Lessons Learned.

It's been a day of important lessons. First, and most importantly, take shelter if your little one sneezes with a mouth full of Cream of Wheat.

Lesson number 2: Don't waste your money buying toys. Alexis found an old pair of BabyLegs today (for those of you not in the know, they're legwarmers for babies). She played with them for hours. Seriously. FOR HOURS! Who knew legwarmers could be such a great source of entertainment? (Guess what all the nieces and nephews are getting for Christmas this year!)

She's learning say and sign "off" and "on". So I put them on her.

She wanted them off.

She tried putting them on me...Nice hat. Guess we have some work to do.

And lesson number 3:

Make it clear to your child that there will be NO gifts, cakes, or parties...

BEFORE you tell him that it's his 6 1/2 birthday.

Happy half birthday anyway, Blake.

Finally, Alexis hit my very favorite milestone on Sunday. After only 2 years and 3 months, she said "Mama"! Here's proof!

She's found her voice.

Alexis is happy almost all of the time. And I don't want to perpetuate the stereotype that kids with Down syndrome are happy all the time. They aren't.

All 3 of my kids are happy almost all of the time. I am very blessed to have 3 very easy, happy, content children.

(The kids and I ventured out to the Noblesville Street Dance tonight. It was hot. We ate. We left.)

The boys are far apart enough in age to have some of their own friends and interests, yet close enough to play very well together.

Play together, read together...they are amazing.

But don't get me wrong. We have our moments. And now, Alexis has found her voice.

Girl has an opinion. And when she wants to, she lets us know what that opinion is.

But for the most part, she's happy.

And she's got the music in her:

Lovely Little Lady Lexi Lou

A little Alexis Alliteration

Growing girl.

Cute Kid.

Laughing Lex.
Silly Sister.

Cherished Child.

Summer Camp

Nicholas has been quite excited about attending Camp Belzer. Me, not so much. Nicholas knew he was going to be able to shoot b.b. guns and try archery. Ugh.

Ironically, Camp Belzer is the same scout camp that my dad attended over 50 years ago and I was thrilled when he decided to attend camp with Nicholas for the first 2 days. Blake isn't a cub scout, but was able to attend the camp as well. He wasn't able to participate in guns or archery, but that might be a good thing. Jason joined his boys on Thursday and Friday at camp.

It was hot out there. Blake always enjoys swimming the best. I'm always glad when he can go swimming and I don't have to witness it. It's exhausting. He has a blast but always looks like he's drowning. His doggy paddle skills are most certainly lacking. Maybe if we renamed the doggy paddle to something more like puppy seizure style, it would be a more accurate description. And I'm sure he swallows most of the pool water as he's got his mouth open from grinning, laughing, and talking the whole time.

There were plenty of other activities of course: crafts, obstacle courses, zip lines. And the week got better as it went on. Of course that may be largely in part from the temperature dropping from sweltering hot to just, well, hot.

I find this picture highly disturbing:It's an odd feeling of pride, because he looks so grown up, and anxiety. My little boy has a rifle. And safety goggles. And is in this position like he's in the front line of combat. You probably think he's aiming at a target. It was actually at the camp counselor.

(My bad attempt at gun humor. Groan. Let's move on.)

On the last day of camp, there was a family cookout that Alexis and I attended along with our guys. Friday night was also the one night where families could camp overnight. The boys did this. Alexis and I did not. I don't do camping very well. Ok, so I haven't camped. I slept in a camper once and was told that it didn't count as camping. I'm much more pool than lake. Much more central air than fresh air. Definitely more hotel than tent. But I digress...

Alexis got new orthotics this week. She'd outgrown the last ones. And it's amazing how much further she can walk (with a push toy or hand held assist) with the braces on.

We had her walking around at the camp on Friday and she actually walked holding on with just one hand for the first time. It's progress!

I don't know that it will be much longer before she's running laps around all of us. So proud of all my kids!