Just RK

Grab This Button The super cool and adorably honest Tricia is hosting The 31 for 21 Blog Challenge to Raise Awareness for Down Syndrome. (31 days in October, in honor of Trisomy 21 aka Down syndrome...follow?) ~You do NOT have to have a kid with DS to participate. ~You do NOT have to talk about DS everyday.   The idea is just to blog every day in October, and for those of us who have lots of DS related things we *could* talk about, it’s a good chance to catch up!   Now where to find time to carve out to actually DO it…   If you're a blogger and you want to blog each day in October, click on the button above and go over to add your name to the list.  And grab the button code from the box on Tricia’s post.  That’s it!   Oh and all you Facebook’ers out there… feel free to do it that way if you’d like.  We’ll take all the positive awareness we can find, but this is really all about the blogs… for those of us who still prefer them!  And yes, I’m one

Tomorrow, 9/30, ColdStone Creamery is offering a FREE 3 oz portion of a super yummy treat from 5-8pm.  More details here …. (thanks Hip2Save !) Be sure to take a dollar or two with you and help the Make-A-Wish Foundation while you’re there… we know so many families who have had great experiences with Make-A-Wish.  And who doesn’t love ColdStone anyway?!? Enjoy!  And leave me a note tomorrow if you go and share what you thought of the treat!

Today is Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day (EKS Day).  My friend Jen tagged me to help spread the word about this day celebrating Mrs. Shriver and her contribution to the world through Special Olympics and so many other avenues. I’m in a conference this weekend but I wanted to share a couple links for you to check out… ~~Jen has a post with more info and some great quotes here . ~~More good stuff from Michelle’s post at Big Blueberry Eyes . ~~ SpecialOlympics.org has a wonderful spread for EKS Day with many neat links and articles.

We are at the pediatrician's office for a combined 18-month check and follow-up visit from last week's fever fun. Don't worry that we are over a month late for the 18- month part. The nurse asked if she uses 15 to 20 words. Wow. Is that the norm? I am in trouble with Miss Full Questions and Huge Vocab! She has her becoming-classic rash post fever but otherwise she is feeling a bit better. Not quite 100% yet though. Don't you find it a bummer when the awesome nurse who knows your kids well isn't at the office when you visit? I do. The other is nice but it's not quite the same. Here's to a new week. Less drama. Less disappointment. More bright days and calm times. Amen. I feel hopeful today. And that's nice.

Hip2Save.com has alerted the world that Picaboo is offering ANOTHER free photo book !  (I received mine from previous offer last week… it’s GREAT!) So check it out… it’s for new Picaboo accounts .  A $40 value, hardback photo book, 8.5 x 11.  Just pay shipping! Can’t beat it! Let me know if you score one!

Thanks to all those who have emailed, called, or texted. Last night proved to be wonderful. Painful. Refreshing. Encouraging. Scary. But I'm very glad I went. He did not disappoint. (God, that is. Though Travis was great as well.) He reassured me. He questioned me. He challenged me. Unfortunately, he did not choose to have someone magically hand me a small folded piece of paper that has my next three right steps on it. I was hoping... But, oh, if I could have those 2 hours every single night, to praise at the top of my voice with a super talented live band, to be challenged by inspired words, to be encouraged by the faces of others--also struggling--but determined to praise through the storm.

Tonight I am sitting in a church I have never been in before. By myself but far from alone. I came because Travis Cottrell is here tonight. (He is Beth Moore's worship leader and right-hand music guy. That is how I heard of him.) I planned to come several weeks ago. I thought some friends would come too. But it worked out that I came alone. And I realized as I was coming that it was not by accident. Tonight I need to spend some time listening. I need to sit in the presence of God and let him really get to me. Though that can be done anywhere, music is my avenue. It is the quickest way to my heart. And to share in a worship experience with hundreds of others is perfect right now. I am anonymous and yet not alone. And I know that HE will meet me here. HE will not let me down. Hard decisions are just that. HARD. But I am reminded now that no matter what decision I make, HE will love me. That is so hard to accept in this wounded heart. So tonight I have a date. And I am nervous

Do you ever feel like you consistent answer for “how have things been?” is always “Oh gosh, it’s been crazy lately!” ?  Because I feel like at some point this must not be considered “crazy” anymore, but instead, it is just the new normal.   This is the way it’s going to be.  Maybe if I accept it as ordinary, it won’t seem so exhausting.  That’s probably some active denial right there. We’re here. We’re surviving.  I’m tired, but breathing.  The girls are good, as good as toddlers are when they are…well…being classic toddlers.  There is the daily whining and the fits that come out of nowhere and seem completely unprovoked, but they’re healthy and generally happy, so I’ll keep moving forward.  I’ve managed to get into several new things that I didn’t plan on, and clearly didn’t say “NO!” to.  I’m a part of a community workgroup for the school district to figure out how to make recommendations on what things need to be cut to balance the budget this year.  Very interesting.  Sure to

Remember the cool deal I told you about for free business cards from Zazzle that I heard about on Hip2Save.com ? I got my order of blog cards today, and they are GREAT! (The top image is the back, bottom is the front. Click to make it bigger.) They’re not fancy, but just exactly what I wanted.  I’m using my newly-coined (at least in my mind) title… Toddlerologist.   (Toddler: Small, cute, but needy human.  Ologist: One who actively studies and attempts to understand the thing before –ologist.)  Simple and informative.  And a nice weighty card stock, not cheap stuff! Nifty, huh?

ShoeBuy.com has a great deal today !!  On Thursday, September 9th only, (TODAY!) ShoeBuy.com is donating to the National Down Syndrome Society for each pair of shoes purchased!  AND—you can get a 15% discount if you use code INSHOES at checkout.  What a deal!!  Go check out the options! (Thanks to Cate for the tip!)

A year ago today, the unthinkable became reality for very dear friends.  I have come to cherish this family, rely on the wonderful encouragement and example that Karol is to me, and it is absolutely invaluable how special they have all become to my girls.  Even in what little time we’ve had face to face, I have been forever changed by the interaction with each of them.    Faith is not something tossed around lightly in their lives. It is something they have had to wrestle with and have come to find it as true in the deepest sorrow as it has been in all the many blessings in their world.   The last few weeks have left me feeling helpless. I want to do something, to be there, to say the right thing.  They are facing this toughest time, the one year mark from the day they lost their precious little ball of energy. But I fail to find that “right thing.”  So I pray often--for their comfort, for their broken hearts, and that they can sleep in the midst of the images that can haunt th

Indoor playground. Climbing structure. How can this NOT be fun???? The kids are loving it!!!

Our first gathering...and this is just some of us. And of course they dont sit still for long. Six families tonight...several more arriving tonight. Big parties tomorrow! This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless! To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture . Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

Tomorrow many people will begin their journeys to the St. Louis area.  Our somewhat sleepy suburb of St. Charles will be the hub for a weekend of gathering, children playing, lots of acronym usage (Can we even HAVE a conversation without talking of DS, IEPs, PT, OT, ST,  AFOs, EI, ECSE, ABA, AAI, ABRs, and so many more?), some great meals, late night hotel antics (which I’ll miss as I sleep in my own bed), and great fellowship with others who know what life is like for my family in a way that the general population cannot quite understand. With some late comers, who are still welcome (though they may be standing!), we are up close to 70 with about 17 families represented.   Some will come to only one event during the weekend, some will be at every one of them.  We love them all.  And I’ve never even met the ones who don’t live here already, and a few of the ones who do! I’m excited, and I’m nervous.  Anytime I am involved in planning, especially when I kind of eagerly ran with the