The Blessed Summer is coming to an end..*sniff*

Summer is flying by at warp speed. Haven't even got a chance to tell yall how fabulous Disney World was! (next time it'll happen in October, though)







(that's brandi's cody from Texas, who met us at the Magic Kingdom)


I've taken a couple of vacations in this last six weeks, because that's when molly kate is flying without a net (no school or therapies) poor daddy (ex-detective) still needs a little back-up when it comes to a bored child. She was good for a couple of weeks, but then? Started getting up and getting ready with me as i prepped for work, grabbed her backpack and then sat at the picture window sobbing as i left. *sigh*

This past week, thought about a quick juant to DC, but Shauna was just finishing up a big case (18 hr days, 7 days/wk), and
I thought I would be a distraction. She just turned all the work in, and flew to New Orleans with the doctor/friend for a little respite herself. (but fishing? really?)



Gabe and Ally were jonesin' for some baby help as both had big work details so I turned my attention to snatching up granddaughters, and partying with them for the week before school starts for molly....so off to Springfield we go! (and the sarge didn't understand why I insisted on the 7 passenger Tahoe)



Zoey Grace is ADORRRRRABLLLLEEEE!!!



Zoey Grace is 4-5 months old, spoiled rotten & well deserving of it and totally in love with?? The Sarge!! grrrrrrrrrrrrrr I mean, yea, you want your g-babies to love ...but???well??? ...she's a needy litttle thing, likes to be held all waking hours, still gets up once a night (about 4am) to tank a bottle....you would think MOM-MOM would be her hero. Nope, the sarge walks in, and she SHINES and SQUEALS!!



Zoey also is adorned with the constant attention of a doting aunt, who, unable to say her Z's has been super-frustrated at not being able to pronounce her name. She calls her Bayyyybeeeee -------- weird noise --------



Aubrey Jo is 2, and wayyy too smart for her britches. Nothing is left unexplored, untried, and untasted. I collapse when she's nods off, but she is sweet as southern sugared tea, and knows how to work mom-mom jusssssssst so! She is also way hillarious with her 7 year old vocabulary, in her super tiny body, which is confusing because she eats constantly...notice how mommy and daddy's pic is there for breakfast! (she's only asked for them once, at naptime)






I'll leave you with pics, and Aubrey-isms:

"Aubrey Jo!! don't be stinky! Play nice, we really like nice girls!"

(her sniffling) "But Aubrey Jo IS stinky...Aubrey Jo has stinky feet"



those don't look stinky to me, but covered in popsicle drippings
*****************************************************************
I haz a BOOOOOGERRR!!! HELP!! (she can operate each nostril seperately)



*****************************************************************
"Zoey plays wif with Molly Cake"





"Aubrey Jo is playing with Alyce the Grape (we call my mom Alyce the Great)



when the UPS/Mail/Fed Ex guys show up:
"Pizzaaaaaaaaaaaa is here!!"





A million bucks? Not necessary...but this week? I wish would last forever.

July? Already?

One common thing you'll find in my blog titles...the absolute disbelief that life slips by so FAST!! I see I went from yearning for summer, to 1/2 way through it in record time this year! We try to be in the pool daily, no matter what is going on, and outside all evening...probably the excuse for no blogging. We had a 6 week drought...and as of this minute, the rain is pelting down on round 2....round 1 netted us one inch, but i don't know how they measure side-ways rain. We are now prepping for round 3, which has been upgraded to a sever thunderstorm warning....we'll let you know about that.

We really needed it, but am so glad it held off for today. Yesterday we drove up to Springfield for the 3rd annual "Step up for Down Syndrome" Buddy Walk. It was fun and especially exciting for molly who got to be with her brothers and neices, and we did raise the money! THANK YOU to all that donated!

First? We met for breakfast at Bill's favorite place, Aunt Martha's. The waitresses always give us the eye there, like we're going to order $100 worth of food and walk away.




then we went to the park...well we PARKED at the ball field, and it was a long walk in very hot weather, but everyone did well...wearing a "molly's mob" hat was a treat for Aubrey Jo.





then onto the arena football field for the registration and entertainment. They had a nice set up, INDOORS with jump houses from Jumpmania, and even a gymnastics section, where the girls spent the bulk of their time









that is AFTER we forcibly removed them from the ball pit.




Aubrey and Molly both got "cat" faces painted on. It was tough to talk molly into it, but aided by brother Gabe and a mirror, she sat long enough to do it...and was PLEASED!! we could tell by the way she kept saying the way she talks about Lucifer. "cat cat CAT!" :-)


We met up with some old friends that had moved from west plains...evidently, it is ok to dance when you are surrounded by friends and neice! The kiddo next to her here, stayed as close as he could to molly thoughout the dancing, and she acted like she didn't know he was there! Missed opportunities girl!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I liked this shot...it appears that her boyfriend wannabe is pretty frustrated with her ignoring him!



We then prepared (lined up like cattle in a chute) for the infield walk...it really makes you understand the amount of people that came to celebrate these beautiful children:











We only stayed for 1/2 of the ball game...it was double header day and the first game ran long so 1/2 of the game equaled 8 pm, and we still had to drive home. I could tell how hot molly was by the way she devoured a cherry sno cone....every bite!
Everyone else grabbed great hotdogs, with all the condiments you could imagine, huh, bill!



(yea, you knew that pic would end up here!)




I was impressed that the lime shirts took up more than two sections of the baseball stands.







And really impressed that the "musical chairs" game included our children! They had a ball!





And now we're home! We were glad to see that mom and dad survived being on their own for the day, as we are prepping to take off for Orlando and the National Down Syndrome Congress Annual Convention! It's a HUGE event, and we'll be meeting up with bunches of our online friends, as well as thousands of other parents! Time to make more friends!

So tune in next week, where i'm sure Molly Kate will be introducing yall to MICKEY!

a FUN FUN WEEK!

Little Bill is still in Florida...and today he SKY DIVED! Have a vid posted on my facebook page of it...it's amazing! He also para-sailed and went to see the dolphins...all this week! We are just PUMPED for him...that video is amazing, i'll try to snatch it from them and upload it here..but haven't figured out how to do that yet!

Molly and summer school this year? A match made in Heaven! She's excited about getting up uber-early...is at the car before I'm ready and SKIPS into school! I don't know what changed this year, but I'm greatful for it!

She's making a bird feeder for Father's Day at one of their outings!



This weekend we had the little girls home! YAY! Baby is amazing...she's pulled the italian side of Ally's family and has the most beautiful olive-toned skin. She's all about smiling at 10 weeks old, loves her mom-mom....but (as always) seems to love papa Larry more! I don't know what it is in him that just slays the babies, but there is one always attached to him, and one vying for that position. He eats it up.



he got her to smile big!



She sleeps just like her daddy used to:



she always wakes up smiling!



Aubrey Adored the trampoline!



but who knew she was so scared of thunder?

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

molly kate has the best back yard in the WORLD!!



Aubrey Jo was fitted into a "little too big" floatie, and was a little tentative about mom-mom's HUGE pool! We swam for a bit and got used to it, and then came in to wait for her mom (ally) to get here. The second time we went out? she was twisting and turning and telling me to 'LET GO!' She now dog paddles all over like she's been doing it for years. That child just turned 2, has a vocab bigger than most 5 year olds, and knows EVERYTHING!! She's exactly the way gabe was at that age.....Good Luck with that! :-)



Great Gramma was home, too, and FINALLY got to meet the baby! We were heading that way when she fell...so it's been a long time in coming! She should be home for good in the next few weeks! YAY MOM!!



Ok...now it's time to start the work week again....*sigh* I LOVE the weekends when they are as fun as this!

Crazy Week

Transistion weeks in a house where ASD lives, are always an experience....but so far this time, it's been ok.

Molly was out of school for a week, and then summer school started! YAY! There were rumors that it was not happening this year, due to state budget cuts, and 1/2 the rural schools here opted NOT to have summer school, but thankfully ours did WITH field trips AND meals!(2 other things we thought would be eliminated) Molly is going to meet with an ABA (applied behavior) expert on Mondays at summer school, as well as continue with speech. For her? one week off is plenty and this mom would gladly vote for year round school. Kid's brains need to keep learning while they're growing! It should at LEAST be an option...for ALL kids, not just kid's like molly. Maybe one day Education will take the priority in the state budget it should.

Molly loves the routine, and i saw the immediate confusion on her face as we waited for her teacher to arrive....her homeroom classroom, was closed and dark and locked. Surprisingly enough *sniff-she's growing up* she seems to be comfy with the fact that this is still school, just different. (maybe she is remembering?)and so far, here have been no problems!! Go Molly! Kelsi would come to pick up this week with Dad, and that just MADE MOLLY'S DAY! She loves her sibs!



Mom has been given a time frame of 2 weeks till home! She's coming home now on the weekends...and the only problem i can see is her lack of patience. It's weird...she has no idea of how much progress she has made, she only sees whats happening right now, and she does NOT LIKE IT AT ALL!! All that needs to happen is her "bad leg" needs to strengthen and that's going to take time and work. Looks like the "patience" gene that is missing in my DNA, comes right from her!

Kelsi came to stay for a week...she's going to be a Senior this year, and spent the majority of her time here "skyping" with her boyfriend who was in Alabama doing some of his own visitation! We shared some laughs, and had some talks and it was all good.(all but the fact that she would not come with me to see the opening of Sex and the City II) I can't believe we're making college plans again.


(lmao-laptop bag, ipod & speakers, camera, cell phone, check-digital girl is on her way!)

Bill is in Florida with Angela and her Brother & wife...had two weeks planned in the Keys, but opted for the Atlantic side due to the threat of BP spoiling the beautiful beaches they so look forward to visiting all year. My heart breaks for the businesses down there that are suffering from EVERYONE making changes to their vacations to bypass the oil spill...as well as for the wildlife. Sad Sad situation.

Gabe and Ally are preparing to celebrate Aubrey Jo's 2nd Birthday!! (June 7th) Gabe is travelling to Arkansas Thurs-Sun and working with Little Bill (or covering for him)and brother Josh in the Bail Bonding Business...I try not to think about it too much....I've already witness what happened with those boys when they were little with slingshots...and now they are "Tazer" certified! EEK!

Shauna stepped up the whole marathon business by running in the Northface Endurance Challenge!

http://www2.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge/races/2010/dc/index.html


That's a 50K or 30.07 miles of mountainous terrain...and she did FABULOUSLY! Another scary habit for my kids, as she watched one girl fall off the trail, toppling down and suffering a compound fracture of the shin. The alternative would be falling off the trail and ending up in the Potomic! EEK! She loved it so much, was giddy when she called, and ended up 3rd in her age group,cutting MORE than a minute off her usual pace time! AMAZING!! I use that word alot to describe Shauna...


That's the update for this week, I'm off to redo the bedroom (strip and shampoo carpets) ugh...there is ALWAYS some project needing to be done that I'm behind on...it's such a glorious life i lead....but it's not as hard as the sarge, who has to try to mow with a nekked girl (ok she put her shoes on) and 2 german sheps helping!






We are looking forward to the trifecta in birthdays this month (aubrey 6/7, Bill 6/11and Molly 6/22) and next month? A 5 star Disney resort in Orlando for the National Down Syndrome Congress Convention! Gonna meet up with some families there I've MISSED SO MUCH!! can't wait!!

what happened to my vaca??

I've been off this week, just staying at home and getting my act together. Molly has been right by my side, tearing my act apart. Im gonna call it a push.

the shirt is out of the "winter" bin, the pants out of the "too small" bin & add daddy's prized "champion boat" hat to complete the look.



and we had to accessorize! This came out of the "Halloween" bin!

My poor yard, which was totally redone last season, is showing the wear & tear of two big dogs...so Pruett Home Improvement is on their way to fix it by re-doing the deck and hang gutters! ( i KNOW...the sarge didn't understand either) They also will redo all the entry ways to make it easy for mom to enter the house AND the pool! Did I mention I'm married to the most wonderful man in the whole wide world?

I did get to Spg to visit w/ my bebes. Zoey is growing by the second, and can hold her head up and focus intently on my face, as well as jerk around to see what dog just walked by, or where mama's voice is coming from! She is also starting to smile! SHE'S SO ADORABLE!!





Aubrey Jo's vocab has now surpassed mine. She runs the i-phone, looks up her flash cards, and i think she's working on the grade 12 set! They told me it's also causing trouble. Daddy was admonishing her one day, and when he got to "3" on the countdown Aubrey just turned around, dropped her pants, and said "Smack it! Just Smack it!" hahahahahahah. She can also just drop her pants because she is no longer in pull-ups! YAY AUBREY! She continues to idolize her Aunt Molly. :-)



Mom has been a roller coaster ride, we're glad to say we're off of. She crashed one more time to the point i was arguing with the ER doc about putting her on a vent! EEK!! A new doc came on duty about 5am, and LISTENED to me...(Thank you, Lord) and we tried the Bi-Pap machine (strap-on face mask that blows O2) and her numbers came back into line with every 1/2 hour blood-gasses draw! She was diagnosed with "carbon dioxide" poisoning, occuring because her breathing was so shallow. Those pesky lungs are still bugging us, and she remains on O2. I'm thinking she inherited Gramma LuJon's lungs *sigh* As SOON as her levels were back in line?...she bounced right back. There have been more than a few Miracle Days along this ordeal.

She came home for an all day visit with us yesterday, making Memorial Day a day to remember...and I know we're very close to her coming home permanately. I want to go get her again today, as they do no PT in rehab on weekends, and i saw first hand her improvement throughout the day as she moved around. I don't want her being idle all day and 'stoving up'.

She's being very impatient with her recovery, and i detected a little depression. I told her this is part of the post-major surgery blues, perfectly normal, and to keep working....which would be another reason I want to go get her again. Rehab doesn't have a problem with it at all....but mom was hesitant.

We finished off the regular school year last week, including 3rd grade pet day!! Molly was pretty "ho hum" about it i thought, until teacher described to me the way her face lit up when she saw mom&dad and the matching set of German Sheps! Too much fun with a goose, and a donkey being brought in to round out the dogs and cats!



Her teacher that we LOVE LOVE LOVE!! Ms Stephanie (Wit-Wee) and Steph's daughter Kendall with their Oversized Weiner Dog! :-)






Got a new desktop computer, so spent the bulk of my time with that headache, (which translates into I'm locked out of my bank acct until tuesday) and since none of my peripherals would fit it, had to buy a new printer, too! SPENDING SPREE! (yep, ally and me snuck away to Target and Best Buy, and got pedi's while i was i Spg) To sum up? I think larry AND the bank account are both going to be very happy to see my vacation end

now? prepping to go back to work *sigh* I definitely would like to add "permanent vacation" to my resume...as I know Molly would like, too.

Carly George

This is Carly George, and this week as i sigh a little sigh of relief in our own health crisis, my heart focuses on this wonderful family. They are so much like us. Mama Joany has grown children as well as her "late in life blessing", Carly, who is just a year younger than my Molly Kate.

The one thing especially dear to my heart, is the fact that Carly also creeps into the big bed at night, to snuggle between her parents, just like Molly does. I KNOW, I KNOW!! we shouldn't let this happen, but the look on Moll's face, as she holds both our hands in hers, is absolutely precious. The one look makes me realize how hard it must be for her to conform to her school and typical peers, as well as to our constant ABA (applied behavior) demands......but for one fleeting instant, we can see how happy she is to be right where she is and cannot deny her. I love that i could share that with another mom....a mom who understood.

Carly was born "enhanced" or having down syndrome. Unlike molly, her little heart was only half-formed, but through many surgeries, she healed....The family was again immediately devastated to learn she had developed leukemia. She survived the horror of that protocol and was in remission. The last few years she has grown stronger, joined her class at school and they too, began to live the typical life of a family with an "angel child" and all the joy that comes with that.

Last month, Little Carly, who had survived impossible odds to be on this earth, simply dropped and left it. They kept her alive long enough to be snuggled in between both her parents and she simply slipped away.

This week, everything is so much better in my life...mom is stronger by the day, school is almost done and really fun for molly, and I have some time off of work. Time to right my world, which has been spinning out of control for the past month. I can finally crawl off this rollercoaster of 2am phone calls from panicked nurses, rotating doctors by the day, Emergency Rooms, DNR requests, Ventilator arguments, ICU's and FEAR! Lord, the FEAR just eats you alive. I laid in bed one night and actually started chilling, the way a woman does right after she gives birth. The stress was taking it's toll.....and I'm so relieved that the pressure is finally abating.

It is unfathomable to me, that Carly's mom Joany will never get this chance, will never get off the roller-coaster, will never sigh the sigh of relief, or witness the "look" that comes at the end of the day, when your special child is surrounded by the security of a big, warm bed, and her loving parents. My heart aches for this mom.

I ask you to lift this family up in prayer. I ask you to spend that extra time with your family...let the dishes soak, skip the meeting, make the trip to visit and just bask in the love of your family.

Our worlds can be turned upside-down in the single beat of a little heart.

Hospital Drama

So, as i left you we were celebrating the birth of my #2 granddaughter, Zoey Grace...that was 5 weeks ago...and i see photobucket removed all my pics! grrrrr we'll get that fixed.

We were all walking on air when, when as life does sometimes, everything crashed...actually my mom crashed, right onto her knees as she was putting a basket up on the top shelf in her bathroom. Both mom and dad had been running around like crazy trying to pack for the big trip back to colorado, the car ready, serviced and loaded.

She fell right onto her knees and they were swollen from impact, but after walking back to her bedroom and getting them up, she refused to go to the doc....she just jammed one and she was sure if she stayed off of it for one day, it would get better.

Next morning, she obliged me by letting me take her to the doc. The impact of the fall had not only jammed her knee, but had knocked the ball out of her hip joint and fractured it. They called an ambulance to the doctor's office to transport her to the hospital, and then two weeks of hell began.

Mom is currently at a rehab wing in a local carehome...She is better and the new hip ball is in place and healing nicely. I don't want to even think about the 2 weeks of horror that happened in between the fall and the rehab...suffice to say...we never want to go through anything like that again.

I was glad that i did not have to survive it alone...and had a witness to the weirdness that is hospital life, or what i've come to call....Bizzaro World. You absolutely lose all sorts of time frame, or logic...thank God there are nurses there to guide you through. My sister patty, when she heard the panic in my voice as things declined- dropped everything and drove right out....she drove all day and night from colorado springs, right to the hospital...thats about 16 hours of driving that she made in record time.

Then my children organized and got mobile...gabe from springfield (even though he was prepping for college finals) bill from fayetteville (leaving his phones/work) and shauna from DC....giving up a fun trip she had planned home.....They took care of the shopping, the cleaning, taking care of molly, and even made AMAZING evening meals for all of us...no matter what time we got in...8, 9, 10pm...there was food waiting. My children never cease to amaze me with their selflessness and good heartedness. They took care of everything i couldn't.

Dale (sis's hubby) stayed with larry and worked at the house, whipping our yard back into shape & the annual cleaning of the garage...we've had a couple of close calls with tornadoes...and spring rains...and the land was definitely getting out of hand. All the acres are cleared and stacked and the new tower is painted...thank you Dale.

Mom will be in rehab for about a month...or less. She refuses to come home while not being able to walk...and the drama that occured earlier left her flat on her back for 2 solid weeks, at which point her body just quit her. She wakes early and heads to the therapy room...lifts weights...works with bands..and walks on the "ballerina bars" Shes recouping fast and i cannot wait to get her home and have life return to normal. We still don't know how the colorado trip is going to work out....life is kind of on hold right now.

So...i am back to work and still not in a 'routine' with my new schedule, which includes waking early to do the domestic thing and take molly to school (map testing week) stopping off to visit with mom and tweek her orders...track everything that's been lost in moves from the floor to ICU to the floor and then to rehab...(they lost her clothes) then onto work-where i try to focus for a few hours until i can run back to rehab on my lunch hour. She is pretty much settled now..pictures up on the wall and new jammies bought...She is very determined not to be there long and amazes me with her attitude and drive.

The day we got there, my little town suffered a double-murder, suicide, domestic dispute...all of which involved, as well as the witness to the event.. are employees at the facility mom is staying. ...so now add a few news crews to the day....the drama and stress just seem to continue....so i ran away! Not really, but i am taking a powder for a day or two...not to club med..but to springfield. Gabe is now trying to take finals and finish papers for the semester...Ally-mom has returned to work, and two little girls are making them both frantic!

Mom-mom (what AJ calls me) is here, watching dora and shopping and fixing meals for them! Finals should be done this evening...and i have a congratulations meal ready for him to celebrate with. Funny how that whole family thing comes around, isn't it?? I was missing my babies anyway..they grow so fast..and molly is having a ball with her favorite person in the whole world, miss aubrey jo!

I sure understand why both Ally and Gabe have the dark circles...baby is only sleeping about 2 hours at a time (just like gabe when he was an infant) and refuses to sleep on anything but a warm human body! Aubrey Jo is full into the 'terrible twos' and the second you sit down to rock the baby (this happened last night) she runs to get into some trouble....this time grabbing baby shampoo and pouring all over her head! As soon as baby is slipped into a swing so that you can handle that mess...that little angel starts screaming! Not much ruffles mom-mom....but the poor kids seem frazzled! Adding college finals to the scenerio made this a necessary trip, something that made it's point when I took my first shower with curtains and door open, and with my glasses on!

I'll add pictures later...maybe...when things settle back down to my much appreciated boring life...and hopefully will get back on blogging schedule soon!

hugs...and don't forget to appreciate all that you do have....including your health, uneventful days and well slept nights. Boring is the goal I'm working toward for this summer! :-)