Grown Ups & Downs Articles

This was originally posted once before, I'm offering it up as my contribution to Downs Side Up's Linky because it sums up what I most want to say to other parents of children with Down syndrome. What I hope that Grown Ups & Downs shows them when they come around.

My mother is a character from a Tennessee Williams play...but without a Southern accent. I am her second child, born when she was 16 years old. Her childhood cut short and never spoken of in a way that imparted a sense of safety or innocence.

Speaking of Changing the World... Here is a short excerpt from "Arguing Eugenics: a case for changing the world." On a micro level, there's this: have you ever been changed by a person? I have witnessed Marcus literally changing the people around him for the better. His honesty begets honesty.

Today we have a special treat: A guest post from Quinn! Meeting Marcus I knew I was in trouble the moment I met Marcus. He was 2 1/2 years old and tiny. He looked at me and smiled, only it wasn't a smile of courtesy at being introduced, it was a smile of great enthusiasm, as if ...

OK, Americans are fat. Everyone knows this, right? And the worst part about it is, we know better. We're not just fat, we're fat on purpose. We all know fast-food is bad, but the lines of cars still roll through. We know processed food will kill us, but summer grills are covered with hot dogs.

In Hillary Duff's heyday (when was that...about ten years ago?) She was pretty hot stuff to a preteen boy. He told us she was his girlfriend. On his birthday we had the ceremonial moment of taking down the Toy Story® Poster and putting up the Hillary Duff poster. Sigh.

I love this #LifeWithDs concept, the Day in the Life idea. I love that it gives folks a chance to see the real day-to-day, the normalization of what life is like for our families. Sooooo, it may be poor form to share this day, April 8th, 2015, but as I opened my computer, I knew...this is ...