I love this time of year - with autumn soon arriving, you can feel the change in the air, if not during the day, certainly at night when the sun goes down.
My girls will be heading back to school next Tuesday; Dakotah in grade 10 and Paige in grade 5.
We've had a pretty good summer, filled with lots of rain, lots of baseball, a balloon festival, a trip to a drive-up zoo, a drive to NH, and lots of other fun things that have kept us busy and made the summer fly by.
Paige's surgery is scheduled for early November; so this winter will be a sort of deja vu of last; but it will be behind us eventually, and we'll be all the better for it, save a few more scars for Paige and a bit more gray hair for me.
Summer has seen Dakotah's hair go from dark blonde to brown to brown with lots of highlights in it. I did manage to escape the "Marilyn Monroe" lip piercing she wanted - so far. She is excited to go back to school, and has been busy with some end of summer parties lately - and boy, the parties are evolving from girlie sleepovers that she had in 7th grade, with lots of giggling and eating junk food to more grown up parties with - gasp - boys and girls - and "hanging out."
Hanging out generally means lots of doing nothing, but makes this mom nervous sometimes, as, contrary to her beliefs, it wasn't all that long ago that I was a teenager, and I can remember all the trouble we could conjur up when one or more of us were gathered with nothing much to do.
Paige could have had surgery as early as September 16th, but I elected to put it off for a few weeks to allow her to have some back-to-school time with her friends, and to get some of those appointments we missed last year in - dentists, pediatrician, eye doctor, etc.
She has a cute little outfit all ready to go back for the first day - she has started looking more grown up over the summer, and her teachers and her aide are going to find a big difference I think.
Anyone who ever said she would be my little girl forever was sorely wrong, as she is starting to blossom into a young lady too. She will be returning to school wearing her first bras - cute little striped pullover-the-head ones and ones with flowers and bows and all things precious on them - its absolutely too sweet and too cute to see them on her.
I was very surprised a couple of weeks ago when she got her first period. She is just a tiny thing of 62 lbs, and is just 11 - I thought it would be a couple more years before that arrived, but surprise! She is actually earlier starting than Dakotah was, even though Dakotah was nearly twice her size at this age. I guess not everything is delayed when you have T21 ;)
We've been school supply shopping - my favorite kind of shopping to do! I love new pens and pencils, and markers, and notebooks and all the fresh new things that hold the promise of a brand new year full of learning for everyone.
Hi ho hi ho - its off to school they go!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
We're back from our mini va-kay!
Dakotah left to go to NH with my sister, so its just the three of us this week. It always surprises me how much I miss her so quickly. To think in just three short years, I'll be sending her off to university - it seems too crazy to even comprehend. She is trying at times, and can sometimes push all of my buttons, but I love her so much and really like her as a person. If we were just two 15 year olds, (or two 44 year olds for that matter!), I think we would be best friends.
We went to Parc Safari - a place where you roll down your windows, or open your van doors, and the animals come right up to see you. It was pretty neat having deer, yaks, zebras, giraffes, ostriches, alpacas, and a whole host of other animals stick their heads right in the back seat! Paige loved it as you can imagine.
Being away from home was interesting this time. Paige is still having to use her adaptive stroller when we are out - she walks holding our hand but only for very short distances. It was funny to see how many times Wayne commented that places weren't very accessible - he doesn't often take her out for errands or places where he has to go in and out of a lot - so he was quite surprised when something appeared accessible, until there was a lip on the sidewalk, or a doorway not quite wide enough.
We shopped in a huge mall, and for the first time in years and years, I was very aware of people doing a double take when we walked by. Kids and adults alike would turn around and stare or look at Paige for a few minutes - it was very strange, as I haven't noticed this at all for a very long time.
I really think it was more that she was in her stroller than it was that she has T21. I actually wonder if it is because she doesn't initially appear to have anything wrong with her, and that's why so many had to stop and look - she just looks like an older kid in a big stroller!
We never felt offended by it, just curious to why it seemed to happen so much this last week.
I think, too, that I am more aware of her differences since we had the meeting with Dr. Doyle. Or maybe its because she is really starting to grow into a young lady that I'm thinking about it a lot. I sure miss that baby of mine!! I tell you, when people say silly comments like, "she'll always be like a child," they really don't know what they are talking about.
Just like Dakotah has grown and spread her wings, Paige is as well. Perhaps she is a bit more subtle about it, but I see her working hard for her own independence - pushing me away in the pool so she could swim the length of it freely; welcoming hugs and kisses for bedtime, but then letting me know that she's had enough; seeing her trying hard to be with the "big girls" this week - wanting to be between Dakotah and her friend Jess when they were on messenger, or facebooking - giggling at them, and trying to get them giggling back - acting silly to get their attention - so typical, so normal of a younger sister to do - and so very sweet to watch.
We went to Parc Safari - a place where you roll down your windows, or open your van doors, and the animals come right up to see you. It was pretty neat having deer, yaks, zebras, giraffes, ostriches, alpacas, and a whole host of other animals stick their heads right in the back seat! Paige loved it as you can imagine.
Being away from home was interesting this time. Paige is still having to use her adaptive stroller when we are out - she walks holding our hand but only for very short distances. It was funny to see how many times Wayne commented that places weren't very accessible - he doesn't often take her out for errands or places where he has to go in and out of a lot - so he was quite surprised when something appeared accessible, until there was a lip on the sidewalk, or a doorway not quite wide enough.
We shopped in a huge mall, and for the first time in years and years, I was very aware of people doing a double take when we walked by. Kids and adults alike would turn around and stare or look at Paige for a few minutes - it was very strange, as I haven't noticed this at all for a very long time.
I really think it was more that she was in her stroller than it was that she has T21. I actually wonder if it is because she doesn't initially appear to have anything wrong with her, and that's why so many had to stop and look - she just looks like an older kid in a big stroller!
We never felt offended by it, just curious to why it seemed to happen so much this last week.
I think, too, that I am more aware of her differences since we had the meeting with Dr. Doyle. Or maybe its because she is really starting to grow into a young lady that I'm thinking about it a lot. I sure miss that baby of mine!! I tell you, when people say silly comments like, "she'll always be like a child," they really don't know what they are talking about.
Just like Dakotah has grown and spread her wings, Paige is as well. Perhaps she is a bit more subtle about it, but I see her working hard for her own independence - pushing me away in the pool so she could swim the length of it freely; welcoming hugs and kisses for bedtime, but then letting me know that she's had enough; seeing her trying hard to be with the "big girls" this week - wanting to be between Dakotah and her friend Jess when they were on messenger, or facebooking - giggling at them, and trying to get them giggling back - acting silly to get their attention - so typical, so normal of a younger sister to do - and so very sweet to watch.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
We are on vacation!
We are just gone for a few days, and are only about 2 hours from home, but we did manager to get away for a bit.
Its been cold and rainy where we are, so our activities so far have been limited to indoor swimming and mall-shopping. Hopefully tomorrow will bring some better weather, and we will be able to do something really fun.
Dakotah has brought along her friend Jess and they have had fun shopping til they drop. I have determined that I'm too old for mall shopping - all the stores seem cutesy an trendy and way too expensive. I think I'm just at that point in y life where I don't ache for a pair of shoes simply because they are the "in" thing - I'm happy having comfy shoes and not thinking about it too much, lol.
Paige has had fun - she loves swimming and people watching at the mall. She is a bit out of sorts, as her routine is completely upsidedown and I'm not sure she understands why we traded our nice big house for a hotel room, lol. She likes the simple things like Mom does - and is quite happy just hanging out.
On Friday, my sister Kathy is meeting us here and picking Dakotah up; she is going to NH for a week to visit with our family down there.
For me, it is back to work next week!
I must admit - its kinda nice leaving our room and coming back to our beds made!! Now *I* get the luxury of that mysterious fairy that does it at my house, hehe...
Its been cold and rainy where we are, so our activities so far have been limited to indoor swimming and mall-shopping. Hopefully tomorrow will bring some better weather, and we will be able to do something really fun.
Dakotah has brought along her friend Jess and they have had fun shopping til they drop. I have determined that I'm too old for mall shopping - all the stores seem cutesy an trendy and way too expensive. I think I'm just at that point in y life where I don't ache for a pair of shoes simply because they are the "in" thing - I'm happy having comfy shoes and not thinking about it too much, lol.
Paige has had fun - she loves swimming and people watching at the mall. She is a bit out of sorts, as her routine is completely upsidedown and I'm not sure she understands why we traded our nice big house for a hotel room, lol. She likes the simple things like Mom does - and is quite happy just hanging out.
On Friday, my sister Kathy is meeting us here and picking Dakotah up; she is going to NH for a week to visit with our family down there.
For me, it is back to work next week!
I must admit - its kinda nice leaving our room and coming back to our beds made!! Now *I* get the luxury of that mysterious fairy that does it at my house, hehe...
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Time to spiff up my blog!
My poor blog has been horribly neglected this summer. Usually, when I don't blog often, it is because my mind is so busy, and I have so many thoughts to get down that I can't sort through them enough to post.
This time, not so much!
I think I've hit writer's block - everything seems mundane and boring...I start to write, and then click away.
In an effort to get out of that slump, I'm going to visit The Daily Meme. This site is full of great ideas. Broken down into days of the week, each day has tons of suggestions on it. I could get lost forever in these ideas!
So, hopefully, I'll be able to get creative, and put my own twist on some of the subjects that I find on this site! Please check it out, and feel inspired!
This time, not so much!
I think I've hit writer's block - everything seems mundane and boring...I start to write, and then click away.
In an effort to get out of that slump, I'm going to visit The Daily Meme. This site is full of great ideas. Broken down into days of the week, each day has tons of suggestions on it. I could get lost forever in these ideas!
So, hopefully, I'll be able to get creative, and put my own twist on some of the subjects that I find on this site! Please check it out, and feel inspired!
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