Flashback Friday: Winter Olympics 2002

Today's flashback was inspired by the Olympics that are going on right now. As I watch them, I feel all nostalgic, remembering how much fun it was when Salt Lake was the host city for the games in 2002!



I loved the theme that year....

The city looked beautiful all lit up....

We couldn't get tickets to the opening or closing ceremonies, but I went with friends nearby the stadium to hear what we could and watch the fireworks. It was amazing....


One of my friends was a volunteer and gave me tickets to several outdoor concerts. I went to Natalie Imbruglia, a Japanese artist that I don't remember the name, and my favorite -- Dave Matthews!....


I went to a hockey game and the Nordic Combined. I didn't take many pictures, but I saved the ticket stub? My, how I have changed!....






It was an awesome experience. It wasn't long after 9-11, which made it that much more inspiring to be surrounded by people from all countries and to be in peace. Of course we were all united by our love of Dave Matthews, but there was a little more to it than that!

To be honest, though.... I love the Olympics, I really do, but I miss my regular TV shows. Is that terrible to admit, or what?!?

Happy Jack Day!

Today is Oby's Uncle Jack's birthday. Even though he passed away a few weeks ago, we decided we still needed to celebrate his life. We wanted to remember Jack and be with his wife, since this would no doubt be a hard day for her. So we went out to eat at one of his favorite restaurants - Market Street Grill, yum! We had a great time and decided we should probably make a tradition of it.....

Zeke and Chloe loved giving five!

Grandpa, Sissy (Jack's wife), Grandma & Meg

Chloe & Mom
(funny, I swear I brushed my hair before I left!?!)

Nana feeding Chloe ice cream

You can shed tears that he is gone,
or you can smile because he has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that he'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all he's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see him,
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember him only that he is gone,
or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what he'd want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

David Harkins

"I Wanna Do It!"

Here are a couple pictures of Chloe sitting in her Special Tomato while we were out to dinner. We love this thing! I didn't realize how enjoyable it could be to sit around a table with my family until we got this chair. It makes all the difference in the world for us! Chloe loves it too! She loves being a big girl, people-watching, and getting into a little bit of mischief (we didn't give her this straw, she picked it up herself - so cute!)....



The other day Chloe got to hang out at Nana and Papa's house while Oby and I went out to a movie. She had so much fun playing in her space blanket that came. (and please note how cute her PJ's are -- they say 'her royal cuteness!')....




After the space blanket lost its appeal, Izzy and Chloe started playing with a pink-haired troll. It was so cute watching them play with this troll! Chloe is starting to show a lot of age-appropriate behavior, including playing make-believe with dolls, stuffed animals, etc. She was just chatting away with this little troll and giving it kisses. It was so cute!....

Then Izzy was playing with some other toys. She was being really cute with Chloe, like she always is, showing her what she was doing. Chloe said something that sounded a lot like, 'I wanna do it!' Uncle Jamie said, "Chloe, did you just say, "I wanna do it"? And Chloe repeated it, this time as clear as day, "I wanna do it!" she said. Not in a demanding voice, just in a sweet voice that sounded a little bit like heaven to me!....


I often wonder what Chloe would tell me if she could speak. Every once in awhile I get little glimpses of what's going on in her mind. I've been told by speech therapists that this is how Apraxia acts... The words and information are in Chloe's mind, she just has a hard time (almost impossible time) getting them from her mind to her mouth. Every once in awhile, though, like the other night, she'll speak. It is such a joy to me when she does! Her voice is truly one of the sweetest things I've ever heard. I wish she'd give me a little warning now and then so we could get it on video!

Musical Monday: No One Like You

When I was pregnant with Chloe, I loved playing the piano for her. I thought it was a way for us to bond. I thought it would be comforting for her as a newborn to hear songs that were familiar. In her first several months when she cried often and it was hard to comfort her, this was one thing that did seem to help, so I think my plan worked. We don't have a piano in our home right now, but I still sing the sweet words, and she lights up every time! (beware, this is very cheesy, but I dare you not to like it)....

I like your eyes.
I like your nose.
I like your mouth.
Your ears, your hands, your toes.
I like your face.
It's really you....


I like the things you say and do.
There's not a single soul
That sees the skies
The way you see them
Through your eyes.
And aren't you glad?
You should be glad
There's no one, no one
Exactly like you.

To Tweet or Not To Tweet. That is the Question.

I have to ask.

Are you a twitter-er?




I've been considering it for awhile now.

Here's my problem. I know I'll love it. I already have so many things that I love that consume my time. So is it worth it?

I dragged my feet to start a blog because I knew I'd love it. Four blogs later and, well, you see how that turned out. Not only do I keep up the four blogs, but I stop by all my family, friends and bloggy buddies' blogs as often as possible. I don't think an hour goes by most days that I don't think, "Oh, I should blog about this!" It is a huge part of my life.

I hesitated signing up for facebook. I now update my status every day and couldn't possibly miss out on any of my friend's status updates or new photos or anything at all! I've either got to let them know that I like their status, love their photo, or leave a comment of some sort. It's addicting.

And don't even get me started on digital scrap booking. There's not enough time in the day to go into that.

Now I've really got going on the playground planning and fund-raising. (I can't believe how supportive people are. It is heart-warming and exciting!)

I'm also thinking 24/7 about my weight loss (20 lbs down, yet still a long way to go). I track everything I take in and every second I exercise (or don't). I've got charts, graphs, books on my laptop and in my purse and on my nightstand.... talk about consuming!

And then there are the usual things that consume my day: cleaning, parenting, husband-bonding, etc.

(p.s. I'm not trying to insinuate that I'm any busier than anyone else. I still have time for long baths, reading good books, seeking out new music, playing Hangman and Scrabble on my phone, and quite a few TV shows, so I know that I'm doing just fine with my allotted 24-hours per day.)

But here's my question. Is there room for twitter? If I make room for it, will it be worth it? It's gotta be worth it because I know myself. If I do sign up for twitter, I will become a tweet queen. It's just in my nature and there's no way around it. And that might get me in trouble!....





It's not because I'm searching out another hobby. I just think it might enable me to meet more people that can help teach me wonderful things to put on the kidz blog. I also think it might be a great way to help get the word out about the playground and its fund-raising events.

I dunno. What do you think? Those who tweet, please, speak now or forever hold your peace!!! Because even though I kind of understand what it is, I don't really know how it works or if it will work for my purposes. So share your thoughts!

I'm an Idea Thief!

I totally stole this name badge idea from Adaptations4kidz via Living With Faith. This is a name badge for Chloe to wear while she's out 'n about. She's such a little social butterfly, but since she doesn't talk, it makes it hard for people to approach her. I think this will help!....


I'm going to have this laminated and put in one of those zip cords because, let's be honest, Chloe is obsessed with those things, so it will also be a toy for her to play with! Two birds, one stone -- love it!

I also made some emergency cards with her medical information and prescription list (which is getting shorter by the day). This will be on the back of her name badge, just in case there is ever an emergency -- heaven forbid, but ya gotta prepare for the worst, right?!?!

I stole my next idea for Chloe from our friends Ali & Brayden also via adaptations4kidz (the author, Heidi, of that blog, is truly one of my heros, she is simply amazing!) A space blanket has been ordered from ebay for less than $3, and I have no doubt it will be a hit with Chloe!....


It is crinkly and shiny, two of Chloe's absolute favorite things! I wish I liked crinkly and shiny things instead of buttery and chocolaty things. Life would be a whole lot better. But that's for another post.

The next idea I stole was again from adaptations4kidz. I'm in the process of making Chloe a weighted blanket with some adorable fabric and poly pellets!....


Oh, who am I kidding? I am not making the blanket. I'm supervising and socializing with my cousin, Marianne, while SHE makes it! I could do it, but she can do it better, so that's what we decided to go with! I can't wait to show you the finished product, it is so dang cute, and don't you think be wrapped in a nice heavy (and cute!) blankie would just feel delicious!?!? I do!

The main point of my post is this.

If you have something in your life that is hard, reach out to other people who are dealing with similar circumstances. They will help you. Maybe you can help them too.

That is one of the main lessons I'm grateful to have learned by being a special needs mom.

Someone I recently met who just found out her son has Cerebral Palsy, seizures and developmental delays asked for advice. That was what I told her..... reach out to others and be there for them. There is so much strength and joy {and ideas to steal!} from the friendships I have made with other moms who really understand my situation with Chloe -- the good, the bad and the ugly. You know who you are. Thank you!

A Reason

I know Valentine's Day is over, but I still had to share this because I think it's a cute song AND you can download it for FREE here!!!!



Free music is definitely a reason to....

Raise the roof!!!

I'm determined to bring back roof-raisin'. I just love it, don't you? Join the revolution!

All You Need is Love!

I love this song remade for Love Actually, and thought it would be appropriate for the Musical Monday after Valentine's Day. This video is pretty cute too! Enjoy :)

And here are some pictures from this weekend of Chloe enjoying LOVE....

Chloe with her Valentine's pillow from Nana

Chloe wishing Great Grandpa Bennett a Happy Birthday
and a Happy Valentine's Day!

Chloe and Oby got lots of kisses at church!

Mwah!

Happy Love Day!

Week in Review

Chloe had an eventful week, as usual. Here are some highlights!....

Chloe with the butterfly craft she made in nursery

Chloe swinging with her OT, Allison

Chloe at lunch with her friends Lucy & Mason

Chloe in the stander at PT

She is still making huge strides with her physical abilities. She's using her hands a lot more, bringing them to mid-line, sleeping better and longer, holding her head up better, sitting without assistance for 10-20 seconds at a time, learning to bear weight on her arms, her Nystagmus is non-existent as far as I can tell, and she is just as chatty and pleasant as she can be! And all of this after we have weaned her from almost all of her prescriptions. She is still on half doses of a couple prescriptions, and we plan to wean her completely within a month or so. We attribute all of her advancements to our visit with Dan Nelson, as well as drinking the water he recommends.

In other news, I attended the Syracuse City work meeting on Tuesday, and the city council made an official decision on the location of Chloe's Sunshine Playground.... They have approved to donate land at Legacy Park for our project! I'm doing some prep work so that once the city releases their formal resolution on the matter, I can hit the ground running with all my plans! I'll keep you posted!!!

Your Love Gives Me Wings!

Musical Monday: If There Was No You

I love this song!!! (and the artist!)



my favorite lyrics:

nothing you could do
could make me turn my back on you
when you're looking for a
fight I'm your man
when you need a friend
you got my hand
when you need a friend
you got my hand
you got my hand

Time Out

Tonight I had the privilege of attending a 'Time Out For Women' conference with some of my cousins. I mostly went just to be able to spend time with my amazing family members that I don't get to see very often! I was SO glad I went, though, and feel completely uplifted and rejuvenated by the speakers and performances. I just want to paraphrase one part of the talk by Chieko Okazaki that really touched me.

In this time with the economy down, it is easy to focus on things we don't have, can't have, wish we could have, etc. But she reminded me that we, ourselves, are a treasure...

"There is only one you... Don't you dare change just because you're outnumbered!" ~Charles Swindoll

...and we are also infinitely wealthy with many treasures.... smiles, greetings, songs & music, TIME, sincere prayer, compliments, and forgiveness, just to name a few. These are inexhaustible resources we can give and give and give, and by giving we receive even more. This just hit home to me, and I hope to improve on appreciating and giving my riches more abundantly from now on!

Jenny Oaks Baker also performed tonight, and she is just incredible. Here she is playing Amazing Grace at last year's Time Out For Women....



There's a full day of the conference tomorrow, and I'm so looking forward to it! Thank you to my amazing hubby for taking care of Chloe so I could give myself this much-needed "time out!"

Flashback Friday: Look Alikes

Chloe / Tara



Chloe / Tami (Oby's mom)


Tara / Bonnie (Tara's mom)



Tami / Chloe


Chloe / Bonnie

It is especially interesting how much I look like my mom and how much Chloe looks like my mom, considering that I'm adopted. Crazy!

(Be sure to notice the song that's playing on my playlist, Beautiful Tree by Rain Perry. It's one of my fav songs right now and goes with this post so perfectly!)

"This is my tree, and it's a beautiful tree!"