Friday, December 31, 2010

Bring It On 2011


6 pm fireworks over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge & the Delaware River

Our wish for you and for ourselves in 2011 is for health, happiness,

love, laughter, joy,

security, strength, grace, silliness,

healing, forgiveness, peace,

courage, hope, & family.

As we prepare to put the girls to bed I looked back to a post from New Year's 2 years ago. I am overcome by the love I have for my family and how much we have grown and changed. I'm a lucky girl.

The night is young and Alexander is going to try to stay up until midnight. It will be his first, if he makes it. We have Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Wii, snacks, pink champagne chilling for me and hot chocolate for him, and plenty of activities to keep us going as we wait for the big count down.

Happy New Year Friends. Enjoy the embedded video below. I'll see you all in 2011!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is here! The last chocolate will be eagerly plucked from our Advent calendar by a 5 year old boy with a twinkle in his eye. He will search for Speedy (our Elf on the Shelf) for the last time this year.

When my children grow up it is my dream that they will have fond memories of this wonderful time of the year. If images of baking cookies, making gingerbread creations, stringing lights, decorating the house, Christmas music and movies, the gathering of family, laughter and love come to mind, then I have done my job. With every ornament that we hang, each bell from Santa's sleigh, each shiny string of tinsel, new pair of Christmas Eve pajamas, and every drop of Christmas magic, I hope my family can feel the love and admiration I have for them.
Although I procrastinated, I did finally mail out our cards earlier this week. They might not arrive before Christmas, but that's ok. Thanks again to shutterfly for the blogger promotion of 50 free cards. They turned out so beautifully and I couldn't be more pleased. Thank you also to my dear friend Cecilia for taking the photos. You are amazing.

Tomorrow will be filled with last minute grocery shopping and a marathon event of wrapping presents. We will be watching Santa's progress through NORAD, setting out a plate of cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer, and lighting the advent candles. I am giddy with anticipation.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a joyous, healthy new year!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Gingerbread love

Mark's mom, dad, and brother were just here for Christmas and his cousin Greg is staying with us for a while. Despite both a respitory and intestinal flu tearing through our family like a tornado, my quest for making Christmas as magical as I can for my children will go on. When stringing together words to express the immense joy we are in the midst of seems just too darn exhausting, I suppose I'll have to let pictures and video tell the tale of our happiness.












If you can't see the video below, refresh the page or click HERE (be patient as it is loading very slow tonight)

Friday, December 10, 2010

Curve Ball

Sophie had her first appointment with CHOP today (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). They have a satellite office closer to our house than the big hospital in Philly, so we went there. The visit was to establish a relationship with her new ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat doctor). She had tubes inserted into her ears in March of 2009 and recently her pediatrician couldn't see them during an exam (no big surprise there as most docs can't). We needed to see if they were actually still there.

Like many people with Down syndrome, Sophie's ear canals are very narrow making it difficult to visualize the ear drum without a trained eye and special equipment. Dr. W took a look after clearing out a lot of wax and her tubes are still in place and look good. He surprised me by sending us off to audiology for a behavioral hearing test right there and then. During the last two auditory tests at St. Louis Children's Hospital the audiologists said her hearing appeared normal in the conversational level but showed a mild loss in the lower decibels. (in these tests the audiologist trains the child to turn to a stimulus - a light and toy that makes noise when they hear a sound. Then the audiologist just plays the sound to see if the child will turn to it for the reward of seeing the toy, etc.)

Today the tympanogram showed that the tubes were clear (a good thing) especially as she has a cold though it hasn't migrated to her ears (knock on wood). However the behavioral hearing test showed mild hearing loss in both ears (more loss in the right than the left). The loss is in the conversation range and the higher tones which is different from what the last two tests showed at St. Louis Children's Hospital. Of course, this was done through a behavior test with a little girl with few words and a developmental delay so they can't be certain about the accuracy of the level of loss without further testing.

In February we will head to Philly to CHOP for a sedated ABR to confirm or rule the loss out and to find out about each ear specifically. If the loss is confirmed, hearing aids may be the next step. However, I don't want to get ahead of myself, so I'm trying to reign my thoughts in about that until we know for certain.

My blog has been quiet lately. Writing daily in October really burned me out and I have been working through a lot of old and new personal ~stuff~. I've written posts I haven't published. It's always a trick to know what to share in such a public venue. Blogging has been my outlet and not feeling motivated to write or comfortable in sharing has been something I've been trying to work through.

A recent development is that Helena (who is 18 months old) has surpassed Sophia in vocabulary. While I knew it would happen eventually, adjusting has been...interesting. Mark and I have also both been very homesick. We are saving to buy a house, so we decided not to travel back to the midwest for the holidays. Thankfully family is coming to us. Mark's cousin Greg is staying with us for a while until his new place and job are ready in Jersey. Mark's parents are coming up in the next few days and later next week his little bother will be here. It will be a blow up air mattress slumber party and we're very excited.

So, tonight as I digest the latest curve ball that we've been thrown, I'm trying to keep it all in perspective. Hearing loss is something that we can work with. It is not completely out of left field given Sophie's DS, though it did take me by surprise. I will try and focus on being thankful for our awesome health care and doctors. I am thankful for the opportunity to catch it early, for those with DS who have come before us who have taught us to screen for things like hearing loss at such an early age, and for the amazing technology to help if her hearing loss is confirmed.

our home as taken by iPhone

an avalanche of Christmas bears (2 from 1987!)

Speedy, our hotly debated Elf on the Shelf (but that's another post)

Decorating the tree as captured by the iPhone

MY NEW SEASONAL ANTHEM!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Brian's House

"The quantity of a life is a tangible. The quality of life is less distinct." (excerpt from article on Brian Tuttle's death, author unknown)

Brian's House is a residential home co-founded by David and Nancy Tuttle. It was a home for their son Brian who had a developmental disability that left him unable to speak. He did not develop past the age of a 6 month old. He could not sit up without assistance. He could not feed himself and only lived to age 19. Brian's House was a home for the Tuttle's son, but it was also a vision for a better way of life for others with developmental disabilities. In a time when people with disabilities were locked away from society, warehoused in institutions where an unfathomable existence defined their lives, the Tuttles wanted a different life for their son. Deemed unfit to be cared for at home, uneducable, unemployable, and burdens on the community and families, people with disabilities were sent away to be kept out of sight and forgotten in large institutions. The Tuttle's vision for a real home for Brian and others with disabilities was realized in 1978 when Brian's House opened its doors.

Brian's House is currently home to eleven residents with severe developmental and physical disabilities. On a gorgeous autumn, day three friends and I took a scenic drive through picturesque Pennsylvania. The foliage was at peak and the explosion of red, gold, and purple was right out of a book. We made small talk and took our time exiting the car once we arrived. We were early for our appointment to meet with Christine who has been working at Brian's House for 10 years and we were all nervous.

I'm not sure what I expected to see inside those walls. Images of institutions like Willowbrook came to mind, though I knew times had changed, at least in this country. I had never been in such a place and a knot of fear gripped my stomach. I was afraid of what I would see and smell. I was afraid to learn things about myself that I didn't want to know.

We met Christine at the back door. Although it was her day off, she was happy to make the drive and give us a tour. We entered near the kitchen where a staff member was cleaning up breakfast. I was surprised that the house smelled like syrup. I guess I was expecting a mixture of bleach and human waste. I quickly took notice of a resident who was in the kitchen. She moved around by crouching down low with bent legs and did not speak.

Christine showed us around the house and introduced us to the residents who were all in the large living room in front of a television. Some residents were in wheelchairs. Others were on sofas or chairs. We were introduced to all of the people, but there were a few that stood out for me. A young woman who used a wheelchair had her hair and makeup done. Christine later explained that it was a requirement. She liked to look good so the staff made her up every day. A young man was on the floor and later moved to the couch. He was self soothing by inserting his entire fist into his mouth. When he removed his hand I could see that his skin was chapped and his cheeks were permanently stretched out. I'm not sure, but I think our visit upset him. As Christine explained how she came to be involved in Brian's House I noticed another young woman who spent a great deal of time wandering around. To me, she looked as if she were lost or needed assistance but Christine assured us that she was fine.

As we were headed from a rec room to the bedroom areas, one of the residents began wailing. It was a long, shrill, mournful sound that hit me right in the back of my spine. In all honesty, it frightened me and I had the urge to run. As we passed through the hall we noticed a grouping of photos. Christine explained that it was their wall of angels. The pictures were of residents that had passed away and Brian Tuttle's picture was in the middle.

After our tour we met a nurse who was pleasant and cordial. Christine had only explained that we were doing the tour as a requirement for a class. However, when we told her that we all had children with developmental disabilities and that our class was to teach us to be the best possible advocates for our children, her whole demeanor changed. She explained that they resisted the label "institution." For them the residents of Brian's House are family and the house is their home.

My homework was to write about my experience and impressions of the facility. Instead when I returned home I chose to hold Sophia tight and bury it. I'm still processing what I saw that day. Yes, it felt like a home and not an institution. Yes, the staff appeared to love their residents which was very encouraging. It was really clean with fun artwork on the walls. They even have an indoor pool. However, it was my response to the people that I haven't wanted to think about. I felt so blessed to have Sophie just as she is and then immediately felt guilt for being grateful that my children are not living with such severe disabilities.

My feelings are complex and don't necessarily make sense, even to myself. Sometimes I think about returning as a volunteer. When I looked into the eyes of the residents (the ones that would allow that) I saw living souls. I saw life with value. I saw love. So my fear and level of discomfort have really rattled my cage. I realize that I still have a lot of work to do and I am so grateful to my daughter Sophia for opening up a whole new world to me.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

30 Seconds for Amazon Cash!

itsThoughtful.com is offering FREE $25 Amazon gift cards! All you need to do is sign up for the $500 Christmas Gift Contest on itsThoughtful.com. This literally took me 30 seconds. You will receive an email after your account has been created with a confirmation link you’ll need to click on. Now start spreading the word about their $500 Amazon gift card Christmas contest. You can share this giveaway via email, Facebook or Twitter. Refer 15 friends who sign up by December 20th and you’ll score a FREE $25 Amazon gift card!!!

Remember, sign up with the link above so you count towards my 15 referrals and be sure to click the confirmation link in your email! If you sign up, won't you please let me know?

Fine Print:
* Only referrals that sign-up between November 20, 2010 and 11:59 p.m. on December 15, 2010 will be eligible.
* All referrals must confirm their email address to be eligible.
* All winners will be notified via email on December 18, 2010 and posted on itsThoughtful.com. In addition, all gift cards will be emailed to the winners on December 18, 2010.
* Giveaway rewards (gift cards) are limited to four hundred. If more than four hundred users are eligible for the prize, itsThougthful.com will randomly draw four hundred winners. If a random drawing is required, every 15 eligible referrals will count as one entry.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

FREE Thanksgiving Cards Through 11/19

As if scoring a free pair of glasses today wasn't cool enough, (well I did upgrade to a thin light lens for a small fee, plus handling and insurance) I just scored another great FREEBIE and you can too!

I posted before on how bloggers can score 50 free Christmas cards through Shutterfly HERE

Through 11/19 Tiny Prints is offering FREE customizable cards for Thanksgiving and you don't have to be a blogger! Have them sent to your home for free and you can address them and send them yourself or send them directly to your recipients and pay just 44 cents (the cost of a stamp) per card! Go HERE to pick out your card. Personalize it and enter code FREETHX. I sent 10 to the immediate family which are scheduled to be delivered by 11/23. (shh, no telling, ha)!

Although there doesn't seem to be a limit in the number of cards that you can order, it is just my personal opinion that ordering 50 or 90 is just not in the spirit of the promotion and may result in orders being cancelled. That said, it is up to you to decide how many you would like.

Mark and I are both homesick as we are not able to travel back for Thanksgiving this year. Although I would not have likely sent cards for Thanksgiving otherwise, this promotion helped make home seem not so far away and for that I am very thankful.

THIS JUST IN: View an online Thanksgiving Cookbook by Martha Stewart HERE for FREE!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Get FREE Glasses 11/18

Coastalcontacts.com is giving away another 10,000 FREE glasses tomorrow starting at 12:01 EST, Thursday, November 18, 2010. They did it last Friday too, and the glasses lasted until early evening. I'm really hoping to score a free pair.

I haven't had a new pair, or an eye exam since I was pregnant with Sophie 3.5 years ago. In order to increase my chances, I got an exam today (prescription and PD required), have picked out a few frames that I like, and will set up my account tonight. By tomorrow the site will be very slow, but if I'm prepared, my chances are good.

This is a facebook promotion. Go to coastalcontacts on fb and like their page to get the coupon code. Then at 12:01 EST on 11/18 place your order online. Pay shipping ($8-$15). See their page for all the frequently asked questions.

My last pair of glasses were semi rimless but this time I think I'll try for a dark plastic rim. Think "cute librarian." I have the pair below in my cart, just waiting for the promotion to start! You too can try on the frames with their virtual mirror program. Just go to Coastalcontacts.com and take a photo or upload one for yourself on their virtual mirror HERE. To anyone trying for a free pair, GOOD LUCK and let me know if you get one.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Amoxicillin and Hives

I took Sophie to the doctor 11 days ago for a sinus infection. Yesterday she finished a 10 day course of amoxicillin. This is what she looks like today. The pediatrician says it is most likely an allergic reaction to the medication. Apparently her daddy and uncles reacted the same way to it as kids. Poor girl even has it on her face, legs, and scalp. Treatment for hives = benadryl and time. *edited to add that Sophie also just had her MMR vaccine 11 days ago as well.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Little Drops of Joy

This has been an awesome morning thanks to my three boys. Over breakfast Alexander and I shared what we like about each other. I told him he is creative, has a great imagination, is kind, likes to learn, is fun, and he makes me proud every day. He told me he likes that I play with him especially when the girls are too busy, I make the food, help him carve his pumpkin and take him trick or treating, and I know how to get his favorite shows qued up on cable On Demand. If you ever need a warm fuzzy, I suggest you try this at home.

Then Mark serenaded me with an impromptu concert as he rapped "Same Song." That's Tupac before he got big and was in Digital Underground for those who don't know. Now THAT was a sure fire way to start my day right.
For some reason our fuzzy boy Fred the cat has insisted on crawling up and snuggling on my lap this morning. He hasn't done that in a while and I guess he just sensed that his mama would benefit from his sweet, furry, gentle love. He is so much better than a blanket on this chilly day.

Not to leave the girls out, I am so excited to share that Sophie is learning how to say "sister" which is awesome. Helena always greets me with a chorus of the sweetest "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" every time she sees me come in the door followed by a bear hug. Joy! I'm tucking that away for when she's 15 and just maybe will butt heads with her old mom.

Other things that make me smile are the fact that we were pretty much forced to buy new cell phones after mine bit the dust. We decided on early Christmas presents and each have an iPhone 3G. Yes, they are the old model but we were basically using tin cans and string before, so they are still very cool to us and because they are the older model they were CHEAP! My new joy is learning how to use this fandangled thing and finding fun free apps. Here are a few that I think are pretty cool. Anne Taintor (love these products) has a selection of free wallpapers for iPhones or iPods HERE. It's not an app, but is awesome all the same.
I also have been enjoying Pandora, a free personalized radio HERE that has already introduced me to new music, which I love!

Finally I have dowloaded an app I have yet to try out but am very excited about. It's a barcode scanner from ShopSavvy found HERE. You take a picture with your phone of the barcode and it checks the price of the item against other retailers locally and on-line.

People, I feel like the Jetsons and I'm loving it. If you have any favorite apps, please do share.

Finally, happy Veterans Day to the men and women who have or are currently serving in the military. From my family to yours we say THANK YOU!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

The Greatest Gift

The whisper that began years and years ago is getting louder.

"There's so much I could ask for, but just one thing I need. All I really want for Christmas is someone who'll be here to sing me happy birthday for the next 100 years. It's ok if they're not perfect or even if they're a little broken. That's alright, cuz so am I."

We are not in a position to adopt an orphan right now, but there are ways that we, and you can help make the difference between life and death for a beautiful child who does not have a mom or dad to tuck them in at night. We will be participating for the 3rd Christmas in a row in the Christmas Angel Tree project through Reece's Rainbow, an organization dedicated to finding forever families for orphans born with Down syndrome around the world.

The Reece's Rainbow Christmas ornaments are beautiful and make a gorgeous addition to your tree. They have become a family tradition for us. If your heart aches as mine does for the thousands of orphans, especially those with special needs, who long for a family of their own, please consider making a donation to this amazing organization by purchasing an ornament this year. click HERE

Monday, November 1, 2010

50 FREE Holiday Cards for Bloggers from Shutterfly

I love (almost) everything about holiday cards. The kids and I get so excited to check the mailbox every day in December to see if we received any cards to hang on the wall. I especially love photo cards to see how much our loved ones have changed over the year. Click the Christmas Wish below to enlarge the poem we mailed with our 2008 Christmas cards to read exactly why I love holiday cards so much.
When it just really wasn't in the budget last year, I still managed to pull something together, even if it was just in electronic format. click HERE. This year I am determined to do Christmas cards. With hundreds of holiday card options at Shutterfly, click HERE for their Christmas card collection, HERE for their holiday photo cards, and HERE for their custom cards, my biggest dilemma is going to be choosing which one to use.

Although choosing a card with one large photo is appealing, I am partial to cards with multiple photos. I find myself drawn towards the more traditional or classic designs with red, black, and white coloring. I don't just look for multi-photo options and color schemes when choosing my holiday card. The message is important too. I prefer simple messages of love, joy, and peace.

Quite a few cards fit the bill at Shutterfly. I did find one that is just perfect. Our photos recently taken by my dear friend Cecilia will be perfect, especially if I use black and white photos. I love the colors, design, and the message which invokes a feeling of nostalgia. I can't wait to place my FREE order!
Then again, I just might go in a completely different direction as I really love this one too.

Are you a blogger?

Do you want 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly? Click HERE to go to Shutterfly for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season, and make sure to select Clever 1000 as the referral source.

If you have Twitter or Facebook, help us spread the word: Hello Bloggers! Receive 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Mega Halloween Post

These first three pirate pictures were taken by my talented friend Cecilia when we did our fall photo shoot.



The sky was amazing this night. This is actually our house. For real this time (click HERE to see the house I tried to claim, ha!)



Alexander and I decided to make haunted houses out of milk cartons. I admit, I still love to play with scissors and glue, just like I did as a kid. We used supplies I had on hand, including; aluminum foil, black-and-white scrapbook paper, ribbons, halloween stickers, etc. I bought a few extra battery operated tea light candles to light them from within.
embedded video below



If you are having trouble viewing the video, refresh the page or click HERE
On Saturday Alexander's whole class was invited to Max's house for a birthday party. Costumes were required. It was a wonderful party.


Last night we carved our pumpkins. We have kept them indoors so far because the squirrels are relentless. I carved a more traditional face with a bat for the mouth. Mark carved Milo from the band the Descendents (see his t-shirt), and Alexander special ordered Thomas the Tank Engine. The girls colored pictures and The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown kept them entertained, as did the candy. The girls have discovered lolly pops and Helena even bit through a wrapper to get to a Butterfinger. Alexander, Mark, and I were up until midnight finishing up Thomas and taking pictures, but it was well worth it.
embedded video below



if you are having trouble viewing the video, refresh the page or click HERE

Happy Halloween Everybody!

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