A Lifetime of Love

We spent the evening with the in-laws tonight. My husband has 4 sisters, 2 older and 2 younger. I love all of them for different reasons, but I consider myself closest to the 2 that live near us (we see them more often). Anyway, it’s always fun to get together with them. They are both very laid back, and his older sister is very sarcastic. She says what most people think, but not in a rude way, just, well, sarcastic. I love to watch the dynamics of his family, the way they interact with each other, especially with his mom. My husband is very laid back himself, but when he gets together with his sisters, he becomes a kid again. I’m not saying that in a bad way. I think it’s great. There are 9 years between the oldest and youngest, so they are all very close to each other. My family, on the other hand, spans 14 ¾ years between me (the oldest) and my brother (the youngest). There are 6 years between my sister and I. I’m not saying we aren’t close, but the dynamics of my family are...

Some days I think I’ve lost my mind completely. Today is one of those days. My sister-in-law told me of this place that takes pictures with live rabbits for Easter for a very reasonable price. I called last week and scheduled an appointment to have the 3 kids get their picture taken with the bunnies. The appointment was today at 11:15AM, and Ta woke extremely early, so it was a blessing when he willingly laid down for a morning nap at 8:45AM. I thought things would go relatively easy since he was well-rested, the baby had just nursed, and Th is 4 ½. Boy, I couldn’t have been more wrong! Have you tried to get a 4 ½ year old to hold a 4 month old without slouching and complaining? Today, I tried it! It didn’t go so well! Plus, the bunnies kept jumping out of their basket, and Ta, being the ever-so-gentle child that he is, thought that meant they wanted to be held (smothered is more accurate!). Prying those furry things out of his hand was no small feat, plus, once again the bab...

The anniversary of my grandmother’s death was on Sunday, April 1st. I can’t believe it’s been 8 years. As most people feel towards their grandparents, I loved this woman dearly. I affectionately called her “Nana”, and obviously her death affected me a great deal, but it’s even more so now that I have a daughter. There have been so many times in the last few months that I wish my Nana could have met T.G., held her in her arms, and compared her to me when I was a baby. When I was about 14 or 15, Nana made a doll for me. It was, and is, the most beautiful doll I have ever seen. She has curly dark hair and a beautiful baby blue dress with pink flowers. I absolutely love it, and it is one of my most cherished possessions. A few years ago, one of her bows fell out of her hair, and it sat on my dresser, waiting for me to find time to glue it back in her hair. One day T.G. was wearing a cute baby blue outfit with pink flowers. I saw the bow sitting on my dresser and decided to use it to ma...

We survived the camping trip, and despite not getting any sleep, actually had a wonderful time. The host family has an awesome set-up, and my kids couldn’t decide what to do first. At first glance, you’d never know what excitement lies just down the path to their back yard. It just seems like a bunch of trees with a path that leads to the pond. But, once on the path, there is a zip line that will quickly take you down the hill. If you don’t know what a zip line is, it’s a rope tied around 2 trees, one uphill and one downhill, with a swing on it. The kids made good use of this, especially when unloading the van. They brilliantly tied our bags to the rope and sent it down the hill, saving them from having to carry everything down. Although I didn’t get a chance to ride on it (I really did want to!), our kids thought it was the most fun thing they’ve ever done. Once we were at the bottom, there was a swing set, creek, and of course, the pond. Our kids were so enthralled with the z...

I have been diligently working on gathering research for a paper on inclusion practices for students with autism and mental retardation. I was required to turn in a draft to my instructor this past Wednesday. I met with her today to go over the draft and left her office surprised, yet cheerful. She was very pleased with my research and, in fact, wants me to prepare a PowerPoint presentation to present at the State Conference for the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) next spring. Needless to say, I am very excited about this. I have often thought that I am putting so much effort into my school work and missing out on my family. Don’t get me wrong, mothering definitely comes first, but I have spent countless hours while my kids nap during the afternoons, evenings, and weekends reading, writing, or researching. I love doing all of those things, but I also miss just being able to relax and hang out with my kids. I guess I sometimes wish I could just be like a “normal mom” and d...

I just checked Carole's blog and read her entry dated yesterday. Riley, another CDH baby, died on Saturday. Riley's 1st birthday was coming up on Wednesday. Needless to say, after reading about Riley (linked through Carole's blog) I am even more determined to spread the word about CDH. My heart breaks for these families who have lost precious children, and although I can't change their circumstances, I can support and love them as best as I know how. You know, as a future special educator, perhaps I feel more of a connection than other people would. I don't know. What I do know, however, is that all children, especially those with special needs, must have an advocate on their side, and that is my goal in life. I hope you will take the time to learn about CDH and other abnormalities that affect so many in this world. Just by knowing about them, you will have more compassion for these families, and in turn, make the world a better place to live.

CDH is short for Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, and Carole's son Joseph died because of it. Until learning about Carole through a friend of mine from church, I had never heard of it. Carole's hope is that Joseph will not have died in vain, which is why I am adamant on spreading the word about CDH. I have linked Carole's blog to mine. I highly encourage you to take a few minutes to read about her incredible journey, but make sure you have a box of tissues near by; you'll need them!