This is getting to be exhausting!

Whew. Tuesdays really wipe me out. It's Tae Kwan Do day. Fortunately, Sam's guitar teacher called this morning to cancel today's lesson, so I didn't have to race from school to TKD. The boys (mine plus one) got to play outside for a few minutes in semi-warmish weather. But following Sofia around TKD for 2 hours is really difficult. For a while, I had a 4 year old watching her (hey, J did a better job than when I had 6 year old G watch her and Sofia ended up toilet-surfing!). Then Micah came out of class early with a belly ache. Oy.

But we made it home, and my mother's helper was here to take part in dinner and bedtime craziness. She's terrific. I'm going to have her stay home with Sofia on Tuesday afternoons from now on.

This morning, Sofia and I went to the mall for OT and a little shopping. Then we came home and hung out a bit.

Yesterday, we met up with a little friend at the supermarket, and Sofia and S walked around the store holding hands. It was SO cute!


After shopping, we went home to meet K for Speech Therapy, and at noon we went back to the EI center for our Down Syndrome "Meet & Greet". We've had something like 7 new babies with DS since September!

The Meet & Greet was terrific. two families with twins (in each set, one twin has DS), two other infants (including my friend N's daughter), a little guy about a year old, two pre-toddlers (K is 20 months, S is about 2 years), and Miss Big Girl Sofia, who played and played and pretty much ignored me entirely.

K had also invited the two current "First Call" people from the area, moms of girls who are now about 11 years old each. I've met both of them, and I'd spoken with one way back when I got my amnio results. They both gave a nice presentation about what is available in our community, who to contact for what, etc. Then I took over, welcoming people, talking about "Gifts" (which Mass DS Congress now hands out to new parents!), and talking about how we new families have to build upon what the previous families have already done.

So after I spoke, the two First call ladies pulled me aside and warned me that they've been waiting for me! Apparently, at least in Metrowest, Down Syndrome really does come in waves, and Sofia is at the leading edge of a new wave. The Metrowest group has been fairly cohesive in that 10-12 year old range, but they don't have much for our cohort. So now I've got another hat to wear - I'll be the new family group coordinator...

It was so nice to see all the new babies and meet the families. A really nice group!

Sofia fell asleep in the car before pick-up, and I nearly fell asleep on the way home, so I let the boys watch TV while I napped - and Sofia stayed asleep nearly 3 hours! David went out with the guys for dinner, so I was a bit relaxed about bed-time. I let the kids dance:

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Don't know where Micah gets it! Notice Sofia trying to do a head-spin...

Sofia and I watched the 2nd CD of Anne of Green Gables. She fell asleep a little after 9pm.