our perfectly imperfect life

Makes my heart melt.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:59:00 +0000

We are in the car now. They did the raffles and then it cleared out... so Payton wanted to go. She got a keychain from the dance... she is so proud!

While we were walking out, Payton said, "Fun Daddy!" I told her, "Thank you for dancing with Daddy." She said, "Thank you for dancing, Daddy!" Makes my heart melt!

That was the text message I got from Kyle when he and Payton were on their way home from a father/daughter 50's sock hop for girl scouts. Sigh... how did I, the mama, get so lucky to have these two in my life?!

A father/daughter dance... just one of so many dreams I have for my girl. She was insanely excited to dress up and pull away with her Daddy in his cherry red hot rod.

Gosh... she is so beautiful. I could stare at her all.day.long. No bias here... ha!

A special little thank you to Payton's friend, Julia, for making her night so special. Makes this mama's heart so happy. ~~And this is where I have typed and backspaced over my worries about 472 times~~.

+

From the moment we met Nika in her baby home... she has sucked on two of her fingers. Perhaps cute... at first... a natural soother for her as she lived the life of an orphan. Who would have known that her finger sucking would become the one point of contention between us.

Cute as she is... finger sucking is not cute when you are five.

We have been amazed at how much she has come out of her shell... especially this past year. She has grown so much... emotionally, physically and cognitively. She is finally using her speech spontaneously... and becoming quite the independent little girl. Her teacher tells me that she is a leader in the classroom... that is a far stretch from the quiet and shy little girl that refused to participate in group settings.

One little problem... finger sucking. There is no rhyme or reason as to when she sucks... perhaps when she gets bored, nervous or unsure about something. She knows she is not to suck her fingers when she is with me... but I leave and she sucks. There is question as to whether or not she sucks when I'm gone because she thinks she can get away with it or she just misses her mama. I like to believe it is the latter... but who am I kidding... home girl is smart and believes she can get away with it when I'm not there.

When her teacher told me she was purposefully removing herself from the general area of her classroom in order to suck (i.e. going into the bathroom, hiding in various areas of the classroom)... I really started to worry about what kindergarten would look like for her. If we hadn't curbed her sucking as much as we have... I truly believe she would still be sitting in a corner, sucking on her fingers and watching the world go by her... just as she did when we brought her home from Russia.

Enter the habit appliance.

Nika's dentist and I talked at length about my concerns for kindergarten. I feel like she is already going to have enough hurdles to cross to be included in a general education classroom. With 25 students in her class... her teacher is not going to care if Nika is removing herself to suck. That behavior will escalate to become the number one reason to kick her out of general education... and I just don't even want to go there.

So we had her fitted for the appliance and it lasted approximately 12 hours before it fell out. Sigh. I gave her Juice Plus+ gummies right before bed... uh yeah, oopsie.

Her dentist told me the next day she didn't think it was a great fit to begin with... so we had to start the process over. Phew. Now we wait for her second appliance to be made... praying this next one works and that this will become a thing of the past.

Remember when...? Now that will be a good day.

+

There is something feel good about baking cookies with my girls. Both of them looking to me for reassurance and guidance that they are scraping the cookie dough or sprinkling the sugar just right.

Teaching them the nurturing things that moms do... hoping that someday they will be able to nurture someone of their own.

For reasons unknown to me... I clearly suck in the kitchen. I burn my cookies every time... burn pizza every time. Where is Martha when you need her? Here is to hoping my girls don't remember the burnt part of baking.

Headed to find a semi-soft cookie to share with a tall glass of milk... if only they were not burnt. Sigh.

Night.

Space Shuttle Discovery

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:38:00 +0000

Last night I began hearing chatter of all these people who were getting up early to go see the space shuttle Discovery land at Dulles Airport. Eh? I had no idea what everyone was talking about... that is what I get for not watching the news. Oopsie.

I woke up this morning and got all excited reading about the shuttle after pulling it up on our local news website. I asked Kyle if we were allowed to give our kids permission to play hooky from school... to watch a space shuttle land.

Hell yeah, we were allowed! We realized that this would be a once in a lifetime experience for us to see... and I'm pretty sure our kids will remember this forever, rather than what they learned in school the morning of April 17th.

"Get your stuff together... we are going to watch the space shuttle land! I will take you to school when we are done. Let's go!"

Traffic was horrific. There were people everywhere. The highway became a parking lot and the police didn't care. That was awesome. We ended up sitting on an overpass right by the end of the runway. "Here it comes! Oh my gosh, this is amazing! Look you guys, there it is!"

Amazeballs.

Cue the floodgates. Oh my word... I bawled as I sat on the hood of my car snapping my camera. That dang fighter jet... does it to me every time. And my sweet son stood next to me rubbing my leg to soothe me... oh, his sweet soul.

We heard that the shuttle would be circling back around, so we moved down the road to another location. We all gathered on top of the car and waited.

This time we were literally right under the shuttle.

Amazeballs. Again.

Mason... cue the video.

Seriously a once in a lifetime experience... I was so happy we decided to go. On our way home... we were shocked to see the shuttle again! Apparently it hadn't yet landed, but it seemed it was landing this next time around, as the landing gear was now done.

So awesome.

I love our country. I love things like this that bring so many people from all walks of life together. So much pride. So amazing. Love.

It is okay. And it is worth it.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:35:00 +0000

Infertility can be a hard thing... if you let it. We have been dealing with infertility for years. By now... we know to expect the worst and hope for the best. I think. But that does not mean that we do not get emotionally drained... sad... or incredibly frustrated. Because we do... and we can.

And it is okay.

Struggle helps to define who we are as human beings. It helps us grow and become better people. Yet... we are so afraid to be in that position, because we know how much it can hurt. But we overcome and realize how much we needed that struggle when we get to the other side.

And it is okay.

There have been times in our life that we have knowingly placed ourselves in a vulnerable position. Infertility treatments. Adoption. Adoption of a child that has Down syndrome. Should we choose to turn the other way and push these things away... just because we know we could be hurt by these very things? Or do we choose to move head on... because we know the love and joy that we can get from these things?

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

~Wayne Gretzky

It is worth it.

*

Working on dusting off this little blog in cyberspace...

Kyle and I enjoyed a complimentary trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico... courtesy of his employer. ~~Jobs in the private sector rock~~. It was a nice break as we prepared to return home to infertility treatments... a time to reflect on our past, present and future. And miss our babies, mostly.

Our blurry self portrait... we have to take what we can get.

The older our kids get... the harder it is for us to leave them home. So often throughout our trip, we found ourselves saying, "Oh my gosh, Mason would love this." or "We have to bring the kids back here." I know how precious my childhood memories are to me and I want my kids to have that too... in abundance.

We walked on the bottom of the sea while we were there. It was so weird and scary and cool. They put these astronaut looking helmets on you as you descend under water... and even though you can stick your hand up in your helmet to scratch your face... somehow you can breathe and in fact, your hair doesn't even get wet.

Salud Mexico... be back soon.

*

We recently celebrated my niece's baptism. We admittedly have been absent from church and it was nice to be reminded of the reason I love it so much. A good cry during Amazing Grace or wanting to comfort the woman behind me that has cried the entire service. My soul needs that hour on Sunday mornings... and I want my kids to have that too. It is a little embarrassing when your kids go up for the children's sermon and they barely know how to pray... or if you are my youngest, you just stand in the middle of all the kids and wave to the congregation during prayer. Or if you are my oldest, you accept communion, even though you haven't been through your First Communion yet. Or if you are my middle child, you lunge for a handful of communion wafers, as the poor gentleman tries to stop you... just because you can. Sigh.

We enjoyed having Kyle's parents stay with us the weekend of the baptism. My father-in-law tackled my honey-do list... thank you very much... and my kids were so excited to spend that time with their grandparents.

Hats courtesy of Dick's Last Resort... ha!

*

The girls have begun therapeutic horseback riding... they love it. And I love it... it is so fun to do something... different. Now I secretly want to run away and live in a ranch with my horses. Ha.

It took Payton about a half hour to get up the courage to get on the horse during her first session. Now... she is golden.

Nika has no fear... she jumped right on and was trotting on day one.

The girls' therapist is amazing... it is so fun to watch and see how she incorporates so many things into horseback riding. More to come...

It's beyond frustrating... infertility, that is.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:35:00 +0000

Somehow it's been over a year since our failed attempt to have another baby. We had two embryos frozen from when we went through in vetro fertilization with Payton. I felt strongly about using those embryos rather than start fresh... I think mostly because they were Payton's fraternal twins.

One survived the thaw, one didn't.

We were pregnant for a hot minute... ecstatic until we learned the embryo had arrested in development and we had a chemical pregnancy on our hands.

I was truly gutted.

A charm Kyle got me after we found out I was pregnant... before we learned it was a chemical pregnancy.

Fast forward to the present... we tried again. Over the course of the past several weeks... we reintroduced ourselves to daily injections, ultrasounds, bloodwork, anesthesia and an egg retrieval, an embryo transfer, bed rest and high anxiety.

I am five and a half weeks pregnant... but I am miscarrying.

I am sad and frustrated... incredibly frustrated. Going through infertility treatments requires so much money, so much time... so much is invested in this one chance to have a baby. And to be so close... yet so far away... it is beyond frustrating.

So now we wait. We have five embryos on ice across town... praying one of them will make their debut into this world someday.

A special request from Mason...

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 03:22:00 +0000

Mason came home from school today telling me that he wants to raise money for leukemia. His school is hosting Pennies for Patients for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Mason knows that some of our closest friends have been affected by leukemia; one of my best friends has CML and several of our friends' kids have had different types of leukemia. Having Down syndrome increases the risk of leukemia, so this is something that is pretty near and dear to our hearts.

Mason is bound and determined to raise the most money in his school for leukemia ... and hopefully get a pizza party for his class. I told him that I would help him set up a fundraiser here on my blog ... but that he needed to be the one to ask for help. So without further ado, I had the mike over to Mason.

THERE IS A GIRL WITH LEUKEMIA NAMED GABY. I NEED TO RAISE MONEY. SHE IS 10 YEARS OLD. SHE GOT IT IN AUGUST 2007. LEUKEMIA IS WHEN SOMETHING RONG WITH YOUR BLOD. ME AND MY SISTER NEED HELP. WE NEED TO COLLECT AS MUCH MONEY AS WE CAN TO HELP. ANY AMNT IS WELCOME. MY GOAL IS TO GET 300 DOLERS FOR EACH OF US.

PLEASE HELP US.
MASON

To donate... simply click on the chip in widget or paypal direct to bethanybalsis@mac.com ... thank you for helping Mason's goal come true!

*Edited 3/10/12 - the first chipin expired, so we created a second one for the remainder of his goal. Thank you!

happy heart day.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:46:00 +0000

... all the love in the world.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:58:00 +0000

We headed upstairs as we prepared for bedtime last night. Mason and Payton were a little behind... they wanted to "get water" to take to bed with them. A common ritual in our house. The two of them then ran up the stairs like a herd of elephants, exclaiming that they had made lemonade.

Payton held up her cup and yelled, "Mom! 'Nade!"

Encouraging her for a job well done -- and wondering how in the hell she made lemonade, I said, "You made lemonade? Whoa, good job!"

Fast forward... the kids went to bed and Kyle and I retreated downstairs. I went to the kitchen to grab the Mt. Dew I had opened just before we went upstairs. ~~I understand I could have a better choice of drinks... it is my guilty pleasure. You drink wine, I drink Mt. Dew. You drink beer, I drink Mt. Dew. You smoke, I drink Mt. Dew. Ha~~.

Empty.

Uh huh. Lemonade alright!

Kyle and I sat there, laughed and tried to figure just exactly how that conversation went down.

Mason: Here Payton, want some of Mom's Mt. Dew?
Payton: Yeah!
Mason: Okay, tell Mom it is lemonade. Okay?
Payton: Yeah... 'nade!

Little ~~shits~~ stinkers. Little love muffins.

It is moments like these that I sit back and say, "See self... she totally gets it. She can lie with the rest of 'em. She can deceive with the rest of 'em. She might have Down syndrome... but that doesn't stop her from nothing!"

And she sure is damn cute while she's at it.

::

I recently came across this cross that we were given when we adopted Nika. In all honesty... I don't even remember receiving it. But it was such a blessing to find it.

It says her Russian name + baptism + February 2, 2007.

It is the cross she was given... I presume... at her baptism.

Today is the five year anniversary of the day Nika was baptized. At the time... she was an orphan living in a Russian baby home.

There is so much we don't know about those first two years of her life... so much we wish we knew. And so much we don't know about her baptism... I guess I feel blessed to know that she even was baptized... Russian Orthodox, I assume? Did she have sponsors? I don't know... wish I knew.

I really have this yearning tonight to find Nika's birth parents. It isn't often that I even think of them... but tonight, I am. I really just want to see them. And if ever given the opportunity... I would love to show them that this little girl that they had no hope for... she is doing amazing things. And she is so deserving of all the love in the world.

Doing for myself.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:55:00 +0000

My girls are overly obsessed with YouTube... I have only caught them watching donkeys mate once so far. It's all good. Mostly Payton likes to watch the bird's eye view of a roller coaster... no idea... she's wild at heart. And then there is Charlie... Nika has every word of this video memorized. It's hilarious... Charlie!

And if it isn't the iPad... then it's the iPod or my iPhone.

We need to have a serious intervention... Nika, especially. It is a rare moment that she is not playing on... or headed for... the iPad. It has sort of become a joke in our house... Nika, step away from the iPad.

::

We went to the auto show yesterday... family bonding day at the auto show with my mom and grandmother. We drove into DC and as we patrolled the streets for a parking lot... we saw a spot opening up on the street. There was a man... he appeared to be homeless, but who am I to classify... that stood in the road, waving me into the parking spot, as if he was in charge of the street parking. I did my parallel-parking deal and he stood behind my car, waving me on and telling me when to stop. Once parked... he kindly approached my window.

You are in a public parking spot. I agreed and said, "Yes I am." But look all around you and you will see that each and every parking lot around here is $25+. Indeed. So you decide how much my assistance was worth to you today... have a great day.

Dude walks over to the sidewalk, I roll up my window, laugh and ask, "Is this corruption? Seriously. Bribery at its best!" We all agreed that dude deserved a chunk of change... I think we came up with $12 cash. That, or we joked that quite possibly we would return to four flat tires... or a missing car. Dude thanked us and walked away counting his cash. Such suckers we are.

When all was said and done... I think my facebook status said something like this...

Home from the auto show and my babes are in bed. Note to self: Never take 3 kids to auto show again. Nika could care less. Payton got her fingers shut in a car door by her brother, on accident. And um, I hate cars... found the bimbos walking around talking cars with dudes more entertaining than anything. Oh, and trying to figure out who the secret service was there guarding.

::

Payton: *walks out of room* Bye Mom. Schoo.
Me: You are going to school?
Payton: Yeah.
Me: Okay, see ya!
Payton: See ya!
Me: *rolling with laughter at the way she mimicked me*
Payton: MOM! PAY-TON.
Me: You're Payton?
Payton: Yeah. PAY-TON.

Now that Payton can say her name and she realizes as much... she is not appreciative of anyone calling her anything else. Honey. Girlfriend. Sweetie. She ain't having it... she quickly will turn to you, and demand, "PAY-TON!"

Duh peoples... her name is PAY-TON. That is said with a clear break in syllables... you know, in case you were wondering.

She's hilarious.

Here is PAY-TON cheering... ohmygosh, she is doing so well. We think she has deemed herself head cheerleader. Her coaches kindly put her in her place... which she so needs. Ha.

Her squad has a new cheer that they are doing to introduce them at the beginning of games. They do their thing and then each one of the girls presents herself by saying her name. I missed it this weekend because I was in the other gym with Mason... but Kyle texted me after the cheer... Payton did her cheer perfect and said her name on cue and everything.

Love. And so, so proud.

::

Been trying to take some time for me... doing little things I wouldn't normally do. Little things, that once you do them... you wonder why you don't do them more often.

The local cupcake shop. Why have I never been there and why don't I go more often? Heaven.

A bath. I don't think I have taken a bath since I was trying to force myself into labor with Mason. For reals.

A hot drink from Starbucks. I don't drink coffee, so I rarely go there. But once in awhile some hot cocoa in a little Starbucks cup... it relaxes me and makes me feel happy. And walking around with that cup in my hand makes me totally get the Starbucks obsession.

Breakfast. On the griddle... something I rarely do. And eggs without broken yolks = a happy day.

Beer bread. I love to bake... not sure why I don't do it more often. It makes me feel all Martha. Last weekend, I made some beer bread for football Sunday. In my world, beer bread is reserved for parties. It made me happy to make it... just because.

A splurge. I have become obsessed with schoolhouse lights... and sort of went on a mission to find the one that was just right for my laundry room. Love.

I am a nerd... I understand this. Ha. I realize it sounds stupid... but just the feeling of actually doing for myself... it triggered something. Momma likey.

::

'Til next time.

a letter to parents.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:15:00 +0000

At the beginning of the school year, I had a lot of anxiety over Payton's relationship with the other kids in her class. The same old worries... would they like her, would they play with her, would they consider her a friend, would they be helpful to her... or would they shy away from her because they see her as different than them.

I went back and forth, trying to decide whether or not to send a letter home to the other parents in her kindergarten class. I bounced the idea off of her teacher, bounced it off of my mommy friends... those with kids that have special needs and those that don't. The consensus was... it's a good idea.

So... Kyle and I drafted a letter. It was hard... mostly because we didn't want to come across as crazy overbearing parents... and we wanted everyone to know that we are an open book. That we understand that most people don't really get what having Down syndrome means for Payton... and without being told, that they don't really know that our expectations of Payton are the same as that of her big brother.

Dear parents,

As we settle into this school year, we would like to take the opportunity to give you a special introduction to our daughter … Payton … who is in Mrs. xxxxxxxxx kindergarten class.

Payton is a very independent, active little girl. She enjoys a wide variety of activities … playing house, reading and dancing … but mostly she just loves anything that involves being with her friends. She is a sports fanatic … thanks to her big brother … and she just completed tball season through the Greater xxxxxxxx Baseball League. She also is in Daisies and will be cheerleading for basketball this winter through Upward.

Besides being a very “typical” kindergartener, Payton also happens to have Down syndrome. Your child might come home wanting to know more about her and why she is a little different. Based on our past experiences, most questions from children this age are related to Payton’s speech and her inability to communicate effectively.

Payton has Childhood Apraxia of Speech. While we are able to communicate with her well, it can sometimes be hard for others to understand her. She can talk, but Apraxia (a speech disorder) makes it hard for her to form certain consonant/vowel combinations. Sometimes she drops beginning sounds, sometimes ending sounds. Sometimes none at all. For example, she says “No” quite well. :) Or … “Max” will sound like “Ax” … “Milk” she cannot say at all (that l/k combination is very hard) and so she signs it (envision using your hand to milk a cow by squeezing). Payton works very hard in speech therapy several hours per week to conquer her speech delay. She has a long way to go, but she has come so far and we are so proud of her!

Like most children, Payton has an insatiable curiosity and strongly desires to be independent … did we mention that? :) She is primarily a visual learner and will imitate what she sees others doing. We encourage you to share what you feel is appropriate about Payton with your children so that they can understand how she is different, but more importantly how she is the same as they are. Encourage them to support her without babying her, and to talk to her like they would anyone else, perhaps giving her a bit more time to respond and a little more explanation if she does not understand. They can also remind her to stay with them if they see her heading away from the group, and to make sure she is keeping her hands to herself.

Research has shown that children with Down syndrome benefit from placement in a regular education class, receiving their education alongside typically developing peers of their own age. Regular opportunities to learn and play alongside typically developing peers gives children with Down syndrome the role models they need to acquire new skills, encourage age-appropriate behavior, and develop independence and friendships.

Inclusive education benefits not only our child, but studies have shown that inclusion has a great benefit to the other children in the class. Inclusion facilitates greater understanding, tolerance, as well as learning to be supportive of one another. Children also learn to value diversity and to appreciate that everyone has something beneficial to bring to the life of the school and the community.

We are grateful for your support and for the support that Payton will have in Mrs. xxxxxxxxx class. She will have a team of people that will help support her learning needs and facilitate the inclusion support. We are also grateful for the opportunity to be in a learning community together and look forward to meeting you (if we haven’t already) and working together for a great year at xxxxxxx.

If you have any questions about Payton or Down syndrome, please feel free to contact us at (insert email here) or (insert phone number here). We are very open about our experience and in talking about what it means to have Down syndrome … no question is a silly question and we would rather share with you, than have you wonder. :)

Sincerely,
Kyle and Bethany Balsis

ps … We have put together a Q&A on the reverse side to help you field some questions that your child might have, or to help you in talking with your child about Payton. We hope this is helpful to you. :)

What is Down syndrome?
Children born with Down syndrome have one extra chromosome in some or all of their cells. The chromosomes contain directions that tell your body how to grow. When a child has an extra chromosome it mixes up her body’s directions a little. That is why they may look a little different and have to try harder to learn.

Will Payton always have Down syndrome?
Yes, it is something she will never outgrow.

Will Payton be able to do things like me?
Yes, she will be able to do everything like you do, it may just take her a little longer to learn than most kids. She will learn to talk more clearly too, it’s just that learning to talk is often very hard, but just like anything, with a lot of hard work and practice she will get better over time. Payton also can do things you might not be able to do yet, like use sign language.

Is Payton sad that she has Down syndrome?
No, right now Payton is happy to be a growing little girl. She feels successful in her life; she loves to learn new things, just like you and me. You’re fortunate to be growing up in a world where people understand that everyone is unique, but that we all enjoy and want the same things, like having loving families and friends, going to school, and being accepted for who we are.

We received great feedback after the letter was sent. I think some of the parents (maybe all, I have no idea) appreciate our transparency. And well... we appreciate them more than they know... and we appreciate them having that conversation with their child.

Kids don't know what they don't know... and we are so thankful for the amazing kids that Payton has in her class this year. It has made her being included in general education so much easier... so if you are reading, thank you.

Breaking the barrier.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:26:00 +0000

Sitting here on a cold frosty morning with my sleepy eyed babies... all of us piled on our less-than-large-enough couch... one blanket to go around. Nika the last to rise and join us, she crawls up next to Payton and says, "Blankey? Me?"

To most... this may seem insignificant. To me... this is big. Having been an orphan in her past life, Nika tends to be a very stay-behind-the-scenes, submissive kid. That's not to say she can't throw a good temper tantrum. Ha.

At one time... she would not have joined us on the couch, until invited. She would have sat on the floor in front of us... as if she was not worthy.

At one time... she would not have asked for some blanket, until offered. She would have sat next to us and shivered... as if she was not worthy.

It has taken us awhile to get her out of orphan mode, when it comes to certain things... and we still have a journey ahead of us. One of her goals in speech therapy has been to use her words and ask for things on her own without being prompted... like something as simple as asking for help.

We are getting there... we are breaking this thick barrier. It is good.

::

I think I'm nesting... only I don't quite have a reason to nest. Other than the fact that my house has way too much crap in it and I am close to deeming myself a hoarder.

Okay, not really... but we do have too much crap. It's sickening, really.

One problem... I tend to jump from project to project. If any one thing ever gets completed... it is a reason to celebrate.

Yesterday's project... front closet makeover. This closet faces the kids' backpack corner and it is for shoes only. Previously, I had plastic fabric shoe racks hanging from the shelf above.

But three kids + plastic fabric = disaster.

I decided to remove the shelf, paint and install those wooden cubby shoe racks... three of them stacked vertically.

Fairly boring, really... but great for organizing shoes. Especially considering we are always missing one shoe of every pair... not an ideal situation when you are trying to get out of the house with children in tow.

::

Mason started winter training for baseball with a local pro this week... he is so excited. I love that he has something that he loves so much. He has become quite the little baseball player... my baby ain't so much a baby anymore.

Love him.

happy birthday bubs.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:43:00 +0000

my dearest mason.

you are eight.

eight years ago...

i would have said that your 8th birthday seemed centuries away.

but here we are.

you are caring.

you have compassion.

you are so helpful, loving and patient.

we are often told by others how great of a big brother you are.

and they are so right.

God knew exactly what he was doing when he gave you that role.

i asked you to list your favorite things...

baseball. football. basketball.

macaroni and cheese.

ride bike. play outside.

legos. video games.

happy birthday bubs.
we love you like crazy.

the party.

rolling video games.

it was awesome.

mason and his buddy are just a few days apart.
they wanted to have a joint party... so we did.
these two are gonna give us a run for our money one day.
love them.

and it ain't no party without a cute snack table.
corn dogs. nachos. popcorn. and a coke.
that is pure healthiness, right there. ha.

the trailer was awesome.
four big screens inside... two outside.
16 game controllers. and one long bench.
there are also subwoofers under the trailer that make it vibrate.
add a little mood lighting... and lots of noise.
an 8 year old boy's idea of heaven.

the sisters outside getting jiggy to just dance.

happy birthday to you.

happy birthday dear mason and max.
happy birthday to you.

and a balloon release to cap off the day.
perfect.

reflection... six years later.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:49:00 +0000

Six years ago this week, our baby girl entered the world. As she laid on my chest shortly after delivery, I looked down at her and vulnerably stated, "I don't think she is supposed to be this color." Indeed... she was having serious problems breathing and was taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

shortly after delivery (don't mind the blood and gore)

Traumatized from having my baby girl whisked out of the delivery room... I don't remember much. Although, I do remember a nurse wheeling me into the NICU to see my daughter. As I peeked over her isolette and saw her swollen little eyes... I knew in my heart that she had Down syndrome.

shortly after being stabilized in the nicu

At the time, I didn't voice my concerns to anyone... not even my husband. I think I thought that if I didn't talk about it... then perhaps it wasn't a reality. Eventually the doctors voiced their concerns... and they were the same as mine. We truly didn't know what having a child with Down syndrome meant for our family.

Looking back... I'm kind of sad that I was never educated. I really didn't know a thing about Down syndrome... or disabilities, in general. I didn't know anybody that had Down syndrome and I had nothing to look forward to. Our doctors were not the most supportive and the brochures that we were given regarding our daughter's diagnosis were less than promising. I felt more than alone.

This is why we educate and advocate however and whenever we can. We live our life... Down syndrome or not. We put ourselves out there and try to show the world that Down syndrome ain't so bad. Down syndrome is not a death sentence... hell, it isn't even debilitating. It is true love. It is sheer joy. It is acceptance of differences and embracing the same.

summer 2011

We have always said that if just one person is touched by our girls... then our job is done. But our prayer is that we go beyond that... I think we already have and we will continue to do so.

Six years ago this week, I sat in a booth at Chuck E Cheese with tears streaming down my face. We were there trying to have some semblance of a celebration for Mason's second birthday... the same day that we were to bring our daughter home from the hospital... seven days after her birth.

As I sat there, I couldn't help but watch the children run, laugh and play... all the while trying to hold back my tears... which was nearly impossible. I wondered how Payton would fit in to a scene like Chuck E Cheese. Would she even be interested in something like that? And if so, would the other children play with her... or would they stare and shy away from her? My heart broke all over again that day.

We often say... if only we knew then what we know now. Payton is just one of the kids. She plays, runs, climbs. She enjoys the same activities that all children do... and she does them just the same. She has play dates with her friends. She gets invited to birthday parties... and she has some pretty amazing parties of her own. She plays tball, she is in girl scouts and she is even on a cheerleading squad for a local basketball program.

summer 2011

While Payton might not have all the social norms down pat... she has fun and she loves what she does. We could care less how far she hits the ball, how many words to a cheer she knows or even how many moves she misses. She is happy to be with her peers... doing what girls do. We are so proud of her and her happy-go-lucky self.

Six years ago this week, we wondered what school would look like for our daughter. Would Payton be educated with her peers? What would her learning look like? Would she have friends? Would the other kids make fun of her?

I have to say... we are so blessed with our team at school. Payton is included in a regular kindergarten classroom 100% of the time, with some push-in support. She is doing amazingly well... and a big part of that is her peer support. Yes, she has friends. No, they don't make fun of her. They are proud of her and they help her along however they can.

The other day I walked into her classroom, and one little girl ran up to me, "Payton passed her test today!" She was so proud of her... as was I. The kids understand that Payton needs more support than they do... they understand that it takes her a little longer to learn the things they do. It is good... we are in a great place and it makes my heart happy. One of my DS momma friends once joked that her daughter is like the mayor of the school... ohmygosh, so true. When you walk down the hall with Payton, every.single.kid... "Hi Payton B, Hi Payton B, Hi Payton B." Love.

payton and some of her classmates

Here is where I will say that inclusion is hard work. I had to push a bit to make this happen, but we are so lucky to have a team that was willing to try... and willing to be educated about how to make this work for Payton. And I think she is showing them over and over again that she can do this. Inclusion can be successful, you just have to know how to make it work. You need to support your teacher and be present in the classroom. You need to network with the other parents and help them to understand Down syndrome, so they can relay that to their children. And so far... it is working.

::

Man, I love that chick so much... she has changed my life forever. I was bawling the other day just thinking of how far she has come and how thankful I am for the blessings in our life. I'm not sure how many years I have cut off my life worrying about both of my girls... many of those worries unnecessary in hindsight, but when you don't know what you don't know... you worry.

Six years later, I hope we have shown in some way that life is good having Down syndrome in it.

this is huge for us.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:49:00 +0000

having an emotional morning after doing some reading with payton.

from a reading perspective and from a speech perspective.

we honestly never knew what her capabilities would be... or could be.

we always just hope for the best.

she continues to blow us out of the water.

she works so hard.

and each milestone deserves 100 gold metals.

she is reading.

she can finally say her name.

this is huge for us.

she's six.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:07:00 +0000

six years ago yesterday... our lives changed forever when our baby girl was born. more reflections to come this week, but for now... payton's carnival birthday celebration.

a celebration of payton's life. a celebration of down syndrome. a celebration of every thing that she is... and so much more.

the snack bar.

i made this after being inspired on pinterest. isn't it adorable? i love the pennant flags!

icy cold lemonade.

swirly pops and popcorn.

cotton candy and nachos. ~~churros and roasted peanuts~~.

carnival games.

duck pond.

bean bag toss.

clothespin drop.

face painting.

photo booth.

party hats, rock star sunglasses. and don't forget the lips and mustaches. ~~just don't glue the mustaches upside down like i apparently did... oopsie~~.

i adore this photo... payton and some of her classmates.

when we had a garage sale fundraiser a few years ago for our adoption of nika, someone gave us a polaroid camera and film. we didn't sell it and it has been sitting in storage since. kyle pulled it out and found it was fully functional... yes! photo booth perfected.

my absolutely scrumptious niece. love her.

the limbo.

hold the line please. snack break.

she's a trip.

the prize booth.

happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you!
happy birthday dear payton, happy birthday to you!

for party favors... we sent each of the girls home with a goldfish. i was really nervous the parents would kill me for this... but i knew the girls would love it. we wanted to make sure they all had some food on hand, so we borrowed some ketchup containers from *cough* a fast food chain *cough* to hold fish food.

*snickers*

trying to keep 35 goldfish alive is hard... we bought them the night before the party and 19 of them died. that is not a typo... seriously! ~~stupid fish~~. we restocked the morning of the party. lessons learned... do not feed the fish and do not admit to the pet store that the fish are for a birthday party or a carnival... because uh, they aren't allowed to sell them to you if you do. why yes sir, we do have a 10-gallon tank of um, just goldfish.

*grins*

i have to say... the goldfish were ~~damn~~ brilliant. love it... and i think everyone else did too.

after most everyone went home... we went outside so payton could let her balloons go into the sky. whew... that made my emotions let loose a bit. the finale to an amazing party... sort of symbolic, sharing the love and happiness from our day with the world.

and then more than half of the ~~damn~~ balloons got stuck in the trees.

*sigh*

let's just pretend that part didn't happen.

bye boons... in the sky!

the perfect ending.

best part of the day... seeing the happy, giddy faces of payton and her friends. there is so much that you miss when you are the party hostess ~~and have your face behind a lens~~. but... i loved hearing stories from our friends and family after everyone went home.

it makes my heart happy.

happy 6th birthday payton... i hope your day was everything you could have ever hoped for and more. one thing is evident... you are loved and supported by so many.

we are blessed beyond measure.

::

party tips... coming in a bit...

happy new year.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:44:00 +0000

our christmas eve traditions are some of my most favorite things.

to say the kids were excited this year would be an understatement... especially mason.

the anticipation of christmas morning was a lot for him to handle.

he had a christmas eve checklist to get us through the day.

put out the reindeer food.

he left it up on our upper balcony... with the help of his father.

you know... because the reindeer land on the roof.

track santa.

kyle surprised the kids with a projector so they could track santa on the big screen.

they thought that was the best.thing.ever.

light our christmas eve luminaries.

it is a community wide event... yet we were one of maybe two houses on our street to have them.

mason was offended and called the rest of our neighbors grinches.

no offense to our neighbors, of course, ~~but i agree with him~~. ha.

dinner at grandma's. and the festival of lights.

church.

we went to a new church this year for christmas eve service.

i liked it... very contemporary.

instead of lighting candles in the pews, everyone went to the front to light tea lights.

so calm. so peaceful. so pretty.

pajamas from the tooth fairy.

when we got home from church, the kids found gifts of pajamas on their beds.

the tooth fairy brings them every christmas eve.

it's tradition and has been since i was a kid.

'twas the night before christmas. and put out cookies and milk for santa.

christmas morning mason was the first to rise.

he was so excited and woke me.

"mom, can i just go sit downstairs and wait?"

needless to say he and i ended up waking everyone else.

isn't that how it goes? chop chop!

one of mason's favorite gifts, from his grandma...

a wooden bat and a warm up jacket for his travel baseball team.

another favorite.

american girl dolls.

yup... we took the plunge.

i have no idea where this smile came from... but it is making an appearance a lot lately. hilarious.

even gigi would like an american girl.

i took her with me to the american girl store when i bought the girls' dolls.

it was like trying to get a kid out of a candy shop.

so cute to see her light up like that.

payton is such a good little mommy.
i love watching her with her doll.

"aww!"

nika fought hard to keep her laptop to herself.

darn big sisters.

it was pretty funny... picture nika rolling across the floor, holding on for dear life.
home girl is learning to stand up for herself.

when we were in russia, we brought home a matryoshka doll for nika.

our intent was to create a collection for her...

but we don't really have access to authentic matryoshka dolls.

enter her grandparents... they got her one for christmas.

it was purchased from the moscow ballet... which has a traveling show that was here in the states.

love!

another of mason's favorite gifts this year.

~~as if we needed another nintendo ds in this house~~.

and one of my favorite gifts this year.

headphones for the kids.

black for mason. pink for payton. purple for addison.

mostly i love that they have not been buried in the madness.

the kids still grab them and throw them on.

three points for me.

we had a very blessed christmas day.

nice! a huge thank you to my in-laws.

we spent christmas evening with some of my extended family.

love them... and love that my kids will have these memories.

the kids each got small gifts to open.

and we played charades... so.much.fun.

we spent a lazy new year's eve at home as a family with my mom and grandmother.

playing games.

watching the times square celebration on television.

mason made it to about 11:50 p.m. before he just couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

happy new year.

ps... today marks day one of my 365 journey... click here to read more. my challenge to you is to join me... pick up your camera and document your life.

pps... i finally redirected my blog to the url i bought a few years ago. i think this may mess with rss feeds, google reader, yada yada... not too sure, but check it out and edit the address if you need to... so sorry! the url is www.ourperfectlyimperfectlife.com

Merry Christmas.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 06:10:00 +0000

Spread some holiday cheer.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:39:00 +0000

The kids had their winter celebrations at school this week. There has been a lot of talk lately about the fact that our kids don't have holiday programs at school like we had when we were growing up. There is no singing Jingle Bells... there is no dressing up as gingerbread men. I have come to find out that many schools are still doing holiday programs... ours does not. That's all I will say about that... I am here to spread some holiday cheer... not moan Bah Humbug.

So... make crafts and eat snacks, we did.

The kids love when we come into their classes... what kid doesn't? But Payton... she really loves it. As in, the moment she sees us, she jumps up and down, hoots and hollers, "Mommy! Daddy! Yay!"

She is so damn cute.

Earlier this week, we didn't send Payton to school one morning because I wanted her swabbed for strep. She tends to get a rash on her chest when she has strep, with no other symptoms. To say she was upset that she couldn't go to school is a gross understatement. I told her that if her strep test was negative, that she could ask Dr. G if she could go to school.

Kyle said she was so adorable when the doctor came in to tell her that her test was negative.

Payton: Docker G? Schoo pwease?
Dr. G: Yes, you can go to school.
Payton (clapping): Yay! Schoo! Yay!
Dr. G: I hope she gets this excited to go to school in five years.

As they walked past the nurse's station and the receptionist to exit...

Payton (patting her chest, to signify "me"): Schoo! Schoo!

As you can tell, school is going great for Payton. More on that to come.

::

Mason's travel baseball team visited an assisted living facility yesterday with our local police. Kyle coaches the team and the girls and I were lucky enough to tag along. We wanted to expose the boys to the elderly, the needy... something a little outside of their comfort zone, all while delivering the spirit of the holiday season.

The elderly that we visited and brought gifts for was a predetermined group that was chosen by the facility. These were folks that have no visitors, no family. It has left me puzzled as to how someone can have an elderly person in their life that they have neglected.

I think the boys enjoyed visiting with this gentleman, who declared, "I'm overwhelmed!" as he tried to sit up in bed to receive his gifts. He was hard of hearing and the boys thought it was funny when he told them that all of his packages are stolen from him... the rest of us sad to know that this gentleman clearly has some pretty bad dementia.

Payton and one of the boys each had a gift bag for another gentleman, Bill. We knocked on his door, but he wasn't there... we were told that he is very social and that we would find him in the lobby. Sure enough... turns out Bill was the first face that had greeted us when we walked in.

He was so happy and so very thankful. I wish we could invite him to spend Christmas day with our family.

Many thanks to our local police department for coordinating this event for our boys... we look forward to much more of this to come.

::

Payton read us our bedtime story last night... book #22 in our countdown to Christmas. She has her own way of telling a story, though... and I'm positive she knows exactly what she is saying. That is all that counts in our world, because moments like this make my heart flutter with love.

These are the moments I crave.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:06:00 +0000

When I was growing up, we lived in snow-clad areas of the country... New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin. We never questioned whether or not we would have the white fluffy stuff that winter. ~~Not to mention the fact that we probably wished it away too~~. Sledding, snowballs and snowmen... we took it all for granted. And I went to college in Minnesota, where although we always had snow... classes weren't canceled unless the wind chill was like 80 below and you literally could not breathe.

And today... somehow I ended up living in a state that might get snow. It messes with your mind, not knowing whether we will even get the chance to sled or make a snowman with the kids. We have gone from getting barely anything one year to getting 31 inches another year. But there is never a guarantee. I am a little depressed seeing all the snow in other parts of the country this morning. Our forecast for Christmas day this year? Sunny and 50 degrees. Pff.

Payton... Snowmageddon 2010

Mason... Snowmageddon 2010

Nika... Snowmageddon 2010

Some of my favorite memories from my childhood involved snow... and I want that for my babies. Please Mother Nature... deliver!

::

Cookie project for my in laws (read: if you are my in laws, stop reading now)...

What you'll need:
Grasshopper cookies
Candy canes
White chocolate

1) Smash up some candy canes.
2) Spread the Grasshopper cookies out on wax paper.
3) Melt white chocolate.

4) Coat each cookie in white chocolate. ~~I hope you are better at melting chocolate than I am~~.

5) Sprinkle crushed candy cane onto each cookie.

Wa la!

I forgot to take a picture, but we packaged the cookies up nicely and attached a picture of the kids decorating the cookies. To: Grandpa and Grandma, Love: Mason, Payton and Nika.

We had to let the cookies sit overnight so the chocolate could harden. Rex must be starving, because the crazy dude dove head first into our candy that was left over.

Reeexxxxx!

::

It's tradition for our local fire department to bring Santa around on the firetruck each year. An ambulance leads the pack with sirens blaring, cueing the children to bolt outside to catch a glimpse of the jolly old guy. This year it was just Nika and I at home... we ran to the curb and she stood there staring, in awe.

There is something about moments like this, when it is just her and I. It allows me to slow down, give her my full attention and feel the moment with her in the spotlight. I stood behind her getting a bit weepy, taking in the enormity of the situation through her eyes. I couldn't help but think about how different her life would be today if she hadn't been adopted by our family... and about how a moment like this would never be happening.

These are moments I crave... because I love this kid and I never want to forget our journey.

::

We had our annual cookie baking day this past weekend... grandma, aunts, cousins, grandchildren. We all pack up and gather to bake and decorate cookies. Unless your name is Payton... then you lick a lot more frosting than you smear.

Family cookie baking day is one of the things I most look forward to each holiday season.

As we baked, we talked a bit about the closeness of our family... my aunts are like mothers to me... my cousins like sisters. My cousin joked that her friends are always saying, "You are always with your family!" Yup... we tight like that. I can't imagine it any other way... these girls are my soul sisters. ~~And sadly I only have photos of the kids because I accidentally deleted the others... oopsie~~.

Embrace your family. Enjoy the holiday. Do it while you can.

::

The winners of the BusyBodyBook are...

#2

Beth said...

Oh my, that calendar looks so much more organized than mine:)I use a regular old calendar that my newspaper sends me every year in January...teeny tiny boxes and all filled up, usually having to write into the next day! Drives hubby crazy...he thinks I am nuts for not using an online calendar. I have little time to get online and figure it all out, i tried using Cozi and failed miserably. And i tried a large dry erase, that didn't work either...paper calendars are easier for me!!
Anyway....just wanted to add that Nika sure is a beauty..then and now. Precious!
And the elf thing...its all up to me as Rod is out of town every week. I am running out of ideas....YIKES, how many more nights do I need to do this, LOL!

#16

nicole said...

I use the busy body planner thanks to your blog post last year and I love it and would be lost without it!!!!! I follow your blog all the time!

Nika is so beautiful! So is the others!

Nicole
Nmills25@verizon.net

Ladies... please email me with your mailing address so I can get them in the mail to you... yay!

BusyBodyBook anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:18:00 +0000

When we met Nika, back in September 2008, we left a disposable camera with her caregivers to take pictures of her in her baby home before we went back to get her in November 2008. When we returned, they gave us the camera and I could not wait to see what was on it.

Well... we got home and the camera was nowhere to be found. I swear I looked in every piece of luggage we had taken to Russia... nada.

Fast forward to the week before Thanksgiving this year... Kyle pulled out an old duffel bag to pack for our cruise. Lo and behold, there was the camera. I have no idea how we missed it back then, but whatever... we got it now.

So I took it in to be processed... and there was a whopping five pictures on there. And only one of them was of Nika. I'm going with the one-is-better-than-none philosophy.

Here she is... taken sometime between September and November 2008... she turned two years old that October... chunky monkey...

And here she is now... just turned five years old... gorgeous as ever...

That is three years in the life of a former orphan.

Me: Nika, who's the Russian?
Nika: (proudly tapping her chest) Me!

::

So this elf thing... I hear some people are sayin' it has gone haywire. I'm just sayin'... I think it is fun and hilarious. ~~Granted, this blog post is equally hilarious~~. And my kids like it... and, and... stuff. C'mon people... it's a little holiday fun. Good memories for the children... although yes, the bar has been raised* and we can never go back. But it's okay... just one more good memory my kids will have from their childhood.

*Just hope that your kid doesn't talk to his friends at school and come home saying, "But Johnny's elf brought him a dog... man, our elf sucks!" I think my neighbor told my husband that something similar happened. Oopsie.

I have stepped aside to let my husband have the private conversations with Rex, our elf. Because my ideas for Rex suck... and my husband is a genius, apparently. Who knew?!

Exhibit A:

Rex was GONE FISHING. And dude, he was wearing Barbie's sunglasses. I'm sorry, but this is hilarious. Or maybe it's just me... but I am still laughing at this picture. Genius husband, genius.

Exhibit B:

Rex watched Elf, the movie. Popped himself some popcorn and plopped his butt in front of the tv.

Exhibit C:

Rex hijacked our angel and decided he deserved the honors. ~~Dude, my tree lights suck~~.

Exhibit D:

Rex planking on our pot rack.

Exhibit E:

Rex sent Mason on a scavenger hunt to find him this morning, knowing Mason is the first one up every morning. Clue number one was left on the remote control... guess we all know what Mason does when he gets up in the morning.

Yesterday, Rex nuzzled himself up in Payton's doll's bed. He had the kleenex and some cough medicine at his bedside. Mason went there for clue two.

Enter the gingerbread sleigh for clue three.

And Nika's mustache for clue four.

Clue five... the toilet papered Christmas tree.

And clue six...

That's all... for now. *snickers*

::

Coming out of the stone age to admit that I have never used Pandora before. I'm a little slow to catch onto these things... I think I waited a few years before I bought into Facebook (~~which I wouldn't mind boycotting at this point)~~. But today... my Pandora is kickin' and I'm happy. I typed in my New Kids on the Block love and it's pumpin' out some Vanilla Ice, Roxette, Rick Springfield, Justin Timberlake and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.

I.love.this.thing.

Oh yeah... Journey just came on. Just a small town girl... livin' in a lonely world...

::

Giveaway time... enter, the infamous BusyBodyBook.

'Tis my favorite.thing.ever. I gave away four last year and I have two to give away this year for 2012.

BusyBodyBook weekly grid planners are every mom's go-to time management tool for controlling the chaos of her family's multiple and hectic schedules. BusyBodyBook personal and family calendars provide individual family members with their own personal column to organize, easily view and follow their schedules and activities - and the ability to coordinate with each other ‘side by side’.

The award winning BusyBodyBook weekly grid format provides the clearest view of everyone's daily and weekly agendas. You'll easily spot overlapping schedules, avoid double booking and easily find more time to just relax with the family or for that pilates class you so need and deserve.

To enter...

1) Leave a comment on this post telling me what type of planner you use now and what you love or hate about it.

and

2) Follow my blog (see sidebar) -------->

Contest closes Sunday night at midnight EST... winner will be announced Monday. Good luck!

Love these girls.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:08:00 +0000

We have laughed together and cried... plenty. We have had good times (plenty of those, too) and bad. We are completely in sync with each other, for just one reason... we all have experienced the birth of a child that has Down syndrome. We get it... and we get each other. The bond that we have is unbreakable and any of us would be there for the other at the drop of a dime... no questions asked.

These are my Down syndrome mommies. And one of us is moving away. Linda, one of my closest friends, is leaving me. Wah!

True friendship isn't being inseparable... it's being separated and nothing changes. ~Unknown

We surprised her yesterday... oh, did we surprise her. She cried. We knew she would. Because that is Linda... and that is the love we have for each other. We can't help it... we can't control it.

A farewell party... just us, cruising the countryside and sipping on wine.

Friends through thick n' thin... friends to the very end... I think you would agree... that's how it is for you and me. ~excerpt from A Friend Like You by Geoff Moore

We enjoyed ourselves at a few wineries... got a little tipsy too. ~~Or maybe that was just me... the non-wine drinker with zero tolerance~~. A bittersweet day for Linda... for all of us, really.

Amidst the blue skies and crisp air, the coziness of the holiday season was among us. If ever there were a way to tie it all together... this was it. Perfect.

No matter where we go... be it through the highs and lows... I will be by your side... 'cuz you and I are friends for life. ~excerpt from A Friend Like You by Geoff Moore

Moving causes so many mixed emotions for me. Life gets in the way for so many of us, making it hard for us to see each other as often as we would like. The telephone has become my best friend... and I know that will never change, whether we live 20-some miles from each other or 2000-some. Some of my best friends live half way across the country... and we have that connection that distance can't touch.

A part of you has grown in me, together forever we shall be, never apart, maybe in distance, but not in the heart. ~unknown

Love these girls.

Don’t be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before we can meet again and meeting again, after moments or a lifetime, is certain for those who are friends. ~unknown

This ain't the end sister, it ain't the end. ♥

::

Housekeeping matter...

The winner of the Freckles & Firecrackers hat is Ellen Stumbo. Congratulations Ellen!

Clutter be gone.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:55:00 +0000

If I had a dollar for every time in the past few years that I have said that I need to get organized, I'd be rich. Once upon a time... my sink was not piled high with dishes, my laundry room didn't have clothes scattered in every direction, my kitchen table wasn't full of school papers that belong to Lord knows who... you catch my drift. Thus began life with my babies.

*photo courtesy of Stephanie Ascari photography

And I love them so. But my organizational skills are gone... mostly because of all the added stuff that my babies bring to our home. I always have big aspirations... but you know how those usually pan out. But now... now, I'm gonna git 'er done. Swear.

A couple years ago, I needed a solution for the kids' backpacks and coats. The kids would come home each day and throw their stuff on the floor and go. I knew this little nook off of our foyer was the perfect spot.

To this day, this is one of my favorite little areas of my house. I know, right... don't take much to keep me happy. It was rather cheap to put together... although there is no price that you can put on organization for your kids' clutter.

Supplies:
1 wooden ledge (mine is from Pottery Barn)
1 canvas print of my babies (or whatever else you want to set on your shelf)
3 frames from Michael's craft store (I reckon they still have these in different colors)
3 sheets of white scrapbook paper
3 wooden letters
1 can of spray paint
3 vintage hooks from Target

I chose amber colored accents because my dining room is opposite this area and I wanted the colors to compliment each other. The frame assembly is simple: dispose of the glass, replace it with scrapbook paper (a printed paper would be cute), glue the spray painted wooden letter to the scrapbook paper and wa la. The ribbon came tied in a bow, but I snipped it and tied it into a knot around the nail for a more streamlined look.

Tip: Make sure you use anchors for your hooks... they take a huge beating from the kids using them every day. And... I used to have a big framed image on that ledge... one day it fell when something hit it and the glass shattered. My advice... keep the area kid friendly and use a canvas (Canvas on Demand makes a beautiful canvas... save 25% on your order using code sleighbell25 now through December 11th).

Done.

Since then, I came to realize that I needed a solution for all the stuff that comes home in their backpacks. When you have three kids emptying folders all at once... things tend to get confusing. "Whose paper is this? Who brought this home. Whose book?" Between that and the things we keep at home to work on (i.e. sight words, tracing books, math worksheets, etc etc etc)... there is crap everywhere that ends up getting buried and lost. Sigh.

Enter the mailboxes.

I have been on a mission to find mailboxes like these for awhile now... much harder than I thought it was going to be. I ended up with these baskets from Michael's craft store (don't forget to use coupons)... perfect for what I envisioned.

I also got multi-color alphabet scrapbook stickers to spell out their names on their mailbox... love. I had to glue them because of the basket weave... easy peasy. The mailboxes are sitting on the counter in our butler's pantry (our builder named it that, not us... Payton killed our butler), right off the kitchen for easy access.

Clutter be gone. Ha... we will see.

::

Mason: Mom, I can't find the elf.
Me: I saw him upstairs.
Mason: You did?! Where?!
Me: In the bathroom... he hijacked your toothpaste.
Mason: But the book said he isn't supposed to go upstairs.
Me: Well... Rex has been very naughty this year.

Seriously... if I'm gonna keep up the wonder of Christmas, I need to get on my game. Mason has questioned everything this year.

Mason: How did Rex get stuck in the middle of the tree when he wrapped toilet paper beneath him?
Me: Well... he is magic and he must have jumped.

Hilarious. I wonder what Mason thinks in that cute little head of his when I tell him these things. Probably Dude, my mom is whacked!

::

We are off to revel in some more holiday cheer. Meanwhile... check out this gift guide from The TomKat Studio... I will take one of everything, please.

Try to be creative in your gift giving... I promise they who receive will never forget.

Open publication - Free publishing - More babies

Reminder... enter to win an adorable hat from Freckles & Firecrackers... contest closes tonight at midnight EST.

I love the wonder. And... a giveaway.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:14:00 +0000

We are counting down the days to Christmas with books this year. The kids take turns opening a book to read each night. To prevent arguments amongst my lovely children over who gets to open the book, I used three different wrapping papers... one for each kid. We just finished reading tonight's book about Christmas carols... we sang and sang... and my kids shushed me.

Dear Santa... For Christmas, I would like to be able to sing. Love, Bethany

I bought 20 kids' Christmas books at our local used book store for $21... a used book store is a must for this project. The other four books... well, three of them are actually videos... one for each kid... and the fourth book is 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, which came from our collection.

I'm just patting myself on the back for actually being on the ball this year and having a countdown to Christmas. I made a pact with myself to get things done early this year... so far, so good. Our holiday decor has settled in for the winter.

And my cards are sent. Booya.

I love the wonder and beauty of the holidays. It gives me the warm fuzzies.

We spent this past weekend soaking up the beginning of the holiday season.

We worked on our gingerbread sleigh. Mason decided he should take off his shirt and anything that Mason does... Payton follows. Not sure when my kids became so concerned with getting themselves dirty but... there ya have it. Ha.

Payton really enjoyed the frosting. Literally. She preferred to eat it, rather than give to her reindeer. "Mmmmm," she kept saying.

We did crafts at our community holiday extravaganza.

We cozied up on a horse drawn hay ride... hooves clacking, bells jingling and sporadic singing of Christmas carols.

And the kids got to see the jolly guy in the red suit.

We hit the local holiday parade... one of my favorite traditions.

And Rex is back. This year, he is up to no good. Mason was less than thrilled when we discussed the fact that Rex may be coming back... but now, he can't wait to get up in the morning to see what Rex is up to.

::

Time for a giveaway... and there are more to come. Just a few of my favorite things. ♥

I lurve hats on my babies. Nothing warms a momma's heart like seeing those sweet little cheeks peek out from beneath a hat that gets "Oh, I love that hat!" or "Where did you get that hat?!" everywhere you go.

Enter Freckles & Firecrackers. An adorable little business that is run by one awesome momma and her momma... and they just so happen to have an adorable little someone with Down syndrome in their lives. ♥

One random commenter from this post will win their choice of hat from Freckles & Firecrackers. Contest ends Friday, December 9th at midnight EST and the winner will be announced this weekend.

Check out their etsy page here... and their facebook page here. And use coupon code 12days for 25% off your order... only now through Friday, December 9th at midnight EST!

Although we are already past their cut off date for Christmas, they have agreed to offer an expedited option just for you... click here for details. This offer is only good through Friday, December 9th... so hurry!

Good luck!

::

Favorite deals of the day:

Best Buy has the Nintendo 3DS for $169.99 (retail value) plus free shipping... but you get a $50 Best Buy gift card with your purchase. Net cost of 3DS = $119.99.

~~Best Buy has the Nintendo 3DS Madden NFL game for $7.99 plus free shipping... go, go, go... not sure this will last! Retail value is $29.99.~~

And ... if your child needs a clear case to protect their Nintendo 3DS... check this out on Amazon... dude, it's only $.12... yes, 12 cents! Retail value is $14.99.

Got any good deals to share?

sail away, sail away.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 04:19:00 +0000

i have never been on a cruise before. for me ... doing so was more of a fantasy. i get motion sick very easily and the thought of being on a ship for days on end made me nervous. all i could think of was how incredibly sick i got on the deep sea fishing trip i went on when i was younger. no thanks.

fast forward to a few months ago ... my cousin and i decided we were going on a 4-night cruise. i figured i could take dramamine and wear those oh-so-stylish sea bands ... right? well, all nerves aside ... my sea bands did me well.

sail away, sail away.

the sail away party could be described in three words. beer. music. and dancing. it was all i had ever envisioned a sail away party would be. you know, if there had ever been a time that i envisioned such a thing. the moment you realize you are worry free for the next few days ... as you sail away into the horizon = serenity.

that night we went to dinner, saw a show and perhaps got a wee bit nauseous. we went back to our cabins to endure the motion of the ocean. luckily ... night one was the worst and the rest of the trip was not as bad.

to our surprise, our bed had been turned down and teddy bear was waiting. before we embarked ... mason had given his daddy his teddy bear to take on our cruise ... because he loved him. aww ...

each night we also had towel animal creations waiting for us. it became a guessing game as to which little guy we would get each night ... on our last night, we put in a special request for a monkey. and we got him ... but, i think he was a grim reapin' monkey.

day two. we ported in freeport. i guess we did not really know what to expect, but when you know you are porting in the bahamas ... you envision white sandy beaches and little bahamian shops.

sunrise coming into freeport

freeport = not so much. more like ... big concrete slab and taxi drivers waiting to take you somewhere, as if you have any clue where to go or who to trust.

we approached an older trustworthy-looking gentleman and asked for advice as to where to go. we knew we wanted a beach and so he told us to "go wait over there". we soon learned that you cannot get a taxi cab with less than 10 or so people ... all jammed into a small van that feels like it could break down at any moment. our driver, david, was awesome though ... he taught us all about the bahamian culture.

we made our way to junkanoo beach. and all i have to say is that crusty old van ride was so worth it. junkanoo was heaven on earth. silky smooth sand. crystal blue water. the hum of jet skis in the midst. and drinks in hand. a true tropical paradise.

the minute we stepped onto the beach, we were bombarded by locals. i will admit ... they were very nice and quite entertaining. my cousin and i had a hard time telling the women no ... they all had their sob stories and we felt so bad for all of them. their stories were all true, no?

"pretty lady, you want braid? how about necklace? there's lots of competition ... please buy from me."

"get your tshirts! blue light special ... buy one, get none. life time guarantee ... call
1-800-BAHAMAS direct."

i could spend a lot of time at this place. at i sat with my feet in the sand and a drink in my hand, i couldn't help but imagine weekly trips to junkanoo with the kids. one can dream, no?

we basked in the sun for a few hours and then hailed a van taxi to town ... where the marketplace was. we shopped a bit ... and got everything we needed to top off our tropical paradise. you know ... where else do you get to drink from a coconut? my cousin had to have it.

we made our way back to the ship for a night at sea. we took in sunset from the upper deck and i got ballsy with dinner that night ... seafood. i really do not like seafood. but for samson ... i ate seafood.

samson was our waiter. we.love.samson. he was hilarious and made dinner one of our favorite parts of the cruise. he is from india ... we enjoyed getting to know him and learning more about the culture in india. oh ... and he about had a heart attack if we tried to order a hamburger or something else not-so-gourmet ... so, seafood it was on this particular night.

day three. nassau.

sunrise coming to into nassau

getting off the ship in nassau was so different than freeport. everything we wanted was right there. shops, restaurants, bartering with locals. but first up ... snorkeling.

could the water be any more gorgeous?

we took a huge catamaran out on the water with 100 or so other people to go snorkeling. we sat on the bungee cord nets in the front, elevated right above the water ... that was fun and everyone ended up with tic-tac-toe butts. ha.

once we anchored, we all put on our snorkel gear and hopped in the water. oh wait ... my cousin geeked out at the last minute and did not go. sad.

peace.

oh my goodness, we laughed so hard at each other. i don't know why it was so funny, but it was. kyle couldn't get his mask on and my life vest ended up choking the hell out of me because it wasn't strapped tight enough to my body.

but once we got ourselves together, we were good to go. gotta say i expected to see more color ... the reef didn't have much to offer. nonetheless, it was still a fun experience.

once we got back to the ship and showered ... we took on nassau. it was refreshing to shop in the stores and not be called a pretty lady every two seconds or be badgered to buy things. some of their gift shops were insanely cute and i'm kicking myself for not buying a few of the things i saw.

then we took on the locals. and again ... my cousin and i felt so sorry for all these women. it was late afternoon, so many of them had their children sitting there with them ... clad in school uniforms and all. they were adorable.

as we walked through the streets of nassau, we met winston. he had a woodworking shop that he wanted to show us ... or possibly he wanted to sell us uh, something else. we snapped his pic and kept right on walkin'.

at sunset, we headed back to the ship for dinner, drinks and shows. the dancing and singing shows were great ... but tai, the girl that hosted superstar live: karoake, was hi-larious. oh my gosh ... we laughed so hard at her. she basically is there to help and sort of make fun of the people singing. we loved watching her show.

as we waited for dinner, we had fun with my camera at the atrium bar. asking another person to take a picture while shooting on manual settings and using focal points = almost pointless. the staff person who offered to take our picture then fell deeply in love with my camera and just wanted to keep shooting us. she was pretty funny.

camera recovered and given to our boys = even more pointless. but still cute, fuzzy and all.

love this girl.

damn. there i go flashing signs again. did i seriously think to myself .... "self, it would look awesome if you double flashed peace right now."

ha ... such a loser i am. but i still love this girl. my baby cuz.

day four. fun day at sea.

a whole lot of this ...

and this ...

and a very happy 12th anniversary to my husband. my best friend. my love. 16 years we have been together ... that seriously seems like an eternity, but we must be doing something right because i love this boy more today than ever before. love him.

so when is the next cruise?

cousin love.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 03:35:00 +0000

the bash.

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:53:00 +0000

our baby girl turned five and we did it like we like to do.
nika's halloween birthday bash.
it has become an annual thing.
costumes required.

i admit it.
i go all out for birthdays.
i love to do it and so i do.

the damn cake balls gave me a run for my money.
but i think i conquered.

every year ... someone complains about having to wear a costume.
never fails.
afterwards ... they realize just how fun it can be.
you're welcome.

my aunt and uncle ... above on the right.
prize for most improved costumes.
last year they were bacon and eggs.
ha.
no ... for real ... i think they took second place in my imaginary costume contest.

velma and her twin showed up.
fred, shaggy, scooby and the ghost too.
the ghost (my niece) was all popping her eyes out like she was saying, "boo!"
hilarious.

as ~~bad~~ luck would have it ... the day of the party was quite possibly the coldest day of the season.
cold. rain. snow.
we had to take the festivities inside.
i'm not sure my house will ever forgive me.

there on the couch you can see the mad hatter.
he wins first place in my imaginary costume contest.
his family was dressed as alice in wonderland.
and his costume was awesome.

donut on a string.
we did it last year too ... the kids love it.

we are so blessed to have so many great people in our lives.

happy birthday to you.
happy birthday to you.

happy birthday dear nika.
happy birthday to you.

thank you to stephanie ascari photography for capturing our day on film.
these memories are priceless.
thank you, thank you.