WhirlyQ

I had one of those days I know I will look back on with tender longing. Nothing spectacular happened, just life at home with my kids. A lazy summer day. The girls were in bed with me when I woke (Dex already up and gone to work). We eased into the day. I’d made a […]

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I find myself already forgetting what we’ve done and when so far this summer, so I am going to take a moment to summarize before it’s a complete blur.
Week 1
I had all four kids home with me. I can’t recall much else other than that. Dex worked at home one day and of course had […]

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Now that it’s been several hours, my back muscles are tightening into bands of pain. The ribs beneath are pushing back in protest in their tender, bruised state. Right elbow is whimpering for attention but hey, you’re only abraded, you’ll live. Right calf (ext.), the early troublemaker, is soldiering on. It’s the back. From neck […]

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By all accounts (the notes in his home-school communication book), Davey had a good first day at his new school. He was, as I expected, passed out when he arrived home. But he did well. And the true test? He was smiling and laughing when he got on the school van this morning (at a […]

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I know it sounds odd to be talking about school in early July, but Davey has extended year services. This means that he goes to 5 weeks of summer school to avoid regression on his skills and abilities. Because he’s starting a new school in the fall - an out-of-district placement several towns away - […]

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So tell me, am I expected when Edward recites some old (and often borderline rude) playground chant to pretend that I haven’t heard it and haven’t recited the same sing-songy, titiallating verse a bradillion times before?
Because he lays these on me - “Mom, listen to this” - and he’s laughing at his own cleverness and […]

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Two months ago, Davey started using the PECS system of communication at school. In brief, PECS entails a picture exchange. The “speaker” selects an image (photo or symbol) from a set of cards and hands it to the “listener” to communicate wants, needs, moods, etc. PECS can communicate a single want, like a drink or […]

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This morning I was going through Edward’s backpack to get it ready for school. In it I found a slip of paper from Friday. I could see that it was note even as I reached for it. Uh oh, what trouble has Eddie gotten into now?
Dear, mom and dad
I am srooy I said the word […]

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Be honest. When someone talks about people with Down syndrome, the majority of minds will conjure the image of a grocery store bagger. Ok? Ok. I’m just getting that out there in front of us. Frankly, growing up I rarely if ever saw a person with Down syndrome outside that context, or if I did, […]

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During the week of school vacation I have:

taken all four kids grocery shopping for a week’s worth of groceries
taken the three younger kids to Home Depot, where I bought mulch, rocks, and spray paint
taken all four kids for a walk around the neighborhood cul-de-sac

These may not rank high in the list of major accomplishments, but to […]

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