Sounds Like Life

These days my schedule seems to fill like a series of lists, with the items being tacked on way faster than they're getting crossed off..  Sounds like life, doesn't it?

In the midst of all this I have barely been reading blogs and getting online, let alone finding time to think about posts, or actually start and finish a post.  Perhaps I am not lacking time in the literal sense. I have the time to get my work done, to schedule an occasional play date, to get the grocery shopping done, make dinner and play with my girl.  But it's the extra stuff that I seem to be missing.  That time where I am free to explore thoughts in my mind, rather than plot out the next several hours of my life while checking items off my list.

Over the weekend we went and saw the Signing Time Live show here in Portland, complete with Rachel Coleman and Hopkins.  Cora was impressed with the show for about 15 minutes, even though it came with technical difficulties that caused a long delay, and really poor sound system.  But she had a few joyful moments, we learned some new signs, and we got to spent a very brief time with some of our friends, Paul, Anthony and Susan.  So all in all, not great, but still a thumbs up.

Not the greatest picture, but the camera battery died shortly thereafter... of course.

Then on Sunday I helped out at a fundraiser for the Northwest Down Syndrome Association, to raise money to put on their next parent seminar event.  Fun, but chaotic and busy.  Cora decided to nap just before leaving, so she didn't even make it out.  But it was a successful day thanks to the hard work of a handful of amazing parents, Susan and Paul at the top of the list.

This week feels pretty busy too.  We had a fun play-date today after the morning therapy session.  Cora had a blast sitting on the floor of an expansive play area, content to sit in my lap, laugh, clap and smile while the other kiddos explored their surroundings.

Then this afternoon Cora decided to impress me by signing "sleep" while watching Signing Time.  She was quite the little signer, complete with theatrical squinty tired little eyes and the proper hand motion.  Oh my word, it just about melted me.  I saw her doing the motion and ran over to see what was on the screen.  Sure enough... "sleep."  Last week I caught her trying to sign "moon" while watching.  That one's a little harder.  But still, she's definitely starting to show us what she's seeing.  She's been demonstrating her recognition of more and more things in books and pictures lately, accurately pointing out almost every animal I ask her about, in addition to pointing out colors consistently, and even all kinds of other familiar objects.  She truly is absorbing so much, which is exciting to see.

There really is so much going on, things that are worth several good blog posts.  If I actually took out the camera these days I'm sure I could come up with even more.  But for now, that's all I have.  I'm going to turn off the computer now and allow myself a few quiet moments before I head in for another interrupted night of sleep.  I'm going to try and absorb some sad news that I learned tonight and be thankful for all the important people in my life.


And that's all I've got.  But I will make a concerted effort to at least take some pictures of Cora in the next few days.  Maybe I'll even post them.