Shake that Tush on the Catwalk

OK, for those of you who know me you know my youngest son has Down Syndrome. His story is for another day but this has been niggling at my brain since I saw the blog, so I decided I had to write it down. If you are a FB friend you cannot miss the cross posts I have been posting about www.noahsdad.com.
Noah has Down Syndrome, and apparently unlike me, they get the Sunday paper, complete with weekly ads. In the paper a couple weeks ago Target ran an ad that included a model with Down Syndrome. Take a minute and go to the following like and read it. http://noahsdad.com/target-down-syndrome/

As i read this I went back to when Colin was a little baby and I was getting an email or a mailer from Babies R Us, like every other day. Seriously, every other day. And as I looked at all the cute, smiling baby models I notice something, none of them had a "handicap." No DS babies, no babies wearing helmets, etc. It just reaffirmed to me that advertisers or the general public does not see "different" as "appealing" or "likely to induce a purchase." It saddened me. Babies and children with DS are SOOOO stinking cute! See..( i hope the photos added, not tech savvy like some people)

(smiling in his sleep)

And they get even CUTER the older they get ....

(his girlfriend has DS too!)

Now you cant tell me this kids aren't so precious they wouldn't sell oodles of what they we marketing, yet the rest of society hasn't had the privilege of knowing these kids. And if the trend keeps up of terminating pregnancies of mothers whose early test indicate an increased likelihood of DS (notice I said increased likely hood, as far as I know an amnio is the only way to tell with 100% accuracy) the DS population will soon decrease dramatically.

It is heartwarming to see that advertiser such as Nordstrom and Target have expanded their idea of beautiful and acceptable to include kids like mine. Colin makes me proud to be his mom every day and I wish there were more ways for me to showcase his talents, and he has them by the truckload. Come on modeling agencies, this is a challenge to you to start signing more models with disabilities. Make kids like Colin the norm in advertising not the exception. He is my light and I want him to shine.

If you are asked a question...ANSWER IT!!

So I work at a busy Veterinary practice. We have several doctors on staff and some people like to see certain doctors. I get that. Most of us try to determine before the client enters the door if they want to see someone in particular. However, sometimes one may slip through the cracks, or the owner forgets to mention etc etc. If the person asks us if they can see Dr X once they get in the hospital we check to see if that doctor has an appointment scheduled for them specifically, if not then they are more than welcome to see Dr X. Having said this, this is what went down today.

A lady comes in, checks in a dog they have had for a year, no medical or vaccine history to provide, not been  on any heart worm prevention, never had it tested for heart worms even thought they have had it for a YEAR ( I digress, another rant for another time), any way, check-in is completed, their chart is put in the que, they sit down to wait and I proceed to finish a conversation with a co-worker. A couple minutes pass and the lady comes up to the counter and asks if Dr X is there today? Dr X is here I say, let me check her schedule and see if she can see you. I proceed to determine the appointment in her column for the same time is not designated for her so I can technically have her see this woman's dog. I tell her Dr X can see "Fluffy" do you want to see her?

AT THIS POINT THERE SHOULD BE ONE OF TWO WORDS COMING FROM HER LIPS  a YES or NO.

Insteasd I get, "well we don't have to (then why did you ask), it's just we go to (insert any place a group of people may gather en masse) with Dr X and when she found out we had gotten a ABC breed dog/cat she said that was her FAVORITE and wah wah wah wah wah...

Seriously? I don't give a flying fuck whether you two were conjoined twins separated at birth. Do you want to see her or NOT? Do you know how often we hear how "WELL" so and so know Dr X, how you go to "whatever/where ever" together? Honestly I really don't care if you guys are all swingers JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!

Since the lady was not getting the hint, I got up, went over to the chart and made her Dr X's problem. After I got back I told her it was all done and she could see her best buddy. She was happy and resumed her seat.

Now don't assume I don't like people, I do, I just don't like wasting my time. And a five minute answer to a one second question is just stupid. So please, bear this in mind when you deal with people in a customer service setting, odds are they have other things to be doing and unless they ask you an open question that invites an elaborate answer, brevity is best. Thank you in advance.

The Title Says It All

So I like to write and I need to vent, a lot usually. My job is not focused on writing but I can guarantee it will provide ample fodder for posts. I thought about writing a "mommy" blog and then I almost choked on my own vomit. For those who do it, more power to you but that is not me. I LOVE People I want to punch in the throat, she writes like I think in my head. So i figured that may be more my speed. I am not saying I will never wax lyrical about my kids/family/dogs/fish etc, but if you want mushy go somewhere else. I am pretty much a genetically predisposed smart ass who tries to keep her oral filter on for most of the day. Some days it works better than others. But I plan on using this blog to enlighten the people who choose to read it to the wonder that is my daily life.

For instance, my mother and I went to the movies to see "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" this past weekend.I don't go out much, as a mom of 2 boys, one of which has Down Syndrome and who has a medical regimen that would do my deceased grandfather (who was a doctor) proud, it is just easier to not to have to explain it all to someone who is not familiar with the situation. Dad was off work that day so I relegated him to kid duty and decided to indulge in some "me" time. About midway through the movie my mother took out her phone to check the time. As she is unlocking it (yes my mother has pass coded her phone, like the dust bunnies in her purse are going to make calls to god knows who) some douche bag in the row behind us says in a loud voice "could you turn off your phone." Seriously? It was not like she was making calls, or playing a game or something. She was CHECKING THE TIME! Even if she had a watch on who can read those in the dark anyway? I almost said something when the movie was over, but my filter was working better that day, plus I try not to be a TOTAL bitch in front of my mom. However, this may sound bad, but if you have a handicapped kid you have to be able to use that to your advantage somehow right? So I have decided if I am ever in that situation again I will turn to said douche bag and say very "sweetly" Sir I have a handicapped child at home, and I am making sure the sitter is/was not trying to reach me. If you have a problem with me making sure my HANDICAPPED child is OK by glancing at my phone to make sure I did not miss a call, PLEASE let me know. Usually when you throw out the "H" word people feel like shit for whatever they did. Is my kid handicapped, yes. Is my kid extremely disabled, no, he can walk,play, breathe unassisted etc,  but speech is still a struggle for us. So in reality a sitter may need to get a hold of me if she could not understand my son. So, technically I would not be lying, just bending the truth to make an asshole deservedly feel like and ass hole. Match Point Movie Douche Bag!Why is it you always think of the best come backs a day later? Oh well, at least I am prepared if that ever happens again!