Lucas

Tuesday, 14 June 2011

Some random pictures of my little man ... because he's growing up too fast! The scheduled, nap-in-his-bed days are long gone. Occasionally I'll find him fast asleep wherever he falls, but those days too, are few and far between. The boy thinks he's going to miss out on something if he naps.

 

 

We spent a long day walking though the Natural Bridge and Caverns, so it was no surprise to me when 5 min into our drive back to the hotel I found him like this:

He built this castle himself, following the picture on the bucket (down to colored blocks as well) and was so proud of himself:

We found this turtle on a bike ride we took one day.

He likes me to get out my phone and take pictures of us together.

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The Fast Team

Monday, 13 June 2011

We spent the week before my sister's wedding at Massanutten for a family vacation. It worked out perfectly since Kayla's last day of school was Fri and we left on Sat.

Right outside the room we stayed in was a really nice playground. Of course it was so hot the week we were there the kids could only use the playground early in the morning and later in the evening when the sun was setting!

One really nice evening the kids were at the playground with around 10 or so other kids. There was a set of twin boys who looked to be around Kayla's age. They each had some stuffed Mario Bros character they were running around with. Somehow Kayla and another little girl started chasing them and it became a big game. The twins were being chased off and on by any number of kids.

That game evolved in to a game of tag. Then at some point I guess the twins were trying to form teams. Kayla was over by us on one of those rocking animal toy things. The twins came over to ask her if she wanted to be on their team. And by 'team' I think it was just them and whoever else was running around chasing them.

I don't think Kayla was listening, or realized, that they were talking to her. So I said, "Kayla, they're asking you a question. They want to know if you want to be on their team."

Kayla, "Me? On you team?"

One of the twins, "Yeah, do you want to be on our team? We're the fast team!"

Kayla, "OK!"

I had to stifle my laughter. Kayla? On the fast team? Oh the irony! Kayla can run. She runs as fast as her legs will carry her, but she won't be winning any races anytime soon!

(Side note: speaking of races ... when I went to have lunch with her at school one day I noticed she had a scrape on the knee. Her teacher said that she and Keagan were racing to come inside from recess and she tripped. When I mentioned to Keagan about the race he said, in a very matter-of-fact way, "Yeah. She won." He's so sweet; I'm pretty sure he let her win.)

If you had 2 groups of runners, Kayla wouldn't be on the 'fast' team. Nothing against Kayla, she probably gets it from me! I'm not a fast runner myself and wouldn't win any races either.


After I finished laughing to myself at the thought of those boys asking Kayla to be on their team, the fast team, what I wanted to do was hug those boys.

They didn't look at her any differently. They didn't shun her. They didn't make fun of her. They didn't snicker at her. They didn't see a disability. They didn't think anything was 'wrong' with her. She was just another kid on the playground. Running around with all of them. They had no second thoughts to singling her out to ask if she wanted to be on their team. She was just like them; having fun. She was absolutely, without a doubt, fully included.

Moments like those I want to freeze in time. I want to always remember, because I know we will encounter the opposite kind of moments along this journey too. And to balance those not-so-pleasant times we need these wonderful moments to hold on to. To remind us that there really are good kids who will see Kayla as an equal peer.

In that moment I loved those boys for either seeing no differences or for looking beyond any differences.

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Considering The Source ...

Saturday, 11 June 2011

In an effort to attack Sarah Palin, Larry Flynt actually attacks her son Trig, and all those who have Down syndrome.

Considering the source of where these awful remarks came from, I debated about posting anything on it at all. But in the end the source shouldn't matter ... what was said matters. Larry Flynt is a disgusting, vile, jerk of a human being and what he said was even worse.

The piece on Larry Flynt: Freedom Fighter, Por*ographer, Monster? is a lengthy article to read and what he says about Sarah Palin, and more specifically, her son, isn't until the 4th paragraph from the end. It also seems to come out of left field.

Here is the quote:
"She did a disservice to every woman in America. She knew from the first month of pregnancy that kid was going to be Down's Syndrome. It's brain dead. A virtual vegetable. She carries it to all these different political events against abortion, she did it just because she didn't want to say she'd had an abortion. How long is it going to live? Another 12, 15 years? Doesn't even know it's in this world. So what kind of compassionate conservative is she? I don't think anybody will want her near the White House."

This sickens me. It sickens me to know there are people out there who have this opinion, and I'm sure he's not the only one.

Her son, Trig, is not an "it." He is a boy, a child, a toddler. Her son has a name: Trig. Trig is most certainly not brain dead, nor is he (or anyone with Down syndrome) a virtual vegetable.

The average life span for those with Down syndrome is 50+, so odds are great that he will live more than another 12 or 15 years.

I can guarantee you that Trig, and my daughter Kayla, and all those living with Down syndrome are very much aware they are in this world.

My first, and last thought, after reading this was "What an ignorant SOB you are Larry Flynt."

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The Wedding, Part II

Friday, 10 June 2011

Here are some more pictures from the wedding. And a few 'hahaha' moments. Probably had to be there, but I want to record them so I don't forget!

My mom is an identical twin. We had just arrived to her hotel room. They had a 1-room suite so Kayla and Lucas were in the bedroom when my aunt knocked on the door. My mom answered the door. Aunt Debbie was standing in the hallway, with my mom a few feet behind her at the door. My mom called out to the kids, "Look who is here!" Kayla came running out of the bedroom, paused for the briefest of seconds, ran right past Aunt Debbie as if she wasn't even there and threw her arms around my mom yelling, "Aunt Debbie!!"

At the reception (which was understandably loud with the music) Lucas was trying to ask my aunt where the trash was. His enunciation sounds more like "crash/cwash." She kept saying she didn't know what he was saying and told him to ask Uncle Eric. After several tries Uncle Eric said he didn't understand either. Finally Lucas says, "It's like a garbage can!"

We drove in a limo on the way there and there was a shuttle bus to take us back to the hotel. Lucas asked if we were riding in the 'big car' again as we went to the parking lot. I pointed to the shuttle bus and said we were going in that. He said, "The big car turned into a big bus!"

(some of the pictures look a little blurry, but if you click on them they are clear).

 

 

The handsome groom!

  

  

My beautiful sister!

  

"Pi Love" is the 'sign' for the sorority that Kelly belonged to.

 

With my grandparents - married 60 years this year!

And they still got the moves for the dance floor!

 

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video of poem "Is That It's You" and some banter from NYC June 5th Disinformation Party

Tuesday, 7 June 2011

Thanks Adam Robinson for the video! You can read along with the poem in Dark Sky magazine: "Is That It's You"

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