Ray sneezed. Several times. “Do you have any Kleenex in here?” he asked, looking around the car. I grabbed my purse and started digging, handing him two — including one that was definitely not used. From the back seat, Annabelle said, “Grandma always told me to always keep a tissue in my pocket.” The car […]
I wanted to write about the science fair today, or maybe how I’m mad at the PTA, but I figure it’s best to get all the really sad stuff off my chest now. The bad pun’s intended, sort of. These days, it’s all about lungs. For a while, in our house, it was all about hearts. […]
I have very sad news. Ray’s mom Pat — my mother in law, the girls’ beloved grandmother – passed away Sunday. She had lung cancer, and it had spread to her brain. So while this was not entirely unexpected, it was very sudden. She was only 64. (I feel almost guilty waiting till now to tell […]
In the past week, Annabelle has talked about (and, I’m guessing, thought about) Down syndrome more than she has in her entire 7 and a half years. The science fair project is due tomorrow (don’t ask if we’re done — though we are finished with Sophie’s rock collection, entitled “Sophie Rocks”) so I’m guessing the […]
This morning I snuck (sneaked? snook?) out of bed, leaving both girls snoring. A real feat, the first time since Sophie’s been in her big girl bed. Every morning, it seems, she comes to us earlier. Ray calls it the “snuffle shuffle” and it’s true, she’s blessed with our noisy sinuses and who can blame […]
When I started this blog, I had the idea that I’d immediately open the Down syndrome Box and start writing about the contents. I think I’ve mentioned it once already a while ago, but briefly, the Down syndrome Box is a big Rubbermaid packed with random references to Down syndrome — mostly books, videos, DVDs and […]
We are big on security blankets in our house. At least, the girls in the house are. (Ray’s was lost at an early age, though he maintains his favorite color, seafoam green, was inspired by none other than his baby blanket.) Annabelle has a half dozen blankets — including “Special,” or “Spesh” that she carries […]
Tomorrow morning — early! — I have a meeting with Ms. X, to discuss…. Well, I’m not exactly sure what we’ll be discussing. Ms. X was uncharacteristically vague. All she said was that we’d be discussing Sophie’s progress, which has been great, and that I’m not to worry. Of course I’m petrified. The school year’s […]
The other night, I attended a dinner party. It was a special occasion: Estelle had the class over. For several years, I’ve co-taught a little writng workshop called Mothers Who Write. I’ve met a lot of cool women (I learn more than I teach, that’s for sure) but Estelle’s in the hall of fame. “I’m […]
I have decided that there is nothing better than watching a kindergartener open a bag of Valentines. An aside. I came back from my admittedly long lunch (hard to cram two Valentine parties into an hour, including commute) and showed these pictures to my dear friend/colleague Michele, who remarked, “You know, I think elementary school […]
