Pooh-losophy

                                        

Life is really quite simple.

It's only the 
Rabbits and Owls

who make it appear
to be complicated.

Down Syndrome Awareness Month

It's October.

That means 31 for 21.

Thirty-one days of blogging for awareness of Trisomy 21, otherwise known as Down syndrome.

But this year I'd like to expand that concept.

How about 31 days of blogging for awareness of the Gift of Imperfection?

In a world obsessed with perfection, we struggle as never before to meet the impossible standards the media imposes on us.  How do we raise well-balanced children in a society so distorted in its perceptions of reality?   How do I stay balanced myself?

In pondering (well, ok, worrying) about these questions, I have come to realize that the greatest gift our family has received has been that extra chromosome.

A deviation from normal.

Something gone wrong.

That's what the Knowledgeable People say.

But the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.

And somehow, I can't think of any better words to describe this concept than in those of Winnie the Pooh.

"Rabbit's clever," said Pooh thoughtfully.

"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit's clever."

"And he has Brain."

"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit has Brain."

There was a long silence.

"I suppose," said Pooh, "that that's why he never understands anything."

So in the interest of educating all Rabbits (of whom I once was), we welcome October and celebrating the Profound Simplicity of All Poohs.

"I thought she said October was Some Kind of Awareness Month," said Rabbit.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said. 

Join us in this wonderful wacky world of letting go and enjoying the moments, both perfect and imperfect.

Now That I'm Six and Chris is Thirty-five

 

...Now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever.

So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

                                                             --A. A. Milne

I loved my birthday cake by Grandma Ann!

Yes, I can blow out six candles!

And I love my soft Pooh pillowcase my cousin Jesse made for me. 

It's magic.

Sometimes it turns into a turban.

I'm magic too.

Sometimes I turn into a Pajama Bag and Underwear Ogre.

But only when I'm supposed to be sleeping.

And Chris had a birthday too.  I told him I thought he'd probably be thirty-five by now.

But he thinks he's nine.

He wanted a soccer ball cake.

Here are the spots.

And here are the lines in between.

Randall says they don't belong there.

But Chris said, "Who cares?"

It turned out perfect.

And I sang happy birthday to Chris...

and Mom...and Dad...and Randall...and Danny...and me...again.

Aren't birthdays great?

The Better To See You With, My Dear

Wade's yearly eye exam this fall revealed that he is far-sighted with some astigmatism and needs to be wearing glasses all the time.  

So here he is new and improved!

We're still working on the "wearing them all the time" part!

Grandpa I Am

I find it quite uncanny how much Grandpa resembles

Sam-I-am.

It Starts with You

It isn't about politics.

It's not about one special interest group or another.

Neither is it about forcing you to change your ways based on public opinion.

It is, however, about being human.

It's about caring about someone else more than yourself.

It's about loving the way you would want to be loved.

And with apologies to Hallmark, we're not saying it with flowers this time.

We're letting Ben and Amy Wright say it with music.  Because music says it better.

Listen.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves...Proverbs 31:8

Ode to My Inner Spaceman

I was eating my lunch--

a lovely thing of salad and fruit

with Woodside Kitchen's* own dressing upon it--

when one of the people I love most in all the world

leaned over and kissed my cheek

and whispered tenderly in my ear:

"Astronaut."

I thought

"Ah...exquisite!"

And it wasn't just

the Vidalia Onion & Summer Oregano salad dressing

of which I was thinking.

*Woodside Kitchen: producer of gourmet sauces and dressings

(in other realms known as 4 Guys and a Lady)

All by My-say-elf

                                     Wade got custom-made ear plugs for swimming this summer.  

                                     Which is why his cartoon characters also now wear ear plugs.

                                                            Meet Gep.  Wade's new friend.  

                                                           Who is Gep?  I don't know.

                                                     I drew the top picture.

                                                     I thought Wade was copying it.

                                                     Then I saw the snout and whiskers.

                                                     I don't know anything about that either.

Ha Pe Fhr Dae

                                           The spelling wasn't perfect, but the sentiment was.

                                           It made Father's Dae very Ha Pe.

Words are everywhere!

Montessori.  Very.

Books + Wade = Happiness

We both are loving Numicon math!

And we all love Grandpa!

Summertime Strategies

Wade picks flowers for Mommy from her own precious violets on the windowsill.

Randall and Chris make a how-to plan for manipulating Dad (and leave it where Mom finds it).

Mom gets them each their own library card and hopes to redirect the flow of creativity.

Oh no, they designed a monster!

Help! Help!

Back to the drawing board...

Hmm.....okay.  Let's just go outside.

Up.

Down.

Up.

Cut.

Snap.

Sleep.

Oh yeah!

Much better.