Nervous Mommy

I feel like today is the first day of school for Cate all over again.  Today she is doing a day camp at the zoo.  Since the zoo is her favorite place and she always says she wants to be a zookeeper, I just so want her to love it.  But I know I'm nervous because I don't know the counselor and all the kids will be strangers to her.  I talked to the program director before I signed her up and they seem great.  He is going to assign her a "volunteen" to give her any extra assistance she needs - like to direct her back to the group when she wants to see pandas and the rest of the group is heading for tigers.  I also sent him a copy of Cate's "All About Me" packet I made for her current teachers.  Probably overkill for one day I realize but I have not having any control!!  Depending on the # of kids that signed up, her group will either be 10 kindergartners or a mix of kindy & 1st graders.  The counselors have to have two years minimum or higher eduction and experience as a group leader so that helps me feel a little more secure.  The theme today is "what animals eat" which is Cate's favorite topic.  I hope she raises her hand and participates in the discussions since I know she is comfortable with the subject.  They explore the zoo including some "special" sites not available to public, do crafts, songs, and play.  I even bought her a new outfit with a cool panda t-shirt (sorry she wasn't dressed when I left for work so I'll try to get a picture at pickup).

Ric is dropping her off this morning so I'll get to pick her up this afternoon since its a full day camp.  Everyone keep your fingers crossed she has a great day!!!  I'll report back tomorrow if she'll tell me anything that is!

I did the only thing I could to help her today, packed her a good lunch of rotisserie chicken, cheese, oranges, green beans (I know that sounds funny but I'll bet she eats these first), goldfish & oreos with some chocolate milk.

Cate's Cricket Delivery Service

We had a wonderful weekend away at a friend's cabin this weekend.  They have a son that is a year older than Lucy and the kids played together so well.  The highlight for Cate by far though was fishing.  We did two trips out to catch the little (and one big - go Courtney!) fish in the huge lake.  Cate has done this before and had no fear of touching live fish or holding the ones ready for cleaning.

Cate 2010 trip to the cabin - proud of her fish!

 This time she added to her lack of fear and became Cate's Cricket Delivery Service.  She'd reach right into that live cricket keeper, pull one out and deliver it to the fisherman in need.  Of course quite a few made their last ditch effort at escape only to find themselves in the lake.   She loved having a job as much as she loved helping them reel in a fish that was caught or netting one while someone else reeled. 

who needs a cricket

Too little so Cate releases this one back to the lake

Fisherman Cate & daddy

David, Lucy & Ric

Who says Cate won't get a driver's license - looks like a natural to me!

Captain Lucy

Captain David

David & Lucy having fun together

we called these three a "school of kids" because they moved as a pack from the front to the back of the boat - we were all amazed that none of them ended up in the lake

family fun!

Field Trip Success!!!

Cate had her second successful kindergarten field trip.  Yesterday they went to the zoo - which of course is one of Cate's absolute favorite place.  Of course that made me worry more since she is so comfortable that she'd just wander off.  But our favorite Ms. L was there to keep an eye on her and said she did great.  She got All GREENS for behavior on her trip - YEAH!!!  She said she held hands and stayed with group.  She also demonstrated for Ms. L how she was going to sound when she grows up to a zookeeper.  Bet she actually does it someday.  Cate even learned some new things because that evening she was playing with a stuffed elephant and told daddy it was a "calf".  Since I'd totally forgotten that baby elephants are called calves I'm guessing she learned that on the field trip.

Sorry no pictures from the field trip but here are a couple from our family trip to the zoo last weekend -

Quotes of the Month

The best one started a while ago and now one that happens about every day -
Ms L (Cate's para-pro at school) at car pool for pick up: Good day today Cate, see you tomorrow
Cate: I'm not coming back
Ms L: Me neither (although the first couple times she said - of course you are)

In the car -
Lucy: Mommy am I am woman?
Me: No Lucy you are a girl still.
Cate: Mommy I'll be a woman when I can drink coffee, right? (even an odder thing to say since I never drink coffee)

Lucy: Mommy you aren't pretty, I love you. (mmm was this a sympathy I love you or does she not understand pretty is a good thing?)

Mommy: Cate how was school today?
Cate: Good, I got all greens!
Mommy: Yeah Cate, can I check your sheet?
Cate: Nope don't check mommy. (she of course did not get all greens - this is a frequent conversation these days!)

Girls in the car talking about the zoo trip last weekend -
Mommy: Cate, what do panda's eat?
Both girls: Bamboo
Mommy: What do elephants eat?
Cate: Leaves & fruit
Mommy: What do lions eat?
Cate: Kids

At dinner -
Cate: Everyone listen .....(silence)
Cate: Why is everybody looking at me?
Me & Ric: (silence), then laughter
After the laughter that ensued this is now a favorite comment at our dinner table by both girls looking to be funny.

Room to Play

I am so lucky to have a father can can do amazing thing!  Two years ago he took a little hill next to our pool and build it into an area big enough for a play set that Cate's Aunt Debbie & Uncle Kevin handed down to her.
She loved it from the first time she got to play on it:

picture taken of play set last week (that yellow stuff on slide is actually pollen - lots of sneezing going on here)

flash back to first time Cate played on play set - July 2010

How cute it that?  She has grown up so much in two years.

So a couple months ago Ric & I decided that the girls need more room to play.  We have some wooded space on a hill behind where the play set sits now.  After getting a couple quotes we took the leap and got the big pine trees and little scrub trees taken down and made into mulch.  And let me tell you those pines were huge - more than twice the size of the house and one of them I doubt two of us could have gotten our arms around.  But those guys climbed that monster and cut it down piece by piece.  The difference is amazing.  So once that wonderful grandpa gets back from Florida in a couple weeks hopefully the move of the play set to this great new space will commence.  I can't wait!  Our neighborhood is beautiful but very hilly with no cul-de-sac and not really conducive to kids running around it.  My dream is for the day when I can say "go outside and play" and the girls can (and want to) safely play without minimal supervision in our backyard.

future play set home with actual room to play!!!  Wouldn't a playhouse be great up at the top of that hill - hint hint grandpa.

they even saved the azaleas which are probably as old as the house (~40 years)!

What about having another baby after one with Down Syndrome?

The most repeated question on the DS message board I frequent is "What about having another baby after a Down Syndrome Diagnosis?"  And I totally get it.  A lot of the mother are way younger than me and their children with Down Syndrome are young as well so as much as they've accepted DS, they still have fears of the future.  Its so scary but so tempting to have another baby.  But for us, we just knew it was the right thing.  We knew Cate deserved a sibling and that any sibling would be lucky to have her for a big sister.  That didn't stop the worries from hitting me every once in a while - What if the younger surpassed Cate in school?, What if something happens to us and she has to take care of Cate?, Will I have time to give another baby the attention she deserves and still deal with Cate's doctor appointments and therapies?, Can I really handle a second child?, What if the new baby has DS too?.   I don't think anyone in this situation can help but have these concerns at some point no matter how sure they are they want the second baby.   It was also easy to bring myself back to reality and just answer my own questions - just like everything else regarding the future with Cate the answer is always:  Stop worrying about it until it happens - I have a great husband and we have an awesome support system made up of incredible family and great doctors, we'll figure it out.   Of course still worried, I was just able to talk myself out getting to stressed.  The one thing I know in my heart - Cate will never be a burden to her sister.  You can't spend anytime with Cate and even question that.  We will make sure to provide for her financially but if something every happened to us the person who takes over Cate's care will feel lucky not burdened.  Now if you don't know us than you might think - of course she has to feel that way its her daughter.  But its really not that, I'm a realist most of the time, Cate is just that great to be around.  I think everyone in her life would back me up on that, down to the teachers who have to deal with her stubbornness daily.

When we get posts asking questions about having more children after one with DS it is hard to answer them since it is such a person situation.  My favorite way is story to show how great Cate & Lucy's relationship is now.   Of course there are times when Lucy might get dragged to therapy or have to wait while I do extra work with Cate.  But what family doesn't have that challenge when one child does soccer and one plays softball and both practice on the same day?  Parents just have to figure stuff like that out.  As far as attention goes - Lucy ended up with food allergies and in some ways those take much more time to deal with then any of Cate's medical concerns.  I have to bake special cupcakes for birthday snack and plan what to take to eat for her if we go out to someone's house.   Having two little ones is not easy by any means but I don't feel like it is that much harder than just having Cate.  At least they can entertain each other and I'm forced to give them a little more freedom or responsibility.

At the delicate ages of 6 & 3 the girls are each others best friends about 75% of the time.  I would guess this is a pretty high stat for that age but never having a sister I can't be sure.  My girls compliment each other so well.  Lucy is an adventurer - climbs on everything, Cate is caution and always wants to hold the rail so between the two of them they make it to the top of every slide in town no matter how high the ladder.  Lucy picks things up really quickly, Cate has to figure them out but Lucy will watch Cate trying to do something without rushing her, in the meantime she learns it herself.  Cate loves to meet new animals & people, Lucy is caution around new people and afraid of new animals but she'll pet a dog once Cate makes friends as long as Cate stays with her.  They play together, make up games & stories together, fight, wrestle, and argue.  Lucy still looks up to her sister and they so love each other - that is evident and that I can prove.

Cate's birthday party - Lucy was nervous by all the new people and so Cate gave her a little sister time.

Lucy was terrified of Santa this year - she would only agree to a picture if Cate held her hand.

The two of them discussing how Santa might get to the cookies.

Pretending to be princesses together

Lucy learning to dance from Cate.

Making up stories at the zoo about being zookeepers and feeding the lions - wish these pictures had audio it was so cute.

Sharing the chair so they could steal some time watching the ipad together.

Bath time is one of their favorite play times!

They will even share their daddy - sometimes.

Playing together at Disney.

Cate decided on the pink ears so Lucy changed her mind immediately and wanted them too.

Lucy stopping Cate to show her their shadows.

running playing together

Cate was way ready to touch the sea creatures - Lucy got brave with her big sister leading the way.

This time I'm pretty sure Lucy distracted me while Cate took the ipad

Gotta love sisters!!!!

Comments!

So sorry to those of you who tried to respond to my begging for comment but weren't able to leave them! I never played with those setting. It should allow non-member comments now . Thanks!!!