Things I learned from 32 hours in a car...

Things I learned after 32 hours with my family in a car....

When God made all the different things, He said "It is good." When God made Montana, He must have said "Now, that there...that's very good."

One should pack more pants when planning for Canada.

Mosquitos loved me over 50 times while not one other person in my family was appealing to those "why on earth did God make those creatures".

One prays to see a moose when one is desperate enough. Then after 2 weeks, one takes her family to Bass Pro Shop to see the moose they drove 34 hours to see.

Carter goes absolutely insane over a carousel ride.

Sometimes it's best to not speak after so long in a car.

One will succumb to the pressures of children and allow a baby brother to eat blue cotton candy, stating he is my third.

I love eating moose.

I could so get into the hunting life.

I must be able to visit a Target store.

I absolutely go insane if I don't have time alone, didn't know that until now...now everyone knows it.

And Elk Farm is just not something we frequent in Arizona.

Banff is over rated, and Montana and Utah are far more breathtaking.

Canadian candy is far more intriguing and fun.

Once you reach 35 and attempt a spinning ride, you may vomit.

I get a bit ticked off now when I get wet on the bumper boats...how dare they!

Ginger beef is something you just can't find in Arizona.

But, Mexican is something you just can't find in Canada.

Dandelion fields are the perfect place for one to master sitting up.

Canada seemed like a good place to get a first tooth.

Starbucks is our friend.

Rubber boots were made for three weeks of non stop raining, ask me how I know.

Zac wanted a city. His words "Mom, our town is kind of small, I wanted a big city." My words "Dude, most kids don't even get a town, just be happy."

A couple can argue over the proper way to sing Jesus Loves Me when stuck singing it too long in the car. And the one who started the argument sang it the correct way, enough said.

We lugged our Arizona baby way up to Canada for his very first swim. It was an instant love relationship.

Ketchup Chips are overrated.

Trying to get all kids to bed when the sun is shining bright at 10:30 pm in a camping trailer is near impossible, even when Jesus Loves Me is sung the correct way.

I can easily be talked into the fact that the black dog we just drove by was a black bear and that we would stick with that story when we got back home. I love my 8 year old.

I organized a massively large trip without making one list...incredible from this OCD control need to cross things off every second of every day freak.

I cannot slow down to enjoy the moment when I'm competing with a lady saying "Recalculating" trying to beat that darn Garmen's time. It took 26 hours, but we beat her by one minute when we pulled into our driveway...take that recalculating babe!

I can indeed survive almost 3 weeks without email, barely.

Tim Hortons doesn't come close to Starbucks.

I don't ever think I will catch up on the sleep I lost...ever.

I easily start speaking in a French Canadian accent within 3 minutes upon arrival.

My husband sweats a lot at the border...those Canadian citizens I tell ya.

I now know how absolutely annoying I must have been when I insisted to my parents that we keep every stick I find on vacation and bring it home.

When asked 12 hours after we got home if I'd do it again, I was able to confidently say "Absolutely!"

It's good to be home.

I LOVE having a girl!

Yes, this is Ashoka kissing Obi Wan. I was watching the kids play and noticed McKenzie very quietly playing in a corner. I realized why she was quiet cause she had Zac's "guys" and they were kissing. Because I'm a super cool mom I mentioned it to Zac...FAAARRREEEK out. Yes, I laughed.

He wasn't too impressed that she had declared his AT-AT Walker as her doggie and that pink ponies were playing on the doggy. See, this is why nobody should ever be an only child. Builds character. And it really makes me laugh.

Flabbergasted...always

Carter has down syndrome. Carter has cerebral palsy. The specialists and Google concur that it is almost impossible for a child with down syndrome to have cerebral palsy. Our neurologist uses the words "almost impossible" simply because Carter does have both, so now she has met one. Something for the record books I guess. Our family always leaves specialists' heads a spinnin...it's a talent we have. (or perhaps it's my funky control freak ways constantly being refined, I'd like to choose the talent one)

So, what does down syndrome with cerebral palsy look like? Like beautiful harmony. Like God had the most amazing time orchestrating every tiny detail in my son's body, causing just the right time and place for minor damage to his brain to create a scenario that would make us shake our heads in disbelief one day.

Kids with down syndrome have extremely low muscle tone, they are described as "floppy". This slows down their development in all areas. We know a lot about low muscle tone due to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, so we felt very ready to help Carter in this area. Well, the type of cerebral palsy Carter is displaying is ridgity. The neurologist believes his brain damage is in his nervous system.

When he gets excited, tired, hungry, determined (pretty much anything but zoning), all of his muscles fire at once, making him ridged. His legs are straight and unbend able, as well as his arms...think stiff as a board. He starts to pant like a dog too, which they are thinking is from the brain damage too. So, what do you get when you add floppy and ridged together???? Something that makes me smile.

Carter has a "fake" muscle tone (the cerebral palsy) that is HELPING him reach developmental goals before a typical child with down syndrome usually does. He rolled over at 3 months..."fake muscle tone" he can army crawl "fake muscle tone", he can clap "fake muscle tone.". So, right now he is where a typical baby would be, which blows our mind. The cerebral palsy does bring it's own challenges...it took him a long time to be able to work against his "fake" tone to grab a toy and then guide it to his mouth. He was too ridged to get that to work. He can't sit up yet because all of his muscles fire which won't let his pelvic bend...but neurologically he is working through that and is slowly learning to relax and bend...he is definitely close to sitting up now. The specialists think he'll walk earlier than others because of his "fake" tone.

We have been told that the down syndrome is helping the cerebral palsy and the cerebral palsy is helping the down syndrome. Without the floppiness of down syndrome he'd be wheel chaired bound, without the ridgity of cerebral palsy he'd be floppy and way behind developmentally...harmony...grace.