Upcoming event

There is a really great group for Thurston county that meets regularly in Lacey. They are the people that put on the buddy walk. The group is mostly parents of older children, but there are about 5 families with babies too.

Anyway, I know this is short notice, but the meeting tonight is going to be geared toward the families with little ones 3 and under. They will have multiple speakers discussing things pertaining to babies with Down syndrome. Nothing fancy at all, but there might be some good information. It is from 6:30-8 at Parent to Parent in Lacey. Pizza will be served. Here is the address if you are interested.

1012 Homann Drive SE
Lacey, WA 98513
(the building is located behind
Lacey Glass, just east of the
Lacey Post Office at the
round-about)

If you can't make it, I will pass along any good information I receive.

Moms night out

Moms night out is this Friday. I haven't attended in the past, but I have talked to a few parents in the area and a group of us are planning to go...dads too. Should be a good time.

Olive Garden South Hill Puyallup
6:30 p.m. October 9th, 2009

Look how cute we are!

The buddy walk today was a great success...even with a little bit of rain! Thanks everyone for making the trip all the way down to Olympia to participate. Here are a few pictures from today.

Buddy Walk Approaching Soon

Hello Friends,

Buddy Walk is coming soon. It is on Saturday, October 3rd. I thought we could walk together and afterward have a picnic lunch. Registration is online or between 9AM and 10AM. The walk starts at 10AM. Please bring friends and family that you want to come along. This is a family friendly place. Then afterward we will be bringing our own lunch and eating together. We are all a little unfamiliar with the area. Here is my cell phone number 253-678-7772 and we will just meet up with each other that way.

Please make a comment here if you are planning on attending. This way we will know who to look out for.

Welcome to Holland

by Emily Perl KingsleyPrint Version

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared 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 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...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 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.

© 1987, by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved.

Reprinted with permission of the author.

I found this adroable story on the National Down Syndrome Congress website. I enjoyed it and wanted to share! We are so thankful for our Holland.

Websites

I have been looking online for some websites that may be useful. Please check the side bar for links. On a side note the Down Syndrome Community is for Pierce and Kitsap Counties.

Buddy Walk - Walk for Down Syndrome

South Puget Sound

Up with Down Syndrome

Olympia, WA, 98502

United States

Date: 10/03/2009

Registration starts at 9 and the program and walk at 10am.

There will be food and entertainment.

It will be held at Rainier Vista park, 45th and Ruddle, in Lacey, at the pavilion near the playground.

T shirts are $10, registration is free. Website: http://buddywalk.kintera.org/olympia

Contact Info: Rebecca BrandtPhone: 360-915-6276Email: beccabrandt@msn.com

This is a fun opportunity for us to get together. I would like for us to meet and try and walk together. Afterwards we can have a picnic. There is food there or you can bring a lunch. As this comes closer I will get more details.

The Start of our DS Group

Hello my name is Adrienne, and I love someone with Down Syndrome. I am married and a mother of three. My baby girl was born 18 months ago. My life as I knew it has been changed forever. I am completely in love with this little person. She is beautiful and so full of life. I have so many new friends that also have down syndrome in their lives. I want so many things for my little girl, Annika. I am working with all kinds of teachers and therapists to make sure that she is prepared mentally and physically. I want her to have friends and peers that she can grow up with. I have decided to start a little blog to keep in touch. I am hoping that this blog will be an opportunity for families of children with DS will be able to meet, connect, share stories, and support one another. I welcome all comments and discussions. I would like this blog to be a place where we can advertise upcoming events and playgroups. Please invite anyone that would enjoy being a part of this Down Syndrome group.