Monthly Archives: December 2010
Gratitude Journal
1. Parents who are celebrating 47 years of marriage! Wow! Congratulations Mom & Dad- that is such an amazing accomplishment
2. Parents who when asked how they made it 47 years, sweetly and each independently credit the other for it
3. seeing the perfect gift and sending it, only to then wonder if you had done the same thing before- that’s the sign of a good gift!
4. Lovey’s parents and brother taking time to come be with us during these holidays
5. parents laughing uproariously at my 4 year old’s misbehavior- somehow that makes it not seem so bad
6. NPR on in the background
7. Tom & Jerry mix flown in from Wisconsin
8. Sweet and unexpected holiday presents
9. the 4 year old asking each day if it is Christmas and time for presents
10. Nana & Zuzu getting painting time in together
11. Nana & the Quail getting snuggle time in together
12. Lovey & his parents getting time in for a nice walk
13. Lovey & his brother getting some time in together after we’re all asleep
14. Zuzu awarding Uncle Scottie her crown for his birthday
15. Bapa providing
16. many invitations to holiday lunches at work when my own team is not in my office
17.Nana’s wrappings of ribbon and folds
18. sparkley Christmas dresses on sparkley girls
19. an abundance of giftees
20. a 4 year old saying,” Thank you for not taking it back to the store Mommy”
21. A 22 month old’s shiny new free-stand and plop routine
Fave-O-Lit Friday: December
A little girl is singing for the faithful to come ye
Joyful and triumphant, a song she loves,
And also the partridge in a pear tree
And the golden rings and the turtle doves.
In the dark streets, red lights and green and blue
Where the faithful live, some joyful, some troubled
Enduring the cold and also the flu,
Taking the garbage out and keeping the sidewalk shoveled.
Not much triumph going on here-and yet
There is much we do not understand.
And my hopes and fears are met
In this small singer holding onto my hand.
Onward we go, faithfully, into the dark
And are there angels hovering overhead? Hark.
-Gary Johnson
Charity Week: Do you Know What I Know?
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king
Do you know what I know?
A Child, a Child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Do you know that there are sweet orphans in the Ukraine that need you to care? They are given up at birth because they have a little bit extra. 1 little chromosome too many. When I think of these darlings I can’t help but fret that what if my Quail hadn’t been born to me hear and now in a society that sees her value and supports me in all sorts of ways to support her in being all that she can be?
Remember earlier this month when I talked about sweet Olga needing a home- and the miracle being led by Patti? Well she has inspired such love and kindness to the tune of over $12,000 for sweet Olga‘s adoption grant! Word on the super hi-way is that a family is seriously considering adopting Olga and bringing her into her forever family.
In that mysterious way that miracles have, someone somewhere was so moved as to donate enough money for Patti to purchase a new IPad and start a whole new giveaway for a sweet muffin of a girl- Kareen.
So go here and read what you simply must do to help give this dear girl a chance at life. Like Olga, she is nearing the age where she will be transferred to a mental institution. The statistics read that approximately 85% of these children die within the first year. Please contribute in our efforts to not have Olga or Kareen become a statistic.
Please give what you can.
Please help spread the word.
Please pray for families to come forward for these sweet girls.
Please go tell Patti how incredibly proud of her you are for all her cheerleading efforts and goodwill.
And hey- in the process- you might just find yourself the winner of a brand new IPad! Can’t beat that can you?
Drawing is Christmas Eve.
Were you wondering what to get me for Christmas or my upcoming birthday in February? How about a donation to one of these sweet children at risk of institutionalization?
That my friends and family would be the gift that keeps giving.
Corner View: December Holidays
See what’s going on around the world:
jane – ian – bonnie – joyce – kim – kay – trinsch – ritva – francesca – state of bliss – cabrizette – isabelle – janis – kari – jgy – lise – cate – otli – dorte – b – sophie – mcgillicutty – sunnymama – daan – ibb – pienduzz – kelleyn – ninja – sammi – theresa – cherry b – juliette – shokoofeh – cole – grey lemon – lucylaine – lynn – skywriting – anna – dorit – conny – l´atelier – kamana – anne marie – rosamaría – victoria – tikjewit – juniper – annabel – andrea valerie – merel – soisses – mlle paradis – cacahuete – wander chow – barbara – emily – tally – nadine – don – flowtops – susanna – tania – dana – ingrid – tzivia – lollipop – mari – mezza
Charity Week: Do you Hear What I Hear?
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing thru the sky, shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song
High above the tree
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea
I hear families loving their sweet babies who are sick. What would you do if someone you loved was diagnosed with Leukemia? Could you swab your cheek maybe? It’s really that simple to see if you could be the one to save the life of a small child whose family loves them dearly.
Be The Match Foundation helps to connect those in need of bone marrow transplants with potential matches.
Could you consider joining the registry?
Or helping to spread the word?
Help grow the registry. Click on the link above. They’ll send you a kit for free. You swab your cheek and mail it in. It’s that simple. And it could mean the world to a waiting family.
Make a post, spread the word. You never know whose life you will touch, whose baby you will help to make it to survivorhood.
No parent should have to face this fight. But far too many do. It is estimated that the risk for leukemia for young children is that 1 in every 2,000 will develop this disease.
Why does this disease in particular worry me so? Because the risk of leukemia in children with Down syndrome narrows to 1 in 95. Far too many of the dear families in our sweet community have been faced with these statistics.
Far too many of the dear families in our sweet community have had to learn the language of pediatric oncology.
Your bone marrow- it could save the life of a child. Please visit www.marrow.org and add yourself to the National Bone Marrow Registry. The more people that join and help spread the word the closer our children are to growing up and seeing adulthood- a simple wish. One that we should all be able to have.
The odds of surviving Leukemia are so much better in this day and age. We are so blessed that medical technology and the compassion of people like you have made this possible. For a lot of people survival means finding a match. Please register. Please donate. Please spread the word.
Come meet some of our dear friends who are fighting for the lives of their sweet children.
Meet Lois…
and Zoey…
and Ella…
and Emily
There are far too many like them. Let’s do what we can to fight this disease. Let’s give these children a chance. Please stop by and visit our friends to let them know you are thinking of and praying for them. They will appreciate the kindness.
Charity Week: Do you See What I See?
Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see?
‘Way up in the sky, little lamb
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite
I see 10 inches gone! I was inspired by a male coworker who grew his hair out to give it to Locks of Love this past year. Since joining the Down syndrome community my eyes have been forever opened to our sweet family members in our community that are cancer warriers.
1 in 96 children with Down syndrome develop leukemia. Thankfully some little bit of magic on that 21st chromosome also makes them the warriers that they are and they tend to fare better than their counterparts without that little bit extra. So in this season of giving- in honor of the sweet babies in our community- I’m giving my hair up for charity.
Think about doing the same. It’s so easy- just go to locksoflove.org to read how. There are other organizations out there such as Pantene Beautiful Lengths as well that make wigs for adults. And I believe they will take an 8 inch minimum. I realize that a lot of the wigs that Locks of Love do go to children that have other disorders rather than having cancer. But I wanted the hair this time to go to the children.
Could you do the same?
Gratitude Journal
1. The Juppy!
2. Remembering to move TJ
3. Quick distractions when I don’t remember to move TJ
4. 4 year olds stealing my Kashi
5. A Christmas Miracle worth over $11,000
6. Hope for a family for a small one
7. Unexpected Christmas presents
8. a stocking at work
9. a new location and soooooo many more hellos
10. a 4 year old inviting everyone on God’s Green Earth to sleep over
11. A letter from Santa to a 4 year old
12. a toddler following me around
13. peace
14. a good heartfelt talk coming unexpectedly
15. a rockin new haircut
16. donating 10 inches to charity
17. so many sweet compliments that made my heart and head swell
18. inspiration from new sources
19. a dining room full of presents waiting to be more artfully arranged
20. heart and soul warming snow
21. crazy Christmas dancing and jingling giggles
See What I Saw Saturday
Fave-O-Lit Friday: Henry David Thoreau
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears however measured or far away.
Ordinary Afters... 