21 Things Unrelated to Down Syndrome

I got this meme of sorts from rickismom and she got it from Maureen…it looked like fun so I thought I would play too.

• Jenn LOVES movies. Especially musicals.
• She likes the subtitles ON when she watches movies—in ENGLISH she insists. We always offer different language options—we are just annoying.
• She also loves theater and concerts—good thing because her sister is a music (therapy) major and her brother is an actor…
• She loves being in chorus (prefers it without the audience though.)
• She has a very funny sense of humor.
• She loves to listen to the radio and sing along. She knows all the latest songs. Some of which make me cringe, but she is not my only child that knows them…
• She likes to read—gets very attached to certain books.
• She has long, blonde hair.
• She likes the idea of dogs, but not actual dogs.
• Jenn loves to run track—hates basketball (too much noise and they keep throwing things at you!)
• Math, sewing and cooking are great.
• She does not like pickles or spice cookies or salsa.
• She has to be pretty motivated to tolerate loud noises.
• Her favorite foods are pizza, cheeseburgers and whatever I am making for dinner tonight (a refreshing change from her siblings whose least favorite food is whatever I have cooking!)
• Her favorite part of High School Musical III is that Zac Ephron is “mad hot!”
• She loves babies, though they make her nervous when they cry.
• She will negotiate away almost anything to get to sit in the front seat.
• She loves her family and keeps everyone’s pictures on her digital key chain.
• She really does not like shopping though she does like getting stuff.
• She likes going on vacation—and likes coming home at the end.
• She makes everything fun.

About the picture: A bunch of folks standing outside the church where my brother got married. My kids are in the middle, my s-i-l is to the right and my uncle to the left. I don't know who the folks in the background are.

High School Musical

OK, today I kill many birds with one stone: the letter H and learn how to add in a video--not that I will do it often, but as the saying goes, I'll never learn (how) any younger!

They just announced that all of the stars from the first two High School Musical movies are signed on for a third--this is big news at my house! For the uninitiated, High School and High School Musical 2 are two Disney movies that have taken the pre-teen and teen set by storm. They are filled with cute kids and lots of singing and dancing.

I actually liked the first HSM--there was a great message. The whole story was about kids expanding themselves beyond their stereotypes and the expectations of their friends--and how to support a friend who goes beyond your image of them. The final song, "We're All in this Together," seemed like an anthem for inclusion, tolerance and all things good.

In the second movie the cute kids, singing and dancing were still very charismatic--the story, however, was not compelling to me at all. In fact, it was almost the opposite message of the first: if you step outside of your box you will compromise yourself and your friendships...

Further than this, while the cast of both movies was very ethnically diverse, I don't think there was a single person with a disability in either film... bummer.

If anyone wants to join me and challenge Disney to include people with disabilities in HSM 3 you can send your letter here:

Richard Cook, Chairman
The Walt Disney Studios
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521