Because You Need to Buy Gifts for About 8 Million People.

Ya know what?  Raising a child with Down syndrome comes with challenges no one tells you about.

Like having a billion people (it went up between titling the post and making the graphic) to buy gifts for.

Ellie has....

Two physical education teachers
Two gymnastics teachers
One general education teacher
One classroom assistant
One special education teacher
One occupational therapist
One physical therapist
One speech and language therapist
One respite care provider
One regular babysitter
One art teacher
One music teacher
One Spanish teacher
One librarian


and a partridge in a pear tree.

Some of these people can get a card and candy and I can call it good.

But not all.

So here's my gift guide.  Many these products are Noonday Collection, which I'm an Independent Ambassador for.  Some are affiliate links.  Some are just awesome.

Teachers, classroom assistants and other people who get significant gifts.

Noonday Collection Flora Jewelry Roll

If you know they put up a tree, this garland is so fun!

Noonday Collection Festive Paper Bead Garland

And for the guys or those who aren't into jewelry and cute accessories?

Carmen's Chocolates has lots of goodies!


For those gifts you have to buy en masse?

The Clustered Bead Bracelet is $12.  One friend bought five.  Done.

Or the Funky Paper Bead Bracelet, for your funky service providers.

Sweet Heat Jams.... so fun!  (h/t Meriah!)

For your nanny or someone SUPER special.

This bag... Noonday Collection Great Escape Bag.

A really, really big gift card.

To make it super special, a photo book.


You know your providers.  And these gifts are great, but the BEST addition to any of them is a thank you note and something your child made them!
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{31 for 21} All About Ellie.

VIDEO!!!!  The Shine Box is basically an "about me" project Ellie is working on for school.

Shine box part 1

A video posted by Megan Landmeier (@meganlando) on Oct 12, 2016 at 4:46am PDT

Shine box part 2

A video posted by Megan Landmeier (@meganlando) on Oct 12, 2016 at 4:46am PDT

{31 for 21} School.

Ellie's Parent-Teacher Conference was Friday morning.  As she gets older, I'm sharing a bit less, but this is all stuff we share with her.  She sat in on most of the conference.

Some highlights/lowlights....

* Ellie is in the highest reading group.
* Ellie's writing has lots of room for improvement.
* Ellie's team is working to find a way for Ellie to show what she knows about spelling and sight words that is not strictly printing.
* The writing demands of the highest reading group are significantly above Ellie's ability, but her reading skills are on par with her peers.  Hence the point above.
* Math is harder than reading for Ellie.
* Friendships are forming between Ellie and her peers.
* Ellie is learning to nicely say "please let me do it myself," instead of knocking someone's hand away and yelling.
* Ellie is extroverted.
* Ellie knows everyone at school.
* In speech class, Ellie is demonstrating LOTS of personality.

KINDERGARTEN.

Dear Ellie,

You start Kindergarten in five days.  Your excitement level and anxiety level are both though the roof, although you'll only talk about the excitement.  We see the anxiety play out in ways only your parents know.  We will meet your teacher today, and I've been praying for him.  As a teacher, I can imagine that you are fun to have in class but not always easy!

You'll spend most of the school day with your typical peers.  This makes me so excited and so scared.  I want you to have good friends.  I want you to continue to love school.  As hard as your last day of preK was, I hope I again have to drag you away from friends, sad because school is over.  I'll take that over first-day tears any day.

You've done well with school so far.  You love it.  You talk about school every single day, and you have since your first day of school when you turned two and a half.  Kindergarten will be your fourth year in public school, so in some ways you have a big advantage.

I'm not worried about you being gone all day, although I think Caroline will be a little lost at first.  I'm not worried about you speaking up for yourself, other than concern you'll over-do it!  (Last night you told me you would be putting your teacher in time out.... again, praying for him!)  I'm not worried about you running off or getting lost.

I worry about you finding that quality group of friends, especially because you'll be at a different school from all your preK classmates.  I worry about you being away from your best buddy from school after three years together.  I think you'll miss him a lot.  I worry about you trying even when writing or math is hard, and I worry that you'll be overwhelmed with lots of kids and afraid to read in class or raise your hand.  

I worry a little bit about you being made fun of, but mostly I worry about you getting overlooked.

The only concern you've voiced is being away from some specific friends from preK.  I am so proud of how hard you've worked to communicate clearly, but I also know that there are things you don't have the words for or don't want to talk about.  I can tell you're worried about other things, too.  Transitions are hard for you.

But I also know YOU are ready to soar.  You walked into summer school without saying goodbye to me.  You know a few kids from summer school who will be at your school, and I hope in your class.  

Just over five years since your heart was repaired, you're starting "real" school.  My current concerns seem so little when I remember that tiny baby in a hospital bed about five years ago!  

Lately we've been fundraising for your Buddy Walk team, which benefits our local Down syndrome group.  We raised enough to get a sign with your picture on it.  The signs all say "I am ____."  I asked you what your sign you say and you confidently yelled, "I AM SO BRAVE!!!!"

You're going to do great.  I'm sure there will be bumps along the road, because there are for any kid starting kindergarten.  I love you.  I have a feeling you'll bounce into school Tuesday while your mommy sheds a little tear or two.  (And we'll see how Daddy does!)

I love you, Ellie.  Be kind.  Enjoy learning.  Have fun.  And please try to listen.

A photo posted by Megan Landmeier (@meganlando) on Aug 31, 2016 at 1:44pm PDT

A photo posted by Megan Landmeier (@meganlando) on Aug 31, 2016 at 12:21pm PDT

A photo posted by Megan Landmeier (@meganlando) on Aug 26, 2016 at 7:13am PDT