BASEMENT RENOVATION: BEFORE

Almost 7 years old

My brother Peter sent this photo of me taken a month before I turned 7 years old. Joy's cat Sammy is with me in this picture. Looking at this picture I realize that I dressed Emma exactly the way my mother dressed me.

Snow people

Emma and her pal Cierra made snow people in our front yard this afternoon.

Joe and Twizzler (and Matt)

walk to school

The snow keeps coming down and piling up all around. Emma has a snowy walk to school these days.

In the news

Today I was featured on the MSU weekly news update. Ummmm....I said that I *hope* that my book is done next spring, not THIS spring (gulp). Click HERE to read the brief interview.

Our trip to snowy Atlanta!

We didn't think we would make it but we got a late flight out of Detroit on Friday and spent the weekend in Atlanta. We saw Tutu and Papou's new house and I met Jack for the first time! While we were there we went to the High Museum, the Detroit Zoo, and a bowling alley. The cousins built a snowman after they sat patiently during a family photo shoot on Saturday morning. We arrived home to a chilly house--the furnace broke while we were away! The house has warmed up, the cat is home from the vet, and we are back to life as usual.

While they were at the dance....

While Chris and Emma were at the dance, Calvin went into the downstairs bathroom, shut the door, jumped up on the vanity, and opened the drawer next to the door. The door opens in and so when he began crying and I tried to open the door to let him out, I couldn't because the drawer blocked the door. So, I had to call a neighbor to come over (in the snow storm) to help me unscrew all the screws on the outside storm window of the bathroom so I could climb through and let Calvin out. Just after my neighbor arrived, Joe ran out of the upstairs bathroom naked announcing, "I did it!" This meant that he had pooped and tried to wipe himself. Okay, that part is gross so I am going to skip it, but you can imagine the scene. Now imagine my childless, catless neighbor watching me respond to naked Joe and trapped Calvin. Anywho, I climbed through the window, let Calvin out and thanked my neighbor who said, "looks like tomorrow will be a snow day." Yup, looks like it.

Daddy/Daughter Dance

Emma and Chris went to the Daddy/Daughter dance tonight at the Hannah Center

Sunday

I put Joe in bed tonight and said that he could read his Dr. Seuss book for a few minutes. When I came back upstairs he had his Beatles CD on was bellowing out, "I'm in love with her and I feel fine." He has just taken his foot off of the applause button at the bottom of his microphone.

Emma made her annual Valentine scones for her Dad. Lots of cranberries and macadamia nuts but, sadly, no chocolate chips.

Calvin and Emma

Which one?

photo #1

photo #2

I just had my professional photo taken again. Wow, I look so much older than the photo taken 6 years ago. Now I have to decide between two almost identical photos. Which to choose? This is exactly the sort of choice that makes me crazy. Like picking shades of wall paint. Any input? Photo #1 or photo #2?

White House Chief also uses R-word

Disability Scoop posted an article about the White House Chief of Staff R. Emanuel's blurt to the Wall Street Journal (said in August but reported this week) describing an idea (using negative ads) as "F****g retarded." Ummm....I feel like I am fighting an uphill battle. Click HERE to read the article.

The R-Word

Today Emma came home from school and said that she heard kids in her class calling each other "retards." I knew it was coming but, nonetheless, I am livid, and sad, and overwhelmed. She has been reading "The Great Gilly Hopkins" and in that book the main character calls people "retarded" and we have talked a lot about why the author would choose to have the main character use such ugly and hateful language. But what to do with her classmates? We need to balance speaking up for Joe and maintaining a good learning environment for Emma (so she isn't distressed by hateful speech) and at the same time, not making her feel responsible for always educating the world. I am so tired, I am just so tired.

Maybe I will ask the teacher or the principal to show this ad:

Calvin the pest

THINGS CALVIN HAS ACCOMPLISHED IN 2010

1. Shredded the shower curtain
2. Fallen into the bathtub while Emma was taking a bath
3. Turned on the self-cleaning oven at 10:30 PM
4. Got shut in the refrigerator
5. Jumped vertically over 4 ft. and landed on a guest's shoulders
6. Began eating his weight in cat food
7. Enjoyed sleeping in the sink
8. Enjoyed sleeping on the stove top
9. Learned about squirt guns

Joe reads his first story

This was posted on Mrs. Olance's class blog today.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Sentences

This week Joe moved from reading words to sentences.

Christmas 2009

2009

Happy Holidays from us to you.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Christmas Tea

Yesterday we went to the Turner Dodge House for Christmas Tea with Stacy, Molly, and Daniel. It was our first time there and we had a great time. They served lots of treats with cocoa and tea, the kids listened to a story about a gingerbread baby, and then did a craft. I kept thinking that Emma and Joe seem so much more grown up to me this year than last year.

Cookies, crafts, cat.

Growing Up.

Joe is in a learning groove right now. Typically when he makes advances he then takes a few steps back. Right now he is in the advance stage and it is very exciting to watch things click for him. I am home with him today and I have seen two things I have never seen before. First, Joe, the boy who has previously despised all arts and crafts, requested markers, sat down and decorated a bag for his Dad (sorry to ruin the surprise, Chris). Up until now, I have always guided his hand as he has drawn people or whatever else he wants to draw. Today he worked on his own AND chose to use more than one color. The next thing he did was dump out all the Bananagram tiles on the floor. He likes to play with them but has never worked with the letters unless we basically force him to pick out letters and he usually says "I'm all done" after 2-3 letters. Today he was playing on his own and ran into the kitchen and said, "look, Mama, look!" I sighed as I saw all the tiles spread all over the floor and probably under the furniture. Joe kept pointing and saying, "LOOK, MAMA, I DID IT!" And so, I looked again and I couldn't believe what I saw.

Holiday Happiness and Sibling Rivalry

Ho, ho ho!

We have been busy this week. This is the last week of classes at MSU so Chris and I are busy with the end of the semester. Emma & Joe are in school one more week, although Joe has been home sick for two days. 'Tis the season for lots of holiday parties, shows, craft fairs and events. On Sunday we went to see "Click, Clack, Moo" at the Wharton Center and LOVED it! Tonight Emma and I are going to see a production of "Little Women" with some friends. We are reading the book out loud so we couldn't miss this opportunity. Calvin is adjusting well to our family even with Joe carrying him all around the house. And because nothing it seems can be easy or uncomplicated, when we took Calvin in for his follow-up vet appointment (a Humane Society requirement), it turns out he has a cold and I am now giving him 2 pills per day for 10 days. I used to agonize over giving Lucy (my former kitty) a pill because cats really resist swallowing pills. I guess after 2 kids and a lot of medical intervention I no longer have the time or energy to worry about such things and that makes giving the pill much quicker and simpler. Still, it's one more (really 2) thing to do each day. Joe has experienced some sibling rivalry with Calvin. He has been taking Calvin's toys and has wanted to sit in Calvin's bed (see photo). Fortunately, Calvin is a very relaxed cat and it doesn't seem to bother him too much.

Calvin

Emma's wish this year (and for a couple of years) was to adopt a cat at the Capital Area Humane Society. We went to the holiday open house today and found Calvin, the newest member of our family. Calvin is 7 months old and is the most relaxed cat that I have ever known. He didn't seem afraid or worried coming to our house. He has just joined in with the crew and made himself at home.

NPR story of Down Syndrome births in US

A recent study show that the number of babies born with Down Syndrome has increased over the past decade. That's an interesting that prenatal testing has dramatically increased during that same time and 90% of women who receive a prenatal diagnosis of T21 terminate the pregnancy. I like what Kidder (founder of Band of Angels) has to say about increased visibility of happy people leading happy lives as possibly contributing to the counteracting the fear (and shame?) of a T21 prenatal diagnosis. I have often wondered if knowing our family (or maybe my reading my essay for "This I Believe") has played a role in someone's decision. To read the NPR article click HERE.

Thanksgiving

Oh Be Joyful!

Book Report #2

This month Emma's class was assigned the mystery genre for their book reports. The teachers asked the students to write an advertisement for the book. Emma chose Tracy Barrett's, The Sherlock Files #1, and made a poster to encourage classmates to go to the library and read the book.

Horseback riding

The kids had their horseback riding lesson today. It is hard to believe that it is warm enough in November to ride outside without a coat.

Choir Concert

Emma is 5th from the left on the top row.

Cookies and punch reception with pal Kirsten

Emma had her winter concert last night. All three choirs sang separately and joined together for the final song "Oye." The photo (it was too dark for my camera!) is of all three choirs: the MSU prep choir (grades 2-4), the Community Music Singers (grades 5-7) and the MSU Children's Choir (high school). Emma is in the prep choir.

Did Anyone See This?

Last night on BBC2 "Can We Get Married?" This is a documentary film about Ben & Emma two people in their late twenties exploring the idea of living as a married couple. Both Ben & Emma have T21. I haven't seen it yet. Has anyone seen this documentary? What did you think?

Joe reading and counting in school

This is from Mrs. Olance's blog.