T.:Uh, no. I'm done with you. I am going to relax and read a little now.

T: Ugh! Seriously? No, I am done. Go talk to Wil.

Q: Fine. Wil, What do you think of Timothy's new skill?

When Wil was born a lot changed in the life of our family. I have posted about many of those changes over the last year. One thing that his presence immediately did was propel James and me into becoming advocates for Wil. Now this is certainly true for all our kids - we are advocates for Luke and Timothy too. It is different with Wil though. We will have to speak up for him in ways that we will not have to speak up for Luke and Timothy. We have to know the medical system and be on top of his health care and his services. We have had to push for services that are due him. Being an advocate for Wil alone is one thing. Being an advocate for Down syndrome in general is another. I do consider myself an advocate for Down syndrome though I have publicly done little on this front. I often wonder as Wil gets older where I will use my voice.

Luke really changed when he turned five. For some reason that is the arbitrary age he selected as the one to reach. When you turn five you are officially a big boy and should no longer be referred to in language that remotely resembles anything cutesy. I think I mentioned at the time of his birthday that he began calling me Mom, instead of Mommy, and James Dad, instead of daddy, and my mother Non, instead of Nonnie. He decided that Papa wasn't too babyish for some reason though he did toy around with Pa - guess he didn't like the way it sounded. We also are corrected if we refer to him as "cute," whether it be in reference to a new haircut or the way he looks in his new sweater and winter cap. "You mean handsome," he says with that half question, half command inflection in his voice.

His role as big brother has also changed since he turned five. He seems to be taking it very seriously. He now wants to take part in feeding and watching out for his two younger brothers. And as of late he is enjoying a new role - educator. Not long ago, after feeding Wil and T, I found Luke pivoting from one to the other telling them all about Adam and Eve while holding up a cutesy, I mean handsome, picture of the duo he colored in Sunday School.
I was very impressed with his re-telling. It went something like this. . ."and first God made Adam from the dirt then he wanted him to have a girlfriend so he took one of Adam's bones, I don't know which one but I am sure it was a bone, and made Eve out of that bone. Can you believe that? And that is how Adam and Eve were born. But actually they weren't really born, they were made." (I think I am seeing my gift, or is it a curse, of over explaining emerge in Luke)

Later he took delight in teaching Wil all about the world of PBSkids.com
And most impressive to Wil, who has a thing for monkey's, was Curious George. He could be heard cackling all over the house as George got into all sorts of mischief at the hands of Luke.

Timothy is doing some learning of his own.

Is Timothy walking?

Well, not quite, but he is getting there!

I love to mow the grass. I love to go through closets and clear them of unnecessary clutter and clothes that are no longer worn. I love to paint the walls and maintain an organized pantry. These things are very satisfying to me. There is instant gratification. You can see the before and after and enjoy it for a little while. It also gives me some sense of control in my life, false as it may be.

A Kenmore front load washer and dryer - which, by the way, I have recently learned is made by whirlpool. Two weeks after they were delivered the washer conked out due to a bad mother board. It was quickly replaced and we have had no problems since. We have enjoyed all the things the sales person promised. Larger loads, energy efficient, faster drying time, and more.

Until now. After hearing some suspicious noises we contacted the appliance folks at Sears. They came out, reminded us we are no longer under warranty, then delivered the bad news. The washer is ca put - will cost more to repair than to buy a new one. The dryer, while still functioning fine, has worn down rollers in the front. We can replace them for a good chunk of change but they will likely wear down again in another 12-18 months leaving us with the same irritating noise.

The promises of unending laundering happiness were short lived. So while I had 18 months of greater satisfaction in the laundry department it is nothing compared to the dissatisfaction of knowing that we essentially threw a good deal of money down the drain. And you know what else? The laundry pile was still never ending.

I wonder about my old top load washer and dryer. We gave them to a college graduate setting out to begin his new life and career. I bet they are still going strong for him. I hope so.

(I did speak with Sears in a vain attempt to get a replacement or even some degree of refund. They are sorry for any inconvienence this has caused us and are sorry we didn't buy their very expensive extended warranty. But thanked us for shopping with Sears.)

First Timothy got stuck in our "Big Daddy" rocker, which he has done numerous times. Really, I have lost count and he just keeps getting himself back in the same predicament. As he gets thicker around the middle it is getting harder to get the little bugger out.


Timothy then made his way to the front room where Wil was drinking his Milk on the sofa - in peace - and then strong armed him out of it.



After giving up his milk Wil happily moved on to climb on the nearest chair. His leg is kicked back because he is trying to rock the chair - a new trick. I'm certain he will manage to tip the chair and himself over in the weeks to come. And then we will have blood and more broken furniture.


While Wil was working on tipping over my grandmother's Victorian chair which I recently recovered T went on to remove all the pillows from the sofa. Something both he and Wil do at least a dozen times a day. I know, I should just get rid of the pillows!

Timothy polished off what was left of his milk before spotting his favorite trouble-maker activity.


The Stairs! He and Wil have both learned how to remove the gate so we have a new challenge before us. Just so you don't get the impression Wil is sitting back like an angel you should know that he is poised and ready to scoot up the stairs as soon as I get out of the way. Which I don't. So he screams his new "mad" scream.


After securing the gate I stop to explain to Luke - again - why it is not good for his 45 pound body to be stretched out on the bookshelves.

And while doing that for, oh. . . 30 seconds - T and Wil head for the kitchen.

T goes from floor to chair to table in seconds. Wil is usually first on the table but when he lands in an arm chair he loves to sit back like a big boy. So today he just watches T at work.

At this point I must put down the camera before everything on the table hits the floor. Which would cause me to weep because I just cleaned the floor. Not that it matters. Lunch is around the corner and usually some portion of the meal hits the floor.


So if you need some exercise please stop by. These guys will keep you on the run. And at 28 pounds each you will get some strength training in too!

As 2007 comes to an end I have been reflecting a bit. I have found myself smiling, shaking my head, laughing, feeling sad, feeling relieved, smiling some more, and giving thanks. Here are just a few things 2007 brought for our family: