Me: Yes, you do.
Mason: Yeah ... my friend Nate at school and then that other Nate ... how do I know him again?
Me: He is my friend Michelle's little boy. He has a little brother that has Down syndrome ... just like Chicky and Nika. His name is Matthew.
Mason (looks at me surprised): Well ... I didn't know he had a brother with Down syndrome! I mean ... I know Matthew is his brother but I didn't know he has Down syndrome.
Me: Yep, he does.
*sniff*
Mason knows that his sisters have Down syndrome. He knows that sometimes it takes them longer to do certain things, or longer to talk or that sometimes they might not understand things like he does. But we have never really spent a lot of time discussing it ... it is just the way it is and we don't focus on their differences. And then listening to him try to pronounce the word syndrome makes it clear to me just how little we talk about it.
So sometimes life stands still and I wonder what he really thinks. I wonder to what level he understands. And then we have conversations like the one above that make me all emotional ... because I know he gets it. He just knows and it really does not matter what it is called. I know that is why he has the compassion that he has for his sisters. I know that is why he steps up to the plate to help them and to teach them in ways not typical of a 7 year old.
I know this. And it is awesome.
*
In the seven years that we have had kids ... we have somehow avoided Build-a-Bear. Until now. The kids all got Build-a-Bear gift cards from their grandparents for their birthdays ... so we went. It was pretty much the chaos we have avoided the past seven years ... but
And $150 later ... we left with three stuffed animals decked out in gear. Err ... at least Mason and Nika's animals were dressed. Payton ... well ... she is a n*dist and um ... so is her monkey.
Stinky, Rusky and AJ
*
Warmer weather is upon us and that means we have been enjoying the outdoors.
There's that damn jeep. Seriously though ... Payton loves that thing and she drives it like a maniac.
Dreaming of spring ... wishing it would stick around already.
Don't you love seeing how amazing the siblings are of our kids with DS? Mason is so cute! He will make a wonderful catch for some lucky girl one day and she will be so grateful he had his sisters because they have made him so much more compassionate and caring. I also just think it is so cute that he is a protector for them!
ReplyDeleteElias doesnt have a big brother/sister, but our closest friends, have an 8 yr old girl, she loves Elias so much!! when we met, Elias was 18 months, and since then she has been so close, I think her personality is because of her parents, I mean they have never told her that Elias has DS but she is the kind of person that cares for others, so she even learned sign language when Elias was younger.
ReplyDeleteI have her on my fb, and she goes to our blog to see pics, and once she just read > down syndrome, she was like , mom whats that? and whats the relation with Elias? her mom didnt knew how to tell her, because she didnt wanted that her daughter start looking at Elias different. I have seen this girl reaction we say down syndrome, like trying to understand. we were shopping the other day, and there was a benetton ad, and she saw the oriental kid, and she was like look like Elias, I though it was cute! :)
Cannot wait for spring!! Can't wait to go somewhere without huge puffy jackets that are so annoying when trying to buckle car seats-lol! Love all the pics! And Ainsley is the same way about the DS thing although I think she likes saying DS for some reason but she could care less that her baby brother has it because she is crazy about him.
ReplyDeleteHahaha. We avoided Build-a-Bear for 5 years, until last week. Grrrrr. A friend had their birthday party there and we are one of two friends (the birthday girl doesn't play well with others, ahem) invited, and I really debated whether we should make up an excuse why we couldn't go. I felt bad. So we went. Grrrrr.
ReplyDeleteMason is so awesome!
Lovely photos
ReplyDeletedoesn't it just make your heart so happy to know what our older kiddos are learning through our baby girls...now if we could just teach the rest of the world :)
ReplyDelete$150!!! Holy smokes! This would be why we have also avoided the place, LOL. Love that Chicky's monkey is nekkid. Too funny.
ReplyDeleteI love Mason's love for his sisters. He will be such an amazing advocate for them all of their lives- he already is!
Oh, and love Mason's Bieberiffic hairdo. :)
ReplyDeleteAhhh....Build a Bear. So thankful my kids do not like to dress their "new best friends".
ReplyDeleteSo jealous of your nice weather! It is still freezing here!
Just think of the little glimpses Mason is giving you....he is going to be such a wonderful husband and father...person. I wish I had learned this new found, different kind of compassion much earlier in my life. I can see the things you are talking about in my boys too. Some days it is what helps me face the day, face down syndrome- the hope that this will make my boys better men. Hope you are doing better, enjoy the weather.
ReplyDeleteLove Mason! I have five children ages 17, 15, 12, 7, and 4 1/2. The youngest has DS. The older three have always been aware that Davis has DS. One day our family was talking about DS and Davis, and Luke, my 7 y.o. chimes in and says, "I didn't know Davis has Down syndrome." He had noticed that Davis does not speak well, but other than that, he is just another brother. Love that!
ReplyDelete