“Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest this afternoon.” – Charles Schulz After the first two weeks that T arrived into our home at 15 months old, I told my hubby, “This is a piece of cake.” By the third week, I told my hubby I wanted to give him back. Parenting,Continue reading “It’s Ok To Not Be Ok: Grief, Acceptance & Self Care for the Special Needs Parent”
Author Archives: Ab
Bedtime Stories Our Son & Us Loved to Read Together
“The more that you read, the more things you’ll know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss On a recent Friday evening, we got home late from McDonald’s PlaySpace. After a long day at work, I was just done. We put T straight to bed and skipped our routineContinue reading “Bedtime Stories Our Son & Us Loved to Read Together”
Why Early Intervention Matters for Children with Special Needs and How to Advocate for It
“I believe, I believe, I believe in you.” – Kylie Minogue When we first received T’s prognosis of at-risk FASD, one of the things I obsessed over was how many blocks he could stack, because it was a question asked during his assessment. We practiced every day as if his life depended on creating aContinue reading “Why Early Intervention Matters for Children with Special Needs and How to Advocate for It”
Grammy and “Dad Dad” to the Rescue
“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” – Mother Teresa On the first Saturday afternoon of January, my hubby, T and I were huddled in the family room. I saw the car pull up and I loudly announced, “Grammy and Dad Dad are here.” Our little one charged excitedlyContinue reading “Grammy and “Dad Dad” to the Rescue”
Building Forts and Burning Our Hyperactive Boy’s Endless Energy
“If you build it, he will come.” – Shoeless Joe Jackson On the first morning of the new decade, our four-year-old entered our room bright and early. I pretended to play dead and hoped he’d go to the hubby. No luck. “Papa, I want you to play in the fort with me,” he said. IContinue reading “Building Forts and Burning Our Hyperactive Boy’s Endless Energy”
Finding Resilience In Adversity & Gratitude
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” – Eckhart Tolle I spent the last morning of this decade building a fort with T and then playing Snakes and Ladders, a Christmas gift from his grandparents, inside our tiny hideout, slightly hunched over. My back was goingContinue reading “Finding Resilience In Adversity & Gratitude”
Rethinking My Love-Hate Relationship with the Term “Special Needs”
“It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses we must plant more trees.” – George Eliot T received a pair of skates for Christmas from my Aunt. We took him for his first skate yesterday. As expected with first timers, he struggled. After two slow laps, he was fed up. OurContinue reading “Rethinking My Love-Hate Relationship with the Term “Special Needs””
Ho Ho Hold the Meltdown: Focusing on the Merry in Christmas
“When little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it’s our job to share our calm, not join their chaos.” – L.R. Knost I look forward to Christmas every year, because it is a time to rest, to reflect on the past year, and to catch up with family and friends. But Christmas and the holidaysContinue reading “Ho Ho Hold the Meltdown: Focusing on the Merry in Christmas”
Talk To Me: Helping Our Little One Learn to Communicate
“Uuuuuuuuuur Ahhhhrrrrr Uhrrrr Ahhhhhrrrrr Aaaaarhg…” – Chewbacca After taking T to the potty recently, he pulls up his underwear and blurts out matter of factly, “Oh my God, look at his butt. It is so big!” I shouldn’t have laughed, but I did. I’m not sure where he picked this up. Maybe it was fromContinue reading “Talk To Me: Helping Our Little One Learn to Communicate”
The Prognosis
I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it. — Maya Angelou It was just a little over three years ago when we received T’s prognosis. I remember foggy bits and pieces from that morning. But there are two moments that are still crystal clear in myContinue reading “The Prognosis”