Good evening!I just had an epiphany tonight. I want my son Charlie to attend Kinderfrogs. What is Kinderfrogs, you ask? Well, that's a great question. Kinderfrogs (Kinder meaning Children in German; Frogs - a little amphibian animal which is the mascot of TCU - Texas Christian University) is a school in our very own Fort Worth, just minutes away from my home, located at the TCU campus. It is DEDICATED to teaching children with Down's syndrome. Incredibly, this school is within a 5 minute drive! I absolutely want my little guy to go there one day. Actually, they start kiddoes at 18 months old through age 5. The program is a 5 day a week, Monday through Friday, full day program that helps our little ones learn everything from feeding themselves to potty training...from writing to reading...from running and jumping, to talking! I hope to start Charlie in the program at age 2. I enjoy working with him in our home until then. I teach him new things daily, from sign language to exercises that help him reach his milestones like rolling over, sitting up, feeding with a spoon, social interaction, reaching for toys, shaking, clapping, and countless other things that need extra attention when a child has a disability, like Down's syndrome.
So, here's my dilemma...the school is VERY expensive. I know that we have a little over a year to figure out how to find the funds. We could hope that it falls from the sky or that my husband creates a million dollar app idea; or that we win the lottery...or that suddenly everyone buys Legare furniture (legarefurniture.com) and the money starts to roll in.....OR I, mommy extraordinaire, ;) come up with a hot baby product that EVERYONE will want and NEED!
Ok, well, the last thought may not be so far fetched. Hear me out. Those who know me have probably heard many of my ideas/inventions... I'm always creating new things in my head. Most of the time they stay there (in my head). Other times, I share the ideas and don't do much else with them. And a very few times, I actually follow through, like writing my blogs, writing a children's book (hopefully to be published!), learning photography...ok, all that to say...I came up with a cute children's toy that my dear friend Margaret crafted for me, foot puppets!(patent pending)
The adorable, one of a kind, foot puppets are shown in my photos. We can make just about any characters you would like--except for those requiring a license, like Disney characters. But generic ideas like, frogs, dogs, cats, clowns, lions, Santa Clause...the list goes on and on! My goal is to sell enough foot puppets to pay for Charlie's tuition to Kinderfrogs! Sound like a crazy idea? Maybe, but I hope not! My husband is the nay-sayer on whether we can afford this school and doesn't quite believe I can contribute monetarily without a "full-time" job. I know we can't afford it right now (it's $14,000 a year!) but I can at least try to move the needle and get the funds rolling in. I don't care if I have to work three jobs, I want Charlie to have a good start in life. Kinderfrogs may be like college is for my older son, or it may be a stepping stone that will help Charlie attend college one day too!
I would like get orders from all over the country if I can! I might be crazy, but I'd be crazy for not trying on his behalf. Please pass on my blog, or post it to your Facebook page if you want to help and own an original "made in Fort Worth" toy that will delight any and all babies! Charlie LOVES his pair -- the crazy red-headed clown and the silly bald headed clown. :)) My son's future will be so much brighter with your help!
Foot puppets for Kinderfrogs!
