Kindred Spirits

 These pictures crack me up! I think there was a mix up in heaven because I am certain Taylor is my sister, Allies child. They are the SAME person... literally.... they look the same, they act the same and they like the same things. Kindred spirits I tell you

 Taylor wanted her hair to be the exact same as Allie.. they are too much! Ahhhhh Tutu (my grandma)  is smiling in heaven.

Thinking of this sweet girl today

Team Dunaway is sending positive energy and lots of LOVE to this sweet girl . Cousin Maia is having surgery today, we wish we could be there to support them. but lucky for them super Nana is on her way! Sinead and I put together a care package and shipped it off so they could have lots of projects during her recovery. We love little Maia dearly and pray for a speedy and painless recovery xoxo

WE GOT IN!!!!

A million thank you's and high fives to all of our friends and family that listened to me carry on about the application process for Coopers School. The 0-3 program in our school district is exceptional and very hard to get into because of budget cuts and high demand. After a two hour phone interview and an in person assessment last Tuesday Dusty and I received word today that Cooper was accepted into the program!

I have to attend Coopers IFSP this Friday ( the IEP for 0-3) which will set the goals for development and education over the next year and then Cooper will start class 2 days a week. They are an hour and a half long and my involvement in the class is mandatory. This is as much an education for me as it will be for him! There will be 3 other children , 3 parents, 2 special education teachers, an occupational therapist, speech therapist, physical therapist and school psychologist in his class as well as a myriad of resources available. This process was defiantly not a shoe in for us even with Williams Syndrome and I feel beyond lucky to have the chance to attend. This will set Cooper up for the rest of his education and be the building blocks for our early intervention. Dusty and I are THRILLED!!!

( and p.s. because OT and ST and PT are in the class I can cut down on the doctor appointments we are going to! I know that is not as important but it sure will be nice for Taylor) 

Next week should be Coopers first day of School. Pictures to follow!!!!

This is Taylor's first day of Preschool  She was just over 2 years old. Little Peanut.

This week for Dinner

We had a wonderful Holiday. Lots of family time, a nice hike, great food and friends. But most importantly we relaxed... I didn't even take any pictures! Today we are back to the grind but I feel well rested and ready to tackled the short week.

Sunday: Salmon with a spicy mustard and brown sugar glaze and roasted artichokes.
Monday: We had a group of friends over for BBQ Ribs, potato salad, corn salad, Baked Beans and the   BEST... I mean the BEST cake I have ever made. Recipe to follow.
Tuesday: Corn chowder with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches
Wednesday: Chicken Taco's black beans and salad
Thursday: grilled pork tenderloin, roasted corn on the cob and fresh fruit
Friday:  Left Overs

Welcome to Holland

       By far the best thing that anyone did for Dusty and I after Coopers diagnosis was to send us this article by Emily Perl Kingsley. Dusty's wonderful step-mom Cindy sent this to us and I can easily say that this was the one thing that helped me place into words exactly how I felt.  I have this printed and on my desk and I read it often. I love Cindy more than you can imagine. She has been an advocate and an incredibly strong shoulder for me to lean on. I desperately wish I lived closer to her. 

          This is an amazing article for anyone who is raising a child with a disability. I think this perfectly puts into words how I feel/felt now that we have Coopers diagnosis. 

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

by
Emily Perl Kingsley.

       I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

       When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

       But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

       So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

       But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

       But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.