2009 Spring Break Trip

My 2009 Spring Break Trip to Opelousas, LA with Mommy's family and Portland, OR with Daddy's Family

In March I had a very busy spring break. It all started on Friday March 6 when Mommy brought me to my friend Meredith's house so she could go pick up our fruits and vegetables from our food group at church. Mrs. Mollie gave me lunch too before Mommy came to pick me up for our long long car ride to The Woodlands where my Gramsie (Gyinny) and Pa pa live. We went home after Mommy picked me up and I helped her unload our food.

We got in the car and started driving. It was so long. I slept at the beginning. Mommy stopped to get me some cookies in the middle of Houston somewhere. We listened to my car songs too. I don't like Mommy to sings songs I don't know or feel like listening to.

Daddy came to meet us at Gramsie and Pa-pa's house that night but I was already asleep when he got there. The next day we went to the Houston Rodeo. I got to ride a pony! I also got to participate in a farmers market for kids. I sold the things I raised on my farm and got a box of juice for it! Mommy and Daddy usually don't let me have juice! It was SO good. We saw lots of animals in a petting zoo. Daddy stayed longer than I did. I also had a blast running up and down a turf slope with other kids. That was the best part I think. I took a nap while some cowboys road bulls and horses. This guy with long hair sang a lot of loud songs after that. Mommy and Daddy kept covering my ears. Something about the decibel level being too loud...I don't know.

The next day we celebrated Pa-pa's birthday with cake and corn bread that I helped Mommy make. Daddy had to drive home and Mommy drove us to Opelousas, LA. We stayed at Ma-ma Becky and Pa-pa Berch 1's house. They have great toys and a swingset in the back. AND they live next door to the Sibley's where I went to play with cousin Blaise and his skateboards. Blaise even gave me a small play skateboard! We ate dinner with Blaise, Cousin Cody, Cousin Brandi, Aunt Amaryllis, and Uncle Mark the first night we were there. For lunch everyday we went to Ma-ma Hazel and Pa-pa Joe's house. Great Charlotte was there too because she lives across the street and she drives Pa-pa Joe around town lately. When I took a nap Mommy did music with him. They have lots of toys too and great movies. While we were in Louisiana I also got to see Avery, Wesley, Aunt Jan, Uncle Ronnie, Cousin Renee, Aunt Liz, Cousin Rebecca, Cousin Jenny, and Uncle Mike, and Cousin Madeleine. I actually let Avery push me in the stroller for the first time. She was delighted.



There was a lot of family we didn't get to see because the cousins were in school. We had to leave Thursday mornining. We drove back to Gramsie and Pa-pa's house. Mommy stopped at McDonald's somewhere in Texas and got me a milkshake. I think she wanted one too. MMMM.

=

I got to see Pa-pa and Gramsie again. It was very short though. The next morning we got up and drove back to San Antonio. It was pouring down rain! Wow! It hardly ever rains in San Antonio! Maybe I'll be able to use my new rain boots one day! We stopped and got another milk shake but it was too cold and rainy to play on the playground there.

I got to see MORE family that night. Aunt Michelle (I just call her "Sell", it's much easier) and Matthew came to spend the night. Mommy and Sell made a yummy dinner. Mattthew and everyone entertained me. It's great to be a toddler. When I woke up the next morning Uncle Brian (Biny, Byine) was there! We rode in his van to the airport. Mommy and Daddy sure brought a lot of stuff to carry. They should know that I get first priority being carried over a bunch of bags...

I liked the airplanes! I got window seats every time! On the train at the aiport to get to the other side, Daddy let me hold on to the top bar. We took three airplanes. The first one was fun! I slept and watched movies on the second one. I did not like the last one at all. Daddy's computer ran out of battery. I don't know why Mommy wouldn't let me stretch my legs and stand in the seat. I needed some good exercise. The seats were bouncy and that long isle looked perfect but she said no. I did get to sit next to Byine. He showed me some cool games on his rectangle phone. My phone doesn't have games like that! When we got to Portland I had to wait for my seat to ride in the car. It never came so the airport loaned us one for free! And we got to ride in a mini van. I'm persuading Daddy to buy one when his car dies.

We got to the hotel and Granna (Ganna), Pop2 (Pa ta) and Uncle Kevin (Ka-yn) were there. Wow! We ate at a place that sells chickens that night. The next day I met Grappa, Aunt Lea, Uncle Dean, Cousin Danica, Cousin Cambria, and Cousin Grant. Grant rode in the van with us so we could play. We ate lunch, took pictures, and went to target where Pa ta let me sit on a table and drink an Icee.

I didn't feel so great the next day. I was achee and my head was very hot. I got to play at the children's museum with Mommy and Pa ta. I didn't really feel like it when I first got there. The only thing that looked fun was the water exploration. Mommy and Pa ta gave me some liquid and then everything looked fun. I went shopping in the store and got to make the groceries beep too. There was a tree house, a big pit to dig in with trucks, a building site, a train track, and all kinds of stuff. Mommy took me swimming when we got back to the hotel. I watched another baby splash in the water so I did it too. We went in the hot water pool too. That night we ate pizza. I like cheese, bread and tomato sauce, but not altogether so I only ate a little bit. Daddy helped me play games there.

The next day we went to the Science Museum. More fun stuff! A sand box, a water area, a tree with animals to play in, and lots of stuff to explore. There was also some water pipes that Ka-yn helped me build, pipes that sucked balls in them and blew them out somewhere else, and lots of stuff that I could use my hands with. I think I want to pilot an airplane or train one day. We ate at Red Lobster that night. I love their bread! Mommy put a bunch in a box for us.

I think Mommy and Daddy snuck away to the hot water pool while I was sleeping. So that's what I hear. And Mommy was tired sometimes in the morning because she would sneak away to play cards with Sell, Ka-yn and Matta. While we were there Pa ta showed me a neat trick. I got to stand on his hands while he lifted me high in the air. Ganna played with me while Mommy and Daddy did things sometime.

The next day we rode more airplanes. I got the window seat each time again!! What luck! I loved to look out of the window, but I guess I was really tired because I fell asleep before this next picture was taken.

We all went to bed when we got back to San Antonio. Byine left that night but Sell and Matta spent the night again. I had a great spring break. I've been having more fun in San Antonio since we've been back. I can't wait to see family again!

Getting to know people

So one of Zachary's favorite things to do that doesn't require running, jumping, or climbing is looking at picture albums. He's learned so many names that are so cute to hear him say.

We've got

Granna- "Gyanna"
Pop2- "Po ta"
Gramsie- "Gyinny"
Pa pa- "Paw paw" (definitely our best)
Michelle- "Sell"
Brian- "Biyine" ( I think...I'll have to listen to that one again)
Kevin- Ka yin
Berch (Paran) - Pa
Kathryn (Kitty)- Kitty
Blaise- Bay
Pa-pa Joe- Pa-pa Doe
Maggie Byrne- Ma ee


Of course Mommy and Daddy is now clear as day.
Most other names besides this list, he says is from repeating me.

It's also so funny what they notice that we don't!

In March we went to visit my extended family in Louisiana. I was at my mom's parent's house, Hazel and Joe. My mom's sister, Charlotte was there (Great Charlotte :). She took Zachary to play outside while I visited with my grandparents. When they came back in Zachary pointed to my grandpa's shoes and said Pa-pa Doe. Charlotte was very surprised and said, "oh...yeah, those are for Pa-pa).

In March we also went to Portland. When we returned home, Michelle and Matthew spent another night. The next morning before Michelle was even out of her bed/room, Zachary took a glance at her shoes and said, "Sell". "uh, what?" I looked at the shoes he was pointing to. Whose shoes were those? They weren't mine and looked to small to belong to Matthew or Scott and I didn't recognize them as Scott's shoes. "Oh....yeah....those ARE Aunt Michelle's shoes.....!"

I guess it's because they're lower to the ground? Very observant!

Superman and Super words

There's so many moments when I say, "that's cute" or "he's so cute" or "he's so funny" as I watch Zachary grow up. I wish I would remember all of them or just remember to write them down.

Tonight Zachary had his superman pajamas on and then found the spider man cap Uncle Kevin had given him for his first Christmas outside the womb. He's seen me where a cap a million times and Scott too, with it forward facing but I guess he has to be cool because he put it on backwards and insisted on wearing it that way :) So usually he only wears if for a few minutes at a time, but we've made progress. Tonight, after bath he wanted to just fly around the house with it on. He looked so cool/cute. I wish the camera would be working.

On a word update, he's saying so many more imitations and words every day. He now says:

pajamas- "pyamas"
grapes- "gyapes"
raisins- "ray ray"
bake- "de bay"
slide- "si"
rollercoaster- " coa coa" ( I guess sea world is good for vocab)
light- "yite"
cookie- "coottie"
tools- "too"
skateboard- "skay"
food- "food"
Daddy- "Daddy" Yay!
Mommy- "Mommy" yay!
Puppy- "Puppy" Yay!
song- "sham"
outside- "si"
airplane- "tain"
train- "choo choo"
play- "pay"

and the list goes on. I love it.

Zachary's First Haircut

Zachary got his first haircut on February 28. I had tried to do it myself but even in front of a Kidsong video where he doesn't move a muscle, he still swatted away when I'd come near with the scissors. So we went to the place next to HEB. He watched Scott get his own hair cut first. He wasn't really thrilled about sitting in the chair, even with his HEB balloon, so he sat on Scott. He also was not into the wearing the cover to keep hair off of him so Scott wore that too. After whining and pushing the scissors away the hairdresser gave him a sucker. That was the motivator. While slurping away on his sucker the hairdresser was finally able to get her work done. She makes it look so easy! Wish it was! Zachary was covered in little blonde hairs after, but the hair on his head looked great!

Zachary's Day as a Toddler

A Week With Me

I have a very busy schedule. There are so many toys to play with, places to explore and fun activities to do that Mommy prepares for me. We often take field trips or vacations around Texas or Louisiana. If you would like to find out what a week with me is like, keep reading.

Mondays

On Monday's, Mommy makes a dinner schedule from her menu and we take a grocery store field trip. I help Mommy pick out fruit. I try to help her pick out other snacks to eat but for some reason she puts them back on the shelf. Usually the round brown things she calls, "cookies". When we get home I help Mommy bring the groceries in the house and then I help her put them on the shelf.

Putting Away Groceries

Tuesdays
On Tuesdays, Mommy chauffeurs me to the Guerra Library for Toddler Story Time. My friends Aurelia, Meredith, Elijah, and Sofia join me there. There are usually 25 friends there. It's gotten very crowded since we've started going.

I also go play at Mrs. Gladys' house on Tuesday afternoons while Mommy goes to do music therapy. I never am hungry for dinner when I get home because Mrs. Gladys feeds me some yummy things like chicken nuggets and cookies.

Wednesdays and Thursdays

I go to school on Wednesday's and Thursdays. I am in Mrs. Stephanie's class at Village Parkway Mom's Day Out. I have 5 other friends in my class. I was the man of the class for a while, but now there are two other boys who come. We color or do a craft, play with cars outside, go for a walk, eat lunch and take a nap. Sometimes I don't like to color until I've played with the toys in the classroom. I'm ready after that.

Fridays

We take a field trip somewhere in the city on Fridays. My favorite field trip is Sea World. They are open 9-10 months out of the year. I can't wait for them to open up again in March. I like the dolphins and Shamu's Happy Harbor the best. I get to bounce in the toddler area, climb up a pirate ship with slides and dig in the sand. I think Mommy likes it just as much as I do. She always tries to persuade me to go down the slides. Sometimes we just go to the park or duck pond which can be an every day activity during the week.


















Other Activities
During the week I also help Mommy with other chores around the house.

Unloading the Dishwasher

Cooking/Baking

Gardening

Walking and Training the Dog














Catching Flies















(Mommy hates flies)

I hope you enjoyed a week with me. There will be more adventures to come and to share. Make an appointment to join me in my activities.

Below is a message from "Daily Strength", sent to me by my loving husband, that discusses ways to get your child to stop, listen and obey. I thought it was good. You can decide what you think.

Getting Your Child To Stop, Listen and Heed Your Warning

By Cyndi January 14, 2009 12:31am

Today I heard a story about a mom who, watching her small child walk dangerously close to the street, yelled "danger". The child stopped in his tracks and returned to his mother. Through your children's young life there will be many moments of worry, anxiety and even panic at the thought of your child getting injured. This is all part of parenthood. This story reminded me of how important it is to be clear with our children and to teach them to heed our warnings. Of course we can't protect them from all the possible mishaps in life but we can instill in them a sense of awareness and a healthy sense of caution. I emphasize "healthy sense" because we don't want them to become anxious or afraid of taking any risks. That is all part of being a child. But when the moment calls for an immediate response to your admonitions, how can you best prepare for your child's safety?

While there is no perfect answer to this questions there are some useful tools we can use from the very moments we start to use the word "no". So often I see parents gently telling their small child not to touch something hot or breakable and they do this with a loving smile on their face. This is confusing to anyone, let alone a being that is just learning the subtle nuances of communication. I have even seen parents admonish their child for some inappropriate or mean behavior with this same accepting and even cheerful smile. Their expressions belie their words and do little in the way of teaching. In fact, often facial expressions carry more weight than the actual spoken word. As children get older they become incredibly sensitive to a look or a glance that means Mom or Dad has had enough and sometimes a glance is all that is needed to redirect behavior.

Here are some communication tips to keep in mind when teaching your small children to respond to a serious warning you are giving:

1) Make sure your face reflects the seriousness of the message. Your voice doesn't need to be loud just firm and clear.

2) For very small children use a hand gesture like putting your palm up or shaking a finger to signal "no".

3) Role play what may have occurred if the child completed the action. For example, if they were about to touch something hot and you stopped them, pretend that you touched the item and then act as if you were hurt by pretending to cry and holding the supposed injury.

4) Be aware of how often you use the word "no" because it can begin to lose its meaning. Chose a word like "danger" for moments that you need an immediate response such as the mother who was able to stop her child from walking into the street.

Getting our children to listen can be challenging at times but in crucial moments there is no room for error. Obviously the best thing we can do is to keep a close eye on our little ones and help them learn what is safe and what is dangerous. As any parent can tell you, it only takes a split second for your small child to get into a precarious situation and having the tools to quickly redirect them could make all the difference in the world.

Stomach Viruses

Uggghhh, really...why do they have to exist? Nausea to me is just one of the most unpleasant feelings we can have. Of course....there's so many discomforts out there I haven't experienced...but out of the ones I know.

I saw my son throw up for the first time ever besides the regular spit ups they get as babies, on Sunday. He's now almost 21 months. I had just fed him strawberries and about 20 minutes later they all came up. I thought the strawberries were bad b/c they are out of season and were on sale at HEB. It's a terrible site to see someone or hear someone feeling the pain of throwing up. Especially such a little one.

I came to find out on Tuesday night that, that strawberries were not the case. I found out after my brother and his girlfriend showed up to surprise me. Almost 48 hours later, I'm pretty sure my brother was second guessing his visit. My dad also came. All of them have gotten this stupid bug and I've now figured out that it's air borne.

I spent most of this week cleaning which includes washing, drying, and disinfecting. Here's some info I found online about stomach viruses. There's a lot I didn't know. There's not a lot of preventing air borne stuff.

Hope this is helpful.

r Release: Tuesday, December 6, 2005

HEALTH DEPT. OFFERS TIPS ON FIGHTING STOMACH FLU

The Allegheny County Health Department is offering tips on how to prevent and control the spread of “stomach flu,” which occurs more frequently during the winter months and can be highly contagious.

The intestinal illness is usually caused by noroviruses, which can spread easily and rapidly from person to person in households and other environments where people have frequent and close physical contact.

Symptoms typically include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps. While stomach flu isn’t related to influenza, a respiratory illness, in some cases people with norovirus also have influenza-like symptoms such as a fever, chills, headache and muscle aches.

Stomach flu starts suddenly, but is usually brief, lasting only one or two days. It is generally not serious, however some people can feel very ill with frequent vomiting and diarrhea. They should drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, especially the very young and the elderly.

Noroviruses are found in the stool and vomit of infected people and can be passed to others by consumption of contaminated food or water, hand-to-mouth contact after touching contaminated surfaces or objects, direct contact with an infected person and even through the air when virus particles are aerosolized in the process of vomiting.

Because people are contagious from the time they feel ill to at least three days after recovery, it is very important for them to use good handwashing and personal hygiene practices while they are sick and after they have recently recovered. Since there are many different strains of norovirus, recurring infections are possible.

Health officials offer the following tips to prevent and control the spread of norovirus:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after using the toilet or changing diapers and before handling, preparing or eating food.
• Alcohol-based hand sanitizers and wipes do not kill certain bacteria and viruses, but soap and water can wash some of the infectious particles from the hands.
• Use disposable paper towels to dry your hands instead of re-using a cloth towel.
• People who are sick should not prepare, serve or handle food for others.
• Wash hands after caring for a sick person and handling items they might have soiled.\
• Clean surfaces contaminated after an episode of illness by rinsing the surface with clear water, swabbing the area with a bleach solution containing a half-cup of household bleach per gallon of water, and allowing it to air dry. Noroviruses can survive 3-4 weeks at room temperature, and many common disinfectants don’t kill them.
• Immediately remove and launder in hot water and detergent any clothing or linens that may be contaminated with virus after an episode of illness.
• Launder bath and wash towels in hot water and detergent after every cleanup and use.
• Wear rubber gloves when handling or cleaning up vomit or stool.
• Steam cleaning is recommended for cleaning carpets soiled with vomit.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces in the home on a regular basis. Spray paper or cloth towels with a cleaning agent or bleach solution and then wipe the surface, instead of spraying the surface first, which can cause virus particles to become airborne and settle on other surfaces.

Visit our web site at: www.achd.net

Sharing tips

Little discoveries are so exciting these days.

I'm always searching for parenting tips, techniques, and tricks. Here's a few of my latest. They may already be well known. # three I learned in school and from Suppernanny.

1. While clipping fingernails, set your toddler on the sink and let his/her feet dangle in. Turn on the water and let them be entertained while you clip.

2. Bungie chairs together at the table so they can't pull them out and climb on them. Our chairs are across from each other. 4 chairs, 2 on one side, 2 on the other.

3. Keep placing them where they need to be when they resist or fight it.

I'll explain three. When we were visiting Scott's family at Christmas, we had the luxury of having a bedroom at the grandparents house. This is quite an honor. There's three bedrooms and the families with little kids who need naps and early bed times get a room. So some people stay at a hotel or on the floor. Well, we always bring the pack n play for Zachary.

After I set him down for a nap one day, I went downstairs to read. A few minutes later Nanny, Scott's grandmother, came in the room carrying Zachary. She said, "he was coming down the stairs". Oh great. So now he can climb out of the pack n play.

So I went to put him back down. He was ready for a game. He would pop up everytime I laid him back down. So I was getting frustrated. I knew spanking him just wouldn't get the right message across. He wouldn't understand that. I don't want to do it anyway. I continued to lay him back down every time he got up. Eventually he quit fighting me and just cried while laying there. A few minutes later he tried it again and I did the same. Well it worked. I got the idea from classes and from Suppernanny. She used the trick getting kids to bed in the elementary ages. I was glad it worked. Behavior modification techniques are great to learn about.

Watering the Dog

Yesterday Scott and I went on a walk with Zachary and Sandy the dog. Usually, every time we take a walk with Sandy, he always ends up barking balistically at certain houses we pass with dogs in the backyard. And if we pass another dog being walked...forget it. One time there was a stray dog roaming. I was by myself with Zachary and we were two streets away from home. That was a disaster walk.

So anyhow, I had been meaning to buy a water gun that works and does not leak. I had bought one about a month ago and it leaked before we even took it outside. My friend Mollie suggested taking a water gun on our walks and squirting Sandy when he barked and went crazy at other dogs. She said it worked well with her dog. Sandy hates water. He always runs when I get the hose out to water the garden.

Well for some reason I haven't been able to locate water guns at the stores I happen to look at. Really, in San Antonio, TX??? So yesterday I filled my watering can with water and took it on our walk.

My advice to you. DO try this with your dogs if they don't like to be watered. It worked great!! Sandy would turn around and look at us if he saw that watering can coming near and resume the sophisticated dog walking model dog as opposed to frantically barking, running, turning in circles, and backing his rear into the stroller (I don't know why he does that but it leaves tire marks on him).

I wonder if some people would think it's cruel, but I prefer it over spanking the dog. And it works much better anyway. So if you have dog walking problems with a dog afraid of water, water your dog.


Here is Sandy's first day at our house after I found him roaming our neighborhood.

Thanksgiving Family Gathering

I had the privilege of traveling to Louisiana with my husband and son to visit my extended family in Louisiana. We were just north of Lafayette in a town called Opelousas. Mom and Dad's parents are both there. I also have a few aunts, uncles and cousins there as well as in surrounding areas. There's plenty of people to see when we go there and not as much time as I would like. It's been quite and adjustment living 7 and 1/2 hours away as opposed to 4, when I lived in The Woodlands.

It was a fabulous week for me. Zachary also had a good time. Scott did as well and was able to go golfing with my Uncle Mark and cousin Blaise. I'm glad he's getting to know my family better.

There's many upsides to living in San Antonio. Scott has a great job, the schools seem to be pretty good with lots of opportunity, there's not too many hurricanes here, it's always sunny, I have some great friends here, we're close to Temple, Austin, Fredericksburg, College Station, and not too far from Corpus Christi (yay beach). We got a lot of entertaining things to do here and of course one of my favorite things...we're ten minutes from Sea World.

On the other hand there's lots of times when I wish I could drop by my grandparents house for a few minutes just to say hi, see my cousin's activities and games, go to more family events, co-lead sessions with my aunt who is a speech/language pathologist, attend some good old cajun dancing, and be back for Christmas (even though Scott's family is fun too). Stuff like that. I have a really difficult time leaving after visits.

On the way home from Thanksgiving at my Uncle Carl's house I was letting my emotions get to me. I was upset about being far, about us cousins not being as close anymore, my mom's parents seeming less active, and differences in opinion over various topics among the family. Just a lot of stuff at once. Scott gave me words of comfort as he drove us back to the house we were staying at. It's funny though, how kids know things sometime. Like they have some form of ESP. I was sitting next to Zachary in his car seat. He was quiet and during my moments of being upset he grabbed my hand and held it for the rest of the car ride. He may have just wanted to hold my hand, but I like to think that he was comforting me.

I do try to look at the positive things about living here and the things I CAN do to stay connected with my family. Thank God for technology and USPS.

More Observations

Today Zachary and I went outside to water the garden in the backyard. We discovered that Sandy had thrown his automatic watering system in the yard (the ones you get at Walmart). So I went to pick up the two pieces of the base and was re-attaching them. In the meantime, Zachary had walked over to where Sandy had thrown the plastic top part that holds the water, carried all the way to the front of the steps, turned it upside down, grabbed the hose, and was attempting to try to fill it up although he didn't know how to twist the handle to make the water come out. Wow!

I just don't think about how much he actually takes in when he watches me do things. I'm glad he likes to help. I'm trying to take advantage of that as much as I can. He would still rather throw the towels on the ground that I have folded than help with that...but...one chore at a time :)

So many sweet moments of Mommy-hood. I'm starting to look more forward to the next Baby....but we're not pregnant yet, just to clarify :)

Observant Little Ones

I say it all the time but it's true. Children grow so fast and surprise us all the time with how much they know. Zachary observes much more than I realize.

It was just last week that Zachary and I were hanging around upstairs on a cold morning not long after Scott left for work. We read books, played with various toys, banged on a few of Mommy's instruments and were lounging around. I was learning to work with our new ATT set up and using the upstairs remote in the process. Well of course, every 18 month old toddler would like the colorful, new looking remote that Mommy is using as opposed to the old, gray and black remote that he's seen every day he can remember. So Zachary would try to get me to hand him the one I was using, but I on the other hand tried to get him to use that colorless gray one. Instead of getting upset and throwing a fit like he's done in the past, he takes off, turns around, and slides down the stairs on his tummy.

"Okay??" I thought to myself.

A few minutes later Zachary returned from downstairs with a remote that matched the same one I was using which goes to the downstairs TV. I remember the sudden surprise that overcame me when I realized what he was holding in his hands. I congratulated him and praised him for his observation. We both sat on the floor and were both happy at that point with our colorful remotes.

Adult students with Mental Retardation Very Informed about Election

A music therapist sent a story out to our music therapy list serve about her adult students with mental retardation in her social skills class. I found it very moving and inspiring.

I've quoted her story below:



"I taught my social skills class today like I usually do (adults with
mild retardation; one or two with moderate retardation) and it was a
great experience; our theme of course was Election Day. All but one
voted (she is a Canadian citizen and so can't vote obviously). These
folks, even given their cognitive limitations, were far better
informed and asked better questions than most people. We walked about
how in other countries women often don't have the rights they do in
the US; and Amanda brought up that in some countries; people with
disabilities are killed or at best ignored. Touchy subject...so I
asked "why do you think it is that way?" Luigi said "because in those
countries they think people with disabilities are worthless and cost
too much money in education and services". This from a person with
autism......I told them I did not agree, and people in the US did not
agree generally with that--that people with disabilities can and do
contribute--just like they do. They knew most of the names of the
elected officials in our state (the main ones) and a lot of the
cabinet members. Made me want to study and read more as I realize I'm
not always as informed as I should be. These guys keep me on my toes!
I have a lot of respect for them.

Then we set up and decorated for a "get out the vote" luncheon and it
looked great when we were done. It is for everyone in the building
where these classes are held (the rest of the building are various
professional offices; so all those folks were invited to lunch.

Kathleen"

Family Tree

Back in May, my Great Uncle Lincoln visited San Antonio with a senior group from Atlanta, where he lives. They were just taking a trip.

Lincoln is my Dad's Mother's oldest brother. The oldest of 13. He obviously has a huge family with lots of nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews. He's had some amazing accomplishments in his life. He's a military vet where he got some type of award, a teacher, writer, researcher....many things that I don't even know about. He also keeps track of the family address book. He's amazing and the best part is....he's 92 years old.

I hadn't seen him since I was 8 years old at my Aunt's wedding. When I was 5 or 6 he took the time to visit us when we lived in Casper, WY. I remember him coming to the museum and ice skating rink with us there. I remember him knowing a lot of information and being a lot of fun.

He made sure to get my cell phone number before leaving Georgia to come to San Antonio. He called ahead of time to check my schedule. He was very excited about visiting me. Me, a distant family member he hadn't seen in over 16 years.

They stayed on the other end of town. Scott, Zachary and I tried to visit on a Wednesday night at his hotel but his bus had broken down on their day trip touring and we missed each other that night. I got to see him the next night without Scott and Zachary which was disappointing, but that's the way it worked. They were staying about 30 mins from our house. I had forgotten the banana bread I had baked for him.

He was so excited to see me and he had his camera ready the minute I walked in to get a picture together. We had coffee together and we talked for over a couple of hours. The time went by fast and I could have talked to him all night. He's very oriented, funny, and interesting. He's had so many adventures in life. He remembered details about his visit to our house in Casper so many years ago. He also remembered details about the trip he took to my mother's classroom two years before. Her class had written him letters asking questions about his accomplishments in life. He was so excited he flew down to Houston. That night, he was hoping to see Zachary but it had been so late and hadn't worked out. They were leaving the next day in the morning.

He is so inspiring to me in so many ways. He's in his 90s yet is so active and full of life. He still loves to go dancing! Who says you're too old to keep going? He makes an effort to keep up with technology. He is excited about learning. He showed persistence in his accomplishments. And he knows the importance of family.

When we were talking he said multiple times that he thought family was so important. He talked about keeping up with the family directory and knew where so many of us lived. He said we always have each other no matter how far. Some families are not necessarily blood-related, but they've chosen to be there for each other and call each other family. He had made the effort to find me during his short visit to our city, sit with me, and reconnect.

The next day I decided to drive back up with Zachary and catch their bus before leaving. I brought that banana bread I had forgotten and best of all he got to see his 5th generation...Zachary. We got a great picture of that one! My grandmother was so excited that her brother had gotten to see us. I know my parents wish they could have been there also.

Family can be an amazing part of life. People we get together with to reunite and celebrate. People to share good times with during holidays and important events. Those we have to keep us going and fall back on in time of need. I guess in family we have our differences, but sometimes that's what makes family life so fun and interesting. Those differences also can allow us to help each other out. We somehow learn to work together through those and know each other on a deep level after coming together time after time. I guess even if it's been years and years, it's not too late.

Family, I miss ya'll a lot but I think of you often.

Beach Trip

We've spent a busy time this summer traveling here and there, to see family and friends. Even though the drives are long, the nap schedule gets off, you have to think way into the far future to plan many meals, and of course, gas prices aren't too friendly, it's all so worth it.

After our Lake Trip to see Scott's family we took a trip to visit my family at Orange Beach, Alabama. I'm a huge fan of the beach. Something about the sounds, the smells, and the serenity of walking along the coast. And then of course the sand castles, riding the waves, and tossing the Frisbee around. It's double the fun when lots of family or friends join in. Lot's of smiles, lots of ideas, lots of games, lots of conversation, and lots of opportunity to get to know each other. I like how we all pile in a couple of condos and learn what it's like to live with each other. Like Scott's family does during the summer and for holidays. There's always the necessity to take your own alone time and here at the beach, there were plenty of places to do that. I hope we can do this or something similar again someday and hopefully arrange it so more family can join in.



A Glimpse into Zachary's World

This was my first trip to the beach. I was 15 months at the time. I wasn't sure what to think of this strange brown and watery place. I discovered that the brown was a very strange substance that felt very funny falling between my fingers. The water was very salty. Not the same as what I drink out of my Sippe cups. After a while I decided it was fun. Paw paw taught me how to build some monster sandcastles. When the sun got too hot I would go swim in the indoor pool with Mommy or Daddy. Sometimes I would go play with Gramsie upstairs. There was a lot of people to play with me and give me snacks. I didn't play too much in the salty water, but I did enjoy having it run over my feet. I might like to try going back to the beach again one day.