Blogging Against Disablism Day, May 1st 2008

I’m gonna go all political on you today, this glorious day of Blogging Against Disablism Day (and for a chance for a first edition copy of GIFTS drop me a comment, see below) Let me ask this. Have you chosen your presidential candidate? Here in Indiana, we get to participate in the Primary vote next Tuesday May 6th. Quite exciting actually. Did you know Obama is the only candidate that is behind Fully Funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA? If you haven’t seen Barack Obama’s plan, then go to BARACK OBAMA’S PLAN TO EMPOWER AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES . Here is his position on Fully Funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Barack Obama has been a strong and consistent advocate for fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Congress promised to shoulder 40 percent of each state’s “excess cost” of educating children with disabilities, but it has never lived up to this obligation. Currently, the federal government provides less than half of the promised funding (17 percent). Children are being shortchanged, and their parents are forced to fight with cash-strapped school districts to get the free and appropriate education the IDEA promises their children. Fully funding IDEA will provide students with disabilities the public education they have a right to, and school districts will be able to provide services without cutting into their general education budgets. In addition to fully funding IDEA, Obama will ensure effective implementation and enforcement of the Act. IDEA reaches every public school. Approximately 12 percent of public school students receive assistance through special education. When IDEA was passed in 1975 the law included a commitment to pay 40 percent of the average per-student cost for every special education student. That commitment has never been met. Congress is currently funding IDEA at less than 18 percent. See the impact on your state of proposals to reduce the federal share. No, I have never voted for a Democrat for President. But if Barack Obama, former Civil Right Attorney, gets there, yes, he will get our vote. And I work for a Republican Attorney General! Yes, that is just how important this election is for fully funding IDEA. Really. Now lets hope we can scrape up enough money to buy gas get to the primary on Tues. May 6th _____________________ Oh and on this wonderous of Blogging Against Disablism Day, May 1st 2008, just leave a little note and I will put the names into a hat and have the Nash man pull out a winner for a fantastical GIFT....the unique first edition of Gifts: How Children with Down syndrome Have Enriched Our Lives Copyright 2006 by Booksurge LLC Winner to be chosen on Mothers Day. yeah, how lucky are you all today? A little politics and a big ol' GIFT.

Boot giveaway- Get it Down 31 for 21 : Post 4

Click on the button for more information on th Get It Down- 31 for 21 challenge! Go to Prince Vince's page to win!

Win Milk !!

You too can have the chance to be the lucky winner of the 60 gift certificates for FREE Horizon Organic dairy products (approx $300 value!!!) All you need to do is leave your comment at Five Minutes for Mom and link back to this contest from your blog (and please link to Horizon Organic as well) to qualify for the drawing. As usual, non bloggers are welcome to participate too. (This contest is limited to the US as the gift certificates are only good in the US.) They will announce the winner Thursday, July 26th, 2007. All entries must be in by Thursday, July 26th at 12am Eastern

Gush....my husband likes me....he really LIKES me!

Blogger Reflection Award: This award should make an individual reflect upon five bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, and who have provided a Godly example. In other words, five dear bloggers whom, when you reflect upon them, you are filled with a sense of pride and joy...of knowing them and being blessed by them. Jeff, over at BIG DAWG TALES is the husband we all dream of; he's street smart, concientious, attentive (well he pretends well) and provides well for our family. He is also the best DAD in the world to our son. Now he honors me with a blogger award. sniff sniff. Ok, maybe he felt he had to do it or he wouldn't get any. But its the thought, right? In awarding me one of his Blogger Reflection Awards, here is what he had to say: My third award winner is Jan from "Mauzy's Musings". Ok now this is probably cheating since she is my wife but I think her blog is really awesome and I know how much time, effort and thought she puts into it. I also think the pictures of a certain young man named Nash are way too cool. I think this is his way of saying I spend too much time of the computer. Anywho, thank you honey! Now, knowing me, I went and did some research (no!) and found the originator of this award is a 16 year old girl. GO HERE to meet her. She wants us to remember this when we award her special Blogger Reflection Award: This award is for the best-of-the-best so consider who you pick, carefully. This award should not be given to just anyone. If you're going to do the award don't just write a few words and slap it on your blog. Write real thoughts about these bloggers and what they've been to you, and if the bloggers you pick have already been given the award, don't be afraid to give to them again. They deserve it as many times as it's given. So I had to really think, as while I don't go to hundreds of blogs, some really impact me: 1. Tammy at Praying for Parker- Tammy, oh Tammy. If anyone is an inspiration it is she. She has an adorable child, Parker, with extremely high medical bills. She is middle class, insured, and going broke because of these expenses. This is the family that slips through the cracks in every law passed, non-profit set up, and church offering made in huge amounts. BUT she not only manages to provide love, hugs, kisses to her kids, she also makes us see just how saintly she is by NOT seeing her enter the billing department of her Primary hospital to blow them away. wow. More strength than I. 2. Melody at Slurping Life- She is a new read, and I am awarding her the Blogger Reflection Award because, well, with 3 boys with special needs, she has to be Godly! She writes as her purpose for blogging: I love my life...really! My "special purpose" sons take me to places daily in my mind and heart that I would have never known existed without them. In sharing photos and a few words from our day to day life, I hope to help you look at your life with humor and with the reality that you do what you can do when you can do it...then you eat chocolate and drink wine. Ok, that is why I gave her the award, she is a wino too. Plus she is putting on this wonderful love offering for Parker, and that means she is ultra special. Please join in July 23 to July 27, donate, and you too could win.........in more ways than one! We who are friends of Parker are blessed by you Melody! 3. Annette at Bump on the Road- Annette has been a friend, both online and IRL, since our boys were born. Her son Ryan is Nash's age, 6, and they just played together this last weekend. She brings us maple syrup from Canada, and always thinks of others. And now we need to always think of her and keep her in our prayers. She blogged that her diagnosis of cancer is "just a bump on the road of my life" and has always had strong faith. Well, this faith (mine anyway) has been recently shaken as her recent MRI has shown growth in the synovial sarcoma tumor in her lung. She deserves this Reflection Blogger Award twofold; one so we can all reflect back upon her and offer her strength and prayers that she will beat this thing, and, two, so we can reflect upon her statement "It's amazing how God speaks to us and gives us what we need, even when we don't overtly ask for it." and overtly ask for her healing. Go by and give Annette a big ol' hug from Mauzy. 4. Kathryne at Queen Serene- her faith, and unwavering strength in putting together our wonderful GIFTS book. Thank you for plodding me along, so that I could be part of this amazing project. I get emails weekly about our chapter, and knowing I, along with 63 other mothers, help others in their journey encourages me. Thank you 5. And to triple vote her, Nicole at All 4 my Gals- because of her unwavering faith, love for our family, and the fact that she is "Aunt Nicole" to my son. We love her and her family as our own. Thank you all for providing such inspiration. Following are the rules for you: 1. Copy this post. 2. Reflect on five bloggers and write a least a paragraph about each one. 3. Make sure you link this post so others can read it and the rules. 4. Leave your chosen bloggers a comment and let them know they’ve been given the award. 5. Place the award icon on your site Have fun, and thank you all who blog and make this world a little __________ ( insert: better, more inspirational, knowledgeable, brighter, funnier, or just more tolerable!)

Video of Nash practicing Rappin' Tooty Ta for Spring Sing

no, its not MY favorite song, but he loves it.... Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

Either future McDs mascots or the next When Animals Attack video

Happy 50TH birthday Mike!!

Before when Mike was a young man Now as a Senior Citizen....AARP member My brother, Mike, turns 50 today. And he shaved off his mustache he has had forever.....my dad did the same thing when he turned 50. I remember it well; I came downstairs went to hug dad happy birthday, and started bawling my eyes out!! He looked so OLD! I had NEVER seen my dad without a mustache. But Mike you look great! Happy 50th!! (even though you used to pin me down and spit on my face!) edited..10 pm Indianapolis time..Mike has not surfaced....keep those emails coming! british52@yahoo.com edited....11pm Indianapolis time Mike went to work and got his emails...he is not pleased...keep them coming... His comment via email to me- THANK YOU JAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have gotten like FIFTY EMAILS from people I have no idea about all harrassing me about my age and CLEAN FACE!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!! I came to work to get into my eamil for a moment and saw like 60 emails!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh.... Jan's comment: did you notice that mustache is actually "must ache"? 4/24/07 update: Mike says "OH...THEY ARE STILL COMING!!!!!!!!!!! 27 more TODAY...THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Update! Directly from the 50 year old himself! Okay...okay..they are still coming!! It would be great to be able to say 'thanks'...to people...but there is no time to answer some 75 emails!!!!!!!! So...maybe Jan can post something I write on your blog? From Mike Steck to all well-wishers... "Okay, Okay...THANK YOU ALL for receiving some 75 emails!! My sister Jan is only now beginning to get me back for Y-E-A-R-S of brother-to-sister 'tortures' over the years...and this was one I had no control over for sure! Here I am reading email after email because I am not sure if something is from someone I may know....and my once pristine and uncluttered mailbox is now a nighmare of electronic literature woven into an ongoing novel forcing me to face this birthday. But its okay...its okay. You ALL have helped me get through this without going into debt with therapy or spiced rum purchases. So now I can look at all that I do have....all that is so positive about right now in my life....here are my top 5 that everyones emails have helped me realize... *I am better at my guitar playing than ever before *I have a 13-year old son that simply amazes me each day as I watch him become his own person *I have had enough journey's to begin to write a couple of books *I am in better shape than in my 20's and my most favorite thing that thrills me about being at this stage of life and looking ahead??? IN 3 MORE YEARS IT WILL BE JAN'S 50TH.... (Oh...I cannot wait ) Jan note: that would be 3.5 years Mike and his son Ian at Christmas

And you thought there was no such place.....

Now I bet we are ALL relieved there really is!

I've been tagged!

ok, this is tough work. Nicole tagged me and I am supposed to list my 5 favorite things about feminism. 1. I love watching my husband cook and I feel no qualms about it. (actually it kind of turns me on!) Ok, this probably has nothing to do with feminism as much as it the need to survive- I am a horrible cook! 2. I am a female attorney that doesn’t care if an ol’ fart lawyer calls me “hon”. My chip is long gone. 3. I can ride a Harley as good as the rest of ‘em and like to wear leather! 4. the fact that I have a difficult time thinking up two more things about “feminism” makes me know it really is just about co-existing and not a big issue anymore! Ok, now I tag trisomymommy! This should be good! Back to a sick child.............sigh. Day 4 of vomiting!

Joining the Blog Party

Join us in the blog party at Five Minutes for Mom. I got the bloggy idea from Melissa, and am # 767, waaaay down there on Mr. Linky. I was fortunate enough to have met Melissa at our IDSF Parent Meeting, and didn't put two and two together until this week that I already met her in bloggy land. duh. Hi Melissa!! Welcome to those partiers that come visit. I am an attorney working mom of one, and a 17 week golden puppy who both keep me on my toes. My husband is the best, and I know I am fortunate to be able to say that as I read many a blog written by other wives/mothers who aren't as fortunate! I enjoy writing and reading, and browsing the computer when I can. Check out our GIFTS book if you have a friend/relative/aquaintance with a child with Down syndrome or a prenatal diagnosis- I am chapter 8. Have a good browse, as I muse about many things, but mostly my advocating for our son, and others that have that extra 21st.