Apple Festival Fun

Today we went out and about for the Apple Festival going on this month.

Weekends at the Bluff are a crazy, colorful, tasty blend of kids and old folks out to enjoy the local bounty.

We picked some apples at our favorite Mom & Pop orchard...

Miss Katie being silly in the orchard

We started to go to the Grange Hall for a look at all the crafty holiday decorations.... but there was a gaggle of geriatrics in the doorway who couldn't decide if they were coming in or going out, and I decided I didn't have the patience to wait to see. (nothing against their age, I do have issues with people who are oblivious to those around them but since they were elderly I didn't feel it was appropriate to get on their case...

so we just skipped that venue)

Katie got a big kick out of observing the petting zoo!

She loves watching the little pony, pigmy goats, and calf grazing and ignoring the people around them.

I would have liked to take her in, but she's not much for actually touching animals

except on rare days when she pets our kitty....

Beautiful empire apples waiting to be picked...

We were so worn out from the beautiful weather, fun views, and orchard hiking!

Little Miss Doots took a looonnnnng nap when we got home! (so did Mama...shhhh!)

~

We got a ton of apples, fresh plums, squash, and apple cider fresh from the orchard..... What a wonderful day. I love this time of year! Can't wait to break out all of my apple recipes and see what I feel inspired to create!

Unconditional Love... and Inside Jokes

I was thinking about my life with Katie, the other day, as I often do.... As a mother, I know the unconditional love for a child. It is more intense than I ever imagined. And though Katie's situation is sometimes disheartening, I still know for certain that there is nothing that would make me forsake her.

There is absolutely nothing she could ever say or do that would make me love her less. Of course, I also realize the simple flaw in this statement--the fact that she cannot say anything at all, and her motives are always pure because of her disability. Sure we have our "disagreements", she wants something which she can't articulate and I get pinched and pulverized for my ignorance or noncompliance with her desires. But I suppose in the rebellion-aspect, I have little to worry about from her.

But I do love her so intensely that it scares me. I tend toward anxiety as it is, and the uncertainty of Katie's health and medical issues is an easy instigator for my anxiety-prone mind. I worry about her future, her health, the random grand mal seizures which scare the life out of me and make her appear nearly gone to this world for several minutes. I fear that I will somehow fail her, and an accident will occur that I will be unable to forgive myself for. I can't leave her alone for more than a minute as she is nimble enough when she wants to be, and her seizures rob her of her balance.

Most of the time, though, I can bask in her simple joys. We have what I like to call "inside jokes." She will look at me, and I will catch the twinkle in her eye, and we both break out laughing. Eye contact has always been difficult for Katie, for reasons I cannot explain to my own satisfaction. Possibly cortical visual impairment, though I couldn't get this looked into by the "professionals" at her school. They felt her vision was good enough and if CVI was a factor, it was nearly resolved. That's cool. Don't listen to the person who spends all of her waking time with Katie. Rely on your 30 minute "assessment." **meh** But I digress.

The way she looks into my eyes and the giggle fits we get into.... that is the closest to pure joy I have ever been in my life. It literally takes my breath away. Those big blue eyes, that mischievious look..... Nothin' better. So I realize I have it easy when I think hard about it. Katie will not disown me, nor I her. There won't be battles over clothing or slamming doors and hateful words.... But it is a bittersweet victory as there won't be "I love you, Mom" or "Thank you for helping me. You always know how to make me feel better." I just have to see that gleam in her eye and know that she means it.

Compassion

I wonder how many lives will be touched by Katie. We are swarmed when I pick her up from school by sweet little girls who want to say "hi" to Katie. The children in our complex are fascinated by Katie. Shayne's son is her favorite "buddy" and is so sweet and tender with her.

People whose lives have been touched by someone with a disability show themselves to be so much more thoughtful, compassionate, and kind than those whose lives are unhindered by the imperfection of life. I believe that people like Katie are some of the most enlightened souls returning to earth in a challenging body to teach us more than we could ever imagine.

I worry more about people who do not get the opportunity to know and love someone with a disability. Things are different today than they were even when I was a child. Mainstreaming in schools and inclusion are much more practiced today than ever before. When I was in elementary school, the special needs children were in a separate wing and I rarely if ever saw any of them. They were a mystery. Even scary or intimidating in their differentness.

But now we have children who visit Katie and read to her, local high school kids who come and spend time with her class... So many more shows address children about people who are differently abled. I find it relatively easy to talk to the other kids about Katie's differences. Maybe even easier than with adults. They have many questions, but the answers can be simpler than when speaking with adults. As one little neighbor girl so easily summed it up, "Some people talk and some people don't." 'Nuf said.

I hope that Katie continues to be surrounded by loving, compassionate people who get to know her. Who will look past the indelicacies of life with a disability and will see the beauty and simplicity within. I hope that Shayne's son will grow up to be a gentle and caring man because of his time with Katie.

I wish everyone could have that chance.

Amazing...

Katers, Katie Bugs, Buggy Toots, Buggy Boots, Punkin Poots, Missy Pea Pants, Toots,

Moots, Moodies, Bossy Boots, Punkin Head, Peasy, Matoots, Skwiddo, Boogas,

Buggaboos, Katertoots, Lovebug, Sweetpea, Moochie, Muchas Muchas, Blue Eyes,

Gorgeous, Lalas, Smoochie, Nanoots, Noots, Doots, My Baby, Scooter, Mugwump, Goobahs, Scubah Doobah, Lazy Daisy, Hoobie Scoobie, Goofy Toots, Lovie Buggie, Honey Bear....

Sometimes I think it's amazing that Katie knows her name... I come from a family who gives everyone and everything nicknames. Silly and cute, nonsensical... I must have a million variations. Still she knows me, and knows my voice. When I walk into a room and start to speak, she turns to me and smiles. She completes me.

Happy Birthday Sweetest Girl!!

8 years ago today, on the 2nd day of spring.... a darling little angel girl was born! Katie's 8th birthday is today. I can't believe it! We celebrated by attending a friend's daughter's 8th birthday and she had pony rides!!! Where does the time go?

Ridin' Annie the pony!!

Walking up to check out the ponies!

Check me out!

Best birthday present ever: A huge bouquet of balloooooooons!

Hope... and disappointment

A few months ago, Katie had a microarray and urinalysis done to look for genetic abnormalities. She has hallmark features of a genetic syndrome, like some of her (adorable) facial characteristics. So the microarray was a new hope as it would look for many different issues rather than only a narrow range of syndromes. It has been several years since she has had any genetic testing done, so I was hopeful that a new hospital, new geneticist, and new technology would give us a road map for Katie.

No luck. Everything came back spotlessly "normal". Sometimes people say to me, "Oh, that's good!" I can't help but cringe. It is most definitely NOT good. There is clearly something hindering Katie's development, and it would be extremely helpful to know what that something is. I realize, as I have for many years now, that it IS good that she doesn't have an obvious, debilitating condition. I am grateful for her overall good health.

But it would be so nice to know what to look out for and to know what challenges might be waiting down the road for us so that we can be prepared and proactive. I know that a diagnosis would not reduce her need for physical, occupational, and speech therapy. I know it won't magically make her "better". I just find it so hard not to have a name for the syndrome that has made life difficult for my daughter and has changed motherhood as I anticipated it.

Sometimes it may seem selfish that I wish to have a diagnosis to "blame" for Katie's disability. But I would much rather look at a syndrome with frustration than to have someone say "Well, that's just Katie". It isn't Katie. It is what has trapped her in this little body and stripped her of her ability to speak, run, and do the other things that life offers. I see the beauty in her little face and fantastic personality. I see how she shows love and joy so easily. But I also see her struggle and get frustrated at this world that is sometimes so hard to understand. Hopefully someday we will have a diagnosis for that.