It's hard not to remember such a remarkable little girl as Mari. I know that I might be a tad bit biased, but I also know how this one little girl touched so many people's lives in ways I never could have imagined. In the two weeks prior to Mari contracting E. coli, she was in a special summer school program as well as a camp for special needs children. She went to summer school Monday through Thursday until around 1pm and then a bus picked her up and took her to camp. On Friday's she got to go … [Read more...]
P is for Potty Time
It brings a smile to my face when I think of Mari and potty time. I know that may sound weird but it's because of what the words 'potty time' actually signified for my little girl. Mari used the words 'potty time' more as a way of getting what she wanted or getting out of something she no longer wanted to do. Whether it was doing an activity she was tired of doing or if she simply wanted to get out of her room because she wanted to do something else. She'd say, "Let's go potty" as a way of … [Read more...]
O is for opens a door, window or gate
It seemed like there was never a door, window or gate that'd get in Mari's way. She'd simply open it and go where ever it is that interested her at the time. In her last six months we had moved to a new house in Burbank, Illinois. I think it was in this house where Mari was the most active with trying to do whatever it was she wanted to do without any regard to the safety aspect so Mommy also had several minor heart attacks as a result. I have to smile now looking back on those times knowing … [Read more...]
L is for Laughter
Laughter can be infectious. Laughter can be so much fun. Laughter can change the mood in an instant. When I think of laughter, my daughter's image often comes to mind. She'd be sitting in her high chair eating whatever it was (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack) and I'd be doing whatever (think like cleaning or something else) and out of nowhere this laughter would fill the room. For no apparent reason at all Mari sat there just laughing. You'd stand there watching her and you couldn't help but … [Read more...]
K is for Kiss
Mari's kisses were special. She wasn't one to just give them freely. When she did, it meant more than most because of the significance of her comprehending what a kiss was: a form of endearment. She could communicate her feelings or emotions like so many of us can today. Her autism simply didn't allow it. However, over time she slowly came out of her shell. No, not like a typical person, but different than she once was. I loved giving her a kiss goodbye or a kiss good night when we were tucking … [Read more...]
J is for Jump
I sometimes used to think of Mari as my little jumping bean due to how much energy she could exude. Right before Mari got sick I'd ordered this trampoline for the backyard. When it came in we had invited part of Keith's family over to help us put it up as Mari was going to love having this. As we were laying out the pieces and checking off all the parts, one of the critical pieces you needed to put it together ended up being missing. So we had to put it all back away. And you've probably … [Read more...]
E is for Energy
If we could have somehow found a way to bottle up Mari's energy I think it could have powered a small city. She never seemed to wear out. She rarely took a nap. Kids with autism, it's like their minds have a hard time shutting down. This is why you hear of so many who sleep two, three, maybe four hours every night. While the average person wouldn't be able to function on a regular basis this way, those with autism, their minds work differently than ours. It's like they can't ever let the minds … [Read more...]
D is for Determined
Mari was one of the most determined people I knew. While she may have had autism it didn't ever stop her when she wanted to do something. The only problem with that is her safety awareness, while she was 8 years old, was that of about a toddler. When she wanted to do something, it was amazing to see how she tried to accomplish it, of course, almost always after the fact is when I'd find out what her little determined mind decided she was going to do. One of the memories, that now brings a … [Read more...]
B is for “Backyardigans”
The "Backyardigans." It brings a smile to my face every time I think of them as they were one of Mari's favorite shows. As soon as the music would start she begin to dance. She might flap her arms and do a little awwwwwwww as she watched. I wonder sometimes what drew her the most. Maybe it was the vivid bright colors that each of the five characters were. Or maybe it was the fact none of them were human beings but all animals of some sort, although Uniqua, I never did find out exactly what kind … [Read more...]
A is for Adorable
What better word could describe my precious little girl than the word adorable (well, I'm sure I could find several :) )? Mari had this way about her. She'd be watching one of her favorite show whether it was Dora or the movie "Cars" where she be in front of the TV dancing around or flapping her arms in excitement at whatever was being played out before her. She'd be sitting in her high chair eat whatever meal it was at the time and all of a sudden she just start to giggle out of no where. … [Read more...]
