13 Days of Prayer for Anna Cate

13 Days of Prayer for

Anna Cate

Friends and Family,

In honor of Anna Cate’s 13th year we will be celebrating with 13 events, with an overall theme called Lucky 13 for Her (Help End Rett).  In coming up with all the fun events to host in the next year, I was having a difficult time trying to find something for the month of November.  Nothing was grabbing my attention.  Nothing excited me.  However, what has been grabbing my attention (and not in an exciting way) is all the changes coming into Anna Cate’s life in the next six months.

Rett Syndrome has progressed health wise in regards to her physical mobility.  Luckily, everything Anna Cate is dealing with is “fixable”.  So there is hope and I always hold onto hope.  With the new challenges and her future recovery, her education is also going to be affected.  As my head has been spinning and many tears have been shed, it was during this time I realized what the Lucky 13 event for November needed to be.  It needs to be 13 days of Prayer for Anna Cate.

We have never formally asked anyone other than a few friends to pray for Anna Cate.  During the times I have asked one or two friends to pray for specific things for her, it was incredible to see the power of prayer work.  I know prayer works.

I would like to invite you and your friends to join us in 13 Days of Prayer.  The kick off day will be this Sunday, November 16th.    Each day we ask you to pray for the specific prayer request for that day.  I have also included verses from the Bible for you to read for her as well.  If you have a favorite Bible verse for a specific prayer day that is not listed, please share it with me and others.

This is for you to print for your review, to keep in your Bible, to carry with you, to make extra copies to give to friends...however, you see it to work for you, all I ask is for you to join us in 13 Days of Prayer.

I wanted to share a page from Beth Moore's Devotional which was shared with me this week at Thrive.  I felt as though the words were being spoken directly to me and the timing was too perfect knowing I would be writing this email today.  I hope you enjoy Beth's words too and find them to be inspiring to you as you begin to pray for Anna Cate.

We always pray for you that our God will...fulfill every desire for your goodness and the work of faith.

2 Thessalonians 1:11

God can deliver anyone from anything at any time.  He doesn't need any help.  

Yet He invites us to be part of His great work through prayer.

Never underestimate the effects of intercessory prayer lifted for our deliverance.

Never underestimate the effect of prayer for others.  If we don't intercede for one 

another, we miss opportunities to see His deliverance and to thank Him for His

faithfulness.

I call this God's profit-sharing plan.  When we pray for one another, we share the blessings when 

His deliverance comes because we've been personally involved.

Day One: Sunday, November 16th

Gods Love and Purpose for Anna Cate

Psalm 139:13-17

Colossians 1:9

Day Two: Monday, November 17th

Gods Plans for Anna Cate

Jeremiah 29:11

Day Three: Tuesday, November 18th

Wisdom for Anna Cate

James 1:5

1 Corinthians 1:30

Day Four: Wednesday, November 19th

Health and Healing for Anna Cate

Numbers 12:13

2 Kings 20:5

Matthew 4:23

Matthew 14:36

Malachi 4:2

Day Five: Thursday, November 20th

Prayers Anna Cate is not Fearful

Isaiah 41:10

Psalm 34:4

Day Six: Friday, November 21st

Pray for Patience not only for Anna Cate but her family

Psalm 40:1

Romans 12:12

Colossians 1:11-12

Philippians 1:6

Proverbs 14:29

Proverbs 19:11

Day Seven: Saturday, November 22nd

Anna Cate's Friendships

Proverbs 17:17; 18:24

Day Eight: Sunday, November 23rd

Anna Cate always has Joy in her life

James 1:2-4

Nehemiah 8:10

Psalm 16:11

Day Nine: Monday, November 24th

Peace for Anna Cate

Philippians 4:7

Psalm 29:11

Psalm 37:37

Romans 5:1-5

Galatians 5:22

James 3:17

Day Ten: Tuesday, November 25th

Protection for Anna Cate

Psalm 5:11

Psalm 40:11

Psalm 91

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Day Eleven: Wednesday, November 26th

Prayers for Anna Cate’s Family (mother, father, siblings, grandparents and those who have become family due to their relationship with her)

Luke 12:34

Joshua 24:15

Acts 10:2

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Day Twelve: Thursday, November 27th

Prayers of Thanksgiving 

Psalm 92

Day Thirteen: Friday, November 28th

Prayers for Anna Cate to Grow in her Faith

Mark 5:36

Mark 11:24

Matthew 17:20

I Corinthians 13:13

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking the time to pray for Anna Cate.

With Much Love,

Emilie, Will, Betsie and Eli.....who love Anna Cate so much!

© copyright 2012-2014 – All rights reserved
Our Everyday

"That" Word….the one that makes me cringe

I certainly was not going to be writing about this, but I have heard this word one too many times lately and think it warrants a post.

Do you know what word I am talking about?  It's the "R" word.

Retarded.  Used in a sentence stating "I feel so retarded" or "I felt so retarded".

Every time I hear this word I cringe inside.  I really do.  Why, probably due to the fact I have a child with special needs.

People use this word all the time, so often you don't even realize it.  You do!  You use it to describe how you feel when you can't get something to work (i.e. a new iPhone).  You use it to describe how you felt when you injured yourself doing something silly.  You use it to describe people you don't know.  You use it when you do something you feel silly about.  You use it.

Chippewa

It is hard to believe our family was at the beach three weeks ago still enjoying summer vacation!  We had a great summer and there is so much I want to write about….which feels great!

This summer Betsie was blessed to have enjoyed two sleep away camps.  We started to entertain the idea after summer ended last year.  I asked friends what camps their children went to and we looked into every single one.  I am almost certain I was given close to ten different camp names between West Virginia and North Carolina.  I had no idea there were so many sleep away camps available so close!  At times I felt like it was a glimpse into my future of looking at colleges with her.

A, B and E…..as in Eli!

How many of you have more than one child?  More than two?  Do you feel like sometimes you don't write down everything for the baby book or take as many pictures as you did with the first one or two?

For me, pictures isn't the issue.  I love to take pictures!  It's documenting the events or writing things down before I forget them.  I was so good when I had one child.  Baby book was up to date and the first year scrapbook was done shortly after her first birthday.  The photo album was a work of love.  I remember spending hours on it while she napped and even worked on it with friends.  I believe this was around the time of the Creative Memories craze!

Second child, baby book is little more complete and her first year photo album was also a scrapbooking masterpiece (ok, it really isn't that great, but I still took lots of time on it!), though it was finished closer to her 2nd birthday.

Third child…well... his baby book is more of a baby scrap book in that there are scraps of paper in a box with things written down I don't want to forget.  And his one year photo album was complete by his 4th birthday with the help of a digital photo site….oh my how time has changed!  I don't know what I would do without Shutterfly!  At the same time I don't know what I did before Shutterfly.

Summer Road Trip 2014

We are a family who loves to travel and see new places.  We are also a family who has a daughter with Rett Syndrome which makes certain types of transportation easier than others.   As a family, the car is our preferred method of traveling right now for various reasons.

Last summer we loaded up the Yukon XL and left the sticky summer heat in Richmond to head to hot and humid Houston.  We were going from bad to worse in the heat category.  However, believe it or not we had incredible weather when we were there and even felt a breeze…every day!  I think they were having cooler weather than normal for them….we didn't complain….at all!

This year we headed in the opposite direction….NORTH!  We did what many "wiser" (and by wiser I mean older) folks do in the summa'….head North where it is coola.  Yes, I am trying to talk like I am a Yankee…well, I am by birth, but luckily my mom moved to the South as soon as she could…thanks mom!

Off to Middle School!

I can't believe I typed the title of this post.

I can't believe Anna Cate's elementary school years are over.

Kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade and fifth grade.  Puff!  Gone!

Anna Cate when she started 1st grade at REES!

Three years ago it seemed like this day was still far away, but now the time has come.  We say goodbye to the school that welcomed us with open arms five years ago.  We say goodbye to our comfort zone.  And we say goodbye to a dear friend of Anna Cate's who is moving this summer.

Christmas in February

Christmas was three months ago; however, on some levels it feels like it was just yesterday.  It must have to do with the fact my children have missed ELEVEN days of school this year due to snow days and as I type this, there is an 80% chance of a slushy mix tomorrow.  Seriously?!?!?  It is March 24th! (yes I started this post…that long ago….however, it is only April 4th and to think we had snow 11 days ago is crazy!)

One plus to the winter we have had this year is the fact that when we took the kids away to enjoy their Christmas present from us, it truly felt like Christmas.

I am sure many of you are like us and every year you look under the tree on Christmas morning and can't believe how many presents are staring at you.  You ask yourself where did these come from?!?!  Is ALL this necessary?!?!?!

Quickly the room looks like a tornado came through as wrapping paper is all over the place leaving you  with memories of love and joy from seeing the sheer happiness on your child's face.  They are playing with the toy they asked for and had to have.  They are so excited Santa listened to their wishes!  However, months later, while the memories still remain, the novelty of the "must have" toy has vanished.  You find many of the items they had to have are no longer important and just sit on the shelf or floor.

Christmas 2013 was an eye opener for me…for us.

My One and Only Love

Happy Valentine's Day!

I thought it would be a great time to write a post about our 15th Anniversary trip we took in October.  I have been enjoying looking at our pictures over and over again especially on these snowy days.

But first, here's our love story…..how cupid struck love with his arrow…..17 years ago!

The "S" Word!

Anyone else feeling the winter blahs?  Every year I get them, but this year I think it is worse due to the "s" word which has kept my kids home from school more times than I would like to mention.  And another storm is approaching….well at the time of me posting this, the storm has arrived and school is cancelled…again.

The winter blahs have also made it hard for me to write... actually hard for me to think about something to write about.  I have sat in front of my computer and started posts, many different times.  And then I hit delete and start over.  I just wasn't feeling it.

All these snow days have helped me "focus" on different aspects of my life.  In the past I would have complained on and on about my kids being home, driving me crazy and not having enough caffeine and wine to get through it all.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I didn't complain about all the past snow days...I did, but for the first time it really truly wasn't about the kids being home.   Of course having my kids home for 11 days (including weekends!) got to me….and I to them, as we all craved our routine...our schedules....our sanity.  But something inside me changed.

What is Normal?

I never really think about what a word means, in truth depth, until "that" word takes on a new meaning in my life.

Lately for me,  I have been thinking about the word "normal".  

I love those wood signs you see everywhere now….they are funny, beautiful, witty, cute…I love them all.  I have a few around my house and I love how each one truly speaks to me.  I love how when I read them they make my mind wander to some other place.

Over the holidays my husband and I were at a party and we saw this sign hanging on the wall of a friend's home.  

We looked at each other and said, "we need that!".   My children (with the help from my husband of course) gave me the new sign for Christmas.   And I love it!

Every day I see it and re-read it,  so I have been thinking more and more about the word "normal".

What is normal?

Spootacular Halloween!

I don't know what to say, other than I think I have been close to being on cloud nine for a long time...and didn't realize it!  It wasn't until I was sitting in church two Sundays ago that it hit me.  The "it" being, Anna Cate has been in a fantastic....I mean....fantastic mood since the first day of school!!!!

That is just about for the past two months!  Happy dance!

I have been praying nonstop for many things for Anna Cate and was so wrapped up in the every day prayers I completely overlooked the fact one of them was answered.

I can not tell you how incredible it feels to have a prayer answered.  I can not begin to tell you how incredible it is to have Anna Cate be in this fantastic mood....all day!  I feel like a different person!

Batteries Recharged...Part One!

A year ago this blog took a little holiday as I completed a challenge I took...a challenge to myself.  I started another blog, 365 Days of Gift from My Nonverbal Daughter

And I did it!  But now it is time to start blogging again....

It feels like a year since I last opened my blogger account...to write.   However, on Wednesday, October 30th it will be only THREE months!

When you do something....anything....every single day it just becomes a routine.  The norm.   And sometimes you have to take a step back to see what others see.  To see your life and every thing around you from a different perspective.  For one day or ten days or months....do not do the norm.

A break.  A hiatus.  A holiday.  A vacation.  Whatever you call it....take it.

That is exactly what I did.  What I needed to do.

Tooth Fairy

I have been trying to write this post FOREVER.  However, it is harder than I thought to manage two blogs!  News flash for myself!!!  So I am hoping to post on this blog at least once a month.

Ok...the post....

Loosing teeth is one of those childhood memories we all remember.   You loose a tooth, tell all your friends, put the tooth under your pillow and then in the morning the tooth fairy left you money.  Who wouldn't be excited over this?   I even tried putting my puppies teeth under my pillow when I was little to see if it would work....to no avail!

Unfortunately, loosing teeth is not like this for Anna Cate.  Most of her teeth she has lost she has swallowed.  She eats something, we see a little blood,  see there is a missing tooth and have a huge feeling of guilt.

We never knew it was loose, we never knew if it was causing her any pain, we never knew anything until it was too late.

10 years of "stuff" saved between 3 children!

Do you save everything your child brings home from school?  Do you save everything they make for you?  I did until it started taking over my attic!

Six months ago my husband and I cleaned out our attic....It was a mess!  What we found was an 8 x10 area of bags and bins filled with all things saved from my children starting when Anna Cate was 2!  It was out of control to say the least!

Of course I had to wait for the right time to purge through everything as I did not want my children to think I didn't care about the things they made.  I actually got "busted" once from Betsie last year for throwing something away of hers....her exact words were "Mom, I spent a lot of time I that"....I felt horrible!  So I just started to save everything....knowing one day I would "organize" it all.

Picky Eaters

Do you have a picky eater or eaters in your house?

I feel like this is always a constant battle in our house.  All my kids used to be GREAT eaters....then one day my middle daughter, Betsie, decided she didn't want to eat anything healthy.  Of course, this was right around the time her little brother was playing "monkey see monkey do" and he decided to follow suit!

Lucky for me, Anna Cate, who has special needs, has always had an incredible appetite.

In the last year, Betsie has started to come around and she pretty much eats anything...as she really wants dessert.  My rule is, no dinner, no dessert.  If you get hungry after dinner, I will heat your dinner up, but after a certain time...still no dessert.  Eli, has gone to bed many nights hungry.....I will not cook more than one dinner.

I find I sometimes get into ruts with cooking, as I care more about the kids eating than anything else.  And not hearing them complain about dinner is also a factor!  However, I like to try new dishes.

So one day, I decided to "try" and make our "kitchen" clean...and the kids had wake up call as to what foods they would be allowed to eat.  I was surprised they didn't give me much complaining at all.  I should have done this sooner!

Slowly, I introduced new foods into their diets and didn't bring the old foods back in.  It was not until Monday night where....for the first time...my son tried something new and LOVED it.  No fuss, no muss, ate the whole thing.  I was so proud of him!

We had Aidells Chicken and Apple Sausage sautéd with onions in coconut oil (the onion were sliced in big piece as I know the kids do not like them and it is easier to pick out), Harvest Blend from Trader Joe's and a salad.  This will be a keeper in our rotation for sure!

However, it didn't end there.  Today, on our day home from school I tried two new items with them. For lunch we had Roasted Red Pepper Bisque from Trader Joe's with a couple of crackers on the side.  Another hit!  At snack time I tried something I had seen recently and I can not remember where...maybe pinterest....anyway...it was sliced bananas drizzled with honey and then sprinkled with cinnamon....yum...yum...yum!

Getting my youngest to eat vegetables has been a challenge.  Fruit he loves..veggies...not so much.  This summer we got a juicer and it changed my world in getting vegetables into his diet.  He will not eat many vegetables; however, if he drinks them it is a different story!  I think it is the whole idea of him helping me make the juice which he likes.  Whatever it takes...I'm game!

Last week a friend mentioned she made apple cider with her kids using their juicer.  My kids LOVE apple cider, so today I thought would be the perfect day to try and make some with them.  Anna Cate didn't want to get too close to the juicer when I offered for her put an apple in, she preferred to stay back and watch.  I wasn't going to push her, as we were having a fun day together.  Betsie and Eli took turns making apple cider for us.  It turned out pretty good!

While Hurricane Sandy was trying to wash out our day, we were cookin' it up in the kitchen!  And it was a huge success!

What are your children/grandchildren's favorite foods?  What do they like to help you do in the kitchen?

Cha-Ryot

Anyone know what Cha-Ryot means?

ATTENTION....in Korean!

Yes, attention everyone....Eli passed his test tonight in Tae Kwon Do and received his Yellow Belt!

He was so proud of himself!!!  I love seeing his expressions on his face which shows how excited his is of his hard work and dedication.  Especially since at the beginning of our Tae Kwon Do journey he was not "loving" it.  Honestly, it was torture to watch!

However, as time went on he started liking it more and more and then one day something "clicked" and now he loves it!

I love how he is not only learning Tae Kwon Do, but also some Korean!

Eli right before he gets his Yellow Belt....

Here is a video of him getting his belt....

And Eli with his new belt....

Congratulations Buddy....we are so proud of your hard work, dedication and focusing!

Little Surprises

Every morning when I ask my 8 year old daughter, Betsie, to make her bed, I also ask Eli, my 5 year old....only to hear "I don't know how".  All I say, is "you can try".

Well, this morning...he tried...and succeeded!!!  While it is not perfect....he still tried and this I am so thankful for....in so many ways!  Four beds in the house....three I have been making....hopefully I am only down to two!!!

Not too bad for a 5 year old, is it......

Happy Tuesday to me!

Have your children surprised you today???

New Title....

As you can see my blog has not only a new look, but a new title.  Her Climb has been replaced by Our Everyday.  

Having a child with special needs is a whole family effort...and I wanted to start blogging about my other two children too.  They are also incredible kids I would like to share with you.

Some days I will have long posts, some short.  Some days I will only post pictures and quotes which remind me of my family and how I am feeling on a particular day....or every day.  I hope to post more laughs than tears, but I will not make any promises.

Having a child with special needs does add some grey to your life, but amidst the grey there is lots of color to share!

Just to end the the post with a little humor....who doesn't like someecards???  This one reminds me so much of my children....always pointing the finger at someone else....

Until next time....

-E

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

I have been wanting to write this post since this special day happened, but as usual, life happens and I had to get through two weeks of camp at my house.  (If you haven't read about Camp Amica visit my other blog at www.campamica.blogspot.com).

What does every mom want for her daughter?  To be loved, to be liked by her friends, to have friends, to enjoy life to the fullest, to explore, to enjoy every year as time goes by so fast, to have lots of memories, and the list can go on and on.

Before Anna Cate was diagnosed with Rett syndrome the list of hopes, wants and dreams for her was endless.....and it still is.  However, all the hopes, wants and dreams have changed a little.  I still want her to be loved, I still want her to have friends and friendships (yes there is a difference), I still want her to enjoy life to the fullest that she can, to explore the best that she can, to enjoy every year and to have lots of memories.  In order for Anna Cate to have memories and explore we are involved with every aspect of these moments too!

Amy, Anna Cate's teacher and friend, does the BEST job of making Anna Cate feel just like any other 10 year old girl.  From the way she talks TO her, to the way she gets other kids her age engaged, the way she helps US to do things differently (and better!) for Anna Cate,  you name it....Amy is AWESOME!

Amy's dedication to Anna Cate is amazing to see!  And I am not the only one who sees this connection the two of them have, but so does our school, the teachers, our friends, Anna Cate's friends, strangers....anyone!  One area where Amy has paved the road for me, is with Anna Cate's friends.  She has helped Anna Cate's peers realize that Anna Cate is just like them, but she is trapped inside her own body and sometimes things are difficult for her and sometimes things are easier.....depends on the day and her mood (kinda sounds like me too....lol!).

I love hearing Anna Cate's friends tell me that THEY want to come over to see Anna Cate.   Noticed, I didn't call it a "play date"...I think now at this age, it is "having friends come over"....I need to get the lingo down!  Anna Cate has had friends come over to hang out many times.  We have taken her and her friends bowling, to a favorite frozen yogurt shop, to the pool, and they have just come to our house to be with Anna Cate and enjoy doing things that she likes to do here like play connect four, play ball, watch movies and listen to music.  I love that Anna Cate can have these special times with HER friends just like her peers can and just like her sister, Betsie does with her friends.  And she has two friends that really "get" her, where I feel comfortable enough to take a BIG step back to give them the age appropriate "girl time" that they need.  I am sure that Anna Cate wants me to leave them alone too!

I often wondered to myself if Anna Cate would ever be able to enjoy one of life's biggest milestones--a sleepover!  I am not talking about a sleepover at Mimi and Poppy's house...that doesn't really count, but a sleepover here with her friends or vice versa.  There are so many unknowns and I didn't know if I wanted to go down this road.  And I know that Will had some reservations too.  We try to protect Anna Cate all the time, and we don't want her friends to see the "dark" side of Anna Cate when she is unhappy and frustrated and many times it is late night, in the middle of the night, or first thing in the morning, when these times are most prominent!  But then, my voice of reason, or in this case Amy, tells me that it is ok, Anna Cate's true friends HAVE seen her upset and they get upset too, because they do not like to see her like this AND Anna Cate's true friends are just that,  HER TRUE friends, and they KNOW she can not help situations like this.  Amy is exactly right, and we have to realize that her true friends are genuine, understanding and patient with her and this is what is so beautiful to see.  So why hold Anna Cate back on something that EVERY girl should experience.

Two weeks ago Anna Cate had her FIRST friend sleepover!  It was a sleepover by chance and I think that it couldn't of happened any better (and that it was meant to be!).  During my first session of Camp Amica, one of Anna Cate's friend's mom emailed me to ask if her daughter could spend one night as she needed to be out of town for work.  This friend is AMAZING with Anna Cate and is one of Anna Cate's friends where I feel 100% comfortable leaving the room and I know Anna Cate is going to be ok!  When I told Anna Cate that her friend was going to spend the night, Anna Cate got a huge smile on her face.  Wow, she was really excited and I am sure in her head, she was probably saying...FINALLY mom!

After camp we had a normal afternoon around the house, then dinner and bath/shower time.  While the girls were hanging out while I was cooking dinner, Anna Cate's friend Face Timed one of their other friends so Anna Cate could see her too!  Wow!!!  What a way to connect Anna Cate to what her peers are doing and age appropriate!  Anna Cate loved it!!!

When it came time for bed, I explained to Anna Cate's friend all the scenarios that could happen...Anna Cate could sleep all night with no problem; Anna Cate could get up in the middle of the night and be mad; Anna Cate could get up really early (4-5AM) and be up for the remainder of the day; Anna Cate could, Anna Cate could, Anna Cate could....I can keep going on and on.  NONE of this worried Anna Cate's friend and she looked right at me and said, " I would like to sleep in Anna Cate's room right next to her bed."  Just writing that again, I have tears in my eyes.  This young lady truly is a gift!  Then Betsie came running in and asked if she could sleep in her sleeping bag next to Anna Cate's bed too!  Yes, you can!!!

We did our normal bedtime routine of reading Anna Cate a couple of stories (she usually falls asleep as we read to her), but I knew that this night getting her to sleep was going to be a little bit more difficult as she was excited and the girls on the floor were whispering and Anna Cate could hear them.  As I was reading to Anna Cate, she would lean over the side of the bed and look at the girls and then pop back up.  She did this about 5 times!  So after the first book, I thought to myself....Emilie....take a deep breath, relax and let Anna Cate enjoy the moment.  I told the girls that they could watch a movie in Anna Cate's room and I was going to go downstairs.  I was hoping that Anna Cate would stay in bed and fall asleep watching tv like she sometimes does when she gets up with the birds!

As soon as I walked downstairs and turned on the tv to Anna Cate's room (all the kids have cameras in their rooms so I can see them at night), Anna Cate was already out of bed and Will was hinting to me that this was going to be a long night.  I walked back upstairs to put Anna Cate in bed, but as I approached her door (it was cracked so I could peek in), I saw one of the most precious things in a long time.  Anna Cate's friend was putting her back in bed!  This melted my heart!

I went back downstairs to tell Will, but he had watched the whole thing on tv and we both said at the same time, "DID YOU SEE THAT!!!!"  I didn't know at that moment (as we had our eyes glued to the tv watching what was to us one of the most amazing shows we have seen in a long time) who had the BIGGEST smile on their face...me, Will or Anna Cate.  Anna Cate's smile was so big and she was doing the covers over the face trick which mean she is really happy.  She would watch her movie and then get out of bed....watch her movie, then get out of bed.....then Anna Cate's friend and Betsie got in her bed with her for a little while....then they got back down on the floor....this went on and on for about an hour and a half, when I finally went upstairs as I didn't want Anna Cate to get her second wind and we also all had camp at the house in the morning and I didn't want tomorrow to be a day with three tired kids on my end!

I thanked Anna Cate's friend for being so loving and patient with her, but said I was going to get her to sleep and then she and Betsie could sneak into their sleeping bags when Anna Cate was finally asleep.  As I crawled into bed with Anna Cate, Anna Cate looked up at me and said "Mommmmmmyyyyyy, Mommmmmyyyy", Mommy really long and drawn out, and says this when she is really happy!  I said, Anna Cate I know you are happy tonight and I am so happy for you.  I snuggled with her and read one last book and before I got to the 5th page, she was out like a light.  I am sure she was dreaming about her first sleepover!  The girls came back in and got into their sleeping bags!

And then the big thunderstorm started!!!!!  The only one who slept through the whole thing was ANNA CATE!  After about 30 minutes Anna Cate's friend and Betsie finally went back to bed and were out instantly, as I know they were so tired.

This is the picture I took to remember this special night by!

The next morning Anna Cate woke up as happy as could be and was so excited to see her friend first thing in the morning!

We survived the first sleepover and it truly was one of the best memories I will remember for a long time!  Anna Cate's friend and Amy taught me that it IS ok, relax and let Anna Cate enjoy what others her age are enjoying and what happens, happens.

Anna Cate had so much fun and she was so happy, that Anna Cate is going to have her SECOND sleepover as part of her birthday celebration in September, but this time with more friends AND Amy!!!!  I know that I will be a little nervous as the day approaches, but I know this is what I have to do for Anna Cate.  After all, what makes Anna Cate's friends so special, is that they like her for exactly who she is and I couldn't be happier for Anna Cate!

P.S. I named this blog in honor of my one of my favorite sleepover songs growing up and one of my favorite movies!!!

To bring back your GIRLFRIEND memories, click this link for some Cyndi Lauper!!!!

A great school year!

As I put Anna Cate to bed tonight and watched her after she fell asleep, I can't believe that tonight was the last night she will go to bed as a 3rd grader!  Where has the time gone?

While I was looking down at her I also started to think about what would Anna Cate be like and what would she be into if she didn't have Rett Syndrome.  Looking at all the kids run off the bus asking their friends to sign their yearbooks, talking about the summer camps that they are going to, how they are doing swim team, where they are going on vacation always makes me sad for Anna Cate.  I wish so badly that she could be like her friends and run off the bus laughing and giggling with no cares in the world!  I have these thoughts just about every day.

But then I thought, Anna Cate has friends running up to HER to want to sign HER yearbook, Anna Cate has a camp at HER house where HER friends come to be with HER (this summer Camp Amica is FULL all three sessions with a total of 31 girls over three weeks!), Anna Cate doesn't participate in swim team, but she will be at the pool all summer, and Anna Cate is going on vacation to the beach TWICE this summer!  In a way she is just like them, or she is just like them as much as she can be with Rett Syndrome and that is all I have wanted!

The quote, "Enjoy the little things in life...for one day you'l look back and realize they were the big things", really hit me tonight and what prompted me to write.

I replayed in my head the year we just had and what a GREAT year it was!  To me a great school year for Anna Cate isn't about the academics, but about her having the most typical school experiences she can have like her peers.

I remember when we first started at her school in first grade with her initial IEP meeting,  I told her team, teaching her academics wasn't important to me, that was a bonus.  What was important to me for Anna Cate was that I wanted to her to not only have friends, but friendships.  I didn't want her growing up and going to school without friends by her side.  If the academics come, awesome, but creating friendships was a top priority to me.

In first and second grade Anna Cate definitely had friends, lots of them.  And a couple in second grade turned into true friendships.  But third grade, I can honestly say friendships were made!  It was so beautiful to see!  Anna Cate had two great friends at the beginning of the year and these two girls really bonded with Anna Cate.  The rest of the girls in the class over time watched how they interacted with Anna Cate and wanted to learn from their friends.  Anna Cate was teaching them about her and her friends were teaching other students about Anna Cate!

Today was Anna Cate's end of the year party for her typical 3rd grade class and it was so touching to see the girls surround her with love.  You can tell that they truly care for her and want to be her friend.  And the smile on Anna Cate's face that she gets from them can light up a room!  I hope that Anna Cate will be in the same class as many of these sweet girls next year!  They truly made 3rd grade extra special for Anna Cate!

As I was leaving today, I thanked her teacher for believing in Anna Cate and for a wonderful year.  She told me that it was wonderful having Anna Cate in the class and how the kids learned so much from her.  She also said she has to often tell the girls to give Anna Cate space as they fight over her!  Right after she said this, we looked over and there were 5 girls all around Anna Cate....and she said, you see what I mean....she is one popular little girl!

Of course Anna Cate rocked the academics this year too!  She started to learn how to read and spell words independently by typing them out on her computer!  And this was the first year she had to take standardized tests and rocked ALL of them!

Here's to Anna Cate having a fantastic 3rd grade year one that I will remember forever.  The year Anna Cate found true friends who believed in her and helped others to believe in her too!  Kyla, Maddie, Alexis, Ellie, and Susie thank you for bringing so much joy to Anna Cate's life!