Some days around here are harder than others. It's like that for everyone right? Of course. Life is full of up and downs and a whole array of emotions. Life has taught me to feel all of them, the euphoric happiness and the gut wrenching sadness, and everything in between.
Life is teaching me lots of lessons.
A couple of weeks ago I went out for dinner and drinks with a long time friend who I hadn't seen in awhile. As we sat across the table from one another and reminisced about our “glory” days of high school. Who we dated, the things we did even when we knew we shouldn't have, senior camping and parties we went to. The things we thought would make or break us back then, because when you are 17 you feel like almost every situation will make or break you right? We came to the realization that although our parents lovingly sent us to private Christian school and we were to see all of the kiss we went to school with as Gods children, well we were shallow back then. We weren't always nice and we sometimes put others down to build up our own egos. Because again, when you are a girl in high school there doesn't seem to be anything more important than yourself and how other people perceive you. I mean how people saw us was how we perceived ourselves really. We partied and did the stupid things because we wanted to but also because we were too insecure to admit that maybe we were hurting or missing something.
This brings me to today. What life is teaching me. Some days I wake up and I forget for about the first five minutes what life has thrown my way. I forget that almost four years ago the dream I had of a typical third child was pulled out from under me. That although it doesn't feel like it while I am in it, when I sit back I realize, it is more work to have a child with special needs. I like to call it nickel and dime extra work, little things here and there. Yes, the first five minutes feel so calm. Then it hits me, I do in fact have a non typical child. This brings a smile to my face. Ironic huh?
You see the shallow girl of my youth comes back to my mind. The one who judged based on appearances. The one who felt bad for the people who faced adversity in life. The one who was so insecure she did the stupid things because she thought that would be the thing that would fill the hole in her life where the loneliness was.
I think of the times I should have interceded for someone who was being mocked, I think of the times I could have gone and sat with the kid who didn't have someone to sit with. After all wasn't I that kid before? Long before high school. Wasn't I the “chubby” (I hate that phrase by the way) girl in elementary school who was mocked because the only thing that fit well were sweat pants? Indeed I was. So why didn't I see how that hurts and do something?
Fear. What would people say if I tried to stop them from being a jerk to someone? Who would stop liking me?
And this brings me full circle back to the first five minutes, well actually minute 6 and beyond.
God and I have always this great thing worked out where we both know I need to be molded into a new creation, pretty continually but sometimes in a major way. God knows that my skull is thick and I have a stubborn streak. So he has this amazing way of smacking me upside the head and showing me to get down to business.
Minute 6 hits and I hear that sweet boy down the hall from my bed. I hear him yell “Mum!” And I remember the woman who would have and did feel bad for the parent who had the kid with special needs. And I am grateful that is not who I am anymore. Still a work in progress, but not the woman I once was.
Some days are hard. Life gives you a different perspective and you feel the hurts deeper. However, you also feel the happy deeper as well. You notice the injustices in the world more often, they were always there, you just didn't see them. This inspires you to change what you can. What a wonderful thing to be able to leave the world better than the day you found it.
Life is teaching me new thing every day. Every minute sometimes, for that I am grateful.
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Sunday, January 25, 2015
My thoughts...
If you are not in a mood to hear something about Down syndrome then I encourage you to exit stage right now. The following will likely sound jumbled and scattered because that is where my mind is at right now.
So Owen is almost two! Can I just say how crazy that sounds to me. There are many days that it feels like yesterday and many that feel like we have Owen in our family for forever.
The older Owen gets the further the developmental chasm is between him and his peers around the same age. Most of the time because of how little Owen is and the fact that he is non verbal I see him as younger than he is. Developmentally he is around 12 months old and guess what? I love it. I get to have this beautiful kid melt into me every morning with a sweet smile on his face. I get to stay in that "baby" stage a little longer with him. He still seems like a baby sometimes but then there are days when he seems like an almost two year old. He pushes his brother and sister over when they take his toy. He smirks when I tell him to stop while he is bolting for the dog dish. He knows he is adorable and plays it up like any other almost two year old. He has started stranger anxiety when we leave him in nursery or with a baby sitter. He is amazing.
So here is the dilemma. I recently read a statistic that 100% of people with Down syndrome have some degree of Alzheimer's by the time they are 50. I don't know the validity of this statistic and I am not claiming to have read any studies in reference to it. There was my disclaimer. :) However I have thought about it. I have thought about the fact that I would hate to lose Owens mind to this disease. It is a sad illness and hard on the person with it as well as friends and family of them.
This is for my non DS friends and family, a little info for you. There are supplements specifically formulated for people with Down syndrome. They are made to combat certain ailments that go with Down syndrome. One of the examples is Alzheimer's. Some help with speech, some help with certain stimulation seeking behavior. There is a plethora of info out there. I have done some reading and research on this. I also, referencing back to my last paragraph, know people with Down syndrome who are over 50 who have not been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
But here are my thoughts. I know this is going to seem very foreign to a lot of people, including those in the DS community. I am ok with that, actually if it was not me saying it I might think it's a little out in left field to some degree. This is coming from a place of my belief system that God wrote each and every day of each of our lives down before we were even born. We all have free will but we also have a predetermined time. Again, I get that this concept and belief sounds ridiculous to some. It does not to me. So when Owen was formed in me God already knew exactly how he was knit together and what he would do in his life. There is this amazing verse in the Bible found in John 9:3. There is a blind man whom Jesus eventually healed but before he did his disciples asked Jesus...who sinned, him or his parents? Clearly there were under the belief that there must be someone to blame. This man had been blind from birth. And this, this is how my God answers!
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him."
I love this! God always works good for those who love him. How awesome is that?!
Back to ailments and development and delays. How far do we go? How long do we push Owen to be as close in development to his peers as he can be? Where do we draw that line? What if God knows what that he will get Alzheimer's at 52? What is the typical kid next to him also has a genetic predisposition to also have it? How proactive will his parents be with no guarantee that anything will change that?
So Owen is almost two! Can I just say how crazy that sounds to me. There are many days that it feels like yesterday and many that feel like we have Owen in our family for forever.
The older Owen gets the further the developmental chasm is between him and his peers around the same age. Most of the time because of how little Owen is and the fact that he is non verbal I see him as younger than he is. Developmentally he is around 12 months old and guess what? I love it. I get to have this beautiful kid melt into me every morning with a sweet smile on his face. I get to stay in that "baby" stage a little longer with him. He still seems like a baby sometimes but then there are days when he seems like an almost two year old. He pushes his brother and sister over when they take his toy. He smirks when I tell him to stop while he is bolting for the dog dish. He knows he is adorable and plays it up like any other almost two year old. He has started stranger anxiety when we leave him in nursery or with a baby sitter. He is amazing.
So here is the dilemma. I recently read a statistic that 100% of people with Down syndrome have some degree of Alzheimer's by the time they are 50. I don't know the validity of this statistic and I am not claiming to have read any studies in reference to it. There was my disclaimer. :) However I have thought about it. I have thought about the fact that I would hate to lose Owens mind to this disease. It is a sad illness and hard on the person with it as well as friends and family of them.
This is for my non DS friends and family, a little info for you. There are supplements specifically formulated for people with Down syndrome. They are made to combat certain ailments that go with Down syndrome. One of the examples is Alzheimer's. Some help with speech, some help with certain stimulation seeking behavior. There is a plethora of info out there. I have done some reading and research on this. I also, referencing back to my last paragraph, know people with Down syndrome who are over 50 who have not been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
But here are my thoughts. I know this is going to seem very foreign to a lot of people, including those in the DS community. I am ok with that, actually if it was not me saying it I might think it's a little out in left field to some degree. This is coming from a place of my belief system that God wrote each and every day of each of our lives down before we were even born. We all have free will but we also have a predetermined time. Again, I get that this concept and belief sounds ridiculous to some. It does not to me. So when Owen was formed in me God already knew exactly how he was knit together and what he would do in his life. There is this amazing verse in the Bible found in John 9:3. There is a blind man whom Jesus eventually healed but before he did his disciples asked Jesus...who sinned, him or his parents? Clearly there were under the belief that there must be someone to blame. This man had been blind from birth. And this, this is how my God answers!
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him."
I love this! God always works good for those who love him. How awesome is that?!
Back to ailments and development and delays. How far do we go? How long do we push Owen to be as close in development to his peers as he can be? Where do we draw that line? What if God knows what that he will get Alzheimer's at 52? What is the typical kid next to him also has a genetic predisposition to also have it? How proactive will his parents be with no guarantee that anything will change that?
These thoughts are swirling in my head, over and over. Our family has been through a lot in the past 9 months. Most people have no idea what all we have been dealing with and honestly I am not comfortable sharing with the world. What I do know is that we are stronger than we thought. I know that you can think you are prepared for almost anything and then the floor drops out beneath you. I know my kid will never be at the same level as his peers across the board. And you know what? I love that part of him too. I love that he touches people in the depths of who they are because of how God created him different from lots of other kids. I don't know what his, what any of our, future hold but I know without a doubt that we are not alone on this journey. I don't know when or if we will start those supplements, we will make sure to keep Owen, and Paige and Blake as healthy as we can. The rest is in God's hands.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Enough
Last week I had the pleasure of having a moms night out with some ladies from church. We actually got to see a sneak peek of the movie Moms Night Out. Loved it and can't wait until my sisters and moms can see it when it comes out in May.
Basically the main character in the movie is struggling that she cannot get ahead in her life. She can't get ahead of the laundry, the cleaning, the emotional support, the kids climbing on her and a husband that needs her. She feels like she is not enough, not enough for her kids, her husband, her friends and to God. Really she just feels like she is not enough for her, in her own mind.
As I sat in the theater crying, because honestly who as a mom has not felt that way? Who hasn't sat or stood or as we are chasing children thought someone else could probably do this way better that me. I don't have enough time, energy, patience and attention to give to all these littles, plus my husband and then oh yea, those long lost friends that we long to see but where do we find the time?! Lately I feel like I can't catch up, I can't stay on top of emotionally supporting my family, stay up with all the stuff that needs to get done around the house and still have enough left over for my husband.
Back to the movie, the main character wonders, and who is with me...This is what I wanted when I was a little girl. I wanted the husband I love, the house we share and the kids I have always dreamed of. So why, with all that I dreamed of, do I still have days where I feel so unhappy and don't think I can make it until 6 o'clock when my husband gets home and I don't feel so anxious and like I have so much pressure on me to make sure all of my kiddos are getting the best of me.
So when is enough enough? When does it begin to feel like even if I don't feel like I am enough for them, they do? I am praying that I remember how excited I felt when I was a little girl thinking about this life? How I was going to be the best mom every single day! I have decided to take the pressure off myself and rely on my instincts and God and a whole lot of love from those around me to feel like God gave me the kids I have at the time I have them because I am capable of handling it and I will do more that survive, I will thrive!!!!!
This is me faking it till I make it!! ;)
Basically the main character in the movie is struggling that she cannot get ahead in her life. She can't get ahead of the laundry, the cleaning, the emotional support, the kids climbing on her and a husband that needs her. She feels like she is not enough, not enough for her kids, her husband, her friends and to God. Really she just feels like she is not enough for her, in her own mind.
As I sat in the theater crying, because honestly who as a mom has not felt that way? Who hasn't sat or stood or as we are chasing children thought someone else could probably do this way better that me. I don't have enough time, energy, patience and attention to give to all these littles, plus my husband and then oh yea, those long lost friends that we long to see but where do we find the time?! Lately I feel like I can't catch up, I can't stay on top of emotionally supporting my family, stay up with all the stuff that needs to get done around the house and still have enough left over for my husband.
Back to the movie, the main character wonders, and who is with me...This is what I wanted when I was a little girl. I wanted the husband I love, the house we share and the kids I have always dreamed of. So why, with all that I dreamed of, do I still have days where I feel so unhappy and don't think I can make it until 6 o'clock when my husband gets home and I don't feel so anxious and like I have so much pressure on me to make sure all of my kiddos are getting the best of me.
So when is enough enough? When does it begin to feel like even if I don't feel like I am enough for them, they do? I am praying that I remember how excited I felt when I was a little girl thinking about this life? How I was going to be the best mom every single day! I have decided to take the pressure off myself and rely on my instincts and God and a whole lot of love from those around me to feel like God gave me the kids I have at the time I have them because I am capable of handling it and I will do more that survive, I will thrive!!!!!
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Ouch
Remember when you were a kid and you would scrape your knee or elbow or face for that matter and you would go in and your mom would put that lovely antiseptic on it and it STUNG?! Kind of took your breathe away for a second kind of sting. It's funny because until recently I had forgotten that my mom used to do that and obviously I got past the sting or I would have been thinking of it all along.
Two of my loves
So why did I suddenly begin to remember this sting? Because in the past month or so I have begun to feel that sting, not on my skin but in my heart. I sit and think I just need to grow some thicker skin or put things in perspective, you know the scheme of eternity? However in the past month or so there have been some comments that people have said which I will not go into completely but in reference to how Owen is progressing with his development. Let me preface my next sting story with a common misconception about children with Down syndrome. When Owen was born and we were told that he would have developmental delays I thought, big deal, Blake was so relaxed that he didn't walk until he was at least 20 months. I actually thought well Owen is my third this will be kinda sweet to have a "baby" a bit longer. As time has gone on I have come to realize that Owen is not just delayed but his cute little body doesn't have the same instincts that typical babies do as far as wanting and knowing how to move their bodies. Whereas a typical baby would instinctively know how to work their body to sit and get on all fours and crawl, Owen just simply does not. I am coming to terms with this, however it is a sting to me. I hate sometimes that he has to work his butt off and we have to show him like 1000 times how things should be done.
Moving on and please read this with a grain of salt as my emotions about this have been raw as of late. I am watching babies that are significantly younger than Owen surpass his physical development. I am not just talking about babies of family and friends, I am talking about walking into the mall and seeing the 10 month or so baby crawling and pulling themselves to standing at the plat place. I am seeing this and I pray that all of a sudden Owen will want and be able to sit on his own. I know it is going to happen. I know people think it is really nice that Owen is staying a "baby" just a little longer than most. But let me be transparent here and say this. He doesn't want to be a "baby". He is so frustrated with his body. We are frustrated for him. I have a daughter right now that is feeling that she wishes he wasn't around and to be honest I get where she is coming from. He is the highest maintenance baby we have had which wouldn't be a big deal if he was a first born and I had more time but I just don't. I am so thankful that each of our kids feels that our home is a safe place to share their feelings without judgement or fear that they will be shut down. Owen can be a happy baby. He generally is if he is being held and entertained. However lately he has not been and part of that has to do with the fact that he doesn't want to be a "baby" any longer.
So there is my vent. It might not be pretty and I am sure not everyone will understand it as I know that things for our family could be so much worse. Please be aware that I know that full well. But as we continue to venture down this road I know that we will have highs and lows and milestones when they are meant to happen, but right now we are in a low and that's ok too.
So why did I suddenly begin to remember this sting? Because in the past month or so I have begun to feel that sting, not on my skin but in my heart. I sit and think I just need to grow some thicker skin or put things in perspective, you know the scheme of eternity? However in the past month or so there have been some comments that people have said which I will not go into completely but in reference to how Owen is progressing with his development. Let me preface my next sting story with a common misconception about children with Down syndrome. When Owen was born and we were told that he would have developmental delays I thought, big deal, Blake was so relaxed that he didn't walk until he was at least 20 months. I actually thought well Owen is my third this will be kinda sweet to have a "baby" a bit longer. As time has gone on I have come to realize that Owen is not just delayed but his cute little body doesn't have the same instincts that typical babies do as far as wanting and knowing how to move their bodies. Whereas a typical baby would instinctively know how to work their body to sit and get on all fours and crawl, Owen just simply does not. I am coming to terms with this, however it is a sting to me. I hate sometimes that he has to work his butt off and we have to show him like 1000 times how things should be done.
Moving on and please read this with a grain of salt as my emotions about this have been raw as of late. I am watching babies that are significantly younger than Owen surpass his physical development. I am not just talking about babies of family and friends, I am talking about walking into the mall and seeing the 10 month or so baby crawling and pulling themselves to standing at the plat place. I am seeing this and I pray that all of a sudden Owen will want and be able to sit on his own. I know it is going to happen. I know people think it is really nice that Owen is staying a "baby" just a little longer than most. But let me be transparent here and say this. He doesn't want to be a "baby". He is so frustrated with his body. We are frustrated for him. I have a daughter right now that is feeling that she wishes he wasn't around and to be honest I get where she is coming from. He is the highest maintenance baby we have had which wouldn't be a big deal if he was a first born and I had more time but I just don't. I am so thankful that each of our kids feels that our home is a safe place to share their feelings without judgement or fear that they will be shut down. Owen can be a happy baby. He generally is if he is being held and entertained. However lately he has not been and part of that has to do with the fact that he doesn't want to be a "baby" any longer.
So there is my vent. It might not be pretty and I am sure not everyone will understand it as I know that things for our family could be so much worse. Please be aware that I know that full well. But as we continue to venture down this road I know that we will have highs and lows and milestones when they are meant to happen, but right now we are in a low and that's ok too.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Getting out of the Trenches
Remember that one time that you fully expected yourself to give 100% of yourself to every single person in your life and if you weren't well then you probably aren't doing something right? Have you ever been there? Or are you like me and feel like you might be giving 25% of yourself to the 4 people in your house and that is on a good day? Someone asked me how things were going with three and this was my exact quote...half kidding but you know how it goes.
" When I had two kids I felt like a really good mom. With three I feel maybe mediocre at best most days. "
This overflows into my marriage, my friendships, my church life and what is likely most of the problem, my spiritual life.
Well God and I had a bit of a coming to Jesus this week, and funny thing is, I keep trying to do this whole thing, this life thing on my own. By putting as much pressure on myself as I have been to be the perfect mom, wife, volunteer, and now Owen's PT and OT I have lost my way. And you know what God is telling me...you cannot keep doing this on your own! He did not give me the kids I have and the husband I am Blessed with and the friendships he has formed for no reason. This life is a puzzle and and intermingling of relationships that either help or hinder me. I know that I have lost connections with a lot of people in my life since Owen has been born and to be honest it is not intentional. I still hate to rely on people and I feel like a burden even to those I love sometimes but it has only just recently occurred to me that maybe I am being a blessing to those around me without even knowing it. Maybe I have drifted so far away from who I thought I was and who I really am that Satan has distorted my perspective. Made me feel not like a child of God anymore but a drag to those around me.
Well shove it Satan! I have one life on this earth and it better mean something!
Each and every day I will get up and do my best, I can't do more and I should for sure not doing less. I will have the mindset that my kids are not disappointed in me. That the friends that are true friends will understand if I fall off the grid for a while to find a new normal and focus on my family. That the places I volunteer for will get it if I need a bit of a break for a while.
I am bringing it back to the basics...God and Family. I know things will begin to fall back into place eventually and I won't feel like I am being pulled in so many directions, or maybe it won't. Either way I am going to be ok, not on my own for sure, but it takes a village right?
And now here are some recent pics....
" When I had two kids I felt like a really good mom. With three I feel maybe mediocre at best most days. "
This overflows into my marriage, my friendships, my church life and what is likely most of the problem, my spiritual life.
Well God and I had a bit of a coming to Jesus this week, and funny thing is, I keep trying to do this whole thing, this life thing on my own. By putting as much pressure on myself as I have been to be the perfect mom, wife, volunteer, and now Owen's PT and OT I have lost my way. And you know what God is telling me...you cannot keep doing this on your own! He did not give me the kids I have and the husband I am Blessed with and the friendships he has formed for no reason. This life is a puzzle and and intermingling of relationships that either help or hinder me. I know that I have lost connections with a lot of people in my life since Owen has been born and to be honest it is not intentional. I still hate to rely on people and I feel like a burden even to those I love sometimes but it has only just recently occurred to me that maybe I am being a blessing to those around me without even knowing it. Maybe I have drifted so far away from who I thought I was and who I really am that Satan has distorted my perspective. Made me feel not like a child of God anymore but a drag to those around me.
Well shove it Satan! I have one life on this earth and it better mean something!
Each and every day I will get up and do my best, I can't do more and I should for sure not doing less. I will have the mindset that my kids are not disappointed in me. That the friends that are true friends will understand if I fall off the grid for a while to find a new normal and focus on my family. That the places I volunteer for will get it if I need a bit of a break for a while.
I am bringing it back to the basics...God and Family. I know things will begin to fall back into place eventually and I won't feel like I am being pulled in so many directions, or maybe it won't. Either way I am going to be ok, not on my own for sure, but it takes a village right?
And now here are some recent pics....
Thursday, October 17, 2013
I'm not tired, I'm weary!
If you start to feel a breeze while reading this don't panic! It's just me venting up a storm.
I told Mike to tonight I was weary to which he logically responded, why don't you go to bed then? In which I struck back with, I'm not tired, I am weary. I used to think these two were the same as well. They go hand in hand right? Not to me, at least not anymore.
Tired to me means lack of sleep, slight fatigue etc. Weary, my friends, is a whole nother level.
I am spent, at the end of my rope, burning the candle at both ends. You get the picture.
I am losing it with my kids, my husband sometimes strangers that might cross my path in the car or in line somewhere (though not yelling, just fuming on the inside. ) My family is walking on egg shells around me, yeah makes me feel even crappier writing it.
I try, oh how I try to lay in bed every morning and pray, God today please give me the patience and grace to get through this day. Give me the words and actions that please you and give you the glory. Why then do I feel like most days my world is spinning off it's axis? Like I am one more whine out of my children's mouths before I snap? And better yet, why the whining? Do I need to take them somewhere and show them how much they really have? I had the thought this week...what are we doing? How are they turning into these little people that want and want and want? And then I feel like I am failing. They should not be this way. This is not how God expects me to raise my children. But how do I change this?! I am weary!!!!
I walked around Target trying to come up with some ideas I can give people to give to them for Christmas and you know what I came up with? They have enough, we have enough and then some!
I am weary of this world. I crave my Savior and perfection and the love of my Heavenly Father and I am striving for it. I am weary of trying to find the time and struggling to do it.
And now I sit here annoyed with myself because I have such an amazing life and all these great things and I still feel so very weary.
So no I am not tired. I am weary of life at the moment and honestly I wish I could get out of this slump but I am struggling. There I put it out there. Welcome to my open book. Praying the next chapter is a little more uplifting!
I told Mike to tonight I was weary to which he logically responded, why don't you go to bed then? In which I struck back with, I'm not tired, I am weary. I used to think these two were the same as well. They go hand in hand right? Not to me, at least not anymore.
Tired to me means lack of sleep, slight fatigue etc. Weary, my friends, is a whole nother level.
I am spent, at the end of my rope, burning the candle at both ends. You get the picture.
I am losing it with my kids, my husband sometimes strangers that might cross my path in the car or in line somewhere (though not yelling, just fuming on the inside. ) My family is walking on egg shells around me, yeah makes me feel even crappier writing it.
I try, oh how I try to lay in bed every morning and pray, God today please give me the patience and grace to get through this day. Give me the words and actions that please you and give you the glory. Why then do I feel like most days my world is spinning off it's axis? Like I am one more whine out of my children's mouths before I snap? And better yet, why the whining? Do I need to take them somewhere and show them how much they really have? I had the thought this week...what are we doing? How are they turning into these little people that want and want and want? And then I feel like I am failing. They should not be this way. This is not how God expects me to raise my children. But how do I change this?! I am weary!!!!
I walked around Target trying to come up with some ideas I can give people to give to them for Christmas and you know what I came up with? They have enough, we have enough and then some!
I am weary of this world. I crave my Savior and perfection and the love of my Heavenly Father and I am striving for it. I am weary of trying to find the time and struggling to do it.
And now I sit here annoyed with myself because I have such an amazing life and all these great things and I still feel so very weary.
So no I am not tired. I am weary of life at the moment and honestly I wish I could get out of this slump but I am struggling. There I put it out there. Welcome to my open book. Praying the next chapter is a little more uplifting!
Monday, October 14, 2013
We Stepped up for Down syndrome!
So this past Saturday we participated in our local Step up for Down syndrome walk. It was held at Millenium Park, which is beautiful by the way. Friends and family joined us and we raised $2700! Mike's company matched all donations from other employees and that alone raised $1200, yay Charter!
Saturday morning as I was getting Owen dressed and he laid on the floor giggling every time I said Mama to him I got a little teary. 6 months ago I would have never guessed that I would be as excited as I was to go to this walk. I have know about this walk for years and thought what a nice way to raise some money and take a little stroll. My eyes were really opened on Saturday. I have never felt uncomfortable around someone with Down syndrome and to me Owen is just a baby. Saturday as we got out of the car and began walking to the registration table I could not stop smiling. You see this walk is not just for young families with small kids. It is for people with Down syndrome of all ages. It is not like a lot of other walks that is raising money for a cure, we don't want a cure. It is a complete celebration of the culture that is the Down syndrome community. There were babies all the way up to adults with Down syndrome. Their friends and families were there to celebrate the individuals they are and how amazing their lives can be!
I have to say my favorite part was the dancing. There was a dance company that came and those people were so focused and fun with their moves. There was a kid that was standing near where we were that was feeling every single beat of the music without embarrassment that people were watching. He was egging people on to join in and dance. I want to be that way! I am so excited for next year when Owen is a little older and he can join in by clapping.
All in all it was a wonderful day and the only down side was that Paige was sick so my mom graciously stayed home with her. Next year!
Thank you again for all of your love and support and if you want, join us next year!!!
Saturday morning as I was getting Owen dressed and he laid on the floor giggling every time I said Mama to him I got a little teary. 6 months ago I would have never guessed that I would be as excited as I was to go to this walk. I have know about this walk for years and thought what a nice way to raise some money and take a little stroll. My eyes were really opened on Saturday. I have never felt uncomfortable around someone with Down syndrome and to me Owen is just a baby. Saturday as we got out of the car and began walking to the registration table I could not stop smiling. You see this walk is not just for young families with small kids. It is for people with Down syndrome of all ages. It is not like a lot of other walks that is raising money for a cure, we don't want a cure. It is a complete celebration of the culture that is the Down syndrome community. There were babies all the way up to adults with Down syndrome. Their friends and families were there to celebrate the individuals they are and how amazing their lives can be!
I have to say my favorite part was the dancing. There was a dance company that came and those people were so focused and fun with their moves. There was a kid that was standing near where we were that was feeling every single beat of the music without embarrassment that people were watching. He was egging people on to join in and dance. I want to be that way! I am so excited for next year when Owen is a little older and he can join in by clapping.
All in all it was a wonderful day and the only down side was that Paige was sick so my mom graciously stayed home with her. Next year!
Thank you again for all of your love and support and if you want, join us next year!!!
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