Super Saturday!

Where to begin?  What a great day!  There are SOOOO many sessions and topics to choose from, and only  so many time slots to fill.  One of the nice things about each session is that, in your program book, they are coded so that you can better judge what will be right for you.  For example, if the presenter has geared their presentation for new parents and/or preschool-age children, you will find a graphic of some blocks beside the title.  For school-age kids, you'll see an apple, for older teens/adults, you'll see a mortar board, and if the topic is general and applicable to anyone, you'll see a family.

Topics range from advocacy, to hearing loss, to feeding issues, to teaching reading or math, to behavioral issues, to legislation.  There's a wide variety of guest speakers, all experts in their field and usually are also parents of a child/ren with Ds or other abilities.

We met Chris Burke!

Being silly with Grandma W.

At the send-off session.

Singing & dancing.

Abbie is telling us she's happy :)

We hated to see it end.  We can't wait until next year's conference in Denver, CO!

Fun, Fantastic Friday!

Oh, my goodness!  What a day! We got started this morning about 7:30 and had a great trip with the kids.  They were all troopers and we didn't run into any bad traffic or troubles.  We finally arrived at the Wardman Marriott here in Washington, DC about 3:45 or so.  It's a beautiful place with some lovely gardens and a very large convention area.

Once we registered for the conference, we tried to get our room but, oops!  there's a problem with your room.  Hmm.... what exactly do you mean, a problem?  Well, your adjoining rooms are not available, but we can upgrade you to a king suite with an adjoining room at no extra charge.  We said 'OK' and finally got into our rooms and settled. This is a beautiful building. Then we walked down the street and found a great little restaurant for dinner.

By this time, Abigail was getting very sleepy and just a little grumpy.  For a 5-year-old, she has a wonderful amount of patience and tolerance.  After getting back to the room, it was just about 8:00 pm and Abbie wanted nothing to do with going down to the Let's Dance party.  She went right into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and went to lay down on her bed with her bear, Barley.  She was d.o.n.e. for the day.  Grama W. stayed with her in the room while we headed down to Let's Dance with Jakob, Kyle, and Cassidy.

We met some friends and had a great time.  At 10:00 when they played the last song, Kyle told me "that was SO fun!!!", and he was right.  We had a fabulous time and can't wait until tomorrow to see what the morning brings with the Siblings conference for the kids, Kids Camp for Abigail, and sessions for us.  We haven't yet chosen what to attend.  There are SO MANY sessions to choose from, and only so many time slots in a day.  It will be another day full of fun and learning and inspiration, I'm sure.  See you then!

Thrilling Thursday!

Today's the day... the last day to wait... the last sleep until we head on our way to Washington!  Woo-hoo!  We're leaving as early as we can tomorrow morning.  I've learned that with 4 (or any number, really) children, you don't dare set a time.  If I say "6:00", I'll just be mad and frustrated if I look at the clock and it's 6:45 instead.  So, we'll just roll with it and get started ...as early as we can.

We considered driving overnight tonight, but with David having to work, and me not liking to drive at night, we'll wait until David has a good sleep and then get moving.  The kids told me they're excited for the trip, if not for the long drive "like when we went to Disney".  I reassured them that this is nowhere near the length of drive time for Disney, and that cheered them up considerably.

Most everyone, except me (of course!) is packed.  Our kitty/house sitter is ready to visit Mimsy and take good care of her and our fish.  Just a few last-minute items and we'll be loading up the van.  I can't wait to meet up with our friends, and meet in person with online friends, and make new friends, too.  DC, here we come!

Whirlwind Wednesday!

We're oh, so close to attending the National conference this Friday!  I can now count the time in hours, instead of days, weeks, or months.  Woo-hoo!

Of course, it's never that simple when we make plans :)

This morning I got a call from Abigail's school.  Seems like my littlest may have a UTI.  Ugh.  The worst for traveling, sitting in a seat for hours, isn't it?  We'll be off to the pediatrician this afternoon.  We just add that appointment to our whirlwind fest of getting-things-done-before-we-leave 'TO DO' list.

The kids are starting to get really excited, too!  Can you believe that the boys actually packed their bags today?  Way to go, Grama & Aunt Wendy, for helping to get them moving.  Our list is steadily dwindling; the laundry is all caught up, the cat food & toys are all arranged for our "sitter", the bathing suits & towels are ready to go, and my list of things to get in order before we go is shrinking.

We're getting there, and I can't wait!

Terrifying Tuesday!

Have you ever wished there was a 'pause' button?  Sometimes, when I'm enjoying time with my kids, I just want to hit that pause button and stay in that moment just a little longer; to etch that memory more deeply.

Days like today, I'm thinking a "skip ahead" button might work better, but only if all the work in between is done when I arrive in the future ;)  Just a few more loads of laundry to go and I'll be caught up.  Then it will be time to take all that lovely, clean, folded laundry out of the drawers I just put it in, and fill up some suitcases.  Now, the problem here is that my kids don't have suitcases.  Hmm.  What to do, what to do....  their duffle bags will have to do.

I'm starting to get butterflies in my stomach, getting so excited to get to Washington!  I have to admit I'm not really anticipating the 8+ hour drive in the van with 4 children and 3 adults, but I know the destination will be worth it.  A day of travel is a small price to pay for the great experiences and education we (and the kids) will get this weekend.

Following the conference, we'll be heading to the Smithsonian(s) for a few days.  Jakob, Kyle, and Cassidy will be in their own private heaven, I think.  That is, if Jakob's head doesn't spin off from all the input, first ;)

It Can't Be Monday!

Ok.  I knew that we were leaving for the conference this week.  I knew that time would fly, as it usually does, much too quickly; but really.... it's Monday already!?  I find myself taking a deep breath and chanting beneath my breath "Yes, you can get all that laundry done.  Yes, you can get everything together for an 8-hour road trip for 7 people in 1 minivan.  Yes, you can do this in time!"


So far, I'm not believing myself :)

It will all fall into place by the zero hour, I'm sure.  It always does.  Meanwhile, I'm trying to catch up on a few things here on my computer while the latest load of laundry and dishes run.  I hope I don't blow a fuse running both machines at the same time :)

Did I mention how excited I am to be going to the conference again this year?  It's so hard to put into words the utterly inspiring experience it has been for our family in general, and me in particular.  This is the first year we've signed the older 3 kids up for the sibling conference.  I'm excited and worried at the same time, hoping that Jakob will be able to handle the experience.  He has come SO far the past year and a half.  He has grown more than I could have imagined.  I think the twins will be their usual, shy-at-first-but-not-wanting-to-come-home selves.

I just don't know where to begin packing.  I guess I should just breathe, and begin at the beginning ;)  For now, I really should go and get another load of laundry done.  It's amazing how quickly 4 children and 2 adults can fill a laundry basket.

The Anticipation Begins...

We're heading off to Washington, DC in just a few short weeks!  I'm already anticipating the fun we'll have and the inspiring people we'll meet. Please join us as we travel to the National Down Syndrome Congress' annual convention. Stay tuned as the preparations commence.  See you there!