Life is what you make it...: 2010

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Humbled and Fun-da-roos

This year I was very humbled by the many holiday cards I received from a very important Family of mine. My Down syndrome Family. There is something about having a child with Down syndrome that makes you a part of something grander. You automatically become a member of an elite group of people and these people all have their own story, backgrounds, and lives but we are connected by a simple fact - that crazy extra 21st chromosome... Sometimes I crave these people because they know a little something about me no one else does, we all know what each other knows. About how we live this life that we all LOVE and feel BLESSED to have. The challenge of IEPs or how we want our children to be mainstreamed in school for the best possible experience and education - and the lessons we can teach our children ourselves, skills, therapy and life, every moment is a teaching moment we don't want to miss out on. How we fight constantly for non-judgemental opinions and views and what the future will be like for our children. We hope the challenges we face we are able to climb to the top of the mountain and make it down the other side. Yes, to say the least I am humbled - Love My Very Special Family!

So last night I had to run into Wal-mart for dog food, diapers and a few other things. Well, Brian had been complaining his socks had holes and most of his boxers did too. Okay, I'm a bad wife and think that he should go and buy his own underwear. But hey, while I was there I decided I needed some new Fun-da-roos for myself. I had stepped on two of my bras and broke the underwire and was down to one good one - don't you hate that? I grabbed 2 Hanes bras that were $8 bucks each - DEAL! (Wal-mart shelf half price - right Gretchen?) and grabbed some undies cause they were on sale too. Now, it must of been a long time since I bought my last supply because I never knew they sized these bad boys differently then your dress size? Call me crazy but I had no clue - I grabbed 9's...

I took them out of the package to throw in the washer and said "What the? These aren't' 9's?" I have gained a little weight but I don't think I want to hold on to these to see if I'll grow into them... It would of saved a lot of time, effort and $16 bucks if I had just looked at the back of the package, but you feel a little awkward when your shopping for underwear in Wal-mart and you're never quite sure who or what you're going to run into to :-O It's a grab and go kind of moment...

No New Year's plans for us. The Big Boys will be snowmobiling a lot because they think the snow is not going to stick (literally) around and want to get every bit of riding in they can. Ace and I may take a jaunt around the yard. I think we're going to have to warm him up to riding, not sure how he's going to handle it. It is suppose to be a pleasant weekend, will spend some time outside in the sunshine. If I don't get back here before Monday, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Monday, December 27, 2010

Snow and Christmas

We had a very busy but nice Christmas. Way too many toys to find room for and the mass of them have something to do with a little boy's obsession called Toy Story! Woody and Buzz are of abundance in our house now.

This is Asa Christmas morning eating breakfast at Grammie and Grampie's. This was our 9am stop.

Check out the garage floor impression on his chin! Don't mind the eggs though...

Asa ripped through his packages, apparent by the mound of paper behind him.

And every article of clothing he got he wanted to put on! And then would get mad at me when I wouldn't let him...

SNOW, SNOW, SNOW! We woke up this morning to this. It didn't start snowing until after 8pm last night and it is still blowing and snowing right now and is suppose to all day. The dogs were really funny. Russell wanted to go out the back door instead of the slider where Daddy had shoveled a path. Well, he's the smallest and jumped the snow mound going out and fell of the stair and was buried, wish I had gotten a pic. He looked up at me like I made him do it and wouldn't get 2 feet from the door. He came back inside and changed his mind about going out the other door.

Brian shoveled out part of my car just enough to get me and Ace in. As you can see the snow is up to the top of my front wheel.

I won't get these guys out until Spring.

We have some major shoveling to do when we get home.

We made our way to Daycare and Work. I know Ma, I shouldn't be taking pictures while I'm driving...

I guess I don't need to complain anymore that we don't have snow...

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Horrible Mother

I'm a horrible mother. I feel so bad I could cry. Mr. Asa took a spill this morning and I couldn't make is owwy go away. Aren't we Mommies suppose to be able to make terrible things miraculously disappear? It happened going into Daycare, there are two steps going into the house from the garage and I was trying to open the door that had a rug stuck behind it. I opened the door wide enough to slip through and straighten the rug, leaving Asa on the other side. By the time I turned around and opened the door again Asa was stepping up to the top step. He stopped mid step to turn around and WHAM! Missed the bottom step and landed on his face on the cement garage floor! Oh how your heart stops and the worst goes through your mind all at once, AGONY that your child is hurt and here I sit over an hour later and I still feel like I want to cry. He has a pretty good scrape on his chin and I think he bit his tongue cause there was some good blood and then it stopped. I couldn't feel any loose teeth, but oh the sobs, I couldn't hold him tight enough. It was good that my friend's parents are visiting from Myrtle Beach because as soon as Ace saw his Meg (friend/daycare's Mom) he got right down off my lap and went running to her with a big hug and kiss... So much for Mommy making him feel better, there's something about a Grammie's love I guess, even if it's not your Grammie.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Christmas Lights

Here are pics of the Christmas lights we went to see the other night. These are courtesy of my sister's phone, thanks Jen!

This is at the Joseph Smith Memorial site in Vermont. They do this every year and start putting the lights up in September! These are just a few of the many lights.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Having Fun...

As all of us watch the snow in the Midwest collapsing domes and burying cars. The Northeast is getting punished in another way, with NO SNOW! Well if you call an inch on the ground that has only stayed around because it's been cold enough snow then you'll be happy, and that's exactly what we did this weekend. We made do with what we had - Ha! The mountains and higher elevations have received some good accumulation, but we're stuck in the Valley and it just ain't making it here... We haven't made it outside much in the past couple of weekends to play because we've been busy, but we made up for it.

Saturday Ace and I went out for a little while. This is the first we've been outside to play since we've had the little snow we do. He was not a happy camper when he figured out that all his sand toys and sand box were frozen solid... I was able to free a bucket and shovel for him to fill with snow, but it wasn't quite the same.

But loved licking the snow off his mittens! The sun was shining and that made me happy to sit and feel the warmth on my face, I actually can say I got a little color - yeah!

On Sunday Miss Morgan came over and the best friends played and giggled. I had to pull them around, and around and around... My butt feels it today!

A little extra Fun after dinner and a trek to see x-mas lights Saturday night. I forgot my camera, I took these when we got home and someone was a little too wired to go to bed.

We go to the same spot annually to see the lights. They are beautifully done and there is A LOT of them. They have real animals in a nativity and this year there was a donkey and 2 sheep. Ace thought they were pretty special. BAA BAA.

Ace is wearing his x-mas shirt in these pics, it's a Rudolph Bulldog with antlers. Bulldog graphic tees are a weakness of mine!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Our Christmas Card

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Santa and Harmonica

Here is a video of Santa leaving, I have Santa arriving but it was pretty uneventful. Asa didn't react the way I thought he would but there was a lot going on at the time... The other video is of Asa playing his Harmonica Santa gave him, he's pretty good!