Turkey Trot, Flemington, New Jersey ~ 51:11.............

Fifty one minutes and eleven seconds. That is the time of Emma Sage's FIRST 5K.

She DID it!!!!


Just before the race....


She is just too funny......



She ran and ran....and walked. But she did it......she kept on going. She thought the water break was cool and she was jogging and drinking and then tossed her cup off to the side like an old pro.

There were lots of volunteers on the corners [who remembered Emma Sage from Special Olympics so they really cheered her on] She was also the greatest cheerleader, as she would pass people and say "Come on...you can do it!"

On Main Street she started sprinting and had a smile bright across her face [ I so wish I was able to get a picture of that, but I was running with her and there was no way to carry a camera].....and she was waving and blowing kisses to everyone along the streets cheering her on.

Her first Turkey Trot. How cool is this first milestone?

My cousin [actually it is my first cousin once removed......I figured out how

to do all that on a Google search once when I was trying to figure out how to classify cousins.

Man do I love the Internet and how easy it is to research the most random topics]......

Anyway, the quote below was posted on my Cousin Beth's CaringBridge website.

She was going through some clippings and it is from Nelson Mandela's 1994 inauguration address. The quote moved her greatly now [and I know when she first found it, as that is why it is in her clippings....and something I realized that I share with her, as I have clipped and saved things my whole life...so it must be a genetic thing!].

My Cousin Beth is a bright light...she has a smile that is dazzling and a personality that is just as radiant. So, I wanted to share her post with you all here.....as she asked that we read the passage ~ "this truly explains how I feel today. There is such a natural "high" in it that I want you all to hop aboard" and then I added my own piece to the post.....a photograph of my little light to share with you all.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear
is
that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves,
who am I
to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born
to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us;
it’s in everyone.
And as we let our light shine,
we unconsciously
give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fears,
our presence
automatically liberates others."

Me and My Best Friend

I did not take this photograph......it was taken at the NDSC Convention in Boston this past summer.

I was looking at their website tonight and stumbled across this, that I just had to share.

These two adore each other and I am so Thankful that they live close enough that they get to share their friendship in real life play dates. We will be seeing Devany this upcoming Sunday at the Princeton University Disability awareness conference.



and I realized that I have photographs to go through from this past spring, up until now......I must find some time to go through them and upload them here. as Emma Sage has had lots of adventures and I really must share!

The use of Ginkgo, Prozac and Focalin as a "treatment" for Down syndrome


A combination of drugs recommended for depression and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder is being widely promoted as a "treatment" for Down syndrome. There is no scientific support for the routine use of this protocol by people who have Down syndrome. It is important that families and healthcare professionals are aware of the lack of evidence for safety and benefits from use of this protocol.



Please, please, please click on this link and read the entire article. LINK



Thank you Nicole for sharing this.

Bwtifl

So what do you think the above word is?

Well, to me, it is one of the sweetest words I could have read, as you see, it was written by Emma Sage on a paper from school and she wrote it all on her own in a sentence.

The paper went like this: Thanksgiving is a time for being thankful. Draw a picture of someone or something that you are thankful for. Write a sentence telling why you are thankful for that person, pet, or thing.

Well, I was given this paper last night at my Parent/Teacher conference, and Emma Sage's teachers were so proud of this paper, as it was a drawing of me [thank you Emma Sage for making me very skinny] and written on her own following the classroom prompt, was

"I am thankful for my MOM bekas she is bwtifl"

Emma Sage is beginning to love to write. She still gets fatigued after a while and multiple sentences are still a struggle for her....but single sentences and using a whole word process, she is writing on her own.....sounding out words and writing them!

I am just so excited to see this, as this is truly the beginning of her being able to independently express herself. She is good at prompting and copying text, but this is independent writing......

So, it was very funny for me to see, a paper she decided to write on her own at home for her brother Otto. They were playing and on his encouragement, she got a little out of hand and hit him. She felt bad, although when he got this paper from her, he was actually the one who apologized to her, as he knew it was an accident.

She felt bad that she had hurt her brother that she wrote.....

"I am sorre"

and as Thanksgiving approaches, I am so very thankful for all the blessings in my life....and I'm overjoyed with Thanks on this new development in Emma Sage's writing.

Come Vote for Emma Sage

I submitted this image to
the catagory of 'Beloved'
in JPG magazine.....
if you click on the image
it takes you to the voting page.

Emma Sage [and her Momma] hope you'll vote for us!

Peace and love, Tara Marie & Emma Sage

This is for Nini

Emma Sage was home from school today. She had a very rough week.......completely exhausted and complaining that her stomach hurts [but no indication of a stomach virus/intestinal bug] and a few inappropriate behaviors at school [not like her at all].

So last night she was in bed by 7 pm.....at 7 am this morning I went to wake her. She wouldn't budge. She was like a zombie.........and she has been as pale as a ghost and her eyes have been red around the edges [she looks like a zombie] We had a blood draw to check her wbc, and we are going to the doctors tomorrow.

I let her sleep.....which was another three hours. She also took a 3 1/2 hour nap this afternoon, and after I post this, we are headed into bed to read books and go to sleep.

But during her awake time, we took a nice walk [to fill our lungs with fresh air] We stopped by the river where the kids throw leaves and rocks over the wall of the little bridge. Little miss was sitting on the stone wall and told me to take this picture to send to 'Nini'

So Katrina,,,,,her is your little 'Peace' girl. She misses you and loves you dearly!

Have a great weekend.

Your children are not mere lumps of clay
waiting for your expert hands.
They are the very energy of the universe
and will become what they will become
They are sacred beings.
If you tamper with them
you will make everyone miserable.

They will find success
and failure.
They will be happy,
and sad.
They will delight you,
and disappoint you.
They will be safe,
and at great risk.
They will live,
and they will die.

Stay at the center of your own soul
There is nothing else you can do.

~The Parent's Tao Te Ching
by William Martin

Hunterdon/Warren Field Hockey Champions

Well, this has been an incredible week....[with events and emotions ranging all over the spectrum]

Two years ago I wrote this post: Hunterdon/Warren Field Hockey Champs

and then last year, I wrote this post: Hunterdon/Warren Field Hockey Champions

and now today, I write: Hunterdon/Warren Field Hockey Champions for the 3rd Straight Year [and a new tournament record]

Voorhees High School beats Warren Hills 1 to 0


and the MPV of the game......................


Our dear, sweet.....
Greta Hintz


Two years ago, the MVP was Greta's cousin, Erica Hintz [who is playing division one Field Hockey at Rider University.......


How amazing and wonderful this is...to have two of our our girls as part of the history of Voorhees Field Hockey and for both to be chosen MPV of the game.

and in the above picture, one of the teams great FANS, Grammy. The girls are blessed to have many fans....parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, who have been at every game cheering the girls on.




This was one of the best games I have ever seen on the high school level....both teams are phenomenal in their stick work and team work. This was truly the elite of high school field hockey this afternoon. Just incredible!

The girls also had a big game on Thursday, which placed them as the Group Champions in their division and on Monday the start of the State Playoffs begins.

If you can send off well wishes on Monday at 2 p.m., I know that there is a team of dedicated, hardworking and tenacious girls who would greatly appreciated them.



Congratulations Girls........Yeah Vikes!!!!!!!!!