Sunday, October 21, 2012

Do you Pin?

I have spent many hours on pinterest finding all kinds of treasures.  All kinds of things I know I will make!  I have made exactly three.  One of them I pinned after I made it.  It was a Rum cake with chocolate chips.  The best cake ever!

The second thing I made was a breakfast casserole in a crock pot.  It was better than ok, and I’d make it again.  I think I put too many hash browns in it but that was my fault.  

The final thing I made was liquid soap.  The one where you shred three bars of Ivory soap and add water and melt.  She actually said to add H2O, so I went with distilled water.  I figured it would take the cost up a little more but we have a lot of salt in our water and I didn’t want to mess anything up, so I went ahead and spent the $1.79 for 2 gallons of distilled water.

This took me 2 days and 2 large pots.  You have to add like 12 cups of water then heat it all till the soap is dissolved, then let it sit over night to thicken up.  I will admit after I melted it all I didn’t think there was a chance in Hell that I would have anything but sudsy water the next day.  I was very surprised when I saw my soap and it was very thick.  I did have to divide it in half since I didn’t have a caldron to cook it in.  so I spent another evening adding water and melting my soap. 

The next morning it was supposed to be ready to go!  I had 2 large pots of phlegm on my stove the next day.   It smelled like soap, but wouldn’t bubble.  It was too watered down, but it wasn’t runny, it was like snot.  It was so gross.  I tried to use it but it grossed me out.  You couldn’t pour it.  I tried to use a funnel to pour it into a jug and it wouldn’t separate, it just oozed out.  So my husband took it out and filled a whole the dogs dug. 

I am happy to say the dogs have stopped digging in that spot!  The soap is still there though. 

Why did you eat that?

Saturday while Z and I were at a birthday party, Avery and Mike were cleaning out the truck.  Mike found Z’s lunchbox from Wednesday that he didn’t eat.  Avery got in trouble for eating his lunch and buying lunch that day, Zachery just didn’t eat. 

Mike told Avery to go throw it away and then Avery finishes cleaning out the truck.  He did a great job!  When we got home from the birthday party Mike asked Zach about his lunch and looks in the trash and there isn’t any sandwich there!  The turkey and mayo sandwich which had been in the heat in my truck for three days had been eaten, by Avery! 

He was supposed to go to the Joy Ministry Respite but I was afraid to send him, knowing he was going to be sick.  Mike told me to call the Dr and this just seemed so familiar, I know I’ve called because he’s eaten questionable food before.   That’s when I realized it was when he ate chicken strips that had sat in his lunch box at school for 4 days.

That made me feel sooooo much better!  So we sent him off to his party.  He had a great time and felt fine!  He has an iron stomach.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Parent Conference

I signed up to go to a Parent Conference next month.  As I was looking at the different topics, I picked the one for GT kids.  I have spent so many, many years going to conferences on special needs, it’s funny to go for something else. 

It’s like as parents we get grouped as our kids.  If I have a child with special needs, then I must be different or not a whole parent.  It’s like I couldn’t possibly understand what regular kids go though.  I actually had someone tell me that once.  I didn’t know because my child had Down syndrome.  So no I get to go and sit in with that other group.  Does it change who I am?  Or just how I am perceived?

And maybe it’s all in my head.  Maybe when I say oh that reminds me of Avery, people don’t look at me like, oh it couldn’t my child isn’t disabled.  Because my kids are so much more than ID or GT.  They are smart, funny, quirky, kind, loving, dingy, and sometimes rude.  They are these complex, unique individuals that make my heart beat. 

So after all the hours and hours of parenting classes I sat through when Avery was little I am excited to sit through one more.  I know it sounds silly but I get to just be a regular mom now. 

My perspective is so different now.  I used to spend so much time trying to learn how to be the best mom, how to help my child the most.  Now I have confidence as a mom and am excited to just learn something different.  The steaks don’t seem as high this time.  I’m not terrified, like I was when Avery was little.  I was so afraid I would do something wrong and it would be my fault he didn’t develop like he was supposed to.  Now I know, I will do things wrong but somehow we will all get through it.  And with the Grace of God and a lot of love they will be ok.

Great Blog Posts

I have all these great things to write when I am not near my computer.  I have nothing when I am here.  Well, that isn’t exactly true, I have things I shouldn’t say. 

The New Razor

Avery got a new electric razor for his birthday.  He had been wanting one like his dad’s.  So a couple days ago I noticed that his arms were hairless! 

Yep he shaved them.  Why?  That is what I asked him. Evidently, a boy at lunch told him it was cool.  Yes we laughed, a lot. lol

Sunday, October 14, 2012

October is National Down Syndrome Month

I never wanted this blog to be ‘about’ Down syndrome.  There have been times during the past 19 years that Down syndrome has consumed us and other times we hardly think about it.  I haven’t wanted the fact that I have a child with Down syndrome to define who I am.  I guess the reality is that it does, as much as all the other things in my life do. 

I am a wife, a mother, a sister and each of these things has made me who I am.  There was a time I didn’t know if I should tell people that my son has Down syndrome. It felt like I was keeping something secret or that it was something I was ashamed of.  But it is part of who he is and I am very proud of my son.  So I talk about it, because it’s ok. 

Avery, you are an amazing young man. I am so very blessed to get to be your mom.  Watching you grow up has been the delight of my life.  I can’t wait to see all the other amazing things you will do one day.