Big Blueberry Eyes

The Naughty Table

2009-11-08T10:55:00.002-05:00

In the video I recently posted of Kayla talking about her day she mentions having to sit at the 'naughty table' at lunch that day. There wasn't any note in her folder about it so when she mentioned it I was caught off guard.

I went to her parent-teacher teacher conference on Thursday and got the scoop on what happened.

The assistant teacher in her room, Mrs. F., is the one in the lunchroom and she talked to me after the conference.

I've been called at home twice to let me know Kayla tried to drink out of someone's juice box and another time or touched someone's food (and the teacher was worried about possible cross-contamination with gluten). The solution was to move Kayla a little farther away at the table so she wouldn't be in arms reach and tempted to touch their food. I hadn't heard anything since that incident so I thought it was over with.

What happened on the day in question is Mrs F warned Kayla twice when she reached out to touch someone's food. She said the third time Kayla looked around to see if anyone was watching and very slowly reached her arm out; well Mrs. F did see her. She told Kayla she had to go sit at the naughty table now for not listening after the first two times.

She said it also broke her heart cause Kayla was crestfallen, she was sitting at the table (by herself because no one else was in trouble that day), with her head down, slowly eating the rest of her lunch. I can just picture her doing that too...being very sad, but also embarrassed. The whole way out to recess Mrs. F heard Kayla talking to herself saying "Don't touch food" over and over.

Kayla is very aware of the "naughty" table - Mrs. F said she's seen other kids at her table have to go sit there. We also have a "naughty" spot at home, so she's familiar with what it means.

I'm glad that Mrs. F did this and didn't coddle to Kayla, but treated her the same she would have if another child did that, after being warned twice. I think it made quite the impact on Kayla too, so hopefully she won't be trying to touch anyone's food anymore! The next day at lunch Mrs F reiterated to Kayla about the 'naughty table' by asking her what would happen if she touched anyone's food and Kayla replied, "sit at naughty table."

I'm not sure why Kayla is doing that - this has never been an issue before. Mrs. F thinks at first it was curiosity about what someone had that was different than what she had; but now she thinks it's for attention. Last year there were 4 adults in her classroom so there was an adult sitting at the table with Kayla. This year there are only 2 adults and they don't sit at the table, so she thinks Kayla is doing it for adult attention.

Hopefully she learned her lesson and that's the end of that!

Other than that she had a pretty good review for the parent-teacher conference!

Friday Freebie

2009-11-06T14:16:00.003-05:00

Freebies received: Garnier Fructis Shampoo and Conditioner, 2010 Joyce Meyer Ministry calendar.

For US:
- Fill out the form for a free sample of Sun Vibes Massage Oil.
- Request a free Kashi TLC Chewy Granola Bar.-
- Get a free sample of Breathe Right Nasal Strips.
- Print a coupon for a free Steaz Zero Calorie Tea.
- Get a sample of Ganier Skin Renew.
- Print a coupon for a free Sun-Rype FruitSource Bar at GNC.
- Request a free sample of Dentek Triple Clean Floss Picks.

For Veterans and Active Duty Military on Veteran's Day:
- Get a free Outback Bloomin Onion and Beverage.
- Get a free meal at Applebees.
- Get a free entree at Abuelo's Mexican Restaurant.

Speech

2009-11-05T09:20:00.001-05:00

RK is doing a little personal research on speech and asked to see videos of kids talking - just chatting about their day or whatever.

This first video I took a few months ago. I usually end up asking Kayla a lot of yes or no questions when I'm filming her and this day I tried to keep my mouth shut and just sit back and let her talk. Kayla still doesn't use a lot of 'filler' words in her sentences and we're trying to expand the length of the sentences. Near the end of the video she wants the camera and she'll just say what she wants (camera please), but when I make her slow down and start with "I" she uses more of her words.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This video was after school last week...I try asking her every day about school and how it went; I ask her what she had for lunch (even though she brings lunch so I know what it is) to help reinforce those memory skills. Yes I was quite surprised at what she shared with me about lunch that day. I have parent-teacher conference today and I will be asking what that was all about!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Special Exposure Wednesday

2009-11-04T13:19:00.002-05:00

Now that we're living in MD I sure have been enjoying the fall colors...something we didn't get to do when living in NM!

Kayla has been having fun picking leaves up on our walks. Her favorite is finding the red-colored leaves.

When Joe Returns

2009-11-03T15:05:00.002-05:00

In a previous post I was asked "what are your plans for once Joe's back home? Where do you see yourselves 18 months from now?"

The quick answer to what our plans for when Joe returns is: to settle in to our new duty location which will be Charleston AFB, SC.

But the answer isn't that easy.

When people ask me when Joe is coming back I say "Feb" and they usually say "Oh that's not so far away now! He'll be home soon!" Which is true - Feb is just around the corner and Joe will be back in the states; however I always feel like I have to follow that up with a "but..." because we're not automatically going to all be together after that. The whole separation thing won't be over.

Joe is still assigned to the base we were at in NM. He has to return there. He has to outprocess there before inprocessing at Charleston.

When we moved to MD we knew that we were going to stay here through June so Kayla could finish out this school year and not move in the middle of school again. That is still our plan. We thought Joe would be at his next assignment and he would be about a day's drive away and we could see him once a month figuring that would be for four months.

Well Joe doesn't report to Charleston until Aug. That throws a kink into a lot of things -namely that means he would remain in NM until that time (no he can't be temporarily assigned here in MD for those 6 months). The main problem with that is we signed out of base housing - he doesn't have a house to go back to and our stuff is in storage.

So right now the plan is for Joe to request an earlier report date for Charleston. Hopefully that will be approved. Once he gets there I'll go down there and we can either house-hunt, or get base housing (we're still trying to decide what we want to do). Once that is figured out we'll join him after Kayla's out of school.

As for where I see us in 18 months - right now I just see us settled in to our new assignment in SC!

And somewhere in the middle of all that I told Joe my plan for when we're all settled in SC is that I'm taking off by myself somewhere for a week so he and the kids can get reacquainted :) I have a friend from high school who is in GA and another friend from high school who will be in NC by that time next year. The 3 of us were always together in Germany and we're looking forward to a little reunion together :)

So there is the long answer of when Joe returns!

Thanksgiving in Afghanistan

2009-11-02T13:12:00.003-05:00

I know this is a long shot, but hey, sometimes you just never know who might be reading your blog, so I thought it was worth a shot.

Is there anyone out there who has any connection to the food service industry...along the lines of getting a bunch of turkeys to Afghanistan for Thanksgiving?

Joe and a bunch of guys over where he's at are trying to figure out how to have a decent Thanksgiving dinner.

Since there are multi-national forces there the dining hall puts together a small section for the US troops to have a Thanksgiving meal; but from what Joe heard about last year's meal it was just frozen, processed turkey breast slices. They would like to try and get some real turkeys over there this year, if they can.

So just in case someone out there knows someone, who knows someone, who knows someone who might possibly be able to help out, or offer suggestions...I said I would throw this out there...cause you just never know!

Down Syndrome Awareness in Canada

2009-11-01T22:40:00.003-05:00

Down Syndrome Awareness Month may be over here in the U.S., but it's just starting in Canada.

Nov 1-7 is Down Syndrome Awareness Week in Canada, and Lianna from Life With Gabriel (he's such a cutie!) is celebrating by having a giveaway every day of the week.

Go check it out and meet adorable Gabe!

31 Days Already?

2009-10-31T11:00:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it's the end of October! Which also means the end of "31 for 21" - whew, I made it! Posted every day for October!

I just realized I never answered the questions that were asked to me on that first post either - so here goes.

1. What are your plans for once Joe's back home? Where do you see yourselves 18 months from now? I'm actually going to answer this in an upcoming post!

2. I would like you to post on how you and Joe met, how long you dated, were engaged, etc. Here is the story of how we met. I was telling Joe the other day that although we did meet in high school, our relationship more closely resembles one where the couple met online! We pretty much 'dated' for 2 years long-distance...so all the 'getting to know' you time happened via emails and chats!

3. Because I recall Kayla being a bit of a peanut, what size is she in now and is Lucas catching up to her? Kayla is in size 6 for tops, although in long-sleeves the sleeves are a bit long on her. But if I go with a 5 the shirt is too short in the waist. Her pant size is 5, but again the length is a little long on her legs, but it fits better in the waist then a 4 would. Shoe is 9.5. Kayla is 40 lbs and 41 inches. I have no idea where she is on the Ds, or typical, charts. At Lucas's 18 month appointment he was...hmm...I think 27 lbs and 32 inches...geesh I need to keep better track! He's not catching up too quickly, yet! He's in 18 month pants and 18-24 months shirts. I know Kayla was not wearing 18 month clothes when she was 18 months though!

4. How has inclusion worked for Kayla so far? How are you going to explain ds to Kayla and Lucas? I think, so far, inclusion has been the right thing for Kayla, and her classmates, at this stage in her life. The kids here (just like last year in NM) seem to want to 'help' Kayla and while that is sweet of them, I know she does not like assistance like that - she is so independent and wanting to do for herself. I think because she is smaller and looks younger for her age they tend to want to 'mother' her. Hopefully the teacher is helping the kids realize that there is a lot Kayla can do on her own and she doesn't always need so many helpers :)

As for how we are going to explain Ds to Kayla and Lucas: I honestly don't know yet! I guess I'm thinking it will be some gradual realization for them and we'll definitely talk about it. We have the book "Meet Annie" and there is a part in the story where she says "I have Down syndrome." This isn't in the book, but then I say to Kayla "Just like you. You have Down syndrome too." I know she doesn't understand that right now, but eventually she will. I also plan on getting the book "We'll Paint the Octopus Red."

5. Would you ever consider adopting? Yes Joe and I have mentioned adoption a time or two! It is something I've thought about, but not enough where I've given it serious consideration and we've started the process or anything.

6. Would you ever consider adopting a child with down syndrome? Yes I've considered this too! Especially when looking over the pictures at Reece's Rainbow an international Down Syndrome Orphan Ministry. Kids with disabilities in Eastern Europe are transferred from orphanages/baby homes to mental institutions around age 4. After that it becomes very difficult for adoption, and most don't survive the institutions. It's such a sad situation over there and it breaks my heart to think of what those kids go through. I do what I can by sponsoring adoption funds for the children waiting for their forever families.

7. Where do you and Joe (& the kids) plan to be in 5 years? Could you live abroad again? I think I remember your saying you lived in Germany. Will you go back to visit? Where would you like to travel to as a family? I have no idea where we'll be in 5 years - wherever the military sends us! Actually when Joe gets back next year he'll only have 3 years left before he hits that 'magical' number of 20 years in the service; and then he can retire! Yikes! That's kind of scary to think about because I'm not sure we're quite ready for the military retirement - we don't even know where we want to settle down at. So we could possibly still be in SC (where his orders are for after this deployment), or stationed somewhere else. We've talked about living in Germany again, maybe we'll stay in past 20 and try to get orders to Germany - that would be a neat experience for the kids. We do have friends stationed in Germany now and it would be fun to go back and visit them; although the thought of an overseas flight with my two kids stresses me out! Flying period stresses me out!

8. How is inclusion going in school for Kayla? See above :)

9. If Lucas had been a girl, what name would you have chosen? I posted the names we were thinking about, and even up till I was in labor we still weren't 100% sure what name we were going to use for a boy, or girl!

Parenting Photo Gallery

2009-10-30T14:49:00.004-04:00

For the past 2 years, for National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Parenting Magazine has featured A Special Joy: Kids With Down Syndrome Photo Galleries.

They are up to 9 albums this year.

Here is Kayla's picture, in Round 6. It's one of my favorite pictures of her.

I like scrolling through all these pictures of absolutely adorable kids! And seeing the babies reminds me of when Kayla was that age.

Thanks Parenting Magazine, for showcasing our kids with Down syndrome!

Friday Freebie

2009-10-30T12:28:00.000-04:00

Freebie received: Curel Itch Defense Lotion

For US:
- Get a free sample of Pampers Extra Protection (size 4 or 5).
- Register to get a free sample of new Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Body Wash.
- Get a free Jack Black taco from Taco Bell on Oct 31 from 6pm-midnight.
- Sign up for 2 free samples of Healthy To Go Omega To Go and Berry Crush powdered drink.
- Register for a free sample of PowerBar Gel Blasts.

For Canada and US:
- Register for a free pasta recipe booklet from Olivieri (make sure you check the box for Please send me a recipe booklet with valuable coupons.)

And Things She Can't

2009-10-29T13:23:00.005-04:00

Just to balance out from the things Kayla can do post; I wanted to post 21 things she can't do.

Because the reality is there are a lot of things she can't do that her peers are doing. I mean, she does have a disability that comes with delays, struggles and challenges. Just keeping it real!

So...Kayla can't...

1. Tie her shoes
2. Button her pants
3. Draw (although she is getting better at making Mat Man.)
4. Write very many letters or trace very well
5. Swim
6. Jump rope
7. Hop
8. Balance on one foot for more than a couple seconds
9. Tell me all about her day
10. Buckle her seatbelt (although it might help if I start showing her how and letting her try!)
11. Ride a bike (she has never been interested in learning how; she can pedal for a few rotations but then she just stops.)
12. Use scissors very adeptly
13. Color in a whole picture very well
14. Skip
15. Tell you her phone number
16. Tell you when her birthday is
17. Count to 20 (she's close to it, but most of the 'teen' numbers all sound the same).
18. Pronounce "fork" - she still says it as "sork" even though she can pronounce "four/for" perfectly fine.
19. Enunciate the letter "L" very well unless she stops and concentrates on it
20. Answer a lot of abstract questions, like 'what do you want for Christmas' really wouldn't make sense to her.
21. Put long sentences together; we've been working on expanding her sentences beyond 4-5 words.

Special Exposure Wednesday

2009-10-28T13:13:00.003-04:00

Besides jumping in the straw pit, Kayla and Lucas had some other fun visiting Bowles Farm.

Taking a 'train' ride:

Playing in the "corn" boxes:

Going through a little hay maze:

Going through a big corn maze:

Where Kayla showed us the way out:

A visit to the petting zoo:

I wish I had a better angle of his facial expression when the goat took the piece of corn out of his hand!

Then he realized it kind of tickled:

Kayla looks like she's having a stare-down with this goat:

and it wouldn't be complete without attempting pictures at the pumpkin patch...

Hey kids look over this way!

Not over there:

At ME! (this was the best they would give me)

Then Lucas was done so it was just Kayla:

Kayla Can

2009-10-27T15:19:00.005-04:00

Here are 21 (21 because of Trisomy 21) things Kayla CAN do:

Kayla can...

1. Get dressed, including putting on her shoes (she struggled with that last year), and her backpack, by herself.
2. Use her imagination and have a tea party.
3. Brush her teeth.
4. Go to the bathroom by herself.
5. Be a great big sister.
6. Run and Jump
7. Recognize/identify/tell you her letters, numbers, shapes, colors.
8. Read site words in books.
9. Sing Jingle Bells.
10. Sing and sign songs from Signing Time, like "I'm Awake."
11. Very roughly write her first name.
12. Recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
13. Lace beads.
14. Walk up steps alternating feet (I think last year she was still placing both feet on each step.)
15. Go sledding.
16. Create masterpieces.
17. Open the sliding door on the van (she couldn't do it last year and this is great for building the hand strength she needs.)
18. Unbuckle her seatbelt.
19. Put on make-up.
20. Tell you her first/last name, how old she is, what grade she's in, and her teachers' names.
21. Go to school with her peers.

J-U-M-P!

2009-10-26T10:20:00.004-04:00

At the pumpkin patch/corn maze we went to yesterday there were a couple straw pits for jumping in to. To say Kayla loved it would be an understatement! I have a several pictures to share from the pumpkin patch visit, but think these jumping pictures deserved their own post!

I love, love, love these last 2 photos, and the pure joy on her face - can't decide which one is my favorite!

Lucas tried to get in on the action too, but his was more of a step off the hay bale type of jump.

The Latest On My Dad

2009-10-25T10:17:00.004-04:00

Here is a not-so-good update on my dad; sure wish I had better news to share.

From the last update I posted about my dad he did have the PET scan done on his liver. He was told the sugar solution in the IV would light up any cancer tumors and the spots on his liver didn't light up, so the report read there was no spread to the liver. He was told the cancer was Stage 2B or 3A.

On the 14th he went to the Moffitt Cancer Center for a repeat endoscopic ultrasound and cat scan. From that appt he was told the cancer had 'infiltrated' the portal vein and he most likely wouldn't be a candidate for the Whipple procedure. He had an appt with the surgeon scheduled for the 20th, but after the results of the endoscopic ultrasound that was canceled. My dad thought maybe after doing chemo and having it shrink from the portal vein they might be able to do the surgery after that.

On Thur he had an appt with the chemo dr at Moffitt. That dr asked my dad if anyone had given him the results of the cat scan that was done on the 14th; no one had yet.

He went over the cat scan and compared it to the original cat scan (the one that showed the spots on the liver and prompted the PET scan). This dr said the spots have not only increased in size, but increased in number and based on that this mean the spots in the liver were indeed cancerous...it has spread to the liver and is now classified as Stage 4.

I really don't understand all of these results; how the PET scan report determined the spots on the liver weren't cancerous because they didn't 'light up' but now the 2nd cat scan showed more spots, so it means it has spread.

I'm just in shock from thinking it hadn't spread to other organs and being Stage 2, to having it metastasize and being Stage 4.

I think my dad is starting chemo this week; and he also qualified for a clinical study that is just starting at Moffitt, but has been in use at other facilities.

My dad is trying to have a positive outlook on his prognosis and not accepting the 'timeline' that he was given. I'm trying to follow suit and remain positive as well.

I greatly appreciate any prayers you can offer up on my dad's behalf.

Listerine Oral Care Challenge

2009-10-24T16:27:00.003-04:00

With Halloween, and the influx of candy to accompany it, coming up Listerine created the "October Oral Care Challenge" for kids 6 and older. The challenge was to brush, floss, and rinse twice a day, every day, for 2 weeks.

The premise behind the challenge is to instill in your kids the importance of good oral care. A tip from Dr Kanetta Lott, a leading pediatric dentist, is to show, don't tell. Lead by example, as kids will imitate your behavior and make oral hygiene feel less like a 'kid thing'. You can get more tips by age.

We're in the middle of our 2-week challenge and so far so good! I don't generally have a problem with getting Kayla (and Lucas) to brush their teeth...it's part of our routines, but I don't always brush my teeth at the same time. Kayla is getting better with letting me floss her teeth, but she doesn't quite have the concept of rinsing down yet.

As part of the challenge we received a calendar and stickers to keep track of our progress and this has been fun for Kayla. Stickers are always good for a reward :)

Here is a coupon for Listerine Smart Rinse for kids.

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Listerine and Reach and received Listerine and Reach products for the Oral Care Challenge and a gift certificate to donate at Global Giving to thank me for taking the time to participate."

Friday Freebie

2009-10-23T14:41:00.001-04:00

Freebies received: Emergen-C Multi-Vitamin Plus, Pantene Pro-V, Boiron Cough and Cold products, and Huggies Little Movers.

- Get a free subscription to Parenting Early Years.
- Print out a coupon for a free cookie and kid-size hot chocolate at Barnes & Noble (Oct 24th only).
- Register for a free sample of L'Oreal EverPure.
- Sign up for a free tote bag - offer only valid in IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, OH, OK and WI.

Lucas

2009-10-22T11:10:00.002-04:00

This boy of mine is growing up way too fast! He'll be 20 months tomorrow. How can he be that much closer to the age of 2 then 1?

He is so independent and wants to do everything himself. His little heart just breaks if you don't let him do something and then the big crocodile tears come out. All day long you hear, "I do Mommy! I do!"

He's got a bit of OCD in him too...the boy knows everything has a place and don't let something be out of place. He will persist until it's back in it's rightful place. Funny how that doesn't work with his toys all over the floor though. That doesn't phase him. But if he walks in the living room and sees the phone on the coffee table he immediately fixates on it telling you 'phone! phone!' and you have to let him put it back where it belongs. As soon as I get in the van he's telling me "seatbelt!" and doesn't let up until it's on. All the doors have to be shut and he'll close them if they aren't (Kayla used to do this too).

I'm amazed at the things he remembers too.

He talks sooo much. I ask him "where is daddy?" and he'll sign and say "airplane." Ask him "where's Kayla?" and he'll say "school." Seeing his speech just coming along makes me realize how much work and struggle it was for Kayla, and to appreciate where she is now. It seemed like it was so hard to get Kayla to string 2 words together; especially on her own. Lucas says 2-4 word sentences.

And he thinks its funny to play hide-n-seek now; especially when you don't know that he's playing! He's become quite the pro at hiding, and he doesn't even make a sound to give himself away. My mom found him in the laundry room one day and when she opened the door he was just standing there perfectly still and quiet. Another time he went upstairs and a few minutes later I went up to find him. Didn't find him in the first 2 rooms, finally in the 3rd room I found him lying on the floor at the foot of his crib - still as can be.

Then he decided to pull his hiding act outside yesterday. He's never done that before. He and Kayla always play in the front yard/driveway area and have never tried to wander off. They aren't out there alone (there is no fence) my mom or I are always out there with them. Yesterday I was sitting on the porch like usual and they had been in and out of the garage with various toys. Then I noticed I hadn't seen Lucas come out in several minutes and when I checked the garage I didn't see him.

I went around the side of the house, to the back, around the other side, back to the garage...heart starting to race now. I had no idea which direction he might have gone and I worried if I went to far in one direction and he went the other way he would get even farther away. I didn't know where to start looking or how far he might wander, or where he might hide.

Thankfully Ken was home so now there were 2 adults looking for him. He found him at the next house over hiding in the bushes in front of their porch! I had went half way up their hill to see if I could see him and obviously didn't. When I got back to them Lucas told me "Hiding!" Oh this kid of mine!

Here's a short video clip, mostly of Lucas signing, to show how much he's grown and changed already.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Special Exposure Wednesday

2009-10-21T12:14:00.003-04:00

Here are the rest of the pictures from the Princess Party:

Getting her nails painted:

A little bit of eye shadow:

Creating a masterpiece:

Having fun being a princess:

What Do You See?

2009-10-20T10:46:00.005-04:00

A couple weekends ago Kayla went to a Princess Party at one of the local community centers.

As soon as we were in the door a girl ran up to Kayla calling her name and saying hi. Soon after another girl did the same thing. I asked the first girl if she was in Kayla's class and she said, "No I'm in first grade." I asked the 2nd girl if she was also in first grade. She wasn't; she was in Kindergarten, but had a different teacher than Kayla's teacher. They wanted Kayla to go around with them, but the Kindergartener kept taking Kayla's hand and trying to lead her - my independent girl didn't want that at all.

I enjoyed sitting back and watching Kayla. Watching her be just one of the girls.

There will always be kids who are mean and cruel, but not all kids are mean and cruel.

Kids will notice differences about other kids, but some kids will look past those differences.

For this day Kayla was surrounded by girls who didn't see the differences. Girls who were nice and kind and friendly.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. These pictures are not the best quality at all. Not the best in focus or composition. But they speak volumes to me.

There was a group of girls standing in a circle and putting their wands in the middle, then raising them up high saying "princesses forever!"

And my little princess was right there in the middle of it all. As I watched them my mother's heart swelled and I'm sure I had some tears in the corner of my eyes.

What do I see in these photos? Beautiful princesses; all of them. Children being children. Girls having a girls' night. Differences not mattering - not the differences in ages, color of the skin, or number of chromosomes. I see inclusion...no suffering, no ostracizing, no burdens, no hardships, no challenges...just pure fun by a group of girls. I know some adults who could take some lessons from these girls.

What do you see?

Bubber!

2009-10-19T14:55:00.004-04:00

One of the issues that goes along with Down syndrome is low-muscle tone. Low-muscle tone affects Kayla's gross- and fine-motor skills. I especially notice it with fine-motor skills when I watch Kayla work with her hands. I can see where she has difficult with finger placement and using the whole hand for a lot of activities.

Playdoh is good for her to work with for strengthening her hand muscles, but again, with the low-tone she sometimes has trouble manipulating even that. When she does play with it she likes doing something repetitive with it - especially cutting it over and over and over. Even though this is good practice for her; it's not easy for her to press down with the toy knife and cut in to.

Well this past weekend she was introduced to Bubber for a review.

This is a very light-weight modeling compound imported from Sweden. What caught my attention in the description is it "...is an excellent source for tactile stimulation...improving gross- and fine-motor skills." As a mother of a child with special needs, I'm always on the look out for a product that is going to help improve something!

Along with the Bubber we tried out the Castle Molds, Spoon-Knife, and Mirett. Kayla thoroughly enjoyed playing with all of the products - but especially with the cutting tools - she was able to cut away to her heart's desire with no problems at all!

And it does leave "clean, sharp edges when cut."

We squished it and rolled it and made faces (I liked using the Mirett tool for carving out the eyes, nose, mouth, hair...and writing Kayla's name out.)

I did find it a little hard to mold anything concrete out of it - it seemed the more I manipulated it the more it fell apart...so I'm still trying to figure that out. But what matters most is Kayla's impression of it. She played with it for over 1/2 hr ... and that is saying a lot for Kayla's attention span! If something doesn't interest her more than 5 min, she's done with it. After 20 min I asked her if she was done and wanted to clean it up. Her response, "No, I playing." The best part was when we finally were done (Lucas was waking up from his nap) and after putting it away she told me "Thank you playing me" - score one for Bubber!

Bubber was relatively easy to clean up - it doesn't stick or stain - but since it was crumbly (although not a dry crumbly) there were several pieces on the floor. However, I found them easy to clean up with just a napkin. It never dries out either, so this will be around for a long time for the kids to play with.

Also - one of the best features - it's gluten free! Not that I have to worry about Kayla actually eating it, but still, knowing it's gluten free means it is something safe for her...and a great alternative for kids who have a wheat allergy and can't play with playdoh.

Two thumbs up from Kayla!

"This is a Mama Buzz review. The product was provided by Timberdoodle for this review."

Meeting Rachel Coleman

2009-10-18T10:25:00.006-04:00

The weather never changed yesterday for the Buddy Walk. It was cold, wet, and muddy with a steady rainfall. Umbrellas were definitely needed. It did put a damper on the Buddy Walk festivities as we just weren't able to enjoy all the activities they had planned for the kids.

We did hang around long enough to see Rachel Coleman perform.

This is Kayla realizing that really is Rachel up on that stage:

Singing and signing the "Rainbow Song"

Kayla was at the gate and kept calling out "Rachel! Hi Rachel!" I tried telling her she couldn't hear her, but that didn't stop Kayla from trying!

After performing Rachel invited us inside her trailer for a 'meet and greet' where it was warm and we could get out of the rain for a few minutes!

When we walked in I took Kayla's hood and hat off and Rachel recognized her from my blog. (Hi Rachel!) She said "I know you! Wait, don't tell me your name. It starts with a K right? Kayla?" I know she's 'met' so many kiddos online who are fans, but I never expected her to remember names :)

Signing Time has been a part of our lives since Kayla was about a year old. I've blogged many times about the impact Signing Time has had in our lives; and with Kayla's ability to communicate with us. She doesn't use signs much anymore, except when we're practicing with Lucas, but we do still watch the DVDs; and Lucas is a fan as well.

Being able to see Rachel perform, and meet her, was truly an honor, and the highlight of the day for us! Kayla kept saying "I saw Rachel!" Thanks Rachel, for all you do!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Forecast: Rain!

2009-10-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

We're off to the Buddy Walk this morning and unfortunately this is the forecast:
Rain diminishing to a few showers in the afternoon. Cold. High 46F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch.

I'm so bummed because it's really hard to enjoy an outside event when it's chilly and rainy! And they have so many fun things planned for the kids. I wouldn't mind the rain so much if it just wasn't in the 40s! Brrrrrr!

But I still wanted to go for the chance to meet Rachel Coleman and Blair Williamson.

And to create memories ... like this one ... it's one of my favorite pictures out of all the Buddy Walks we've attended so far.

Friday Freebie

2009-10-16T14:33:00.000-04:00

Freebies received: John Freida Brilliant Brunette Liquid Shine, coupon for free Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwich

For US:
- Sign up for any combination of 10 free OPK tests and/or pregnancy tests from Sacred Heart Mission.
- Free for 'mom bloggers' - 3 full size children's cough and cold products from Boiron USA.
- Request a free sample of Little Ducks Organic Toddler Snacks.

Worldwide (choose country in drop down box)
- Get a free sample of Hussana body care products.

Cruel and Unusual?

2009-10-15T14:28:00.004-04:00

Several weeks ago I was directed to a blog post involving a discussion about Down syndrome. I won't go into the specifics of the post, nor link to the blog (don't want to drive traffic over there). It wasn't so much what was said in the post (although there is that), but what was worse was reading the comments...especially one commenter in particular.

You'd think after 6 years I'd learn to grow some thick skin and not let things like what was said bother me, but this one just cut me to the core.

I've heard "suffers from Down syndrome" enough to become mostly immune to that ... although it does still irk me because Kayla is not 'suffering.'

But this one was something else, the commenter said: "...my belief that Down's is a cruel and unusual sentence to visit on a child."

Whoa!

Did I really just read that? Cruel and unusual?

Then there was this: "Far more Down's children live miserable, suffering lives than these individuals want you to believe. Viewing the lives of affected children, and simple education tells me that I could never force a child to endure what they would should they be born with Down's."

Just what am I 'forcing' Kayla to 'endure' is what I'd like to know. Cause from my view I'm forcing her to endure a life filled with love, respect, support, friendship, guidance, encouragement, experiences, fun, education, inclusion in her family, school, community (as it should be)...and that doesn't sound 'miserable' to me at all.

I know there are a lot of people out there who have very negative opinions of Down syndrome; I guess I haven't experienced it first hand, and I certainly didn't realize the depth of some of those opinions.

I look at Kayla and just wish I could shelter her from this cruel, cruel world. She has every right, no, she deserves to live her life like everyone else and not have people look at her like she should never have been born.

Meet Kayla, my beautiful daughter who has Down syndrome:

She likes dressing up as a princess, like just about every other 6 yr old girl out there. She's happy. She's not miserable or suffering.

She just is...living her life...the way she was meant to be.