Slurping Life

Honeysuckle Angels

The vine...damn the vine.  It creeps back into my life, slowly, lusciously growing over the fence into my yard...into my life...into my memory.  Honeysuckle. 

Long ago...a little girl sits huddled, cradled deep inside a cold, wet ditch clutching her infant sister.  Safe.  My job is to keep her safe.  Crying.  The visual of what is happening is too strong.  Why?  Why does mama stay with daddy?  The honeysuckle smells so sweet.  Angels must smell like this.  Is it honeysuckle or angels hovering over me?  God, please let it be angels...

Last evening...we sit on the steps of the deck, the honeysuckle vine creeps over the fence into our back yard...

"Mom" says Lee.

"What, sweetie?"

"Will it always be this hard?"

"Will what always be this hard?"

"My life" he responds.

"Probably."

"Mom, I'm not sure I can do this."

"I'm sure that you can."

"But I'm not sure that I want to" he says while walking away.

Deep within me a voice whispers "neither am I"...and the scent of honeysuckle blossoms takes me back to my childhood...as my son walks away from his.

A strong breeze continues to blow the scent of honeysuckle blossoms across my face...or is it the aroma of angels?  God, please let it be angels.

Living in a FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder) family is like being a real-life crash dummy.  The entire family is belted into a car without a steering wheel.  Then we're sent zinging down the FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome) lane, on an expressway without lines or signs, hurtling over the speed limit and out of control, denting fenders on either side, sometimes crashing over the medium, hitting other cars, or smashing into a concrete wall.  We stumble out of the accident, but before we can pull ourselves together we are belted into the car again and sent off on yet another scary trip, driven by an unseen, sinister force.  ~Bonnie Buxton, author, Damaged Angels

Teen girls...women of child-bearing age...if you are having sex without birth control, you are planning a pregnancy.  If you are having sex without birth control while consuming alcoholic beverages...you are planning a pregnancy which will result in a child with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. 

Bottom line...there is no safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy.  We'll talk more about his later.

This is important.  I can tell you first-hand. My three sons by the gift of adoption live with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.  Permanent brain damage for life.  There is not a more devastating birth defect.  It is a preventable birth defect.

Questions about fetal alcohol spectrum disorder?  Please ask.

Imagine The Reality And The Possibilities

Children are fragile.  Some more so than others.  I am a mom to children who are alive through the grace of God and the caring hearts of strangers.  Michelle at In The Life Of A Child sums it nicely...

What would it mean to you if someone you had never met held out a hand to help you, your child, your family?

I can tell you from personal experience, exactly what it means. It means everything. Jacqui is here — a joyous, sparkling part of our lives because people cared. Some of the most thoughtful gestures came from people we didn’t even know. People we had never met. And I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am for them. I know how important the little gestures are. Jacqui didn’t get where she is today from one person doing something huge. She got where she is through a whole community of caring — many, many, people doing countless little things, that when added all together changed her life, and ours.

Which is why my heart just breaks for Pam and her adorable little Rhett at Rhett’s Journey, and for Tammy and her precious little Parker, at Praying for Parker. They are amazing moms, with heroic families. And although my family lives on a relatively tight budget stretched thin with our own medical issues, I cannot just sit by and do nothing but watch as these other two families struggle. Since I don’t have an excess of income that I can draw from, I spent a lot of time trying to think of what I could do to help these two wonderful families. About a month ago, I realized I could certainly gift them with a little bit of my time and creativity. So here is what I came up with: A set of hand-drawn pen and ink stipple prints that I have been working on during spare moments here and there in my evenings…

Please go to In The Life Of A Child and participate in the fund raiser.  Small donation...big payback in helping two little boys and their families...and a chance to win a set of beautiful hand-drawn pen and ink stipple prints by Michelle.  While you are there, please grab the code for the "Imagine" button and help by spreading the word on your blog.

If you would like to participate in other fund-raisers for these families:

Open a new account with Revolutionary Money Exchange from the link at Praying For Parker and Parker’s Medical Fund will receive $10.00 for each new account opened through his link. Plus you will be sent $25 from RME!

The Original Crackerjack Site is designing a lovely book for Parker’s upcoming surgery on May 16th: For a one dollar donation you can have your photo and website added to this book along with a drawing made especially in honor of your donation by the author’s lovely 2-year-old daughter Izabel. This fund-raiser just goes through this Wednesday, May 14th — so hurry!

The  lovely Amy, of Bunny Rose Cottage is currently
donating the proceeds from her Etsy shop to Parker’s Medical Fund — go check it out!

The clever and creative Michelle, of Down Blogger, is coordinating a virtual craft fair benefit for Parker’s Medical Fund. If you’re the crafty sort — stop by! Michelle is currently seeking talent for this thoughtful effort.

Jessica from Raising Joey is generously donating 50% of her online sales from her bookstore from now through June 10th to Parker and Rhett’s families.

Michelle at Big Blueberry Eyes, is donating the proceeds from her Discovery Toy sales from April 15th through this Thursday, May 15th to Parker’s Medical Fund — better hurry on this one too!

Imagine the possibilities in life when people come together in action and prayer.  Above all Rhett, Parker and their families request your prayers.

 

Winners, Come And Get Your Snapfish Photo Cards

Short and sweet.  The ten winners of the Snapfish.com giveaway, one photo card per winner each good for 50 free prints, are the following commenters chosen by random.org:

#4   De
#5   killshandra
#7   Brittany
#8   Where's the Box
#11 Maggie
#13 Rebecca
#14 Laura
#18 Claire - no blog link
#20 Rose
#23 Justin - no blog link

Winners send me an email with a mailing address, and I'll get your card in the mail.

Crunches and Drinks and Sits and Thinks

Decisions.  Life calls for a multitude of them every day...every hour.  Shy away from firmly making decisions and you miss, well, you miss life. 

A chance to sing...sing.  A chance to dance...dance.  A chance to love, hug, smile, reach out a hand...do it.  Regretting the did not do is far more disheartening than any rejection that may come from the doing.  The essence of life is doing.

The world is open to all of our dreams.  Our dreams hinge upon our decision...to do.

While sometimes I just sits and thinks, and sometimes I crunches and drinks and sits and thinks, I have decided to do.  Enough of my stagnancy of indecision and moping...there are glorious things to do.

So, what decision should you make today? 

Do not sits and thinks too long...decide...and...do.

Keeping it real...not a planned Best Shot Monday...the Hot Wheels monster truck and vitamin bottle in the background...parts of life.  You cannot separate the parts of your life.  Don't even try.

 

More Fun Than Ants In Your Pants

My boys have a knack for finding fun most every moment of the day...often at my expense or frustration.  This time I was not harmed.  By the way, imagine gut-aching boy laughter with the last photo.

Gather a stash of water balloons...

Fill the balloons with water and stockpile them in a bucket...

Stuff a water balloon down your brother's pants then whack it with your hand until it bursts...

Repeat, repeat, repeat...among three brothers.

There's more fun at Stacy's Theme Thursday.

Are you having any fun at your place?

    

Snapfish Giveaway In Celebration of Mother's Day

This giveaway has ended.

In celebration of Mother's Day Snapfish.com -the number one online photo service- has given me 10 gift cards each redeemable for 50 free prints of your favorite photos.  Yeah, I know.  We love free...we love photos...and we love Snapfish.com.  Do you feel a giveaway coming?

Snapfish.com by hp offers free online storage and sharing; high quality mail order prints; and personalized gifts, cards, photo books and more.  If you are looking for a last minute gift from the heart, Snapfish also offers unique, personalized Mother's Day gifts such as:

•  Sterling Silver Jewelry:  Put a smile on Mom'€™s face by combining two of her favorite things  - €“family photos and jewelry! Snapfish offers customizable sterling silver jewelry which is perfect for making Mom feel appreciated on her special day. Snapfish users can easily and affordably turn family photos into wearable art by personalizing a sterling silver bracelet or necklace with photos that will warm her heart for less than $40 (a great project dad and child can do together).  Additionally, the custom jewelry comes beautifully packaged in a presentation gift box.

• Photo Books:  What better way to make Mom feel special than to create a photo book full of favorite snapshots capturing your family's€™s memorable moments? Snapfish offers a full line of photo books in a range of sizes, covers and designs to celebrate Mom. Photo book prices range from $4.99 to $49.99. These professionally-bound books let you tell your stories by using your personal photos to illustrate all the special memories made with Mom. Snapfish'€™s latest additions to its line of photo books include Signature Photo Books - 12 x 12-inches starting at $49.99, and Storybooks with personalized dust jackets -€“ 8 x 8-inches starting at $24.99.

About those 50 free prints card...you know I would never keep all those cards for myself.  For your chance to win one of the 10 cards for 50 free prints from Snapfish, simply leave a comment on this post by midnight Monday, May 12.  In commenting be sure that you input your email address so that I can contact you should you win.  That's it.  Ten winners will be chosen via random.org and announced here on Tuesday, May 13.

Ten winners!  What'cha waiting for...talk to me for your chance to win.  Then pop over to Snapfish.com and register so that you will be all set to order your 50 free prints if you win.

Getting By With A Little Help From My Friend

 

Visit friends and photos of Wordless Wednesday.

A Road Map To Some Place Else

"There is nothing we like to see so much as the gleam of pleasure in a person's eye when he feels that we have sympathized with him, understood him.  At these moments something fine and spiritual passes between two friends. These are the moments worth living." -- Don Marquis

The book arrived and I read it in less than twenty-four hours and that was on a busy weekend of attending Paralympic events.  The past week has been dotted with moments of my trying to decide what to write...other than "read this now if you are a mom".  Sure, it is a book written by a mom of a special  needs child, but her words resonate with all moms.  Words of reality...words of frustration...words of love...read them.

I keep thinking perhaps it is because of time spent in NICU with our oldest son...or the special needs diagnoses times three of our younger sons which my husband and I have faced and that exhaust us...but no.  It is simply Jennifer's honest words about the moments of fear and uncertainty of motherhood. 

The plan was I would ramble about the similarities of our experiences...our fears...our what-ifs...our unspoken hopes.  The only thing I find to say is if there exists a writer able to more fluidly weave words...I've never read her work.

If you are a mom, read Road Map To Holland.  If you are a mom of a special needs child...or perhaps like me, of several special needs children...read Road Map To Holland. 

Thank you, Jennifer, for sympathizing with and understanding me.  You have indeed shared your spirit, and that is a beautiful gift.

Note...If you are the parent of a child with Down Syndrome, the book's appendix offers a plethora of resources, additional reading titles and a glossary of terminology.

Pictures And More For Parker

Got a dollar? 

Please take a few moments and read about Pictures for Parker at The Original Cracker Jack Site.  Here's the idea:

Let Izabel draw/color a picture in your name for a $1.00 donation to Parker's Medical Fund. I myself know that sometimes even a dollar is hard to come by, but maybe you have some loose change sitting around that you could use. Izabel's pictures will be well worth your pennies, nickels and dimes. What we will be doing is creating a unique masterpiece in your name and then bind them together to make a colorful book to send to Parker for him to look at. Each page will be an Izzy original and will contain a picture of you (if you'd like) and your web address.

A $1.00 donation (Cash/Check/Money Orders) will get you a wonderfully created masterpiece designed in your name and all proceeds will be sent to Parker. This fundraiser will go through Wednesday, May 14th, 2008.

If you do not know Parker, then please take a few moments to meet him.  He has yet another surgery scheduled this month which will require a long, intense recovery.  And as he recovers, his parents will be struggling with the burden of one more humongous hospital bill and doctors' fees stacked on top of existing ones not being paid by their insurance company.

Also, Bunny Rose Cottage is having a Mother's Day sale at her Etsy Shop to benefit Parker.

And do not forget this chance to love on Parker over at Big Blueberry Eyes.

Above all...please pray for Parker.  I love this kid.  He is itching to be healthy enough to drive his mom insane.  Let's help his family get him there.

 

Afraid To Write The Words

Afraid to write the words.  Once you write the words they are real.  Other people may read them.  Then you have to own them.  Then you are known by the words.

The sobs come and leave slowly and come again until I fall asleep.  I miss the comfort of my bed, but it seems wrong to take this noisy sorrow there.  So sleep comes on the sofa...alone, where no one will be disturbed.  Wake, muddle through the day, repeat.

It has been years in the making.  The realization that my words have not agreed with my heart.  In reality my heart has been in mourning for years.  It was only a few days ago that my mind, my body and my heart - together - awakened to the truth.  Mourn...

...then move forward.

I love my children.  I pray for them...for me...for us...that their limitations strengthen them...that they not be limited by my limitations.

We move forward...just like always...

...with hope

...with love...

...with tears...

...with laughter...

...and did I mention...

...love?

We're good...thanks for asking.