Stella recently turned one. No longer a baby; now a toddler. She received a beautiful doll from a dear friend. I love how the picture turned out with the fresh pink peonies in the background.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Dolls and Peonies.
Stella recently turned one. No longer a baby; now a toddler. She received a beautiful doll from a dear friend. I love how the picture turned out with the fresh pink peonies in the background.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Or wait for mail from people they haven't written
Or still in middle age ask God for favors
Or forbid their children things they were never forbidden.
May hatred be like a habit they never developed
And can't see the point of, like gambling or heavy drinking.
If they forget themselves, may it be in music
Or the kind of prayer that makes a garden of thinking.
May they enter the coming century
Like swans under a bridge into enchantment
And take with them enough of this century
To assure their grandchildren it really happened.
May they find a place to love, without nostalgia
For some place else that they can never go back to.
And may they find themselves, as we have found them,
Complete at each stage of their lives, each part they add to.
May they be themselves, long after we've stopped watching.
May they return from every kind of suffering
(Except the last, which doesn't bear repeating)
And be themselves again, both blessed and blessing.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Jack Kerouac
Monday, February 28, 2011
Daffodils.
Chase picked these for me. The first ones to come up in our front yard. The only unfortunate part is that he let himself out the front door to pick them. Yes, alone, in the front yard. But he came right back and exclaimed, holding the flowers behind his back, "Mommmmieeeeeee, I have a surprise for you!"
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Balloons.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Once Broken.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
My Voice: Published
Editorial to be published in the Tennessean (http://www.tennessean.com) next week:
I stand strongly against the rezoning of Franklin Special School District. Our son, Lucas Breeding, age 5, has a diagnosis of Williams syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, autism spectrum disorder and apraxia of speech.
He attends the Communication and Social Instruction (CSI) class at Poplar Grove Elementary. The community needs to be aware of this program that exists in our area. For some reason, it seems to be a secret to many. This is something we should celebrate as a part of our community.
The communication and social instruction classroom, offered from pre-k until the 8th grade, has dramatically and positively changed Lucas's and our family's life. One of the many benefits to this program is that Poplar Grove elementary offers a balanced calendar. Children with intellectual disabilities can experience severe regression during long breaks which is what the traditional calendar offers. It can take months to recoup the skills lost during a traditional summer break.
If this rezoning is about social agenda, I have one I'd like to share with you. Part of my personal story is about social justice for those with disabilities. The unfortunate thing is these are members of our community who often aren’t able to advocate for themselves, in fact, some cannot communicate at all.
When Lucas started the Poplar Grove CSI class, he was three years old. He could not walk, talk, feed himself, play appropriately, or make eye contact. He tantrumed and would not follow directions. It was debilitating to us as a family.
Today, Lucas is doing many of these things. This progress has been amazing to watch. We are a part of a study at the University of Louisville for children with Williams syndrome. Each year Lucas has two days of intensive testing followed by a meeting with Dr. Carolyn Mervis, cognitive expert in Williams syndrome and director of the study. When she met Lucas, age of two, she considered him to be on the severe end of Williams syndrome. Devastating to hear. A month ago, when we went for testing, Dr. Mervis emphatically stated that he was no longer in the severe range and has progressed to mild.
We believe much of this progress is because of his team at the Poplar Grove CSI preschool class, a balanced calendar and the commitment from the teachers, therapists and administration. A move from “severe” to “mild” is tremendous.
Poplar Grove has spent 11 years working on their program for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as well as other disabilities. ASD is very specific disorder, hindering communication and social interaction and is growing at an alarming rate. It calls for the specialized instruction and the balanced calendar that PGS provides.
What is the plan for the children that don't have a voice? Are we going to trade one minority for the other in the name of equality?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Nekkid Ice Cream.
Full of excitement to finish his ice cream after bath, Chase couldn't bother with clothes. Something to admire and try to reflect in our own lives.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Goodbye, my friend.
We said goodbye to our 17 year old Border Collie yesterday. It was much more difficult than I had anticipated. What a faithful friend she has been to us.
Today, I am immensely thankful for the 17 years with had with her.
"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." - Roger Caras
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Place To Be Right Now.
February. 17 degrees. Sitting right by a roaring fire.
Today, I'm thankful for a fire in the fireplace.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Emily.
I'll be the first to tell you that as a mom of three, I can't do it all. Oh, how I know those moms that can exist and I envy them. You hear you have to have a village to raise a child. Part of my village includes our part-time nanny/babysitter, Emily. She is amazing with our children and has tons of experience. We've known her for years. I jump up and down with sheer joy on the days she comes.
Today, I'm grateful for Emily.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Train Tracks.
Today, I'm grateful for the train tracks constantly underfoot.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Fun Jewelry.
Today, I'm thankful for creative jewelry and the artists who create it. Even if I can't afford it!
This Land is Your Land, This Land is my Land.
In our United States, we are allowed freedom of speech, the right to worship at our own descretion, the priveledge of having a government one can complain about and praise according to their beliefs.
My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills,
My heart with rapture thrills.
Today, I am thankful for my country.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tubtime.
Today, I'm grateful for how completely wonderful a freshly bathed baby is.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Girlfriends.
Today, I am immensely grateful for my dear girlfriends. I simply don't know what I would do without them.
Monday, January 31, 2011
40 Minutes.
Today I'm thankful for the small yet precious time to myself. And pretty toes to boot. Well, maybe not pretty since the polish is black. More rock and roll!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Pink Clouds.
Chase: But Mommy, come look at these pink clouds! Pink is my favorite color!
Sometimes, in my frustration that my kids won't do what I tell them to do, I forget that they may be actually doing something much more important, like admiring the January sunset, clouds glowing and lighting up the world with a hazy pink color.
Today, I am thankful that I have someone to make me stop and notice lovely pink clouds. And that pink is Chase's favorite color.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Vintage Theater Seats.
I've only purchased a handful of things from Craigslist but every time I've met the most interesting people and come away with a perfect household item. Yay for Craigslist and yay for vintage anything!
Today, I'm grateful for my new theater seats and Craigslist.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Words.
Lucas is counting now and loves numbers. His articulation is poor but still, you can understand he's counting to 10!
Today, I am grateful for Lucas's growing vocabulary and verbal expression.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Snow Day.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
8:00 p.m. Knitting.
It would probably be a lot easier to write a blog about the daily struggles and complaints. The reason I'm writing this is to try to remove myself from those easy thoughts and challenge myself to live a life of gratitude. I don't come by gratitude naturally.
Everyone who said three children would be a lot was right. Three kids under the age of five. One with special needs, one with an extremely strong-will and an infant. I'm not the crafty mom. I'm not the mom who bakes or makes chicken pot pies or who keeps up with the laundry. I'm definitely not the mom that's going to make you wonder "how does she do all that?". I'm just the mom who is doing the best I can. I'm not going to tell you I love my job. I love my kids. But my job is the most difficult thing I've ever done.
So, here's to knitting a bath mat when the house is quiet and my feet are propped. Today, I'm thankful for knitting.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Meal Swap.
Each week, two friends and I make enough food for all three families and then exchange. I make a large amount of whatever I'm making and get two meals my friends have made. That means there are two fewer meals I have to think about and prepare. It makes the week easier. It makes life easier.
Today, I'm grateful for meal swap.
Recipe:
Chipotle Sloppy Jens
Ingredients
Cooking spray
- 2 1/2 cups presliced Vidalia or other sweet onion
- 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- 1/2 cup prechopped green bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
- 5 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted
Preparation
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Little Girl in a Pink Tutu.
I was apprehensive about having a girl. Having already had two boys, I felt that was my duty in life...to raise boys. I was afraid of raging mother/teenage-daughter fights and issues that seem so beyond me now. This little girl has blessed me immensely and shown me a different kind of love, one I have never felt. A love that glows and grows and amazes me in every way.