Cub Scouts

Jake went to his first Pack Meeting last week and has been to two Den Meetings.
If you've never had a son in Scouts, let me just tell you that there's a learning curve involved! If you have had a son in Scouts, you may recall the overload-of-new-information.

The lingo alone cracks me up. Then there's the Cub Scout handshake. The Cub Scout Promise. The Law of the Pack. The Cub Scout sign. Motto. Salute. Uniforms. Living Circle Ceremony. On and on it goes. Serious learning curve.

Fortunately, its completely worth it! Not only does Jake absolutely LOOOVE it, but the values Scouts instills are completely in-line with our family. Lots of family/parent involvement, serious focus on respecting/helping others, instilling a strong work ethic and fierce love of/commitment to our country. In addition, we joined a Christian Homeschool Pack.

Jakey is already learning some really great things - like how to handle and fold the American flag and is looking forward to his first campout next month.

My 9th Anniversary of being a Mom!

If I celebrate 9 years of being a mom, it can only mean one thing ...

Its Jordan's birthday! I know I say this with every birthday, but seriously, where does the time go? It seems like it flies faster and faster with each passing day!

I wish I had baby pictures in digital format (or at the very least, that my scanner was working!). It would be fun to post some of her baby pictures. Unfortunately, this is the only digital newborn picture I have of her ... The best I can do are pictures from when I first started blogging.

2006 (love those missing teeth!)

February 2007

September 2007

May 2008

September 2009

I've written before about how hard the first few months of her life were. What we couldn't fathom those first few weeks was THIS GIRL. The life we have with her. The joy that comes from being her mom (and dad ... I'll just speak for Ed here). The interests and abilities she now has. All we had then were preconceived ideas of Down Syndrome based on faulty notions, which in reality had no basis in fact. They are likely the very same ideas that (dare I say?) *most* people walk around with. Even a lot of people who have "experience" with Down Syndrome.

Jordan is a beautiful, smart, active girl who loves dancing, performing, books, school and all things music!

I have loved being a mom for nine years and I'm so thankful for my girl that started it all!

No Rest for the Weary

Why do smoke detector batteries ONLY get low in the middle of the night? We've owned 5 different homes in the last 11 years and have not heard a smoke detector beep at us in daylight hours once. We even had the privilege of dealing with one in a vacation home one year! Is there something about the dark that drains the last bit of it?
This time we have the privilege of a TALKING smoke detector. Not only were we awakened at 1am by the beep, it was followed by the message "Low battery." Really?? Cause we weren't sure.
To make matters worse, the low battery beep and message are coming from the main system detector.
Which just so happens to be located in our family room.
Which just so happens to have 20 foot ceilings.
Which just so happens to be twice as high as any ladder we own.
It also happens to be located about six inches from the top of the staircase ... and about 3 inches from arm's length of either one of us on top of our tallest ladder, teetering at the top of the staircase.
So, this is no ordinary middle-of-the-night-replace-your-smoke-detector-battery event. Oh, no. Ed is now in the attic, doing I-don't-even-want-to-know-what to try to shut her up! Just a minute....

Well, now I know what he was doing. He unhooked it and called me to catch it ... which I couldn't ... cause, remember, it was just out of reach from the stairs? So, it took a 20-foot tumble down the staircase and broke into several pieces.
And is still beeping!
Not only that, but it has NO BATTERY to replace!

At least its in the garage where it can beep happily away (wrapped in towels!) while we try to return to dreamland. An hour later! Goodnight.

Fall Soccer Begins

Saturday was the first soccer game of the season!
Jadyn's very first game ever! I'm totally frustrated that after taking some seriously cute pictures of her, I promptly deleted them off my camera!!!! I took this one after the game and I'm not sure why she looks so goofy, but trust me when I say (with no bias whatsoever) that she was THE Cutest Soccer-girl. EVER.

I took this picture because Jake was #3 last year and kept the same number this year. Jadyn wanted to be #3, just like her big brother! So sweet! Sometimes he gets frustrated with her copying him, but I explained the phrase "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" to him and now he thinks its pretty cool. Even in spite of the accompanying responsibility it entails!

I deleted a close-up of Jadyn's cute hair bow ... again, no bias whatsoever.

Jake's team includes 5 players from last season and the skill level of each of them has jumped tremendously over the summer! Its so fun to watch them grow, not only physically, but also in their skills and their love of the game. Ed is helping coach Jake's team this season, which thrills Jake to no end.

The only drawback to Saturday was the muddy fields and drizzling rain. The Sharks and the Flyers both won by very wide margins, so it more than made up for the conditions! The season is off to a great start!