Slow down the ride!!!

J is 9 months old today. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. It seems like not long ago I was so excited to be at a late point in her pregnancy and now she is growing up fast.

I always felt that C's Down syndrome made it possible for me to enjoy the "baby" time so much more. Well, now having J, I can see how right I was. I loved that extra time with Cand I am in awe of the speed of time with J.

9 short months ago, this little being came into the world. She was so peaceful and so helpless. Now she is crawling, pulling up, walking around furniture and standing alone for about 5 seconds. 9 short months ago, she was too tiny to easily even take a bottle. Now she tries to eat anything she can get her hands on including some gnawing on C'c pizza. (keep in mind she only has 2 teeth) 9 months ago, I would just hold her non-stop. Now I have to rock her to sleep if I want a chance to hold her. A few weeks ago, I just sat and held her sleeping for about 3 hours. It was so peaceful and so rare. I wasn't going to miss my chance.

So, while I know this is scattered, know that, while I wouldn't change anything about either of my girls, I would love to slow down the ride and enjoy the little ups and downs and turns that go along with being a mother.

You may not like this one

Well, we are on edge in our house. Why you ask? Well, dh's company is doing a 10% layoff. 10% of their employees are being laid off. He works for a company that supplies to the auto industry.

Think about it. What is your biggest investment? You house right? Well, what is your second biggest investment? Your car. Do you buy your house from overseas? Do you order it and have it shipped here? I don't think so.

Our economy, and not just the economy in Michigan, needs people to get back to the "Buy American" thinking of the 70's.

The most common response when I say to buy American, is to say that the American cars are all from parts made overseas. Yes, many of the parts are, but many of those companies (like my husbands) are also based here in the US and employee many, many Americans. In the end, you are supporting an American based company that pays Americans. That company also supports many smaller suppliers her in in the US who then pay other Americans. Those Americans then use the money they earn to buy computers, hire accountants, get medical care, grocery shop, pay for Cable TV and on and on. If those Americans are not being paid, you are not just hurting the auto industry, you are hurting everyone that depends on that and let me tell you, in the end, you are probably only a few steps away from being impacted buy the record job losses.

The next response is that foreign cars are higher quality. BS... My last 3 cars all lasted 5-7 years and all had well over 100,000 miles and they were HARD miles. On top of that, how long do you really keep your car? Do you need a car that lasts 15 years when you only intend to own it for 3 years? Yes, I did have issues with cars, things to happen, but you can't name me a single car where it never needs a single repair in over 100,000 miles. Domestic cars are high quality and very safe! (my new one has 5 star safety rating all around!)

Are you disgusted that everything in stores is made in China now? Do you peel that Made In China sticker off before you give someone a gift you bought? If so, then why is it so ok to pride yourself, even brag about buying a huge ticket item from Japan, Germany or Sweden?

I was born and raised to buy American cars. I will always and forever buy American because, fact is, my family, friends, state and in the end, a good part of the national economy need the return to Buy American!

Think next time you are car shopping. Are you supporting people you know, your fellow Americans or the people and economy of another country?

Happy Birthday C!!!

4 years ago, at 12:19 am, C took her first breath and she has taken mine away ever since. Happy birthday beautiful!

On a more positive note, some people/companies DO get it.

Check out the Coca Cola commercial for the Olympics...

http://www.specialolympics.org/Special+Olympics+Public+Website/English/Press_Room/Global_news/2008+Olympics/New+Olympics+Coke+Commercial.htm

Once again, the "R" word is thought to be acceptable...

and in this case, funny.

Here is the article from the New York Times.


Nationwide ‘Thunder’ Boycott in the Works

By MICHAEL CIEPLY
Published: August 10, 2008
LOS ANGELES — A coalition of disabilities groups is expected as early as Monday to call for a national boycott of the film “Tropic Thunder” because of what the groups consider the movie’s open ridicule of the intellectually disabled.

The film, a movie-industry spoof directed by Ben Stiller, is set for release on Wednesday by Paramount Pictures and its DreamWorks unit.

“Not only might it happen, it will happen,” Timothy P. Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics, said of the expected push for a boycott. Speaking by phone, Mr. Shriver said he planned to be in Los Angeles with representatives of his group and others to picket the movie’s premiere on Monday evening in this city’s Westwood district.

A particular sore point has been the film’s repeated use of the term “retard” in referring to a character, Simple Jack, who is played by Mr. Stiller in a subplot about an actor who chases an Oscar by portraying a mindless dolt.

Mr. Shriver said that he had also begun to ask members of Congress for a resolution condemning what he called the movie’s “hate speech” and calling for stronger federal support of the intellectually disabled.

“The most disappointing thing, the most incredible thing, is that nobody caught it,” said Mr. Shriver, who, as a co-producer of the DreamWorks film “Amistad,” is no stranger to the studio. He spoke of what he described as the studio’s and the filmmakers’ blatant disregard for the disabled even as they stepped carefully around other potentially offensive references, notably in a story line that has Robert Downey Jr. playing a white actor who changes his skin color to play a black soldier.

In a statement on Sunday, Chip Sullivan, a DreamWorks spokesman, said the movie was “an R-rated comedy that satirizes Hollywood and its excesses and makes its point by featuring inappropriate and over-the-top characters in ridiculous situations.” Mr. Sullivan, in the statement, added that the film was not meant to disparage or harm people with disabilities and that DreamWorks expected to work closely with disability groups in the future. But, he said, “No changes or cuts to the film will be made.”

Formal complaints about the content of films are not uncommon, but well-coordinated boycotts are fairly rare. The groups involved said that they represented millions of members and associates. Perhaps the most striking use of the tactic involved “The Last Temptation of Christ,” released in 1988. Religious groups that considered that movie’s depiction of Jesus blasphemous called for a boycott of companies owned by MCA, whose Universal unit made the film.
DreamWorks and Paramount have shown “Tropic Thunder” in more than 250 promotional screenings around the country since April, but significant complaints came only recently, when marketing materials for the movie caught the attention of advocates for the disabled. The tag line on one mock promotional poster on a Web site, since removed, read, “Once upon a time there was a retard.”

Over the weekend an ad-hoc coalition of more than a dozen disabilities groups — including the Arc of the United States, the National Down Syndrome Congress, the American Association of People With Disabilities and others — laid the groundwork for public protests to begin Monday.
The groups refrained from formally asking that viewers boycott the movie, pending informational screenings that were scheduled for their members at eight locations around the country on Monday morning.

But representatives of the National Down Syndrome Congress saw the movie at one such screening on Friday and immediately advised fellow advocates to expect a film sufficiently offensive to justify mass action.

“I came out feeling like I had been assaulted,” said David C. Tolleson, executive director of the Down syndrome group who saw the movie.

Mr. Tolleson and Peter V. Berns, executive director of the Arc of the United States, said on Sunday that they could not recall a similar coalition of disabilities groups forming against a film. Mr. Berns noted that some people had objected to the use of the word “retarded” in “Napoleon Dynamite,” a comedy released by Fox Searchlight and Paramount’s MTV Films unit in 2004.
“But there’s really been nothing near this magnitude,” Mr. Berns said.

In earlier interviews with The New York Times, Mr. Stiller and Stacey Snider, chief executive of the DreamWorks unit, said the movie’s humor was aimed not at the disabled but at the foolishness of actors who will go to any length in advancing their careers.

After meetings and conference calls with Ms. Snider and others, the studio altered some television advertising, but declined to edit scenes from the movie.

“Tropic Thunder” is likely to be the last movie released by DreamWorks before its top executives — Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Ms. Snider — formally announce their plans to become aligned with a new company to be financed by Reliance Big Entertainment of India. The three will continue to be involved with at least a dozen films at Paramount but are expected gradually to shift their energies to the new enterprise, which will probably distribute its movies through another studio.

Mr. Shriver said that he had spoken with Ms. Snider and others at DreamWorks about “Tropic Thunder” and came away convinced that they had no plans for mitigating measures.

Their response, he said, convinced him that the time had come for his group and others to strike a far more aggressive public posture on behalf of the disabled. “The movement needs to enter the public eye and not just be talking among ourselves,” he said.


To many, this may seem like acceptable humor. To all who know our family, and our daughter, C, this movie is mocking her and others with intellectual disabilities. Please support C by not supporting this movie or anything that has to do with it. If you want to go further you can sign this petition.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopTropicThunder/?e

You can also call Ben Stiller and leave him a message at 323-602-5000 or send an e-mail to
contact@dreamworksfansite.com

If you want to see a little more on the movie, here is another article by Patricia E. Bauer who specilizes in writing on issues involving disability issues.
http://www.patriciaebauer.com/2008/08/08/just-the-facts-tropic-thunder/

45 Minutes!!!

Well, C got her glasses over a year ago. She needs them to try and correct some crossing issues. She is a very strong willed girl and she did NOT want to wear them. $300 down the drain.

I am not a huge fan of her watching TV but since J arrived, she has been watching more then I would like. So, one of her favorite shows is the "kids show". That would be John and Kate Plus Eight. She just loves it. We were watching it so snuck on her glasses and handed her a bag of animal crackers.

EUREKA!!! She kept her glasses on for 45 minutes! If we can do this more, maybe it will correct her crossing. She'll be a tv adicted animal cracker fiend, but hey, what ever works.

ARGHH!!!

I have no other title that I feel I can say.

Yesterday I was working. The girl at the register next to me was one of those people that just drives me nuts and rubs me the wrong way. Anyway...

I was on break. The store always has music playing and it's usually upbeat stuff that most everyone knows. I don't even remember the song but I walked back at the end of it. Stephanie says, "Peggy may know." I asked, know what. She said "what was that show in the 80's that had the MONGOLOID kid in it? What the HELL???!!!

Yes, that is a term that was used a long time ago. She is about 24 and I have no idea where she would get that name from. Anyway, while my mind was going WTF? My mouth said, the show with the boy with Down syndrome, was Life Goes On. I was not in a mood to educate right then (or for that matter in the place to educate). I did tell her we had seen Chris Burke and his band at a couple of Buddy Walks. She said, you met Corky? I said, no, not met him but yes, we had seen his band.

She said, maybe I am ignorant (HELLO... Ya think?) but how can he play in a band?

My response was "what?"

"How can he play in a band?"

I said why wouldn't he play in a band and before allowing her to say something else, I started my limited education lesson. I told her people with Down syndrome can do all sorts of things. They go to college, have jobs, get married, live independently, etc. I explained that I fully expect C to go to college and have a job one day. She then asked what causes it and I gave the chromosome education. She then asked (gotta smack the girl for continuing to ask questions), "then how come they all look alike?" Wanting to just cold cock her, I said, they don't and her response was, "the ones I have seen do." Of course, I could have focused on the "ones" part of that statement. Like, my daughter and others with Down syndrome are objects. Instead I just got an irritated tone (surprised it took me this long) and said "well, I think I have seen a lot more kids and people with Down syndrome. I asked if she thinks that the caucasian kids with Down syndrome look like the Asian kids, the African American kids, etc. I explained that C looks like her dads family and not like the other kids in her class with Down syndrome. I said that yes, they do have some features that the syndrome tends to make more prominent, but no, not all people with Down syndrome look alike. (I am half tempted to take her an album of all of the kids we have met and what they all look like!)

I am sure this conversation could have gone on until I just had no choice but to either poke out my ear drums with a hot poker or to beat the crap out of her until she was senseless but apparently, somebody already beat her senseless!!!

Anyway, that is my rant for the day. The whole thing didn't as much upset me as it made me wonder, who here has the challenges? My child or people like her who are perceived as "normal"?