321 Fun ~ Mariah's Life

It's a Chili sorta day! It's 58 degrees

2012-02-12T19:29:00.001-05:00

Swirling stirring wholla....chili it is!

A SMILE AS BIG AS THE MOON ~ Hallmark movie

2012-02-10T22:10:00.001-05:00

A SMILE AS BIG AS THE MOON ~click to see more about this fabulous movie everyone should watch!

Did you get a chance to watch this? This movie is PERFECT for today!

My daughter now wants to go to SPACE CAMP!

Her 5th grade class will be going to Kennedy Space Center for their class trip! Mariah thinks everything is falling into place for....her DREAMS TO COME TRUE!

Mariah baby girl....DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE!

She and I are both so excited for this Field trip, a special class field trip this year for sure! She is going into Middle School next year. Time to enjoy the months she has with her beloved Elementary school.

3/3/12 Meggan Morancy Ride-A-Thon @ Horses & the Handicapped of South Florida

2012-02-04T17:58:00.000-05:00

Mariah will be riding again in the Meggan Morency Ride-A-Thon in a few weeks on March 3rd, 2012 at Horses and the Handicapped in Tradewinds County Park in Coconut Creek, Florida.
Come out and see Mariah and her friends doing their best riding their horses! Be Mariah's Cheerleaders and show her your support!

Mariah would love for you to DONATE to Horses and the Handicapped, this will help her favorite place continue providing much needed scholarships for many of the riders to continue riding in this wonderful program! The barn and the horse always need supplies, see their WISH LIST on their website and pick an item you would like make sure is taken care of.

This year Mariah is riding ~ FIRE
Horses and the Handicapped

www.handhmagic.org
Horses and the Handicapped of South Florida is located inside Tradewinds County Park off Sample Road just West of the Turnpike, this is the entrance across the street from Butterfly World.

Mark your calendar and make plans to attend the upcoming Meggan Morancy Ride-A-Thon set for Saturday March 3rd, 2012.

Mariah will be glad to see you there!

Mariah's 5th Grade ~ FRIENDSHIP CARD!

2012-02-04T12:24:00.002-05:00

Her school yearbook AD was due so it was time to create another FRIENDSHIP CARD for Mariah to hand out to her friends and for mommie to have also to hand out too! Mom picked all the pictures that showed all the different things I love to do everyday! Most of you know that I have always been up on a horse to help me with my low muscle tone and my speech skills. Mom has always believed in me and my learning how to be good at riding a horse all by myself one day....that day is here and I am learning more and more all the skills needed to be a skilled independent horse rider! My mom is so proud of me when I ride my horses!

She had to put in some of my baby pictures, because she thinks I was the prettiest baby in the entire world! See me when I was 3 months old after going to the beach for the first time! I was so happy that day to swim in Uncle Ken's swimming pool and soak up the beach breeze that day! I was still being carried around in a baby carrier!

My dance picture is one that my dad took of me in his mobile photo studio last year. I have been dancing with Dance Explosion for 6 years, starting out as you know how cute those tiny little babies are when they first start dancing? I started with Ballet, then I found I liked Hip Hop & Jazz a whole lot better! Ballet is hard work! Last year I took two dance classes, Hip Hop & Jazz and also I was in Dance Company, a bigger group of all ages and we did FUN things like doing little shows and walking & dancing in parades. My knees started giving me problems last year from certain dance moves so my mom found out I needed to get some Physical Therapy to help my knees get strong. I miss being in the dance shows on the big stage for my recitals...mom and dad would take so many pictures of me then!

Mom says I can start selling these FRIENDSHIP CARDS to my friends if they want me and my dad to make one for them. Mom wants to call them FRIENDSHIP CARDS and knows my friends would like to have some like mine too to pass out to your friends!

Let me know if you want me to make you a custom FRIENDSHIIP CARD for you too! Email me or call me!

Have a FUN weekend!
Mariah

Hey...Soul Sister

2012-01-19T03:10:00.001-05:00

"Dance 21" received 3 Gold Stars!!

2012-01-14T11:00:00.001-05:00

Down Syndrome Awareness - Maddox Lucille

2012-01-06T01:16:00.006-05:00

This video is designed to bring about awareness and teach others about the hopes and dreams of those with Down syndrome as well as combat the use of old school words such as retarded. For more of Maddox's stories, please check out www.mcclinticfamily.com

HaPpY Giggly Christmas Holiday 2011

2011-12-17T14:17:00.002-05:00

I won it!

2011-12-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

She won the Baking Kit Raffle item!

Included in Gen Ed classes for Middle School? ABSOLUTELY YES!

2011-12-03T15:10:00.000-05:00

Question for everyone ~ Which Middle Schools Believes in and puts into practice real Inclusion of students with Down syndrome and other students with disabilities into the General Education Classrooms? Which schools have a PEER BUDDY or STUDY BUDDY PROGRAMS in place?

I have a 5th Grader and I am looking for a Collaborative Middle School for my daughter. So she can continue on the wonderful Academic Learning Path all her teachers and staff at Stephen Foster Elementary School have provided her so far.

Which Public Schools are thoughtfully INCLUDING Teenagers with Down syndrome in General Education Classrooms with thoughtful, helpful and kind classmates as well?

Please share with me..........

Post here or email me privately.
podsangels@bellsouth.net

She's a wannabe....

2011-11-20T14:29:00.006-05:00

She loves any chance to make pretty sounds on a piano. She has musical talent....just haven't gotten her involved in any formal lessons.

Mariah dreaming of knowing how to play the piano!
Her Grandma would be proud of her! We are still missing you Grandma Elizabeth Harris! Your music lives on in the hearts of your family.

She loves the BEATLES & JOHN MAYER!! If you watch it again....she is thinking of a BEATLES song while she is playing. She is singing a BEATLES song ~ All the People...you can see and hear her sing it. All the while all the other young peeps were running around and playing hide-n-seek! She loved being able to 'be free' and play the piano! I was so happy when I caught her playing so nicely when I was looking to see where she was.....she was the one making the nice piano sounds! Gosh I love this girl!!!!! oxoxoxo

Goodnight iPad, Ann Droyd - 9780399158568 PenguinGroupUSA

2011-11-19T03:00:00.000-05:00

Goodnight iPad, Ann Droyd - 9780399158568 PenguinGroupUSA

This is so all of us today! Click above highlighted link to see CUTE VIDEO!
Good Night Moon~

I did it mom!! I made the A/B Honor roll!

2011-11-18T23:11:00.003-05:00

MOM~WE DID IT TOGETHER!
Thanks everyone that has helped me along the way!
Mr. Allagood ~ You are the BEST!
*Mom says so!

That's my girl!!
Consistently doing her homework, turning things in on-time, up early so she doesn't miss her bus, doing her best! Mariah you are a SUPER STAR and together we are both learning 5th grade math!
I love you Princess!

What IS the definition of PARENT INVOLVEMENT?

2011-11-08T19:11:00.015-05:00

What does it mean to be an INVOLVED PARENT at our Children's School?

If it means ~ I CARE ABOUT HER LEARNING...then I am an INVOLVED PARENT.

If it means ~ I CARE THAT SHE IS HAPPY...than I am an INVOLVED PARENT.

If it means ~ I CARE ABOUT HER SAFETY...then I am an INVOLVED PARENT.

If it means ~ I CARE THAT SHE LEARNS HOW TO READ...than I am an INVOLVED PARENT.

If it means ~ I CARE ABOUT HER CLASSWORK...then I am an INVOLVED PARENT.

If it means ~ I CARE THAT SHE LIKES MATH...than I am an INVOLVED PARENT.

If it means ~ I CARE ABOUT HELPING WITH HER HOMEWORK...then I am an INVOLVED PARENT.

If it means ~ I CARE THAT SHE HAS REAL FRIENDS...than I am an INVOLVED PARENT.

If it means ~ I CARE ABOUT WHAT SHE DID IN SCHOOL EACH DAY...than I am an INVOLVED PARENT.

If it means ~ I CARE THAT SHE LIKES HER TEACHERS...than I am an INVOLVED PARENT.

My list could go on.....and on....I AM A MOTHER!

.....I AM AN INVOLVED PARENT IN MY DAUGHTERS EDUCATION.

I AM A PARTNER IN EDUCATION...
~ TREAT ME LIKE A PARTNER.

I RESPECT YOU AS HER TEACHER...
~ RESPECT ME AS HER MOTHER.

by~ Nancy Linley-Harris
www.321FUN.blogspot.com
November 18th, 2011

She LIKES doing Math!

2011-11-03T16:20:00.003-04:00

This is Mariah doing her 5th Grade Level Math the other day.....she enjoys doing Math today more than ever before!

Now that she is bringing home her 5th Grade Level "Go Math" textbook everyday in her backpack - I am able to now see the classwork she did in Math class with her general ed classmates without Down syndrome....classwork that was actually worked on while in Math class that day. Mariah is now coming home with Math classwork completed! Her classmates are more involved with being positive peer role models helping her do just what they are doing in small groups. This is progress in the right direction......finally!! The communication is better because her teacher emails me alot too, so there is back & forth communication all the time. It had been such a struggle to see what she was actually "doing in class" the same as her classmates. It's a new school year with newly updated IEP goals written in to help support her IEP goals that are now to be INFUSED & INCLUDED INTO HER GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM CLASSWORK.

My daughter is EXCITED to do some of her Math Homework now! This is her 2nd year in the 5th Grade and it is proving to be one of her BEST ACADEMIC YEARS so far!

Mariah is a student with Down syndrome (13 years old) and her desire to do well in school is motivating to her this year, because she knows she needs to do well in Math if she wants to one day have a job as a Vet Tech and go to college.

Mariah loves school and all her teachers this year! Her mom is loving all the nice academic progress she sees Mariah doing so far this year!

This little video clip was taken at first without Mariah knowing I was taping her doing her homework, then I asked her if she liked Math...and she said, "yes" so cute. I asked her if Math was hard for her...she says, "No, it's easy!" Oh my I love this girl!!~

It's BASICALLY SIMPLE ~ or as Mariah will say.... "SEE, IT'S EASY!" If you had a whole Apple Pie sitting on the table in front of you, you wouldn't have to eat the entire pie to know that you LIKED Apple Pie and wanted to have more of it! You would know you LIKED it just by eating a slice of that Apple Pie! You would know you LIKED it and WANTED MORE even with just a BITE of the PIE...even a TINY BITE OF THE PIE! It doesn't take eating the WHOLE PIE to know you LIKE IT & WANT MORE OF IT! ~ Point being, Inclusion is that same way.....providing a SLICE or a TINY BITE OF THE PIE (lessons) is what should be practiced in ALL our Classrooms today. That is what ACCOMODATIONS are all about....it LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD for ALL Students.

Mariah has Accomodations, she doesn't have to do pages and pages of Math that some of the other students may have to do....she just needs to do a PORTION....a small portion even. On some days depending the assignment she will do more or less depending on the new concept being taught.

Today....she LIKES Math!

My daughter is now being provided more of that Apple Pie (Grade Level Math) which is about her being provided a PORTION of the Pie (Math Lesson). Small bites of (Lesson) what she CAN DO! Let's give students what THEY NEED...in small portions and build from there.

Mariah ROCKS in doing her Math this year and is actually doing 5th Grade Level Basic ALGEBRA!!

I am soooo PROUD of her!!

http://youtu.be/Wy75iNyXwPk

http://www.youtube.com/user/podsangels ~ Want to see more YouTube Video's of Mariah being Mariah?

See my other BLOGS ~ Down syndrome Inclusive Education
Created in Honor of Mr. Allagood, Mariah's 5th Grade Homeroom & Science teacher! www.downsyndromeinclusiveeducation.blogspot.com

Singing & Reading Light Up The Sky

2011-11-03T00:50:00.002-04:00

SOUND HOUND is our ALL-TIME FAVORITE APP on our iPhones right now! It is the coolest MUSIC App!!

Mariah is reading the lyrics from our songs we sing together! She is my music DJ when we are driving in the car lately. She's the one that will hook up either one of our iPhones into the car stereo jack, moments after getting into the car. She loves singing! She remembers and carries the tune pretty good. Especially songs she really likes to listen to over and over. Mariah loves music with this SOUND HOUND app she is ENJOYING READING the LYRICS in MUSIC VIDEO's!! I am so gosh darned HaPpPY for Mariah and all that is at her finger-tips today in the way of TECHNOLOGY! When you see lyrics to songs that are presented like in the above video, who wouldn't enjoy READING them? READING is such a LIFE SKILL that opens so many doors! If only everyone worked so hard to really get everyone of our "Kiddo's" READING at earlier ages. Mariah has really blossomed in so many areas of her learning. LISTENING TO HER READ OUT LOUD TODAY is the most precious sound a mother could ever hear and one I have been waiting to hear her do for so long....her fluency is what has blossomed recently!.. I am so very proud of all the hard work Mariah has done to get to where she is today. It's been an interesting journey to say the least in helping Mariah academically where she is today. Becoming a part-time HOME SCHOOL MOM is what it takes to help our babies reach for the STARS in their education! Nothing happens overnight and without a consistent diet of teaching and learning opportunities...for all of us! It will happen if you DREAM IT for your Child! If YOU BELIEVE and are putting in the extra-extra that it's takes to make YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!

Hope you enjoy this song as much as Mariah and I do...especially when we are driving and it's turned up as loud as possible! ~ ENJOY!! ~

HaPpPy Tinkerbell!

2011-10-31T23:15:00.002-04:00

She was so sweet tonight!

....first night without her brother going door-2-door with us. Come on Mark......dress up with us!

Today my name is Dorthy!

2011-10-29T22:18:00.002-04:00

Ready for a party at Kitty's house!
Like my Pink Ruby Slippers?
My puppy would have jumped out of my basket so I have a Black Kitty instead to take to Kitty's Party - named TiTo!
The Party was a Blast!

Falafel is our favorite food!

2011-10-27T18:13:00.004-04:00

Just ate a great Falafel vegetarian pita!
Mariah & I love this place....we sneak here after horse riding for a healthy eaZy dinner!
~ Y u m m y!!! ~

.....my girl has no problem eating! She loves whatever I make and likes & will try whatever I eat!

She is having FUN learning to TEXT better! She especially loves her MUSIC in her iPhone lately..loves singing and just enjoying her music! As soon as Mariah gets into the car, she will connect her iPhone into the car stereo system and well.....while I love the Beatles and John Mayer......I just want a Radio Station..... with lots of commercials too!

This place is a nice place to try something different....no more fast food!

University Dr. ~just South of 595.
Fala Mediterranean Cafe
2275 S University Dr.

Aniah ~ Breaking down STEREOTYPES 4 Kids w/Down syndrome!!! YEAH ANIAH!!!

2011-10-25T10:25:00.002-04:00

Aniah ~ Breaking down STEREOTYPES 4 Kids

w/Down syndrome!!! YEAH ANIAH!!!

Aniah ~ Breaking down STEREOTYPES 4 Kids w/Down syndrome!!! YEAH ANIAH!!!

http://childrensdiagnostic.org/2011/10/4-year-old-breaks-down-stereotypes-for-kids-with-down-syndrome/

Aniah is Mariah's 'little sister'!!!

You go Little Princess....you let
the whole world know how it
really is today!!

Congratulations Jeannette...it's
a beautiful story as you both are!
Aniah & you are both my HERO'S!

Another day of Learning

2011-10-24T07:51:00.003-04:00

Her backpack is filled with her neatly organized 3 ring binder, spiral notebooks for her spelling words & sentences, math spiral for math notes, a purple folder with her "to-do" items, a big bag of chocolate to donate to to her class, her pencil bag, a bag for her Safety Belt. She also takes her small personal notebook computer with software programs loaded in it just for her. She loves packing a school lunch everyday now...nothing like food from home for her school lunch!

Mariah loves riding the school bus and waiting for her bus ride every morning. We both enjoy our morning "moment" while waiting for her bus to get here. Sometimes she reads me a book while we are waiting, sometimes she sips on my morning coffee while she is finishing her quick breakfast.

Mariah is a good student...she loves school and learning! Science is her favorite class as is her new reading class. Today she is now able to do simple Algebra problems....and likes Math today more than ever! Amazing what a child can show us they can learn with the proper supports & "flexibility"!

Her teachers have all done a fabulous job of helping her get this far in her learning.

THANK YOU STEPHEN FOSTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS......you all know who you are that truly believed in her abilities and helped her along the way to be the student she is today! Mariah thanks you too!

.......now hurry up school bus and get here to pick up Stephen Foster's STAR STUDENT for school.....she's ready for another day of learning today!

Making New GS Troop T-Shirts

2011-10-19T10:44:00.002-04:00

Mariah LOVES being in the Girl Scouts!
They are making their new
T-Shirts for this year.
Girl Scouts ROCK!

Independent Obstacle Course

2011-10-13T16:36:00.005-04:00

Today she was able to navigate the OBSTACLE COURSE with the lead walker just nearby for safety. Mariah loves her days she goes to the ranch! She has been riding here going on probably 6 years. She started at another ranch called PROJECT STABLE with an amazing woman named, Sandy....Sandy invited Mariah to get up on one of her horses when she was just 2 years old! Mariah has been riding ever since. So riding every week has always been part of her life! Yes...it's a busy schedule, but going here every week GROUNDS ME and allows Mariah & I both to connect with our 'horse' family of friends over the years. We both love being on a tight schedule, Mariah going Horse Riding every week...keeps both of us centered. We miss it and are out of sync when she isn't riding during the summer time.

Mariah has become a very nice English Rider! She sits up so nice and tall and has good back posture. Her hair right now is as long as a horses tail! She makes me HaPpY when I see her face when she is sitting high upon her horse each week. She rides with FIRE!

Thank you Horses & the Handicapped for such and awesome program!
Alison, Mandy, Molly, all the wonderful Volunteers.....thank you all!! Click her for the direct link to Horses & the Handicapped's webpage and a great video with Alison, Mariah's riding instructor explaining their riding program.

Mr. Magic!

2011-10-04T07:59:00.003-04:00

Here is where he sits after the school bus....her limo...picks up the little Princess every morning. Mr. Magic has me all to himself till 2PM when the limo brings her back home again.

Mr. Magic has been with us for 9 1/2 years now, since Mariah was just 3 years old and her older brother Mark was 6 years old. Magic is a sable color Papillon and is the best puppy ever!

Y'all have a Hap Pap Pappy Papillon Day!

The Papillon is known for it's perky ears and the coloring...aka the Butterfly dog.

Painting Little Turtles

2011-10-03T20:22:00.003-04:00

They went on a turtle walk to see them laying eggs a few weeks ago. Now tonight at Girl Scouts they made out of clay tiny little turtles and painted them. They all were so cute!

Sign up and get involved in Scouting!
Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida
http://www.gssef.org/Default.aspx

MattyB Q&A w/ Sarah Grace (7.31.11) by MattyBVlogs

2011-10-01T12:00:00.009-04:00

Autumn Pigtails

2011-09-30T18:54:00.002-04:00

Shopping for Autumn 'stuff'......found this Pigtail Scarecrow....too cute to scare crows!!..
...and we don't have too many crows in our yard anyway. So guess she will just 'hang around' in our yard for awhile. Mariah liked this one!

Girlie Girl Shopping

2011-09-28T18:41:00.002-04:00

My Name is Sarah: Forever in Holland

2011-09-26T21:06:00.000-04:00

My Name is Sarah: Forever in Holland

Birthday Cupcakes!

2011-09-26T11:42:00.003-04:00

She has been looking forward to this day since the day after she turned 12 last year! She told me two days after she turned 12 that she was going to be 13!

Mariah is the Birthday girl today! This is the day she talks about ALL YEAR! Bringing cupcakes to school during her lunch is all she ever talks about....alot! Of course I'm going make her dreams come true on this one!

Being in the 5th grade and passing out Pink & Purple "Princess" cupcakes for her is a simple thing I can do to make her day complete! She is standing taller today, she is beaming brighter, she is doing her best and is the Special Birthday Girl today!

Her classmates were OK with the plastic Princess rings on top of all that frosting!....even all the BoyZ she likes to sit with at lunch!

It's a "last time" for celebrating her Birthday in elementary school! She is officially THIRTEEN - my little sweet teenager!! (Let's hope she stays "sweet" as always!!)

Now it's time to make that CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING you want!

Enjoy your Birthday at school today my LIL CUPCAKE!! oxoxox

Today is my 13th Birthday!

2011-09-26T07:51:00.003-04:00

HaPpPy Birthday to me!
I think I will celebrate all week long!

Brain Pop.com explains ~ BLOGS

2011-09-26T01:00:00.050-04:00

Brain Pop.com explains ~ BLOGS
Someone asked me the other day what's a BLOG.....or a BLOGGER? Brain Pop www.brainpop.com has created the best way to explain what a BLOG is. Brainpop has the cutest colorful snippet video's of just about everything!

Mariah loves this program alot and so do I~!! It is one of the TOP Online Learning Programs I think that really helps teach and explain about all sorts of "EDUCATIONAL THINGS" by making it FUN and having FUN while Learning!

Sign up for the FREE Trial.

This Beautifully Created Online Learning Program is an Investment in your Child's Education!

Sign up and have FUN Learning NEW THINGS!

HaPpY 13th PreBirthday!

2011-09-25T12:45:00.000-04:00

Today 9/25 is your last day being 12 years old!
Tomorrow 9/26 you will wake up a TEENAGER!
HaPpY 13th PreBirthday Baby Girl!!
We will Celebrate ALL Week Long!

I remember Thursday, September 25th, 1998.
.....the day before you were born....it was the week of Hurricane Georges that blew through from the Keys up to New Orleans and made a mess...I remember sleeping on the 2nd floor carpeted lobby of the Hospital with all the other moms that were ready to give birth, two actually went into labor! Lots of activity, we were all so very comfortable sleeping on the hospital floor.....it was CrAzY for sure!!
.....tomorrow.....and all week long...I will celebrate the WEEK you were born my Princess! It was a week 13 years ago, I will never forget!
Thank you God for the PERFECT SURPRISE I prayed for!

Kindergarten SPARKLERS!

2011-09-23T20:30:00.013-04:00

Mariah with two of her Favorite Kindergarten SPARKLERS!

These classmates are what I call the ones I refer to as Mariah's Classroom SPARKLERS! There is always at least ONE...but mostly the entire classroom is filled with wonderful classmates that PROTECT ~ SUPPORT ~ HELP TEACH and LOVE her!

I need to THANK ALL of Mariah's classmates from that Kindergarten school year at Stephen Foster Elementary School! It was Oh so much FUN for both of us! It it students like these two pictured here with Mariah, that showed me that INCLUSION is what is NATURAL and WORKS! Especially at a 'tender age' where....WHO CARES that she has Down syndrome! It didn't matter at school that Mariah had an extra 21st chromosome, that she didn't really 'talk'...well she did, but she wasn't easy to understand. Did it really matter that she responded maybe a little differently when her classmates would talk to her? She was having FUN and loved going to school with the big kids now!

Her Kindergarten Friends I hope will continue to be Mariah's friend for a very long time. I hope to watch her classmates grow into their DREAMS and see what kind of adults they become...they all were great classmates for Mariah! They didn't see or care that she had...."Down syndrome"....they just saw what I saw...a CUTE little blonde haired girl!

God knew what He was doing when it was time for Mariah to go to Kindergarten. When I met Ms. Ashworth for the first time, our conversation felt NATURAL, she wasn't too overly concerned of the fact that Mariah had Down syndrome. She had the Honor of being Mariah's Kindergarten Teacher for 2 entirely SHORT years! This wonderful age period goes by so quickly! Oh if only I could just reach into a picture and wish I was BACK THERE all over again! Such a CUTE AGE!

Mariah has been attending the same Public School since she turned 4 years old. So many great classmates and teachers that are all part of Mariah's Educational Journey! Mariah has taken me on a Journey to Advocacy that I didn't know existed before. Why would I?

Thank you Stephen Foster Elementary School for being so wonderful to my Princess for close to 10 years now! The old saying is so very true, that it takes a Village to Raise a Child. In Mariah's case, it has taken so many from her school SUPPORTING HER and EDUCATING HER each step of the way and without KIND and CARING Teachers, seeing past the fact that she is their only student on their school campus that has Down syndrome, but having everyone just BELIEVING in her and ACCEPTING her....just the way she is!

Thank you ALL of Stephen Foster Elementary Teachers & Staff that did your part while Mariah was under your care in your classrooms.

Mariah loves her teachers and she loves learning and going to school. ...why not...learning new things everyday is FUN!!

This is her last weekend to be a 12 year old, her Birthday is on Monday. I am going to help make this weekend go into my memory in slow motion, I don't want this time to be over, I want TODAY to last & last!

HaPpY UnBirthday today my Lil Princess!

Mommie is so VERY PROUD of you and how smart you are!

Love,

Mom

Physical Therapy is part of her life!

2011-09-22T08:57:00.002-04:00

Mariah started therapies when she was just a few weeks old and has been receiving OT - PT - ST since. Going to weekly therapy sessions is just part of Mariah's life. Something there is no option about. She has been seen by some of the most wonderful therapist the last 13 years. She has helped a good handful of therapy students with their "hands on" portion of their therapy schooling.

Mariah has even participated in being the cute little 3 year old "PT MODEL" guest demonstration for the PT THERAPY SHORTS in front of an entire class of College Physical Therapy students at Nova Southeastern University. She loved being in front of all those many watching eyes!

She started riding a horse at 2 years old and received her PT & OT on and around horses! BTW - Horse Therapy or Hippo Therapy as it's really called is simply the BEST & of course the most FUN way of getting her ALL her therapies rolled into riding on the back of a horse! Look into this for your Child! Her speech skills improved because of being on a horse....everything improves!

Hypotonia aka low muscle tone is very common with those with Down syndrome and many other syndromes. Makes everything harder to do and takes much longer to accomplish physical milestones.

Mariah goes to a nice place in Hollywood, Florida for all her therapies, a place called Kids SPOT. (S-Speech P-Physical & OT-Occupational Therapy) Mariah was one of their 1st couple of clients when they opened their doors as a new business 5 years ago. We have seen ALOT of clients come & go and ALOT of STUDENT OT-PT-ST THERAPIST earn & learn their clinical credit hours at this place! This place has become like a 2nd home to us. I have watched the growth of this little business burst at the seems to the point they just opened a 2nd location up North in Pompano recently.

I have held some parent trainings here and have helped many parents with IEP & Special Ed issues they were going through at their schools, while just sitting in the waiting room.

Mariah LOVES THIS PLACE!! No matter what sort of day she has had at school or how tired she may be....when it's time to jump in the car and "go to therapies", she is eager to see all her therapists and do the HARD WORK they want her to do. She feels good about herself with the new things she learns how to do thru her hard work! She is proud of her abilities and so are her wonderful therapists!

Thank you Kids SPOT for believing in my girl and allowing us to be part of your ever growing list of clients that need your wonderful services!

Visit Kids SPOT website to learn more about this wonderful place! http://www.kidsspotrehab.com/

I LOVE Brain Pop!...do you?

2011-09-10T15:00:00.037-04:00

Mariah has been using Brain Pop for about 4 years now and with the NEW Brain Pop ESL program she now has more FUN STUFF to look forward to using!

Thank you BRAIN POP for such a QUALITY PROGRAM!!

http://www.brainpopesl.com/ ~ Brain Pop ESL *NEW
New! Innovative and award-winning ESL/ELL program based on animated movies and interactive features. BrainPOP ESL incorporates listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, and is suitable for all non-native speakers - starting at beginner’s level.

BrainPOP ESL uses lively, engaging content to teach English to speakers of other languages. Lessons are built around animated movies and supporting features that reinforce vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, reading comprehension, and writing skills. New concepts are couched in everyday situations, adding context for learners and helping them master idiomatic and cultural nuances. Versatile and easy to use, BrainPOP ESL assumes no prior knowledge of English, and effectively addresses diverse learning styles.

http://www.brainpopjr.com/ ~ Brain Pop Jr.
Recommended for Kindergarten through grade 3.

http://www.brainpop.com/ ~ Brain Pop
Recommended for grade 3 and up.

http://www.brainpop.com/educators/brainpoptopicsredirect/ ~ Brain Pop TOPIC LIST

Perfect Ending!

2011-09-09T18:00:00.003-04:00

This is the PERFECT ENDING to a veRy Long Day!

.....my veRy long day started Wednesday and ended with Mariah's Friday afternoon Physical Therapy at Kids SPOT with Lizette!

Perfect Ending!!!

*Mariah is wearing her 50th Anniversary
STEPHEN FOSTER School T-shirt.

It's such a perfect one for her to wear because ~ she is:

S trong
T alented
E xcellent
P erfect
H elpful
E ncouraging
N ourshing

F ocused
O utstanding
S uccessful
T houghtful
E xceptional
R eady

Trying out...some new...

2011-08-27T15:00:00.030-04:00

When I picked her up from school yesterday, she was so excited to show me the flyer! She said, "look mom! I love to sing!"....pointing to the flyer in her hand where it had a graphic splash that asked - Do You Like To Sing? We talked about "singing" the whole way home!

Ok....so we went to the Audition and meet some nice girls and nice Choir moms.

They called her name and she went into the Audition Room with 2 ladies - they both teach different age groups of Girl Choirs. I went with her to give a little thumbs up on where Mariah is at with her new found desire for Music & Singing and what her musical talents are today and what I am hoping to help Mariah gain from being part of a Choir.

They asked an experienced Singer to come in and assist (be a role model) in Mariah's Audition piece. She needed to follow a basic tune that they did on the Piano. She did well......but her "tone" was too low they said. Suggested that she take some basic Voice Lessons and recommended a few places.

Mariah enthusiastically sang in front of these two ladies....strangers really...some of her favorite BEATLES SONGS & one by John Mayer! They were impressed with her "stage presence" and her ability to perform! They mentioned how "polite" she was. That's my girl...well mannered!

We left the Audition........certainly Mariah was on top of the world....and me feeling let down that she didn't get "accepted" into the Beginning Girls Choir of South Florida!

Mariah's brother Mark auditioned and was accepted into the Florida Singing Sons All Boy Choir years ago and sang in it for 2 years when he was in the 3rd & 4th grades. The one lady in the audition room recognized Mariah from when she was about 4 years old when her brother was in the Boys Choir!

It was all good to come out and have Mariah Audition & Try Out for it...even though she didn't make it and get accepted to be part of the Girls Choir of South Florida.

As we were leaving and walking in the parking lot....I was feeling a tad sad for Mariah.....she so wants to SING! She carries a tune and LOVES MUSIC so much lately! As we almost reached our car, I hear someone calling Mariah's name. We stopped and turned around and one of the "audition ladies" is running towards us! She tells me that SHE WANTS TO HAVE MARIAH IN HER CHURCH CHOIR!!

We spoke about "her choir" at 1st Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale just off Las Olas Blvd across from the Park that is on the New River. She was happy to tell me how she had at one time a young boy in her Choir with Down syndrome & and how he did wonderful and would be willing to have Mariah join her Church Choir. She has taught others with Autism and how she thought they all did wonderful being part of the choir. She wants to give Mariah an opportunity to learn how to sing in a Choir and thought it would be a perfect place for her to start! Would I just consider it and maybe it would be a perfect place for Mariah to begin!
.....in my mind...I was thinking...
....To begin "her singing & musical dreams ~ career...!!"

Practice is on Wednesday....at a time that could work for us each week with a monthly Sunday presentation that she would want Mariah to be part of! She'll have so much FUN getting to know and being part of the whole 'group'!...it would be good for the others as well!

When one door is closed - God opens two windows!!!!

So instead of being sad that she didn't "make the audition" into the Girls Choir of South Florida - she did make into the Choir to sing for the Lord!!

This is all good! We had FUN going and seeing this NEW Place where there were lots of girls having FUN and HaPpY to be there...all musically talented girls with pretty purple t-shirts on. It is a great place to have your daughter learn music!! I know my son was taught by the best when he was a Choir member in the Florida Singing Sons All Boy Choir years ago. Mariah will find her VOICE and a place that will help her develope her Natural Talents to be musical and to sing. It WAS great advice that GCSF suggest Mariah take VOICE LESSONS to help develop her voice.

We went out to lunch to a new place for us and had a Smoothly and a sandwich. The Hummus & Chicken Pita and Cucumber sparkling water was delish!! It was a nice Saturday....with Mariah!

Time for a swim in Uncle Jim & Aunt Bea's pool......SPLASH!!!!

*This I found off the website in the Music Ministry tab of 1st Prebyterian. http://www.firstpres.cc/music.asp

The Ministry of Music seeks to:

Enhance our services of worship each week through the joy of our voices, instruments, hearts, souls, and minds as we seek to praise God and proclaim His salvation in our lives.

Provide a high caliber of musical education and training through planned rehearsals to all those involved.

Offer edification and enjoyment of music through our Special Events Series of concerts for our church family and the community at large.

God gives a voice to sound His joy and calls it MUSIC. From the massive sounds of the Cathedral Choir, brass, and organ to the vibrant and energetic rhythm of the Kirk Singers, our whole music ministry is devoted to serving our risen Lord with resounding JOY! Whose heart cannot be touched by the sweetness, innocence and purity of the voices of the children's choirs? In all of our rehearsals and performances we are dedicated to teaching and training musicians so that everything we do reflects the excellence and power of God's glory.

To get involved in a choir, please call the music office at (954) 598-9321.

http://www.firstpres.cc/music_children.asp

Club J.A.M. is the Children’s Choir program offered by the Music Department for children age 4 through 5th
Grade. The children’s choirs are divided by age into the Cherub (PK4 and Kindergarten), Calvin (Grades 1 & 2) and Caroler (Grades 3-5) choirs. The kids learn music for worship and spend the rest of the time in fun activities. The choirs meet every Wednesday and annually perform a Christmas Eve Musical and a Spring Musical. ALL CHILDREN ARE WELCOME, you do not need to be members. (Please be aware that according to church policy children are placed in the appropriate choir according grade level, not age. Cherubs must be at least 4 years of age by Sept. 1st.) Please contact Marie in the Music Department if you would like more information: 954-598-9321 orMarieR@firstpres.cc

Catching the BIG ONE!! ~ Get Kids Fishing.org

2011-08-26T18:00:00.037-04:00

Mark n Mariah, my MnMKids had a GREAT DAY FISHING out on the Ocean the other day with a wonderful non-profit organization called; Get Kids Fishing.

Captain Chase invited 100 Kids to Go Fishing with a Friend & a Chaperon. We were on it!......enjoy the Channel 4 News clip...they did a great job!..."if I do say so myself!"

Thanks Ch.4, Pompano Chick-fil-a and Captain Chase!

Get Kids Fishing

www.getkidsfishing.org

Find a Chick-fil-A near you! ~ Locator

CBS4's Jeff Berardelli ~ THANK YOU!
CBS Miami Channel 4 News Link ~ http://miami.cbslocal.com
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/08/26/aquatic-adventures-teaching-kids-about-fishing-fun/

Click to FOLLOW my Blog......

1st day of school-WhooWoot!

2011-08-22T09:34:00.001-04:00

She was so excited to be going back to school today! She greeted her new Principal, Mr. Girmaldo with a handshake and the most contagious smile ever! They both were picture perfect and ready for the day & the new school year ahead! It was beautiful to see the two of them and everyone else so dang HaPpY this morning!!
.....looking forward to 2PM today!

FUNday SUNday SWIMday!

2011-08-21T18:31:00.003-04:00

Last day of summer vacation! Thought we would enjoy it in the water at the beach!

Mariah had this big ol debate with me that she only wanted to swim in the pool and not in the ocean.....something about Shark Boy & going to find Flipper too! She said if she went swimming in the ocean she wanted to swim with Flipper & Sandy! I don't think Flipper will be out there but maybe we would get lucky and see some of Flippers cousins! Her face lit up like.....cool....let's go!

We had a nice time at the Beach today!
HaPpY End of Summer Vacation everyone and have a great first day of school and a wonderful school year!

END OF SUMMER Taco date with my girl........she paid~!

2011-08-19T19:00:00.121-04:00

END OF SUMMER Taco date with my girl....she paid~!

Her face lite up when she told me she had $7 in her wallet. She wanted to get something to eat, especially after just going to her Physical Therapy session. We decided to eat at Taco Bell. She placed our order and handed her paper money to the smiling cashier. We waited for her change back. Nobody counts back change anymore! Most cashiers just read what the register tells them to give back and hands back the paper money, receipt and the coins are all put on top of each other in your hand. I counted back the change to Mariah, so she would continue to get used to the idea that you....should always take time to COUNT BACK YOUR MONEY!

We went to the drink counter for our drinks and of course she gets all silly-excited thinking that this is her grand opportunity to get the tallest glass of SODA...any kind of soda...and I see her going straight for the PEPSI, no DIET for her today! I make a comment to her and say, "Wow, you gonna get Regular Pepsi today huh, Mariah?".....and responds quickly and she says, "Yup!!" I didn't want to burst her HaPpY bubble and say she couldn't have 'regular' PEPSI ~ so instead I tried to make it believable that the Raspberry Ice Tea taste better and that is what I was going to get!.....

We got our food and the extra napkins we needed and sat down to eat. Mariah was SO CUTE ....and SO HAPPY to be at Taco Bell with me! We like to have 'Taco Tuesdays' ~ that is her other day she goes to Therapy. Tuesday we usually make Taco Bell our dinner, we hadn't been here for a couple of weeks. So this was us just stealing a quick moment to eat after her working hard at her Physical Therapy session today.

When she sat down at our table, she had a huge smile on her face as she was putting her straw into her drink and asked me if I wanted a sip. I said, "no that's OK, I'm good." She started giggling & laughing and insisted I take a sip of her drink! I took a quick drink because she was being so silly goofy about it....I took my sip and she laughs even more! I made a funny face and said, "hey that's my Ice Tea drink!"..."NOPE!" she said...."that's MINE!!" I was so glad she decided to change her mind about drinking the Soda, I know she really wanted to GULP DOWN one! Anyone that knows my girl or has spent anytime with her, know that she will almost always try to talk you into letting her have a SODA! She knows Soda is a lot of calories and likes to outwit her Mommie and anyone else she can convince to give her a Soda! She doesn't like it that her Mom always seems to make such a fuss about her drinking any Soda!

Today....Mariah decided to NOT DRINK SODA...she expected to gulp down a large glass as soon as she walked in. She made a choice that Mommie didn't 'make her do'....she was HaPpY with switching out her Soda for an Ice Tea and she wanted to make me laugh about it too! Mariah and I enjoyed our time eating our simple Taco Bell dinner with Raspberry Ice Tea together.

Watching my daughter act so TWEENY and see the proud look on her face today, with what she was able to do during her Physical Therapy session and then to see her Order & Pay for our meal at the counter and finally to see her be all Silly when she was being Sneaky about switching out her Soda for the Ice Tea.......

....It all is a moment in time....a snippet of time shared with just her and I enjoying each others company and a little meal together. Pondering on all the wonderful things she did over the Summer Break and all the things we still want to do...before school starts back up in 3 days!! Today eating Taco's with my girl was bitter sweet, knowing that our care free days will be harder to find once Monday rolls around and her schedule picks back up to be all those Appointments, OT~PT~ST Therapies, Dance, Tutoring, Horse Riding, Girl Scouts, Selling Cookies, Doing Homework and School Projects that will be due.....did I say the ALARM that goes off way too early every morning and trying to get her to go to bed before midnight now? In 3 days it will be....Monday August 22nd, 2011 Mariah's first day of school again. Are we BOTH ready to give up our Summer time schedule? I don't know how both of us are going to do it the first week especially....we both love our Fun & Carefree schedule we have have gotten used to!

Mariah will be attending the same Elementary school and will be having the same wonderful Team of teachers she had last year. I am giving her an opportunity to have a double dose of 5th grade again. More of the same good stuff as last year, with Mr. Allagood as her Homeroom teacher...he was absolutely the best! Mariah is OK with staying at the same school. All of her classmates since Kindergarten have now gone off to different Middle Schools this year....she is going to miss seeing those familiar faces at school! She is excited to start back to school on Monday and make new friends! Mariah loves school and loves being around her friends at school. Mariah is so over and done with her Mommies Summer Home School 'packet' and just wants school to start again!

I enjoyed our little End of Summer Taco Date with Mariah.....she's growing up so nicely....she's thoughtful and helpful, kind and gentle, she is making good choices and is full of surprises! Hearing her giggle and laugh about her switching out her Soda for the Raspberry Ice Tea instead, was just another quick moment in time that I hope to remember for a long time. When I ponder on how Quickly she is growing up and how much FUN we both have over the simplest of things...I realize how much she makes me SMILE & makes me HaPpY...Mariah makes me HaPpY!! She is a delight to be around and I am Blessed~!

A Scooter Ride with Daddy!

2011-08-14T18:00:00.003-04:00

Fun fishing!

2011-08-12T12:07:00.002-04:00

Going Fishing!

2011-08-12T09:44:00.002-04:00

We are just getting under way....I'm going to catch the BIG ONE!!

I'm an Artist!

2011-08-12T02:58:00.003-04:00

"I went with my mom to a meeting tonight, she goes to a lot of meetings.....

She made me do schoolwork all day and asked me what I wanted to do once my schoolwork was finished. I love to create different kinds of things with paper and I of course love to paint! I have these really cool paints that are like a marker but they are brushes with a pen-like thing filled with watercolors! They are really cool!

So for the couple of people that were at the meeting, I painted them each a pretty picture! They said they all liked my artwork!

Oh today I sang really loud with my microphone to songs by John Mayer! On the way to the meeting mom let me turn the car stereo up and we both sang, Wild Horses together!

I love singing, painting and even going to some of moms meetings....she makes everything FUN for me!!

"She KNOWS her 10 Digit Student Number!!!"

2011-08-08T20:08:00.006-04:00

"She KNOWS her 10 Digit Student Number!!!"

....she just SAID all 10 numbers to me!!
..she signed into her Compass Learning/Odyssey Account all by herself...and says to me, "see I did it, yeah mom....I did it!!"

...Mom is HaPpY Surprised & SHOCKED!!

How long has she known her 10 DIGIT student number?

...she heard me saying her numbers when I was signing her into her account earlier today as I was 'shushing her' I was saying all her numbers outloud..." She must have wanted to tell me, that she can do it! Oh silly me....we all shush our kiddo's now and again....but she probably WANTED to show me that she could do it all by herself!

Today she has worked nicely on her HOMESCHOOL SUMMER Packet and whatever else mommie wants her to work on to keep her 'mind active' and her academic skills up during the summer break. She has been doing HWT=Handwriting Without Tears for as long as I can remember....she LOVES to write and is now able READ & Write CURSIVE handwriting!

This morning she didn't feel so good....so I let her take it easy...and now after dinner..she is ready to go go go with doing some of her summer 'home" school work. Too bad some kiddo's can't attend school in the late afternoons and early evenings! My girl has always been a NIGHT OWL!

*August 15th, 2011 UPDATE to this posting:
I asked Mariah how did she learn her 10-digit school ID# and she told me; Mr. Allagood!!
Now why doesn't that surprise me!
THANK YOU Mr. Allagood.....again!!

Phonics game cards

2011-07-23T17:52:00.001-04:00

She just did a 100% perfect job of matching all her PHONICS game cards!!
Took her all of 12 minutes to do!!! Woo-hoo Mariah!! I am doing the Proud momma dance!!!!

These are Mary Engelbreit - Phonics Game Cards - 24 Illustrated Puzzle Cards

5 Minute Fashcard FUN!

2011-07-19T13:19:00.067-04:00

....as she is doing her "5 minute Flashcard FUN"....I hear her say, "Mariah, it's your turn".....I ask her who she is playing with...she says, "Hand"!!!......

*this girl is too funny!!!

Mariah's Summer Learning Program ~ 5 Minute Flashcard FUN!

For her summer time learning, I have put together a basket filled with different sorts of learning flashcard decks. Flashcards decks to help her with the academic skills she needs some extra help on. She picks 2 or 3 decks/boxes that SHE WANTS "play with". I set the timer for 5 minutes - (*Shhhh she doesn't know it, but I set the timer for 10 sometimes even 15 minutes!) She works on the deck of her choice till the timer goes off. I make sure we STOP when the timer goes off, no matter how great and wonderful she is doing on the deck she's working on. This is so she trust me that I will STOP when the timer "Dings" and goes off. Short n sweet timed learning flashcard fun!! Making it Quick and FUN is the priority!

The motivator prize after she finishes her "5 Minute Flashcard Fun" session is whatever it was that she wanted to do BEFORE we started the Flashcard learning session. She IS motivated by what it was she wanted to do in the first place! She earns what she originally was 'getting ready' to do before her MEAN MOM stepped in! "5 Minute Flashcard Fun" has made her summer-time academic learning FUN! Anyone can do this!

Shop-PING!

2011-07-14T01:18:00.001-04:00

She wanted to go shopPING....the bright yellow signs displayed on the window said, 25%-70% discounts!! What girl can miss such sweet deals? Not me for sure!

Girl Scout Camp Welaka

2011-06-13T20:32:00.002-04:00

Mariah is off to her 5 day sleep away Girl Scout camp up in Martin County at Camp "Wild Wonderland" at Camp Welaka. This camp is nestled inside Jonathan Dickenson State Park in Jupiter, Florida.

Last year she did a 3 day sleepover at this same wonderful place! I figured she has become such a good lil girl scout camper, that it's now time to go for more days. She was so ready to go camping the other day when we were packing all stuff together! My little girl is growing up so fast!

The house was quiet today....

Mokey

2011-05-28T22:40:00.001-04:00

This was taken last year in May when Mokey was only 17 years old. She/he…we all call her a she and really he’s a boy kitty. Don’t know why we have always called her a she. Mokey came into my life in 1993 as a small abandoned dirty kitten that was living in a cage with a bunch more abandoned kittens at the Poodle Parlor on 441. I already had 2 Siamese cats at home when I brought this dirty white kitten home.

Mokey turned out to be such a beautiful cat and a strange one at that too! Lived under the bed for most of his life. Would only basically come out from under the bed to get fed late at night and then the only other time would be use the kitty litter box. Most people that visited us, didn’t even know we had a ‘white’ cat.

Then about 3 years ago, Mokey started coming out from under the bed and would hang out in the Florida room aka our dining room. I snapped this photo when I was in the middle of folding some laundry. Mokey came up on the table and wanted to get in the middle of my folding clothes. Great opportunity for me to get some nice pictures of our illusive kitty-cat Mokey!

It wasn’t till recently we discovered she/he was totally deaf and never knew it and then it all made sense why she/he always acted so ‘skiddish’ when anyone was around her.

Mokey started acting like a kitten again and was now letting us actually pet her and comb her fur for along time. This cat would NEVER LET US TOUCH HER for so many years….let alone “look at her”!! Strange little kitty for years, that’s for sure!

Mokey is still around today and is now 18 1/2 years old!! She but is really a he, will be 19 years old this coming up September 2011. I don’t think I have ever known any cats that lived past 13-15 years old.

Mokey has had a good long life with most of it lived under my king size bed with containers that I have stored under there. Mokey is loosing weight now and is drinking more water than food lately.

Mokey is a beautiful cat that has entertained us very much over the years. I don’t think I have every known cat to have such a shy and skiddish personality. Sneaking up on her had it’s very funny moments that’s for sure!

Mokey….we love you!

Believe in me...and I'll believe in me.

2011-04-18T06:14:00.002-04:00

Wish ALL schools had this attitude!

Down Syndrome - A mother - A Foundation - A Child 04/17 by The Coffee Klatch | Blog Talk Radio

2011-04-18T05:03:00.000-04:00

Down Syndrome - A mother - A Foundation - A Child 04/17 by The Coffee Klatch | Blog Talk Radio

Down syndrome in the 21st Century

2011-03-18T11:28:00.018-04:00

This video says it all! Show this video to others so more people have a little bit better understanding on what it means to be a person with Down syndrome...TODAY....not what is WAS like 30 even 20 years ago. Today, 2011 our young people with Down syndrome are able...not disabled!

Every Child is Like a Flower .......

2011-02-24T14:24:00.001-05:00

Inspirational DS Newsletter from National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC)

2011-02-22T14:22:00.002-05:00

Please SHARE this months National Down Syndrome Congress Feb. Newsletter with everyone that knows
and loves someone with Down syndrome. PERFECT up-to-date SUCCESS STORIES of many young adults with DS. This IS A NEWSLETTER WORTH SHARING WITH OTHERS! PASS IT ON! This is perfect for helping change the old mind-set and outdated ideas many people still have about our loved ones! PLEASE READ!!!!

http://www.ndsccenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/NDSC-Down-Syndrome-News-February-2011.pdf

*Please pass this onto co-workers, teachers, principals...department heads!

Nancy Linley-Harris
podsangels@bellsouth.net
(954) 612-2997 cell
321 FUN ~ Mariah's BLOG
www.321fun.blogspot.com
PODS Angels ~ Family Support for Down syndrome
www.podsangels.org

Broward Schools Student Portal

2011-01-30T13:30:00.008-05:00

Broward Schools Student Portal

This is Broward Public Schools PORTAL to all sorts of things needed if you have a student attending school here. (click the link in pink)

First make sure you know your Child's SCHOOL ID# by heart. You can find it on your Child's IEP and their report card.

School books can be viewed thru this portal and you can access ALL SPECIAL ED DOCUMENTS and print them out at home. You need to know how to go to this website and view your Child's documents.

Enjoy!

It's Girl Scout Cookie time!!

2011-01-22T21:00:00.000-05:00

Mariah sold 20 boxes of cookies her first time out the other evening! It didn't take her anytime at all to get back in the swing of carrying her box of assorted flavors of Girl Scout cookies. (I love watching her face...!) It was written all over her face that she was happy to be selling cookies again like she has for the past 3 years. She was a tad nervous asking someone the first time, but once she knew what to say, she had the look of 'confidence' on her face!

She has this way of approaching people, she gets complete strangers to smile the moment she starts talking to them. Here I was trying to teach her a little script of sorts to say, but she doesn't need me with that...she is so able to hold her own conversations and SELL those cookies!

When we got home our first night selling, we both added up the money and counted it out together. I love how her selling cookies helps her with her math goals, provides great social skills, allows her to learn good job skills and so many other wonderful things.

We took inventory together and counted everything we had, so she can has a good start to her being able to keep track of what she sells each time she goes out selling.

Later as she was getting ready for bed, she said, "mom, I'm going to get the BIG PRIZE!" We pulled out the Cookie brochure and she really wants to get all the nice prizes that come with selling lots of Girl Scout cookies! She can earn an iPod and an iPad!! I so want to see her get either one of those, but in order for her to win those she has to sell 1000 - 2000 boxes of cookies!!

So......WHO WANTS GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!!
Mariah has a goal to reach!!

ONEder Fundraiser ~ Thank you Kelle Hampton!

2011-01-16T20:07:00.000-05:00

Pledge for Parental Involvement

2011-01-11T13:11:00.005-05:00

Pledge for Parental Involvement

I pledge to support my child's education
to the best of my ability.
I will have high expectations for my child
to succeed in school and in life.
I will make my child's education a priority,
and model positive actions and attitudes.
I will partner with my child's school
to ensure I am informed and involved
in all aspects of my child's education,
and I will be an active advocate
for my child's education.
I understand that education is the key
to success, and will do everything I can
to nurture my child's ability to learn.

*November is Parental Involvement Month
I received this saying at a Title I Parent Training

Most up to date Prenatal Testing for Down sydrome

2010-10-28T12:42:00.004-04:00

This video is an important most up-to-date information about prenatal testing for Down syndrome.
Thank you Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City!!

God's Plan

2010-10-08T10:08:00.011-04:00

More Alike Than Different!

2010-10-06T18:10:00.001-04:00

Inclusion is a Crazy IDEA?

2010-10-01T22:01:00.005-04:00

People have a lot of different crazy ideas on what INCLUSION really is or what it should look like in a classroom or on a school campus. Inclusion is not a place, it's not sitting seperately away from other students, it's not a seperate classroom or going to visit a special teachers classroom and then going to the cafeteria to eat lunch in the same room as other students and then not sitting with your Gen. Ed classmates!

Inclusion is a community, it's a community that is accepting of differences and of everyone no matter what! Inclusion is a place where everyone is accepted and valued just as they are! Classrooms are made up of individuals, everyone is different and unique with different learning styles, hopes and dreams for their future! Inclusion is all together all the time! INCLUSION WORKS!

Horses and the Handicapped Program 9/9/10

2010-09-09T21:09:00.014-04:00

This is Mariah's 1st day back riding....the Summer break was too long to be away from riding! She was in such a great mood all day knowing she was going to be riding STAR later. When we got there it was so good to see all her friends and her mommie's friends. Being back in class with her favorite girlfriends was the best! To see Sam, Caroline, Katie and Mariah all back together in the same class made ALL of us so HaPpY!! These girls have been riding together for years. Mariah has known Caroline & Katie back when they were little tiny new babies and Sam, Mariah met her at another riding stable when they both were real young, guess they have been riding together for maybe 6 years now.

In this video clip they had just gotten back from trail riding and were ending the class. They all looked great sitting high up on there own horses together again. This was taken using my iPhone! I am amazed at how easy it was to capture this quick snippet and post it to facebook so easily! I love my iPhone!!

A brother loves his little sister so much!

2010-09-02T11:55:00.000-04:00

Waiting for the Bus for School.

2010-08-31T08:31:00.002-04:00

So she doesn't miss the bus, she eats her quick breakfast on the bench just outside our front door. I bring my cup-o-coffee and the morning newspaper. Mariah and I have our morning chats and many times this is where I will do her spelling flashcards one last time especially on her Spelling Testing day! Lately little Missy Mariah is wanting to drink coffee same as me in the mornings, she loves her orange juice still. We hear the bus come around the corner and then it's time to rush rush rush to get her last bite of breakfast in, her backpack on and her laptop case in hand...and that's all on a day she doesn't take a lunch to school, so many 'items' to juggle. We are still getting to know the Bus driver and the bus attendant. Everything takes time for everyone to get into the routine of busy school day mornings. Mariah loves going to school, especially loves taking the bus! At times if she is having a hard time waking up in the early mornings, all I have to say is something about the bus and she jumps! She loves riding the bus, always has! So I am happy it puts her in a good mood when she wakes up knowing she looks forward to taking the bus to school!

Magic & Snickers spend the early morning hours out in the front yard with us while we wait for the bus. The have so much barking and sniffing they have to do before they do their business...Snickers the biggest little barker, while Magic is always looking for ways to 'get out' and go visit his Black Lab girlfriend "Mag" first thing in the mornings...Magic gets in trouble when he does this in the mornings. Never a dull moment around here, even just waiting for the bus so early!

Get Kids Fishing Event!

2010-08-14T09:00:00.001-04:00

Mariah had so much fun learning how to fish out on the ocean today! We attended a new event that highlights getting our kids interested in the sport of fishing! Get Kids Fishing is the name of the organization that invited 100 Kids to go Fishing! See their new website at: Get Kids Fishing

There were two big boats that took over 100 kids and their parents out drift fishing for the day! This was such a great event and very well organized too! Chick-Filet provided the bag lunches and boy was their new chicken sandwich yummy!

Both Mariah and my son Mark enjoyed themselves so much out on the boat...the day was perfect! Hot but once we were underway and out in the ocean and could see the Fort Lauderdale skyline and beach from far away...it was the most amazing thing being out there enjoying ourselves! It was a perfect day for such a wonderful event, it was a great experience for all that went!

Thank you Captain Chase and "Get Kids Fishing" and all the Volunteers that made this event such a great success! We want to be out on the ocean more...more water...more perfect Florida sunshine...MORE FISHING for sure!

The Essence of a New Day!

2010-07-21T07:22:00.002-04:00

This is the beginning of a new day.

You have been given this day

to use as you will.

You can waste it or use it for good.

What you do today is important

because you are exchanging a day

of your life for it.

When tomorrow comes,

this day will be gone forever.

In its place is something,

that you have left behind...

Let it be something good...

Author Unknown

This little saying is

something I have used

as my inspiration

over the years,

now let me pass this on

to others to live by.

Have an Awesome Day!

Nancy Linley-Harris

FREE Slurpee today!!

2010-07-11T19:11:00.003-04:00

Today is 7 ELEVEN'S 83rd Birthday!
Mariah was in the right place at the
right time....she got the 1st piece of
7 ELEVEN Birthday Cake!! How exciting
can that be for a little Girl Scout that just
slept in the heat of July in Florida for the
weekend! She even had REFILLS on her
FREE SLURPEE....Life just can't be better!

Mariah going to Girl Scout Camp

2010-07-10T17:12:00.000-04:00

Mariah was so HaPpY to be going to her 2nd weekend sleep away Girl Scout Camp! This time it is FAR away from home!! It was an hour and a half drive north a couple of Counties away! Will be posting more pictures & small snippets of video's of her experience! Mariah will be 12 on September 26th, she seems to be telling everyone she meets that all she wants for her birthday is a BIG PARTY with LOTS of FRIENDS!
This picture was taken at check-in time and boy was it HOT!

She "worked at" Radio Station 109.1

2010-06-30T13:00:00.010-04:00

Today she "worked at" Radio Station 109.1FM QASP

She is having so much FUN attending this CAMP!!!!

Yesterday she worked at the NEWS Sun-Sentinel Paper!!

JA BizTown Summer CAMP http://www.jasouthflorida.org/

Only till Friday!...just a 5 day CAMP experience!! This is their

debut summer camp....and Mariah WAS THERE LEADING

the way for others!! WE LOVE THIS PLACE!!

Grocery Shopping is a FUN Adventure!!!

2010-06-26T14:26:00.085-04:00

Summer is here.....NO ALARM CLOCKS SET for us to GET UP! That's the BEST THING about Summer for us right now! With no real schedule to follow we can make it up as we go along. Of course doing FUN THINGS TOGETHER is the most important plan of the day. Today we just putz'd around doing whatever we wanted. Mariah really wants to see the newest Toy Story 3 movie, she has seen all the commercials and now all the store flyers are advertising everything that has to do with Toy Story 3, how can anyone not want to go see this movie right now! We decide on going to Blockbuster to see what they have and of course she has her heart set on getting and seeing Toy Story 3 today! I hope she gets lucky with this one, we will see....

OMGoodness she was so THRILLED to see this on the shelf! She got lucky, it was the last one available! She has 5 days to completely get into this Wii game and do all the levels...she is in Toy Story Heaven right now!! Oh the little things that make our Children so very HaPpPpY!!! Thank you Blockbuster for having this one last copy for rent when we walked in the other day!

We also needed to go grocery shopping and pick up some cat food, so off to our newly remodeled neighborhood Winn-Dixie grocery store! This place has had a transformation face-lift and now looks like a brand new store. They completely remodeled the place, put down new flooring, put laminate wood flooring in the Fresh Produce Department. They closed up the old entrance doors and created new front doors and a concrete ramp and new sidewalk! All the store isles and displays are neat and clean as a pin, everything is new and completely different! There are a few employees that 'fuss over' Mariah when she's there. Mariah loves to shop and help me make the decisions on what items to buy. She helps me with making my lists before we leave the house, so both of us can remember the items we went there in the first place to pick up.

We needed 'cat food' today mostly and ok so while we were there, we picked up way more than just cat food...ha..bet ya haven't done that...gone for just one little item and filled up the cart with all those 'other things' you found you needed as well. We just had to get some green peppers and carrots for her 3 Guinea Pigs ~ Snuggles, Puff n Fluffy so we went over to the new and improved absolutely beautiful FRESH PRODUCE department! This is thee place to get our GREENS! She helps me decide what and how many and weighing out how much. She loves helping me with weighing and putting things into those so flimsy thin plastic produce bags that are so gosh darn hard to open up! She 'can do it' she says! So she does that for me...gladly! I love it when she takes over something and owns it!

I was watching her push her shopping cart and looked so grown up today that I just had to take pictures of her while shopping in Winn-Dixie! She is truly growing up to be such a beautiful person not just being 'cute' on the outside but on the inside too she is truly amazing! She is so helpful and kind...patient and understanding, a sweet soul for sure! She wants to do it all and be part of everything and anything. She enjoys going shopping so much that just going to pick up something simple becomes an exciting adventure to her! She loves the whole process of going grocery shopping and bringing home food!

She unloads the cart at the check out, this is one of her favorite things to help me with. For years she has been the one that when I get to the check out, she does it all. I keep a close eye on my 'eggs and soft breads' or the chips so they don't go first and get crushed or smashed in the process. Lifting the heavy items from the bottom of the cart, any physical therapist will tell you it's all great PT & OT skills she is doing! She can't wait till she has her own debit/credit card one day. She asks to sign all the time, so she can be in charge of 'charging' and putting in her pin #. The time will come soon when she will do all the shopping by herself and will use the card swipper machine on her own! Isn't that what being independent is all about? I am teaching her everyday LIFE SKILLS by involving her in everything I do. The things she herself will need to know how to do to make it on her own. Isn't that what the goal is for any parent, to help teach their children to take care of themselves and be independent? That our babies grow up to take care of themselves....and others? There is not a doubt in my mind that my little girl is going to one day be happy to live in her own apartment or house with someone that will enjoy having her as their roomate/housemate as much as I enjoy being around her! She is a joy!

The helpful spirit that she has in wanting to be so grown up lately amazes me. She wants to push the grocery cart throughout the store, she wants to help me pick all the different food items and decide what to make for dinner. She enjoys cooking and of course making and baking cakes and 'goodies' in the oven! When we were all done shopping, she stands so much taller as she pushes the cart out to our car. She wants to help me put all the bags into the trunk and then take the cart back to the proper place. When it's getting dark out, this will be the time when I tell her about danger and strangers and to always be looking around herself when it's dark out and to "beware" of bad people that may want to hurt us or take our things. I am always finding ways to 'teach her about' things that aren't always so easy to talk about or read about in a school book at school. She is so trusting and kind that she wouldn't recognize a bad person even if they were standing right there helping her empty her own grocery cart at the check out counter line...there are no bad people in her eyes! We have talks in the car about what would she do if someone tried to take her or hurt her. She tells me some of her ideas on how she is going to protect herself and I can only imagine how helpless she would really be, because she wouldn't be able to be so quick and strong to fight back like she tells me she would. I worry about my sweet little princess....there ARE bad people out there...I just pray a hedge of protection around her everyday that she will only bring out goodness in people and people treat her with respect and are nice to her and that she is forever safe in this world! *A mother's prayer!

Wow....how did I end up going there??....ok back to the GROCERIES!! On the way home she had the sweetest look on her face....she was so HaPpPy to be my momma's helper at the grocery store AND she was very excited to be able to go home and play that new Toy Story 3 Wii game for days! Ahhh Summertime and no school!!

She took my front door keys and unlocked the door and started helping me take in all the grocery bags out from the car. She gladly helps me going back and forth outside to pick up a few more bags to bring inside. All the grocery bags were on the counter, I went to let the dogs out and asked her to take everything out of the bags and put the things on the counter. I came back in the house and to my delight and surprise....she had put ALL of the groceries away...by herself! Everything was put in the exact correct place, the things that belonged in the fridge were in the fridge, her low calorie fruit cups and jello she had put neatly on the bottom shelf of the fridge so she could reach them. We bought some goodies to pack for her lunches this week, because she starts her CAMP this week! So she was extra happy that we bought some goodies just for her lunches. The laundry soap and floor cleaner she put in the laundry room, the sandwich bags went in the proper drawer....everything was put away, done, finished, and the kitchen counter actually looked liked she had wiped them clean. ALL my groceries were put away and my kitchen was cleaned!!!! WOW...what more could a mom ask for? She is wonderfully and perfectly made...she is beautiful inside and out! Gosh I love her so much!!

Thank you Mariah for the person you are the beautiful young lady you are becoming! I am blessed!

Where is Miss "M"?

2010-06-16T18:16:00.001-04:00

Where is Miss "M"?

Scrambled eggs all by herself!

2010-06-14T11:00:00.048-04:00

She made scrambled eggs & toast for us this morning..ALL by herself!

She cracked 4 eggs into a bowl first and then looked like she enjoyed herself 'mixing the eggs' for some time...so the eggs were very FLUFFY!!!
I video'd her without her knowing that I was watching her!!

She did all the right things! .....and they tasted great too!!

I am so proud of her! She's got it!!

*I'll be posting my lil video soon.

Daddy I made Brownies for you!

2010-06-06T22:20:00.000-04:00

Daddy...I made Brownies for you!
Low calories too! I Love you daddy!

Memorial Day Cake 2010

2010-05-31T18:00:00.034-04:00

321 Designer Cakes
by Mariah Harris

"Memorial Day Cake 2010"

I was outside this morning having my cup of coffee, I came into the house with Mariah making a CAKE ALL BY HERSELF!!! She had the 3 eggs cracked and sitting on top of the powdered cake mix...she put a little of this and a lil of that...(water & oil)---she used a regular drinking cup...not a measuring cup....while she was stirring I thought...so what the heck I'll have her put a vanilla pudding in there too!!!! She poured it into the cake pan when I walked out of the room for a second just to plug in my cell phone.....guess we are having a MEMORIAL DAY CAKE TODAY!!! Yummmm??!!?? (will keep u posted on how it turned out! lololol!!!!) -This is what I posted on my facebook today.

This is the end result of that cake! This was Mariah's first time opening, and mixing to make this cake all by herself! Together her and I cut up the strawberries and the bannana and put on the blueberries to give her Memorial Day Cake 2010 the finishing touches! It WAS yummy!!!

Mom surprised me at lunch!

2010-05-15T01:00:00.000-04:00

Mom surprised me the other day at school and had lunch with me outside on the picnic tables at school. It was such a pretty day with a nice breeze! With all the budget cuts in our school district my mom thought it would be a good idea for me to wear my ART CLUB T-shirt to remind everyone that ART is important to me and my friends! Please keep Art, Music and PE in my school because my friends and I love music, painting, drawing, being creative and I absolutely love going to PE because Mrs. Carter is one of my favorite teachers at my school. With all the budget cuts happening at my school and in my school district I am going to miss out on learning THE FUN STUFF!

Being a HOST FAMILY ~ doing a small good deed

2010-05-01T09:00:00.013-04:00

Our family was BLESSED & HONORED just for doing a small 'good deed' for this family! We absolutely would do this again...being a HOST FAMILY was truly an honor!

To see this little guys progress and to learn about others that need our prayers see their website. Also to know more about becoming a HOST FAMILY visit the blog of The Medical Advocacy Team http://www.medicaladvocacyteam.com/

Local foursome shines in equestrian competition - Sun Sentinel 4/11/10

2010-04-25T16:31:00.001-04:00

Local foursome shines in equestrian competition - Sun Sentinel 4/11/10

Here is one of two newspaper articles that came out the day Mariah won her 2 ribbons at the Regional Special Olympics in Fort Pierce, Florida. I didn't even know she made the paper that day till a week later!! I am still trying to find it online all the pictures that were included with the article. It showed one of her sitting on top of her horse!

Torin on TV "The Dr's" show!! POSITIVE MESSAGE!!

2010-04-20T16:20:00.002-04:00

Did you know one of the Dr's on the show has a younger 19 year old brother with Down syndrome? This video clip is of little 2 year old Torin and it has a GREAT MESSAGE! I especially love what his teacher asked his classmates to do at the end of the school year! EVERY TEACHER SHOULD DO THIS.....I'm sure there will be more positive than negative about having a classmate with Down syndrome! How many snippets of stories like this before everyone...gets it? It's basically simple.....

Huggin Puff

2010-04-18T10:00:00.001-04:00

Mariah loves taking care of and playing with her Guinea pigs. Snuggles, Puff & Fluffy. They all require a hand-out from the fridge a couple of times a day. Mariah wants to be a Vet Tech one day and so cares for our pets like she is either a trainer or a vet tech. She is really great with all sorts of animals and it seems she has a 'pet whisperer' sense when around most animals. I haven't met a pet she doesn't like other than snakes, she says she doesn't want to work with snakes! ....me either!!

Putting together her Science project

2010-04-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

Takin her Blue Ribbon to school...

2010-04-07T11:00:00.000-04:00

Mariah her first day going back to school from Spring break wanted to show everyone at school her 1st Place Blue Ribbon WIN...so she wore her ribbon to school! Very PROUD girl here!! Mariah liked this picture with our dog Magic in the background too! He is always on 'high alert'!

New Bike for Easter!!

2010-04-04T01:00:00.005-04:00

Today Mariah got a brand new bike! She WON one at the 321 Bike 4 DS event, it was too small for her, so we exchanged it today at Toys R Us! She picked out a real pretty PEARL PINK 20" that says; Makin Wavz on it. She and I had so much fun shopping at Toys R Us today! She was so HaPpY when she was walking out of the store with her NEW BIKE! It doesn't have training wheels, but I bought this nifty handle that attaches to the back wheel so I can run along to help her with balancing and for me to get my exercise!!!! PUFF PUFF!!!!! Mariah is one HaPpY Easter girl today!! Very pretty bike!!
HaPpPpPpY EASTER Angel girl Mariah!! (Thank you Guy for the raffled bikes you provided at our 321 Bike 4 DS event!!)

April Fools Day & Tulips bloomin!!

2010-04-01T14:00:00.001-04:00

April 1st is one of my most FAVORITE DAYS OF THE YEAR!! My dad was the best at pullin off a good April Fools joke!! He was the one that ALWAYS GOT YA and you knew he was good at gettin ya everytime! I miss you daddy!!!!!!!! I didn't have anyone to pull a good April Fools joke on me this year...so I bought me some Tulips at the grocery store today to cheer me up! Nothing signifies Spring better than some pretty tulips blooming...so here are MY tulips to share with you and to make me smile, because I am missing my dad! Next year I will have the BEST April Fools joke to pull on somebody AND buy some more Tulips too!!!

"Beautiful People (Part 1)" by Jane B. Schulz

2010-03-30T20:00:00.001-04:00

Meet my friend Jane & her son Billy! I just love her
"Beautiful People (Part 1)" CLICK that to read what my friend Jane has to say about Beautiful People!

Mariah WINS 1st Place!

2010-03-27T23:00:00.000-04:00

Mariah WINS 1st Place!

Her first time riding

ENGLISH EQUITATION WALK / TROT

in our Area 10 regional Special Olympics games!

I sure am proud of my little girl!

DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE!

Mariah now has the opportunity to attend the STATE competetion games in Tampa on May 21-22nd. This is Broward Special Olympics Equestrian very first time being part of regional or state competions, so this is a very big deal for Broward!

I am very proud of how much the Horses and the Handicapped Program has helped Mariah progress to the level of rider that she has become today. Many wonderful people have helped Mariah become the confident rider that she is today. So many thank you's to all the Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist and of course to her Fantastic Riding Instructors that have taught her well over the years!

*Sandy, Maria, Cindy, Lisa, Christina*

THANK YOU!!!!

A Special Thank you goes out to Sandy at Project Stable for allowing my little 2 year old daughter to even start riding 'under age' in her riding program that I was a VOLUNTEER SIDE WALKER for! Sandy, you and I both knew back then that Mariah was a natural on the horse! She has been riding every week since then and has been part of several different riding programs. Project Stable being her first experience working with different OT & PT's while riding a horse. Then she attended Bit-by-Bit Riding Stables working with Cindy who provided Mariah will all sorts of wonderful experiences washing and grooming horses at a young age. She loved learning to write her name on the sides of the horses in the shampoo suds and in the dust on the tack boxes back then. Using the hose handle to wash and rinse down the horse was a simple and easy way for her to gain strength in her hands for learning how to write. Cindy, Mariah's time with you and your girls at Bit-by-Bit was so much fun and with many great memories.

Mariah's name was finally picked to be with the Horse and the Handicapped program. She had been on a waitlist for 4 years and some slots were opened during a summer camp program. This is where she has been riding for the past 4 maybe close to 5 years now. She has been riding with the same girlfriends, Caroline and Sammy each week this entire time and it has been a pleasure to see and watch them both grow in their skills as well! The parent support from week to week is another big aspect of being part of a riding program too.

It has been a wonderful journey that Mariah has taken me on with her horse riding adventures. Getting to the ranch on time each week is my biggest challenge of course, but that is all part of the committement to the sport and of course to my daughter. I am just the 'limo driver' for all the activities I have my daughter active and involved in. If I want my daughter to do well in life I have to provide for her lots of opportunities to grow and riding a horse each week has always been one of the wonderful perks to an otherwise hectic, stressful, too much to do life of raising a child with Down syndrome. Mariah is alot of FUN to be with and taking her to her riding lessons over the years has only strengthened our bond as mother and daughter!

Mariah, you are my life and I am so very proud of you!

Excited for her turn in the ring!

2010-03-27T22:30:00.000-04:00

Mariah was so calm and READY for her turn in the ring to show everyone how well she is at riding English style! This was her horse, Devin. She has been training on STAR for years, but Devin was her show horse for her very first English Equitation Walk/Trot. Devin was a great horse for her today!

Thank you to all those that made this DREAM COME TRUE day for Mariah and 'me'....that includes the driver of the truck that drove the 2 horses up to Fort Pierce to the ranch where the REGIONAL SPECIAL OLYMPIC Games were held. Thank you to all those at HORSES AND THE HANDICAPPED that have done all they can to make sure Broward County now has a Special Olympics Team. Thank you Mandy, Christina, Molly and all the bizillion VOLUNTEERS that come out to H&H Ranch each week to make our weekly riding lessons so much fun!

Thank you thank you thank you everyone that has made Broward Special Olympics a reality for me!...and Mariah too of course!

Virtual Learning Connections Spring Fever Alert

2010-03-24T16:00:00.000-04:00

Spring is in the air...summer is around the corner. Computer learning is an option! FLVS=Florida Virtual School has partnered with National Connections Academy for the ELEMENTARY ONLINE VIRTUAL SCHOOL Program. You can sign up as a FULL-TIME Public School Student or as a PRIVATE PAY and just sign up for whatever courses you want to supplement your Child's education with. I am looking into all options and possibilities for helping my daughter get a quality education! She loves the computer and now that the Elementary level grades are now able to do VIRTUAL SCHOOLING...everything is worth looking into! Enjoy the Virtual Learning Connections BLOG!

Click words below here for direct link to BLOG story:
Virtual Learning Connections Spring Fever Alert

Blogger Kelle Hampton Touches World With Story of Down Syndrome - ParentDish

2010-03-14T23:00:00.000-04:00

Beautiful story...beautiful photography....beautiful children....perfect new baby...with Down syndrome! Take a peek and enjoy this beautiful blog by Kelle Hampton as she invites the world to see, know and feel the feelings and emotions as she learns of the news that her baby has Down syndrome. Click on the words below to go directly to Kelle's blog. Subscribe to her blog and ENJOY!!

Blogger Kelle Hampton Touches World With Story of Down Syndrome - ParentDish

321 Bike 4 DS event info & New LOGO

2010-03-10T06:30:00.001-05:00

321 Bike 4 DS New LOGO
by Mark Harris

Finally have our NEW LOGO for our Annual Membership Drive and Fundraiser 321 Bike 4 DS Event being held on 3.21.10 WORLD DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS DAY.
*3 of the 21st Chromosome is Down syndrome!

321 BIKE 4 DS
DEBUT FUNDRAISER EVENT this year will be held at:
Heritage Park across from DUCK POND on Peters Rd. & Fig Tree Lane Plantation, Florida
$1.50 per person for Park entrance.
Annual Membership drive ~fees are:
Family membership- $20 per year
Single membership- $10 per year.
Pizza Soda Chips & Special CAKE- $5 fundraiser donation
Decorated Bike Contest + Food- $5 fundraiser donation

This is our FIRST ANNUAL PODS Angels ~ A Support Group for Down syndrome 321 Bike 4 DS Annual Membership Drive and Fundraiser Event.

Our mission is to raise awareness on World Down Syndrome Day about Down syndrome and partner with community supports and resources like Bike Safety Awareness, Parent Support groups, Disability & Advocacy Training Resources, Inclusion Awareness and its benefits at home, school and community by participating in different community programs and clubs like the 4H, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America, Project Stable and many other community programs.

Mark your calendars and plan to attend! Bring the family and invite some friends. Come out and be supportive of your friends and neighbors who are raising children with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities.

Bring your BIKES/TRIKES/TANDEMS/RECUMBENT/STROLLERS/WHEELCHAIRS/ANYTHING WITH WHEELS and participate in what we are calling our 321 Bike 4 DS DECORATED BIKE CONTEST!

WHAT TO BRING:
Bring to the park for our BIKE DECORATION Party all your fancy bike decoration items as this will be one of things families will be doing together. Bring your own roll of scotch tape, pom-poms, streamers, decorative ribbons, pack of playing cards and close pins, just about anything you can think of to decorate your 'wheels' for our FUNDRAISER DECORATED BIKE CONTEST!

*If you have surplus art supplies that could be used as BIKE DECORATIONS & ITEMS TO SHARE ~ ANY DONATED BIKE DECORATION ITEMS will be greatly appreciated!

Vendors this year so far will be:
BUDDY BIKE - Tandem demonstrations and bike rides
Antique Fire Truck - will be providing rides
TRIKE SHOPPE, LLC - Trike and information on Recumbent Tandem Custom Bikes
Plantation Police Department - Bike Safety Awareness
(free give-away items)
Know someone that would like to participate that promotes fitness and bicycling? Tell them to contact us!

RSVP via email if you are making plans to attend at:
podsangels@bellsouth.net

See you on Sunday March 21st, 2010
Heritage Park across from Duck Pond in Plantation
on the corner of Peters Rd. & Fig Tree Lane

Volunteer opportunities available
Any Donations of ICE, Food & Drink items accepted.

Thank you & See you on 3.21.10!

Nancy Harris
Executive Director & Founder
Mary Pringle
President
PODS Angels ~ A Support Group for Down syndrome
(954) 612-2997
www.podsangels.org
podsangels@bellsouth.net
SWFL PODS Angels Parent Group is a 501(c)(3)Non Profit

Dreams of FCAT dancing in her head!

2010-03-08T21:30:00.004-05:00

She was rushed to her tutoring and whizzed through her Girl Scouts, she ate a good dinner and was hurried off to dreamland...with FCAT testing dancing in her head the entire time. She is ready as ready can be for a test that would make any little 11 year old queez!

Time to pray for our children, that they do well on this testing and it shows a good snap-shot of their abilities for 'that day'. Extra prayers for our teachers devoted to their work to help our little ones be all they can be. Thank you each one of you that have helped my child....understand all the concepts and things she will need to know to do well in life and of course on Florida's FCAT test!

Today and the rest of this week is going to be a GREAT WEEK!

Thank you for teaching my daughter!

God Bless each of you!

Life of a Child

2010-03-02T23:00:00.003-05:00

One hundred years from now
it will not matter what my bank account was,
the sort of house I lived in,
or the kind of car I drove...

...But the world may be
a little better, because I was important
in the life of a Child

Dance Showcase ~ New song ~ New outfit!

2010-03-01T12:00:00.002-05:00

Mariah Harris with DANCE COMPANY 1st showcase ~ New song & New outfit at our live rehearsal on stage for our parents. This is Mariah dancing at the Hollywood Performing Arts Center in Hollywood, Florida. She loves dancing and the friends she has made thru being part of DANCE EXPLOSIONS - Miss Lori's Dance School. THANK YOU for helping Mariah be all she can be! She loves the stage and performing!

Mariah is going for the GOLD!

2010-02-25T19:00:00.016-05:00

Mariah has been riding horses since she was a little iddy bitty 2 year old and her legs barely made it over the side of the horse saddle! She is now 11 years old, she's been riding every week for the past 9 years! She earned a FIRST PLACE BLUE RIBBON for her age group at Browards First Equestrian Special Olympics back in November 2009! She is going to REGIONAL in April!! I am so very proud of her and excited for this next "Holland" adventure to be able to go on with her!

Mariah is going to REGIONAL Special Olympics! Mariah is going for the GOLD!

Regional games will be held on April 10th in St. Lucie County

State games will be held: May 21-22, 2010 Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa

Visit Special Olympics website and donate to a great organization!
http://www.specialolympics.org/

Broward Special Olympics website: http://www.specialolympicsbroward.org/home

Broward Special Olympics Calendar of Events: http://www.specialolympicsbroward.org/calendar

Special Olympic Florida website: http://www.sofl.org/

Special Olympics VIDEO must see!
http://www.specialolympics.org/video.aspx?id=6441

Spelling City .com (click here)

2010-02-13T16:00:00.002-05:00

Beautiful Faces of Down syndrome!

2010-01-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

The book GIFTS ~ Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Have Enriched Their Lives

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS8VFHgSDDA

This project will introduce the world to a remarkable group of people. People living full lives, learning and achieving at an extraordinary level, contributing positively to society. People with Down syndrome. Because they wear their diagnosis on their faces, they are often prejudged, even ostracized. A beautifully crafted coffee table book of nearly 40 portraits and first person and family accounts entitled i have a voice, showcases their potential and humanity to open minds and change lives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPM3QGERFo8

This is an up coming Traveling Gallery, promoting Down syndrome awareness. Portrait photography by renown photographer Thomas Balsamo. A coffee table book is soon to follow designed by legendary Advertising Agency Bagby & Company. This film promotes awareness and the organization that brought this project to life, GiGi's Playhouse, a National Down Syndrome Awareness, non-for-profit organization. For more information, go to www.gigisplayhouse.org. All photographic images on this film are Copyright(c)2008 by Thomas Balsamo. This film Copyright(c)2008 by Mark Phillip Raff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_0K-gPlyb0

I'm Down With You

2010-01-10T21:10:00.001-05:00

I'm Down With You
http://www.imdownwithyou.com/
(you might want to turn off the SPEAKERS to my BLOG MUSIC that is at the very bottom of this blog if you want to hear just this video clips music...which I highly recommend you do...as the music on the video by Guru Ganesha Sing Khalsa is b e a u t i f u l to hear!!)