Rock Chalk Babyhawk: October 2011

Monday, October 31, 2011

Halloween 2011

Laney bug made it to one house while Wonder Woman made it all over the neighborhood! Laney bug ended up coming home and mowing the lawn during trick or treat time...

If there was an award in our neighborhood for decorating, we totally would have won...

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Pumpkin Carving...

We had lots of help this year. Babyhawk drew out each face and Papahawk did his best to carve true to the artist's rendition:

She was going for funny and not scary. I think she did it:

My girls:

The crazy pumpkin dance:

Saturday, October 29, 2011

2011 Tiger Kim Tournament and Party!

Our Second year in the school tournament. It is such a family atmosphere - we really love it. Babyhawk and her favorite person Presley:

Focusing:

Check this move out (its her right side people!):

Second Place! So proud:

She caught me photographing her:

And then the costume party! Our "Laney bug":

Our wonder woman (literally):

Presley was a spy. And the girls painted Babyhawk's hair red/pink. We have yet to get it all washed out:

The whole crew:

Babyhawk also won best costume for "action." Too much fun.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Dinkie being Dinkie

Watch this video all the way through and see her belly flop. Her favorite move when frustrated...

Friday, October 14, 2011

Birthday Party fun!

Babyhawk had a big time at a Birthday party for one of her classmates:

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Dinkie is one!!!

Our Dinkie turned one and we had a Halloween themed Birthday get together with our friends:

Babyhawk wore this same dress on her day. It looked just a little different on our tall girl than here on our little one. For a reminder click here.

We can't believe it has been a year, but we are all so happy that she is a part of our lives. We love you very much Dinkie Do!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

For Geema, Nana, Papa and Grandpa...

It was Grandparents' day at school and Babyhawk had a little performance. We are so lucky to have the best Godparents for our girls and Godmother Jen showed up to represent the Grandparents at the event...

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Birthday Brunch!

While Jared and Marli were in town we had a little early birthday celebration for Dink! A little Birthday brunch... The girls and Papahawk with bed head:

Sinatra had his eye on everything:

Presents!:

The beautiful cake Marli and Babyhawk made:

Tinyhawk loved eating it:

And a little "Laney Bear" walk"

Welcome to Holland

by Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland??I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills...and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy...and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things... about Holland.