Bowling!

Beth is on the Mukilteo Pin Busters bowling team with Special Olympics. They bowl once a week, then the tournament begins in November. This is Beth last year, with her longest and dearest friend, Miranda. They've known each other for about 20 years! GO Pin Busters!!!!!!!

Beth is....

Beth is... shy.
Beth is... usually content.
Beth is... funny. We were at a restuarant when another family was ushered by our table on the way to their own. The daughter was wearing a short blouse which showed her belly button ring. After they passed, Beth looked at us and exclaimed, "THAT'S gotta hurt!"
Beth preferes to drink with a straw.
Beth's favorite activity is bowling.
Beth drinks approximately 1/2 gallon of milk a day.
Beth does not like chocolate milk.
Beth loves to sing. Especially musicals.
Beth has 4 Special Olympic medals; 2 Bronze, 1 Silver and 1 Gold.
Beth refers to any buffet restaurant as Pass The Plate.
Beth's favorite Jonahs Brother is Nick and she literally sobs when she sees him on TV with another girl. :(
Beth has driven a car... once, about 30 yards in an empty parkinglot.
Beth always gets the #11 meal at McDonalds.
Beth's favorite ice cream is Mint Chocolate Chip.
Beth calls her dad Dude. He calls her Dudette.

Plan B

Our 'Lights Out' plan didn't work. Beth continued to stay up late and refused to wake up each morning. Diana took this picture of Beth at about 8 PM on Sunday night. She is sound asleep! She woke up while I was cleaning off her bed. She sat up just long enough to put on her pajamas, which she did very slowly and literally with her eyes shut. :) Within a few minutes she was under the covers. I set her alarm for work the next day; it was set for 10:30 but I expected she would be awake long before that. I was wrong. She was still asleep when I got home for lunch at 11:30!! She had slept for more than 15 hours!

That night we made a new rule: TV off at 10:00. Music and lights off at 11:00. So far it's working well.

Big Yellow Bus

The dress Beth wore at her second birthday party was only a size 18 months. That made it all the more difficult to send her off to school just a few weeks later. She was so small compared to that big, yellow school bus! That first morning was harder than we expected. I dressed her in a pale pink dress and she 'helped' us fill her bag with all the things she might need away from home; change of clothes, a snack. As we stood at the curb, Chuck and I watched this tiny person as she nervously waited for the bus. I was picking her up to get one more hug when that bus came around the corner. I could barely hold her as she wiggled with excitement! When those double doors popped open, I put her on the top step and the bus driver helped her into the big, leather seat. Her face barely showed over the bottom of the window and we could tell she was straining her neck to see us as the bus pulled away. We smiled bravely! And we waved! And the tears began to flow.... and all too soon, the bus was out of sight.

Beth started riding the bus to school when she was only two years old. She had been working with a physical therapist in our home almost from birth. When she turned two they knew she would receive more stimulation in a classroom setting. In the world of special needs, you attend the school where the special ed teachers are. So every morning, Beth climbed aboard a school bus that took her to Sevick School a few miles from our home. Throughout her academic career, she attended more than 8 different schools.

We were so grateful that she attended Edmonds-Woodway her last three years of high school and got to graduate with her class, the Class of 2004. She told us that the best part was wearing her cap and gown! Just as they had 21 years earlier, the tears stung my face but this time with memories and joy I couldn't possibly describe!

Prize Photos at the Fair

Beth participates in All Aboard. They are a group of young adults, all with special needs, who get together each week to bowl, sing and just hang out. I'll give more details about All Aboard in another post.

Beth takes an art class with them and each year Gene, the founder and director, enters their work in the Evergreen State Fair! We visited there today and found Beth's two art projects. She earned a 'Special Recognition' blue ribbon sticker for both! It was exciting to see her pictures among all those entered at the fair.

We're getting there!

Monday night did not go well. She was still awake at midnight but that might have been my fault for not being more specific. See, she was in bed and the lights were out, but she was sitting up with headphones on, listening to music. Tuesday morning she turned off her alarm and went back to sleep!

Tuesday night was better. She got ready for bed at a more reasonable hour, but was not a happy camper when I took away her CD player. However, Wednesday morning she turned off her alarm and started getting ready for her day!! Woo hoo!

Again last night she didn't want to go to sleep. However, this morning when that alarm began to buzz, she got up on her own, and immediately got ready for work! Success!!

Tomorrow is her day off and I've told her she can stay up as late as she wants, so I fully expect to do this routine again Sunday night. But for now, I think we're breaking this late night habit!