Thursday, June 30, 2005

Neurodiversity ~ A word I really like

http://www.neurodiversity.com/

Food for thought.....

Diet Coke with Lime 'You nut!' Posted by Hello
A Diet Coke can with Lime,,,,,sounds unassuming enough. But this, Diet Coke with Lime, can was such an amazing tool for my little girl the other day.

Emma Sage and Rick were sitting eating lunch. Rick had a can of soda that he was drinking from and Emma Sage had a plastic cup of juice. First the can became a piece of fine glassware and the two of the toasted to each other, 'ding' she yells and then a huge ...CHEERS!'

Then Emma Sage sat chatting with her Daddy [he has been traveling lots so these times together are very precious].......and she says 'E......E for Emma'....and Rick responds, 'yes, Emma starts with E'...not realizing she is looking at his soda can. Then comes 'O....O is for Otto' and Rick replies the same 'yes, Otto starts with O'....but he notices that she is studying the letters on the Diet Coke can. He looks up at me with this big smile [as to say,,,WOW,,,look how smart our little girl is] and of coarse I respond with the same proud smile [thinking to myself....yes she is a very smart and cleaver little girl].

Then comes, C.....C is for Cookie and the 'ummmm,,,ummmmm, ummmm like Cookie Monster does when he says 'C is for Cookie' and eats the cookie all up!

So I stand in the kitchen just watching this interaction.....and they chat a little more [I think Rick is thinking she is done identifying letters] but I see Emma Sage checking the whole can out....then comes, "i,,,,,,I is for ice cream" and then points to her own eye and says "EYE" [she is right, they sound exactly the same and she hasn't yet mastered the sight word for eye,,,,so to her i,,,is for the eyes you have to see with]. Then she points to the D and says 'D.......is for Daddy' and blows him a big kiss. Rick looks over towards me in the kitchen and I can really see the surprise and wonder in his expression on watching his little girl identifying letters randomly from the soda can....so the game continues. She finds the K and yells 'K.........for Nini' [her name for Katrina, although when we work with our letters I always use K for Katrina]........and Emma Sage is getting very excited. She pulls the can closer to her.....'L.......for Lucy' and her Daddy says 'and for Lunch' and Emma Sage just laughs her sweet little laugh at him for his addition.......So she keeps searching to continue the game with her Daddy. She finds a T and says 'T........is for Mommy, Tara'. She finds the Z in the word oz. and is excited because she says 'O...Otto,,,,Z,,,Zorro'.....and hunting she continues. She seems to be getting frustrated and I know why....she is searching for a G for her beloved sister Greta and can't seem to find one. I tell Rick to help her look, because she is about to tip the can over looking. He picks it up and study's it and says he can't find one....then he moves the can sideways to read the wording that is positioned on the side of the can and he spots it....so he holds it carefully sideways for Emma Sage to look and asks her to see if she sees any other letters....she looks, and looks [the writing is very small] but then she finds it!!!!! 'G...........for Greta' she yells....and there sure enough in the word Georgia is the letter G!!!!

I have to tell you.....this was such a delightful scene for me to watch.....To see my dear husband so taken back by his little girl,,,,he was so proud of her.....Watching Emma Sage take a simple observation and turn it into a very fun game was incredible to me. She realized the pattern she was doing by identifying the letter of all the people in her family, and continued on till she got everyone.

Man, Life is truly a blessing and today watching a little girl and her Daddy enjoying a lunch date together was just a blast.

Saturday, June 25, 2005

You're writing the story of your life one moment at a time.

We went to the Chester Fair this evening.

It was such a gorgeous night out,,,,Very warm but with a slight breeze to make it just perfect. The air felt rich and smelt sweet.

Emma Sage loved all the sights and sounds,,,,except when it came to the fireworks and this is what we heard [Me no like that],,,,,,Emma Sage not like the fireworks]. Her way of pronouncing (like) is like a Southern Belle with it all soft and drawn out like this [Liiiiiiiiike] and it just melts my heart to hear it, but I was sad that the noise of the fireworks scared her. She likes to peek at them in the night sky, but turns to hide her head when the noise accompanies the visual display.

We played games, waved to people riding the merry-go-round, ate funnel cake and Otto ventured to try the fried Oreos, yum!

When we arrived home, Emma Sage was so glad to be [At my house] and ran to the front,,,stopping like a buck in headlights and yelled…[Mommy look, fireworks in the yard],,,,,,,,and there were lightening bugs lighting up the dark grass,,,and it truly looked like little fireworks twinkling and twinkling. So my little girl got to see [quiet] fireworks,,,and to her, those lightening bugs twinkling in the yard were just as grand as the big display at the country fair.

A warm soak in the tub, to rub off the scent of the fair and off to slumber we go.

Gosh, how I love a summer night like this one,,,,,,,I know all of the children will dream about the sights, sounds and smells of this evening and tuck them into their memory bank of a wonderful childhood evening, and as the quote above states,,,,,,they are writing the story of their life, one moment [like this evening] at a time.

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

an elixir of the Gods.....

'There is only one-way in which one can endure man's inhumanity to man and that is to try, in one's own life, to exemplify man's humanity to man.' ~ Alan Paton

My little sunshine does exactly that,,,,,everyday this little nymph of mine exemplifies man s humanity to man. She is always aware of everyone s emotions around her,,,,,,she is so in tuned with people. She watches,,,,she interacts,,,,she challenges,,,she comforts,,,she loves to make you laugh!

Emma Sage is quick with a smile and a hello to everyone [from people to animals] that she meets,,,,and the smiles are returned to her most of the time. Sometimes she catches people off guard, when they are too busy with their life, to notice the little things around them,,,,,but she captures them with her precious smile,,,,,,,,and they seem to pause for a moment to then realize the sweetness and genuine desire to connect with another human being, before they return their own bright smile back.

I love watching this little girl out in public,,,,,,,it is the best medicine in the world,,,,,,,to watch her joyfully greet everyone she meets.

If I could bottle up the essence of my daughter,,,the joy,,,,the purity,,,the goodness,,,,,the simply beautiful way she touches the heart and soul of others, I would have a potion that would rival the world ~~~an elixir of the Gods.

Thursday, June 16, 2005


Silly girl! Posted by Hello

When we returned from the recital and reception,,,look what ended our day....a hot air balloon floating across the property! Posted by Hello

Standing in the circle of dancers, listening to Ms. Denise talk to her dancers....what a very special day. We love you little girl. Posted by Hello

Swiftly and carefree,,,,,,,you danced like the wind in your first dance recital Posted by Hello

Getting ready to get on stage for her first dance recital.... Posted by Hello

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

May you always feel loved.......

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand. May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with courage and optimism. Always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone. May you discover enough goodness in others to believe in a world of peace. May a kind word, a reassuring touch, and a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them. Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.

Teach love to those who hate, and let that love embrace you as you go out into the world. May the teachings of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them. Remember, those whose lives you have touched and whose have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished. It is the content of the encounter that is more important than the form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart. Find time each day to see beauty and love in the world around you. Realize that each person has limitless abilities, but each of us is different in our own way. What you feel you lack in the present may become one of your strengths in the future. May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility. Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience. May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on another's judgment of your accomplishments. May you always feel loved.

~Author unknown


I found this piece when searching for a quote of 'thanks' for the note cards that I am making for Emma Sage's teacher and classroom aides.....I thought it was wonderful and had to post it to keep in my little girls blog.

Sunday, June 05, 2005


A day at the Ravine [3/4 of a mile up the lane from our house] I spotted two sweet angels at play upon the rocks and water........ Posted by Hello

Shhh...if you are quite enough, you might just get to see an angel fly! Posted by Hello

Check out this expression....she found a big rock and guess where she is going to throw in into the stream at? You guessed it,,,,right near where Mommy is sitting [and yes, I did get all wet!] Posted by Hello

Looking for rocks to throw in the stream [one of Emma Sage's favorite things to do] is 'Throw!!!!' Posted by Hello

The joy that fills my days radiates in this picture.....our life, our family is such a magical thing. Posted by Hello

This picture reminds me of the book 'Angel Unaware' by Dale Evans [wife of Roy Rodgers] who were also blessed by a little girl with Trisomy 21..... Posted by Hello

What a blessed Mommy I am to have these sweet girls in my life! Posted by Hello

Even angels can have pouty faces..... Posted by Hello

Watch carefully when you go out to the stream...you might find sweet angels looking at their reflections like this little one.... Posted by Hello

I love this picture because you can see the movement in her hands,,,,Emma Sage was singing me a song about butterflies when I caught this shot. Posted by Hello

Sweet innocence.... Posted by Hello

Life has been busy and full and we decided to take a break from the gardens and chores and go picnic at the Ravine and do an angel photo shoot. I have not been able to type up thoughts from my journal these days, so these pictures will have to tell the story of what we have been up too! Enjoy! Posted by Hello

Two of my sweet angels..... Posted by Hello