Winter Happenings...

Winter is usually not my favorite time of year. Nothing has changed, I still pretty much hate winter, but in the last couple of weeks, we've been able to do some fun "wintery" things.

Last Sunday, was the Girl Scout Christmas party. It wasn't really a party so much as it was a gathering of all the Girl Scouts from all the grades at school, and their families who could come. I was fortunate enough to be able to get off work, and go! It was held at Steinberg Ice Rink. It was myself and my three Girl Scouts....my Junior, my Brownie and my Daisy.

It was really the perfect ice skating day. It was like 40-50 ish degrees, but very windy. So, it would get warm if you were skating in your two layers of clothes that your mother made you wear, but you didn't get cold!

Alena was very worried before going that she was going to fall, and that another skater would skate over her fingers and cut them off. (geez, where does she get this crazy thinking from??? ;)) I was worried that Julianne would have a very difficult time even standing up in the skates. But ALL three girls had a blast! Julianne was able to give the rail a death grip and go 1/4 way around, and then back. After that, she was "ready to go back to grandmas". ha ha!

But Allison had a blast, and Alena had a really, really great time! She did not want to leave! After a few hours, Allison had sore baby toes, but really, that was the only complaint of the day. I did not skate, but rather took pictures and talked with the other moms! A good day was had by all.

The next fun "wintery" thing we've done is make Gingerbread men. Well, I should say we decorated them.... Target has a great deal on them, so I picked up a couple packs. The kids were really excited to get to do it, but as almost usual, it turned into a circus side show.

Ugh. It started off cool....then about halfway through, it started to get a little hairy, and the kids started "discussing" who had more cookies, who used more icing, and where on earth had all the little gumdrops gone?? (hint hint...check Julianne's mouth...)

It ended in an almost full blown fight, as Mason was soooo upset over not having enough gumdrops, and Allison worried that somebody actually ATE one of her cookies.... But, it was fun, and I have one more package to do...and when we do it, THEY WILL have FUN, gosh darnit!

The other fun winter/Christmas thing we've done is go to my employer's Christmas party. It was held at a place called Time For Dinner. I had an awesome, awesome time! I took my oldest daughter Allison with me. Allison has been wanting to take a cooking class for some time now, so this was a great and fun thing for her to experience.

I also had fun taking pics with my new camera.

So, even though I despise the cold, and the early darkness, and the high heating bills, and the scraping of ice off my windshield, and the dry skin, and the coats, hats, gloves, socks, wet floors, and everything else that comes with winter, I do enjoy the fun things I get to do with my family, that I otherwise would not be able to do in the summer.

The Walker Scottish Rite Clinic

Long time, no blogging, and I'm sorry. :) But, I'm back and will be updating here more frequently...I promise.

Last night was one of the best nights of my life. Back in October, I was asked by Julianne's speech therapist to give a parent testimonial at the clinic's annual Gala, their big fundraising event. Of course, how could I say no? I owe them, the Walker Scottish Rite Clinic, more than I could ever repay. They are such a wonderful organization. They offer free speech and language therapy to families at no charge. A blessing. Especially in this day when speech therapy usually is not a covered benefit in most insurance plans. They have helped over 13,000 families over the past 20 years, and 1000 families just this year alone.

So, I have been working on my "speech" for the past couple of months. I tried hard not to think too much about acutally "giving" the speech, because I didn't want to start freaking out. But, slowly, I've been working on what it was I wanted to say, and I had been helping Julianne to say, "Thank you for helping Children like me....".

Last night finally arrived. I actually had on new clothes, and shoes with heels. :) I haven't worn shoes with heels since I've been married, since you know, I'm already way taller than Jeff...but for this night, I went ahead, and didn't even feel self conscious about it. Even though my wonderful friend *adult acne* decided to visit me, I still felt like I looked decent. I even colored my hair to hide the gray.

When we walked in, it was like we were royalty. Everybody knew that we were Julianne's parents, and Julianne was the designated star of the evening. It was awesome. Julianne's picture was everywhere. They even had her picture on the first page of the "program" with a little blurb about her. She looked fabulous in her pretty purple dress and her fancy curls. She felt like a princess.

I gave my speech without any fear. Julianne said her line at the end. Jeff even said I did a great job...I think I surprised him....:) He didn't think I could handle the job. But I did, and I must say...I did good.

Here are a few pictures from the evening. Remember, you can click on them to make them bigger.

Here is Julianne and me:


Julinne and Dad:


Here are a couple of my favorite decorations:

The dinner table. There was almost a "hissy fit" until we assured her she did not have to eat the salad.

The "stage":


There we are....


Here is Julianne with Mr. Walker himself, and a big wig who just presented a check for $20,000.


And what it looks like after all that partying. :)

Halloween Pictures...

Well, another Halloween has come and gone. Allison is at the age where she went with her friend, and her friends mom, and did NOT want me to go with them. *sigh* Oh well. The other kids still "need" me. :) Allison was a "tattoo artist". Alena was a "dead cheerleader". I'm not sure what the deal was with the "dead" title, but it seemed to be the theme of costumes this year. Interesting. Mason would have been a knight/pirate/cop, but he was grounded...and did not get to trick or treat. Trust me, the punishment DID fit the crime... Julianne was JoJo The Clown. And Audrey was just a kid in a stroller. Yeah, I'm not the best "dress em' up" mother at Halloween time. But, you get what you get. Here are some pics... Again, you can click on them to make them bigger.










And can you find the cutest girl in THIS class????

Julianne's update...

Julianne had her doctors appointment on Tuesday. Not just any regular doctors appointment. This is the appointment we have been on a waiting list to get to for months. It is with another neurologist. A neurologist, that I am told, is "thorough" and specializes in developmental delays and such. I must tell you, however, that I googled this doctor, and was worried that he was going to be very old. THAT worried me. I feared he would be "old school" and not up to date on the new and improved way of medicine.

As a mother....I think about my child having to struggle from here on out to do everything. Struggle to try to make sense of letters and numbers. Try to make your way through school when you can't remember anything from day to day. Struggle to get a job as an adult, because education was so hard, what kind of job will she be able to do? Her personal relationships will be strained...people will not understand, and I fear she will be alone, without friends. How will she help her own children with homework? and so on, and so on and so on.

But, then I remember that this is Julianne we are talking about. The child whom everybody loves. The little girl who is so sweet and funny and dripping with cuteness. She can charm the skin off a snake. My sweet girl who just goes on and on, and who lives every day as it comes. If anybody has a chance to overcome this disability, it is her. People love her. And I think that because she is so lovable, she gets that little extra help from those who help her.....because they love her too.

How could you NOT love this....

Well the Doctor was a very nice man, and Jeff and I were both impressed. Julianne, of course, was a social butterfly who charmed the socks off of him!

After a long, and extensive battery of testing and questions, we were given his opinion.

He feels she has a cognitive deficit, and probably a low IQ.

As sad as this makes me, I agree, probably.

He said the words mental retardation....that she wasn't as bad as that...blah blah blah....but that she probably will never be at the same level as her peers. Her curve of learning will always be below theirs.

Always.

He wants her to try stopping the ADHD medicine, and see how she does.

We are in for a long haul of work trying to get her what she needs.

Poor baby. She doesn't deserve this kind of hard road to walk.

New Hair Do's...

Hair Lotion...

Ha ha! That is what Julianne was calling the pasty glue substance they were putting in her hair today for her "big brain test". The EEG. But Julianne and I referred to it as "The Big Brain Test". She did Sooooooooooooo good. Well, she wouldn't close her eyes for anything, but she sat still for the lady to put in all 24 electrodes full of "hair lotion", as Julianne called it. And she laid still for about an hour and a half....with just minimal wiggling. Now, we wait to find out if it shows anything. Here are some pictures.


Before leaving home:


Before getting started:


Just about to begin...


Thank God! I get to sit up now!

Shanna.....

I was driving home from work tonight, and I was listening to some talk radio show. The girl that was talking, had this very cool laugh. It was the kind of laugh that when you hear it, it makes you giggle, just because it is so cute... Well, I realized that this girl laughed just like Shanna. I LOVE Shanna's laugh. It is so cute, and funny, and sweet, and silly and it just exudes joy. I think Shanna is a such great gal. And she has grown so much since my joining of the Walewski family. She was so young. Actually, if I remember correctly, she had just got her license while I was visiting Michigan for Thanksgiving, the year before our marriage. But maybe she was younger, I am not sure. I always knew that if the Render's were coming over to Grandma June's while we were there, that there would for sure be laughter. I love laughter. I love laughing. And I love Shanna's laugh.

Back to my drive home from work. After my mind wandered off to the past Holiday visits with Shanna's laughter track running through my mind, I had a SHOCK of a thought..and wondered...

DID SHANNA HAVE HER BABY YET? When is she due??? If so.....would somebody PLEASE call me and tell me? :)

You are going to be such a great Mom, Shanna. In my opinion, humor....and laughter....will make parenting more joyous....and fun. I can't wait to see pics of little Samples.

Love you!
Chrissy