The Power of the Broom

This is what motivates Ethan. A broom.

Today, after school, Ms. Mary had the broom to encourage Ethan to walk down the hall. Then, when it was time to go home, the broom was put back into the classroom. Ethan plopped to the floor and cried. We decided to go ahead and bring the broom out again. While giggling from the floor to his feet, HE'S UP and pushing his wheelchair down the hall.

When it came time to be put in his carseat, he was very upset that Ms. Mary did not put the broom in the car with him! I took a picture of him from my phone, but it is taking forever to arrive in my inbox- um, hello! It's been over 4 hours now since I sent it! I will post that as soon as I can.

Ok, finally! A day later...geesh! Here you go.

Ortho today

Ethan had his orthopedist appointment today. We checked in and were sent to x-ray. A few neck/spine shots were taken. We go to the waiting room. Dr. wants two more films (AAI). We go back to x-ray. Take AAI films. Go back to waiting room. We are called back to the room. Very nice nurse asks the same ol' questions. Doctor enters.

Doctor: "I'm confused. Why are you here?"

Me: "Because he is 7 years old and not walking yet?"

Doctor: "Why is that?"

Me: "You tell me!"

Doctor: "Oh."

After the doctor looked over my son's ever present hairy back, he agreed that the possibility of tethered cord or spina bifida occulta was there and that Ethan definitely needed an MRI. (THANK YOU JESUS! Finally! Someone ordered the MRI!)

We also wanted to check Ethan's hip stability, so yes, we were sent back to x-ray. We saw three different techs and for the last time, NO- there is zero possibility of me being pregnant.

Hips are great. Everything else was great. No worries about AAI at all. Game on for more rumble, tumble time!

MRI is set for Sept. 19th. And, if nothing shows up on that, then Ethan is just bound and determined to make me carry him forever! Of course, if something does show up- ugh, that's a whole different story.

Kid for Sale

Ok, not really, but he came close today! And, anyone who really knows me, knows that is a joke.

Today's events unfolded like this:

While getting ready to take Ethan to his 10am PT appointment, my alarm on my phone goes off. Hmmmm, what am I forgetting? Oh, it must be the reminder for his orthopedist appointment tomorrow. So, I check to make sure that's what it was and it was actually my reminder for the ENT appointment that was at 9:10am this morning! Well snap! We made that appointment back in July! Shoot, shoot, shoot! Ok, so I call the ENT, tell them we will be a few minutes late and they kindly tell me that it's not a problem.

We go to leave and Ethan is pushing off and won't be still for me to put him in his carseat. He does the pelvis lift in order to arch out of his chair and make things more difficult. He is also grabbing and trying to pinch me.

Prior to ENT coming into the exam room, I gave Ethan his milk that I had just mixed up. He took a couple of drinks and then thew the cup on the floor. Of course the lid came off and of course, milk - thickened, sticky milk- spilled all over. Now, I have an already screaming child over, you guessed it, spilled milk. ugh. ($100 bucks anyone??? He is really cute!)

ENT says that Ethan's ears and tubes look great. I discuss getting another sleep study and he agrees. He asked me if we would have to sedate and I said that I would rather not since I know that it would not be a true result. So, we are gonna swing this without sedation, but with a little melatonin help. He said that was a perfect choice since it is natural.

Leave ENT. Same mess as prior to ENT. Pushing, squirming, pelvis lift, pinching...

Arrive at PT a half hour late (let them know ahead of time, so all is well). Ethan refuses to stand. Floppy boy. Growling boy. He is ticked off at the world today and he is letting everyone know it!

OT is immediately after PT. We have started a brushing technique and joint compressions to help with Ethan's sensory issues. It does seem to help calm him down a bit. We did this after he was so worked up over having to put balls into the hole, stack blocks, and read a book. After he was calm, his OT worked on some dressing skills. He then did some shape sorting. You know, he really is good at sorting shapes- he just doesn't like to. Ethan tried to hit and pinch his OT as well. (Ok, we're down to $50 now!)

We left therapy and picked up Theresa for lunch. Ethan LOVES pancakes, so we went to the Dessertery which is across from Theresa's work. They have really yummy food, and best of all for Ethan- good pancakes. Well, he yelled, he pushed, he pinched. Finally, he got me good under my arm- you know that really sensitive part? Yep, he got me there. This time, I pinched back. Sorry if that offends some of you, but you know what? He stopped pinching me after that.

Time to leave. More pushing off, more pelvis lift, more unhappiness...

After taking Theresa back to work, I immediately drive home where Ethan will be placed in his room without any blankets or pillows (he chews on them when he does not want to sleep). Ni-night. Awwww, praying he wakes up the lovey, happy, cuddly boy that I know that he is...

Nope.

On to speech. He actually did pretty good in speech today. We heard some great crunches when trying to get him to bite down on some crackers. This was our last session because we start Vitalstim again on Monday- four days a week for five weeks. He will finish two days after I leave for Africa.

When leaving speech, once again, he refuses to walk. Floppy legs. What the heck? So, I try to get him to go down the stairs. He normally loves going down stairs- he thinks stairs are funny....not today! (By now, he's free...)

So, after my day with Senor Crankbutt, I am ready for a Toasted Almond. And, of course now that we're home and he can play with Daddy, all is well.

Tomorrow, we have the ortho consult. We'll see if he has any magical theories as to why Ethan isn't walking independently yet.

And, let me reiterate that I love this boy with my entire heart and soul. I am just expressing my frustrations from lack of communication skills in Ethan as well as other things. I truly believe the reason for his behaviors lately is from his own frustration from not being able to communicate efficiently. We're working on it though.

Labor Day

So, I saw this idea on Renee's blog today. Of course I'm a day late. So, just pretend it's yesterday for me, k? In honor of Labor Day, let's talk about, well- labor.

How long were your labors?
Long enough to make most women jealous. Got to the hospital at 10pm, had him at 1:21am. Went from 6cm to 10 cm in 20 minutes and pushed him out 20 minutes after that. Doctor said that if I ever have another baby that I have to go to the hospital with the first contraction!

How did you know you were in labor?
Contractions every 5 minutes or closer. Lost the "plug" earlier that day, so I figured it was time. Water broke at the hospital.

Where did you deliver?
Mercy Hospital, Merced, California

Drugs?
Not a one. Thank you very much. *ROAR*

C-section?
Nope.

Who delivered?
Dr. Samuel Loredo
Claire Alvarez, RN

Who was present?
Scott, my sister Kamrin, and my Mom (though over in the back of the room because she snuck her way back in after the staff said only TWO were allowed. It was fine though)

My mother-in-law was in the lobby- she heard me scream during the last push. My dad was in his truck- outside in the parking lot with the windows up and the radio on. He heard that scream too! It was only one. One scream. Then, he was out.

Fun at the waterpark

The Make A Wish Foundation is very good to its Wish Families. We have had a family day at Carowinds amusement park and yesterday, we had another family day at Wet 'n Wild waterpark in Greensboro. We had never been and I wondered if there would be enough for Ethan to enjoy. No worries, Ethan had a great day!!! Doesn't he look so cute in his little wet suit and life vest?

Ok, after posting the pictures, I decided to do a montage instead. I don't like how photobucket does things even after having a private profile. So, sorry. The montage is really cute though!

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

I think that I may even consider getting a season's pass for next year since I know that they have plenty for Ethan to do! Shoot, he would have been happy just waiting for the wave every four minutes!

On a side note, I observed something awesome while there. There were families from I think every ethnicity there and everyone was enjoying there time as a family. There were no racial barriers. It was so awesome to see. Just something I saw and made a mental note of it.

Now, if I could have only gotten the one woman wearing the bikini bottoms that barely covered her crack to realize it was a family place and we didn't need to be seeing her butt cheeks...ah, you win some, you lose some. LOL~

My letter made the cut!

I wrote a letter to the editor of People Magazine back when the movie critic there gave the movie Tropic Thunder a superb critique. I rallied up friends to write as well, and mine was the one and only chosen to be printed! I am so happy right now! My sister isn't the only Van Meter to be published! HA!




I guess I do have a voice. Someone is listening. Hopefully, many people will read my letter and have their eyes opened. Here's to hoping!

Oh, and YAY ME! :-)

Sarah Palin for VP!

I have never been so excited about anything political in my entire adult life! Whether you are Republican or Democrat, I think that the selection of Sarah Palin for VP speaks volumes! She chose LIFE even after her son was diagnosed prenatally that he would be born with Down syndrome. This is a huge deal for those of us in the disability community.

I can't wait to learn more about her and I am even going to be watching the debates! (I think that part of hell just froze over a bit! LOL!)

Oh, and I'm not looking for debate and I would not vote for someone simply because they are a woman/mother of a child with Ds/white/dark haired...just like I don't think someone should vote for Obama simply because he is black. I am speaking about SP simply because I think that her exposure and acceptance of her child with Ds could mean great things for our kids.

Routine?

Ms.Mary said that Ethan had "a day". He was throwing things, hitting, and just being an all-around Booger (hence the nickname, Boog's). He was all happy this morning, so I am wondering if he is just getting back into the routine of school? Anytime he starts going south behavior-wise, I worry it's something else. Hopefully, tomorrow is a better day for him.

GI Results

We got the results from the overnight GI study today. Let's recap, shall we?

Ethan checked into the hospital a couple of weeks ago to run some GI tests, which included:

* Endoscopy
* Esophageal Manometry
* pH probe w/impedence
* Stomach emptying scan

RESULTS:


Endoscopy: Minor esophagitis found. Same as last endoscopy, so no further damage. Celiac negative (yay!).

Esophageal Manometry: Poor motility

pH probe: NORMAL! Reflux is under control with current meds.

Stomach emptying: Over 50% of 8 oz. pediasure still sitting in stomach after 4 hours (unofficial report from tech confirmed)

Now what? Ok, so since his reflux is being controlled the nissen is out. It could cause more harm than good, especially with his poor motility in his esophagus. The other surgery option to be discussed is a Pyloroplasty. It would basically make the stomach empty quicker. For now, a prescription of erythromycin. The med can speed up emptying. We tried this before, but Ethan would cry from belly pain, so we stopped it. There is another medication called Reglan, but the side effects scare the bejeezus out of me, so it is out of the question.

Another thing discussed was to place a feeding tube directly into Ethan's intestines. He can still eat and drink by mouth, this would simply allow us to give him the extra nutrients and calories that he needs without having it sit in his belly. For now, we have a prescription for Duocal Powder. I guess you just add it to food or drink.

I also got a referral for Ethan to see the endocrinologist. I had to ask for it. I hate that. Ethan is NOT GROWING. It hasn't just slowed down the past couple months, he has not grown in a year! Ok, so he has grown 1/2 a centimeter- WOO HOO! He has dropped on the growth chart down to the 5-10th percentile on the Ds chart! It is SO not ok. Weight wise, he is holding his own at around 35-36 pounds. It took lots of half & half to get him there! No more of that. Hello!?!?!? Why was I the one who had to bring up the fact that heavier stuff like that will sit in a regular emptying belly longer, so just imagine how it sits in Ethan's belly! The appointment isn't until November, but at least we are on the books!

Tomorrow, there will be a team of doctors having a pow wow to discuss Ethan's case. The team will include the surgeon and the GI docs- maybe a couple others.

I am not sure how I feel about the results. I expected most of them. I did NOT expect his reflux to be under control. That one threw me for a loop. Granted, I am very thankful that it is, I am just surprised due to some of his symptoms. I hate the idea of any surgery. The idea of a feeding tube bugs me even more. Can't really explain it right now- ask me later why it bothers me so much.

Back to school tomorrow!

Blast from the Past, kinda

I signed onto Facebook a couple of months ago. I looked to see if there were any 1971 and 1972 classmates on there because of my Dad ('71) and Mom ('72). I believe that I found one person from the Class of 1971. I wrote to her asking if she remembered my dad.

For those of you that don't know, my dad was killed when I was 3 years old and my older sister, Kim, was almost 8. I have maybe three memories of my dad and I don't even know if those are real or a figment of my imagination. So, I have always enjoyed talking with others who knew my dad way back when.

Well, the classmate wrote me back and yes, she remembered him, but not my mom (I found that kind of funny. My mom has always been strikingly beautiful- how could anyone in such a small town/school not know who she is???). She was shy in high school, but says that my dad was always very nice (that's good to know). She also scanned me her yearbook pages where he wrote to her. For some reason, I can't explain it, I cried when I saw them.



I am assuming that the woman wrote in "Van Meter" and "Van Metter" to remember exactly who Ronnie was, since the Van Metter is an incorrect spelling. I just thought that it was very sweet that she took the time to send me an actual piece of him by way of handwriting.

So, when you hear me refer to my dad NOW- as in present time, I am referring to Jeff, the man who raised me from the age of four and I will always refer to as my dad because that's who he is to me. Gets kind of confusing to some, but I also feel odd saying 'real dad' because then that makes Jeff sound fake, and he was far from a fake dad. Anywho...

He's Off...

After not going to sleep until late last night, he was up at 4am! He did go back to sleep for a little while, but his sleep disruptions have now caused him to be Senor Crankbutt.

Ethan was excited to be back at school, but that quickly came to a halt when it actually came to work. We have been doing oral exercises with the Nuk brush, but Ethan somehow thinks that the therapy should not be done at school because he threw a nasty fit. Momma prevailed though.

I think today will definitely be another transition for Ethan, but by the end of the week, he will be back in the groove of things!

Here's a quick montage of his first day...I included the missing picture from last night. That was weird...


First day of school 2008

Officially annoyed

I think that Ethan is just so excited that school starts back up tomorrow because tonight he was rotten and would not go to bed! He bolted from his room just to push his wheelchair. Scott tried to get him to go to him for a kiss goodnight- nope, he went the opposite direction. So, finally what was it? 11:30pm and he is sleeping. I have a really cute picture of him sleeping and for some reason it is not being read from my card when I put it in the computer to upload!

So, I am officially annoyed.

Pictures from home

Scott, Ethan, and I went up to Mount Airy yesterday to check out the downtown district. Scott is hoping to find a shop that will carry his items for sale. Mt. Airy is known for being home to Mayberry- you know, Andy Griffith and Ron Howard (Opie)? Lots of tourists come through the town just to visit Mayberry. I find this very humorous. Oh well, it's still a nice town that may just have the tourist market for Scott's rustic items.

We went into the Main Oak Emporium at the suggestion of a friend. Three stories of fun items. I loved the set up. It just didn't have the feel of what we are looking for when it comes to selling Scott's stuff. PLUS, they are very expensive to lease from.

Anywho, on the 2nd floor, there was a booth with framed pictures and there were a few that caught my eye...

Mariposa



This one because we always see or hear Fresno daily. Yesterday was no exception...not sure if you can see it or not (it's in blue in the lower left hand corner).


Another Fresno picture

This one is for Christine. Her family just brought a little boy from Ukraine into their lives by way of adoption. These pictures are really hard to see, but they are from Reedley.



And for those of you wondering what these places are...they are all California towns.

* Mariposa is my hometown
* Fresno is a city an hour from Merced, the city we used to live before moving to NC
* Reedley is city in Fresno County where the beautiful Reed Family lives.

I didn't see any Atwater/Merced/Livingston signs. We looked. There was also one from Exeter, but we didn't have a direct affiliation with that town, so I didn't take the picture.

V8

I decided to get Ethan some V8 juice to try. I don't want to give him a lot of it because of his reflux, but I thought some extra vegetable vitamins every now and again couldn't hurt, right? So, this is what Ethan thinks of V8.



Oh, and he HAS to bang his cup on the table before he drinks. He even has to bang it a few times throughout. This is a random habit that just came about within the past month. We have not idea why he does it, but he insists on it.

School

Tomorrow is Ethan's first day back at school! YAY! I know that he is going to be SO excited! We went to Open House last week and Ms. Mary rearranged the classroom and I think that Ethan is going to make some great gains this year! His classroom size has gone from 6 to 3, but that will likely be a good thing for Boog's since he will have much more one on one time with the teachers.

I need to clean his- I mean, the school's- wheelchair before tomorrow. It is all yucked up from Ethan slobbering all over it. Shhhh, don't tell his PT, Della!

I hope to get some pictures tomorrow too.

Playdates

I drove Ethan to Raleigh on Friday so he could have a playdate with PJ. I "met" PJ's mommy, Kathy, online through our Down syndrome support site. Kathy knew prenatally that PJ would have Ds and at the time they lived in TN, so I hoped to meet one day. Then, they moved to NC! Well, surely getting together would have come sooner than this! Oh well, I decided that it was time for a get together!

I had a meeting in Greensboro for Uppercase Living and just decided to keep going on to Raleigh. Heck, it's only another hour and a half!

We met at Pullen Park. This was a really nice park and very kid friendly. There was a train, a carousel, swings, slides, water boats, peddle boats...lots of stuff to do! We both had tired boys, but we rode the train, carousel and swings.

Ethan would reach his hands out to PJ, it was really cute! PJ was so flippin' cute! His smile should be on billboards! It was so great to take the initiative to finally meet up, especially with school starting!

I will post pictures as soon as I upload them! Thanks Kathy, Daniel, Rebecca, and PJ for the playdate!

Ok- I did not take many pictures! WHAT?!?!? That is SO not like me. Next time...until then, here's a small montage.

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Just curious

If it's just a word, then why do you insist on using it? Surely there is another word that you could use in its place.

Shep's Playdate!

Joey's Visit

I brought Karen's new dog, Joey, home with me yesterday to play with Ethan and Shep. Ethan laughed at him from a distance and Shep just wanted to be left alone. He is old, after all. LOL!

Be A Fan

Happy Birthday, Kristopher!

Today is my nephew's 2nd birthday. He is such an adorable little boy. We hope that he has a wonderful day!!! Lots of love, Aunt Kristen, Uncle Scott & Cousin Ethan

GI Study

I just realized that I never updated about Ethan's overnight GI study from last week. Well, we had to be at the hospital by 11am on Tuesday (8/12). Ethan had to be NPO since midnight. Luckily for me, Ethan doesn't really complain about hunger in the morning, so we just stayed occupied so he didn't focus on the fact that I did not give him breakfast before leaving the house. Noon rolls around and we are still sitting in the surgical waiting room. They tell me that his OR appointment wasn't until noon, so we should be going back anytime. Sometimes, I think that they forget that you have had a child NPO for over 12 hours!

We finally go back to the PACU a little after 12:30pm and he is wheeled away from me,like a big boy, around 1:10pm. I hate, hate, hate it when I can't be with him anymore. But, the OR is pretty firm on the NO MOMMIES ALLOWED policy.

The doctor came out around 1:45pm and said that the endoscopy went well and that he didn't see any damage to his esophagus or intestines. So, that's great news. He then says that his nurse was putting in the scope for the esophageal manometry. I was told originally that this phase would only take about 20 minutes. After that, they would put in the pH probe (with impedance). We have had the pH probe done a couple of times before, so I knew that didn't take long- I expected to be called back to PACU in no more than 40 minutes.

TWO HOURS LATER: "We are ready for you now". (What took so long???) Out of the PACU, Ethan is being wheeled on an adult stretcher. He is obviously drunk on some sedative. He tries and tries to lift his head, only for it to fall back down. It was actually quite comical. But, he did manage to still give his worried Momma a kiss so I knew he was ok.

So what took so long? Apparently, no one read his three-foot thick chart that says that: 1) anesthesia wears off very quickly with Ethan 2) he has the strength of ten men and 3) he magically develops 3rd and 4th arms that will attempt to yank IV's out and probes up his nose out. Yes, he woke up during the procedure, went mad, started yanking IV and probe out, and swinging at nurses. Due to this, everything took longer and they gave Ethan another round of versed to help him "chill".

Once we were upstairs in our lovely hotel, I mean hospital, room, I tried to get Ethan to drink some juice without any luck. I figured that he would be so thirsty/hungry since by that time he had gone about 20 hours without anything to eat or drink. They did have him on an IV drip, so hydration really wasn't much of an issue, but with the issues we have had with him eating lately, I was so afraid that he wasn't going to eat anything for a while. Well, I finally bribed him with pudding and lots of it. He ate FIVE puddings and almost two yogurts by the time he went to bed. His belly was still full by the next morning.

We got up the next day, after a night of NO sleep! Ethan was tossing and turning, all while wrapping his IV line and probe wires around him, so I had to untangle him all night. When he did toss and turn, he was hitting me with his arms, which were still in arm restraints, so I felt like I had been beaten with a log all night long! Anyway, our next test was the stomach emptying scan. We have done this test a couple of times too, so I knew what to expect. Since Ethan won't eat the radioactive egg sandwich, we have to use a can of Pediasure instead. Long story short, after 4 hours, Ethan still has HALF of an 8 oz. can of Pediasure sitting in his belly.

Now, I wondered if he still had a bunch of pudding still in there, but there was no way to tell. The only thing that I know for sure is that his results were similar before, so I will have to assume that the pudding was not an issue for accurate results. Of course, this result was unofficial since it was not the doctor telling me.

We go back in next Tuesday for all of the results. I fear that the doctor is going to tell me that we need to proceed with the nissen with partial pylorectomy. This would mean an automatic G-tube. It is all very discouraging, but if it means better things for Ethan, then we will do it. Ethan is NOT growing. This could be due to the lack of nutrition actually being absorbed into his body. I guess we will just have to wait and see what Mr. GI Doc says next week!

Here's an "R" word for ya!

Special thanks to the Arc of Virginia and the Arc of Northern Virginia, plus Blueberry Shoes Productions for putting together such a great presentation!

Did anyone else notice that the very first picture is little miss cuteness herself, Payton?!?! (that would be Ethan's crush from last year's convention!)

Birthday wishes!

Ok, so I forgot to finish this post yesterday! OOPS!!! Yesterday was an important day for two of our friends: Lynda- my best friend from high school AND Maid of Honor in our wedding, and Mike- Scott's best friend from childhood and Groomsman in our wedding. So, HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY to my bff Lynda and Scott's best buddy, Mike! We miss you!!!

And, because I am too lazy right now to get out the wedding album with better pictures of them, this is all I could do..




AND, it was our Shep's birthday too!!! Shep turned TEN yesterday. Our puppy is getting old. Poor thing has hip dysplasia and arthritis, but he is still the lovey puppy that he has always been.

My NEW website!

I now have a new website for Uppercase Living! You don't have to log in with a demonstrator ID or token anymore!!! Now, all you have to do is go to:

My new UCL website, Click here!

Tell your friends!!! I need the business! *muah*

Smiles & Giggles

Ethan LOVES to play with his daddy!




These are the glasses that Specs4Us allowed us to borrow from the NDSC convention. We still have to keep the arm restraints on in order for him to not rip them off. I may have to send back the frames. :-(

Saying goodbye to friends

I met my friend Paula at the credit union. She worked in the same department as I did and we just hit it off. She helped train me and we then started having conversations that would stem into a great friendship. Paula left the credit union to go to another CU and then found herself back with Members, but in a different capacity. Kind of like a different company within a company. I didn't care- we could see each other pretty much every day and meet for lunch regularly.

Paula got married to Andy in November 2005. It was a beautiful wedding and I was so happy to be there for her.

Paula and Andy decided to start their own family last year. Paula asked me if I would be her labor coach. It was such an honor for me to be asked to be such an instrumental part of that moment in her life. I committed to be there for her and Andy in the beginning trimester of her pregancy. I took pictures of her expanding belly on a regular basis and I talked to the baby as well. September 19th, 2007- the day Baby Parks arrived. Witnessing childbirth is an amazing blessing.

Now, Paula and Andy have moved to Louisiana (Andy's homestate). On Friday night, Paula invited me to go to dinner with her and her family. It was great to be able to spend that last bit of time with her before she left yesterday to hit the road to Louisiana. Parks and I snuggled for a bit, which I thorougly enjoyed. It was so hard to say goodbye, but I know that she will be back over the holidays.



We will miss you Moreland Family! Just when Ethan was getting used to having Parks around to play with!!! Be safe, don't forget to call every once in a while! :-)

Funny

Yesterday, as I was sitting on the sofa putting on my make-up, Ethan kept looking at me with the most inquisitive stare. He also inched closer and closer to me to see what was going on. He has always been interested in my make-up bags, which is interesting. Maybe he wonders how that little bag can make Momma go from drab to fab??? LOL!

Anyway, he went to grab my brushes so I told him no. To that I received the wonderful Ethan pout. So, I took the eyeshadow brush and brushed his eyelid with it. He thinks it's hilarious! I even put mascara on him! (Don't tell his Uncle Mike!) Ok, this child will not let me put his glasses on, but he will let me put make-up on him???

I tried to take a picture of his lashes post Maybelline, but he kept moving so you really can't see how long and lucious his lashes were. He really does have fabulous lashes.

Ok ETA: This is the best one that I took.


No worries. We will not be making a habit of putting make-up on Ethan. Both Scott and I found it funny that he was trusting me to put mascara on, but not glasses. I guess he chooses which battles to fight too.

Picking battles

"Pick your battles, child. That type of stupidity, and smallmindedness is global. Focus only on the wonderful light all children bring to this planet. Save your energy for the good you can bring to your own special family and if you have time and room for the rest of the world, then be the helper of your neighbor and friends. For they are really the ones that count. Not the discriminate ignorant ones. The creator will take care of all the injustices of the world. Be patient." by LDV


I thought about this comment. Yes, there is ignorance everywhere. I hope that I can change that one person at a time. Am I going to succeed with everyone? Of course not. Do I need to try for my son and his friends? Absolutely.

I just wish that I didn't have to work so hard within my own family and friend circuit to get the point across. Until you understand the pain that this can eventually cause Ethan, you will never be proud of the work I do or what others in the disability community are doing. And, you will be the ones to continue to use words that I have asked you not to use and see movies that I have asked you not to see. Because, what you fail to realize is that when you support the other side, you turn your back on what should be the most important. I can't tell you to do anything- I can't make you do anything. You have every right to do whatever it is you're going to do.

Yes, I can pick my battles. I choose to fight for the rights of my child. I will forever choose to fight for him over the easy way out of not saying anything at all. Everyone in this journey is not ready to fight- I am.

It's NOT just a word!

Ok, I have found myself sickened by this whole Tropic Thunder movie, and it just continues to get worse. I hope that you read my previous post regarding the movie.

Last Friday, representatives from different disability organizations including the National Down Syndrome Congress, were allowed to an advanced screening of the movie. The report? It's worse than they even anticipated. David Tolleson of the NDSC felt as if he had been assaulted after viewing the film.

The excuse from Hollywood is that the movie is satire. It's about the lengths that shallow actors will go to in order to have a great movie. Oh, really? How ironic, Mr. Stiller. The length that YOU sir have gone to is exactly that. You have chosen to target the audience that -until now- has not fought back.

This film will be, undoubtedly, be seen by millions of people. Millions of people will find it hilarious to call someone who is, by medical definition, retarded: dumb, stupid, idiot, imbecile, and the dumbest mother f**ker that ever lived. There is a scene with Matthew McConaughey that is incredible disturbing. Ben Stiller speaks of wanting to adopt a child and then MMc says, "At least you still have a choice, I have to live with mine" while glancing at a picture of his son who appears to have an intellectual disability.

And, the catch phrase of the movie: Never Go Full Retard. Thank you Ben Stiller. Thank you for writing a phrase that will be repeated in schools all over- among other places. Thank you for encouraging HATEFUL words. The phrase had already found its way onto a T-shirt through CafePress. I, immediately, wrote to CafePress to have the shirt removed and I passed the info along (the shirt is now removed! YAY!) I love to be able to send my beautiful son to school, wondering if some other child, parent, or teacher will utter those words at my son. My son is too young NOW, to understand the pain that this will one day cause him.

"Mommy, why do the kids call me a retard? Why do the other kids always pick on me and call me retarded?" I cry now thinking of it.

RETARDED IS NOT JUST A WORD! IT IS A HATEFUL, HURTFUL, AWFUL WORD USED OUTSIDE OF IT'S DEFINITION IN THIS DAY AND AGE TO DEFINE, STUPID, DUMB, IDIOT...That is NOT my son! My Ethan is FAR from stupid. He is one of the smartest kids I know. And, any of you who know Ethan, know that he is very smart as well.

I ask you, for Ethan, to NOT see this movie. Please do not reward such a film with your money. Send your movie ticket money to something worth while, like the NDSC or the Special Olympics.

Read Chewing the Fat. I sat at the computer and cried when I read this post. I am not exaggerating here. I cried. My heart broke for the young mom. Read it. Dave is great with words.

And, for those of you that are saying that I am being too sensitive...Do YOU have a child with a disability? Do YOU have to think ahead on how to protect your child? Would YOU just sit back if you found out that YOUR child was being picked on? Do YOU find it acceptable to pick on those who can't fight back? Think about it. So, until you are in my shoes, do NOT tell me that I am being too sensitive. This is personal. I am a Mama Bear- I WILL protect my child. Please join me.

Ok, this is the big one- LISTEN UP.

Flyer courtesy of Helen in Washington. Her 15 and 16 year old daughter's created it. Their little brother has Down syndrome and have worked to have the "r" word banned from school. Quite the advocates for their brother, which I think is AWESOME!


Due to my getting ready for date night yesterday, I did not have the chance to post about this sooner. A couple of my friends have, and I am going to kindly refer to their posts because they say it perfectly.

First, my friend McKenna:

This is definitely not the first time I've been disappointed in Hollywood, but I think this may be the first time I am actually HURT by Hollywood. Ben Stiller's new film, Tropic Thunder has crossed the line. DreamWorks Production has agreed to meet with many representatives from disability rights organizations at 5pm Pacific today. To be honest, I don't know what can come from this meeting other than prevention of further damage. I will be very surprised if the scene is not pulled, but the hurt has already been caused. Sticks and stones may break my bones, and WORDS HURT Mr. Ben Stiller, Mr. Robert Downey Jr, Mr. Jack Black, Mr. Tom Cruise, and Hollywood!! My daughter has an intellectual disability and is not able to defend herself because of her age and her cognitive ability. How dare you use her medical diagnosis of mental retardation as an opportunity to put more money in your pockets. Shame on YOU!

The term "mental retardation" is being replaced with intellectual disability because of this misuse. This isn't the first time this has happened. You know those words, "idiot" and "moron." Those once used to belong to people like my little girl as medical diagnosis and we all know what happened to those words. How wrong is it that my daughter needs a new "term" because of the abuse of her medical diagnosis by people of average intelligence? How long until people start taking the new terminology and abusing it as well?

I have an idea....let's just abort every child with a disability before they're born and we won't have this problem! Let's just wipe our world clean of people with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, etc... and while we're at it, go ahead and take me out of that world, too, because I'm 5'10" tall and that's just not "normal!" Everyone with large noses can have their lives spared as long as they get plastic surgery.

My daughter has to fight against this ridiculous ideology that she is "not normal" and "different" and "lucky she wasn't aborted" every day for the rest of her life and I'm going to do everything I can so she doesn't have to fight against the mockery and "harmless jokes" as well!

Race discrimination is off limits (as it should be!) but discrimination against individuals with intellectual disabilities has a green light. ENOUGH! I have usually excused comments that I hear everyday: "I'm so retarded," "what a retard," because I know in my heart they are not intentionally or purposefully directed at someone with an intellectual disability. Well, enough! Intentional or not, stop it! Use it properly or don't use it at all!

Leave my child, my friend's children, and the many individuals in our world who work harder than any of you alone! ENOUGH!!

And, Amy:

It’s not often that I will offer up an email about something I disagree with. However I am taking the time this afternoon to let you know about a movie that is being released soon. Tropic Thunder with stars such as Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr and Tom Cruise will be coming to a theater near us soon and you can be certain with this cast line up and the heavy marketing, your children will want to see it.
What caught my heart was the slogan that Dream Works has chosen to promote this movie. “Once upon a time….There was a Retard” and Ben Stiller is playing an individual with intellectual disabilities. Yeah that is making me laugh pretty hard. I love Ben Stiller and I love Jack Black. I am so sad that they are among a group that has decided to make a movie about those with mental retardation to get laughs.
Once upon a time there was a sweet little girl born. Larkin has a medical diagnosis of mental retardation because of Down syndrome and further brain damage caused by a catastrophic seizure disorder. Even typing that brings this mother to her knees and I can’t even believe I am having to send an email asking that you not support this movie. I can’t believe that our children are still being used as the whipping post for actors and writers to get a laugh. I can’t fight it all the time and mostly I just shrug and move along and turn my back on those who can’t see the sunshine that is right in front of their dark minds.
So this email is for my little girl. The small one who can’t fight it. The small one who fights a war every single day to prove her worth. The bundle of sunshine who will hug you and love you in spite of the ugliness that at times like this surrounds her. I beg you to not see this movie. I beg you to voice your thoughts. I beg you to think of Little Larkin and the millions like her. I have included a link so you can read further. Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think needs to know.


For me, I have been fighting this fight for a while. Even with people I love the most. This is just not acceptable! What in the world do we have to do to make you LISTEN!?!?!?! My son is not your free pass for a laugh.

Great site to visit: Patricia Bauer

A new song for my playlist

An old high school friend had the song on her Myspace. I immediately knew what song it was. It is from the movie "She's Having a Baby"...one of my favorite movies. It's a beautiful song- I have found myself with it on repeat.

This Woman's Work by Kate Bush It's the last song on my playlist right now (you can hear by scrolling down to the playlist on the right side bar).

Date night

Scott's birthday was Sunday, but we weren't able to do anything. I wanted to take him to see The Dark Knight, but we couldn't find a sitter, so we napped instead (which he needed because he had been working close to 12 hour days). Well my friend, Theresa, said that she would watch Ethan last night so we could go see the movie. YAY!

So, I purchased the tickets online- paid the extra $.50 per ticket for the "convenience". I have done this before, walked in with my confirmation and proceeded to the snack bar without any hesitation or problem. Not last night- oh no. That would be TOO easy for a couple who NEVER gets date night.

We walk up to the "ticketmaster", give her the confirmation and she proceeds to have a blank look on her face- she does not know what to do with it. Ok, she's new. No problem. The "manager with a broom" comes over and proceeds to tell us that we have to go over to a kiosk and put in the confirmation number in order to get our tickets. All while the people that did not pay the extra buck, for the convenience at home, have already stood in line outside, got their ticket, and proceeded to the snack bar.

Tell me where the convenience was in that? I called the manager with a broom back over to ask for a dollar voucher to the snack bar. No- sorry can't do that. The fee is not from them. Ok, fine. The tickets are. I'm not asking for the movie ticket back, I am asking for a dollar voucher towards my popcorn. She says, "Ooooohhh, let me see what I can do." Then, she walks out of the forbidden office with Mr. Oh So Professional Looking without a tie, but with gold chain. He says that all the snack bar is inventoried so he can't give the buck. Sorry. I ask if he would rather lose further customers over a buck- he said yes. That's pretty pathetic if you ask me.

BTW. This incidence happened at The Grand Theatre, 5601 University Parkway, Winston-Salem, NC 27105. (336)661-1125

*Forgot to mention that we really enjoyed the movie. I can see how the Joker character really affected Heath Ledger personally. Amazing performance. Also, I have a new found crush on Christian Bale.*

Haircut

Ethan did SO good. Not a peep. Angel boy. I wondered afterwards if him having tubes has helped him with haircuts. He has been WONDERFUL with them since his tubes were put in and was HORRIBLE before. Hmmmmm...

I have a LOT to say...

Get ready!

EMMA IS OUT OF SURGERY!!!

Emma is in the CVICU and doing well! She's still on the vent but did fine coming off the bypass machine. Praise God!! Thank you all for your continued prayers!!!

Click on the link above to go directly to the blog and leave a comment. I know how much Meredith & Mike appreciate hearing from those who have been praying for Emma!

I have such happy tears flowing right now!!! Prayer works peeps...

Remember to pray for Emma!!!

Emma's surgery is in 7 1/2 hours. I added her to the prayer chain at church and I had her prayed for after service this morning. She is on my heart heavily. Her parents just posted a blog entry that brought me to tears. Their faith is amazing.

Read Dedicated. You will also see the most beautiful picture of Emma. The life that has been brought into her body since being brought home to the US is just awesome. The smile, the joy, the love. Amazing girl. Amazing family. Lift them up, please.

Happy Birthday, Scott!!!

Happy birthday!!! Thank you for being the hard-working, loving, dedicated husband and father! We love you!!!

Have ketchup, will eat

Tonight, Ethan was pitching the hugest fit because he was hungry and apparently Momma just wasn't cooking fast enough! Well, then he didn't want to eat it! *eye roll* We added ketchup and, VOILA! We have an eating boy!

EMMA HOPE CORNISH~~ Surgery Monday!!!

PRAY FOR EMMA!!!

Emma's heart surgery has been moved up to Monday due to the severity of her heart defect. You can read all about Emma by clicking on the button to the right of my blog. My friend, Meredith, and her husband Mike, adopted Emma and Micah from Ukraine back in March. Emma's health issues included heart defect gone untreated for five years and pulmonary hypertension among others, but these are the most crucial. Mike & Meredith were first told that surgery was not an option because she would not come out of it and to enjoy the limited amount of time that she has left with us. After many prayers and a T & A surgery, her PH has gotten better enough for surgery! The entire Cornish family could use your prayers for Emma, Mom & Dad, brother and sisters, and the medical team that will be working to repair little Emma's heart. Thank you!!!

A Very Special Family

My friend, Bethany, and her husband Kyle, are in the process of adopting a little girl with Down syndrome from Russia. Bethany and Kyle are already blessed with two beautiful children, Mason & Payton. Payton is a member of our elite Down syndrome club ;-). Ethan LOVES Payton! Last year, while in Kansas City for the NDSC Conference, Ethan followed Payton around while giggling the entire time! It was the cutest thing.


Bethany is holding a raffle for $100 to her online boutique The Polkadot Platypus! I have ordered from The Polkadot Platypus and I have to tell you, I have never had such great service. Super easy, fast shipping, super friendly! For every $5, you receive one raffle ticket. You can purchase your ticket(s)by donating through ChipIn here:


Help bring Addison home! Thank you!!!

My First Q & A... should be short.

Do you need to do bloodwork?
Well, we do bloodwork all the time to make sure his leukemia is still in check. But, we also did another round to check his thyroid, liver, and some other levels. Everything was normal except that his testosterone was low, but the endocrinologist says that it was fine for his age.

What does the doctor think?
Who knows. This is a doctor that I rarely like. I hate her bedside manner. This past appointment, she looked at me and said "Do I need to be here? Can "D" take care of everything for you?" It just really ticked me off. Anyway, "D" has this theory that he is gearing up for a huge growth spurt. I happen to think that theory is grasping at straws. I think that we need to do another sleep study...especially after going to Boston. We shall see.

Is he on supplements?
No. But, I would like more information please. Thank you, Bethany!

See, I said that would be short. LOL!

Still not growing

I took Ethan in to the developmental pediatrician yesterday to do a weight/height check. Ethan has gained a couple of pounds over the past few months, but has only grown .4 of a centimeter! ***eye roll*** They don't know why Ethan is not growing. I have a few ideas, but we will have to wait for those tests to be ordered. I mean, Ethan does not come from a short family. Mine especially! If anything, he should be on the taller end of the Down syndrome growth chart, instead he is in the 5th percentile!!!

On another note, Ethan's new AFO's came in on Tuesday. He is adjusting to them quite well! He walked, one-handed, in to the doctor's office yesterday and they were all very impressed with his improvement!

After the appointment, I took Ethan to a birthday party. He had a good time, especially since he got to see his favorite Ms. Mary! He really misses her since school has been out. I am sure that after all the therapies and appointments that I have been dragging him to all summer, he will be more than ready to return to school!!!

Tagged again! :-)

My friend, Alyssa, over at What's Happenin' at the Hoover's tagged me a LONG time ago to do this and I forgot. Sorry Alyssa! Ok, so she says that I need to list 6 things about ME.

1. I have man hands & feet
2. I am the "white sheep" of my family. Only blonde hair/blue eyed child out of 4.
3. I do not tan, therefore, I do not attempt to.
4. I want another baby.
5. I love pineapple even though it makes my tongue swell.
6. I used to have a chipped front tooth. My older sister, Kim, was making me laugh while our parents fixed a flat tire and I dropped my head- mouth wide open- into the front door window that I did not realize was open. An unforgettable moment for sure.

Again, not good at the tagging...feel free to list 6 things about yourself on your blog and let me know! :-)

I've been tagged!

My dear friend, Christina, over at Kwisteena's Kwaziness tagged me to list 6 things that describe my life. Like her, I am not sure 6 is enough! Let's give it a whirl...

1. Blessed
2. Stressed
3. Random
4. Giving
5. Busy
6. Full of change

I am going to break the rules and not tag anyone because I am not good at that. SORRY. BUT, if you so desire, please do this yourself on your blog and let me know about it! :-)

Five Guys vs. In-N-Out

VS.











No question. I would probably take Five Guys' fries over In-N-Out's, but not the burger. FG's burger was better than most, but it will not take away my I-N-O cravings that only a trip home to California can fix.

Africa

Some of you may have gotten an e-mail from me. It went out in masses. :-) If you did, welcome to the repeat version for those who didn't get my e-mail. Of course, this version will be much shorter...maybe.

I have joined the missions team to travel to Kitale, Kenya, Africa in October. If you know me, your jaw is probably on the floor right now. Believe me, my own jaw was on the floor! But, I truly believe that God is calling me to work in Africa during this trip. I can not tell you all the "signs" that I have been given. I have been given amazing support already- I am truly in awe of how God is providing.

So, I will be traveling October 8-18. I will spend my 10th wedding anniversary on a plane. It took me a long time to commit to the trip even though I knew in my heart that I was going- God told me so. We will be going to the Challenge Farm in Kitale, Kenya. I highly encourage you to visit the website and watch the video at the top of the page.

I will be raising money from now until the trip- hopefully having my full amount in a while before we leave. You will notice a ChipIn link on the side. If you wish to sponsor me, THANK YOU! You can do so a few different ways.

* You can use the secure ChipIn site and $ will go directly to my paypal account
* You can send a check directly to my church (with my name- Kristen Faulkner- in the memo): River Oaks Community Church, 1855 Lewisville Clemmons Rd., Clemmons, NC 27012 {Phone: (336) 766-0033}

Money sent directly to the church is actually how I would suggest because it is tax-deductible and will be receipted. I can send you a receipt, but I am not sure if the IRS would accept it as a deduction. I will have to check on that...

Lastly, more than anything...PRAY, PRAY, PRAY for myself, the team, our families, and for those already living on the farm. This is, by far, the most important request. Thank you so much for everyone's support. Much love to all.

More fires in Mariposa

I saw a news clip on CNN or something like that saying that there was a fire near Yosemite. Now, that is a pretty large scale of where exactly the fire could be, but sure enough, it's in Mariposa again. This time, it's not near my parent's house, but my grandparents house. The fire has 0% containment and over 16000 (that's a jump from the original 1000 that I read) acres burned. Lots of people have been evacuated already. Please keep everyone around the fires in your prayers, including the firefighters who brave the flames.

http://cbs13.com/local/mariposa.county.fire.2.780798.html

Dr. Randy Pausch

Passed away today. An amazing and inspirational man. His "Last Lecture" is well worth the watch.

My lil' nudist

This morning, I woke up to the most beautiful sound of giggles. I come around the corner to Ethan's room, and I find him standing at his gate all proud of himself and his nakedness! He has always loved not having clothes on, but this is a first! Actually taking off the diaper...oh my goodness!

If I had never...

If I had never worked for Bank of America, I would have never applied at Patelco.
If I had never worked for Patelco, I would have never met Theresa.
If I had never met Theresa, I would not have known of TSCS in NC.
If I had never known of TSCS in NC, I would never have moved.
If I had never moved, I would have never attended the NDSC conference in Atlanta.
If I had never attended the NDSC conference in Atlanta, I would have never found out about Downsyn.
If I had never found out about Downsyn, I would not have the support of so many across the country!
If I had never found out about Downsyn, I would not have some of my best friends for life.


If I had never had Ethan, I would not have moved.
If I had never moved, I would not be blessed with how God has utilized me with others.
If I had never moved, I would have never met Karen and Olivia. I feel a part of my heart would have always been empty if I had never been able to love Miss O.

If I had never had Ethan, my heart may not be as full of compassion as it is.
If I had never had Ethan, I may not have become the advocate that I am.
If I had never had Ethan, I may not have ever known what a hero really is.

Someone very close to me once told me that I had depressing friends. On the contrary. I have awesome, amazing, strong friends. They are Mothers who never back down from a fight. They are Mothers who do not see the disability in their child, but their ABILITY and CAPABILITY. I am honored to have the friends I do. I hope that I am as good a friend to them as they are to me.

Therapy & Tests to come

Today was Ethan's last round of VitalStim therapy...we hope. He will have a modified swallow study on Friday to see if it worked.

Ethan's private PT has been going well and he will start private OT next week. He is going to HATE me by the end of this summer!!!

E also had a GI appointment yesterday and he will take part in an overnight study to measure the correlation between weakened swallow function and reflux. I do not feel that Ethan's reflux is under control right now and he's on max meds. The study consists of an endoscopy, PH probe, stomach emptying, and another test that measures the strength of the swallow down the esophagus. Fun times. I don't know when this study will be quite yet, but hopefully soon.

Ethan also needs another sleep study and a full neurological/orthopedist workup. This comes from advise given from two of the most well-renowned physician's who work with persons with Ds. Fun times.

Sayreville, NJ

I just noticed that someone in Sayreville, New Jersey is visiting my blog. Jon Bon Jovi is from Sayreville. Hmmmm...ok, Jon. I am here, waiting for your call. ;-)

Back from Boston

Ok, well I have been home from Boston since Sunday night, but I just haven't had the time or energy to post! My friend, Lisa, and I left on Thursday afternoon for Raleigh. We would have about an hour to deplane, get to the hotel, and move on to the Garden for Bon Jovi. Well, we had an amazing trip up and ended up landing 20 minutes early!!! I had the flight attendant thank the pilot for me- I did have a date with JBJ after all!

The concert was fabulous! Bon Jovi really can't do any wrong- except when JBJ goes out into a section of the audience and lets others fondle him all while having total disregard for how that makes me feel! LOL!



The return back to the hotel was a bit of an adventure. Let's just say that jails should not have full length windows so men can do things where you can see and that $11 cab fare is not that bad! We tried to save money, saw things that we shouldn't have, experienced the subway system, and got back to the hotel an hour and half after we left the Garden. Fun times. HAHA.

Boston is absolutely beautiful! I loved it! It is a very clean city with friendly people. The history there is awesome too. I was able to go out on a Charles River boat tour with some of my friends from Downsyn and saw Harvard, Boston University, and MIT. The harbor is pretty too. I met my step-grandmother and step-aunt while there too. They live about 20 minutes outside of the city and came in to take me to dinner. It was a such a treat for me to be able to spend that time with them and finally meet my dad's sister, Robin. I may have asked too many questions, but it was my one chance to find out more about my dad since he never shares, nor seems to care to want to. I wish that I had just one more day to actually do some sightseeing, but I was there for the NDSC conference.

I came away with some great information and even greater friends! I "talk" to some of these friends all the time online and then to be able to actually meet them and have a great time was just the added bonus!


Bye-bye Boston! I hope to see you again soon! LOL! I miss all my Downsyn friends already! Why does the US have to be so large??? :-(

The view from my hotel room:





I could not stop taking pictures from the air! It was all so beautiful!

Things to ponder

Yesterday, I stopped by Olivia's pediatrician's office to say hello. Weird? Not so much when we were in a very close position a few months back. If she were accepting new patients, I would likely switch Ethan over! She is amazing. Anywho, when I got to the office, I told the receptionist that I would like to say hello to Dr. Heinrich. She asked me who I was and I just said, "Just tell her that Nurse One is here". She said, oookkkk. Like, whatever. Well, within a minute, Dr. H was out in the lobby giving me and Ethan a big hug. We visited for a few minutes and she then again asked me if I was going to nursing school. Dr. H was a driving force behind me thinking about applying the last time. She offered me recommendations and everything. Now, she thinks that I should just go to PA school! WHAT!?!? WOW! I am not sure about that one, but you never know. But, she did say that she would help me with answers for tests. That would be awesome! We'll see...pondering.

After we left Dr. H's office, we went to Sam's Club. Karen called me and said, "Where ya goin'?". She was behind me! Too funny. She has been very sick this week and had to go get her allergy shot. I told her to go home and go back to bed- I would check on her later.

Ethan and I met my friend for lunch. Her mother, sister, son, and niece also joined at the every so scrumptious Olive Garden. As we were close to wrapping up lunch, I look across the dining area to see a woman leaning over in her chair with her head resting on her knees. She was alone. Something was wrong and no one was helping her. I asked my friend to watch Ethan for me and I went over to help the woman. She was feeling faint and was sweaty/clammy all over. She had just had some blood drawn and was told by the doctor that she was dehydrated. So, I think that she was anemic, dehydrated, or had low blood sugar (she hadn't eaten yet)- or a combo of the three. The manager got me some orange juice to give her and a cold towel to put around her neck. She was on her knees on the floor by this time with her head down still, so I was lifting her chin enough to get the oj in her. I also continued to fan her with a folder that she had. She ended up being fine after a little TLC. Numerous people came up to me and asked me if I was her nurse (LOL)- um, no. Just someone enjoying some soup, salad and breadsticks!

My bill came and I paid with cash. The manager came back up to me and said that he would like to take care of my lunch to thank me for being a good samaritan. Aw. I about cried. There are still rewards for good deeds- even though that is not why we should do good deeds.

Belated Birthdays!

Happy belated birthday to my friend, Darlene!!! We are exactly 6 months apart- her birthday was July 2nd and mine is January 2nd. So, really- happy belated HALF birthday to ME! LOL! I tried to call the girl, but she is too busy for me anymore...sad, sad. J/K...She recently opened her own boutique in Atwater and it is going very well. I love you Dar Dar.

Happy belated birthday to my little cousin who I have always called my neice, Mallory Jordan!!! Hi honey. I am sorry that I didn't get to call you the other day. We have been VERY busy. We love you and hope that you had a wonderful birthday!!! *muah*

Happy belated birthday to my Aunt Bitsy yesterday!!! I also believe that my cousin's little girl, Keira, celebrated her birthday yesterday too! Birthdays, birthdays everywhere!!!

I know my Aunt Shell was at the end of June too! Uncle Cobb is at the end of July. Happy birthday to all. WE LOVE YOU!!! *****CORRECTION: Aunt Shell's b-day is the end of July and Uncle Cobb's is the end of August. They are the same age for one month. I just had them a month off---my bad!*****

Upcoming: Yvonne, July 6 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Jen, July 7 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! (I am hoping that she can come to Boston next week to see me!!! Hoping, hoping, hoping!)

Ok, now I am probably forgetting someone ultra-important. SORRY if I am!!! *muah*

Happy 4th of July!

Have a great 4th of July!!! We are going over to Theresa's later to bbq and then we are off to the Lewisville fireworks show.