Keeping Up With The Carsons!

A Dinner Date with the Wagner Ladies

2012-02-11T22:26:00.000-08:00

Having some appetizers (crackers of course) before the main course.

Waiting patiently.

Digging in.

Finally the kid sister gave the lovebirds a little alone time...

A little privacy here, please?

You look stunning tonight, Elise.

"Blue spoon or pink, blue or pink..."

Delicious meal, delightful company!

Couch Potatoes

2012-02-05T17:23:00.000-08:00

Anthony and Daddy watching the Big Game with some pals.

Wait a minute...This isn't Albuquerque!

2012-02-03T19:06:00.000-08:00

We're supposed to be in Albuquerque tonight, visiting Kate and Kurt and their cats. But after 103-degree fever, a sleepless night, and a diagnosis of strep throat, we cancelled our trip and are stuck here in Portlandia.

No.

Yes.

Thanks to popsicles and the miracle of antibiotics, the little guy seems to be on the mend. Albuquerque- home of Ethel Mertz and Jesse Pinkman- we'll meet someday.

A Reluctant Star

2012-01-29T22:31:00.000-08:00

I tried to capture a video of Anthony singing some songs. He wasn't in the mood to cooperate. Until his favorite director arrived. Artists are so temperamental!

If the snow won't come to Portland...

2012-01-15T18:59:00.000-08:00

...then you've got to go where the snow is! Today found us heading up to Mt. Hood with friends, where plenty of fresh snow was coming down. So we grabbed our hats and mittens and headed for the 22 degree fresh air...

It helps to take turns carrying the smaller members of the polar exploration team...

"Why are our parents trying to freeze us to death?!?"

There was snow coming down all around us, and we were lucky enough to be where it wasn't crowded at all! Just look at how beautiful it is up there...

Just look at these happy faces!

Everybody in the Pool!

2012-01-14T13:58:00.000-08:00

Here's Anthony all suited up for his first Portland Parks and Recreation swimming class.

He did great and had a lot of fun. Thank you, Grandma Marge, for the swimming lessons!

Model Behavior

2012-01-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

Check out the handsome young model on the left, currently featured in the Target circular. He's getting a lot of press this week, including articles at MSNBC and Adweek.

Target Ad

Nordstrom ad

Why is this a big deal? A fellow blogger, Noah's Dad, puts it well (the following is taken from his blog):

Even though Target didn’t make a big deal out of the fact they used a boy with Down syndrome as a model in their ad, they said plenty. They said the same things that Nordstrom said when they used Ryan as a model in their catalog this past summer. I could list a hundred things Target said by running this ad, let me give you 5 that immediately come to mind:

5 Things Target said by Not Saying Anything:

1.They said that people born with Down syndrome deserve to be treated the same as every other other person on this planet.

2.They said that it’s time for organizations to be intentional about seeking creative ways to help promote inclusion, not exclusion. (It’s no accident that Target used a model with Down syndrome in this ad; it was an intentional decision. If want the world to be a place where everyone is treated equal we can’t just sit around and watch the days tick away. We have to be intentional. We have to do something.)

3.They said that companies don’t have to call attention to the fact that they choose to be inclusive in order for people to notice their support for people with disabilities. In fact, by not making a big deal out of it they are doing a better job of showing their support for the special needs community.

4.They said it’s important for the world to see people born with disabilities with a fresh set of eyes. That it’s time for us to lay down all the inaccurate stereotypes from the past and move forward embracing the future with true and accurate ones

5.They said you don’t have to spend a lot for your kids to look good! (I mean come on, that shirt’s only five bucks!)

(What do you think- should we let Anthony's hair grow long again like Ryan's?)

The Latest Way to Play Soccer

2012-01-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

Anthony invents a new game...

Anthony's New Year's Rockin' Eve

2011-12-31T20:10:00.000-08:00

We rang in the New Year with a raucous show at Mississippi Pizza featuring Mr. Ben and his band.

The joint was packed!

We partied all night!

The best part was that they used Buenos Aires Midnight, so we were home in time for Anthony's bedtime, with still plenty of time left for Mommy and Daddy to watch TV. (Yes, we are old...)

Happy, Happy New Year!

Christmas Fun

2011-12-27T21:03:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

With Love from the Carsons

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T20:17:00.001-08:00

Twas the night before Christmas and all 'cross the map, there lay sink-fulls of dishes and presents to wrap.
We had dinner with Grandma, there was no time to text, I listened with awe to hear what she'd say next.
Lights hung on the house and the basement demolished, I'm glad that for this week, all work is abolished.
I'll sleep through the night without making a peep, then wake up at five and watch Sesame Street.
There'll be candy and toys and maybe a ball - of the kids that I know, I'm the luckiest of all.
Thank you for Christmas, we think it's the best - gee, Mommy and Daddy sure could use a rest.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Christmas Eve Eve

2011-12-23T11:38:00.000-08:00

A Magical Night

2011-12-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

Anthony's first visit to the Festival of Lights at The Grotto!

Dateline: Daddy

2011-12-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

Daddy wrote an article for the Northwest Down Syndrome Association Newsletter. We're so proud of him! Read it here (see page 5)!

Holiday Moments to Treasure: At the Christmas Tree Lot

2011-12-11T14:03:00.000-08:00

"What is this place?!"

"Okay, just one picture. But then we're leaving."

New Developments

2011-12-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

We've all been keeping busy and adjusting to the colder, rainy weather (bad). But that also means Christmas is coming (good!).

Anthony's been gradually progressing with his walking. His preferred method of getting around now is walking while holding a grownup's hands. He's getting better at holding on by just one hand but it's still hard for him. He's not shy about asking us to lead him where he needs to go. And crawling still works fine if there's no one nearby to serve as his co-pilot.

The big news is that the Sunday after Thanksgiving he took his first independent steps! Just a few in between Mommy and Daddy, but he's definitely on his way!

We're taking a break from speech therapy until after the new year. It's been nice to have our mornings free to do fun things instead of therapy, like going to the Children's Museum. We had a big communication breakthrough recently- Anthony started doing the hand signs to a whole lot of his songs! His favorites are "She'll be Coming 'Round the Mountain" (toot, toot!), "Open and Shut Them" and of course "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." This is a good indication that he may be ready to start doing some signs. No words yet, but the important thing is that he keeps progressing with his communication. We have talked to a lot of parents of older kids with Down syndrome recently, and they say that their kids didn't start talking until after age 3. Anthony's recent advances, like doing more focused playing and signing along with his songs, all are good indicators that he's on his way to speech. We just have to be patient and the words (and walking) will come!

Another new development is the emergence of a few more teeth! On top, he still only has the 2 very front ones and his molars- those ones in the middle have been slow in coming. But the other day we saw one of the incisors/eye teeth poking through. That might explain his lack of sleeping and refusal to eat anything except yogurt for what seemed like forever. Maybe he can ask Santa for his 4 side teeth for Christmas!

He now stands a towering 34.5 inches tall. Up 2 inches from the last time we measured him, in September. Sometimes he seems tiny to me, but other times he seems so big. We think he's just the right size.

His favorite toys are still blocks, balls, and books. He's been playing with the trains and cars at school more lately. We're told he's also been cracking himself up by playing tag with the other kids- running up to them and then laughing and running away!

That's the scoop for now!

Great moments in futuristic control chip manipulation...

2011-12-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

(Click the Pic)

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2011-12-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

First Movie -- Muppets for a little man!

2011-11-27T13:02:00.000-08:00

Anthony looks a little worried -- but no, it's not some weird new doctor's office, buddy - it's a movie theater!

Anthony went to his first movie ever yesterday, The Muppets! What better choice for your introduction to the joys of the big screen? Anthony did great! He stayed awake for the entire movie, didn't cry and didn't get scared. This boy is definitely a Muppet fan and now he's a box office veteran!

A Cozy Evening at Home

2011-11-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

Anthony embraces the season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T22:26:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone, near and far, a very Happy and Delicious day!

(Click here for a glimpse of Thanksgiving dinner at our house.)

A Rainy Day Place

2011-11-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

This morning it was raining so we decided to check out a new place to play- Isobel's Clubhouse. We had a good time!

A is for Apple

2011-11-19T20:31:00.000-08:00

Blocks

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Smile!

2011-11-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

Class Picture 2011

A Visit from Uncle Jeff

2011-11-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

Uncle Jeff traveled all the way from Minneapolis to help Daddy celebrate his birthday. Jeff and Daddy have known each other for over 20 years, but this was Jeff's first time meeting Anthony. We did all kinds of fun things while he was here.

Here we are at Beacon Rock in the Columbia River Gorge.

Nice view!

Anthony seemed very proud whenever he walked with Daddy and Jeff. I think he felt very grown up to be hanging around with the big kids.

Daddy and Jeff even came along to Anthony's Music Together class! Music Together may never be the same.

Monsters are the Most Interesting People...

2011-10-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

Fall Style

2011-10-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

Stylist: Aunt Pat

When Blogs Collide

2011-10-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

We got to have a fun night out with Cora and her parents last week.

It's weird to be the parents of the big kid. How did that happen?

After I had bragged about how well-behaved Anthony is when we go out to eat, let's just say he wasn't on his best behavior that night. But he eventually settled down enough to eat his grilled cheese sandwich. Cora, on the other hand, was a little lady all through the meal. She even tried her first pickle!

"You wouldn't mind if I had just an itsy bitsy bite of that, would you Anthony?"

"Back off my sandwich, kid."

You might know Cora from her blog. I think it's fun when you read two blogs and then find out the bloggers know each other in real life. Cora's mom is participating in the "31 for 21" blog challenge, where you post every day in the month of October to celebrate Down syndrome awareness month. That's impressive!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2011-10-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to the best Husby, Daddy, Friend, Son, Son-in-Law, Brother-in-Law, etc, that there ever was. You are the Niftiest Fifty and we love you!

Flu Shot

2011-10-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

Anthony got his annual flu shot this week. He was very brave and only cried a little. Afterwards, he and Daddy read a story about Elmo going to the doctor. That made everything all better.

Halloween Signs

2011-10-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Monday Morning Mischief

2011-10-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

Anthony started the week by doing a little interior decorating this morning.

Harvest Hijinks

2011-10-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

Step, step, JUMP!

2011-10-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

Anthony's doing great with walking while holding our hands, but he just won't take this walking thing seriously. He thinks it's very funny to take 2 steps and then JUMP!

Step, step, JUMP!

Anthony's Tour of San Francisco

2011-10-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

Anthony would like to tell you all about his exciting trip to San Francisco...

Although I am a seasoned traveler, having been to NYC and Colorado, this was my first time having my own seat on the airplane.

I had lots of leg room!

We could see the famous Golden Gate Bridge from the plane.

After we checked into our hotel we took a walk around the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts. I liked the fountain.

We met some swans there.

Then we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge. I liked driving around San Francisco because my car seat was facing frontwards, so I had a much better view than usual of all the trucks on the road.

You may notice that I have my fingers in my mouth in almost all of the pictures of this trip. I think I just may be getting those last few teeth in!

We had dinner just over the bridge in Sausalito.

Pizza and beer at a place right on the water.

The waiter gave us a free dessert for no reason!

Then it was time to head back to our hotel for some shut-eye.

Or not.

The hotel was great because it had a big bed that I got to play on all night long!

The next morning, we went on a bleary-eyed adventure to a place called ILM. I will let Daddy tell you about that here.

...But that wasn't enough excitement for one day. We had ferry tickets to take a ride out to the notorious prison, Alcatraz.

We had a few hours before our ferry was leaving, so we headed to the Piers to walk around and see the sights at Fisherman's Wharf.

I got to have a hot dog and then we got on the boat.

I look scared here but I wasn't.

Alcatraz was very cool. But I will let Daddy give you all the details here.

That night, back on dry land, we had dinner in a diner. I had been to a diner once before, in New York, but that one didn't have a jukebox like this one.

The next day we went to Golden Gate Park. I had fun at the Japanese Garden.

I spent the rest of the time asleep because it was mostly boring. I think there are a bunch of museums and flowers and stuff like that there.

You can't go to San Francisco and not ride the cable car.

So I did!

I liked San Francisco very much, and Mommy and Daddy said I am a very good traveler!

Running Around Town

2011-10-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Anniversary Dinner with Mommy and Daddy

2011-10-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Photo Shoot at the Omni Hotel

2011-10-02T22:34:00.000-07:00

A contemplative moment.

Channeling Marilyn.

Even supermodels need to eat now and then.

Being beautiful is exhausting!

"Enough already!"

Cherubs

2011-10-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

10 years? A life sentence is even better!

2011-09-30T04:12:00.000-07:00

What a day today is! It's our 10th Wedding Anniversary!!!

We're having a holiday in beautiful San Francisco to celebrate - yesterday we toured the amazing cells of Alcatraz prison - now a National Park. But that's a subject for a entirely different post.

Today marks a fantastic decade of happiness, love and adventure. We're so incredibly happy to be celebrating our big day with our big fella Anthony.

What a happy day and a wonderful ten years!

Saturday Morning

2011-09-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

A great day for a Buddy Walk!

2011-09-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

The weatherman says it's the last 80-degree day for a while, so it made for a wonderful day for this year's Buddy Walk! We loaded up our team signs and headed out to meet our gang!

What a turnout we had! Friends and coworkers and family who walked in spirit from across the country! It turns out we had one of the largest teams this year - what a showing!

Oh, man, our parents are going to try and get us all to sit still for a photo again...this could take hours, guys...

Mom and Dad are ready to get walking!

Hey, I think we're getting ready to start - hear there's ice cream after.

The amazing group Supervisor played for their second year in a row. Without a doubt, the best band in Portland.

No matter where daddy goes, he always seems to meet up with some of his friends.

Several members of Portland's Cloud City Garrison were on hand to delight to crowd!

What a great walk! It was so fantastic to see our amazing community come together to celebrate and have some fun! We sure had a lot of friends turn out with us! We are pretty lucky! Now a post-Buddy Walk tradition is to splash around in the Rose Quarter fountains...

We all had fun. But on a hot day, your mood can turn on a dime...

So it's time to walk on home!

Thanks, everyone, for all your friendship and support!

"Antonio's Big Walk"

2011-09-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

That's what Anthony's friend Chloe has been calling the Buddy Walk. We're all ready and looking forward to a fun day. Team Anthony has raised $870 for the NWDSA so far! Thank you, everyone!

Team Anthony!

What to do on a rainy day

2011-09-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

1. Put all your Legos in a laundry basket.

2. Climb in with them.

3. Throw them out of the basket. Repeat. Repeat again.

Watch out where you land, though!

At the Roulette Table

2011-09-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

Anthony and Kenney took a quick trip to Vegas last weekend.

Back to School (Well, back to daycare)

2011-09-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

(Note to self: Paint those steps before next September- yikes!)

Thinking of the city and all the hearts who live there...

2011-09-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

Emcee Dad.E

2011-09-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

Today Paul did his best Borscht Belt shtick in front of thousands of people at Pioneer Courthouse Square...and he didn't get arrested! He was the emcee at his company's Volunteer Expo.

There were over 100 non-profit organizations in attendance promoting opportunities for people to get involved by volunteering. One group was the PHAME Academy, a performing arts organization for adults with developmental disabilities. They were the first performers of the day and Daddy did a great job introducing them. One guy did an absolutely kick-ass version of Neil Young's "Heart of Gold".

Daddy's best line of the day? "Today we all come together in a spirit of cooperation. For example, we have the Feral Cat coalition right across from Guide Dogs for the Blind."

As part of the volunteer promotion, Daddy was also interviewed about his favorite non-profit, and was able to take the opportunity to give a shout-out to the Northwest Down Syndrome Association!

Our Hero!

Macleay Park

2011-09-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

Went on a family hike at Macleay Park yesterday.

It's hard to get a good picture of everyone!

We had 3 interesting encounters in just 2 hours on the trail.

First, we talked to a lady who may or may not have been Ursula K. Le Guin. Then we made a new friend named Yoshi-- he is 17 months old and a member of the T21 club! Finally, we ran into an actual Storm Trooper from the Cloud City Garrison.
We should get out more- you never know who you'll meet!

Laurelhurst Park

2011-09-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

We had an end-of-summer picnic at Laurelhurst Park yesterday. (Unfortunately, we only took one picture.)

There was lots of ball throwing and badminton playing, wrestling with daddies, and duck-watching at the pond. Gyan even climbed a tree! It was a great way to kick off the Labor Day weekend. Our friends are growing up and doing so well! Harry and Claire have started preschool, Anant is up and walking like a pro, Archer is gearing up to become a big brother next month, and Kenney turns 2 next week.

Happy long weekend!

Closed Daycare + Daddy = Zoo!

2011-09-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

Daycare was closed a couple of days this week, so mommy and daddy took turns taking days off to be with Anthony! Daddy doesn't get too many solo days, so it was a real treat!!! What else could two fellas do on a sunny day but head for the zoo?! Check out those bears!

You can't go to the zoo and not take a ride on the zoo train. It was a wonderful run through the beautiful, shady forests above Portland. Daddy, this is awesome!

But you did kind of time this around nap time...

Anthony just loved discovering all the animals - they were all very active today! There was a Zebra...

A regal and powerful looking lion - he's almost as cool as daddy!

Anthony loved the baby elephant!!! And who wouldn't?!

After lunch, we checked out the Northwest Birds of Prey show! A Bald Eagle flew about three inches over daddy's head!

Then we went for a walk on the "Dino Path," a really cool area where big animatronic dinosaurs move around and roar at you. Anthony LOVED these guys! He was laughing so hard!

I guess dinosaurs = comedy...?

By mid afternoon, even the wolves were ready for a nap...

They weren't the only ones! We had the best time ever! There is nothing in the world better than being a daddy!

Movie Night at Cora's

2011-08-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

Cora and her parents hosted an end-of summer potluck and outdoor movie night- such a fun idea! We had to leave before the movie started (past our bedtime!) but we had a great time anyway.

The movie was "The Princess Bride"- a perfect choice.

There were lots of cute babies and little blond girls in attendance.

We heart Cora.

Daddy bonding time.

There was even a tent in the backyard!

Princess Buttercup and Wesley.

Leah- the hostess with the mostest....popcorn!

Two and a Half

2011-08-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

TWO AND A HALF

Hold him a little longer

Rock him a little more

Tell him another story

(you've only told him four)

Let him sleep on your shoulder

Rejoice in his happy smile

He is only two and a half

For such a little while!

Corgis on Parade!

2011-08-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

This morning, Daddy and Anthony went and checked out the 4th Annual Corgi Walk in the Pearl district, sponsored by Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital and the Columbia River Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club. Who knew that Portland had so many Corgis!

This little 9-week-old scene-stealer got all kinds of attention...

Here's a video, to get a peek at even more supreme cuteness...

This is great and all, dad, but didn't we pass a playground on the way here?

That's more like it!

Buddy Walk with Anthony!

2011-08-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

Join TEAM ANTHONY

for the Northwest Down Syndrome Association’s

Buddy Walk and Festival

Saturday, September 24th, 10:00 AM-1:00 PM

Rose Quarter Commons

1 North Center Court Street

(by the Rose Garden Arena)

How to show your support:

Celebrate with us on Buddy Walk day! Go to Team Anthony's Buddy Walk page and sign up to join Team Anthony
Anyone can be a team member. If you can’t make it in person you can sign up to be a virtual walker.
Suggested registration fee is $10 (includes a t-shirt!) but no donation is necessary to join-- no one is turned away.
Make a donation to support the work of the NWDSA
Volunteer to help out on Buddy Walk day
Spread the word!

The mission of the NWDSA is to create and nurture a loving and inclusive community celebrating every person with Down syndrome.

The goal of the Buddy Walk is to promote understanding and acceptance of people with Down syndrome. Whether you have Down syndrome, know someone who does or just want to show your support, come and join the Buddy Walk!

Arnold in the afteroon - goodbye, old friend

2011-08-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

How do you say goodbye to one of your oldest friends? Today we had to say goodbye to a much loved member of our family. Arnold has been coping with kidney disease for several long years, being a trooper, always being there for us. A little while ago, Arnold started keeping to himself more and stopped eating and it started to become clear that his many miles had caught up with him.

Arnold spent much of his life with Joe Bob as his partner in crime...

He was a master napper and knew how to sleep like a pro.

Must have learned it somewhere...

While he may have picked up some bad habits over the years, he was always game for the next adventure.

He was a sentimental kitty and he loved the holidays.

After 14 years being the center of attention, he took to Anthony right away and looked after him from the day we brought our little boy home.

How do you say goodbye to someone you've known for a third of your life? Arnold was almost 17 and he was always a wonderful, happy kitten who never really grew up. It's hard to imagine our family without him. We want to express our deep thanks to the kind folks at Compassionate Care for all of their help and kindness. Arnold spent a sunny afternoon in the backyard today, smelling the smells and enjoying a nice saucer of milk. Thanks for being such a wonderful friend, Big Guy. We love you.

Peaceful Coexistence

2011-08-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

Hidden Camera Breakfast

2011-08-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

Ready for the day!

Gang of Six

2011-07-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

Emily bravely hosted a playdate with 7 kids on Friday. Everyone played very nicely together and enjoyed a lunch of hot dogs, cheese, peas, and apple slices.

Here's the gang-- not the best quality picture, taken with my phone, but you get the idea.

Ben, Zoe, Ellie, Anthony, Roman, and Evie (striking an impressive bored-teenager pose). Baby Zia was there too, but she declined to be in the photo this time.

In case the economy continues its downward spiral...

2011-07-28T22:28:00.000-07:00

Anthony has set up alternative housing and is stockpiling a supply of crackers.

At the Children's Museum

2011-07-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

Summer Reading

2011-07-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

Armed with his brand new library card, Anthony signed up for the Multnomah County Library's Summer Reading Program.

We mark off whenever we read to him for 15 minutes, or do another suggested activity. When we've marked off a certain number of spaces we can go to the library and claim a prize (and get more books of course!). So far, Anthony has finished the first step and got a new book as his prize. When you finish all the steps, you get a free t-shirt (while supplies last...).

We've checked out lots of new books, but usually he prefers the old favorites, like Big Red Barn. It's a real page turner, as you can see!

The best book we discovered at the library is The Napping House- this is funny and beautiful book that has become one of Anthony's favorites.

Anthony's Alphabet

2011-07-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

I looked for an early literacy computer program that I could use to help Anthony learn his letters and sight reading, but I didn't find anything I liked. So, inspired by Ria, who made a similar video for her son Matthew, I created a homemade one.

My motivation was research from Down Syndrome Education International showing that children with Down syndrome learn language skills best by seeing, rather than just hearing words, and that learning to read at an early age can help kids with Down syndrome develop their language skills. We're already using the See and Learn Program; this is something that I thought would be a good supplement to that.

Anthony likes sitting on my lap and watching the presentation, and it definitely holds his attention. I say and sign the words while we watch together.

To make the video, I used Power Point and then imported the slides into One True Media after converting them to gif files. I chose a 3-second delay in between slides, which is the shortest option with One True Media. I can also just run it in Power Point and advance the slides myself (or have Anthony do it).

I used pictures of things that are familiar and important to Anthony. I either took photos of things around the house, used the pictures from the See and Learn program (available for free download), or found something on Google images.

I also made a version in which the words are on separate slides from the pictures. I think this will be better for helping him to learn to sight read words, but we're starting with the words paired with the pictures for now. I would love to hear if anyone knows which method is better for learning, though. See and Learn separates the words from the pictures (the words are on the back of the picture cards).

Here it is...

Hooked on Swing!

2011-07-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

Young Trekkies

2011-07-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Anthony and Isaac enjoyed this year's production of Trek in the Park. See Daddy's review here!

How Big is Anthony?

2011-07-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

Not too happy about getting measured...

He seems to have shrunk a half inch since his 2-year checkup. Maybe measuring a 2-year-old isn't an exact science.

Snack Break

2011-07-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hudson came over for a playdate with Anthony this morning. They worked up quite an appetite.

A Hug

2011-07-09T12:38:00.000-07:00

Nye Beach 2011

2011-07-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

We spent a few days over the July 4th weekend at one of our favorite places at the coast- Nye Beach, near Newport. The weather was perfect and we all had a fantastic time.

The place where we stayed overlooked the beach, and had this great hill that was perfect for climbing up and down.

It's fun to throw your ball all the way down the hill and then go get it! Or better yet, make Mommy and Daddy go get it.

These are the stairs leading to the beach. We counted 112 of them.

The view from the Rogue Brewery, where we ate dinner one night. Well, Mommy and Daddy ate dinner; Anthony threw his on the floor.

It's hard to go to sleep when it's still so sunny out and the grassy knoll is calling to you!

Finally, we wore him out. Elmo looks terrified.

Then we watched the sun go down on our patio.

Here's the Yaquina Head lighthouse, which we went to see the next day...

This has the designation "Outstanding Natural Area"- seriously! We went here on a date once before we were even married.

Outstanding!

Tufted puffins- they're very noisy and sound like kids playing in a schoolyard.

Harbor seals. So lazy!

Yay!

Beach Boy

2011-07-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

Have some summer fun!

2011-07-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

We met up with Harry and Claire for an outing on Sauvie Island last weekend.

We checked out some farm equipment.

Played Ring Around the Rosie.

Ate ice cream.

And did some square dancin'.

Harry drove a truck!

Daddy always gets into the spirit of every occasion.

Can you believe these kids are the same age?! This is what 90th percentile vs 5th percentile on the growth chart looks like. Like middle school.

I like Sauvie Island- it feels like it's far away but it only takes about 20 minutes to get there (unless you get stuck on Highway 30 behind a house that's being moved, like we did).

The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with One Step

2011-06-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

Jamison Fountain

2011-06-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

We met some friends for a playdate at Jamison Fountain today- fun!

Just Like His Father

2011-06-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

Anthony went to Hannah's first birthday party yesterday. He headed straight for the beer cooler as soon as we got there!

My Wagon and I

2011-06-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Anthony can climb into his wagon all by himself now. Getting out again is a little more challenging, but he's working on it!

The Dewey Decimal System According to Anthony

2011-06-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

Anthony helped me organize his bookshelf today.

Day Out with Daddy

2011-06-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

For Father's Day, we took Daddy to see the "Allure of the Automobile" exhibit at the Art Museum.

"Whoa."

Daddy took a lot of pictures.

After we looked at all the cars, we climbed up and down the steps outside the museum.

Then we went out for pizza.

It was fun. We love Daddy!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

2011-06-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Grandma Marge!

2011-06-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Have a ball today.

We love you!

Susan, Paul, and Anthony

But I don't want to wear my helmet!

2011-06-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

New Friends

2011-06-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

This week Anthony got together with some girls he met through an internet dating service.

Meet Cora, Brooklyn, and our newest friend, baby Eloisa.

It's impossible not to fall in love with Brooklyn at first sight.

Tee hee.

Cora had open heart surgery just a couple of months ago. Now she's all fixed up and ready to enjoy her summer- what a gal!

We hope the other fellas will join us next time so Anthony has some help fending off the female attention.

It takes work to look this good!

2011-06-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

A Visit to the Farm

2011-06-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

We went to the "Brews, Berries, and BBQ" Festival at French Prairie Gardens yesterday. What a fun place! Anthony took part in all the activities- a hayride, big slide, a Pig Barrel Train ride, and of course some strawberry shortcake.

First, a little preliminary research.

Anthony's first encounter with a llama.

But the llama only had eyes for Daddy.

A goat!

A baby goat!

Daddy fed the goats with a tin can on a string.

Don't you hate when you get sunscreen in your eyes?

Look- a hayride-- Let's go!

I love you, Daddy.

Here we go!

Checking out the works of the tractor.

Cool!

Then it was time to ride the pig barrel train!

The strawberry festival continues for the next few weekends, so go check it out!

Sunny Day, Sweepin' the Clouds Away...

2011-06-08T21:54:00.000-07:00

Stuck inside all weekend with a cold and fever, by Tuesday we had developed a pretty bad case of cabin fever. What makes you feel better when you're home sick and feeling yucky? Television!

That's right-- I let Anthony watch his very first episode of Sesame Street.

Anthony was mesmerized. He watched about half the show sitting on my lap on the couch, but then the excitement became too much for him and he had to get closer.

He was introduced to everyone: Big Bird, Oscar, Zoe, the Snuffleufagus (sp?), etc. It was amazing how much information they packed into one 53-minute show. The letter of the day was L and the number of the day was 5. We learned that it's not a good idea to skip breakfast, because you might not have enough energy to do your exercises, and sometimes if you try new foods you find out you like them! Wow!

You're probably wondering why there is a banana and a stuffed Elmo next to Anthony on the TV stand. Well, Elmo came on the show and told us all about bananas-- really everything you would ever need/want to know about bananas. So I, in my Mommy guilt about letting Anthony watch television, decided I would take this opportunity to enhance the learning experience for him by bringing out the real-world objects for him to make the connection.

Anthony's reaction was, "Get these things away from me. Can't you see I'm watching television?!"

I probably watched more Sesame Street, Mister Rogers and The Magic Garden than any preschooler in history, and I turned out (mostly) okay, so I think we'll be letting the little guy tune in every now and then.

Bubble Bath

2011-06-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree

2011-06-06T19:39:00.001-07:00

Everything Tastes Better Outside

2011-06-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

Sure Steps FUBAR

2011-06-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

We went to pick up Anthony's Sure Steps yesterday. He was measured for them 2 weeks ago. When we got to the orthotist's (very creepy, windowless) office, he told us that the Sure Steps were too small-- the person who did the measuring apparently did it wrong. According to the orthotist, "We do our best, but we're not perfect." So he had to measure Anthony's feet and ankles again. They have very high-tech equipment for this (a tape measure). Anthony cried the whole time this was going on, while the orthotist assured us he has been working with children for 8 years and "I'm not doing anything to hurt him." His method of establishing rapport with kids seemed to consist entirely of saying "What's wrong Buddy?" over and over with no inflection in his voice, while not making eye contact. His response to any questions or concerns we had was to say in a very soft voice, "What would you like me to do?" It was obvious that he had learned this technique in a workshop on How to Deal with Difficult Clients.

This whole experience was so frustrating. We feel like we've lost what little confidence we had that the people recommending these orthotics know what they're doing. They are recommended when kids pronate their ankles, but the guy yesterday said Anthony didn't pronate. His physical therapist says he does pronate, even though in April she said his pronation wasn't too bad. It all seems so subjective.

Anthony's going to walk eventually. It's not surprising that he's not walking yet- he has low muscle tone. All of his gross motor skills have taken longer than usual (sitting, crawling, kneeling, etc) but eventually he gets there. The whole idea of all this therapy, Early Intervention, and now these orthotics is unsettling to me. Aren't we medicalizing something that's completely normal (for him) but just different?

Paul and I were joking the other day that if we lived in a world where everyone had Down syndrome, we'd be considered very stiff and inflexible: "You can't put your legs behind your head without bending your knees?! What's wrong with you?" Maybe we'd have to go to physical therapy to work on being able to do a full split while bending forward from the waist. Anthony can do that, no problem- can you?

I think this video makes the point better than I could:

Table Manners

2011-06-01T19:49:00.001-07:00

So Many Women, So Little Time

2011-05-31T19:24:00.000-07:00

Here's Anthony with his ~~harem~~ therapists.

Betsy is his physical therapist and Sara is his speech therapist. Both are with the Multnomah County Early Intervention Program.

They visit him at home and at daycare.

And here he is with Juli, his Speech Therapist at the Artz Center.

I want to start writing down what we do in therapy so I remember what we're supposed to be working on.

Physical therapy: Anthony is spending more and more time on his feet. He'll walk a little bit holding onto our hands or pushing a wagon or chair. That's good progress! Today, Betsy worked with Anthony on cruising- walking along while holding onto furniture. He's reluctant to move from one piece of furniture to another (e.g., from the coffee table to the couch) because he doesn't want to let go, so we'll practice that until he feels more confident. We're also supposed to have him practice moving all around the coffee table- he has trouble with the corners. He's getting Sure Steps orthotics this week- we're hoping they will help him feel more stable and get him walking with less support.

Speech Therapy: Juli continues to work on encouraging Anthony to make more sounds, and to pair gestures with sounds. She gave examples of how to do this when we're playing-- by creating opportunities for him to have to ask for help with working a toy, and waiting for him to ask before jumping in, and so on. She's also going to create a picture board to help Anthony communicate. We're supposed to take pictures of things around the house, like his favorite foods, Mommy and Daddy, the bathtub, the backyard, etc. Then Julie will laminate them and we'll work on having Anthony use the board to tell us what he wants until he can say the words. I think that's a great idea and look forward to trying it out.

Of course the best therapy is playtime and fun, so we work on that the most!

A Nice Place for a Nap

2011-05-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

Pooped at Elise's party.

Say What?!

2011-05-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

These are all actual things said by actual people to parents on a Down syndrome support board I belong to. They are too astoundingly hilarious not to share!

"You did NOT just say that."

• Do they know what caused her to be a mongoloid? (From a nurse)
• I just love those Down's kids. They are like really great dogs.
• How long do doctors say she’ll live?
• But you don't even drink!
• These things happen because of the sins committed by Adam and Eve
• She looks like she's 90% normal.
• HE'S DOWNS, RIGHT? (From a stranger on the bus)
• But...but…he's so CUTE!
• They don't have people with Down syndrome in Ireland.
• He's actually really cute!
• If he's missing a chromosome why can't they just give him one and cure him?
• I know he'll be alright because your good genes will balance out the Down syndrome.
• But you were so careful during your pregnancy…You did yoga and everything!

And my personal favorite (from an audiologist in the NICU):
• I like to think of them as little human beings.

He Ain't Heavy

2011-05-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

Music with Mo Phillips

2011-05-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

Anthony likes to keep up on the Portland music scene, so yesterday we checked out Mo Phillips at Posie's.

A pre-show slice of pumpkin bread, and we were ready to rock!

We liked Mo a lot! He refers to his audience as "dudes" and, like Mr. Ben, makes sure to sing every child's name. He has a song called "Robot Rodeo"- who wouldn't love that?! Along with his originals, Mo also sang crowd favorites like "The ABC Song" and "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain". He's a funny guy and knows how to make the little ones laugh. We learned some new hand songs and one about watermelon seeds ("You just ate my mother!"). You can't go wrong with this stuff:

A peanut sat on the railroad track

His heart was all a-flutter

Round the bend came Number 10

Choo, choo, peanut butter!

Mega Blocks

2011-05-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

Our neighbor brought over a big box of Mega Blocks the other night. (Their son has moved on to regular size Legos.) Anthony thought they were fun, but he wasn't interested in building anything- he just wanted to take them out of the box and put them back in and then cheer for himself.

Time to Go Home

2011-05-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

It's bedtime!

Keeping Up With The Carsons!

A Dinner Date with the Wagner Ladies

Couch Potatoes

Wait a minute...This isn't Albuquerque!

A Reluctant Star

If the snow won't come to Portland...

Everybody in the Pool!

Model Behavior

The Latest Way to Play Soccer

Anthony's New Year's Rockin' Eve

Christmas Fun

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Eve

A Magical Night

Dateline: Daddy

Holiday Moments to Treasure: At the Christmas Tree Lot

New Developments

Great moments in futuristic control chip manipulation...

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

First Movie -- Muppets for a little man!

A Cozy Evening at Home

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Rainy Day Place

A is for Apple

Blocks

Smile!

A Visit from Uncle Jeff

Monsters are the Most Interesting People...

Fall Style

When Blogs Collide

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Flu Shot

Halloween Signs

Monday Morning Mischief

Harvest Hijinks

Step, step, JUMP!

Anthony's Tour of San Francisco

Running Around Town

Anniversary Dinner with Mommy and Daddy

Photo Shoot at the Omni Hotel

Cherubs

10 years? A life sentence is even better!

Saturday Morning

A great day for a Buddy Walk!

"Antonio's Big Walk"

What to do on a rainy day

At the Roulette Table

Back to School (Well, back to daycare)

Thinking of the city and all the hearts who live there...

Emcee Dad.E

Macleay Park

Laurelhurst Park

Closed Daycare + Daddy = Zoo!

Movie Night at Cora's

Two and a Half

Corgis on Parade!

Buddy Walk with Anthony!

Arnold in the afteroon - goodbye, old friend

Peaceful Coexistence

Hidden Camera Breakfast

Gang of Six

In case the economy continues its downward spiral...

At the Children's Museum

Summer Reading

Anthony's Alphabet

Hooked on Swing!

Young Trekkies

More Nye Beach- A Video!

How Big is Anthony?

Snack Break

A Hug

Nye Beach 2011

Beach Boy

Happy 4th!

The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with One Step

Jamison Fountain

Just Like His Father

My Wagon and I

The Dewey Decimal System According to Anthony