Water, water, everywhere!

I may like my sister and my dad but I LOVE water!

See,

I told you.

I may look so sweet but beware when extracting me from this paradise.

I wanna be like Bridgie....

On my Uncle Bill’s driveway last night, I watched as my youngest daughter ‘worked the room’ so to speak.  Walking up and down the flat paradise as if she owned the place, waving and shouting ‘hi!’ in her raspy voice to all who graced her path.  I began to wish that I could be like Bridgie.

Strong

Confident

Loving

Friendly

Fun

These are just a few of her wonderful traits.

Innocent

Trusting

These are a few more.

It’s the innocent and trusting that got me thinking.  While in and of themselves they are great qualities, there is a fine line with them.  In this great big, bad world of ours they can be harmful.  

This got me thinking about being Bridgie’s mom and how it makes me feel.  While that is a post for another time, I want to talk about how those qualities propel me into action.  Ways my parenting has become more purposeful.

Enter Bridgie’s Brigade.  It has recently been brought to my attention that perhaps I am just parading my daughter by bringing attention to Down syndrome in the ways I have chosen.  I gave about 2 minutes thought to this and then trashed it.

What I have chosen to do with this bit of information is further explain Bridgie’s Brigade and it’s purpose.

Bridgie’s Brigade is a journey.  There is no real definition here.

Bridgie’s Brigade was born on a series of training runs, swims, and rides.  (I have written before about God perched on my shoulder whispering in my ear.)  Listening to God and tuning in to His plan can be hard for me.  Tuning out my own thoughts and plans in order to hear Him more clearly takes time.

When Bridgie was born I contacted a local Down syndrome group and for very significant reasons we never connected but recently have and are excited about the new doors opening to us.  During the two years that followed I began trudging my way through all things Down syndrome.  Blogs, websites, books.

One of the resounding messages was that of education.  When you become a parent of a child with Down syndrome you take on another role as well. One of educator.  If you want the world, your community, or even just your family to accept this new love of your life then you have to be willing to share information and educate people on the ins and outs of Down syndrome.  

People think they know.  “Oh, but they are just so sweet and happy all the time”. No, not really. “Things are so much better for ’them’ nowadays”.  Yes and no.  

Our life has taken a turn and I would not change it or go back for any reason. None.  Bridgie is my daughter, Erin and Eoin’s sister.  Down syndrome does not define Bridgie but without it she would not be Bridgie.

Strong

Confident

Loving 

Friendly

Fun

Innocent

Trusting

We love Bridgie and therefore we love Down syndrome.  

Bridgie loves the world and the world loves Bridgie.

Bridgie’s Brigade is born out my concerns over  that last statement.  How do I protect my children from that statement.  ALL of my children. 

You see Bridgie’s Brigade is not about Bridgie.  It is about the collective Bridgie and their caretakers.

I KNOW that I can care for Bridgie and give her all of the resources and skills to become an independent, productive member of society.  But I may not always be here to do the job. 

 Enter Erin and Eoin.  

Add to that the fact no one can TRULY protect the collective Bridgie’s from the world.

So what is a mother to do?  The only thing she can.

Educate.

Bridgie’s Brigade has chosen to support Best Buddies as our first fundraising effort because of it’s focus on integration, education, training, independence, and leadership.  Our family may have to rely on this organization to support our Bridgie, therefore, we must support the collective Bridgie’s and the organizations that support them now.

When Bridgie was born and she was diagnosed with an extra chromosome, my only real concern was Erin and Eoin.  How will this change their lives?  Daily, I see the blessings she has brought to  their lives and how they truly are just brothers and sisters.  But the education is already beginning.  ‘Things’ are different.  And at 6 ½ Erin is asking questions.

We are straight forward and honest in our answers.

She understands that Bridgie has Down syndrome and that she will learn some things at a slower pace.  She understands that we have to communicate through signs with her as she learns words.  She understands we need to speak clearly to her and limit fun baby talk so that she can learn words.

And for now that’s enough.  It does not bother us, therefore, it does not bother her.

The other day she said “Mommy, I wish I had Down syndrome.  Then I could be the same as Bridgie”. Followed up with the question “have I ever had Down syndrome?”  So, we talked about chromosomes and genes and how are bodies are formed and how Bridgie’s body map has one more chromosome and how she could never have Down syndrome because she does not have any extra chromosomes.

And that was enough.  For now.

Bridgie’s Brigade  is about awareness, advocacy, understanding, friendship, and fun.  

A journey.

We are here now, raising money for Best Buddies.

http://www.dcchallenge2012.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=997266&lis=1&kntae997266=9199AD5CC3034C9990BFE952B5FD46B5&team=4942614

Who knows where or what we will be doing in a year.

Won’t you join us?

15 Ways to ensure a stellar race day.....

1. Race the weekend before.

2. Walk in a parade the morning before the race.

3. Drive all over tar nation to rack your bike and attend a birthday party.

4. Eat lots of food you don't normally eat the night before the race.

5. Don't drink enough water the entire day before and then have a 32 oz soda.

6. Pack your bag at 10 pm the night before the race.

7.  Go to bed at least 2 full hours later than you normally do.

8. Dream that you miss the race because you spontaneously decide to take your son to the Zoo at 6 am.

9. Forget to buy bananas for race morning.

10. Forget your bike shoes the morning of the race, drive 3 miles up the road, turn around and go back to the house for them.

11. Drink half-caff coffee race morning because you forgot to buy regular coffee when you were supposed to get the bananas.

12. Leave your ipod at home for your daughter to play with.

13. Don't do your pre-race warm-up run, instead stand in line for the port-a-jane line for 25 minutes.

14. Forget to leave all your jewelry at home and stress about losing it in the water.

15. Stand around for an hour and a half before the race in bare feet because you forgot flip-flops.

And then enjoy a beautiful, early morning swim in the lake, a scenic 26 mile bike ride, and a HILL-acious 10k run.

All in all it was a gorgeous day, the event was flawless, and I felt strong despite an average finish.

Amen

You never know the lessons of the day and how they will come about.

About three weeks ago I bought Erin and Eoin fishing rods.

They came with a practice weight so they could practice casting in the back yard without hooking a Bridgie.

They had a lot of fun learning how to cast and Mr. Joe, our version of Mr. Wilson, popped his head over the fence and asked where I planned to take them Fishing. 

Mr. Joe is the resident expert fisherman of Harwell Avenue.  When I said we would try back lake, uh I mean Swann Park, he shared that corn would be our best bet as bait.

About three days later, Mr. Joe presented Eoin with two small hooks and a neon bobber for his rod.

This re-lit the fire under my heels to take them out.

Yesterday was our first adventure.  Daddy relocated his old tackle box under 32 screwdrivers, 56 packets of old screws from random projects, 106 old direction sheets, and  300 old t-shirts he's going to use for rags.  Kindly, he weighted and hooked the rods, I packed our bag with towels, water, a bucket, sunscreen, scissors, corn and band aids of course.

'twas a lovely afternoon, warm, sunny, and breezy.  We found our spot over by some fallen logs with resting turtles on them.  One large turtle basked by himself while a family of smaller turtles, about a dozen, on a smaller log.

We cast the pink rod first.  Erin held steady while we cast Eoins rod.  Instantaneously Eoin had reeled in some 'seaweed'.  Very exciting indeed.  Erin slowly reeled in her rod and we recast.  I turned to recast Eoin and Erin starts squealing and screaming....'My bobber's gone, my bobber's gone'  ready to drop the rod.  She tries to hand me the rod and I tell her to reel in slowly...'I can't I can't its stuck'.  So I take the rod and realize we indeed have a fish.

A decent size first catch.

'Eeewww I don't have to touch it do I?'

We think it to be some type of blue gill or perhaps a sunfish.  Sunfish are not listed on Maryland's DNR site as native to freshwater so we are not sure.

Erin reluctantly held the rod so I could free the fish, Eoin touched it with his pointer finger and we threw him back.

About 10 minutes later Eoin got a bite.  A BIG bite.  A bite that had him pushing towards the water and a bobber that truly had disappeared.  I figured we had a log or something so I grabbed the rod and began to reel in the resisting  species.  As it came into shallow water my heart sank....a turtle.  A big dinner plate size turtle.  And the kids sensed it too.  I brought the turtle out of the water and tried to grab him.  Erin and Eoin would not get near the rod, so they were no help.  I put the rod down and stepped on it while trying to grab the turtle.  He was no help either.  Squirming and desperate to get back into the water.  I tried a third time to put one hand on the turtles back, my foot on the rod and my other hand trying to free the hook.  The kids were getting scared at this point and I figured it better for me to cut him free than risk getting bit with the kids starting to freak.  So, after 2 minutes of Erin trying to find the scissors we cut 'Her' free.  We watched as she swam away with Mr. Joe's neon bobber floating on the surface.  Soon it disappeared.

We just stood watching.  It is then that I looked over at Eoin and saw the worst look of grief I have ever seen on his little face.  I swooped him up into a hug and said what's the matter Eoin? 

'Her still have hook' and he cried.

(It's interesting that he said her, as everyone and thing is him up until this point)

Erin: 'It's okay Eoin her friends will help her get free'

Me: 'Yes, Erin's right all her turtle friends will help get her free and be safe" She's going to be just fine.

Erin: 'Maybe we should pray'

Me: 'yes we should, let's hold hands'

Erin: 'No, like this.' Hands folded in prayer in front of her.

Me:'Dear God please take care of our turtle friend, we are very sorry for hooking her. Please keep her safe.  Amen'

Eoin: 'AMEN!'  'Mommy, what's Amen?'

Me: 'Amen is thank you God'

Eoin: 'Yes, Amen, thank you God'

It is here we began to see the neon bobber floating towards us.  I am pretty sure the bobber was alone.

After a few more casts with the Barbie rod, we fed the fish with the rest of our corn and packed up.

We stopped to do what we do best on the way out......

Play.

Can't wait to tell Mr. Wilson, I mean Mr. Joe about our adventure.  He'll surely know what kind of fish it was.

I'm linking up with Family Time Tuesday with this post.

http://www.celebrating-family.com/

I've told you before....

Don't turn your back on this girl.

She is happy to entertain herself by pulling clothes out of drawers.

Dumping diaper baskets.

And basking in all her glory.

She is equally happy chewing on her crib rail and the t.v. stand, playing in the toilet, emptying wipe containers entirely of their contents, pulling all of the paper out of the shredder, and spilling juice all over the floor by chewing the nipple of her bottle.

Wait, WHERE IS HER MOTHER?

Why Tri?

Because I can.

And when I can't...

God can.

Triathlon is very meditative for me.  I find comfort, peace, and pleasure in the monotony of endurance sport.  There is an inner calm that comes as the water continually rushes over you, as the road rises to meet you, and the repetition of arms swinging and legs lifting propels you forward.

I have always been a runner.  An endorphin junkie.  As a teenager I did not know the necessity of that endorphin rush.  As an adult I know that those endorphins are my lifeline.  They push me through the day and motivate me to do better in all aspects of my life.  They keep me from putting chemicals in the form of Prozac into my body.

After carrying and giving birth to three children over the course of 4 1/2 years, my body and mind began to rebel.  The diagnosis of Down Syndrome for my third child began a process of  wheel spinning in my brain that led to overeating, stress, and depression.  I would not have told you that then but that's what it was.

Tremendous weight gain, hormone fluctuations, vein insufficiency, high blood pressure, and gall bladder attacks.  I had the saphenous veins in both legs closed and my gall bladder removed with in three months of each other, all the while caring for three children 5 and under. 

Around this same time, Anne Arundel County Parks and Rec announced a Sprint Triathlon at Ft. Smallwood park to benefit people in the county with special needs. In fact, all proceeds go to help pay the registration fees for the special sports programs.

As a senior in high school one of my "ambitions", printed in the 1992 Arundel year book, was to "successfully complete a triathlon by the time I turn 40". So the "Rec Deeds for Special Needs Tri" was a no brainer. As if the good Lord was bonking me on the head saying "hello, you are 36, 40 is 4 years away". So, I did my first tri. Mission Accomplished!! Uh, no.

You see the ambition arose while I watched the television coverage of the 1992 Hawaii Ironman World Championships. I cried my eyes out in my little brothers room, (why he had a tv in his room I do not know), watching all the back stories of the competitors. The Ambition is an Ironman.

2.4 mi. swim • 112 mi. bike • 26.2 mi. run

I completed the Rec Deeds Tri and overcame my fear of murky water and that Ambition began to sit on my other shoulder during my runs. So it is with the Lord. God has plans for me.

Ambition and Religion, proselytizing, counseling, motivating, and healing me. Together.

I have since completed a myriad of Triathlon events including one Half Ironman.  With each training session and race my ambition and motivation is heightened.  Not to be a better triathlete but to be and do better as a person.

There will be many cant's in our life raising three children in this crazy world, I want to be the example of  I can and God can for my children.

Down Syndrome has taught me this:

We are all ABLE just in different ways, we all CAN some just choose not to.

When life gives you lemons....

Today, I was practicing making hair clips to sell for Bridgie's Brigade.

Erin wanted to make one too.

But she's not allowed to use the glue gun

So........

She watched what I was doing and used paper and tape!

I think we might have to do it her way instead!