2019-20 School Photos

Here they are!!

Making Google Better

The future is voice-first, but not for everyone. Because of their unique speech patterns, voice technology doesn’t always understand people with Down syndrome. Project Understood is ensuring the future of voice technology includes people with Down syndrome. The Canadian Down Syndrome Society is working with Google to collect voice samples from the adult Down syndrome community to create a database that can help train Google's technology to better understand people with Down syndrome. The more voice samples we have, the more likely Google will be able to eventually improve speech recognition for everyone.

Project Understood

Teaching Google to understand people with Down syndrome, one voice at a time. 

Halloween 2019

Nora was “Mal,” from Disney’s The Descendants and Hannah was her favorite song, Baby Shark : ) 

The weather was typical Ohio: plummeted to 37˚ and blustery. 

Tim ventured out with the girls next door. Hannah received one piece of candy and amid the barking dogs and cold, said “Home!” Thankfully the neighbors were meeting up to trick-or-treat and took Nora with them. 

We didn’t see Nora until 7pm when she came to dump her bucket, put on a winter coat and go back out - !! She came home at 7:30pm with another full bucket. This child used to last five houses the past five years. We are ruined! Now she knows the haul she can really get if she stays out! 

Haha!

Annual Farm Trip

Our annual trip to the local farm, Shaw Farm, was quite nice. Finally cooled off and we went at 9:30 on a Sunday when the crowd was low. 

We ran into the girls’ little friend, Ruby, from the past babysitter. 

We love our spooky hayride every year!

Viral Stories

Down syndrome Awareness:

Look.

I don’t need my daughter to be Homecoming Royalty or an “honorary member” of a sports team or squad. Viral stories are a blip in what matters in the long run. My child shouldn’t be a charity act for another typical child. 

Obviously I can’t speak for the families whose students are “honored” in these viral stories - I’m certain it’s still a great feeling to see care for our kids - But I do want to know what happens the following week: Are students eating lunch with the girl with Down syndrome? Are students inviting the boy with autism to their sleepover or birthday party? THOSE are the events that truly matter.

Kindness is not a 1-and-done action.

I would rather my daughter have daily, meaningful moments of GENUINE friendship and inclusion than one big gesture that gets thousands of “Likes” and “Shares.”

Inclusion is not just for special occasions. Be kind and inclusive ALL the time.

Hannah’s Birthday Invite

Hannah had her first birthday party invite on Saturday that wasn’t a “whole class” invite. I was SO touched. The Mom said Birthday Girl asked to invite Hannah first. The Birthday Girl was SO sweet with Hannah; taking her hand, playing with her, telling her to sit next to her… it made me feel so LIGHT. The Mom and Grandmother knew Hannah and were so accommodating and lovely to Hannah, even when she was hesitant to sit, take a photo, or shy away from the high schooler dressed in a shark costume : D 

I’m thankful for sweet new friends. 

I’m also thankful we showed up halfway through when all the kids were exiting the pool so I didn’t have to get in with Hannah 😆

*Disclaimer: I was behind the phones making silly faces so Hannah would participate.

Sandwich Hag

My sister passed this story on to me - what a great duo! I wish Reyna Duong success in getting some Texas policy change for her brother’s ability to work! And I really want a banh mi!

Vietnamese Sandwich Shop Teaches Dallas How To Hire Differently

Shia LaBeouf on costar Zack Gottsagen:

This is an incredibly sweet interview with the stars of Peanut Butter Falcon, Shia LaBeouf and Zack Gottsagen. (4 minutes)

*Of note - in the UK, they use the term “Down’s syndrome” instead of the North American “Down syndrome.”

Shia and Zack

Invitations For Hannah

It’s hard as a working parent to get involved at school, let alone preschool – Mother’s Day program at 11am? I can’t! I don’t know many other kids or families and Hannah can’t communicate who her friends are. 

Then two rainbows popped up a couple weeks ago. 

First, a Mom reached out to me asking if I was Hannah’s Mom. Her daughter talks about playing with Hannah at school. The Mom suggested we make a playdate and I thanked her - what a big deal for us! Preschoolers do not see differences. 

Then the same week, Hannah received a birthday invitation - except this wasn’t an entire-class-invite. There were only two other kids invited. I had to message the Mother to even confirm that her daughter went to Milford preschool! The Mom told me her daughter named Hannah as her first friend she wanted to invite 💕


Now, this birthday party overlaps Ballet Moves and it’s at our swim school, so that means I have to put on a bathing suit to attend Hannah in the water. Normally I wouldn’t have even accepted this invite, but because Hannah was specifically asked among two other children, I’m going to pony up because this means a lot. 

I walked Hannah in to Extended Day after her eye appt this morning and everyone chimed “Hannah!!! as if she were Norm at Cheers. It always makes my heart swell. 

1:59 Marathon --> Down syndrome

For avid runners, we know “typical” marathons average around 4 1/2 hours - at a 10 minute pace.

When I ran the Flying Pig half marathon in 2013, I finished in about 2 hours and 20 minutes. As I came down the final half mile with the finish line in sight, the crowd cheering grew enormously. On my left in the marathon chute, the winner of the full marathon was passing me. It was surreal and super cool. He ran a full marathon in the time it takes me to run half that distance. Mindblowing. 

As time has gone on, marathoners have been inching closer and closer to breaking under two hours for a full marathon. It just happened last week. 

Nike has funded and trained a small trio of elite men (all from African countries) since 2014 to attempt this record. 

What most people don’t see are the scientists and engineers behind the scenes. Robby Ketchell is a performance scientist and a long distance runner. He also has an 18-month old son with Down syndrome. 

Robby is also virally famous for a photo taken of him carrying his son over the finish line of the 2018 NYC marathon. 

So proud of Robby and his connecting two of my loves: Running + Down syndrome! Keep up the advocacy, Robby!