I am so blessed

It was at 9:15pm a few nights ago that I was finally able to sit down and relax for a few minutes.
Very early that morning I had read a blog post by Simple Mom about making a conscious effort to listen, to be patient with your children that day.
As I reflected on my long, long day, I realized I had done a really good job being patient with my children. Some moments it did take some effort and I am totally spent, but also so fortunate, so blessed.
Ms. S. came by today to pick up the toy storage. We got to spend a wonderful 30 minutes of visiting, of talking about cancer, genetic testing and double mastectomies, and about making plans to see Turbo and go ziplining. Who knew this would happen when I put the toy storage organizer on Craigslist to be sold! God knew, and I thank Him for it. It was a great day, and I thank Him for that too.

Pipad, okay? Okay!

My son has taken to asking himself a question, then answering himself right away.
And even though lately he started saying 'hipad' instead of 'pipad', he is still answering his own questions.
He then proceeds to execute, whether it means getting the ipad, turning on Signing Time, or getting 'chip' from the cabinet. He would also get cheese (string cheese is his absolute favorite treat) himself if only he could open the fridge by himself. Thankfully he is not able to do that yet. Who knows for how long, though? Once he can get into the fridge, I will REALLY need to keep track of that little guy!

Ruth, you will be missed!

Has it been nearly three years already??? We had gotten a call that there was a spot for Zander at Susan Gray School, only a few short months after Zander was cleared by Dr. Goudy to attend Day Care. It worked out perfectly! In August of 2009 we showed up with Zander and all his tube-feeding paraphernalia in tow. His classroom was Busy Bees, with Ms. Katie and Ms. Val as his caring and competent teachers. I remember having to deal with a lot of anxiety when I first dropped KK off at daycare, but this was most definitely 10 times as hard! Not only did I have to leave my baby in someone else's care, he also had all these health issues that we had had to deal with from halfway through my pregnancy until that very day. As far as his health issues were concerned, the end was nowhere in sight. Oh, and he also had a little extra in his chromosomal make-up.
From day one (okay, maybe two or three...) until today I have trusted each person completely, knowing that they would have to answer to you. You are a wonderful director with a huge heart for your students and caregivers, and your staff as well. It has been such a blessing knowing you. I credit my confidence and knowledge for Zander's first IEP to you for opening up Susan Gray School on many a Saturday so Wendy Tucker could teach the workshop. It will be with bittersweet sorrow that we say "Goodbye' to SGS at the end of this month, as we continue on our journey through life. I know it will much the same for you, and I would like to say 'thank you' for giving Susan Gray School your all for so many years.
We love you and we will miss you!

Sylvia (and Zander too!)

More melon, please!

My little cheese monster loves water melon too, and lots of it!
Typically, coming home from school or after his afternoon nap, he will ask to watch Signing Time and somehow that goes very well with some cheese. I will break a string cheese in half and, after saying "thank you", he toddles off to the living room, flopping down into his little chair right in front of the TV. Two seconds later he is back to ask for more, at which point he gets the other half and off he goes to his chair once more. No worries about him missing anything from the particular Signing Time dvd that is playing; he has seen all of them at least 450,000 times already!
Two more seconds pass and there he is, back for more 'cheese'. "No baby, cheese is all-done but you can have some melon if you want?". "Yeah, melon", and he heads to the fridge trying to pry it open which, thankfully, is a skill he has yet to master. I fill a bowl with 3 or 4 big pieces and hand it to him. Before he heads off to the living room he tries to lick the melon, and I tell him "no Zander, first go sit, then eat the melon". He knows, but it is a ritual we have established lately. Off he goes, and reappears a few minutes later, asking for more. I ask him: "more what?", and he dutifully repeats after me. He hasn't quite gotten it yet, that he is supposed to say "more melon". We complete another little routine where I say: "more melon, please", and he says "yeah". I say: "say: more melon, please", and finally he says it. And he always says "thank you". The other day I had to get something out of the bedroom and had left the melon container on the counter. I remember hearing him ask for more, but it didn't register right away. When I got back to the kitchen he was just about to walk to the living room, having helped himself to more melon. Now, he could have taken the whole container, but he didn't. Instead my little boy had taken only 4 pieces, neatly stacked in his own bowl, the same amount he gets each time from me...Thank you, Zander!

Doe maar gewoon...

...dan doe je al raar genoeg. That is what my parents always told me when I was growing up. I have been thinking about the right way to translate it, and find it very hard. Just like the word 'gezellig' there is no good translation. I guess the best way to say it would be: why don't you act normally, that is special enough. Again, it is difficult to word it in English, but I have that issue anyway. So weird, now sometimes I know how to say something in Dutch when I need the English words, or the other way around...raar, maar waar!:)

Well Done, the woman said

I made another walk/run today! I will be SO ready for the Best Buddies 5K and am loving this Couch to 5K app. I tried it with Fudge the other day, but had to abort...Fudgie smelled something yummy and stopped dead in his tracks in the middle of the run, almost causing my arm to be ripped out of its socket. I was not prepared for my 70lb pooch to go a different direction! Since I am rather fond of my arms, the result: Fudgie only gets a short walk on the morning of my routine, then I drop him off and go back out.

This morning I finished another one, and the woman said: "Well done"!

I am going to have to think of a name for her, since she is going to be my biggest support over the next couple of months. Hmmm, gotta get back to you on that...

Pettycoat Junction

Friday, June 15th
This beautiful house smack in the middle of Normandy, TN, population 141, was my destination on Friday afternoon. My arrival was delayed by about 1/2 hour as I, amongst tens of other drivers, waited by the railroad tracks for the train to clear. I got very excited when it slowly started moving away from the railroad crossing, until I realized that another one was right behind it, blocking the road. Finally the second one cleared as well, and I was free to continue on my journey. As I crossed over the tracks I kept looking for the turn-off to the left, but it was not there. I knew I had driven 9.4 miles since the last turn and if I continued straight I was going too far. I managed to turn the van around and then stopped on the side of the road. I gave in and signed on to my GPS...
Turns out I did not have to wait for the trains to move at all; the turn-off was BEFORE the tracks!
The drive out there was gorgeous, with signs of pick-your-own blueberries, fresh eggs and bulls for sale, and a stray bale of hay in the middle of the road for good measure.
Angie and Jackie were already there and informed me that the wasps were swarming around the pulley, so I lugged my 3,500-pound supplies up the stairs to the back of the house, where the scraproom was located.
Half an hour later I was all set up and ready to start my scrapbook weekend.
Over the next few hours the other girls arrived. Before we knew it 7pm had arrived, and Bonnie called us down for dinner. It was very yummy, and we decided to go for a little stroll around the neighborhood.
LOTS of dogs...and trains going by. Gosh, I never realized how well-used the railway system in the US is until I stayed at Petticoat Junction!

Hard at work and having fun at the same time



The next morning, after suffering through big-time allergy attacks and passing trains (no, they do not blow their whistle softly at night. If anything, it is even louder than during the day!) I went for my very first run.
The sun was just about to rise, birds were chirping, horses in the front yard grazing, Kid Rock's Born Free in my ear, and the woman's voice from Couch to 5K telling me when to start running, and when to slow down to a brisk walk...exhilirating! That is until I got back to the house and had to add a few blocks to finish my routine, and this yappy dog followed my all the way down the street. I wished I had duct tape!

Coming back to the house I made some coffee and had it on the side porch, with the gorgeous hydrangea in full bloom, its colors so very vibrant in the morning sun.

After my first cup (okay, 3) of coffee I headed back upstairs and got to work on my albums once more.
It was a beautiful, productive weekend, and I am blessed for all the new friends I made: Angie, Jackie, Cheryl, Pam, Rhonda, Kristen, and last but definitely not least Lorrie.