Welcome to Holland: June 2010

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability- to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip- to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills... and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very, very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things... about Holland.

Friday, June 18, 2010

My favorite time of day

Just in the last couple of years Mitch has gotten really snuggly at night. He never wanted us to hold him before bed time, he just wanted to be put in his bed and left alone. We have really enjoyed this nice change! We look forward to the evenings and we may even fight over who gets the privilege but in the end, Mitch has the last say. He lets us know who is going to hold him and at what time:) he is so funny that way. He will search the house for you if its your turn. I enjoy this boy so much! He is so fun!

How precious is that? Obviously it was Will's turn... (I hope my chest isn't that hairy) lol!

THE TIGERS

Maddock has a great time playing sports and although soccer was his favorite, he really likes t-ball too! He's a good little player.

His team

Hit a homer!

Monday, June 14, 2010

VIP Adaptive T-Ball

Baseball season again! Yeah! Mitch enjoys playing baseball every summer. He is getting better about holding on to the bat while his "buddy" swings it for him. Running around the bases is always fun for him... you know Mitch, the bumpier the ride the happier the boy:) He is so funny. I truly admire the people that give freely of their time for these special children. It is so fun to watch these kids playing baseball, their faces just light up. I am truly blessed to have such great connections with the most caring people I have ever met, thanks to little Mitch. There is no greater service than to give of your time to people and I have been very fortunate to have had people in my life who have given their time to me and my children. Thank you! Go Mitch!

Here he is batting...

Running to first base

second base!

third base!

Monday, June 7, 2010

SAN DIEGO, JUNE 2010

We absolutely LOVE going to San Diego. It might have something to do with where we stay and the fact that it only costs us gas money and grocery money, but we just can't get enough! I begged Will to leave me and the boys there for another week (or two) but he wouldn't. So I made him promise to take me back for my birthday in a month. It was so fun and relaxing, we didn't do anything but swim and go to the Bates Nut Farm (a fav with the boys)... I had to secretly pay them to let Will go... jk, but seriously we had a blast! I was so happy my parents were there with us too. We don't get to see them very often anymore since they spend all their time at the Vineyard nowadays. It is always fun to be with them. Hal and Becky (my dad's cousin) were there this time too and they threw a barbeque... always good food and fun. Can't wait to go back!

Mitch LOVES it! He loves it when Will flips him and tosses him in the water! He even loved the "suiclide"! The slide is so fast we call it the suiclide. lol

It took some convincing to get Major in the water this time. lol!

BATES NUT FARM

Maj is happy now, but he had a fight with one of the sheep and the sheep made off with his whole bag of corn and Maj got a battle wound on his eye... poor guy.

this is the closest Maj would get after that

The boys are afraid to feed the Geese so we have to :)

Mitch is bored!

cute little lambi's

Mitch and Grandpa

Oh oh, Maj got in trouble... my mom got the biggest kick out of Major just standing there with his nose smushed in the corner. The "nose in the corner" thing never worked for Maddock but it sure works for Major!