summer fun

 

friday fun stuff

happy friday!  i want to share a few things that put a smile on my face this week:

1. in a recent trip to the children's library in our community, i met an eight-year-old boy, his mother, and his two younger sisters. he was having a great time playing with the younger children at the library, including our little apple cheeks. when he saw emma using sign language to communicate with me, he asked what she was saying. when i told him, he said:  "she's so smart! i wish i knew how to speak sign language. some of my friends do, but i don't know how. it's so cool. how did she learn?"  then, he begged his mother to check-out some Signing Time videos. pretty awesome, right?

2. through our local Down syndrome Network listserve, someone shared this story about a 10-month-old girl with Down syndrome who is the new face of a designer swimwear ad campaign. very cool!

3. emma and i stumbled upon the most amazing park for children of all abilities. Clemyjontri Park, in Fairfax, Virginia, is designed so that children of all abilities - from those who are wheelchair bound to those with sensory or developmental disabilities - can play easily and safely. check it out!

love,
apple cheeks' mama

inspired

 

pigtails!

 

 

on what your Google searches say about your life

after my antiquated cellphone of four years or so died a sad but expected death, my husband insisted i join the rest of the modernized world and use an iPhone.

in short time, it's become something of an addiction. i Google everything. all the time. no matter how large or small the quandry.

i mention this not because it's so interesting to know that i Google so much. but, because, i kind of think our internet searches say a little about the state of our lives in any given moment.

take, for instance, my five searches last friday:

1. how much weight can a 24 pound child lift safely?*
2. chiggers on children
3. how to tell if your dog is in pain
4. how to put out a grease fire
5. meditation demos

enough said.



*in physical therapy, emma uses weighted balls to improve her low muscle tone.

blueberries!

last month, in the midst of turning two years old, comandeering the necessary core strength to begin walking on her own, and deciding she was ready to eat, drink, dress, and play on her own, our little miss apple cheeks mcgillicutty was able to squeeze in some serious fun.

emma's grammy came from florida to visit and we went on a variety of adventures like picking blueberries at Butler's Orchard. emma loved helping as much as she loved eating...and helping her mama make some jam with all of those blueberries.

i hope you enjoy the photos as much as i did taking them!

xoxo,
apple cheeks' mama