This is just too darn cute.....

You have to click on this link to see a toddler version of 'Grease'......

Emma Sage just thinks this is the funniest thing ever......and I have to agree with her!

The creativity of people just amazes me........

Less is More Christmas Club

The Less is More Christmas Club........yup, I am a member! Well not exactly, as the club is not really an 'offical' club, but I found the ideas by "Momma says...." to be eaxactly what I have been trying to focus our Christmas for my family.

There are eight weeks till Christmas. I have vowed to make all of my gifts for my family and friends this year [so you know what I've been busy planning....and doing], and I am organizing myself so that I can just celebrate the season as opposed to running ragged trying to get everything done.

Our focus this year will be cookies and fudge.

The main reason[s] is that it is fun. It is something I did with my Mother my whole childhood. We baked and we baked.....and decorated and decorated. It was such a huge part of my own childhood and a tradition that I have been passing on to my own children. Though sadly, over the last few years, we quickly try to bake our treats, but in the rush, we have been missing that all too important time of creating a fun memory [as oppossed to a chore that needs to get done]....so this year it will be different, as the cookies and fudge will be the focus of our gift giving, so the gifts will be made slowly and with love and attention.

The Fudge.....My Mom made the best fudge in the whole world [and I have sampled lots of fudge through the years] and she truly did! So I will try to create the same magical and incredible fudge of my Mom's.

So today, I vow.....to savor the up coming 8 weeks.....to create a holiday season of love, to share and celebrate.

I Like Stars.......

Emma Sage is so very excited to be reading....yes, she is reading. It is the beginning steps of reading, using sight words and picture clues, but she is reading, and this little girl has to sit everyone down and read to them. She loves this book, I like Stars! and so do I!!!

Enjoy my little girls bed time story to you.........

The Story of Jack-O-Lantern

Well,,,,you all know that part of my heritage is from the Emerald Isles.....and a part of my heritage that I feel so very connected to. My dear, beloved Mother shared with us the magic of Ireland in stories, amazingly woven, stories throughout my childhood.

When I hear Gaelic, I feel so at peace, like I'm where I should be. When the Gaelic comes to me in song, I feel transported across the ocean to a home I have never been too, but one that I know I need to go.

So since today is Halloween and we are going to carve our pumpkins in a little bit, I thought I'd share with you all the history to why we carve pumpkins on All Hallows Day.

~*~*~*~

The Jack-O'-Lantern was brought to North America by Irish immigrants. According to the legend, Jack was a mean, miserly drunk. Jack was smart enough, however, to entice the Devil into climbing an apple tree so he could help himself to the juicy apples near its top.

As soon as the Devil climbed the tree, Jack cut a sign of the cross into the tree, thus preventing the Devil from climbing down again. Jack then extracted promise from the Devil that he would never try to take Jack's soul.

When Jack died, he tried to get into Heaven but he was turned away because he had been such a mean drunk during his lifetime. Jack then went to the gates of Hell, looking for a place where he could spend all eternity. True to his word, the Devil refused him entry.

Jack asked the Devil where he was to supposed to go now. The answer he received was, “Back where you came from!” Since it was a dark night and Jack had a long journey ahead of him, the Devil gave Jack a lit coal from the fires of Hell.

Jack took the coal and put it inside a turnip, which he was carrying at the time. He used this unusual lantern to help him find his way.

Ever since that day, poor Jack has been doomed to roam the Earth, searching in vain for a place to rest.

Children in Ireland carved potatoes and turnips to make lanterns to be used on Hallowe'en night. When large numbers of Irish immigrants settled in America as a result of the Irish Potato Famine (1845-1850), they started using pumpkins for this purpose and so our familiar Hallowe'en tradition of the Jack-O'-Lantern came into existence.

So there you have it!!!!! Now when you see a carved pumpkin, you'll think of poor Jack who wanders aimlessly, being neither accepted at the gates of heaven or hell.

~Ooooooo,,,,,there are Witches in the Air

~Ooooooo,,,,,there are Witches in the Air, and I caught a photograph of our sweet Witch Greta flying through the air on Sunday!!!



and here she is in color....



and here.....


Pretty cool, huh? We took these while she was jumping on the trampoline. The Witches dress is a costure I altered for her many years ago, it is a 1940s Vintage Black cocktail dress....paired with funky stockings and a spooky hat, my little Witch really seems like she is flying through the air!!!

Boo!!!!

Sharing a beautiful Montage

Sharing a beautiful Montage about a little girl named Hannah!

Make photo slide shows at onetruemedia.com

Enjoy!

Ack! he's eating my brains!

I found this image while exploring Explore

Ack! he's eating my brains!
Originally uploaded by Turtblu.

at Flickr and just had to share it, as when Emma Sage saw it she just laughed and laughed.

We have to carve our pumpkins tonight. We sadly missed last night at my Dads with Uncle Mikey and Aunt Patti, as we were without power for four hours yesterday, and my pile of wet laundry needed tending to as soon as the power came back on.

Boo!!!!

Toys R Us The Big Toy Book

Guess who is in the TOYS R US BIG TOY BOOK?

On Page 47......

Sitting Pretty in the Jeep Hurricane.....

Litte Miss Emma Sage

and on page 41, is our friend Emma Grace!

Emma Sage met her friend Emma Grace at a Toys R Us photoshoot a year ago........and her Momma and I have become e-mail friends. The two got to see each other again this past September at the NDSS New York City Buddy Walk.......and there meeting up was so delightful, as the two of them wer so excited to see each other and greeted each other like long lost friends!

Here is a link to the photos I took of our adventure into NYC this spring for the photoshoot that took this shot for the Big Toy Book [can you tell I'm so excited my little girl made the BIG Christmas holiday issue!!!!]

So look in your Sunday papers tomorrow, and if you happen to have an extra copy you don't want, I'd love to recieve it so I can add it to her box of treasures.

Hunterdon/Warren Field Hockey Champs

The Voorhees High School Field Hockey team won the Hunterdon/Warren tournament this afternoon at Hunterdon Central High School [on Turf] by a score of 3 to 2.

Let me tell you, this was a very exciting game. Both teams played awesomely and the stick work and passing was amazing.

Greta's cousin Erica was awarded the MVP!

Here are a few pictures of the day. [again, I don't have a good camera these days, so this was the best quality I could master of the event]


Greta is in the second row, 2nd from the left,,,,her cousin Erica is in the second row, 1st from the right.


Cousins........


Final Score.....Voorhees 3 ~ Warren Hills 2
[a very intense game.....very intense]

and look what greated us as we got home.......a beautiful rainbow!

Bring a friend,,,,wear your costume

Wednesday's dance class was an extra special dance class....it was 'bring a friend' and 'wear your costume for Halloween' day.

Well, Emma Sage just adores dance, and she also adores her cousin Fiona, so that is whom she chose to join her at dance.

This dance class and dance school [Broadway Bound] is truly an amazing place for Little Miss to be dancing at......the teacher is wonderful and all the little girls in the class [there are 9 dancers in this class] are sweet, friendly and so very nice to my little girl.

Emma Sage is in heaven with the beautiful wooden floors [the last two years dance class was held in a nursery school, on a small carpeted area, with no bars or mirrors] fully mirrored room and dance bars for ballet, plus this class combines ballet and tap [and Emma Sage just loves to tap, tap, tap, tap].

Here is a group shot.....I don't have a good camera these days, and missed Emma Sage looking forward.....Fiona is on the bottom left with Emma Sage sitting right next to her. Arn't these little dancers adorable?

I'm a Little Daisy

I'm a little Daisy, dressed in blue

I am a Girl Scout, you are too

When I go to meetnigs, I sing and shout

I love being a Daisy Girl Scout!!

[sung to tune of "I'm a Little Teapot"]

Guess who is a Daisy Girl Scout?

Yup,,,,Little Miss Emma Sage!

We had our first meeting today [8 girls in the troup]......and guess who is a co-leader?

Yup.......you guessed it,,,,ME!

Funny story, I was not planning on being a leader [just not enough spare time] but told the director of our council that I would be at every meeting [just incase they need something] and the next thing I know, I'm 'co-leader' with another Mother [Cheryl] who also had no intentions of being a leader [but when no one will take the responsibility of a troop....and you want your daughter to be a Girl Scout, you step up to the plate and pitch in]

What a wonderful day. Emma Sage had a blast and all the little girls are wonderful. As you can see by the smile on her face.....being a Daisy Girl Scout suits my little girl wonderfully.

Welcome to Holland.....the song

Here is a beautiful song about the unexpected, but glorious, trip to Holland [giving birth to a precious child with Down syndrome]

Welcome to Holland - by Will Livingston
Click above to play

Boo.....What fun....

The homeschooling with Down syndrome group I belong to had this link posted today. Emma Sage has been having the greatest time with this cool virtual pumpkin carving tool.

Pumpkin [click the word pumpkin]

Boo!!!

Buddy Walk

We had our local Buddy Walk on Saturday. It was a beautiful fall day and Emma Sage had so much fun! My sister and her children joined us. I loved it,,,,my siser was even able to nurse baby Gabriel while walking the walk!!! Our local Buddy Walk is quite small and it is in a remote area of the Reservoir, so that most of the walkers are just family and friends.....but it was so much fun to meet up in a relaxed setting with all of our members [we are a very small group of maybe 15 to 18 regular members on a monthly basis] and the children had so much fun playing, dancing and doing the walk.

There is one little girl that Emma Sage adores. Her name is Devony and Emma Sage loves to play with her.


Two little swingers.....Emma Sage and Devony


My little swinger........I just get lost looking into Emma Sage's eyes.


Kelsy, Connor, Fiona and Gabriel at the BuddyWalk

Greta and Gabriel........ah, cousins, sweet, sweet cousins.


Otto hanging around at the walk.....


Doing the L*I*M*B*O


How low can you go.....


What fun!!!

Emma Sage's new beloved Kitty, Nona [from one of her favorite books, Strega Nona] passed away. Nona was out and got hit by a car. We have never lost one of our kitty's to the perils of the road, and it is so sad that our first loss was such a loved kitty.



We had a funeral for Nona and she is buried in the back gardens, and Otto made a little cross planter box to put flowers in it for Emma Sage.

Emma Sage has been saying, "My Nana died........My Nona died, I"m so sad."

So what is a Momma to do......

Emma Sage has a new kitty.

She named it 'LOVELY'.

Last night Greta was telling Emma Sage that 'Lovely' was not a girl but in fact a boy.

"No, she a girl" Emma Sage replies...

"No, Emma Sage, Lovely is a boy, see look he has a penis" says Greta

To that Emma Sage replies....

"That's not a penis, that's just her tail!" lol!!!

Lovely is a boy, but once he is fixed, it won't matter if Emma Sage thinks 'he is a she'!!! All that that kitty will know is love, lots and lots of LOVE!

A favorite picture from our Buddy Walk

This is one of my favorite pictures that I took at our local Buddy Walk on Saturday. I don't have a good camera anymore, so this was a hit-or-miss moment....and I'm so excited that it was a 'hit'. This is Emma Sage and her friend Lindsy [who is such a sweet-heart] and Lindsy's dog Velvet! We actually had met up with Lindsay and her family at our first National Down syndrome Congress Convention in Minnesota in 2004!

I have more to share, but alas....my pillow is calling my name!

Welcome

Welcome......Welcoming.......

Over the coarse of the last three and a-half weeks, so many thoughts and memories have flooded my mind. A whirl-wind of emotions.

I tried to think of one word to describe my Mother. There are so, so many words that could be used to describe her spirit and beautiful aura. My mother was beautiful, both inside and out. She was the most nurturing and giving person I have ever met......and she inspired me to always be and do my best.

As family and friends traveled from across the oceans and across the many miles of her home in America....the word Welcoming came to mind.

As we sat at the Memorial Service given in her honour at the Hunterdon Medical Center last week,,,,,,a room filled to standing room only, and a very crowed Standing room only. From the CEO of the hospital to the staff of housekeeping....every person there knew and loved my Mothers spirit.....her Welcoming nature and ways.

Welcome. The Claudaugh door knocker on my own front door was a gift to me from my Mother....her way of transfering her Welcoming Soul to my home....a reminder that the door is always open for family and friends.

The sign above my porch door, a gift to me from my Mother, is craved with the words "Enter With a Happy Heart"...........another reminder of the Welcoming Spirit of my Mother.

My whole life was filled with family and friends in our home......everyone Welcomed.....everyone made to feel comfortable....to belong.

Friends of mine growing up, would always comment on the joy and friendship that radiated from the woman and men gathered at the kitchen table...while my Mother made tea and offered treats.

If a person had no place to go for the holidays [many of the workers my Mother knew from her daily rounds at the hospital, delivering and picking up the linen....my Mother knew and cared about every person that work at that hospital over the last 27 years]........if they had no place to go....they were Welcomed in her home or our homes. There was always room and fellowship available and offered to others.....Everyone was always WELCOMED.

At the visitation for my Mother.....many, many women came up to me and echoed the same thing.....

"Your Mother had lots of friends.....BUT she was MY BEST FRIEND"........

and I would smile, because I knew exactly what they meant.....my Mother was a dear friend to many and she was also MY BEST FRIEND too!

Yesterday I had breakfast with my Mother. I had to drop Greta off early for the PSATs and I grabbed a coffee and muffin and headed to the graveyard. It was a beautiful morning...so clear and crisp....the leaves of the trees in full color. It was comforting to sit there in the early morning........a place that may seem sad to others, but to me....it is one of the most WELCOMING places, as my Mother is laid to rest there.....and she was the most WELCOMING person I have ever known.

Make an online slide show at onetruemedia.com

Innocence

I belong to a group called 'Photo Friday'. This weeks theme is Innocence.

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower:
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.
- William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

My Brother

My Brother ~ Two Brothers, One Soul

is an inner city, New York story, of two impoverished boys, one of whom is developmentally disabled, and the bond of love they have for each other. This bond, forged in their youth by their mother, and made under lifes most desperate circumstances, is unwavering even in the face of adversity. In the present, one brother, trying to get free of oppressing debt, falls prey to ruthless men, setting in motion life-threatening events that test their greater-than-blood bond. This leads to a decision that only an epiphany, and courage, can overcome. My Brother is coming soon to a theater near you (January/February), and debuted July 22nd as the closing night film at the HBO-sponsored American Black Film Festival, where it won both the Audience Award for Best Picture, and the Founder's Award for Acheivement in Independent Cinema.

My Brother just made its New York premiere October 6th, 2006, at the Harlem International Film Festival , sweeping the Awards, winning the Audience Award for Best Picture, Best Actor (Nashawn Kearse) and Best Actress (Vanessa Williams).

My Brother was written and directed by Academy Award-nominee Anthony Lover, and stars Vanessa Williams, Tatum O'Neal, Nashawn Kearse , Christopher Scott, Rodney Henry, Donovan Jennings, and Fredro Starr. My Brother was produced by Gregory Segal, Gingi Rochelle and Leslie Ann Fouche, and executive produced by Michael Malagiero. The director of photography was John Sawyer. My Brother was produced by Liberty Artists in association with Angel Baby Entertainment, and produced out of Liberty Studios, the oldest continually-running movie studio in New York City. Check out the website, and make sure to check out the trailer and behind-the-scenes documentary. It is nominated for Best Picture and Best Actress at the festival.
[Above information from the 'My Space' site of My Brother]

I encourage all of you to request that this movie be brought to a big screen near you, so than everybody gets a chance to see this independant film. I have signed up to be able to order the DVD as soon as it is released.