Day 9.

Woo hoo! It's Saturday! It's the Saturday Sports Spectacular Edition! I got a little bit of sleep last night, so watch out!!  And, I know you are all waiting to hear... clean sheets, clothed Vicki this am. THAT is a big reason why I am happy today! I am so ready to kick back tonight, maybe even have an adult beverage, but probably not.. I kind of would like a spot of tea. Why am I thinking of tea? Just a glimpse into my head...I think the thought process went like this... Ally has a clifford book that she needs to finish reading before library on Monday, I saw it on the table. Clifford's funny. I like that dog spot, too... I want a spot of tea. :P  Or it could have been that Vicki was talking about coconut today and she calls coconut- polka dots. Kind of like spots. I feel like having a spot of tea. That's just kind of fun to say. I love the spiced apple cinnamon kind.   I also kind of want to put a puzzle together. Fun stuff, no seriously, fun stuff. I love games and puzzles. Isn't it ironic, don't ch think? I like puzzles. God must have know that. :) 

Andyway... today. Soccer game, Joey. Check. They won! Great job boys! Soccer game, Ally. Check. The little ones don't keep 'score', but Joey informed me that he kept score anyway, and they won too! I was glad that  we could all make it to Ally's game today since their games were staggered. I kind of chickened out with Joey's. He had to be there at 8:30 this morning. Instead of going to his game, the girls and I made soccer ball sugar cookies. We had snack today for her game. The cookies turned out cute enough considering we made them an hour before we had to leave. Vicki did much better today at Ally's game. Maybe because my husband was there too. Or maybe, just maybe, because she really wanted the red chocolate chip ball cookies. :)  I'm not going to call it a bribe. Nope. I'm going to call it positive reinforcement for good behavior. :) 

We went home and packed my son up for his overnight scout camp out. I can't say enough about what scouting has done for Joey. Now that he's in boy scouts, he's gaining so much independence and responsibility. It's his thing. He loves it. And he needs to get away sometimes too and just be a boy. I feel like both he and Ally have had to grow up too fast and he's had to be responsible and look out for things that a lot of kids don't have to. You know, he never really whines much about stuff that is different because of Vicki. (Now, notice I didn't say he never whines, in general....) He has always just accepted things, because that's the way things are when you are part of a family.  While I'm on the subject of scouting and family, another thing I love about it- when Joey was in cub scouts, when we went to pack meetings and events, it was like we were part of another family. And over those years, we grew very comfortable with that family unit. Everyone knew enough about Vicki  for me to feel comfortable taking her to events without getting 'the looks'. It was as 'easy' as an outing can be, emotionally in a group. Now we are down to 2 kids for the day since Joey went to scouts. Then Ally went to a birthday party. 1 kid. Let me just say here... that's as far down as we go. 1 kid. Because Vicki just can't get dropped off at a birthday party, or go on an outing with a friend. And that sucks. It sucks for her, and if I'm being completely honest, it sucks for us. I get a little jealous when my friends talk about how they might get a few hours of kid-free time when all of their kids have social engagements. That doesn't really happen for us. We always have Vicki. I know that sounds selfish. But I just want you to understand. There is no place that I'd rather be than with all of my children. My children and my husband are the fibers of my being. But, every once in a while, it would be nice to just... i don't even know what. Sometimes the enormity of that statement... We always have Vicki.... just takes my breath away. You know how you secretly dream of everything you will do when all of the kids are at grandma and pappy's house for the week in the summer? Or when all of the kids go off to college? Gasp!  No one knows what the future holds. I can't predict what's going to happen tomorrow anymore than I can predict at what level Vicki will be functioning at when she is 21. Sorry. Geeze. I feel like my thoughts are always all over the place. Focus. Focus... today...

Vicki had track practice today. :)  It didn't rain. Woo hoo! I love the special olympics and am continually in awe of the wonderful coaches and parents and kids that come out. Vicki started in the special olympics program last year with track. She's also tried her hand, er pom poms, in cheerleading.  Vicki is no different than anything other child with respect to loving having that activity that her family is around cheering her at. She has sat through countless football and soccer games, scouting events and assemblies. I love it when Vicki gets a chance to shine. And special olympics has given that to her. I can just see it when she put that cheerleading uniform or or that track uniform on, that she is genuinely excited and so very proud. I love seeing Joey and Ally in the stands cheering her on. Now, practices aren't easy. Vicki has trouble staying focused, and sometimes there is a lot of down time or standing around. It takes a lot to keep Vicki motiated to participate. But we try to do it. We do it, of course, for the physical exercise. We do it fo the social aspect. We do it because Vicki deserves to participate in sporting events too. And we do it because for those 20 seconds (actually I have no idea what her time is) when Vicki is running the 50 yard dash, I have never seen her smile so big. :) And when she crossed the finish line for the first time last year and I watched her brother and sister come out to greet her with big hugs... yep.. That's what it's all about!!!