Splendid Mayhem: Oh, What A Day!!!

Welcome To Holland

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.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Oh, What A Day!!!

Oh, yesterday was a mess!!! It started when Logen found a wooden spoon and decided to go diggin' in my plant (there is a picture on the blog of Logen playing in the SAME plant) He coaxed his little brother into helping him. Its not like they were way off in another room, they were next to the couch where I was sitting. They were both laughing, so I thought I'd leave them be. Plus, I was like 2 steps away from them. When I did happen to peek over the arm of the couch, I see a HUGE pile of dirt and Parker laying on it. Now, it wasn't "just dirt" it had spit up and Logen drool in it. Which made it MUD. We needed to be walking out the door in 10 minutes and I had mud on the door, the curtains, both the living room and kitchen floors, the rug-- EVERYWHERE. Both children despirately needed bathes, but we had an appt to get to. So I get them cleaned and in the van- both crying at this point and me-- frazzled!
(Adam had put a cabinet out at the end of the drive way with a free sign on it Sunday, I forgot it was there)

I started backing up and ran right into it! Lovely-- in my NEW VAN! It did minor damage to the front (I will post a pic as soon as I upload the camera)

That evening-- Parker and I ran to wal-mart to get diapers. Adam and Logen were out back working on the shed. Logen wanted to come inside, so Adam popped in a movie for him. I walk in the door and guess what he's doing--- yes, PLAYING IN THE DIRT!

Today-- Logen only played in the plant once. I was putting on my make-up and walked into the living room to find him!

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Parker got into a sitting position ALL BY HIMSELF today!!! He's pulled up on Logen's chair once so far. Still belly crawling, but getting up onto hands and knees more and more every day!

Logen got "taped" on his left arm today and we noticed IMMEDIATE RESULTS! He reached down and picked up his shirt with the LEFT HAND!!! YAY!!!!! He got completely retaped and they added tape to his calves. I have noticed a difference in his walking just this afternoon. He picks his feet up much higher and is more aware of his walking! I'm loving this stuff!