Happy Birthday, Robert E. Lee!
Actually, it's my birthday today and a dear friend of mine, Candi's birthday. I have to admit, I was a little hesitant getting out of bed this morning, Andrea has been ramping up to go nuts with the "happy birthdays" for a solid week! My Andrea, who has Down Syndrome, supplies days with never a dull moment in them...sometimes I wish she would! =o) Most days its coloring, watching t.v., playing on the Wii, things like that. In addition, she adds in the constant commentary that is similar to having the radio or television on for background noise; its there, it makes me realize that there are others in my little world and I am usually quite capable of ignoring it when necessary. I have learned, though, that when you totally ignore and are suddenly face to face with a question that was asked and she is now asking for an answer, you have a couple of choices. You, A) get angry for being in your face and bugging you for an answer; B) You take a chance and say yes (though that comes with quite a few consequences); C) Ask her to repeat the question and answer it. Yeah, life with Andrea is never dull.
I have to share one of my funniest moments with this girl. I was working at a bank, both of my girls were old enough at that point to come home without someone there for them...Andrea first and Beth within a few minutes of her. We had an Australian Shepherd that loved to play at that time, and he especially loved driving Andrea crazy, coming up behind her with his toys and using them to give her a wedgie of sorts. Anyway, she had gotten home and Draco was up to his usual stunts and Andrea had had enough. He knew, of course, that she couldn't catch him...heck, I don't think any of us could catch him when he was on a tear. At any rate, he was running through the house, giving her wedgies and dashing away and she had had it. She picked up the phone and dialed 911.
Right around 250 that afternoon, when I should have gotten a call from Beth letting me know that they were both at home and what they were doing, I instead got a call from an hysterical Beth screaming that she was going to kill her sister. After I got my hearing back and apologised to everyone in the bank lobby who heard the screaming, I asked her to calm down and tell me what had happened. I asked her how she knew that Andrea had called 911, were there any constables there and she said no, no constables, but she was on the phone when she walked in. When she asked Andrea who she was talking to she told her 911. Not believing her, she looked at the last number dialed and confirmed that's who was dialed. I asked her how long ago that was and she said that it had been almost 20 minutes and I told her that given the time frame that if they weren't there by now, they may not come out, but if they did and there was a problem to have them call me at work.
Five minutes went by and still no call back from Beth...then ten minutes. Then the call. Dispatch had not sent a constable out, they had sent the school district police out and it was one that Beth did not like much at all. When he asked if everything was ok, Beth told him yes. He stated that he had a call about a disturbance and asked if the caller was there. Beth told him that the caller was her sister; he asked how old she was; she said 21; he said, call her out to talk to him that there was a problem. When Andrea came out to talk to the Officer, he laughed. Once he got over his hysterics, he said that he didn't have a problem, that Beth did and left. It wasn't that Beth was mad about the call, it was the Officer who responded and told her that she was the one with the problem.
Once I got over my laughing fit, I had to collect myself and give her motherly advice. I'm sure that the advice that I gave her was along the lines of chill out until I get home in an hour and I will fix it, but I don't really remember. All I know is that this is a story that will stay with us for our lifetimes.
This is a look at life with Andrea, and good, bad or ugly it is never dull. I have been told that she is a sweetheart and generally my answer to that is "you don't live with her" and for the most part, that is a true statement, but in reality, she really is a sweetheart. There is nothing this kid won't do for those she loves. She will take on anyone who tries to hurt her sissy, her mama, her daddy or anyone who even thinks they're going to do them wrong. She will hug on you when she first meets you, even though she has been taught that we shake hands not hug. She will invade your space to scratch your back, or brush your hair and I wouldn't have it any other way. This is a kid that the pediatrician when she was born told me to put in a home and forget about her and had I had the energy I would have gotten up and punched him in the nose. She has been nothing short of a blessing in my life. She has shaped the person who is writing this now, in some ways not so good but in the majority of ways amazingly. She has enabled me to have the strength that I didn't know I had; allowed me to laugh at myself and to laugh out loud; she has enabled me to stand up for what I believe, and she has been that little child that led me to Christ when she was nine months old. If it weren't for Andrea, I'm not sure that I would be the woman that I am or even here at all.
So, even though I will be told over and over again today, "Happy Birfday, Mama", I will smile and thank her and be thankful for the surprises that are spilled, the parties that she plans, the hand made "cards" and the second-hand bracelets that she brings to me out of her room.
Today is my birthday, and not only am I a Grandma, a Grandma-to-be, but I am Mama to two beautiful Girls whom I'm very proud of.
I have to share one of my funniest moments with this girl. I was working at a bank, both of my girls were old enough at that point to come home without someone there for them...Andrea first and Beth within a few minutes of her. We had an Australian Shepherd that loved to play at that time, and he especially loved driving Andrea crazy, coming up behind her with his toys and using them to give her a wedgie of sorts. Anyway, she had gotten home and Draco was up to his usual stunts and Andrea had had enough. He knew, of course, that she couldn't catch him...heck, I don't think any of us could catch him when he was on a tear. At any rate, he was running through the house, giving her wedgies and dashing away and she had had it. She picked up the phone and dialed 911.
Right around 250 that afternoon, when I should have gotten a call from Beth letting me know that they were both at home and what they were doing, I instead got a call from an hysterical Beth screaming that she was going to kill her sister. After I got my hearing back and apologised to everyone in the bank lobby who heard the screaming, I asked her to calm down and tell me what had happened. I asked her how she knew that Andrea had called 911, were there any constables there and she said no, no constables, but she was on the phone when she walked in. When she asked Andrea who she was talking to she told her 911. Not believing her, she looked at the last number dialed and confirmed that's who was dialed. I asked her how long ago that was and she said that it had been almost 20 minutes and I told her that given the time frame that if they weren't there by now, they may not come out, but if they did and there was a problem to have them call me at work.
Five minutes went by and still no call back from Beth...then ten minutes. Then the call. Dispatch had not sent a constable out, they had sent the school district police out and it was one that Beth did not like much at all. When he asked if everything was ok, Beth told him yes. He stated that he had a call about a disturbance and asked if the caller was there. Beth told him that the caller was her sister; he asked how old she was; she said 21; he said, call her out to talk to him that there was a problem. When Andrea came out to talk to the Officer, he laughed. Once he got over his hysterics, he said that he didn't have a problem, that Beth did and left. It wasn't that Beth was mad about the call, it was the Officer who responded and told her that she was the one with the problem.
Once I got over my laughing fit, I had to collect myself and give her motherly advice. I'm sure that the advice that I gave her was along the lines of chill out until I get home in an hour and I will fix it, but I don't really remember. All I know is that this is a story that will stay with us for our lifetimes.
This is a look at life with Andrea, and good, bad or ugly it is never dull. I have been told that she is a sweetheart and generally my answer to that is "you don't live with her" and for the most part, that is a true statement, but in reality, she really is a sweetheart. There is nothing this kid won't do for those she loves. She will take on anyone who tries to hurt her sissy, her mama, her daddy or anyone who even thinks they're going to do them wrong. She will hug on you when she first meets you, even though she has been taught that we shake hands not hug. She will invade your space to scratch your back, or brush your hair and I wouldn't have it any other way. This is a kid that the pediatrician when she was born told me to put in a home and forget about her and had I had the energy I would have gotten up and punched him in the nose. She has been nothing short of a blessing in my life. She has shaped the person who is writing this now, in some ways not so good but in the majority of ways amazingly. She has enabled me to have the strength that I didn't know I had; allowed me to laugh at myself and to laugh out loud; she has enabled me to stand up for what I believe, and she has been that little child that led me to Christ when she was nine months old. If it weren't for Andrea, I'm not sure that I would be the woman that I am or even here at all.
So, even though I will be told over and over again today, "Happy Birfday, Mama", I will smile and thank her and be thankful for the surprises that are spilled, the parties that she plans, the hand made "cards" and the second-hand bracelets that she brings to me out of her room.
Today is my birthday, and not only am I a Grandma, a Grandma-to-be, but I am Mama to two beautiful Girls whom I'm very proud of.
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