Seven Snippets Friday

Seven Snippets Friday is an awesome blog hop hosted by my dear blogger buddy Andi at Bringing the Sunshine.  Today's photos are brought to you by Instagram (because I was too lazy to lug my fancy camera around).

1)

Ellie, the Farmer in the Dell

I used to write research papers.  Tons of research papers.  In nursing school, we would write care plans, more care plans, research papers, and more care plans.  I even composed a fabulous thesis on the "Psychosocial Impact on Siblings of Children with Cancer".  It was riveting.  It was kind of thing you would want to read before bed because it was not only uplifting, but it guaranteed to put you to sleep.  I would write until every single little knuckle in my fingers was sore.  I thought that for sure I would have carpel tunnel by the age of 30.  Here I am at 31 and my fingers, hands, and wrists seem to be functioning okay.   Now, I don't know if some of you have noticed, but I blog.  A lot.  Almost every day.  I am still in shock over the amount of writing I do considering the fact that I firmly believed that after school, I would never write again.  Ever. Well, aside from documenting care in patients' charts.  I am sure that I have a point to this paragraph, but right now it eludes me.

2)

I am adopting this kitty.  I do not know who she belongs to,
but I am claiming her as a part of my brood.
 Shhhh, don't tell Andrew.  I am on the verge of becoming "the crazy cat lady".

My mama is coming for a brief visit this upcoming week.  I am EXCITED.  Some of The Bear's therapy sessions are placed on the back burner so that we can just visit and enjoy each other's company.  We have no major plans other to visit our favorite British coffee shop called Friar Tucks Pantry.  I have not been there since Mom's last solo visit.  It is an absolutely delightful cafe run by a woman from, well, England--hence the British component of the British coffee shop.  Yes, I realize that many people in England drink tea, but did you know that before tea, coffee was the drink of choice?

3)

The reason for my Keurig obsession

Speaking of coffee, I carried on a romantic relationship with my French Press.  It brewed perfect cups of coffee that would help catapult me into my morning routine.   That wonderful glass carafe that I seemed to shatter every 3 months of so could create such a wonderful cup of java.  I believed that nothing could come between us. . . until Andrew bought me a Keurig for Christmas.  I love my Keurig.  I love my French Press.  I guess you can say I am two timing.

4)

Chalk? What chalk?  I didn't eat any chalk.

Every so often I find it difficult to not compare Ellie to other children her age.  Typically developing children and children with Down syndrome.  I know that I should not compare and yet, I do.  Yes, I am guilty and it really serves no purpose.  It isn't fair to Ellie.  Rather than getting down about it, I have taken a step back and compared Ellie to herself and let me tell you, this little Bearity Bear rocks.  In just two months, she has experienced a communication explosion!  For starters, she now points.  You know, uses her index finger to point out something of interest or to indicate something she wants.  This is amazing!  Also, Ellie finally calls me mama and she started saying dada.  In the past 2 months, she has added ball, bear, more, moo, blue, green, and yellow to her vocabulary!  I am one proud mama bear!

5)

I want to be this flexible.  I mean, seriously, can you imagine if I were to rest my leg on the table like that?
 Oh, people would frown upon it?  Hum.  I still want to be flexible.

Over the past week, I have really sat down and figured out my barriers to eating well and barriers to working out.  I have discovered that I really only have a very small window of opportunity to work out during the week--in between Therapy #1 and nap time.  I have also discovered that I get bored.  Twenty minutes on the bike/elliptical/treadmill is about my limit and that is after listening to music, reading a magazine, and watching the TVs.  Boredom wins out and I leave.  I have no accountability.  Therefore, I have decided that I really need to take more classes because you can't really leave in the middle of a class (well you can, but that would be rude and I prefer to be polite).  The problem is that almost all the morning classes are completed before I even enter the gym and then there are no classes until the evening.  Ah, a dilemma.  I have looked into other gyms and unfortunately, cost is a huge factor.  I made a beautiful comparison chart for you, but when I try to add it to the blog, it looked all disjointed.  Speaking of gyms, if you haven't read about last week's poop incident, you really should.  It is hilarious.

6)

 The Chronicles of Ellie Bellie Bear along with other excellent special needs blogs has been nominated for the Circle of Moms Top 25 Moms with Inspiring Families.  I encourage you to read some of the other nominees for their stories are very inspiring.  Can't decide who to vote for?--vote for all of us (especially for Ellie Bellie Bear!) as you can vote for multiple blogs and you can vote daily.  So please please pretty please vote for us by clicking on the emblem above (or on the emblem in the top right side bar)!  Thank you!

7)

My dear friend Deanna Sader is still hosting her GetAway GiveAway in hopes of raising money to bring home her daughter Charity from Eastern Europe.  It is really easy to enter for a chance to win a 3 night vacation anywhere in the Continental US.  Click here to learn more about it.  Act fast because the GetAway GiveAway drawing will be held on March 1, 2012.

I saw this idea on a couple of blogs and I thought I would give it a whirl.