Wes likes it when I do criss-cross applesauce on him. The words go like this:

“Criss, cross, applesauce
Spider crawling up your back.
Tight squeeze (I squeeze the back of his neck),
Cool breeze (I blow on the back of his neck),
Now you’ve got the shiverees!”

He’s picked up how to do it, and here he is practicing on Dad and Carissa.

Wes loves the theme music from the TV show The Office. I’ve been watching reruns streaming on Netflix lately, and every time he hears the closing credits he’ll come running. He likes to conduct the music.

Last night I was putting gifts together that included clementine oranges (those cute mini oranges that are easy to peel). Wes and Carissa zoned right in on them, thinking they were things to throw like a ball.

But I showed Wes how he can eat it, too. He ate all of this one, plus half of Carissa’s.

Our friends invited us over for a night of games and crepes. We played minute-to-win-it type games.

The first one: stacking cups as fast as you can with one hand behind your back.

This is Brittanie stacking cups, and Wes looking on (far left). He was the biggest clapper for everyone who participated. He will always be a terrific cheerleader.

John gave it a shot…

But guess who took home the prize! Moi! In a quick 23 seconds I won a full single-serving dish set: 2 plates, bowl, and cup.

The party hosts were nice to give each kid a turn trying the games.

Wes and Carissa liked to find alternative uses for the cups.

Here’s Wes and his soul mate Abby trying the game where you tie a tissue box with a ball in it around your waist and you have to jump/dance around until the ball falls out. They LOVED this one.

Afterward someone opened a mini stomp rocket launcher and let Wes play with it.

The party was for adults, but Wes obviously thought it was a party meant just for him!

Carissa tried painting…the paper, the table, anything she could reach. Notice the pigtails–her first time.

When it’s time to put on Wes’s pants or diaper, he gets silly and folds himself up like this so I have to work harder to get the job done. People with Down syndrome are very flexible.

Wes likes to read books, or at least to look at them. I found him at our bookshelf with a giant old picture Bible.

We had our family picture taken at a church activity. It was the end of the night and Wes and Carissa were ready for bed.

Wesley’s Favorite Grandpa

Carissa’s Favorite New Skill

Carissa’s Favorite Team

Wesley’s Favorite Activity (watching football) with His Favorite People (his family)

So, I seem to have lost my camera. Last seen: on the top of the trunk of my car, as I buckled Wes and Carissa in their car seats.

Not a happy thing.

Today, in fact, I found myself oft times thinking not-happy thoughts and focusing on not-happy things. It took a lot of effort, and maybe some sprinkling of blessings from above, but the day turned into a very nice one. Even though I still can’t find my camera.

This morning we had a baby sitter early to attend a pottery making class. I signed us up for it as an excuse to get out of the house on a real date (hee hee). We barely made it to the class on time, only to find the place basically empty. We came to learn that 1) whoever scheduled us for a class signed us up for the kids’ class, not the adult one, and 2) the teacher canceled all classes today anyway and didn’t tell the pottery studio she wasn’t going to be there.

Our babysitter meter was already ticking away, and I maybe whined lightly to the attendant about how we got a babysitter especially to be there for the class that was scheduled wrong and then canceled. The word “discount” might have popped up a couple times.

So we’re going to reschedule that class. Since we were already out, we debated seeing a movie (a total rarity), but it would have put us getting home later than we had planned. And since it turned out I left our cell phone at home, and the movie theater didn’t have a phone we could use (really??), we opted to float around the mall and enjoy a sit-down lunch instead. It is always nice to walk around with one’s hand in your sweetheart’s, no matter what the occasion.

After we were home and the kids were settled into naps I found myself idly catching up on bookmarked blogs that I haven’t read in a while. One of these is the Nie Nie Dialogues. It’s written by a local woman who survived a private plan crash in 2008. Eight-five percent of her body burned, and her husband sustained substantial burns, too, but they survived. They have four lovely kids and–amazingly–one on the way. Pretty much, every time I read what this woman has gone through and still experiences daily I am in awe, and it gives me a healthy and needed dose of gratitude for my own life.

After dinner (grilled cheese) I needed to get out. Wes and Carissa gladly agreed to a ride in the stroller and off we went. Tonight was cool and brisk–the brink of Fall. We walked around our neighborhood and stopped at the playground behind Wesley’s school. (He was super excited to be at his school and kept pointing to the doors, saying, “Open!”)

Wes didn’t want to climb in the playground but preferred to race around the grassy field, playing with old deflated basketballs and soccer balls left behind. We chased each other and played tag (which, in Wesley’s world, means you run after him saying, “I’m gonna get you!” until you do and he giggles wildly and runs away as fast as he can so you can get him more). Carissa toddled after us, trying to catch up. It was dusk. The clouds were full and spread across the whole sky. The air was still, except for our shouts and laughter. Wes kept pointing up and declaring, “Moooooon!” It was a beautiful evening, and I wish I had my camera to take pictures to share with you. But at least we have the memories.