what type of bussing angela would recieve this year, and this post where I was stressing about the regular ed pick-up spot. Well, yesterday I received Angela's bus card in the mail, and she'll be picked up right at the end of our driveway, just like she has been for the past 3 school years. Oh man, I'm so relieved!

Open House Update

We walked in the door, and into a crowd of about 1,000 excited 6th graders and their confused parents. We were handed a pack of forms (that actually came in the mail a couple weeks ago too) and we sat down at tables to fill them out. As soon as I sat down there was this ear piercing shrieking noise and alot of movement behind me. It was Angela's classmates from last year coming to say hello to her, and drag her away to meet more screeching friends and new teachers. It left a big smile on my face!

We dropped off the forms at the appropriate tables. Wrote out checks for lunch money, year book, signed up from some stuff I don't even remember, got nabbed by those at the volunteer table and signed my life away, and took school pictures (yet another check. LOL)

While in line for pictures Angela was talking to someone behind me. When I finally paid attention it was my new friend Jennifer. She had contacted me from one of the DS sites last year, and they were thinking about moving to the area, wanted to know about school districts and stuff. Then last spring when they came house hunting we got together for breakfast. Here they were, getting her older son set up for school. Her little guy with DS is a 1st grader and going to the elementary school Angela was at. It was nice to see them, and you might be seeing her here!

Then we hooked up with the lead special ed teacher who will also be Angela's speech teacher. So far I really like her. She didn't talk to me, she mostly talked to Angela in 'big kid talk". I asked her about swim team and she said they have to be in 7th grade, so one more year to work on strokes and stuff. She told me about the adaptive rec program which I didn't even know existed! Sounds like fun. Floor hockey, soccer, softball, etc. all right there after school. Cool! Angela will really enjoy this!

Update on the choppers

Angela had her twice yearly dentist visit today. Here's the run-down.

Right side, top of the mouth:
Where Angela recently lost a tooth, and there's no new one visible behind it, there IS on xray, but it's very high up and only the very tip is visible on xray. The dentist said it looks malformed and will likely have to be pulled based on the way it's coming it. However, it's so high up it's going to be a long time before/if it ever comes in.

Right side bottom:
She has one baby molar she hasn't lost yet that does have a new one right behind it. He's surprised it's not loose yet, and that one may have to be pulled so the new one comes in straight.

She has one 12 year molar just coming in, but there isn't any room for it.

Left side top:
Everything looks great! One molar with no adult tooth behind it, but baby tooth is still good and firm.

Left side bottom:
no 12 year molar visible or on xray.
Two baby molars with no adult teeth behind them. So that's 3 teeth together with no baby teeth behind them. They're not very stable, which is probably why she doesn't chew on that side. He said once those teeth become loose we'll put implants in to prevent her bone from breaking down.

No cavities, but serious risk of gum disease because her brushing isn't very good. (thanks to those pesky poor fine motor skills.) Dentist told her "You can brush in the morning, but Mom gets to brush at night." Then he put her on a trickle file where about once a month he'll call and leave a message for her stating the same.

THANK YOU!

I've had a couple new donations to Angela's Angels this week. Thanks to my cousin Brandon and his new bride Heather. And congratulations on your new life together!!!!

Thank you, also, to the APC company for your generous donation!

Tomorrow (Angela's Thoughts)

*note* Angela wrote this in a word doc. with some help with punctuation, and spelling because she wanted me to spell everything for her. I have to remind her to add words like "is" and "the" and "and".

Tomorrow is school. Not really school. Tomorrow is open house. I'm in 6th grade. It's open house.

I will bring my school supplies to school. Get my new locker. Meet my teachers. I will see all my friends. Monica and Drew and Julia. Tomorrow is open house.

First, I have a dentist appointment. I have to hold very still for the dentist. He will clean my teeth. Then its time for open house. No swimming tomorrow. No diving for me. Nope. Straight to open house. Not Tyler. Not Aaron. Not Noah. Just me at open house.

No pulling girls hair. No pushing those boys. Not nice. Nope. Only touch nice. Don't touching girls braids. Remember words please move away. Hands in my pockets is safe hands.

I'm not sleep tonight. Nope. No sleeping for me. 6th grade. Tomorrow is open house.

No boys allowed! (except Grampa!)

First of all, have I mentioned I'm dying without a camera? It's been a MONTH since I've been able to put new pictures on my site and it's really starting to get to me!

Ok, onto the blog....

My parents 50th anniversary was in July, but we're having the big party next month. I've been put in charge of doing a photo montage, so have spent several months collecting pictures of the last 50 years. This was NO easy task! My parents have moved/combined/divided houses 3 times in the last 6 years, so most things were in storage, only nobody knew exactly where! I'm still missing some critical pictures of my brother growing up. I keep thinking there is no way I'm going to get this done, while at the same time having NO CLUE what order I want to put these pictures in. Do I want to do it chronologically, or by event, or what? I know this is one of those God inspired projects and that in the end it will be exactly what he intended, but still....

Anyway, in my quest for more pictures I decided Angela and I needed a girls only trip away. My parents live 4 hours away (if you don't stop) and the weather was beautiful so we decided to take the sidecar up. Angela LOVES her sidecar! She is a great traveler in it, but on a long trip like this it does require more stopping! I try to divide the food and gas stops so there are more opportunities for her to move around.

Because we got a late start (had to have some friends over to play Wii, right Kathy?) we didn't get to Mom and Dad's until 9:00. Dad is alone for a few weeks since mom is in Ireland, so we broke up his bachelor time a bit. We spent Thursday evening chatting with Grandpa, and Angela gave him lots of love'in that she doesn't get many opportunities to do!

Friday morning was spent in the "shed" digging through boxes. While I was doing that Angela found a wagon and had a blast pulling her imaginary friends over my parent's place.

I also took the memory card out of my mom's camera and uploaded it to her computer because there were family pics on there I needed. (before she left she told me I could do this, I promise!) and burned those to a disk. AND, I stumbled on a box that has one of my favorite pictures of Angela in it! It's a favorite because I only have a couple of pictures with her with her favorite uncle, my brother Lynn.

For a year or so after our divorce, my brother lived with Angela's dad, so she became VERY close to him, but for the past 5 years he's lived up north near my parents. Her dad does take her fishing up there once in awhile so she gets to see him more than her other aunts/uncles. When she was little she couldn't say his name, so she called him Uncle Dee, which she sometimes still uses. Uncle Dee is pretty rough around the edges, and is one of those men who frighten small children with his laugh. But, if you remember from my biker posts, Angela likes the scary looking guys! LOL

Anyway, the photo hunt was a partial success. Then Angela and I headed home by noon on Friday (yep, a short trip) and met her dad on the way so she could spend the weekend with him, and I could come home and help prepare for Aaron's graduation party. Again...NO CAMERA! UGH!

Here's the picture of Angela and her Uncle Dee taken a couple years ago. (this is his cleaned-up look. We must have had a recent wedding or something! LOL)

WE'RE IN! (the video, that is)

I received an email this morning saying that Angela's picture was chosen for the New York Buddy Walk video, to be shown in Times Square! WHOO HOO!!!! Now, I just need to raise the funds to get Angela and I to New York so we can see it!

The video will be shown on the Astro Vision in the middle of Times Square. Imagine, seeing your kids face up there!!! WOW!

I've always wanted to go to New York, and I can't think of a better reason to go! You may notice that I still have my First Giving button up. A special thank you to those of you who felt led to contribute. There is still time, so if you can spare $5, $10, $20...whatever you think you can, we would sure appreciate it. These funds are NOT for Angela and I, but for the National Down Syndrome Society, who helps new and existing families who have members blessed with DS.