Parenting - Learning from Down's Syndrome

Fitz in a frock,

2008-12-06T05:15:00.001-08:00

Gilwell reunion.

2008-09-06T06:30:00.001-07:00

Well again it is raining. But hey there's beer!

How to while away holidays in the rain.

2008-08-25T03:06:00.001-07:00

Dad Pete and kate went geocacheing. And sam mom and i spent a dry morning in the caravan while sam rampaged!

Digging a boat!

2008-08-24T09:13:00.001-07:00

Not sure who the boat is for but sam is helping by standing in the hole while dad is digging!

Training for when he's eighteen

2008-08-22T05:55:00.001-07:00

Didn't really like the beer. But always willing to pose for the camera!

2008-08-21T08:33:00.001-07:00

On the beach.

2008-08-21T08:15:00.001-07:00

Woke up to glorious sunshine at long last. Sam poo'd on the beach and we had to bury it!

Finally some pub weather

2008-08-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

Just about warm enough to sit outside and watch the kids play

Finally some pub weather

2008-08-20T12:45:00.001-07:00

Just about warm enough to sit outside and watch the kids play

2008-08-18T22:32:00.001-07:00

The sum came out. - briefly!

2008-08-18T05:28:00.001-07:00

We made it onto the beach for a short time. Sam says the sand is big!

Wet wet wet!

2008-08-18T03:04:00.001-07:00

Pete's car was ere!

Tenby here we come!

2008-08-17T04:19:00.001-07:00

Off on holiday to Tenby. Leaving the pussy cats to the mercy of Fitz and beth. Sam doing some serious studying on the way!

Sleeping angels

2008-03-11T18:22:00.001-07:00

What could be more beautiful than this?

3 Years old

2008-02-06T16:46:00.000-08:00

Sams third birthday tomorrow, well technically today. Weird really, three years ago I had no idea that I would be living this adventure. I have to confess that today the adventure was a little less than wonderful. Stroppy kids, loopy cats, phones that don't stop ringing and an ever growing list of things that need to be done for scouts, dancing schools, to say nothing of the house that grows clutter when Im not looking. In fact I would go so far as to say that I am certain that whenever I turn away for a second another item creeps back into the place I just cleared it from. Look, there goes that DVD scuttling across the floor again!!!

Day in the park

2007-08-31T16:53:00.001-07:00

After a morning spent cleaning up poo that had been used as a primitive form of plasticene spent the rest of the day in park with the kids. Sam hated the paddling pool. Water was too cold. Kate had a whale of a time on the rides. All in all a good day.

Its been a bit of an un-nappy day.

2007-08-30T14:37:00.001-07:00

Sam managed to fill his nappy this morning and then empty it into his plaster cast. So instead of heading to the park with mom dad and kate we went to the hospital. And when we got back jackie and steve from next door moved out. A bit sad really. Looking forward to having peter home at the weekend though. Really missed him this week hate it when he goes back to work after the holidays.

Happy holidays

2007-08-28T20:27:00.001-07:00

Well another family holiday over. Had a great two weeks in dorset, over too quickly. All eight me us back safe and sound including sam with his leg in plaster up to the hip! Came down the slide a bit fast. Still at least its only on for a couple of weeks could have been worse i suppose.

Sam

2007-03-08T00:49:00.000-08:00

Sam is two

Where to begin

2007-03-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

Katie is 9 and Sam is 2 and had Down's Syndrome. Two kids at more opposite ends of the scale you would struggle to meet. I am 37 and have been happily married to Pete for 13 years. I am an active Scout leader and a qualified Dancing Teacher, I also produce our local scout gang show.

Well thats us! Life is always chaotic, never dull, sometimes just damn hard work, and sometimes a more amazing experience than I could ever have hoped for.

I have learnt more from kids over the years than I could dare to hope that they have learnt from me.

Kids are inspiring, amazing, hilarious, and on occasion soul destroying.

I often look at my kids as im sure all of us do and feel a sense of total wonder "We made this!, this person who has likes and dislikes, wants and needs, that are independant of mine" How amazing is that feeling.

The thing I find so facinating is that however well we know our children, they probably know us better than we know ourselves, if I take time to talk to my daughter, she has some amazing insights into my personality that I would probably have never considered.

As for my son, well he was like a nuclear device dropping into my world. Six little words "We think your baby has Down's" and in that split second the whole of your life changes. All normal function ceases for a while and you live with a constant feeling of falling off a steep cliff and not quite being able to grasp your way back into real life.

Slowly very slowly the realisation kicks in "This is my life!" and you find a new normal.

Admittedly it can look far from normal to strangers. Im sure im known in our local supermarket as the loopy woman who sings "Miss Polly had a Dolly" whilst trying to push a trolley and teach my son the sign language to go with it. You can picture the overall frantic effect!!!

This probably also explains why I have such an odd collection of stuff in my fridge most of the time.