A full heart

Today is my birthday (cue in Happy birthday to you...happy birthday to you...). It could have been one of the most boring birthdays to date...but I wasn't having that. Why anymore boring than the others you ask? Well, my birthday is always with in the week of Thanksgiving. Everyone is busy...always. Then add in hunting season. And don't forget the common cold/flu that ALWAYS happens this time of year. Well, this year...all of those things fell into my birthday week! Yes, birthday week. I won't lie...I got a little bummed for a few days. Then I decided I was going to snap myself out of my funk (because really, if I don't...who will)? I took a step back and realized I've got it pretty darn good. Then I felt a little selfish. Then I got inspired.

Random Acts of Kindness or RAC. Ever hear of it. It's the new craze (well, that I have noticed in the blogging world). For each year you are celebrating you do 1 RAC. FUN! It's like a 1 person party! Well a 3 person party in my case because I took the kids with me to do 34 RAC's! Here is what we did...

1. Mailed a card to a friend with a Starbucks gift card. If we lived closer I would have taken coffee to her at work.
2. Delivered hot chocolate to a couple I saw outside hanging Christmas lights. Turns out, it's their daughters birthday too!
3. Took dinner to a friend who just had surgery.
4. Helped do a little house keeping for the same friend in #3.
5. Dropped off fresh baked cookies to friends (x 2).
6. Fresh baked cookies to the kids daycare.
7. Dropped mail off at the mail box for my aunt (a whole 2 house away) lol.
8. Gave a picture of Jake to his bff/day care pal/ cousin. There is a really cute story behind that.
9. Surprised a friend with a fabulous wreath that she has been eyeballing for a few weeks!
10. Picked up garbage in the parking lot at Jake's school.
11. Gave a Bling Bulb (Christmas decoration) to a lady in the parking lot of Starbucks.
12. Paid for coffee of the car behind me at Starbucks.
13. Delivered little gift bags to 2 new babies born today. In the bags were a pink/blue rubber ducky, and knitted hat that my mom made. Thanks mom!
14. Gave a Bling Bulb to our friend that works in OB. She helped deliver Gracie 6 years ago!
15. Walked around the hospital handing out balloons and lolly pops to any kid we could find.
16. Left folders with color books & crayons in the OB waiting room & in the peds play area.
17. Fed all of the candy machines & pop machines we could find in the hospital.
18. Left little bottles of hand sanitizer...everywhere (bathrooms, tables...).
19. Went to a playground a dropped coins all over for kids to find.
20. Left a generous tip at dinner tonight.
21. Put shopping carts away in the store parking lot.
22. Gracie told a old lady that she liked her kitty sweatshirt (lol).
23. Put coins in balloons. When Gracie woke up she got to pop the balloons and spend the money at the dollar store.
24. Left a care package of vitamin C drink mix, tissue, and hand sanitizer on a few cars in the mall parking lot.
25. Saw a rock star parking spot at the mall, but let the car behind me have it. (that was a tough one). lol
26. Didn't remind my brother that he is almost 5 YEARS OLDER THAN ME when he sent me a text to tell me that I'm old. (Ok, that's a stretch as a RAC, but it took some holding back)
27. Took dad to dinner. Thanks for going with us dad!
28. Stopped at McDonald's for ice cream, & bought ice cream for the car behind us.
29. Left lolly pops on cars that looked like they had kids.
30. Gracie colored a Thanksgiving picture for the older lady next door! But she got to shy to deliver it, so I did.
31. Left a candy bar in the mail box for the mail man/woman.
32. Gracie stood by the door at the grocery store while I was checking out and opened the door for people. (yes they are automatic doors, but she thought she was doing something really nice).
33. I let Gracie listen to Kids Bop in the car ALL DAY LONG.
34. Our grand finale...we Ding Dong ditched! The funniest thing I have seen in a long time!

Ahh...that was a action packed day. Gracie & I had lots of talks about how happy our hearts were when people smiled because we did something nice for them...tonight we go to bed with full tummies & happy hearts. It was a good day.

Do you correct?

Ok, call me crabby, call me tired, call me whatever. But for some reason today I hit a brick wall when it came to peoples incredible knowledge of Down syndrome. I'm not perfect & I am by no means pretending to be. I had my own ideas of Down syndrome before I was forced to be educated about it. I get that people generally are not meaning to be offensive or negative & are usually just trying to strike up conversation when they grace me with their "knowledge" of Down syndrome. I get it. And I'm ok with answering people's questions about Jake. I really am.

I know, I know...get to the point. My point is think before you speak. Ok, probably not YOU, because most likely if you are reading my blog you have a child with Down syndrome and you are on the same boat. But does anyone else get SO frustrated & tired of peoples off handed/trying to complement your child but really slapping you in the face comments? I find myself (way to frequently) thinking...did you really just say that? And I will admit, I usually just smile & walk away because I am about the most non confrontational person on earth. I know, if I want the world to change the way people think about Down syndrome I need to speak up. So I will try...a little. Baby steps...baby steps.

So, are you wondering what fantastic comment got me going on this blog post...here it is (it's really not that bad) "They (people with Down syndrome) are ALWAYS happy". Wouldn't that be AWESOME? Ahh, Yahh...it would. I gave my stock response, "He has his moments". Want to compare some other spectacular comments I get or have gotten in the past (since I'm on a rant...these are the ones that I just look blankly at the person & walk away...because nobody is really this stupid):
"Well he's cute anyway" &
I can't believe I'm about to repeat this one, but I actually had someone say this to me when they asked me what was WRONG with my son...
I responded, "Nothing is wrong with him, he has Down syndrome". Her response back (brace yourself), "Oh well at least he's not autistic". REALLY?...REALLY?

I'm going to try harder to not let REALLY bad comments get to me as much & I am going to try to educate people (without sounding educational) when such comments are made. So here it is for today's comment:
Jake (and all people with Down syndrome) is human. He has good days, he has bad days. Like any other person, he is happy with a splash of crabby. He has more than one emotion. He has a attitude & a personality. He & I butt heads on a daily basis about something. He's not a little golden ray of sunshine 24/7. Like any other 3 year old, Jake wants what Jake wants. And he will find a way to tell you what he wants...& get it. Thankfully, Jake is a pretty happy go lucky kid. I got lucky there.

There is my rant...peace!

10.2 seconds

That's how much time I have to post today. Ok, not really, but that's what it feels like! That's how everyday feels. Odd that I feel more rushed now that BOTH KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL...at the EXACT same time!! I have 2.5 hours everyday with no kids...to do whatever I want! So far, I have spent a lot of time at Starbucks! What can I say, I like coffee & love to people watch! Here are a few pics of Jake's first day of preschool!

He loves it! It's such a wonderful feeling to be able to walk him up to his little classroom blow kisses & RUN AS FAST AS I CAN calmly walk away while brushing away a little tear. Ok, who am I kidding, we all know there is a little pep in my step after I drop Jake off knowing I have a little me time.

On another note, since I have started this blog I have made a great new friend Jennifer. Jen is also a stay at home mom to 3 sweet little girls & a extra chromosome rocking little boy Tyson. Jake & Tyson are only a few weeks apart in age, so we are going thru all of the "fun" of having little boys together! Again, I'm not gonna lie...they are naughty! We are pretty sure that the extra chromosome they have gives them some kind of cosmic connection that tells each other when to do naughty things at the exact same time, so that we are both about to pull our hair out...at the exact same time! Oh...gotta love them. It is our plan to someday meet (we are in Wa., they are in Pa.), but until that day comes we are having fun getting to know each other thru blogging, Facebook, & presents. Yep, presents. We have been sending presents back & forth with little gifts for each other (because we rock as moms & we deserve gifts), & for each of the kids. Who doesn't love to a box in the mail? Anyway, here are the gifts we just got from our friends in Pa. Thanks guys...YOU ROCK!
Julie, Gracie, & Jake

This is our friend Tyson! Jenn got Jake & Tyson matching t shirts! LOVE it!

Chocolate fixes everything...right? Can't wait to make my own bars!

Thanks Jen!

Up next...Jake's 3rd birthday on Sunday! Yahh!!

I missed them

Last weekend I took a little "mommy time out" and went out of town to hang out with girlfriends. It was much needed & so much fun...but I missed my favorite big person & my two little people. After catching up on hugs & kisses I took the kids to the most amazing summer time water park ever... the back yard! A water slide, pool big enough for 1 huge beach ball, 2 kids, and a duck (but only 1 at a time), and a "waterfall"! Enjoy!

What?

It's like...magic!



There is a DUCK in our pool!

SO excited to watch Gracie run and jump in the pool!

And she does it with style!

It was a good day!

Too good for words

S'mores cookies

The batter

Graham cracker base


Add a little cookie batter on...

Bake for 5 minutes

Then add little chunks of a Hershey bar!

Bake for another 5 minutes...

It's tempting to jump right in...but don't

Let them cool all the way!

So good!!

Want to try it...jump over to this site!!

www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

Kisses

I have this new fascination...with kisses. Hershey Kisses that is! I ran across the idea blog hopping one day a few months ago, & I can't get enough. They are so easy (if you have a Cricut), and such a easy decoration...for everything! I have made them for parties, weddings, hostess gifts, even Glitz & Glam! So I decided that since I'm making them for everyone & everything, I'm going to try and make a few bucks doing it! I got my first order with in a hour of posting that I am selling them on Face Book!

Kisses!

Bracelet update

IT WORKS!! He CAN'T get it off...and he quit fussing with it after about a half hour!! I recommend these for anyone with a little one...special needs or typical!

See...still on!

We love it so much we ordered a second one for our little friend Tyson to rock!!