The End

So, here we are. One year and 365 blog posts later, the challenge is complete. 

Some posts were a bit late (not many, but some), some were just not good, but they are all there. I did it. 

I'm not sure where to go from here. Ideally, I'd like to have my own website with fancier graphics, but we'll see. 

For now, I'll wish everyone a safe and happy 2015. 

Thanks for reading. 

I Love You, Man

Every night around 7pm, it begins, without fail. Alex gets super affectionate and tells me "I love you, Mommy!" about every 12 minutes. He reminds me of a little drunk man; he will interrupt a conversation to tell me, or stop whatever he's doing to remind me. I can't help but giggle sometimes. 

It is super sweet, though, and I love hearing him say it. 

Resolutions

I was chatting with the kids about the new year, and asked them what goals they have for themselves in 2015. 

Alex eagerly told me that he doesn't want to have any more bathroom-related accidents. This is especially awesome because he came up with it on his own. 

Addie is determined to perfect her passé releve in ballet. With her dedication to dance, she will have no trouble achieving this. 

When it was Andrew's turn, I asked him the same question. "What is your goal for 2015?"

His excited response? "TO FLY! I WANT TO FLY!!"

After the giggles and a brief explanation of what we meant by "goal", he decided that tying his own shoes and riding a two-wheeler would be better things to work toward in the new year. 

What are your goals for 2015?

Three to Go...

...and yes, I forgot to post last night. Ugh!! Only three more days to go before we can end the daily blog challenge. Will I make it?!?

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Respite

The kids were invited to sleep over at their grandparents' house; this is something they do fairly often, but it's always a treat for them. 

It's a treat for me, too, and a much needed break. I got to grocery shop by myself, run errands at the mall, get take out for dinner, take a bath (seriously, first leisurely bathing experience in ten years!), and now watch tv in peace. 

Truth be told, I miss them. But, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled chaos soon enough. Until then, I've got more turns on Soda Crush calling my name. 

Never Try to Eat All the Cookies

So, earlier I declared today Pajama Day, and decided I might eat all the leftover Christmas cookies. While I didn't eat all of them, I ate way too many and now regret it. Here is why you should never try to eat all the cookies:

When you try to eat all the cookies you end up feeling like a lazy blob, and you crash on the couch. 

When you crash on the couch, the kids think you are sleeping and try to get away with murder. 

Ok, maybe not murder, but Alex will open the back gate and let the dog escape. 

When the dog escapes, you have to chase her down the street...in your pajamas (because you declared today Pajama Day). 

Because you are chasing her in your pajamas, all the neighbors are outside to watch, because of course. 

Because they are watching, the dog is stubborn and you have to pick her up and haul her home (she is a big dog). 

While you struggle down the street, in your pajamas with the dog, your husband will text you from home. He'll text "need help", but forget the question mark and accidentally text it to his mother first. 

Because she receives a random text for help, she thinks Mark is in danger and is understandably worried. She calls all the cell phones to make sure everyone is ok. 

You finally stumble through the front door, with the dog, and collapse on the couch and refuse to make dinner because you might vomit because you tried to eat all the cookies. 

Trust me on this: do not try to eat all the cookies. It's so not worth it. 

Christmas 2014

We had a wonderful Christmas! The kids are thrilled with their gifts, and more importantly, we had a terrific time with our family. 

Andrew fell asleep on my lap last night for the first time in ages, and then I put my tired self to bed. (Hence, the late blog post.)

I have officially declared today Pajama Day, which will include playing new board games and eating all the remaining Christmas cookies. Oh, and perhaps finally finishing the holiday cards. As long as they're out by New Year, it will be ok, right? 

Christmas Eve

Alex is just way too excited. After telling us "Merry Christmas!!" about 12 times, he finally got in his bed, only to stay there maybe six seconds before he started his "I'm not tired" routine. 

Ugh. I still have things to do, but it is a struggle to stay awake at this point. 

I can do this! Christmas will come and go either way. 

Making Christmas...

Yep. Still up, wrapping gifts. The most difficult category is finished, and I'm about to begin the next category. I'll leave family gifts for tomorrow. 

So ready to fall over somewhere...

Two more days...

...and I'm no where near ready. 

Must sleep now so I can power through this monster to-do list tomorrow. 

Nutcracker

This evening I had the pleasure of attending BalletMet's The Nutcracker with my mom, daughter, sister, and niece. It's become a holiday tradition, and a favorite one at that. 

The ballet was beautiful, as always, but what's better is watching Addie's reactions to the performance. I could hear her whispering to my niece, who said "How do they do that?!?"

Addie's response came quickly: "They practice a lot!!"

It was so fun to watch Addie, on the edge of her seat, wildly applaud the Sugar Plum Fairy after her dances. Addie admires ballerinas as some people admire rock stars. 

Perhaps, one day, a little girl will gaze starry eyed at my Addie as she twirls across a stage. 

Family Gathering

Today, part of my family gathered together to celebrate Christmas. It's definitely one of my favorite holiday traditions. 

No matter how long it's been since we've seen each other, there is always laughter; it's a guaranteed good time. 

After visiting, watching the kids play, and laughing together, my heart is full. 

Meltdowns

First day of winter break = meltdown city. 

Exhausting. Trying again tomorrow. 

...And, Scene

'Tis the season...for exhaustion, feeling overwhelmed, and just wishing for the arrival of 12/26. 

There is so much to do: finish holiday cards, wrap all the gifts, bake stuff. Will it ever end?

It will. Of course. The holiday will come and go, and as far as the kids are concerned, it will be awesome. 

And that is why I'll keep plowing through the to-do list. 

Getting Close...

Christmas is just a week away. The kids are starting to break under the anticipation of all the holiday fun coming up in the next several days. Even the dog is flipping out. 

We can do this. With many deep breaths and loads of patience, this holiday will be fantastic. 

Sleepy

Sometimes, in a busy time of year, you just need a break. 

I reached that point tonight. Tired, cranky, and just feel like laying around.

Hopefully my to-do list appreciates the break, too. 

Visit with Santa

We took the kids to visit with Santa last week, and we somehow managed to get all three kids into the photo. Trust me, after waiting in line, that is no small feat! The kids shared with Santa some of the things they hope to find under our tree on Christmas morning, and it was really cute.

After paying an obnoxious amount of money for a photo with the big guy in the red suit, we let the kids browse through a nearby toy store. While they enjoyed shopping the store, it was probably kind of cruel to set them loose this close to Christmas. Obviously, we weren't about to buy them new toys (Hanukkah starts this week, too!), but they were allowed to look for quite a long time.

Alex somehow stumbled upon a toy gun that shoots out bright orange foam balls, and he fell in love with it. Because, of course. Guns are one toy that I discourage for my kids; I just don't like them to play with them (if you do allow it for your kids, that's great; but, I prefer not to, and that's great too). Alex was determined, though, to buy this particular toy. I explained to him, again, that we were not there to buy toys that night. He refused to leave the check out line, though, so we launched into one of our stand offs (where we have to wait in a particular place so I can out-stubborn him).

This kid has become quite clever, though. He finally conceded that I wasn't going to buy the gun, so he decided he would just take it out to Santa so he would know what to bring him. I then had to remind him that we can't leave stores with an item if we don't pay for it, and asked him for maybe the 23rd time to put it back on its shelf.

But, Alex had other ideas. Tilting his head, he explained to me that he would just leave the toy on the counter and ask the toy store lady to tell Santa about it. I kind of wanted to see this play out, so I agreed that this was a good plan.

He proudly marched up to the counter and when the lady asked him if he was ready to check out, he answered "No. This is for Santa to bring to me."

I was standing right behind him, and the lady's eyes met mine and I nodded. "Oh! Of course we can leave this for Santa! What is your name? I'll put it on the toy so he'll know which one you want."

Alex was thrilled. They continued chatting, the lady paying careful attention to what he said and seamlessly carrying on their conversation. She made him feel like such a hot shot; he turned to me, just beaming, when he was ready to leave. I thanked her as we left, hoping she realized how important this encounter truly was.

The next day, I returned to buy the toy gun, so that Santa can leave it under our tree with all the other cheerfully wrapped items.

While I was there, I asked who the lady was that helped Alex the previous night, and was told that it was the owner of the store. I plan to send her a note to thank her again for her kind service, but if you are local and still in need of some gifts for the holidays, please consider shopping her store.

It's moments like these that remind me that the holiday spirit really is all around us, if we are willing to see it.

Busy Little Elves

There's a busy little elf in my house...and I'm not talking about the one that hides from the kids each day. My holiday to-do list is so long that I feel like an overworked elf, yearning for that week after Christmas where everyone can just chill and breathe. Don't get me wrong; I do love the holidays. BUT, it's exhausting.

That's it for tonight, as I'm trying to cross at least two more things off my list before the night ends...

Night Out

Mark's crazy holiday schedule makes it difficult for us to spend much time together. Last night, we finally had a chance to escape for a bit. 

We joined our friends for a mead-drinking-Master's-degree-completion celebration. (Mead is quite tasty!) Then, Mark and I headed out for a quick dinner. 

It was a short and simple outing; sometimes those are the best ones.  

Tick tock...

Anyone else feeling the pressure of the holidays? I just need to calm down and realize that if something doesn't get done in time, to match my expectations, the world will go on. Cards might be late, and that's ok. The packages might not get wrapped with custom made, fluffy bows, and that's ok, too. The baking may not be as delicious as I want it to be, and that's...well, let's face it, that would be sad. Nobody wants burned Christmas cookies.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good amount of caffeine to get this all done in time.

Restoring the Holiday Spirit

The holidays: a busy time that is commonly accompanied by stress, chaos, and crankiness (that last one is typically caused by the other two). I am not immune to these; just this morning, I was running frantically from one errand to the next, determined to make the most of my "free time", which was just an hour and 28 minutes this morning.

Dealing with the stress and chaos of preparing for my family's holidays (Hanukkah and Christmas...our house is so festive this time of year!) definitely caused some crankiness for me this morning. I was tired of encountering rude people every where I went. I mean, seriously, would it kill people to smile and be pleasant to the tired cashier that is on the rough end of everyone's bad moods?

Anyway, by the time I headed over to the kids' school to volunteer at their Epcot Day event, I was in a fairly foul mood. In fact, I was so overwhelmed by the fact that I now have one week left before the kids are out of school (which means that my restricted free time will be completely nonexistent from 12/19-1/5...and that's a long time!), that I was ready to give in and let myself be taken over by the Grinchy, bah-humbug spirit that creeps in every now and then. But, I plastered on a smile and marched in to the school, ready to help out with this truly great event for the kids.

Each December, the PTO puts on Epcot Day, during which the kids learn about our global community through presentations, crafts, and activities representative of that year's countries. It is a huge undertaking, but the kids love it and it is really a great day. My job today was to help out at the Marketplace; each student is given two "dollars" to buy trinkets that cost one "dollar" each. There were several things from which to choose: pencils, erasers, keychains, worry dolls, nesting-type wooden dolls, ornaments, friendship bracelets. Every twenty minutes a new group of kids came through the gym, and the Marketplace was one of the activities.

I was amazed at how carefully the children shopped; each item was taken into careful consideration before a purchase was made. During my "shift", the older kids came through first and were a bit more decisive, and much quieter about their choices. But, when the younger kids started to trickle through the gym, the process started to take a bit longer. I soon realized why that was so, as the younger kids were more willing to chat about their purchases.

One little boy chose an ornament, handed me his "dollar" and said "My mom will love this!" Another boy picked out a ring (made of tightly rolled paper, maybe?), and told me that it was for his mom, and that he would have to be careful to hide it from her so she wouldn't find it before Christmas. One of my youngest son's friends selected a little wooden doll, explaining that he chose it for his sister. Many dads will be the recipients of key chains and pencils, while grandmothers will receive handwritten notes on postcards chosen by their grandchildren.

I was blown away. These kids were given this "money", with no expectations except that they could only choose two things from the Marketplace. They could have easily selected two souvenirs for themselves, but so many of them were thinking of others they could gift these trinkets to on Christmas morning. It was heartwarming, and definitely restored my holiday spirit on a day when I really needed it.

Grinchy attitudes, be gone. These young people need to have better examples to look up to so that their beautiful little holiday hearts won't be crushed as they get older.

Wrapping

Why is it more fun to buy gifts and wrapping supplies, but pure torture to have to wrap everything?

That's my perception, anyway. 

Random Thoughts

Holiday exhaustion is setting in. Here is just a snap shot into my thoughts this evening...

*Wow, the house is truly blown up. 

*Gotta get those holiday cards out. 

*Why do they start the Christmas shows at 8pm?!? So much for their 8pm bedtime.

*What on earth am I going to write about for the rest of this year?

*What day is it again?

*I wonder if I am really finished shopping. I feel like I am forgetting something. 

*There must be an easy cookie I could bake, that I don't like, so I won't eat them all. 

*Eating three cookies before bed was a bad idea. 

*Don't forget the elf, don't forget the elf, don't forget the elf...

Forgot Again

Seriously. I had every intention of posting last night. Obviously, it didn't happen. 

22 more days...

Love Bug

Alex can be very difficult. He will readily tell you that he is stubborn; once he has his mind set on something, especially something that doesn't agree with what we want him to do/think/say, he will rarely change his mind. It can be exhausting.

But, he does have his moments.

Each evening, as he gets sleepier and sleepier, he will spontaneously hug me and say "I love you, Mommy" (only, because we are still working on his "l" sounds, it comes out "I yuv you, Mommy".

Too. Stinking. Cute.

Tonight, after dinner, he finished first and proclaimed the meal "the best dinner EVER!" He started to leave the table, but stopped, and came back. "Oops! I forgot something! Guess what I forgot? I forgot to give you a HUG!" Then, I got a big hug and an emphatic "I love you, Mommy."

This kid. It's amazing how all the difficult moments are pushed aside when he does something like this.

Yawwwwn...

This is not good. Only the 6th of December, and I am very ready for a long winter's nap. 

Zzzzzzz...

Birthdaypalooza, Andrew Edition

My baby turned six years old today. Where has the time gone?

My last born is a witty, kind, loving little guy, and he is so excited for his birthday. He celebrated yesterday with his M/Th classmates and today with his Friday classmates and his family, and he will celebrate again tomorrow with his cousins and a few friends at his birthday party.

It's exhausting, but he is having a good time, so it's more than worth it.

Happy 6th birthday, my sweet boy. I love you.

Alex Quotes

I have a headache. Stress or sinus; not sure which. All I want to do is sleep, but that is still a couple hours away if I want to accomplish anything tonight. 

As I was sitting down for a moment, Al came and plopped down next to me. Soon after, I noticed a strong, unpleasant odor. Al looked at me, his eyes twinkling, and said "I didn't toot. I farted!" Lovely. 

Moments later, as I stood up to go into the kitchen, Alex said "Hey, while you're in there, get me some more chocolate milk."

What?!? Part of me was appalled by the lack of manners, but another part was thrilled to hear him put that sentence together. (And no, he did not get the chocolate milk.) 

Alex can be such a funny little guy. Frustrating as all hell, but definitely funny. 

Chugging Along

Alex did not have such a great day, potty training wise. I'm not sure how today was so different, in terms of routine, but we'll try again tomorrow. 

Halllllllelujah!!

Today was Alex's first day at school without Pull Ups. I was anxious all day; I was just afraid that he would get discouraged if it didn't go well, or that someone would tease him if he had an accident.

I shouldn't have worried about it. This kid has it under control.

He got off the bus and ran toward the house...wearing the SAME PANTS THAT HE WORE TO SCHOOL!! No accidents!! He flung open the door, and I was so excited that I could only spit out, "ALEX! Your PANTS!!"

He was slightly thrown by my probably somewhat overwhelming response, and immediately showed me where he ripped the knee of his pants. I didn't even care about the ruined pants, because nothing else mattered except that he made it through the whole day and didn't have an accident.

This is going in the right direction. I'm quite optimistic. Keep those good vibes coming!!

Potty Training...Take 458

Having a child with special needs obviously presents extra challenges. One of these is potty training. I have three children, and I have yet to successfully potty train any of them.

That's probably a little misleading. The truth is, two of my three kids trained themselves. We've been trying to get Alex trained for so long that the other two just kind of mastered it on their own, when it was developmentally appropriate for them to do so. In the meantime, we've attempted potty training many, many times with Alex. It obviously never ends the way we hope.

The average age for a child with Down syndrome to be toilet trained is eight. We are two years past that, and I'm done. He can totally do it, but for some reason just won't. He is about 80% trained, but still can't stay dry, and we've allowed him to stay in Pull-Ups, thinking he would let us know when he was ready.

Well, he's ready. We made that decision for him, though, because it's just ridiculous now. It's easier for him to not stop what he's doing to use the bathroom, and he probably enjoys that sense of control that he then maintains over the situation.

Sorry, pal. Time's up.

He did really well yesterday, and while today was a little rough, we stuck to it and made it to bedtime. I thought he was doing so well this evening, and then discovered that he had changed into a Pull-Up at some point. I wasn't sure if I should be frustrated because he ditched the underpants, or admire him because he managed to get one over on me.

Tomorrow is a new day, and another chance to try again. And try, try we will.

Elf Drama

Jingles and his hijinks might be a little too convincing.

Yesterday, Andrew stepped on his Flash action figure, breaking both legs off at the knees. Instead of being upset, though, he set the pieces in front of Jingles and asked that he take them back to Santa's workshop for repair. 

I smiled, arrogantly thinking I could fix Flash and have him back to Andrew in no time. I just needed to remember to collect the pieces after the kids went to bed, fix the toy, then stage him with Jingles to complete the illusion. Before I headed to bed, I actually remembered to grab the pieces, and initially thought I could just pop the knees back into place. 

Oh, was I wrong.

Apparently, there are little pegs which hold the bottom parts of Flash's legs in place...or, there were little pegs. They seem to have broken completely off. So, now I have to figure out how to repair Flash. Hopefully glue will work, but then Flash probably won't have legs that bend at the "joint". 

Of course, Andrew noticed that his beloved super hero was missing today, and reassured me that Jingles would bring him back after he was fixed. "Maybe Santa will even put a button on his chest, so when I press it, Flash will run super fast around the house!"

Crap. That, I can't do. I love that the kids still believe in the magic of the holiday. If I can replace this action figure, I think they will continue to believe. No pressure, right? ;) Perhaps it's time to take to the internet to search for a replacement.

Break

Just two more days left in the kids' break from school. Thank goodness. I might just make it...

The Return of Jingles

Our elf returned last night to spend the holidays with our family. The kids were elated to see Jingles waiting for them this morning, and promptly set out an elf-friendly breakfast of Hershey kisses and Smarties to welcome him back. 

Cute, right?

It really was, until I realized I had to quickly eat those candies to keep up my ruse. I stealthy unwrapped the candy, shoved it in my mouth, and arranged the wrappers around Jingles. 

Cute, right?

It was, and the kids giggled in delight when they discovered that "Jingles ate" his breakfast, and I was pretty proud of my ninja elf skills. But, they continued to "feed" Jingles all day. 

Seriously. All. Day. I don't know how I didn't get caught, sneaking the treats away each time. 

Later, they asked if they could sleep in the living room tonight (they think this is great fun). Being the weekend, of course I agreed, and then immediately wanted to bang my head against the wall. With them in the living room, I would have to stage the elf for tomorrow in the kitchen, and very quietly at that. Blurg. 

But, I managed to do it, again without getting caught. I've got mad elf skills, I guess. 

The things we do for our kids...

Shopping

As I sit here watching the ridiculous Black Friday commercials, I am feeling quite thankful that most of my holiday shopping is finished. I just can't imagine standing in line with a bunch of cranky people who are willing to throw a punch to save $5. (No judgement if you're a BF shopper; it's just not my thing.)

 

Be Nice, Shoppers

Before our Thanksgiving dinner is even digested tomorrow, my husband will be off to work to prepare for the 5pm open of his store. Many of his employees will also have to leave their families to join him at work. 

So much for a holiday. 

Whether you choose to shop tomorrow, or Friday, or anytime during the holiday season, please remember to be nice. The people working in the stores have little control over your wait time in line, nor do they decide how many of each item should be on the shelves. They are tired, their feet hurt, and they've listened to the same holiday Muzak since Halloween. They are doing their best, and you should be kind to them. 

Speaking from experience, it just takes one jerk to ruin an entire holiday season for those who work in retail. Don't be that jerk. 

Happy Thanksgiving, and merry shopping to all. 

Night Off

We spent a much needed evening at home, watching tv. The finale of Dancing with the Stars was entertaining enough to hold everyone's attention, and we were quite pleased with the outcome. 

Here's hoping everyone sleeps in tomorrow. 

Cards

Holiday cards are finally ordered. Ugh. That task really should not be the most time consuming of all the holiday items on my to-do list, but somehow, it took me days to get it crossed off.

Now let's see how long it takes me to get them addressed when they arrive. I totally should have ordered "Happy 2015" cards.

Or maybe "Happy Valentine's Day"...

Easier?

When the kids were all very small, and we were exhausted and the house was destroyed and we felt like we were behind with pretty much everything (laundry, exercise, relationships), we told ourselves "It will get easier."

The kids are now a bit older, but we are still exhausted and the house is still destroyed and we are still behind with pretty much everything. Can we keep lying to ourselves that it will get easier?

I don't think so.

The truth is that parenting never gets easier. The challenges evolve into different challenges, but I no longer believe that it will be easier to manage everything that comes with parenting.

Parenting a child with special needs throws another loop in the crazy roller coaster of life. Alex is having a terrible day; there have been many more tantrums than moments of compliance (same goes for yesterday). This is probably because our schedule was off this week, and he's out of sorts. This doesn't excuse his behavior; at least, not in my eyes, because we aren't asking him to do anything out of the ordinary. Clean up toys, take a bath, be a kind friend, and (for the love of everything pure and good) stop burping every five seconds; each of these directives has caused at least one tantrum this weekend. I'm out of ideas, and can only hope that Thanksgiving break won't be as exhausting as this weekend has been.

This is not to say that he hasn't had great moments this weekend; that would be completely untrue. Sadly, though, he saves those shining examples of his awesome personality for almost everyone but me. I selfishly want him to reserve at least some of those moments for me (Santa, are you listening?!?), but all I can do is wait out his tantrums, keep faith that he might grow out of this sooner than later, and try not to look ahead and panic over the thought of an even longer holiday break next month.

I do think it's fair to think that things will get better. Better is different than easier, so it's still ok to tell myself that.

At least, for now.

It's (maybe) Official

Blogging every day is difficult. It's even more difficult when trying to juggle work, kids, house, and everything in between. I think I may officially be over it. Good thing it happened towards the end of November, and not in February. 

Just a little over a month to go...

Oh, for the love...

I am obviously desperately in need of a vacation. One of these days I'll get back on blogging track. 

Dagnabbit

Missed another one. Crap. I blame Christmas cards. That's what took my attention last night. 

Blurg. 

And no, the cards still haven't been ordered.  

Long Day

Wednesdays are long days. Herding the kids to school, followed by work, then more herding of the kids, and then church makes for an eventful, yet tiring, schedule. 

Next week, though, our Wednesday is wide open. No school, no after school therapy for Alex, no regular Wednesday evening activities. 

I. Can't. Wait. Everyone needs a break every now and then. 

Godzilla

This evening, as Addie and I were adorning our nails with some lovely Thanksgiving Jamberry wraps, we were chatting about this and that.

"Mommy," she said, after listening to Andrew's bath time commotion upstairs, "Andrew is a lot like Godzilla."

"Oh?" I curiously responded. "How's that?"

"Well, he destroys everything in sight, and he's a total monster," she quickly explained.

I gotta give her that one.

Seasons

All through the weekend, we heard about an impending snow storm, which we pretty much disregarded. It's not unusual to hear about the possibility of severe weather around here, all through the year, but many times it just doesn't happen. I do like to know what could be coming, so we can plan accordingly, but usually the storm misses us and then we move on.

Imagine my surprise to wake up this morning to find a bunch of snow on the ground, and to hear that the kids were out of school for a snow day. In November. Craziness.

Of course, the kids were elated to have a day off, and they almost immediately wanted to play in the snow. That's when it began, the relentless chorus of "Mom, where's my ______" that comes with each new season. Gloves, hats, snow pants, boots. They wanted it all, and couldn't find any of it.

It quickly occurred to me that the four seasons have different meanings when you're a kid. Winter is "Mom, where are my mittens?" Spring is "Mo-OM! I can't find my jacket. I don't need is anyway, it's warm!" Summer, or "MOM! I can't find my other croc!", comes next, and is followed by Fall, or "Seriously, Mom, I don't need a jacket. It's still summer! Besides, I lost that jacket. Will you buy me a new hoodie?"

Seeing as we just entered "Mom, where are my mittens?", or Winter, I wish all parents the patience to search the entire house, every day, for random gloves, scarves, and boots. May we all retire someplace warm, where we never have to worry about cold weather gear again.

Ugh

Tired & cranky. Same old, same old. 

Snuggle Saturday

A crazy week makes for a disaster-zone house. Messes everywhere, laundry piling up, projects scattered about on every surface. Add in an annoying sinus headache and you could imagine that today was not a fun day. 

But, tonight I get to snuggle with my Alex. His beloved iPad is fixed, and I've got reruns of The Big Bang Theory to enjoy. 

Life is good. 

Twizzlers

When a five year old cautions you against eating too many Twizzlers, in order to avoid a tummy ache, you should probably listen. Kids tend to be in tune with how such things work. Andrew was right on the money with this one.

After discovering that Alex's iPad may be toast, I almost instantly felt a stress headache coming on, which I eventually decided to treat with a round of stress eating. Watching me cram Twizzlers down my trap probably prompted the stomach ache warning.

I should have listened to him. Now, I still have a headache, and I feel gross for inhaling a handful of licorice. When will I learn?

I think it's time for bed.

Oops...Did It Again

Hmm. What do you know? Missed another one. I'm that tired (burned out, overwhelmed, whatever). 

Even worse, I didn't even notice it until now. 

How many days left in the year?!?

Conferences

This evening, I met with the kids' teachers for the first round of parent/teacher conferences. I am happy to report that all three kids received glowing compliments from their teachers, and they are doing great with their school work. 

I'm one proud mama. :)

Heart Day

November 11th, 2004. This was the day that Alex had open heart surgery, at just 3 1/2 months old.

Scariest day of my life.

Thankfully, it went well, and the repair is "perfect", according to his cardiologist. We will be forever grateful to the skilled surgeon who fixed Al's heart.

Happy Heart Day, buddy. Ten years! How fast the time has gone...

Crops

Alex and I have been doing homework for more than an hour; he just now threw in the towel, which suits me fine, because I am ready for bed.

As we were studying for an upcoming Social Studies test, he got a serious case of giggles. Every time the word "crops" came up (which, in reviewing for a test about Native Americans, happens frequently), he nearly fell off the couch giggling. Of course, that only made me giggle, which encouraged him even more.

I'm glad we have a couple more days to review for the test!

Camera

I take a lot of photos on my phone. Taking a brief look at my Facebook page will confirm this. I have kids of whom I'm fiercely proud, and I like to share their shining moments with the world. 

Today, I'm so thankful to have a camera which is easily accessible through my phone. Without it, I may not have been able to snap the more than 200 photos I took during this weekend's run of The Wizard of Oz, in which my daughter performed. 

Remember when cameras had film? When you had just 36 chances to get a good shot, and then you had to wait until you had the film developed before you could even see if they were worthy of your expectations? I think I took 36 pictures in the first 10 minutes of the show. 

I'm not certain what I'll do with all these images. I've already posted them to Facebook, so those who live far from us can enjoy the show through the photos, if they wish. I will have some printed; some for myself, and perhaps even a set just for my daughter so she can make her own scrapbook.

I love looking at pictures, my own and those of my friends and family. I hope my incessant photo snapping brings just as much joy to others. ;) 

Addie and I, after today's performance

Saturday

Rest. Cleaning. Shopping. Musical. 

That was my day. I'm now watching the Buckeyes play yet another late game. One kid won't go to bed. 

Exhausting. Good thing we have one more day of weekend left. 

Night Two

Tonight we were treated to another terrific performance of "The Wizard of Oz". Afterward, Addie and I attended a cast party, where she has a wonderful time with new friends and I sat and chatted with fellow "stage moms".

It was a lovely way to spend a Friday night. 

Oz!

What an amazing show!

From the set, to the costumes, to each and every cast member...wow! Just fantastic. I hope every person associated with this production is just as proud as I am. More importantly, Addie has been so happy being a part of the cast, and she was just glowing after the show tonight.

Looking forward to the next performance!

Still going...

After a very long day and evening, I find myself still awake after midnight. I am exhausted. And a little hungry. 

G'night!

Election Day

I voted in this election; I actually voted early. Today, I am thankful for the opportunity to vote. 

I am also thankful that all the political calls and emails will stop. For a little while, anyway. 

We're Off to See the Wizard...

Addie was fortunate enough to be cast in an upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz, which will be performed by our church's amazing drama group. Watching this show come together has been such a pleasure, and Addie just glows when she talks about it. She has a role as a munchkin in the Lullabye League, which has been just perfect for her: not too overwhelming, but enough stage time to satisfy her growing love of performing.

Although I've seen and heard a lot of rehearsals over the last six weeks, I am excited to see the finished production, which begins this Thursday evening. If you are local, I highly encourage you to join us for one of the shows. The cast is fantastic, it's a free show, and it's The Wizard of Oz, so you know you'll love the story.

For more information about show times and location, click here. See you in Oz!

So confused

Time change. I don't like it. I am confused and tired. 

No worries, though. It will only take 6-8 weeks to get everyone readjusted. 

Here Comes Jingles...

I spent time today taking down Halloween decorations, and replacing them with a few Thanksgiving items. No Christmas decorations will go up in our house until at least the day after Thanksgiving, although I did complete a couple of holiday related items today.

After chatting with Alex and learning about a couple of games he likes to play, I immediately contacted Santa and put in a request for those games. Alex is quite difficult to buy for, as he has just a few real interests (like Hot Wheels cars...and he owns well over 200 cars at this point...), so I wanted to make sure that Santa knew about these items.

This evening, I spent some time putting together a photo book for the kids, as instructed by their North Pole elf, Jingles. He wants them to get excited for his arrival, and also be reminded that they need to behave in order for him to stick around, so we'll see how this goes.

These tasks, on top of the usual Saturday chores (laundry and housework, yuck!), and the excitement of Andrew losing his first tooth, made for quite a busy day. I am tired.

Happy November, friends. For what are you thankful? Today, I am thankful that my kids are able to share the magic of each season and be excited for upcoming holidays and traditions.

Forgetful

Preoccupied. Distracted. Otherwise amused.

I forgot to blog again last night. Wow. Add this to the long list of other things that I forgot this week (sending Al's violin in with him on Monday, sending the raisins I promised to send in with Andrew on Tuesday, sending pretzels in with Alex on Friday for his class party, sending the kids to a meeting before school on Friday...). While these seem small and insignificant (hey, at least I didn't leave a kid somewhere...), it's just very unlike me to screw up on these little details.

I think this is just another example to back up the statement that I am in desperate need of a vacation.

Trick or Treat

What a night! The weather was great, the kids had a lot of fun, and we now have enough candy to last us until Santa fills the stockings.

Happy (almost) Halloween, everyone!

Mid Week Blahs

It's been such a long week...and it's only Wednesday.

Tomorrow is Trick or Treat, Al & Ad's class parties are Friday, and I have nothing ready. We haven't even carved our pumpkin yet. Guess when we'll have time to do that? Saturday. Swell.

Perhaps I'll cut out a bunch of feathers from construction paper and we'll just make the damn thing a turkey.

I'm done, Wednesday. Be gone, so we can start fresh tomorrow and hope for a better day.

301

The 300th post of the year went up last night, and it was a yawner. I'm afraid the 301st post won't be much different.

Schedules are crazy, the mama is tired, and the kids don't ever want to go to bed OR wake up for school. I'd like to think things will calm down in a couple of weeks, but I'm realistic to know that this won't be the case.

Maybe in 15 years I can sit down and rest...

Yaaaawn

I am up way past my bedtime. I enjoy the quiet of this house, that is only available after 10pm, way too much. But, sadly, I pay for it dearly the next day. It's a vicious cycle.

Good night.

Another one...

Yep. Another one was missed. Ugh.

I was too stinking tired last night to do much of anything, including posting a blog, so this makes the fourth one I've missed. Fourth? Fifth? Not sure anymore. Out of nearly 10 straight months, I guess that's still not bad.

Anyway, good Monday to you all. Mine has started out pretty challenging and blah, so hopefully things take a turn for the better. We shall see.

Boo at the Zoo

This afternoon, I took Addie and Andrew to Boo at the Zoo. I figured the zoo would be busy today, because it was a lovely fall day, so I encouraged Alex to spend the afternoon with his nana. I hate it that he misses out on events like this, and it brings on horrible bouts of mommy guilt, but I know that he really does not like crowds and would much rather play Uno with Nana rather than fight through tons of people. So off we went.

I was right in my hunch that there would be lots of people at the zoo today; we had to park clear in the back of the parking lot and walk quite a while to the gate. We made it through the entrance and headed toward the treat stations, as the kids were anxious to collect some candy.

Now, I realize that I am pretty strict about good manners, but I was still amazed by the lack of common courtesy demonstrated by the masses of people today. People cut in front of us in lines, we got run in to with strollers, people allowed their children to push in front of my kids to see the animals. Ugh. It took a lot for me to contain my disgust, and while we managed to see quite several of our favorite animals, we did not stay for as long as I anticipated. It just wasn't worth the frustration. As season pass holders, we much prefer the zoo when it isn't wall to wall people, so we'll go back another time.

I seriously will look into the private tours for the Wildlights event...

First Sleepover

Alex has been dying to have his friend sleep over since they became good friends last year in third grade. He had never had a sleep over with friends, and because bedtime battles are so awful, we've put it off.

Until now.

Alex was talking about a sleep over again, at the beginning of this week, so I decided to give it a shot. His friend accepted the invitation, and they have spent the evening playing basketball, eating pizza, watching tv, and playing games. Al's friend is a sweet and patient kid that really makes an effort to understand and help Alex, without making it seem obvious that he's helping. Does that even make sense? They definitely have a special bond, and they both seem to be having a great time.

#InclusionMatters

I'm Beginning to Shop a Lot Like Christmas...

Yes, I do realize that it isn't even Halloween. But, when your house celebrates four birthdays (Andrew's, my nephew, my sister, and my brother-in-law), Hanukkah, and Christmas, all within about four weeks, you get an early start on things.

I went out tonight, mostly to get a breather from the kids and the chaos that is our home, but also to pick up some things for the kids' fall parties at school next week. After picking up some party supplies, I headed over to our Kohl's store, because I had two coupons and some Kohl's Cash burning a hole in my pocket. I was super excited to pick up several gifts (one for my niece, two for Andrew, one for Alex, and two stocking stuffers for Addie), plus a shirt for Addie...for less than $25!! Woo hoo!

I'm still on a shopping high. Hopefully, I'll have the majority of my shopping done by the beginning of December so I can wrap, bake, and be jolly for the rest of the month.

Oops

My patience wore down quicker than it usually does this morning, especially for a Wednesday. No one wanted to get up, get dressed for school, or listen to any words that I said. We're all exhausted; I get it. I tried my best to stay calm and go with the flow of the morning, even though we were on course to be late for everything.

After Alex and Addie left on the bus, Andrew and I scurried about, gathering our things so we could leave the house as well. Andrew is old enough to be responsible for his things, as are his siblings, and I try to hold them accountable rather than just doing things for them because it's quicker. (This also contributes to the process of wearing down my patience, though!)

As we were loading up the van (Wednesdays are very long days and I leave the house with a ton of stuff!), Andrew realized that he left his water bottle in the house.

My response? "Well, I guess you better march your happy little tushie back inside to get it!" Yeah, probably not wise to add sarcasm to a hectic morning, but I totally went there. He hopped out of the van, ran back into the house, and came out looking quite irritated.

"Andrew, what's wrong?"

"Mommy! It is not nice to make fun of someone's body parts!" came his immediate answer.

Obviously concerned, I agreed with him. "You're absolutely right! It's never ok to make fun of anybody, but especially for the way they look! What made you think of this?"

"Uh, Mommy, you just did it! You made fun of my happy butt!"

My left eyebrow about shot off the top of my head. "Oh, Andrew, no. I wasn't making fun of your tushie. It was just an expression. I'm sorry if it hurt your feelings. I promise I wasn't making fun of you."

Goodness. I guess I need to watch my snarky comments. What a way to start the day!

I Run 4

I blogged over here today! Go check it out!

Stimming

Alex has a new habit: burping.

He is making me crazy with it; in our 18 minute commute home tonight, he averaged around 5 burps/minute. That is 90 burps in one car ride. I really can't take it.

I've read that children with Down syndrome will demonstrate a stimming behavior when they are seeking sensory input. So, I've been trying to figure out what we can offer to replace the belching. We've been through this before, with teeth grinding and nipple rubbing (his own, not someone else's, but still...). Before we can find a solution, he seems to move on to another behavior. This one is killing me.

I know his impulsiveness plays into this, but beyond that, I'm stumped. We were told that it's "just a boy thing", but I'm not buying it. Burping at the table, or in class, for laughs is one thing; relentless belching is another. It's gross, it's socially unacceptable, and my nerves are completely shot. There has to be more behind it. Maybe his ears are full of fluid, and this helps him pop them? I feel like that's a stretch. He says there is something stuck in his throat, and that his tooth is loose. I can't piece either of those together. He does have an appointment with his ENT on Friday, so perhaps we can gain some insight from that.

Good, good times. So how was your Monday?

Sunday

Today was a long day. Long, but terrific. 

We started our day at church, and then I got to spend the afternoon with friends. I ended my day back at church, watching Addie rehearse for an upcoming musical. Now I've got all three kids in bed and I'm enjoying some trashy tv (can't miss my housewives!). 

Couldn't have asked for a better day. 

Things I Actually Said Today...

I have a headache. Could it be because I heard myself say some ridiculous things today? Here's a sampling:

AlexANDer, the dog can NOT fold laundry.

And why would you leave the bathroom if you weren't finished wiping?!?

Please get the underpants off of your head. Now.

Give me the snakes. I am so done with this.

It is not nice to call him an "hour hogger". Please do not call him that again.

We do not chase each other with shoes.

Please do not write "butt". Your sight word is "but".

Ok, we are not going to race each other in the laundry baskets.

And perhaps the best of all (seeing as it's not even Halloween yet):

Santa is watching.

I think I can make it to bedtime. I wonder how many more lovely phrases I can add to this before then?

Family Photos

Who waits until the evening before a family photo shoot to check the weather for the next day?

Yep. Me. 

After realizing that it will be much cooler than anticipated, who scrambled about trying to find coordinating vests, scarves, and mittens?

Yep. Me. 

After finally returning home and trying to relax, who realizes that the shoot is actually scheduled for 11:30am rather than 10am?

Yep. You guessed it. 

Let's just hope that the kids are somewhat cooperative. I would really love a new family photo. 

At least I can return the vests if we won't need them...

Early Weekend

The kids don't have school tomorrow, which means that our weekend starts early. Hooray!! We're all tired and in need of an extra day off. 

Bedtime Blues

I remember thinking, when the kids were toddlers, that once they got older their bedtime rituals would be simpler. 

I was wrong. Very, very wrong. 

Bedtime is hairy. We are all exhausted by the time 8pm rolls around, and some evenings we don't get home until after 9pm. 

Let's all just cross our fingers that this situation improves soon. This mama is tired. 

Bedtime Battles

It's been a long day. I am more than ready to go to bed. 

Of course, this means that Alex is fighting bedtime. Super. 

Hopefully soon we'll all get some rest. Cross your fingers. 

Candy Corn

For me, candy corn ranks right up there with pumpkin on my list of things to NOT eat in the fall. I don't like either one of these popular autumn treats, and I feel like I'm in a definite minority.

Today I had to run a quick errand after I left work and before the kids got home from school. As I dashed to the checkout (I had 15 minutes to shop at Target, you guys...it is possible!), I passed an end cap loaded with bags of candy corn. I screeched to a halt, nearly dropping my armload of goodies (no cart at Target means you spend less, right?), to grab a bag for Addie and Andrew. They do like candy corn, and I thought I would toss some into some Bugles (or "witch hats") for a fun, fall snack mix.

As I stood in line, staring disdainfully at the colorful little candies, this song came to my head. "I don't like candy corn! No, I don't like candy corn!" This was popular when Alex was younger (and when Nick Jr was Noggin!), and I find myself humming it every year as soon as the stores bust out with their Halloween candy (you know, in July).

It's a catchy little tune, for sure. I can't get it out of my head...

Sneaky

Tonight, as I checked out the kids before I went to my room to watch tv, I noticed a fuzzy little nose peeking out from the boys' room. I quickly deduced that Alex took Maisey to his room, probably with hopes she would snuggle up in his bed. 

As I opened the door, I heard some loud, fake snoring. This was apparently Al's attempt to convince me that Maisey came upstairs on her own and shut the door. 

Funny guy. You have to give him credit for trying. ;)

Goofed again

Saturday was a really busy day. I kind of fell over into bed and that was the end of it. I did realize, just before drifting off to sleep, that I didn't blog...and sleep won over getting out of bed to come down to my desk and write. It happens.

Missing four out of 284 still isn't terrible. There are 80 days left this year. That's plenty more blogs to write.

Party Time

Friday night, 9:42pm. 

Pinterest, Reese's miniatures, and Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.  

Such a party animal, I am. Happy Friday. 

Guest Blogger

I blogged over here today, with a little help from a special guest. ;) Check it out!

Vacation

I need a vacation. Having a break from the chaos would be lovely. 

That is all. 

Broken Record

Busy. Tired. Headache.

This is becoming the norm. Ugh.

Collaboration

With October being Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I've been reading a lot of great articles and blog posts. Last week, when I saw a Facebook post from The Mighty asking if anyone would answer a few questions for an upcoming post, I jumped on it.

I was excited to see some of my input worked into this piece on The Mighty's site. There are some great quotes here, and hopefully they will be of assistance to those just learning of a Down syndrome diagnosis for their baby.

Pre-Monday Blahs

A busy weekend plus a case of pre-Mondat blahs makes for an exhausting Sunday night. You know what helps? Bravo tv. 

Time to get back to my stories...

Life

"Hey, when you're out, pick up a new board game that we can all play later!"

These were the words from my husband this afternoon, and I agreed; it sounded like fun. Before my daughter and I left Target today, we stopped by the toy department and selected The Game of Life. My sister and I used to play this all the time when we were kids. We loved it! I was excited to share the game with my kids.

As with most things, we should have waited a bit longer before trying this.

Nobody could keep track of their paydays, there were cards scattered everywhere, everyone was talking over everyone else. Ugh. Not fun at all.

There were a couple of funny parts, but the game became exhausting and grew old. Appropriate, I suppose: life is tiring, stressful, and if you're lucky, kind of funny sometimes.

After the kids cleaned up the game, I slyly slid it under a cabinet with my foot. I hope they forget we own it, at least for a few days. I need time to recover.

TGIF

Ugh. TGIF. That's really all I have to say (fine, write) for now. 

Here's to a relaxing weekend!

Ballad

After we (finally!) made it through Alex's homework assignment tonight, he told me that he was sad today because his friend Erick had to leave school early. Apparently, Erick got sick in art class. After explaining this to me, Al grabbed a nearby toy to use as a microphone and launched into a ballad worthy of long hair and leopard print jeans:

Errrrrrrrrrick!! I miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiss you!
But you threw uuuuuuuuuuuuuup!
I looooooove you!

(Repeat, at least 14 times.)

Erick, we hope you feel well soon!

Refresher

It's no secret that our schedules are nuts around here. The kids are fortunate in that they can participate in lots of activities, and Mark and I also have at least one "night out" where we can get a break. Our schedules are quite opposite these days, but he and I both need the break away from the chaos.

Right now, my break falls on Wednesday nights, when I attend a bible study class at my church. Not only is it a chance for my to expand my understanding of my religion, but it is also time for me to sit and catch my breath. I can listen to and participate in conversations with friends, without being asked for more chocolate milk, or breaking up a fight, or telling someone to get away from the dog. It's lovely.

I leave with a feeling of peace, and although it's a fleeting moment (as I'm all too soon back to filling cups of chocolate milk and yelling about the dog), it gets me through to Sundays, when I can once again sit quietly and enjoy the peace.

Noseblind

Noseblind. Have you heard this term? Brought to us by Febreze (at least, this is where I first heard it), this phenomenon occurs when you are around something so often that you no longer notice its smell.

This is a nightmare for me.

I inherited my dad's weirdly strong sense of smell; I swear, we were a bunch of blood hounds in our previous lives. I can smell things from quite a distance; as you can imagine, strongly smelling places (the seafood department at grocery stores, Crabtree & Evelyn stores, public restrooms) hit me like a ton of bricks.

I'm sure that my house, full of kids and a stinky dog, gets smelly. I am pretty much always overwhelmed with the kids and their stuff (homework, activities, behavior...), so the housework often takes a backseat. Yes, gross, but what can you do? I am a huge fan of Scentsy and Febreze, baking soda to deodorize the couch, and vinegar. One of my goals in life is to stay ahead of the stink. I've been known to ask people if my house "smells like dog" when they come to visit. I'm hoping they tell the truth, because I know that noseblindness is a real thing.

So, do me a favor: if you're ever at my house and smell dogs (or kids), please tell me. I'll conquer it quickly with my arsenal of air fresheners.

Monnnnnnnnnnnnnnday

Longest. Day. Ever.

Actually, just from 4:30pm to now has been awful. The rest of today, not so much. But good gravy has this evening sucked.

Alex got all smiley faces at school today, which lends a perfect explanation as to why he is so difficult tonight. From battling over homework, dinner, more homework, and the reasons why we can't eat Oreos after we brush our teeth, I have completely had it with this day.

Mark bowls on Monday nights, and I texted him earlier asking for peanut butter pie and some Valium. I didn't get a response (his phone either died or he turned it off so as to not feel obligated to read my pathetic play by plays of life at home), so Plan B is to dive into that bag of mini Reece's that I bought yesterday while watching what's left of Dancing with the Stars.

Seriously, is it Friday yet?

Stinking Phone

I am due for a new phone.

I just tried to update my little iPhone 4S to the new iOS, only to have wasted an hour of time deleting apps and trying to find the space needed for the download. Such a pain! After pretty much wiping the stinking thing clean, I still needed space, so I started deleting old texts. But, this somehow wiped out a bunch of my contacts and disabled texting all together. Fun!

I spent some more time reentering contact information into my phone, only to find that even after deleting all those old messages, I still somehow don't have enough room. I don't understand. With nothing left on the phone (I even took my email accounts off to do the upload!), how can there not be enough room?

I lost my patience and started reinstalling apps. iOS8 can suck it right now. Except now my phone isn't downloading the "must have" apps that I am attempting to restore.

Technology can be a real bitch sometimes. Now I get to decide whether to wait until Friday morning, when I have a whopping two hours to myself, to get a new phone, or to bravely march into the Sprint store after school, with all three kids. Torture, either way.

Author's note: Yes, I know there are greater things in life with which I could be struggling. But, it's been a rough day and I'm tired and hungry (why would I eat dinner before 10pm? Ugh.) and just feel like whining about my stinking phone.

End rant. Good night.

#3

Ugh. I really hate missing blog posts. I guess that since this was the only third miss so far this year, it's not so bad.

It was a long, challenging week. Our schedules are busy, the kids have homework, the house is a mess, and I'm working outside of the house for the first time since all three kids have been in school. It's rough. I'm hoping we're still getting used to the transition, rather than just failing miserably. We'll see.

Anyway, I am completely worn down, and although I meant to write a blog last night, I just forgot. It happens.

Here's to a better week.

Lessons from Andrew

This just happened:

Andrew came skipping into the kitchen. "Mommy, can I have a grape juice?"

"You already had one," I answered as I sorted through all the papers that came home from school.

"What?!? That does not answer my question, Mommy."

"NO, Andrew, you may not have a juice because you already had one," I replied, with perhaps just a smidge of exasperation.

"There you go, Mommy. Now that's an answer. You just had to be more pacific."

"Well, ok then, buddy. Go play."

Then he went skipping back out of the kitchen, en route to the next bout of mischief.

Happy weekend!

Meltdowns

We dealt with too many meltdowns tonight for me to write anything interesting. 

Fortunately, tomorrow is Friday. 

It Really Does Rock

We've been listening to Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks! a lot lately. I loved this cd when it was released, and now my kids love it too. So, we rock out in the car to the likes of I'm Just a Bill and My Hero, Zero.

Perhaps my favorite on this cd, though, is Better Than Ezra's presentation of Conjunction Junction. It makes me quite happy.

Find the cd. Rock out in the car. You won't be disappointed.

As Seen at the Columbus Buddy Walk

I also write for the blog over at ds-connex, as some of you may already know. So for today's post, I'm going to share the piece that was just posted over there. Enjoy!

Torture - Otherwise Known as Homework

Here we are, trying to get through another night of homework. 

Part of tonight's assignments: a subtraction worksheet. We've been arguing over the first problem for the last ten minutes. 

"Al, what's 15 - 11?"

"Six."

"No, Buddy. MINUS."

"Six. Five plus one is SIX!"

"Well, yes, but this is subtraction, dude."

"But it is six."

Ugh. We've got eight more problems to argue over before we move on to spelling words.  

2014 Columbus Buddy Walk

The big day finally arrived, and Team Alex celebrated our 11th Columbus Buddy Walk with beautiful weather, great food, and tons of fantastic supporters.

We ended up with over 100 people registered for our team, and raised more than $10,400! Amazing. If you walked with Team Alex, or another team, thank you. If you donated money, thank you. If you donated your time, thank you. If you sent positive thoughts and prayers (especially about today's forecast!), thank you. I know I can say that the entire DSACO community is grateful for your support.

I'll have more to say about the Buddy Walk later this week. Right now, I'm in "recovery mode", and planning to enjoy the "time off" between the Buddy Walk and Girl Scout Cookie time. ;)

Have a great week!

A Poem

'Twas the night before the Columbus Buddy Walk,
And all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring,
Except for the mama/team captain who is too busy worrying about packing up the car, remembering every last little detail for the tailgate, and hoping that it won't rain in the morning...

Yep. Time for bed. Tomorrow is Buddy Walk day!!

Two days...

In less than 48 hours, the Buddy Walk will have come and gone. Team Alex officially broke the $10,000 mark today, and I couldn't be happier. Or more tired. ;)

There is still a lot to do to prepare for the walk, and we are very excited to see everyone on Sunday morning.

With an early morning tomorrow (and inevitably, a late night!), I'm off to bed. Happy weekend!

Best Shirt Ever

If you're a regular follower of this blog, you've read about our #InclusionMatters campaign, which included two rounds of fabulous t-shirts from I Heart Garments. Our shirts started arriving this week, and I am completely in love with my hoody. Seriously, I may never take it off.

I will proudly wear this hoody (and the t-shirt, because I couldn't resist and needed to have both!) because of the beautiful message it promotes. #InclusionMatters. Everywhere, for everyone.

I will also continue to watch for upcoming campaigns from I Heart Garments. When you can score comfortable shirts that support important causes, it is most definitely a win win.

Check out their site. Think about how #InclusionMatters to you.

How Is It Not Friday Yet?!?

I now have even greater respect for the families in which one (or both!) parents frequently travel for work. I've always admired these brave partners for taking on single parenting duties while the other is away, but wow, I have a whole new outlook on it.

It sucks.

Fortunately, Mark rarely travels. Thank goodness. He was only gone for the last three days and the house is completely blown up, the kids are way out of whack, and I am even more ragged than usual.

But, he was sweet enough to bring back a cool coffee mug for me...which didn't fare the trip very well.

Poor mug. She's had a rough day, too. I guess she and I are both a little rattled after this week, but at least we're still standing. Right? Yes, of course. ;)

Update

Whoa...I'm almost 3/4 of the way through my "blog every day" resolution for 2014. I've written 259 posts (or at least posted once per every day of the year; some "posts" can't really be considered full entries because, well, it's difficult to write every day!). My blog has now had over 15,000 page views. Crazy.

Hopefully, I'll have enough steam to finish out the year! Wish me luck!!

Go Team Alex!

As I have a monster headache and am so far over this day I.Can't.Even, I decided to share some information I sent out to Team Alex, many hours ago when I was in a happier mood. ;)

Here are some fun stats about our team this year:

* 92 team members (and counting...online registration is still open, but t-shirts are not guaranteed. Invite your family and friends to join us!!)

* $9157 raised, according to the current leaderboard...BUT, I am expecting $624.73 to be added in this week (from fundraising checks that have arrived/will arrive this week). That puts us just $218.27 from the $10,000 mark. Incredible!! 

* Team Alex is leading "that Buddy Walk team up north" in our #AlexVsNick2014 challenge! Not sure what that is? Check out this blog post for more info!

* Many more fundraising efforts under our belts, including international recognition for Addie, our Jr Captain, for helping to bring our #InclusionMatters campaign to life!  And don't forget about the #TeamAlexPieChallenge!! 

If you feel compelled to help push us over the $10,000 mark, please visit (and share!) our fundraising page. 

Buddy Walk Countdown

Seven more days!

I've been fundraising since 3/21. I'm tired...but probably not nearly as tired as those who have listened to/read my pleas for donations for the last (almost) six months.

A week from right now, I will be relaxing, much like I imagine Santa Claus relaxes on 12/26.

I have a lot of work to do to prep for the Team Alex Tailgate, but that's the fun part. Let's just hope this cold I feel coming on takes a hike, because I don't have time to slow down!

Should you feel inspired to donate, and help us reach $10,000 by Friday, 9/19, please visit our team page here.

#AlexVsNick2014

Seeing as it's a Game Day, I thought I would remind everyone about the friendly #AlexVsNick2014 challenge that is going on now. Check out this blog post to learn more!

After you read it, head over to the Team Alex fundraising page to show your support!

Strike 2

Ugh. Forgot to post anything last night. Second time this year that I've done that. Not bad, eh? ;)

Guest Blogger

yjy,..m,h,;.k.y

nmmgm

Ok, so my brilliant idea to have Alex play the role of guest blogger tonight kind of backfired. He did type those two lines; he tells me it says "blah, blah, blah".

That's probably about how people are reading most of my blog posts, having read so many of my lovely ramblings since I started blogging every day on January 1.

So much for a creative blog post idea. Back to the drawing board.

Random thoughts

Wednesdays are long days when you think that Tuesdays are Thursdays.

Yep. That's all I've got for today. Have a great night!

Andrew and the Biebs

Andrew has been struggling with writing letters; it's not that he isn't able to correctly write them, he just chooses not to do it. He would rather write his name like this: ANdReW. It's been fun, working with him to do his homework the last couple of weeks. <insert eye roll here>

So this morning, before we left for school, he asked me why he has to learn about letters in Kindergarten.

"Well, Andrew," I patiently started, hoping to not spark yet another letter-related argument, "you have to know how to write the way your teacher has asked you to do it."

"Who decided how you're supposed to make the letters?" Andrew is very inquisitive.

"Um, not sure, dude. Someone thought about all of that a long time ago," I answered, hoping my vague answer would prompt him to change the subject.

"A long time ago? Did Justin Bieber make up the alphabet?!?" 

Facepalm. And then laughter and a near fall down the stairs. 

I don't know why he thought the Biebs developed the alphabet. I don't think I want to know. I'll just keep making sure he completes his assignments.

Monday, Monday

Hey! It's a rare morning post!

That's how bad our morning was. I felt it important to sit down and blog it right away. Actually, it wasn't the worst morning we've had around here, but I doubt I'll have time tonight to sit down and write, so here we are.

I committed a horrible act against Alex: I allowed us to run completely out of chocolate milk. That is bad news, you guys, as chocolate milk is to him as coffee is to me. I naively offered him juice or water, and that's when the morning took an ugly turn. Tears and snot were flying, and Alex was pretty upset too (just joking...only Al was crying...but that is a funny visual, no?).

Seriously, though, Alex was a mess and then he and Andrew started battling and Andrew ended up wearing his cereal. Good times.

And of course, the bus was actually on time today, when I could have used the extra ten minutes that we've had since school started. Figures. Alex did perk up a bit, though, when he saw his violin waiting for him with his backpack, and he waved at me from the bus, so maybe he'll shake his Monday blues by the time the bus arrives. I'll spend the day in a cloud of anxiety, mentally calculating how many gallons of chocolate milk I can fit in the fridge.

So, if you wouldn't mind crossing your fingers that the kiddos have a good day at school, that would be appreciated.

Happy (freaking) Monday.

So long, weekend...

Hectic weekend = tired mama. Good thing everything starts all over again tomorrow.

*snort*

Go Bucks!

When you live in Columbus, OH, it quickly becomes clear that Saturdays in the fall are all about Ohio State football. 

When you are also a graduate of THE Ohio State University, there is absolutely no doubt that Saturday = football. 

Tonight is the first of several home night games for the Buckeyes. I should have blogged earlier; no time to write, must watch the game. 

Happy Football Saturday!!

Puzzling

Why do shorter weeks always seem longer then normal weeks? 

Discuss. 

(Yeah, I'm exhausted. This is as good as it gets today.)

Amazing

We did it.

Nearly six months ago, Team Alex set out to raise $7500 by September 5th. It seemed like a huge goal, but we went for it with our typical determination and gusto.

We did countless $10 Tuesdays. We played kickball. We smashed pies in friends' faces. Little by little, with a ton of help from amazing family and friends, we added to our fundraising total.

And we did it.

With about 24 hours left until the fundraising deadline, we have exceeded our $7500 goal. I can't believe it.

I will be happy dancing all along the walk route. Thank you, so much, to everyone for your support...and for tolerating my endless posts on Facebook. ;)

You still have time to register and/or donate, though! Please check out our fundraising page here to join the fun.

Gratitude Challenge: Day 5

Today I am grateful for:

1. My church 

2. My kids' determination, silliness, and charitable hearts

3. My husband and his willingness to journey on this wild roller coaster of a life we share

Gratitude Challenge: Day 4

Today, I am grateful for...

1. My kids' teachers: They watch over my children, taking care to share stories with me and check in with concerns; they teach my kids invaluable lessons yet learn from them as well. Even after we've moved on to new school years, they still welcome them with hugs and smiles. It's not always easy for them, I know (as I'm that mom, especially when it comes to Alex!), but they should know that we value their impact on our kids' lives.

2. Our dog, Maisey: A self-admitted cat person, this sweet beagle rescue pup has nestled her way into my heart as I thought no dog ever could. She tolerates the boys' loud  nonsense, lets Addie snuggle her when she's frustrated with her brothers, and sits at my feet as I write. She's a good dog, even though she pees on the floor (usually after the boys irritate her, but still), and she brings joy to our house like a family dog should.

3. Our generous family and friends: Team Alex has unofficially exceeded our fundraising goal of $7500 (I'm still waiting to receive some checks), which is just astounding. Even more amazing is that I haven't been blocked by every one of my Facebook friends for posting about the Buddy Walk every day since March 21st. We appreciate your support!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 3

It has been a long, challenging evening with Alex, so I am digging deep to identify three things for which I am grateful today:

1. Febreze Sleep Serenity spray: fingers crossed it helps me relax enough to get to sleep tonight. If nothing else, it smells nice.

2. Old photos: while looking through a bunch of stuff to find something (it is around here somewhere, but I just can't find it, and that is infuriating), I came across a bunch of old photos which gave me pause to stop, smile, and remember days gone by. (Throwback Thursday will be fun this week!)

3. Hostess Cupcakes: don't judge me.

Gratitude Challenge: Day 2

I am grateful...

1. ...that my family gathers annually for the Franklin Reunion. Today was the 52nd annual gathering. 

2. ...that I do not have to set an alarm tomorrow. 

3. ...for coffee. 

Gratitude Challenge: Day 1

There are several trends circulating on Facebook, as always, but the Gratitude Challenge is a good way to remind ourselves of all the things in our lives for which we are thankful. I can say, with complete certainty, that it is easy to forget these things when life's chaos escalates (back to school, ugh!).

So, I give to you my first three things for which I am grateful:

1. Inclusive Opportunities for Alex: As many parents of children with special needs do, we struggle in securing inclusive experiences for Alex. School, sports, and extracurricular activities all present many opportunities for Alex, but not everything is adapted as easily as it could be. When Alex came home last week and expressed excitement over the 4th Grade Strings Program, I was both happy and apprehensive. I thought it would just be one more battle. I am relieved to report that it's been surprisingly easy so far! Not only is the teacher excited to have him, he should also have an aide for the after-school program (I didn't even have to ask!), and the staff at a local strings store was lovely and didn't bat an eye because Alex isn't the typical student. It's been awesome. Alex is still quite excited!
2. Confidence-Building Opportunities for Addie: Ad gets her shyness from me, I will admit. She is quiet and reserved, until you really get to know her. I have seen how my introverted ways have held me back in certain situations, and I'm eager to help her learn how to not be so quiet. Addie has an opportunity to serve as a class assistant for her dance studio, so she will get to help teach 5-6 year olds in addition to taking her own classes. She is over the moon with excitement, and I am hopeful this will build her confidence so her inner light can shine through a bit brighter.
3. Snuggles from Andrew: Last week, I took Andrew to a friend's birthday party. Before we left the house, he informed me that I shouldn't talk to him at the party, because I might embarrass him. KINDERGARTEN!! He is in Kindergarten. This is way too early to start being ashamed of his old mom, and apparently, my expression reflected this sentiment because he quickly retracted it. He still needs snuggles throughout the day, and I do appreciate each one, because I know that all too soon he won't take back his instructions to not embarrass him in front of friends.

Stay tuned for the next three items in tomorrow's blog...

Uno

Alex loves playing Uno. He is the proud owner of Uno Attack; this is what he wanted his Nana and Papa to give him on his 10th birthday in July, and they stepped up. He finds such joy in playing this game! It's a great incentive; I've used it several times to get him through homework assignments in the last couple of weeks.

Tonight, we played the longest game of Uno, ever. This game lasted at least 30 minutes, which is unusual. But, the kids had fun, and it was a great way to kick off the long holiday weekend. I'm sure it won't be our last game!

Wishing you all a lovely and safe Labor Day weekend!

Exhaustion

I am so very tired. So completely drained, in fact, that I am blogging this from my bed. I am still wearing work clothes and contemplating just going to sleep, contacts and all. 

But, tomorrow is Friday. TGIF, indeed. 

Funny Guy

On Wednesdays, Alex has speech therapy after school and I have to pick him up so we arrive to his appointment on time (if he rode the bus home, we'd never make it!). It has become our tradition to stop at Starbucks on our way to the session; this not only soothes the sting of not getting to ride the bus home, but also provides my afternoon dose of caffeine.

The baristas are familiar with Alex by now, and even remember his name and his order (although they always wait patiently while he finds the words to place his own order!). He always asks for the same things: a chocolate chip cookie and a cup of water. His smile after he orders shows us all how proud he is of this aspect of independence.

Today, after he devoured his cookie in the car, he asked me if I could "clean him up" when we got to speech. Of course, I agreed, to which he replied "Good. I'm a hot mess."

This kid. Love him.

Nerd

Tonight, I was folding laundry while Andrew practiced writing letter As. We were chatting about this and that, and I will admit that I was just half listening and trying to push through until all three kids were tucked in and I could have a moment's peace.

"What do you think I am, Mommy, a nerd?"

I instantly perked up, glancing up from the laundry to size up this question.

"Where did you hear that word, Andrew? What do you mean by 'nerd'"? I was reluctant to just leave that one alone. With the kids back in school, I am always looking out to make sure they aren't being pushed around, or being the one to give another a hard time.

"You know, Mommy. Nerds. They build really cool stuff, like robots. Nerds are awesome," he explained as he finished his page of As.

Big sigh of relief. While I still am not entirely thrilled about the labeling of others (even though in this case, 'nerd' is being used in a complimentary fashion), I was happy to hear that he wasn't being a big meanie.

Pass

No blog tonight. I still have to finish paperwork, it's been a long day, and I can't figure out the online communication tool that my kids are using at school. More importantly, the Emmys are on.

Until tomorrow!

More Transitions

This week will bring the third installment of our summer to fall transition. Andrew will begin a kindergarten program on his "off" days in our school district, Addie has a week-long dance seminar after school, and I have a handful of meetings in the evenings. 

I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Wish us luck!

Blah Blah Blah

Although we had a rough start to our day (Alex was not a happy camper at Andrew's soccer game today, and the awful humidity magnified our drama), it has taken a slightly happier turn. Both boys are playing restaurant in the kitchen, and I'm taking a "Mommy Break" to write this and hopefully sit in front of the tv for some mindless entertainment.

Before clocking out, I was loading the dishwasher, and overheard the boys' game. Alex approached the table, in his undies and a construction hat, saying "Hello, I'm Alex. I'll be your server. What do you want to drink?"

Andrew asked for a cup of ice cold, refreshing milk. Alex started to write that on his pad, then stopped and began scribbling. Taking every opportunity to practice whatever skills present themselves throughout our day, I told him to start over and I would help him spell "milk".

"No, Mom, I got it. I just wrote 'blah blah blah'", came his response, and he showed me his notebook, full of scribbles. "See? That says 'blah blah blah'," he gleefully exclaimed.

He knew he won that round. We'll practice writing it later. I'm on break.

Two Weeks!

The 2014 Columbus Buddy Walk is less than one month away! The deadline to register and receive a Team Alex t-shirt is only two weeks away! If you plan to walk with Team Alex and want a shirt, please register here by 9/5!

We're so excited for this year's walk! We hope that you will join us! Please register, donate, and invite your family and friends ASAP!

Time's Up

So, I've been sitting here for more than an hour, trying to come up with something to write for today's post.

Nothing is coming to mind, and too much is coming to mind. Does that make sense? So much has happened this week, around the world to within my community, that I don't even know where to start. I just do not have the energy right now to delve into any of it. I mean, people are being rude and hateful every place I see (ok, mostly every page/post I choose to read), but at the same time, there are some beautiful things happening. It's too difficult to reconcile all that into one post that makes any sense.

And so, this is what you get for today. Maybe if we all channel some positive energy into our surroundings, pray for each other, and just close our mouths and listen, we'll see some progress.

I'm not naive enough to think that it's that simple, but it's nice to think about, isn't it?

Transition

I was more than ready for the kids to return to school. Now, I'm paying the price.

Transitions are difficult at our house. Alex just doesn't handle them well (chalk it up to his Down syndrome, I'm told), and then when he acts out, the other two follow suit. Not that they shouldn't also be tired; they're back in school, too, sitting for long periods of time, following new rules and learning new routines. They need to blow off some steam when they get home; I get that. But boy, they are all little nightmares by 8pm.

I'm hoping that Ad and Andrew will find their groove in the next few days, and Alex will hopefully only need a bit longer to do the same. Of course, as soon as things start to improve, they will have a three day weekend.

We'll make it through this transition; we always do. I can't promise you that I won't deal with it by eating obscene amounts of junk food and banging my head on my desk. We do what we gotta do.

Hot

Our a/c is busted. It is 84 degrees on the first floor of the house, and even warmer and stuffier upstairs. Great sleeping conditions, ugh. 

I am thankful that on a typical day, we have a/c, and I am anxious for the new unit to be installed on Thursday. 

Happy

Since March 21st, I've been working to reach a fundraising goal for Team Alex and the Columbus Buddy Walk, to benefit the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio. I have posted incessantly on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, sharing the link to our fundraising page countless times. I have asked you to buy Tupperware, eat out on a particular day, and for the second time in the last six weeks I am telling you about our amazing #InclusionMatters campaign (seriously, do not delay...order your shirt now, because this time, once they're gone, they're really gone!).

It's been a never ending parade of requests, all centered around this fundraiser that is near and dear to my heart.

And the amazing thing is, people are listening. Acting. Reacting. It's incredible.

You are registering to walk with us, or giving a donation if you can't be here on 9/21 for our walk. You are ordering the Tupperware and eating out. You are buying a fabulous shirt with an even more fantastic message, and you're telling your friends to do the same. You are hitting yourselves in the face with pies. You have resisted blocking me and all my posts on Facebook. All in the name of Team Alex.

This makes me very, very happy. I see how Alex has touched so many lives, and how people want to help. We are fortunate and thankful to have such amazing family and friends. So, thank you, sincerely, for all that you're doing to help us reach a goal.

Only a little over a month to go, then you won't have to hear (too much) about the Buddy Walk until March 21st rolls around again. Of course, Girl Scout Cookie season will be upon us in that interim...  ;)

Team Alex Pie Challenge

So, with less than $2000 to go to reach our Team Alex fundraising goal, I am determined to keep up our momentum. We still have lots of people who want to register, and some funds coming in from a couple of other fundraising initiatives, but we needed an extra little push.

Borrowing from another successful fundraising endeavor, we give you the Team Alex Pie Challenge! If you accept the challenge, we need a $5+ donation, or you can make a $25 donation to decline, at the Team Alex fundraising page. I hereby nominate anyone who wants to join in the fun! Let's see those videos!  If you head on over to the Team Alex Facebook page, you can find my video (and be sure to "like" the page once you're over there!). 

Thanks, again, for your continued support of Team Alex and the 2014 Columbus Buddy Walk!

Weirdness

Today was full of strange surprises.

I was trying to get caught up on housework, laundry, and anything non-school related; I didn't complete my list, but I got a lot accomplished. As I was working in the kitchen, I heard a smoke alarm sound; it wasn't a full blown alarm, but it was a longer tone than a low-battery chirp, so I was curious. So were the kids! A couple minutes after the alarm sounded, the boys were yelling about smoke in the backyard. "Yeah, right," I thought, and went on about my business. But, as I turned the corner to calm them down a few minutes later, I realized they were right: there was smoke coming from the backyard. I opened the door and realized that it was the a/c unit, so I quickly headed to the thermostat and turned it off  (we really didn't need it today, but it was still on) and began brainstorming reasons that this could have happened.

Not long after I started pondering (panicking about?) this, we realized that the wifi in the house had gone down. What was going on?!? Our connection is pretty reliable, and for it to stop working is rare. In an attempt to stop my runaway imagination (as Andrew had been ghost hunting earlier this afternoon, ha!), I gathered up the kids and headed to the grocery store.

After returning from our errand, I went upstairs to try and restart the router and restore the wifi. I then discovered that nothing would turn on in my bedroom, causing me to think that a fuse was blown. I was right. Craziness! But, I was happy to restore the wifi so the kids could watch a little Netflix before bed.

As I was trying to get the bedtime routines going, Al looked out the window and yelled "Maisey is eating a RAT!!", and of course, we all went running outside to see what she had found. Fortunately, it was just one of her bones, and as we all stood around watching her, she paused and looked up at us with such a look of disgust that it was truly funny.

Hopefully, these quirky little adventures have ended for today. I hope whatever ghostie Andrew disturbed earlier has relaxed a bit; this mama is tired and wants a good sleep tonight. ;)