We played today in the wheat field....

and took a bunch of pictures that reminded me of Laura Ingalls Wilder's 'Little House on the Prairie'...one of my favorite sets of books when I was a young girl, and then of coarse the TV series that was one of my all time favorites [I had a crush on Michael Landon, back from his Bonanza days].

So here are some of my favorite shots from our day......




href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/annikaleigh/169305276/">

Pure Joy......

Pure Joy......
Originally uploaded by annikaleigh.

What more can I say.....Pure Joy.....

Two New Honors....

If you haven't guessed it by now, I love photography,,,,and I just love capturing my children's lives on film [especially little Miss Emma Sage]

I had two new honors this week on Flickr.com

The first was a third place win in the Weekly Photo Contest on the group The World Through My Eyes.

This was my entry, and if you click on the image below you can read all the wonderful comments made to it by unique and diverse people from around the world.



and the second win was in the Theme Competion Babies and Children weekly theme which was the color 'Purple'.

Here is my winning entry and the comment that came with my award.

Best use of b&w
This evokes a nostalgic, timeless feeling with the selective b&w effect and the partially hidden faces. The remaining colors add just the right accent.



......and of coarse, what makes me the most excited about these honors is the subtle exposure to T21 that all those who took a look at my photographs and voted for them saw [without even seeing?........I guess that is my biggest focus on advocacy, to promote inclusion and the thought that Disability is Natural and the Normalacy of Difference]

Yup and hanging out and blowing more bubbles!!!! 

and playing in the water-table-kinda-day..... 

It was a bubble-blowing-kinda-day....... 

Yikes....where did the day go?

We have been busy,,,,so very, very busy. Last days of school for the older three,,,,and finals, so my big helpers are busy studying, so that leaves all the chores for Momma. Rick is home, but getting ready for a 16 day trip [to Italy] and my gardens are crying for attention...not to mention that I got the brilliant idea to paint all the trim on the house and front poarch....oh and did I mention laundry needs to be done...and I'm busy putting together our homeschool lesson plans for the fall....lol!!!!!

So here are a few treats from today.....

Yes, these two are loving the slip-n-slide [best $10 bucks I've ever spent]

Wheeeee.....they figured out that if they bring up a cup of water from the bottom each time they slip easier and faster....

Best friends....

OK Lucy,,,you give me that toy!


Lost in thought......late in the day Emma Sage and I were just sitting in the grass talking and I caught this moment....just precious.

Yup....I'm a thumb-sucker from way back when.....

Have a great evening and a glorious tomorrow.

Taking her Kitty out for a stroll......

So guess who is having way too much fun with the kittens.......

Emma Sage is going to be so sad in two weeks when they head off to their new homes....good thing is, these are well loved and cared for kittens, who will adore people.

We actually had more takers than kittens. Momma Kitty [she was a stray we had rescued] will be heading to the Vets after the last one leaves so there will be no more litters of kittens.

But it was such a great experience for all the children,,,,Greta was present at the birth [seems like Midwifery is truly her calling and what she wants to major in at college]....and Emma Sage is having the best time playing with and caring for the whole litter.

This one is Emma Sage's favorite

Kitty is saying "I don't like to be held this way"

Mamie's garden

image14-1
Originally uploaded by annikaleigh.

I took this of Emma Sage in one of my grandmothers gardens......It is a favorite capture of mine and it holds so many memories. Many of the plants in this garden are in my garden,,,as we have been sharing plants for years....the continuum of life. I uploaded it on Flickr.com on June 9, 2006 and currently it has been ranked as the #2 most interesting photograph from that date!

Friendship

"Don't walk in front of me, I might not follow.

Don't walk behind me, I might not lead.

Just walk beside me and be my friend." ~Albert Camus

"I'm Italian"......

OK, so today, Emma Sage proudly exclaims "I"m Italian".........so I'm thinking?!? What is that all about. Is she saying this because her Daddy is about to embark on a long trip back to Italy and they have been talking about the Italians?

I go over to where she [and her friends are] busy at the table creating with paper, scissors, bits and pieces of lace and fabric, sequins, pipe cleaners and glitter glue. There is front of Emma Sage is this wonderful collage that is a few layers deep and quite colorful. She smiles up at me and says "See, I' Italian"..................so again, I'm trying to figure out what she is alluding too and then Claudia picks up her paper and exclaims "I'm Italian too"!

Laughing I realize what they are saying....the two of them were trying to show me their creativity and were saying "I'm talented"!!! lol.....but somehow Little Miss turned 'talented' into 'Italian'.....

"Momma Mia".......What silly cleaver little girls!!

mygirls0604

mygirls0604
Originally uploaded by annikaleigh.

The eighth-century Japanese poet Otomo no Sakanoue Iratsume wrote of the all-encompassing nature of a mother’s love for her daughter:

More than gems in my comb box shaped by the God of the Sea,
I prize you, my daughter

To my three precious gems....you are my gift, my joy, my life. I love you all so dearly.

A Mothers Heart.......

So this morning I wrote the post below....filled with so many emotions of a Mother watching her children grow and learn about the hard facets of life.

This afternoon the phone rang, and for some strange reason I hesitated to pick it up.

"Hello" I say,

"Hello, Tara, this is Dawn, Dee's Mother"

My heart sank.

"Oh Dawn I say, tell me it is not so"

"Yes, Tara, Dee passed away last night".....says Dawn with a shaky voice.

I start to cry.

"Oh Dawn, I'm so, so sorry".........

and then we continued on our conversation. Dawn telling me that Dee had her favorite dinner [Nachos and Pot Stickers] that she had her son and brothers with her until late evening. Everyone went home and to bed, not thinking that this was the time for Dee to pass. [although we knew that it would be soon due to the nature of her cancer and how it had traveled]

Dee was an amazing woman. We had become friends back in 1994. It is funny, but we both were of the belief of destiny and that things happen for a reason. Our meeting and becoming friends had an important meaning for the two of us......as the years unfolded our friendship grew, even if we only saw each other a few times a year. We could just pick up the phone and call, just to talk. She was a friend, pure and true. We loved each other unconditionally. That is what makes me the sadest today....I lost a friend, a person who had a profound effect on my life...someone who let me know that life was truly a blessing.........Dee adored Emma Sage, she celebrated with me every step of the way, never, ever thinking that T21 was anything but to celebrate.


Delores [yes,,,,it rhymes with xxxxxx, for our Seinfeld friends....and we always laughed and laughed about that episode] you were an amazing woman....a dear friend........a wonderful mother, sister, daughter. I'm going to miss you dearly, but I know your soul is eternal and your spirit I will carry with me until we meet again.

Good-bye dear friend.

A Mothers Heart.....

A Daughters Love....

This morning while Katrina and Greta were getting ready for school, I sat writing in my journal. Something I have done since I was 10 years old.

I get the movement in and out of the room, the little 'Wheres' my flipflops?.....Does this match?' type questions. Except this morning, a few times, Katrina just comes over to me and stands looking at me. I look up and smile and she smiles back.

So on with writing I go and finish up. I head into the kitchen to put on some coffee and just before they leave [and the handing out of lunch money] I get a kiss from them each [most days,,,sometimes they are flying out to the door because their ride is early]....today Katrina turns back to me and gives me the biggest hug.......not letting go and she says "Mom, I love you so very much!".....I tell her I love her dearly and to have a good day.

As I watched the two of them drive off with Jake our neighbor, my two young girls that are now young woman.....I start to cry. I know they are both so very independent and more than capable of being out in the world on their own.....but today I am crying,,,,because I know that the hug that Katrina gave me is a hug that she will cherish [and I cherish with all my heart] and I hope that she takes the time to give me a hug every and anytime she wishes as we move forward in time.

Katrina will not be home this afternoon from school........her hug to me was her way of dealing with the death of her mothers friend. No, Katrina will not be home this afternoon from school because she is going to the wake of her dear friends Mother.........and I'm sitting here crying because I know that that hug was not just a hug between Katrina and I....but it was a hug between all Mothers and Daughters.

~M other~
Mother You filled my days with rainbow lights,fairytales and sweet dream nights,A kiss to wipe away my tears,Gingerbread to ease my fears.You gave the gift of life to me,And then in love, you set me free.I thank you for your tender care,for deep warm hugs and being there.I hope that when you think of me,A part of you, you'll always see.
~Author Unknown~

Yes, I'm addicted.....

Yes, I'm addicted to this new tool at Flickr.com that lets you take a photograph and shake it up a bit.

I did this one of Emma Sage sitting on top of my brother [Uncle Mikey's] shoulders, watching the big screen in Times Square two years ago....

I thought it was fun, so of coarse I had to share it!

My creation

My creation
Originally uploaded by annikaleigh.

OK,,,,I'm having too much fun playing!!!

Here is another silly creation.......I am just so amazed at all the incredible things you can do with technology.....back in my days [and I'm ancient, let me tell you! lol!] we could do something like this, but it was with our parents Polaroid camera and individual taken shots put together in a collage!

Any way, I hope you all enjoy my silliness!

Camp PALS video

This is a video from last years Camp PALS..........Katrina is so excited to have been chosen as a counselor this year.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4423638133394145268

Just playing....

Just playing around with a cool photography gadget!

Katrina....

Have I mentioned lately how proud of Katrina we are. She is finishing up her Junior year and is busy looking towards the future.

This morning I woke up at the crack of dawn, as today was the day she was to take the SATs......she was very upbeat and positive about the whole experience and when she returned home she felt that she did the best that she could and that she should get a competitive score. Of coarse driving to the testing site and being in a long line of cars with other Juniors heading to the same destination, I was so overcome with emotions I started to cry [I cry very easily...at the drop of a hat]. It seems like just a few years ago I was heading to take my SATs....and just a few months ago I was bringing home my first born child...and here I was driving her to take her SATs.

Since Emma Sage entered into our lives, Katrina's vision for her own future has changed.....[in great part, I believe to the very fact that Emma Sage came to us blessed with an extra chromosome on her 47th pair.] her dreams are to specialize in Speech Pathology and/or Special Education [also getting her elementary education degree]. She works amazingly well with Emma Sage.....much of her speech successes I believe are due to the work Katrina does with her. Katrina has a gift [of gab...lol!] but really, a gift being able to connect and enable and encourage learning and speech development. I have been in awe of this young girl...who has now blossomed into a young woman.

Her thoughts of colleges at this point are, California University of PA, Kutztown University and Bloomsburg University. We are going to make some road trips over the next few weeks to check out campus's in person.

There was an article I was just alerted to that made my heart soar....it is called "My Brother Is Not His Disability" by Colgan Leaming, and reading this article it made me realize that my own children are living and experiencing life very similar to the author......and I know that as time moves forward, the fear that some people use when presented with the prenatal diagnosis of T21 of "I have other children to think of,,,,what would it do to them, I don't want to ruin their life" will be lessoned by articles such as this one and by siblings such as Katrina, who move forward with their lives and being so positively impacted by their sibling with T21.

Two more recent events that have occured in Katrina's life that just make our hearts brim with such pride. She was elected National President of PALS for the 2006-2007 year...............and she was chosen to be a Camp Councilor at CampPals the 2006 session.

Oh, and another big event to take place within the next two months....Katrina is scheduled to take her driving test on July 26th! Yikes.....how did my baby grow up so fast?!?

Here are three pictures of Katrina from her prom.

This first one is with her dear friend Katie.....they have been best friends since Freshman year.....and want to hear something magical? Katie has a cousin that has T21......his name is Jeffery, and we knew Jeffery before these two developed a freindship when they got to high school....Actually, Emma Sage says Jeffrey is her boyfriend [and Nash...she has two boyfriends! lol!!!]


and the next two are with her dear friend Adrienne....Katrina and Adrienne have been friends since they were three years old and went to Happy Face Nursey School together.....I'm including both photographs because when you look at them...first the serious one....and then the comical one,,,you will clearly see the bond these two share [they are like Lucy and Ethel.....what clowns!]


and the two ham-bones....

I created a Slide Show! Check it out!

Meet Urtle....Mr. Turtle!

The children and I found a painted turtle the other day when we were out at the back swingset [it is on another part of our property that is away from the house and near the pond area....it's like our hide-away play spot] where we usually take snacks and pretend we are going 'camping'.

So of coarse we named him 'Urtle...Mr. Turtle' and brought him up to the house to exaime for the day. We made him a little home in a big tub, got him grass and other clippings, made him a little dish pond and watched him.

We got out our favorite book 'Old Turtle' by Douglas Wood and illustrated by Cheng-Khee Chee [if you have never read 'Old Turtle' I highly recommended for all all children of all ages, especially those of us in our 30,40,50s....as it is a message that we all need to remember].

During naptime I got on the Internet and found some wonderful turtle facts and later in the day we learned about the life of a painted turtle....and then we got out construction paper, sissors, glue sticks and [used our fine motor skills] and made our own collages of a turtle in the grass. What fun!

Later that night Rick and Emma Sage brought 'Urtle...Mr. Turtle' back to the pond area and thanked him for visiting with us [and putting up with lots of little hands touching him [[don't forget, if you ever touch a turtle make sure you wash your hands real well afterwards]].

Here are a few pictures from our 'Urtle...Mr. Turtle' visit.


Here is Emma Sage checking out Mr. Turtle...or otherwise known as 'Urtle' lol!


Woah....look Mom, his head disappears!


Yup...that's a painted turtle for sure!!!


Hey Urtle.....can you stick out your tongue like this??!!??


Lucy checking out Mr. Turtle.....Lucy is actually the one who found 'Urtle' for us...she started backing at the thicket and we knew a creature must be in there.....and look what she found!


Urtle...Mr. Turtle's only portrait! [except the children made beautiful versions of him out of tissue and construction paper]


Saying Good-Bye.....Emma Sage and Daddy walking down to the pond to set Urtle.....Mr. Turtle free.

Otto's 10th Birtday portraits....

Otto really wanted me to take his DECADE Birthday portraits....what fun we had...I also shot a bunch of photographs with my good 35mm....but alas..I have to have them developed.

I loved this whole series....so grown-up...yet still a little boy!!!!

Enjoy!!!!



Do you remember when you turned a whole decade?

Our little Tumble Bug.....

Emma Sage just loves to tumble with Greta. The two of them are so cute together. Here is a little series of my little tumble bug with her big sis' tumble bug.....


Working on a handstand....


Working on backbend into a flip.


going over......


This is a two fold position,,,,Emma Sage is there to weigh down the end of the mats [lol!!] and to watch from a birds eye view of her sisters tuck.


and Emma Sage does this every time....she holds her ears like it is going to be loud! [she doesn't really like loud noises]


Watching a handspring.....you know sometime soon our little Miss Emma Sage will being doing these tricks...she loves to tumble and I know she will excell at the sport.
and just hanging out.......


We have been so very busy....many things going on...some very positive,,,some not so positive....but all and all things are settling into place and life is truly a blessing.