10 Years Later

Today we went to the Sandy City Healing Field Display 9/11 Memorial. 

In Sandy, right by Cooper's office is the Healing Field Display.  Over 3,000 Flags all lined up in the greenbelt in front of Sandy City Hall representing each life lost on September 11, 2001.  Last week when they were setting it up, I was driving by and I thought to myself, "Wow.  That's really cool that they are doing that.  I should stop and take a picture." But then I kept driving and running errands-- bringing lunch to Cooper, running to target, and running errands by the mall.  I drove by probably 10 times and still didn't stop to take a picture.  Today, we decided that we would go.

Each flag has a tag and a story about the person the flag represents.

It is one thing to read the statistics of how many lives were lost ten years ago.  I admit, I have thought, "wow... over 3,000 people.  That's a lot.  So sad." and that's all.  It wasn't until I walked through all of the flags today to see and feel just how many people that is.  The sheer magnitude of the number of people that lost their lives came into perspective when all I saw around me was flags.  

Looking South, flags for every person who died in the World Trade Center.

And looking north, flags for every person who died in the Pentagon, and on Flight 93, Flight 77, Flight 175, and Flight 11.  

It was incredibly emotional.  Cooper and I both fought back tears (though I don't know if Cooper will admit that... haha.) as we all walked though the flags and read various stories. 

Afterwards we had to explain to Marcus (in kid-friendly terms) about what these flags were about and what happened on September 11, 2001.  He had lots of questions about it and we tried to answer them the best we could.  I know that he doesn't "get" it and he won't for a long time.  But I think that it was a good learning experience for him and for Cooper and I as parents in teaching our children this important piece of American history. Seeing as he wasn't even born ten years ago, he is too young to actually remember, but not too young to learn.  I'm glad that we were able to talk about it with him and remember ourselves. 

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Mother's Day!

So, I really did think ahead this week and we bought Mother's Day cards Tuesday night and dropped them to the post office on Wednesday afternoon to be sure that the special Mommas in our life would get their cards BEFORE Mother's Day....  Well... Everyone did except MY MOM!  :(  I am so sad about it!


So, I decided to have a little tribute to my mom on the blog... :)  Sorry if some of these pics embarrass the heck outta you. It's out of love, I promise! :)

Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love.  ~Mildred B. Vermont

 

I cannot forget my mother.  She is my bridge.  

When I needed to get across, she steadied herself long enough for me to run across safely.  

~Renita Weems

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts.  

A mother always has to think twice, once for herself 

and once for her child.  

~Sophia Loren,Women and Beauty

 What are Raphael's Madonnas but the shadow of a mother's love, fixed in permanent outline forever?  

~Thomas Wentworth Higginson

 

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.  

~Marion C. Garretty

 

 

I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine - she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights.  

~Terri Guillemets

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.  

~Washington Irving

Most of all the other beautiful things in life come by twos and threes, by dozens and hundreds.  Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows, brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins, comrades and friends - but only one mother in the whole world. 

 ~Kate Douglas Wiggin

If I was damned of body and soul,
I know whose prayers would make me whole,
Mother o' mine, O mother o'mine.
~Rudyard Kipling

I love you.  Happy Mother's Day.

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Our Dentist Rocks our Socks... again!

So, today I look in our mailbox and there is a bright blue envelope...

"hmmmmmm.... what could this be?"  I ask myself...

I open the envelope and it reads:

Melanie!  

Thank you for being the awesome Facebook Fan that you are!  We Appreciate You!  

Burg Pediatric Dentistry

...And this falls out!

Molarman Saves the day AGAIN!

 LOVE THEM!

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Marcus and his Molar Man Adventures

Marcus went to the dentist yesterday.  It was his first time EVER going, and I think that we have found the right fit.  We go to Burg Pediatric Dentistry and boy are they awesome!  Their office is all themed around their very own superhero.  "Molar Man!"  New patients get to tell them the secret password (ssshhh... it's "molarman" in case you need to know!) and then they get a cape!  Marcus loved it so much he didn't take it off for two days-- except for sleeping.

Marcus and his cute dental assistant
after his first checkup and cleaning

Marcus and his Molar Man cape before his appointment today

While at the dentist, we found out that Marcus had (GASP!) a cavity!  It was so sad!  I was expecting it though, right in between his two front upper teeth.  So, we decided it needed to get filled ASAP.  We got an appointment scheduled for today.  We picked up a mixture of sedation meds and gave it to him an hour before the appointment.  They started to kick in on the way and Marcus kept telling me how happy he was.  "Mommy... I'm just SO HAPPY right now!"   and, "Mommy, driving is SO MUCH FUN!"

Good honey.  I'm glad you think so. 

So we got to the appointment and Marcus did so well!  They gave him some bubble gum flavored laughing gas and he got to watch Tarzan "on the TVs in the sky!"

This is my favorite picture of the day.

Putting on the gas!

Watching Tarzan! (I love his bright red Molar Man cape!)

Getting all numbed up.

He was such a trooper and did so well!  At the last appointment they gave us an option of conscious sedation or IV sedation.  This was the first time Marcus has had any sort of medical/dental work done at all and has never had to have any sedation... so we opted for oral conscious sedation in hopes that he would do well and we would not have to come back another day for the IV.  I'm so proud of our little buggy!  He did great!  Needless to say, his cavity is all filled, and he is doing great.  I'm hoping that he doesn't have to have more filled!  Keeps mommy and daddy on our toes about sticking to our bedtime and morning routines including brushing AND flossing!

Picking out a prize for being such a good kiddo!

When we left, the staff at Burg gave us another piece for Marcus' Molar Man costume...A Molar Man mask! Marcus was so happy... only, he started crying when we left.  He had such a good time, he wanted to go BACK to the dentist.  

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Two Weeks after Paying it Forward

...Five dollars. Or ten. Or fifty. Or one.

Two weeks has passed since my Paying it Forward post. For those who don't remember, and who don't want to click on the link provided, I'll give you a bit of a background. I stumbled on a blog less than a year ago of a super strong mother named Kelle Hampton. She is such an amazing photographer and writer, and like many now-a-days, has chosen to document her life through a great blog, "Enjoying the Small Things". Immediately following the birth of her second daughter, Nella, she wrote an amazing blog post about that day that changed her so much, for the better. Nella was born with Down Syndrome. This post went viral (take that, surprised kitten video!) and that is how I stumbled across it, on a post on a random moms group bulletin board.

I have been a reader ever since.

This past Saturday was Nella's First birthday. In honor of her birthday, her family set up donations to the National Down Syndrom Society (NDSS) through "Nellas ONEder Fund" linked in a post on Friday, January 7, "Pay It Forward...Rock the ONEder Fund." The original goal was to raise $15,000 before Nellas Birthday in two weeks...

Well, this is a quote from her blog today... I'll let her share it in her words.

"I am thrilled to announce that the total online and offline total of Nella's ONEder Fund surpassed our $15,000 goal. It surpassed our $47,000 goal and our $63,000 goal. I'm excited to report that you all have helped us wish our girl a happy birthday and spread love to thousands of families. Friends, together we raised $101,144. 

...and it's still growing. (Thank you to Dana Wainstein who spun off her own fundraiser to help Nella and raised over $6,500). Thank you to every one of you for giving and for sharing. I never dreamed it could happen like this. But, then again, I never dreamed a year ago that a little moment could change my life so wonderfully."

That's Right People, $101,144...and growing...

The Mission of the NDSS is to creat a culture that fully accepts and includes individuals with Down Syndrome.

So, if you were one to pay it forward.  Thanks.  There are lots of people who are thanking you for your support.  

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Thirty Days of Us: Day Six

Day Six: What is Your Favorite Super Hero and Why?

Well, in this house...

IronMan

We think that IronMan is pretty darn awesome. He wasn't born with any special abilities, (except his super smart brain, and lets face it, it's REALLY good to be smart!) he didn't get bitten by a radioactive spider, nor did he fall into a vat of toxic waste... He was smart enough to make his own super suit! How many superheroes can say THAT...?!

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