all-nighter's - relieving the college years?

technology has brought back my youth. now I have a reason to stay up late, way too late into the wee dark hours when the house creaks and groans in unforgiving ways. Just like my almost middle aged (won't admit it - ever!) body. Hmm. Let's google something to take our minds off that.

Sadly, it's like when you finally get to go on a date with your husband after months w/o. (should we even admit how many?????) What do you talk about? The kids. Of course. Don't we all :) And they are great kids. But, you got married for a reason that had nothing to do with kids. Even if the kids precede the marriage date, you still had fun together before the kids.

How to rebuild that fun? It's not as hard as searching for the fountain of youth. And it doesn't require a baby sitter. Just a lock on your door :) and the ability to step out of your every day, mom and dad, same stuff different day shoes.

We do have to remind ourselves about it though. Because, I'd say I'm pretty good at all of that, but.....here I am with a free night on my hands and what am I doing: I am googling mom and kid stuff. The issues in our own little world today: signing time, CogAT, moving with kids, etc. Where did all the exciting things of my youth go? I could google them, but first I need to remember where I put them. Someplace safe I'm sure.

But then there is light - I can always blog. it will force the stream of consciousness to clear out the old habits and allow the new ones to take hold. If only for a little while.

It's like when you are gardening. If you have an invasive weed that wants to take over your garden you must be vigilant, diligent in your weeding endeavors and gentle to your native plants. If not, you will destroy the fledgling native plants and be stuck with only the invasive ones.

moving. through the eyes of an 8 year old

So, we've moved across the globe (Alaska to Virginia) - 4 time zones and major differences in temperature and amounts of daylight. Alex has started a new school and we've been in the new house for a month. We've gotten to do some fun things as a family over the last month, and we settled Alex into a (second) new school just today. We think this new school will be a great fit for him. So on the way home from school, I asked him how things were going and his answer surprised me.

"you know mom where we lived was like a best friend. I really understood and felt comfortable with my school and home and the area. It all fit me. I really liked living there. But I had to leave that friend and make a new friend. I like this new friend ok, but it's still a stranger to me."

step one.....

As a newby blogger I feel compelled to start at the beginning. What you need to know for now is that I am Ellie's mom. 2 and 1/3 years ago, Ellie was born to my dear husband and me. She is the most beautiful baby girl, and the first time she saw me, she smiled. She melted my heart right then and there! That smile kept me going two days later when our pediatrician explained to me that he didn't want me to go home until Ellie was seen by the pediatric cardiologist. It was our pediatrician, and my O.B's belief that Ellie had trisomy-21 - aka Down Syndrome.

As devastating as the news was, it was softened by my pediatrician's presentation. I'm forever grateful that he presented the news in a wonderfully caring and positive way. He reminded us that Ellie was a baby first, and a person with trisomy 21 second. He also encouraged us to be positive in thinking about her future. He had worked with people with trisomy 21 and so he knew firsthand that they were individuals and very special.



Above was begun two days ago. But, that was then, this is now. Today is about Ellie's brother. "It's summer!" He says to me (while wearing snow boots!) as he requests permission to head off with his friends to the swings in the woods behind our house. They've been tromping around in the stream. Now that they are all wet, I suppose they should "cool off" by swinging. Understand: we live in Alaska! But, I guess at 54 degrees it does feel like summer after a few years of sub-zero winters. LOL!! We take what we can get, I guess.