I Couldn't Resist...

You're feeling: a little overwhelmed, a little anxious
To your left: a fly-tying table
On my mind: sadly, chocolate (due to question 1)
Last meal included: leftover lasagna
You sometimes find it hard to: say what I really mean.
The weather: sunny and humid
Something you have a collection of: i echo amanda in her collection sentiments...although I do enjoy my Spode Christmas china. Is that considered a collection?
A smell that cheers you up: pumpkin bread and chili. Can you tell I'm ready for fall?
A smell that can ruin your mood: dog poo
How long since you last shaved: one day
The current state of your hair: pony tail...the usual
Largest item on workspace (not computer): Neily's latest art work
Your skill with chopsticks: none
Which section you head for first in a bookstore: magazines
Something you are craving: a relaxing day with my hubby watching SEC football
Your general thoughts on the presidential race: i'm kinda ready for it all to be over
How many times have you been hospitalized in the past year? none
Favorite place to go for a quiet moment? the bath tub
You've always secretly thought you'd be a good: pianist. I just never gave it enough time.
Something that freaks you out a little: Not knowing where we will be living next month
Something you've eaten too much of lately: empty calories
You have never been: to Disneyland. And to be honest, I really have no desire to go.
You never want to: rent again. oh, this time has been dreadful!

Our Little Ballerina

Neily went to her first ballet class on Saturday. We had not planned on signing her up for anything since our time here was limited, but this opportunity came up last Thursday and I couldn't pass it up. A neighbor who has a little girl Neily's age told me about a new ballet class that was opening up for girls ages 3-5 at a local studio. We jumped on the opportunity b/c it was pretty inexpensive and we could just pay each month (so if we move in a few weeks there wouldn't be any money lost). Neily was a bit apprehensive at first, but once we bought her leotard and ballet slippers she was fired up. Here are a few pictures from her first class. There were only 2 of them in the first class which was really nice so Neily could get to know Miss Heather. Unfortunately, my camera wasn't working well and most of the pics I took were dark. These are the best of the bunch.

Trying on her new outfit. don't you love the panties showing?


Learning how to walk like a ballerina - Jake joined in for a minute. He was dying to get out there and dance, too!


Stretching with Miss Heather before class started


Neily and her neighborhood friend, Ella

ARRINGTON VINEYARDS

We decided to do something different this weekend for our night out. We usually eat out once on the weekend an were just tired of all our ususal places. So, we decided to take the kids, grab Subway and head over to Arrington Vineyards for the evening. Our friends the Russell's joined us with their two little ones and we had a great time. Although it was a bit warm, there was a nice breeze and some good live music that made you forget it was a hot summer evening. We will certainly visit again before our time in Franklin comes to an end. I'm just sad we didn't discover it sooner!

WELCOME TO HOLLAND
by
Emily Perl Kingsley.

c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have notshared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this……

When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland.”

“Holland?!?” you say. “What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.”

But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It’s just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It’s just a different place. It’s slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…. and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills….and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy… and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.”

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away… because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But… if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things … about Holland.


Thanks, Samuel, for putting this up on yourblog. I have a couple of friends whose little ones have disabilities and this was so helpful for me to read and gain a little more understanding of their daily battles. I hope you all gain something from it, too.