October 2011 - Praying for Parker

Life in the Medically Fragile Lane

I think sometimes people raise a mental eyebrow when I tell them that Parker is a full time job. An often exhausting full time job. I create med and feeding lists each month. Yup. They change that often. Putting together a new one each month also...

Published Mon, Oct 31 2011 7:54 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: down syndrome, medically fragile children, Life With Special Needs, Frequent Flyin' ar the PCMC, Hospital Frequent Flyer, children with special needs

Rub a Dub Dub We’re Learning in the Tub!

Learning in the tub? You bet! When my big kids were little spending time in the tub was one of their favorite activities. A long warm bath would calm down a tantrum or help make a kid who refused to sleep relaxed enough to finally cross over into dream...

Published Fri, Oct 28 2011 3:38 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Life With Special Needs, bath crayons, bath time activities

What makes Down syndrome so terrifying?

Obviously I missed the memo stating that effective immediately, the most important prerequisite of giving birth to a child is perfection. Oh, I know of Denmark’s Copenhagen Post projection that by the not too distant future Denmark could be a country...

Published Wed, Oct 26 2011 8:30 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: down syndrome, Life With Special Needs, Politics of Special Needs, aborting children with down syndrome, eugenics, prenatal testing

How to store potatoes for the winter.

We eat a lot of spuds around here. Homemade (baked) fries, mashed, smashed, twice baked too. Luckily we are entering the cheap(er) priced potato season. At least compared to the prices being asked at a local grocery store around here. Yikes! My parents...

Published Tue, Oct 25 2011 5:54 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: From Scratch, Victory Garden, how to store potatoes, potato storage, how to store potatoes for the winter

Another one lost…..

I knew when Parker lost his first tooth that there was another one trying to make it’s way out. Yesterday was the day. This time I wore a pair of gloves. MUCH better experience than last time. I still dread the day he starts losing molars though...

Published Mon, Oct 24 2011 7:03 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Life With Special Needs, tooth fairy

Buying Artwork at Yard Sales

I love yard sales. I keep a list all year long of items to look for during the next yard sale season. This summer my list included artwork for my walls. I scored and scored big. woot! Most of the 5 items I purchased I only needed to clean up some. But...

Published Sun, Oct 23 2011 4:52 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: frugal living, yard sales, thrifting, spray painting picture mats, cheap artwork, decorating frugally

Quick and Easy Ravioli Lasagna: A Recipe

We’re working out the nursing issues. New ones are orienting. Nights are covered. But during the day it’s just me and the Hero, and lemme tell ya, this kid is a full time job. There isn’t time for anything but keeping this kid going...

Published Wed, Oct 19 2011 7:54 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Recipes, quick dinners, easy raviolii lasagna

One tooth lost…..

I’d known that tooth was loose for over a week. The bottom tooth, front and left. The exact same tooth all of his siblings lost the very first time. It was different this time though. The big brothers and sisters would wiggle a tooth until it hung...

Published Tue, Oct 18 2011 4:41 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Life With Special Needs, tooth fairy, first loss tooth

Dehydrated Fruit for a Blenderized Diet

I love creating a blenderized diet each morning for Parker. I try to go organic as much as I can, using as high quality foods as possible. It can be a challenge to do this on a modest food budget. But it can be done. One strategy I use is gleaning. Gleaning...

Published Sun, Oct 16 2011 7:45 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: From Scratch, blenderized diet, blenderized diets, frugal living, g-tubes, Recipes, g-tube feeding, I love a tubie, kids with g-tubes

Rite of Passage…..

He’s been talking about this for years. It’s been one of those things that I’ve always kinda pushed to the back of my mind. But yesterday the undeniable proof arrived in the mail. Now all he needs to do is earn enough to be able to buy...

Published Sun, Oct 16 2011 11:07 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: frugal living

How much consumerism will be in YOUR Christmas?

Yeah. I know. It’s only October. And here I am bringing up Christmas. Smack me. Seriously though. Now is the time to decide how much consumerism will be going into your Holidays. You know what they say about when you fail to plan…. There are...

Published Thu, Oct 13 2011 9:43 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Christmas, frugal living, less is more, frugal Christmas

Great Inventions: Special Needs Style

Have you have stopped and thought: Man, I really wish someone would invent something that would make (fill in the blank) easier. For example. Parker now sports a cuffed trachs. Cuffed trachs are a pain in the a@@. At the bottom of the trach there is a...

Published Thu, Oct 13 2011 2:01 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: cuffed trachs, Life With Special Needs, kids with trachs, kids with special needs

Trying to calm my fears.

“There comes a time when you have to choose between turning the page and closing the book.” Yesterday I made the choice to close the book. I’ve been in a flux over the agency we’ve been going through for Parker’s nursing...

Published Wed, Oct 12 2011 8:17 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Holding On Tight To My Faith, down syndrome, Life With Special Needs

Cornbellys: A Night of Fun

It’s been a tradition in our family for Dad to take the kids to the corn maze each October. It’s been since Parker was born that I’ve been able to go. But last night, for the first time in a loooong time, we decided to change things...

Published Tue, Oct 11 2011 6:17 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Corn Belly's Corn Maze, Family and Friends

Practising Halloween

When my older kids were little thoughts of Halloween began sometime in August. What they wanted to be changed daily. As the pumpkins in the garden turned orange and the air turned chilly, my kids were making plans with friends to come to our house for...

Published Tue, Oct 11 2011 11:20 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: down syndrome, Special Needs, Halloween, Life With Special Needs