This Week Because

Earlier this week, after helping my daughter climb out of her car seat and out of the back of the van, I tucked her arms one at a time into the straps of her little black L.L. Bean backpack with her name embroidered across the back of it. The backpack is black, because if you ask her, it's her favorite color, and despite my asking at least fifteen times she always requested that color over the lime green, turquoise or pink I had my eye on.

After she and her brother exchanged their good-byes and their "see ya' later!"s and I pressed the button on the keyfob for the door to slide shut, she and I walked across the street, and joined up with the other students lining up for their morning at school. At school we are greeted by "Hi, Georgia!"s and "Hi, Georgia's Mommy!"s and when Georgia recognizes her friends--IF she does while she is in her own eager little hop-skip world down the path to the school building--she waves exaggeratedly at them and says their names. She knows all of their names, and has since the early weeks of school.

This week, even the sight of the huge dead crow that had met it's demise with no doubt a large thud when it flew into one of the classroom windows high above the entryway where Georgia and I meet her aide every morning, couldn't suffocate the disarming sense of pride and accomplishment I felt for my daughter on the warmer than average December morning.

She was going to school. She had a pep in her step. She was wearing her backpack on her back like the other kids! (One of those little victories felt by the parents of sensorily-quirky kids like mine.) And when I let go of her hand, and she walked up to Ms. W turned around and smiled, waving, and said "Bye-bye, Mommy" before walking into the school building to start her day, I knew I wanted to keep blogging.

There are so many little things I want to record.

I'll surely be a little more cautious about what I have to share, but I don't want to stop. Out of the over 10,500 comments I've ever received on this blog, less than a handful of them have ever caused me any negative concern. And I don't want them to define this experience for me.

This evening, peeling back the foil wrappers from the Hershey's Kisses we were unwrapping for the Peanut Butter Blossom cookies Rainer and I were making, he looked up at me and said, "I like doing teamwork with you, Mommy, because."

Lately, he ends a lot of sentences that way. "Because." There needn't ought to be much of any further explanation anyway.

At night--and other times, actually--he tells me "I love you and I like you because." It's become our little thing.

There is no reason. Just because. Not only do we love each other. We like each other, too. That feels remarkable. I hope it will last.

Some things you want to do just because.

Because your son likes "doing teamwork" with you, and because your daughter carries her own backpack and says "Bye-bye, Mommy" before starting her school day.

Why wouldn't I want to write about those things?

Why wouldn't I want a record?

Why wouldn't I want to share them with the world?

We've been working on teaching the kids mine and Alex's names, our last name, and my cell phone number, in the event that they should ever become separated from us and should they need to know the answers to those questions. It's going a little more slowly for Georgia--as we expected it would--but I often catch Rainer singing the little tune we taught him with my phone number as he goes about his daily activities. Even though it's going a little more slowly, though, Georgia is getting it.

Both kids when they are addressing us, will sometimes get our names confused. I can't tell you how often one or the other of the kids will say "Da-Mommy," to me, or "Ma-Daddy" to Alex.

I really had a good chuckle yesterday though when Georgia attempted to say hi to me. She ran up to me excitedly and said, "Hi Dad-Hi Ma-Hi-Trish-Hi MOMmy!"

So yeah, it's sinking in.

Our newest bit of news is that Georgia is getting glasses. We went to the eye doctor yesterday and over the last two years Georgia went from "She'll probably need glasses one day," to "She's REALLY near-sighted!"

We kind of figured. She's started squinting a lot when looking at things across the room.

A friend helped me wrangle the kids at the optician's office today while we got Georgia fitted for her new glasses. I feel mixed about the whole thing. Mostly, I'm kind of just like "Whatever. She needs glasses. Big whoop! I have them, her dad has them, every one in our families other than Rainer (who, I should mention, feels TOTALLY on the outs and wants a pair of his own in the WORST way) now has them. It'll help her see!" But there's a teeny tiny little part of me that aches over it. The TEEEEEENIEST smidgen. Because we'll be covering up her face, and the bridge of her nose that I kiss regularly.

We ordered her glasses today though, and in ten days or so they'll be in. It ought to be an adventure. Getting her to wear them. But we're up for it, I guess.

And in two days, this little gal, who 1822 days ago cracked my world wide opened only to help me find a tiny little pearl in amongst my own guts, will be five years old. I can hardly believe it!

We've come a long way. I hope we have a long way to go.

Comments

[Anne]

Life is good!

my kids used to do the da-mommy too. Now, I return the favor by calling them the wrong names, even the dog's name, at times. I blame old age.

Nick has taken to saying "Mommy - ANNE" if he doesn't get my attention right away.

[Dawn Johnson]

Your daughter is about the same age as my grandaughter, Ella Grace (Bode)...and I've been following your blog for some time. I'm glad you decided to continue!!!!

[Katie Mac Donald]

I'm a student at Towson University and I have been reading your blog for a little over a year now. I am so glad you decided to keep blogging! I was upset when I thought you were going to quit!

[Inger]

You're back! The people are happy.

[starrlife]

Oh my gosh I certainly hope that you continue! You are an important person in your own right and can write about yourself. The kids are starting to be old enough for you to begin to find yourself again.... and you know what I say to the anons/negative nellie's. Fuck'em!(sorry to be crude but that's all I can say to them!!)
And I love hearing about your kids! Georgia is my kind of peach!
Black is one of my fav colors too!

[Tricia]

Aww, thanks! That's really nice to hear from a local! :) T

[Tricia]

Aww, Thanks! That is really nice to hear. And I read Ella's blog, too! :)

[Tricia]

Rainer thinks it's hilarious to call me Trish! :)

[Tricia]

hahaha Thank you! I am working on finding my way, for sure! :) She is going to LOVE you whenever we finally get to meet. And I have a feeling I will, too. :)

[maya]

Yay you're back!
Missed you.
xoxo

[Tricia]

aw. thanks. :)

[Alison]

I'm just now catching up on reading blogs, and I'm glad that you decided to keep blogging! I'm sorry that I didn't have the chance to respond to the earlier post.

Putting yourself out in public is interesting. Like you, I've decided to make almost everything I write public and traceable. I don't know if I'll regret it, but I've gotten some nasty nasty stuff in the past (mostly when I've been writing about abortion), and that hasn't made me want to quit. It's made me want to speak out more.

And fortunately all the responses I've gotten to Maybelle and her life have been quite wonderful.

[Tricia]

Thanks for writing. That would make me want to write more, too. Unfortunately, this event was something that rolled over into real life. Not just online. So....it gave me some serious pause.

Thanks for reading though!!
Tricia

[Laura]

Yay. So glad. I have my own sensorily quirky boy, and I take such comfort from your blog...knowing that I am not alone in parenting a child who needs me in ways my other child doesn't, and challenges me in ways not many understand...You are one of my inspirations. So, thank you!

Laura

[Tricia]

Oh wow. That is really nice to hear! Thank YOU! Does your son have Down syndrome? Tricia

[Laura]

My quirky boy is "on the spectrum"...and the gap between him and his peers is getting wider and wider. His younger brother has surpassed him in everything except physical strength. They are the best boys ever and I embrace the life is good motto, but life is also much harder than I could have ever imagined. And I worry, constantly, about his future...so, thank you again.

[starrlife]

All I can say Is NDSC Convention!!!???

[Jill Boster]

Your blog is one of my absolute favorites! Sorry I don't comment often but I always read and wish we lived closer. Know our kiddos would be buddies. I have a 5 1/2 year old daughter with Ds and a 3 1/2 year old son!

Jill

Oh, and Georgia is adorable in her new glasses!!