Storm Update

Hey Everyone,
I just wanted to update ya'll. Severe weather came through our area last night. Several tornadoes touchdowned. We were without power from about 7:30pm Wed. til about 3:30am Thurs. Other than the power outage and a severly soggy yard, Gerard, Riley, and I, and our three dogs are fine. Because of all of the weather Riley's school is closed today, so there won't be any Halloween party pictures, however it is supposed to be sunny tomorrow so I will post Trick or Treating pictures.

Wordless Wednesday(Guitar Lessons)

Franken-treats

So, I am the room mother for Riley's class and even though I'm tired and don't have enough time, I decided to do something special for Halloween. Instead of relying on the store bought orange pumpkin cookies(which there is nothing wrong with, and I have done before) I'm making each child a Frankenstein twinkie. Yes, that's right, a twinkie with icing. Yummy! I'm gonna get them all sugared up and send them home. So, tonight I did a practice run, Riley got to eat the results. She approved, whole heartedly. I thought these pictures were too cute not to share.

Jim McCrery Scholarship Fund

Earlier I blogged about the Jim McCrery Scholarship Fund. I am so honored that Senator McCrery endowed Goldman School with a scholarship. I recently received some pictures from the event so I thought I'd share with ya'll. As you can see, Riley was quite the charmer.

Wordless Wednesday(a look back)

Extraordinary Everyday

Riley and I went shopping today. She is becoming my best shopping partner. I love it when she tells me clothes are cute, or if she doesn't like something she tells me No mama, not cute. Today, like always, Riley was sitting in the buggy(cart for you non southerners)a lady came up and told her how beautiful she was. Riley never meets a stranger and was perfectly happy to converse with the woman. She told me that she had an adorable son, like Riley, then opened her wallet to show his picture. He was a precious little blonde boy with Down Syndrome. We talked awhile, I asked how old he was, she said he would be 27 years old(a year younger than me, but he passed away when he was 6 because he had heart complications and he had 4 surgeries in his short life. This is a very common issue for children with Downs. In fact 1 in 3 babies with Down Syndrome is born with a heart defect. It reminded me again how blessed we are that Riley has had no medical issues. And It also made me think how far medicine and the treatment of individuals with Down Syndrome has come. As the woman walked away she thanked me for letting her talk to Riley. Riley waved bye and blew a kiss, then as if she knew the woman needed more, she puckered up. The woman looked nervously at me not sure how to react, then leaned down and Riley kissed her gently on the cheek. Big tears rolled down her face and she said, "Riley you made my whole day!" I teared up, it was such an extraordinary moment in an everyday setting. I'm dedicating this blog to the memory of little "J" and all the babies like him who helped pave the way for better understanding and treatment for children like Riley.

DS Awarness Month Continued

Second post for DS Awareness Month, MYTHS AND TRUTHS

Myth: Down syndrome is a rare genetic disorder.
Truth: Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring genetic condition. One in every 733 live births is a child with Down syndrome, representing approximately 5,000 births per year in the United States alone. Today, more than 400,000 people in the United States have Down syndrome.

Myth: People with Down syndrome have a short life span.
Truth: Life expectancy for individuals with Down syndrome has increased dramatically in recent years, with the average life expectancy approaching that of peers without Down syndrome.

Myth: Most children with Down syndrome are born to older parents.
Truth: Most children with Down syndrome are born to women younger than 35-years-old simply because younger women have more children. However, the incidence of births of children with Down syndrome increases with the age of the mother.

Myth: People with Down syndrome are severely “retarded.”
Truth: Most people with Down syndrome have IQs that fall in the mild to moderate range of intellectual disability (formerly known as “retardation”). Children with Down syndrome fully participate in public and private educational programs. Educators and researchers are still discovering the full educational potential of people with Down syndrome.

Myth: Most people with Down syndrome are institutionalized.
Truth: Today people with Down syndrome live at home with their families and are active participants in the educational, vocational, social, and recreational activities of the community. They are integrated into the regular education system and take part in sports, camping, music, art programs and all the other activities of their communities. People with Down syndrome are valued members of their families and their communities, contributing to society in a variety of ways.

Myth: Parents will not find community support in bringing up their child with Down syndrome.
Truth: In almost every community of the United States there are parent support groups and other community organizations directly involved in providing services to families of individuals with Down syndrome.

Myth: Children with Down syndrome must be placed in segregated special education programs.
Truth: Children with Down syndrome have been included in regular academic classrooms in schools across the country. In some instances they are integrated into specific courses, while in other situations students are fully included in the regular classroom for all subjects. The current trend in education is for full inclusion in the social and educational life of the community. Increasingly, individuals with Down syndrome graduate from high school with regular diplomas, participate in post-secondary academic and college experiences and, in some cases, receive college degrees.

Myth: Adults with Down syndrome are unemployable.
Truth: Businesses are seeking young adults with Down syndrome for a variety of positions. They are being employed in small- and medium-sized offices: by banks, corporations, nursing homes, hotels and restaurants. They work in the music and entertainment industry, in clerical positions, childcare, the sports field and in the computer industry. People with Down syndrome bring to their jobs enthusiasm, reliability and dedication.

Myth: People with Down syndrome are always happy.
Truth: People with Down syndrome have feelings just like everyone else in the population. They experience the full range of emotions. They respond to positive expressions of friendship and they are hurt and upset by inconsiderate behavior.

Myth: Adults with Down syndrome are unable to form close interpersonal relationships leading to marriage.
Truth: People with Down syndrome date, socialize, form ongoing relationships and marry.

Myth: Down syndrome can never be cured.
Truth: Research on Down syndrome is making great strides in identifying the genes on chromosome 21 that cause the characteristics of Down syndrome. Scientists now feel strongly that it will be possible to improve, correct or prevent many of the problems associated with Down syndrome in the future.