Crayola Factory

This past weekend we went to the Crayola Factory in Easton PA. The kids had a great time! Here are a few pics!

Father/Daughter Dance

Family Guy, Palin, the R word etc...............

I am offended when someone assumes my daughter can't succeed in life. I am offended when I hear someone aborted their baby because of Down syndrome. I am offended when someone thinks my daughter would be better off in Special Ed instead of a regular classroom. I am offended when someone states that it is immoral to give birth knowingly to a baby with Down syndrome. These are the things that offend me.

If someone went up to Rylie and called her a retard. I would be offended. I would probably knock that person out. LOL! And yes, I cringe when I hear the word. But, It's not a battle I choose to fight every time I hear it used on television or in the movies. I'm not going to fight to ban the word retard the way I'll fight for inclusion and educating people not to have an abortion. If given a chance I might educate someone who is truly ignorant about the word. But it's just not a passion of mine to end the word.

I'm really surprised how many people where so offended by the Family Guy episode. A girl with Down syndrome on the show said her mother was the former Governor of Alaska. That was funny and that mother of hers raised her to be an intelligent and feisty woman. I actually like Sarah Palin. She's not the official spokesperson for Down syndrome. Yes, she is one of the most well known parents of a child with Down syndrome, but she is also so new to this... still. When Rylie was first born I didn't know anything about Down syndrome. I had know clue how to advocate. Do you know how many doctors, therapist and people in general said things that hurt me back then? I didn't have any witty sarcastic remarks to throw back at them. If you don't agree with Sarah Palin's political views, that's fine, but people should not get so caught up on her every word when it comes to Down syndrome. I thought the whole Emanuel/ Limbaugh thing was odd. Yeah, she blew it, but I have to give her some lead way. When Rylie was first born I was very conflicted and I'm sure I contradicted myself more then once.

My Opinion on the Family Guy episode

I'm not a fan of the show at all BUT, I thought it was great! They portrayed a person with Down syndrome in a regular high school setting, getting dressed up nicely and going on a date. Then they made it clear at the end of the show that people with Down syndrome aren't all the same. What more could you ask for?



And the part about her mom being the former governor of Alaska....no big deal.

You can watch the episode here.

What did you think?

Snow 2010

November 1996

We are snowed in today with nothing to do, so we're looking through our wedding and honeymoon pictures and scanning them in the computer. Aaaaah, to be young and skinny again!

I'm Not going to Feel Guilty Anymore.

I always felt guilty when I think about Rylie's birth story. I wish I would have known the joy she would bring. I wish the days after her birth weren't fill with grief and I wish I would have accepted that she had Down syndrome instantly, but I didn't. I cried....for a long time and I prayed that the doctors were wrong. But when I read this beautiful birth story and the hundreds of comments that were left, I realized how many mothers out there felt just like me when finding out their baby had Down syndrome. It is not wrong that I grieved the loss of the baby I was expecting. What matters is that I did accept her along with my family and friends. What matters is we love her. What matters is she brings joy to everyone who meets her. What matters is now I realize how blessed I am that Rylie is my daughter who has Down syndrome.