Peace be the Journey

This is probably all over the community news already but I just got wind of it. This guy Casper is riding across Canada to raise money for the Canadian Down Syndrome Society. His goal is $1 million. His inspiration is his cousin Andrew. Click here to find out more. You can even sign up for a daily inspirational text message. Go Casper, Go Andrew!

Sick... and of course some other stuff

Baby A and I have been hit hard this week by the flu. The T's are ok. They're both coughing a little. I'm better now but the bug and the extra loss of sleep caused by tending to A's wakings made it a tough recovery. Baby A is still suffering. At first she was mainly coughing and wheezy but she's got a fever since yesterday and no appetite. We're monitoring it and giving her tepid bathes and ibuprofen if she's really uncomfortable. She's nursing constantly which is great for her. This is her first big illness. I'm really happy that she's 11 1/2 months old and she's never had to deal with this before. We're so, so grateful she missed all the fall bugs. Please pray that she'll recover quickly. That picture is from before she got sick. I can't wait to see that smile again.

Other things on my mind;

The Olympics

It is so exciting to have this going on in the backyard. My favourite moment was Alex Bilodeau's win. He credits his brother who has Cerebral Palsy for giving him the strength and inspiration to do what he does. He said that growing up with a disabled person gave him perspective and taught him to keep going. If his brother Fred can still walk and ski, then there are no limits for Alex. I can't find his post-run interview but I tell you I was bawling. Here he is getting his medal. Here is a story that goes into more depth on his family. The women's snowboard cross and Maelle Ricker's win was also crazy great to watch. I love snowboarding and I love that a shred betty from North Van won the gold jewellery.

Here are the fans, glued to the live stream on the computer.

Budget Cuts Coming

Our province is about to announce a huge funding shortfall for education. This will affect everyone but special needs will be hit particularly hard. Some jurisdictions are even thinking about reversing their policies of inclusive education. It gives me mixed feelings about the Olympics because although there is no direct link, it's pretty hard to imagine that we can fund a gazillion dollar event and then not fund kids like A. My next project is to get a letter written to my MLA.

Read more here.

Sarah Palin

What the heck does she have to do with me? We don't have much in common but we both have a child with Down Syndrome. She's got a platform and an audience. This group is trying to educate and influence how she represents us as a group. Go over there and sign it by leaving a comment if you feel moved to.

Thanks for listening.