Lucky

I just feel lucky.  Blessed, is a better word.  Drew was having difficulty falling asleep again, so I went in his room to snuggle.  I  put in a CD I made for him years ago.  Remember the mixed tapes, from 'back in the day'?  We would spend hours waiting to hear a song on the radio, with our fingers poised on the 'record' button of our tape recorder.  We would try to time it just right, so that the DJ or commercials wouldn't ruin the song.  We would rewind, fast-forward, and otherwise manipulate the cassette tape so we could pack as many meaningful songs into a compilation as humanly possible.  Then we would proudly present this tape to a loved one and exclaim 'I made you a mixed tape!'.  Good times :)

Well, this CD was considerably easier to make...I just made a playlist on the computer and burned the CD. Ah, technology!  The songs all remind me of Drew; his spirit, his experience, his past, his future.  Either way, it is meaningful and when I hear the songs, I am energized by Drew's journey and his essence. 

Tonight, while he was finally relaxing enough to let sleep come, I realized that I would not trade these times for anything.  I thought of all the moms I knew, at that moment, who were doing the exact same thing as I  was.  Coaxing their babies to sleep.  Comforting them. Doing what it takes to make sure their babies knew they are loved and important.   I felt lucky.  Blessed. 

I tell Drew daily during our 'snuggle time' that there is nowhere else in the world I would rather be, than right here, right now with him.  I felt that power of all the moms tonight, at bedtime, that feel that same way.  All the moms that are too busy, too tired, too stressed, too sad, too overextended, but who do it anyway.   I feel lucky to be part of a such a group of strong women.  You know who you are.  But if you don't, I do.  God does.  Your kids do too.

"It's better to be a Lion for a day than a sheep all your life'~Sr. Elizabeth Kenney
Peace.

Life is good!

We are so blessed to have a nice home, plenty of food, wonderful family and friends, our health.  I always reflect on what I am most thankful for before my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving.   Drew has been super tired the past few days...I think it's a growing spurt.  He fell asleep in front of the cozy fire, and turned toward the fireplace to bask in more heat.  He is sleeping so peacefully, so I will curl up on the couch and keep the fire going tonight. He continues to amaze me every day with his spirit, sense of humor, and determination.  He is a typical 10 year old in many ways; he, uhm, passed gas at therapy today and cracked up so loud I heard him and everyone in the gym laughing, and I was in the waiting room!  I found out after the fact what the ruckus was about.  I learned long ago, to not be embarassed by anything this kid does.  He is just, well, Drew. Boys are gross sometimes.  :)
I hope this Thanksgiving season finds everyone with bountiful blessings to reflect on.  It is the start of the Christmas season, but without the commercialism and stress...Thanksgiving is about family and friends, spending valuable time together.  To quote Kid Rock:
Cuz' I hear screamin on the left
Yellin on the right
I'm sitting in the middle tryin' to live my life
Cuz' I can't stop the war
Shelter homeless, feed the poor
Can't walk on water
I can't save your sons and daughters
I can't change the world and make things fair
The least that I can do,
The least that I can do
The least that I can do is Care.

Boy's best friend

We went this weekend to check out a potential puppy for Boogie.  He has loved dogs for a looooong time, and has dog-cousins Buddy, Shady, Jake that he loves and that love him.  We miss our dog, Ruger.  Roo was our first baby, we got him before we got married.  He would make sure that I knew if Drew needed something...if he was crabbing or uncomfortable, Roo would get my attention and look at me like "HE NEEDS SOMETHING!'  He was the most gentle, loving, and protective dog!  He would 'make his rounds', check on Drew and I about every hour or so.  He would check on us, then do a perimeter check of the house to make sure all was well.  Then, he would hop back on his futon and sleep.  He just wanted to be part of the family, and we have missed him so much the since he has been gone.
Saturday, we went to look at some pups and see how Drew and they interacted.  The pups were born on Oct. 17, so it will still be a while before we welcome him to our home.  There was one puppy out of all of them that took an interest in Drew, and Drew seemed to like him the best too.  He is know as 'electric blue collar' , so the breeder can tell them apart, and make sure all the pups are eating  and getting socialized.  This one was a pudgy, hungry little guy, and his eyes weren't open yet.  He was also the most interested in Drew.  Drew liked him too!  He was soooooo cute!  He snuggled right up to Drew.  Drew was all smiles, as the pics show.  We have our eye on 'electric blue collar'.  Can't wait to see him in a few weeks, when he is getting into mischief with his littermates and exploring the world.
We also carved pumpkins, which Drew has absolutely no interest in.  The one on the left says 'Drew rox'.  Ah, well.  The deer, squirrels, racoons and birds at the cottage will be feasting on pumpkins
till they get their fill!  I hope all is well in the blog-o-sphere with everyone!
Peace,

September, really?!?

I feel like I begin each blog post with an apology for not posting more often.  Today is no exception.  We have a lot to catch up on! 
The play, Wizard of Oz, was awesome.  Drew was a munchkin, member of the Lollipop Guild, and a flying monkey.  Sterling Civic Theater is a class-act, all the way.  They have open auditions, allowing anyone who wants a part to have one.  We practiced a lot, (Aunt Joan too!) and Drew made it in 4 of the 6 performances.  Opening night was a no-go, but he rallied back and performed the rest of the weekend like a champ.  We had so much support, especially from Lauren, Simron, Hannah and Amanda.  All of the kids were so sweet with Drew, and he LOVED being with kids his age.  They helped him onstage, calmed him during meltdowns, and entertained him in the downtime.  My favorite times were in the cafeteria, between scenes the kids were in.  There was a lot of that time--kids running around, playing, being kids.  There is talk of doing both 'Legally Blond' and 'SchoolHouse Rock' this Winter.  I am hoping for 'SchoolHouse Rock'.  We will definately check it out. 

Lauren, Drew and Simran as munchkins

Kate's birthday weekend at Terri's was super fun!  It is always a wonderful time.  Drew and I got the flu and were well taken care of by my sisters, but other than that, it was fun, fun, fun!
We grilled out, swam in Terri's awesome pool, went for walks, went to the River Park, Went on a Pontoon boat ride in the Calibogue Sound.  We loved just being with our family.

Drew in HHI on Pontoon
YOU should be here!

Fall means FOOTBALL season!  We are well into the season for Morgan, Connor and Brendan.  Morgan is a kicker for her varsity team, Mott Marauders.  Connor is QB for his freshman team.  Brendan plays for 6th grade St. Anne Eagles.  Jim coaches at Seaholm.  WHEW!  That is a lot of football in one house!  We enjoy going to the kids' games and cheering them on when we can. 

Now that it is almost October, I have to think of a good costume for Drew for Halloween.  Any suggestions, Blog followers? If there any even left!!! LOL

I hope you had a great summer...we sure did.  I am looking forward to a fun-filled Fall. 
Drew says: ROCK ON!


Time Flies!!

A lot has happened since my last post. Drew started Baseball, went to a bunch of Wizard of Oz play practices, participated in the amazing Summer Games Special Olympics at CMU, and a bunch of other stuff.

The Special Olympics was awesome...I posted a bunch of pics on my FB page. It is something that I wish everyone could experience. I could go on and on, but in summary: Their motto is 'Let me win, but if I can't win, let me be brave in the attempt'. There is no one more brave than the athletes, their sponsors, families, friends and supporters.

Drew and I leave tomorrow for Hilton Head to visit Aunt Terri. This trip is a 'girls only' trip--to celebrate Aunt Kate's birthday. Drew will be doted on by 4 of his Aunts, and HH is a great place to vacation! We are blessed that Aunt Terri opens her home to us, and Drew loves spending time with his family. He, Buddy (the dog) and Uncle Pat will be outnumbered! Can you say 'HEN PARTY??!!'

The play Drew is in is 'The Wizard of Oz' and here is the link: www.sterlingcivic.org for information. It will be a great show! The dates are July 15-17 and 22-24. Hope to see you there!

Thanks for checking in, Blog Friends!!! We hope this Summer finds you well and all your dreams come true. :)

I said it before, I'll say it again...

We are so blessed to have the friends and family that we do in our lives. I love seeing the smile on Boogie's face every morning. I know he feels so loved. This past weekend, we went to the cottage and saw our Wertz Warriors friends. They gave him a T-shirt to wear at the Summer games for Special Olympics next weekend. They are the 'Hank's Drew Crew' and if you missed my previous post about Hank's, it is a wonderful restaurant/bar near our cottage. Everyone at Hank's, especially the staff, has made us feel welcome, even in the 'tough years'...when Drew just screamed and cried and had meltdowns all the time. Chris and I felt okay and comfortable there. It was, and still is, a blessing. Drew has grown to absolutely LOVE Hank's. The food is great, the atmosphere is better, and he loves the attention he gets. If you ever find yourself on M-76, between exit 195 and 202 off of 1-75, stop in!

So, the shirt is custom made for Boogie...signed by the patrons and Wertz Warriors supporters. I know he will make them proud. :)

Also, tonight he had his second practice for 'The Wizard of Oz'. Aunt Joan took him, and he did a great job. He recognized the songs from last week, and they did some dance moves as well. He did such a great job that Aunt Joan took him to Boston's for Ice Cream and to meet up with Erin and Tommy. Judging by the smiles and giggles when he got home...he had a blast.

The play is in mid-July. I for sure will keep you all posted. I hope this post finds you all happy, & healthy. Peace.

Munchkin

Today was Drew's first rehearsal with the Sterling Civic Theater for The Wizard of Oz. He is a munchkin, along with about 100 other kids. Tonight, we practiced a song that the munchkins will sing. He loved every second of it. He loved the activity of it; patiently listened to the director and others talk about what is expected of them, and took a short walk in the halls of Stevenson High School with Aunt Joanie while I took notes before practice.

This is a class-act all the way, so far. The people in charge talked about a zero tolerance policy for bullying, cyber or otherwise. They will only accept acceptance of every member of the cast and crew. They stressed the importance of taking ownership in the play, being on time, and committing to the success of the production. This will be a very cool experience for us, and I bet it will be the first of many. These people seem to have an organized, well-run, and inclusive program. I appreciate the fact that they welcome diversity and are creating a fun environment where anyone can be involved in theater. Best line of the night was, after they handed out the sheet music with the lyrics and music and we ran thru it a few times...a little girl raised her hand and said 'excuse me...but I can't read!' At which time a 'Drama Mama' (volunteer mom) helped her remember the lyrics. She doesn't have to read--kids have a great memory!

The play will be in July. There are some fundraisers to help offset the cost of insurance and other things, so I am warning you now that I will probably hit you up. :) Thanks for checking in!!