Parent Spotlight: #dontdoubt
When we asked MJ's and Eden's dads what everyone should know about them, this is what they said: "People never seem to know what kids with down syndrome “can do.” Normally, they ask what kids can’t do. Our family believes MJ can do anything that anyone else can. From youth...
Role Models: Eden and MJ
Today, we have two amazing guest bloggers: MJ and Eden. They are both friends and participants in Teen Tastic at our playhouse. They, themselves, are role models for so many people. Today, we wanted to ask them who their role models are! This is what they said: MJ has...
The Importance of Developing Social Skills
The Importance of Developing Social Skills What are social skills, and why are they important? Educationalplaycare.com states: “Developing social skills in children prepares them for a lifetime of healthier interactions in all aspects of life. Social skills are an integral part of functioning in society. Displaying good manners, communicating effectively...
Tanya and Teen Tastic
This week, I had the opportunity to interview Tanya Jarvis, our program leader for Teen Tastic. She shared her GiGi's story with us- Q: “What is your connection to Down syndrome?” A:“When our first son Wil was born, we had a very unexpected diagnosis of Down syndrome. The 1st...
Volunteer Spotlight: Amber
Volunteer Spotlight: Amber Amber has been volunteering with us for about one year now as a literacy tutor, but in the midst of the pandemic, she took on a new role! She has been leading Kids Club virtually, and we couldn’t be happier to have her! Amber is a senior at Waubonsie...
Faith, Community, & Structure
Keeping routine has been next to impossible over the past few months. Whether we find ourselves in our PJ's far past noon, or forget whether it's the weekend or a work day, having to stay at home has really thrown us into confusion. As we move into our "new normal,"...
Generation G: Names
Generation G- Names Names matter. As my favorite professor once told me, “to name a self is to acquire a self.” Names have meaning, and often we hope they describe us well. My name is Abigail, meaning a father’s joy, and boy, do I hope that describes me most days!...
Stay-at-home, Songs, & Sammy
In the Midst of a Pandemic- a Moment of Grace "When we began our journey under a stay-at-home order back in March, it quickly became apparent to me that this was going to be a very stressful time for all involved. I began to read various posts on social media...
John Cena, Buffalo Wild Wings, & Nikki
Nicole and I met in high school. We had some mutual friends, but hadn’t really talked a bunch since she was a few grades younger than me. Nikki is great at building bridges though and decided to just talk to me on one afternoon when we ran into each other...
E-Learning with Katie Finke
E-Learning Experiences Best of All- Katie Finke "Hi, my name is Katie Finke, and I am the mother of 4 (13 year old daughter, twin boys who are 9 and a 5 year old boy). One of my twin sons, Owen, has Down syndrome. We have been attending GiGi's Playhouse...
STA Thank You!!!
Step to Accept- THANK YOU!!! To all of our amazing families, friends, supporters, and donors, THANK YOU! On Saturday, June 6th we took to our local parks, back yards and neighborhoods to support the GiGi's Playhouse mission of acceptance for all. The Fox Valley Playhouse had 13 different teams made up of over 100 people stepping for...
GiGi’s At Home “Steps” Up
GiGi’s At Home “Steps” Up When I told our site coordinator that I would take some pictures at a GiGi’s At Home program this week, I was not prepared for how much sweat was involved. I went to Step to Accept HIIT training. HIIT stands for High. Intensity. Interval. Training....