It's EXACTLY like That '70s Show!

Ok, well maybe not exactly like it.

But it was Wisconsin.

And we were there.

Yup, Playette and I made the fantastic decision to head east for a long weekend of visiting with friends and adding a little bit of advocacy on the side.

Who do we know in Wisconsin? Well, these great folks.

I've written about them here before. They have a daughter named Ruby who is just over a month older than Playette. I came across the family's blog when I was still coping with Playette's dx and I immediately identified with this mom of a little girl who reminded me so much of my own. I'd been hoping that these girls could meet for quite some time. And then it happened.

After initially checking each other out like rival greasy dancers on the set of the "Beat It" video, Playette and Ruby came around and decided to be besties for the duration. Success!

Since we're become friends, the Z fam has grown and, while I was so excited to meet everyone, I was especially looking forward to a hug from Lilya, their newest addition, home for nearly three months now after her adoption from an orphanage in Ukraine. Lily has left an impression on us for sure. I've been home for 24 hours now and I find myself answering questions with her trademark "Dahhh" ("yes" in Russian) and Playette spent the evening asking "uuuup?" just as Lily likes to play.

There's something about being a part of something larger, y'know?

I don't have a big family and whenever I'm around one, I just feel like I want to make myself at home. There's always something going on.

Other than laundry and dishes, I mean.

We played indoors and outdoors. We saw Rachel Coleman speak about her experiences raising her children. We ate friend cheese curds (and ice cream, fruit fluff, pizza, fudge, chocolate chip pancakes, etc. All organic. Ha!). We walked in the first annual Ds Awareness Walk for that area. We saw our kids perform on stage with Rachel during her Signing Time concert. We went wine tasting - in the living room. We laughed. We cried. We shared.

It was a time that I'll never forget and I am so, so grateful for my friends.

We've really met some wonderful people on this Ds journey we're on.

Will we go back?

Dahhh.

Pictures tomorrow...

Awareness Hair

Check out Playette's 'do from Saturday.

I hadn't planned it like that, but, hey, we're all about being festive over here. She was also giving me a lot of grief about doing her hair that day so I knew I'd be keeping it simple.

So yellow and blue adorned puffs it was.

In case you didn't know, the Ds awareness colors are those very same ones.

Interweb Gem

While recently battling insomnia, I was introduced via YouTube to MattyB, a seven-year-old rapper. After watching a few videos, I think he's a cutie and he makes me smile, thus melting my icy cold heart.

Even better than his rap over "California Gurls" is this tribute to his little sister:

Driving Miss Crittle

Playette and I hung out at one of the coolest parks ever today.

She really enjoyed "driving" me around and doing the "beep beep" on the horn.

Some other stuff happened at the park, too, but, hey, it's 31 for 21, so I need to space out the goodies a bit. ;-)

How do you know?

I had a great night tonight, but I'm going to let it marinate for a little while and write about it in a bit. So much to say!

In the meantime...

If you're the parent of a child with Ds, you may have asked yourself at some point, especially if you're a first-timer like me, "Is this a developmental stage or is this the Ds?"

I mean, of course I do that with things like speech and behavioral issues, but this other one...this other one I can't help but wonder if it's attached to the extra 21 or not.

Door closing.

Playette cannot function with an open door. If she wakes up from a nap and her bedroom door is cracked, she doesn't come out and greet the world refreshed. Nope. First, she has to close the door. Then, she'll come back and open it.

I've heard other parents of kids with Ds say the same thing.

But do 46ers also sometimes do it with the same conviction?

Is it a common 3 year-old thing and I just don't know because I've never had another 3 year-old?

So, regardless of what experience you've had, what say you?

I'm really curious about this one.

Are obsessive behaviors common in people with Ds, regardless of the age?

Hm. Now that I think about it, I do recall seeing that Monica, from the documentary Monica and David, had to have things just so. Is it a matter of routine and being in control?

Stay Tuned

I know that I've been remiss with this whole blogging thing, but inspiration and motivation are on their way in the form of 31 for 21.

Don't know what that is?

Well, Ds is actually also known as Trisomy 21, a triplication of the 21st chromosome.

And October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month.

There are 31 days in October.

Voila!

31 for 21.

I'll be doing my part to raise awareness, one post at a time.

Though, honestly, I won't just be talking about Ds.

I still have to catch you all up on what we've been up to lately.

And, ahem, not so lately.

*insert bad blogger slap on wrist here*

Don't you want to know about our vacation in Costa Rica?

And our trip to the the NDSC Convention?

What about that time we won a Wii?

I'll tell you about all that and more if you stick around.

Promise.

Let me know you're here following along, k?

Not that I'm above talking/writing to myself, but still.

I like knowing that I have company on this journey.



Grab This Button

Sometimes

Sometimes I want people - you know, those people - to have a kid with Ds so that they can finally get it. So that they can see that I'm no different from them. So they can understand what it feels like to want to protect your child with every fiber of your being. So they, too, can feel the pain that comes from the sting of ignorant words and can hope and pray, like I do, that their child never has to be the recipient of hateful slurs.

When they have that child, then they can step up and be an advocate and help me to help others to see the light that we see. Show them that it's not so hard to be decent. Show them that we feel the same love for our kids that anyone else would feel for theirs. Show them how our kids are so much more than the convenient butt of a tired joke.

But then...

I change my mind.

Because...

What if they don't change theirs?