Thursday, December 20, 2007

Meet Henry

Henry is our butler. No, we don't have a "real" butler, but he serves us well. Henry is about Payton's height and holds her snacks well. They have multiple meetings per day. Payton loves Henry.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Payton got assaulted at daycare

Last week, Payton got scratched really bad at daycare, scabs and all. The first picture above shows her face soon after it happened (and covered in neosporin) and the pictures below show her face about two weeks later. I'm so mad! These parents at daycare don't cut their kids fingernails and now Payton is marked because of it. I really think it is going to scar. It is a lot deeper than it looks ... GRR!

Payton's New Favorite Words

The past couple weeks, Payton has picked up a couple new words ... "wow" and "no".

The first time she said "no" was when I was telling her "no" because she was throwing Cheerios all over the floor. She then looked at me, pointed her finger at me (wonder where she got that) and yelled, "No!" I was cracking up and so excited to hear her say that. Isn't that usually one of the first words kids say? Not Payton! Now she loves to tell the dog and her brother "no" all the time. Even her daycare teachers have told us that she tells the other kids in her classroom "no" ... too funny.

I'm not really sure where along the way she picked up "wow", although it has become more evident lately when we have seen Christmas lights. She sort of whispers it ... "wowww" ... and I think it is because I sort of whisper it to her, as if telling her "look at that". Now we can look at the ceiling lights or a chandelier and get a "wowww" for that. Love her! :)

Ho Ho Ho

We took the kids to see Santa over the weekend. It didn't go over so great with Payton. This was the first year that Mason wanted to sit on his lap and tell him what he wanted for Christmas. On the list ... transformer, firetruck, Brett Favre helmet. Here is a picture of the momentous event ...

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Beatitudes for People with Special Needs

BLESSED ARE YOU who take time to listen to difficult speech, for you help us to know that if we persevere we can be understood.

BLESSED ARE YOU who walk with us in public places, and ignore the stares of strangers, for in your friendship we feel good to be ourselves.

BLESSED ARE YOU who never bid us to "hurry up" and, more blessed, you who do not snatch our tasks from our hands to do them for us, for often we need time rather than help.

BLESSED ARE YOU who stand beside us as we enter new and untried ventures, for our unsuredness will be outweighed by the times when we surprise ourselves and you.

BLESSED ARE YOU who ask for our help and realize our giftedness for our greatest need is to be needed.

BLESSED ARE YOU who help us with the graciousness of Christ, for often we need the help we cannot ask for.

BLESSED ARE YOU when, by all things, you assure us that what makes us individuals is not our particular disability or difficulty but our beautiful God-given personhood which no handicapping condition can confine.

REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDINGLY GLAD for your understanding and love have opened doors for us to enjoy life to its full and you have helped us believe in ourselves as valued and gifted people.