Product Update

I have found another product that really works. As you know, Suzanne has been writing on things with various pens, pencils and the permanent ink Sharpies. We all try very hard to keep the pens under control, but let's face it. We are all human and occasionally one gets out--and Suzanne seems to have pen radar and can find them anywhere.


I tried a new product yesterday called Amodex Ink Remover. Supposedly it removes permanent ink from Sharpies. That sounds good, but would it also remove it from a microfiber sofa without changing the color? The answer is Yes! I have never had much success with ink other than getting it to fade a bit, but this stuff works like magic. It even took the lipstick off the carpet, which means that I can now put the wastebasket next to my desk instead of in a slightly odd place off to the side to cover the spot. Hooray, no more furniture in odd places!!



If you have a need for ink remover, give this a try. You can find it at Office Max next to the cash register.

Mystery Solved

We have been in a bit of a tizzy around here. About a month ago Suzanne misplaced her "Hairspray" DVD, causing a huge amount of turmoil and hubbub in our household. Without her daily dose of "Good Morning Baltimore" she has been a bit crabby of late.

Well, I found it yesterday. I should have figured it out sooner--it was so obvious. I remember when Kirk was 2 and opened the door to the garage, got in the Explorer, and proceeded to shove nickles and dimes into the tape deck (remember when cars came with cassette decks back in the dark ages?). The tape deck has never worked since then and we are just lucky he didn't decide to take a whack at the CD player.

Suzanne did something very similar. I was trying to put a VHS tape into the slot, when it dawned on me that something was blocking the way. When I flipped up the cover, lo and behold I found a DVD. When I pulled it out, it turned out to be Hilary's "Shrek 3." Sorry Hil, I think it's a goner. However, upon looking further into the unit, I could see that there was another DVD lodged at the back. I ignored the label that warned against removing the cover and about 2 minutes later, extracted the missing "Hairspray" DVD. Of course, it is hopelessly scratched from being banged around by the DVD carriage, but at least I know what happened to it. Now if only I can find the upstairs remote...

On the school front, I've now had a couple of conversations with the WSD administration. They concede that they inadvertently reduced her class time by 20%, which gives me just the leverage I need to get Suzanne additional speech therapy. She is getting 30 minutes during class time and I'm going to ask for additional time individually so she can really get some concentrated attention. The kid really needs to be able to communicate better in order to have a successful kindergarten experience. I get the feeling that the school district won't be making this kind of boo boo again. It was just thoughtless and compounded by poor communication, but I am prepared to be magnanimous as long as Suzanne gets better services.

Kirk starts flag football today. Football is not my favorite sport, so I'm hoping that this is going to be enough to turn him off--much like the one season of soccer. I like basketball (a wonderful sport during a rainy winter) and baseball will be much more pleasant now that I've found the chairs with the built in cover. Knowing my luck I'll spend $65 on the darn thing and it won't rain at all next spring...

Better get back on 'mote patrol...

Buddy Walk 2008

It is Buddy Walk time again--Yippee!!!

We really enjoy participating in the Down Syndrome Network Oregon Buddy Walk. It is a great group of people and they do a lot of good work in the community, including providing Welcome Baskets for new parents. These baskets are filled with goodies and resources that give new parents an uplifting and humorous look at what life is really like raising a child with Down Syndrome.

The Buddy Walk was established by the National Down Syndrome Society in 1995 to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October.

The Buddy Walk has three primary goals:
1. To promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome;
2. To raise funds locally and nationally for education, research and advocacy programs; and
3. To enhance the position of the Down syndrome community, enabling us to positively influence local and national policy and practice.

Additional Buddy Walk Facts

• The Buddy Walk has grown from 17 walks in 1995 to more than 250 in 2005 across the country and around the world.



• At least 250,000 people are expected to participate in more than 260 Buddy Walks this year.



• Since 1995, more than 1,500,000 people have participated in the Buddy Walk program.



• Last year alone, the Buddy Walk raised more than $5.5 million to benefit national education, research and advocacy initiatives, as well as local programs and services.



• The Buddy Walk program is supported at the national level by the National Down Syndrome Society. Local Buddy Walks are organized by parent support groups, schools, and other interested organizations and individuals.



• Most Buddy Walks take place from September through November, to recognize Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October.



• John C. McGinley, who plays Dr. Perry Cox in the hit NBC show Scrubs, is the 2008 National Buddy Walk Spokesman. Mr. McGinley is both an accomplished actor and the proud father of Max, his 11 year-old son who has Down syndrome.



• Anyone who wants to support acceptance and inclusion of people with Down Syndrome can participate in the Buddy Walk.

This year, fortunately, was not a repeat of last year's torrential downpour. It was actually warm and overcast, but not wet. Chris Burke, the young man who played Corky in "Life Goes On" sang with his musical group and there was a raffle (Kirk's favorite). There were several hundred people there and it's just a lot of fun.

Suzanne was so cute. She's old enough now that she didn't have to stay in her stroller and could mosey around with the rest of the kids. She really enjoyed the band and danced around with all the other little girls. Kirk had a great time running around and was having a great time right up to the point where he collided with a bigger boy and bonked his head on a tree trunk. He then proceeded to have a little melt down, which coincided with the end of the event. We piled into the car and took the long way home so that Suzanne would have a little nap. Quite a smashing day, eh?

Right this minute, however, she is running around with 5 or 6 pairs of Greg's underwear on her head. Don't panic, she pulled them out of the dryer, ergo they are clean. It's just that the visual is a little disconcerting. When you are pregnant and dreaming about the wonderful life that your daughter will have, running around with underwear on her head is not really a picture that comes to mind. I wonder if Miss America started out this way...

We are off to the Post Office--Aunt Susan is out of Mary Kay Anti-Aging Moisturizer (shameless product plug) and fears that her face will "crink up" without it. As her YOUNGER sister, this I would really like to see!