Up, Up, & Away..........

............but not with Down syndrome...............A few people have googled my blog & found it by typing in "away with Down syndrome".  I'm  not complaining - really, I really do appreciate that they care enough to look for my blog & read my thoughts, but I thought I should take this moment to explain what I meant when I titled my blog this way. 
 I don't want  to do away with Down syndrome, I want my daughter to be known as this awesome kid who, (as an afterthought) just happens to have Down syndrome.  I want people to realize that DS is really not the important part of who she is & I want people to realize that my daughter, & most people with DS are not the stereotypical person that many people picture in their minds when they hear that diagnosis.  And sometimes.......?  I just want to say "Look - my daughter can do (insert list here) that your "perfect" child can't."  OK, I'm ranting now, I know, but low expectations & stereotyping can be the worst enemy of a child with DS and I tend to get a little passionate about the subject.

As many of you who have been reading my blog realize, I have very  high expectations for my daughter.  Up, Up, & Away refers to the  fact that I feel the sky is the limit for her.  Only she can tell me if she will have any limitations in life.  At risk of being that Mom who has unrealistic expectations or can't accept reality, I will not accept any one's opinion about my daughter's future but her own.  She will show me what she can do in life and I have no doubt that one day, with my eyes filled with tears of joy, pride & a little sadness, I will wave goodbye to K as I did with her big sisters before her, as she heads out to live an independent life.

I have  no crystal ball, I could be wrong in my predictions, but I won't take the goal of a full & independent life or any other dreams away from her - it is not my right as a mother to do that, especially when the child I am talking about is only 4 years old.