A Community of Families

We just got back from the park, where we had our park day with other families with kids with Down syndrome. This turned out to be the most well-attended day. We had families from Orange County, Palos Verdes, Long Beach, Pasadena...the nice thing about it is that nobody was exempt, anyone who got the e-mail could come. We had all age ranges, and siblings as well as parents. We made a potluck out of it, and it was so nice to see everyone gathered there. My theory is that if our kids grow up together, then they will have a community of people who are just like them, so even if they have typical friends, or other friends with disabilities, they will have a group of people who they can absolutely connect with. It made me glad to see so many of the moms and dads connecting as well. Our kids are all different levels, all different types, but for today, even though we were gathered because we all are touched by Down syndrome, today, they were just kids at the park.

On another note, the house is beginning to shape up and get finished inside. I can't wait until it's just me and the kids during the week, not me, the kids, the workers, Erik's parents, and the babysitter. Right now, the kids are still unsettled (and the mom, too!), because we still have people in and out of the house. And, his mom is the worst. We are having a small birthday party for Tess tomorrow, and she keeps bringing things over to decorate, changing the furniture around, telling me what to serve, and what to serve it on, and I've almost had enough. She totally wants to show off this house as her own, mainly because her husband worked on it. She spent months telling Erik he was stupid for buying it and for the design, and now, she thinks it is the best thing since sliced bread. But only because she keeps saying that it was all her idea. It's enough to drive me to drink...of which I have, a lot, lately. It seems like every night Erik and I are having red wine, and I just can't stick to my resolution to only have drinks on the weekends. Then, it seems like there is an occasion every other day, and I know I just have to say no, but sometimes, after a long day of construction noise, the kids, his mom!, and everything else, the wine is more necessary. I know that is bad, but if I can just get through this unsettling time, maybe I can have my peace back, and my house. I'm tired of sharing my life with his parents, every single day! I wish they would just go away for a couple days and leave me alone.

Some Pix of the Kids

I finally downloaded some pictures and thought I would share them...Tess will be a year old this month, hard to believe! And Owen, will be four! I feel like we have finally turned a corner with the sickness (of course, a second round of antibiotics help, too), and Owen went back to school today. He cried, of course, but I'm sure he'll be fine. I just want to get back into a schedule with the kids, so we can start normalizing our lives again...