A Big Milestone....

Today, Emma Sage experienced a big milestone......she lost her first tooth!!!

She had a little help. She and Ben were dancing, and Ben got a little bit silly and next thing we know, Emma Sage is crying, as Ben hit her in the mouth with his foot [yes, he must have been break-dancing]

I go to her and see blood, so I go get a wet washcloth.....after we dry up much of the blood, I start to look into her mouth to see what the damage was.

Boy was I surprised when I realized her front tooth was missing.

"Did you swallow something hard?" I ask her

"No" she replies...."it fell out of me."

So we get on our hands and knees and search the shaggy rug.

We found it!!!!

I cried.....as this is such a big milestone.....my last baby has just lost her first tooth!!!

Is she soundly sleeping with the tooth under her pillow?

No way.....she was quite freaked out about the whole 'Tooth Fairy' coming into her room and night and taking something from under her pillow and replacing it with a coin.

She has decided that she wants no one visiting her while she sleeps....

So she is sound asleep and her tooth is under a pillow on the couch downstairs [she decided the 'Tooth Fairy' was allowed to get her tooth downstairs, far away from where she is sleeping! lol!!!

Enchanted......

What is the greatest gift you can give a child?

A Memory......

A gift of a moment in time.

Last Wednesday, we celebrated with my nieces Kelsy and Fiona and my nephew Connor their Christmas Present from our family. We gave the the gift of 'A Memory'

My sister dropped the kids off in the late afternoon. We had a pizza party at my house and then we headed off to the movies to see the movie E*N*C*H*A*N*T*E*D on opening night.

I made the children up little goodie bags of their favorite candies....



and then we got 'PopCorn' and drinks at the theatre.....

and what fun we had!





All the kids loved the movie.....especially Emma Sage. She sat up on my lap,,,,at the edge of my knees and just belly laughed at all the funny scenes. She fell madly in love with Giselle and wants to see the movie again [I do too]

We then headed over to Coldstone for ice cream before we headed home.

What an amazing evening........and a gift that they will remember forever.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Birth and Death

One of the greatest gifts I have received from Emma Sage is a sense of Peace.......when I conceived her, I felt her soul enter into my body and this incredible peace came over me.

I remember telling my Mother about the experience and how at Peace I felt, as at that moment I realized [with incredible clarity] that our souls are eternal.....that our bodies are just the vessel our soul travels in while on this earth.

Upon the early passing of my own dear Mother ~ I miss her physical presence dearly, but I know her soul is eternal and I feel her spirit often.....in memories of the life we shared, and in moments with my own children, it makes me realize that it is these memories ~ these times shared that make up the true meaning of life.

Today our lives were touched by both Birth and Death.

We welcome with great joy and happiness to our family ~ Maggie Pearl, daughter of Taylor and Rachel [my cousins]....she is welcomed by her family with love and faith. Her big brother's Henry and Luke will help guide her and help her celebrate childhood together [watch out Maggie, your brothers love to play and will take you on many magical adventures.]

Congratulations Taylor and Rachel, Grandma Jan and Grandpa Jeff.....and Mamie [this is your 22nd great-grandchild....what an incredible blessing!]

and on Death......

Sadly, last night a friend of Katrina's died in a car crash.

Jeff Korba was a Talented young Musician who loved life and lived it to the fullest.......he was a brilliant star here on earth and I know he is shinning brightly for eternity. Rest in Peace Jeff....rest in peace.


Birth and Death
By Sri Swami Sivananda
Birth and death are two illusory scenes
In the drama of this world:
Really no one is born, no one dies,
No one comes, no one goes.
It is Maya's jugglery,
It is play of the mind;
Brahman alone exists.
There is birth for the body alone,
Five elements combine to form the body;
The Atman is birthless and deathless;
Death is casting off the physical sheath.
It is like deep sleep;
Birth is like waking from sleep;
Be not afraid of death, O Ram!
Life is continuous.
The flower may fade but the fragrance floats;
The body may disintegrate,
But the immortal fragrance of the soul
Always will remain.
Learn to discriminate
The Real from the unreal;
Think always of the Infinite
That is birthless and deathless.
Transcend Maya and Moha,
Go beyond three Gunas,
Give up attachment for the body.
Free yourself from birth and death
And merge in the Immortal Essence.

Horripilation...........

Or a fancy way to say 'goose bumps'

That is exactly what overcame my body on the Monday after my long road trip with Emma Sage to visit with friends in Indiana.

One thing that I wanted to add before my story is this.....I have always experienced dreams, premonitions [deja vu] throughout my whole life. My great-grandmother had clear experiences with dreams, as well as my Greta. It is just something that we experience. I never read into them and just allow the experiences 'to be'

I also believe that anything is possible in this world.....I am open to all thoughts and ideas.

So, during this interaction with Emma Sage, my body literally was covered with raised bumps....as I know that there is no way this child fabricated this exchange with me, as it was a totally spur of the moment conversation.

and I wanted to just add this picture at this point......because the person Emma Sage spoke about is in this picture:


So, here is my story:

On the Monday after our road trip to Indiana to visit with friends [who traveled from all around our country and Canada] I asked Emma Sage "Who was your favorite friend you met this weekend?"

She looks at me and says "Kenny"

I start to search my mind for a 'Kenny' that she met [as there were many siblings there also, and I didn't know every ones name]

I ask her "Kenny who?"

To which she replies "Kenny ~your brother"

I try to keep my startled expression to my self and ask her: "When did you meet Kenny?"

"He was riding in the car with us Mommy" was her response.

"Oh, I say......I'm so glad you liked him the best" and left the whole conversation at that.

Emma Sage went off to play and I was left shaken.

You see, my brother Kenny died tragically a week after Emma Sage was born. She never got to 'meet' her Uncle....but I truly believe that his spirit was along for our long car ride, through the twisty, turning, pitch-black roads of Ohio and Pennsylvania.....making sure that Emma Sage and I were safe on our journey.

{In the picture above, my brother Kenny is on the far right of the picture and my brother Michael is in the middle....I took this picture of a picture at my brother Michael's house on Thanksgiving}

Happy Thanksgiving.....

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."~Melody Beattie



Today was a beautiful day.

First, the weather was incredible....70 degree's.

I had some wonderful moments of personal success. I stepped on the scale this morning and I am officially down 40 lbs......yes, you read that right, 40 lbs. I actually have 40lbs more to go....But I am half way there [actually, after the next event of the day, I have decided that my final goal will be 50lbs more.....but hey, I celebrated like I was half way there, since that was my original goal that I set a few months ago]

How am I doing it? I am following a program in the book titled 'Eat to Live'....and exercising.

That brings me to the next event of the day.

I ran my first 5K...........I did it, I finished in 37 minutes 31 seconds. My sister [who had finished 12 minutes ahead of me] came back to the race about 3/4 of a mile in and ran the race with me....pushing me ahead. When we crossed the finish line [Patti's second time of the day] I looked towards the heavens and told my Mother how much I loved her. She is part of the reason I am finding myself again.........


My number and ribbon.

Otto and Connor ran together and came in at 38minutes10seconds....I was so proud of the two of them.

We then headed to my Michael and Victoria's and had a lovely feast......Delicious food, drink and time spent together with family.

I am so very Thankful for all the blessings in my life.

Here are a few pictures from our gathering.


Ronan, Rori and Emma Sage


Waving to heaven to say "Happy Thanksgiving Nana"

Cousins.....It was impossible to get all three to look at me at the same time....ah, if only I had a quicker camera!


Lovely Miss Rori


Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum.....PopPop always plays this game with the grand babies and they just love it!!!


Emma Sage and Daddy-O........she just adores her Daddy


The sunset.....truly magical

Katrina, we missed you dearly, but know you had too much fun at Uncle Doug and Aunt Janet's.

To all of you.........I hope you had a day that was filled with family and friends....that your bellies were full and you went home with memories that will last a lifetime.

S*K*U*N*K*E*D

Skunked......kinda like being 'Punked' by Ashton Kutcher but a whole lot smellier!

Yes, that is a Skunk that our dogs Lucy and Harley are fighting with......sadly it was a no-win-war, the Skunk lost his life and the dogs smell like Holy Hannah!



....and yes, you may laugh at me and with me. At first I cried [actually was horrified at the scene] and then after a while [and the smell dissipated] I laughed. I've done a lot of laughing.....each time I wash one of them...apply the 'treatment'. I really laugh at them when I tuck them in to their beds in the garage at night [they are spoiled dogs who sleep in cozy bed's inside, so they are really feeling the wrath of the Skunk these last few nights]

Turning the World Upside Down

Well, today was probably one of the best days of my life......truly it was!

You see, I spent the day on the campus of Princeton University [one of my favorite spots, as Princeton has this magical aura about it that makes you just want to stay and continue to soak the spirit in.....the architecture, the history, the enthusiasm of a younger generation that is out to change the world]

Today, gathered on the grounds of Princeton, where hundreds of students that were volunteering their time and energy by promoting Down syndrome awareness....hosting a carnival for the children, whilst the parents and caregivers attended a conference.....they were changing the world, and I believe they will venture forward with their lives and will carry with them an understanding about Down syndrome that is far greater than they could have ever imagined.

First, I forgot my camera.....I was in Somerville, half way there from home, when I realized I had forgotten my camera. Now don't laugh, but I actually cried. Poor Otto was not sure what to do.....he realized that I was one crazy Momma, but he also knew how much I love to capture our days on film. I survived, plus there were many students with incredible camera's taking pictures of the whole day, so I know I will get to visually remember the events later on.

Emma Sage had the time of her life....she truly did. First, she got to see her 'bestest' friend Devaney, and they spent lots of time together [and actually they both had little melt downs at the end of the evening when they realized it was over and they had to part ways........Emma Sage thought that Devaney was going to sleep-over and held fast to the cell phone the whole drive hom awaiting a call from her friend] 'I know, bad Momma for allowing her to falsely believe what was not going to happen, but hey, I had to get her into the car somehow!'

I spent most of the day with Emma Sage and Otto at the carnival with a one-on-one volunteer. Her name was Lauren and I am so sad that our paths have only crossed for such a short time......Emma Sage adored Lauren, and Otto said that they had the best time together and that Lauren was incredible with Emma Sage. Lauren is a senior and is majoring in public policy. She shared with me that she had an older brother with Autism and I know going forward, Lauren is going to have a very positive impact on the world.......it is so inspiring to see young adults who 'get-it'.

A group of us [Nancy, Robin, Jessica] from the 'Gifts' book spoke.......again, I was so honored to be part of such an phenomenal group of woman.

.....and one of the greatest moments of my day came right at the end. I met and chatted with a woman that I respect greatly and a woman who raises her voice for all people with Disabilities.......I so wished the day had not ended, as I could have sat and chatted for hours with Patricia E. Bauer....thankfully from me [and all of you reading] Patrica has a blog where she uses her gift of writing about issues that impact people with Down syndrome and other disabilities. You can read her blog here and if you click on the link below, you can read her current article that appeared in the Washington Post this past week.

So here I am back at home......my mind is full and my heart is bursting with joy....

Thank you ~ Princeton Class of 2010..........you are the future, and the future is very bright indeed!!!!

Bias......

If the Test Says Down Syndrome
We need a prenatal screening process without a bias toward abortion.

By Patricia E. Bauer
Friday, November 16, 2007; Page A33

All across the land this fall, people have been gathering to promote awareness and acceptance of Down syndrome. Central to their message is the idea that people with the condition are valued family members who lead happy, fulfilling lives............

Please take the time to read the rest of this article, as it is an insue that is extremely important to know..........especially if you love someone with Down syndrome.

Mom, Will you Please?

"Mom, will you please put that camera away, can't you see I'm on the phone?!?"





Talking to Katrina [Nini] on the phone at Panera's....where we went after our photo-shoot and before our trip to Home Depot to get paint for Greta's room [sorry Nini.......you are all moved out! lol!!!!....no, not really, but you will not recognize the bedroom when you come home for Christmas]



You know, Emma Sage is truly just a 'typical' young girl....she loves to chat on the phone [and she always answer the phone at home "Hello, who is calling please"] and she actually thinks that this is HER cellphone [not her Momma's] She knows how to find numbers in the address book and she has even sent 'text messages' when she is not supposed to......now mind you, those messages look a lot like this~~~~~~~ [kyulsoblooowjglesl lodl hoewoedkfaoiweoi] lol!

This Down syndrome Community......

"Of people in this country has been tremendous!"

Those are a few of the last words on this video clip of Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers on an interview on CNN.

You can see the video clip here: CNN Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers

I couldn't agree more........not only is her son going to bring her more Joy that she could ever imagine, he will broaden her heart and soul and mind.

I wish I could bottle up all the gifts that I have been given by having Emma Sage in my life. She has enriched our life in more ways than I could ever count or imagine. She has made me fully human and I am ever so thankful!

But the greatest gift is being a part of this 'Down syndrome Community'.......of people whose lives have been touched by someone with Down syndrome.....it is a community that's tapestry is rich and colorful....warm and inviting.

This Saturday we are going to a conference held at Princeton University.........it will be a visual sign of the power that T21 has on the lives of people that it touches....it is such a powerful and positive spirit.

Thoughts of Christmas......

Well, close enough. We tried to get a photograph today for my Christmas Cards. Sadly, with Miss Emma Sage and her ability to move quickly, and my camera with such a long shutter lag, the project was not a success. Oh, how I would love to beable to purchase a nice digital SLR with a great lens........the pictures I could capture. lol!!! Someday, someday soon I will own one. I just know I will!!!!!





Yes, Emma Sage is a bugger.....she will hold a pose for a split second and then bam....she is on to something else! At least Greta and Otto will wait for the shutter to finally release.


Doesn't Otto look handsome in his glasses......


I loved this one of Greta and Otto.....

The Joy of My Heart.....

These were taken last summer [I'm going through CDs since my computer crashed and trying to back them up to my brother-in-laws 'Iron Mountain' so I never have to think of loosing another precious memory again.

There is a town north of us called Newton. There is a great store in a shopping center that is now empty, except for the great store we like to go to go to get great deals on shoes. The seagulls have moved into the parking lot and since there are little to no cars in most of the huge parking lot, Emma Sage loves to run around and feed and chase the seagulls.

I just love this picture of her running.......Just pure JOY!!!

Not Made In China......

There is a new blog that is geared with providing information and links to safe children's toys and games. With all the recalls coming out of China, as a Mother, it makes you leery to purchase anything from China. I personally, have tried to be a good consumer and watchdog and if I can avoid it [and that is a very hard thing to do, as it seems like everything these days is being manufactured in China] to buy first, American made products.

As a long time subscriber to Mothering Magazine [I actually was reading Mothering long before I became a Mother because the woman I was a Nanny for while I was in college subscribed] I have always shopped the Marketplace and/or shopped at the small, Waldorf inspired Toy store near me [sadly, the store closed this year and now I must find a similar store locally for this holiday season]

So, if you are interested, here are two links to quality children's toys and games.

The first is the blog with the same title as this post 'Not Made In China'

and the second is the Market Place link on Mothering.

I also wanted to remind you all that not only is there a problem with toys, pet food, etc....but look closely at the housewares you are using. Check any pottery or china that you eat off of, or keep food in, to make sure it is lead free and safe.

You can also go sign a petition that is being sent to congress by Consumer Union [which is a non-profit of Consumer Reports] at Not In My Cart

Some Pictures.....

OK, I promise I will get back to blogging about our days and life...soon.

Here are some pictures that I just loved that I have taken over the last few days.

Miss Rori......came for lunch this week. What fun Emma Sage had with her cousins....and Aunt Victoria got to visit the 'Top'OBarn' alone. The 'Barn' was my Mother's favorite place to go.....she loved to look and look and buy and buy. She got the best deals [and loved to eye the deals other people had gotten to before her!.....Mom, I so miss you]


Babies, Babies Everywhere.
This is Brooke [the little one I watch] and my neice Sadie......Are they not two of the most precious little babies you have ever seen?


Ronan and Sadie.....when I saw this picture I thought of the 'Three Monkey's' See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil......as Ronan's eyes are looking down at his sister, he is covering her ears and she is covering her mouth with her hand. "I know, I know,,,,I'm crazy" lol!




Emma Sage being silly with Uncle Geoff [at Otto's Football game]

Fall......

I love Fall.......it is one of my favorite Seasons.

This Autumn we have had a changing of the colors just as I remember as a young girl....where the leaves held on for a long time, rotating brilliant colors and lasting.....till today.

Last night we had a killing frost. The big Maple in front of our house was showering down golden leaves all day. It sounded like rain, as they fluttered to the ground, landing upon the leaves that have been escaping their branches little by little over the last few weeks.

As I drove the children on some errands, we watched Maple after Maple letting go of their leaves........like today was the day for Maples. Tomorrow it might be the oaks or sycamores.......I tell you this fall has been spectacular.

I was out early gathering some firewood to start the stove and was captured by the show the Maple was displaying....so of coarse I had to film it [I tried still, but you could not see the magic of leaf after leaf falling] so I video taped a little bit of it. You can hear my cats meowing in the back ground and of coarse my silly voice.

I just had to share this little moment of my day....

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting

My College Girl

I know I have not even shared our trip to Florida, to take Katrina to College at the end of August. When I got home, a few major events were going on in my life, and sadly, I have not had a chance to post about our trip, or all the other activities we have been up to.

Katrina is loving college....it is the perfect school and location for her. She is blossoming and living and loving life. Her classes are going well, and she is making lots of friends and having the time of her life.

If you have a moment and would like to send her a letter or card, I know she would LOVE it!!! Momma has been sending care packages [homemade cookies and Banana Nut Bread] but my letters and cards seem to get written whilst I'm reading and relaxing in bed at the end of a busy day, and they are piling up on my nightstand.

Her address is:

Katrina Hintz
Flagler College Student Box #883
P.O. Box 1027
St. Augustine, FL 32085-1027

and here she is sitting outside her dorm room........


and here is a picture I took of the back of my car and her College Sticker with all the fall leaves and colors of home [you don't get an autumn season change in Florida....so I figured I'd share it with her]




We miss you Nini.....and we love you dearly.

Love is Taking the Time.......

Learning to throw a Frisbee with Daddy. It took a few tries, but by-golly, she got it and is loving playing Frisbee with everyone.



Thank you Aunt Linda, Daddy and Greta for taking the time to play and play.

Teen Possibles

My GodMother lives in Nova Scotia......she and my Mother were the dearest of friends.

When I saw this group, I realized that Emma Sage and I needed to head north and visit Bernadette soon and that I needed to look into forming such a similar group here, so that Emma Sage and her friends can have a cool weekly activity like this as she reaches her teen years.

Take a quick look at this Teen Group.....It will make you smile.

Teen Possibles [click this link]

A Birthday Celebration

Today is the Birthday of a very dear friend. Please stop by her blog 'Bump on the Road' and wish her special Birthday Wishes today............as her friends and family are hosting a CyberBirthdayParty in her honor.

"Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends." -- Cindy Lew

Notes that Bring a Smile to a Momma's Face

Last night, after Trick-or-Treating, I quickly checked e-mail before heading off to bed.

This is the note that was in my Inbox:

Mr. and Mrs. Hintz,
I just want to relay to you the wonderful thing that Otto did during recess today. One of his classmates was feeling really bad that no one was playing with her and she started crying. Otto went over to her and got her to stop crying and offered to jump rope with her. Mrs. Miller and the girl held the rope while Otto jumped. After a few minutes several other classmates joined Otto, Mrs. Miller, and the girl. It was a very touching moment and made possible due to Otto's kindness.

Conrad Haenny
6th Grade Math Teacher
Woodglen School

~*~*~*~*~*

Ah, what a blessing it is to be a Mother.