Look how far we've come

This evening we had friends over for dinner (a pretty yummy one if I do say so myself) to celebrate Riley and Elizabeth's birthday,  yet again.  They share the same birthday and are just a year a part.  They had fun playing together and are so fun to watch.  The house was busy with the kids playing but now that our friends have gone home and the kids have had baths and are tucked snug in bed I have a few quite moments.  It's crazy to think back to when we first met Nathan and Rebecca. 

Riley had just started at the Guild school and we were still like deer in the headlights when it came to having a son with Down syndrome.  At the time Riley started at the Guild school there was a huge influx in kiddos with Ds and they organized a little meeting at the school so the parents could meet and then organize and exchange information as we wanted.  There were some really nice families there but I've joked about how it was like a bit of a interview to see if we wanted to be friends.  At the time I really really wanted to meet another working mom since the only people I had talked to really had made me feel like I was a bad mom if I continued to work.  Rebecca was the only other mom in the room that worked and I new I wanted to get to know her.  We had all shared emails and I stepped way out of my confort zone and email Rebecca to see if she wanted to get together and let the kids "play" .  I use the word play losely since Riley was about 11 weeks old and pretty much a lump and little Elliot was 3 and had open heart surgery about a month before.  These two weren't going to play much but I badly needed to meet another mom.  We emailed a bit and decided that we weren't too creepy for the other :-)  That first day we got together I brought Rex with me and we headed off to play not really knowing what to expect.  Rebecca and I hit it off but I was still totally overwhelmed.  Elliot has some major health issues and I remember watching Rebecca feed him through his gtube and wondering what Rex would think of the whole situation.  After we left I had asked Rex if he had fun.  He says to me "ya Elliot is a funny boy.  I love it when he *insert rasberry noice* at you.  Not a word about the feeding just loved the great rasberries that Elliot blew.  Seriously at 5 you watch a little boy get fed through his tummy and you don't even mention it????????  Rex just went with it.  NO biggie.  I on the other had was intrigued and a bit overwhelmed with the entire situation.  Thankfully Rebecca put up with me and my zillion questions and we have managed to become good friends.  Its a beautiful low mantience friendship that doesnt' require a bunch of work it just happens.  We have gotten better in the last little bit to schedule coffee or a girls dinner to make sure that we actually get to visit with out kiddos grabbing our attention.  I love that our friendship flows with our schedules.  When life gets a bit overwhelming and to busy we don't have to force in time we can let it slide and pick up right were we left off when things calm down a bit. 

If we fast forward to this evening the kiddos have grown leaps about bounds.  From that first playdate when Riley was just a lump he his now running around playing with their youngest Elizabeth who wasn't even here yet.  Elliot who was just barley walking is now in kindergarten and is talking like a champ.  The gtube has been removed and he sat and ate dinner with us this evening and was a perfect gentleman. 

I had good intentions to take a few pictures of the kiddos this evening but totally biffed it.  Instead I'll share other pictures from this busy weekend.  Rex had his Christmas program at school on Friday so I busted out the Christmas sweaters out early.  Rex loves to wear the matching sweaters and actually requested them this year.  How do you say no to that cute request.