Get it Down, 31 for 21

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Happy October everyone!

October is my favorite month, hands down. Autumn is by far and away the BEST season with the changing of the leaves, back to school, football season, colorful tights, warm sweatshirts, apple cider, hot chocolate with marshmallows, caramel and candy apples, hay rides, pumpkin patches, and - HALLOWEEN! It is also the month selected to raise awareness about two issues that I am very passionate about and have dedicated my life to; Down syndrome Awareness and Domestic Violence Awareness.

This is the 4th year of 31 for 21 and my 3rd year of participating in this challenge. The challenge is simple (but I'm already exhausted). Bloggers sign up to post EVERY DAY for the month of October to raise awareness about Down syndrome. Not every post will be about DS because it is only a part of our lives. Most posts will be about our lives in general. Some will be just a picture or two. As more and more of us take this challenge (click the button above to sign up at any time during the moth of October, and do NOT feel guilty if you miss a day), people will start to notice. The more attention this gets, the more education will get out there which leads to acceptance and inclusion, two of my favorite words.

As it is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) I will also dedicate some posts to this issue and issues that involve violence against our loved ones with developmental disabilities. This is a subject that usually gets ignored in our community and these posts in particular tend to cause the crickets to start chirping. However, it is a subject of great importance and I won't ignore it just because it may be uncomfortable.

Don't worry, there will be plenty of warm fuzzy moments. For those who are wondering why the challenge is called 31 for 21, it is that there are 31 days in the month. It is also because DS is caused by having 3 copies of the 21st chromosome instead of 2, hence 31 for 21. Won't you join me?