“We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.” – Winnie the Pooh On a recent Friday evening, my hubby and I were watching T play at our local McDonald’s PlaySpace; it’s our weekly weekend ritual. T ran around in his usual excited way, making loud dinosaur roars. After aContinue reading “Watching Our Little One Learn About Friendship”
Tag Archives: Family
Focusing on Potential and a Growth Mindset
“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.” – Andy Rooney At the last parent-teacher interview at the Montessori, the last year before T got booted out, I went into the conversation expecting how it would transpire and I was right. The teacher toldContinue reading “Focusing on Potential and a Growth Mindset”
Love You Forever
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud… It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” – 1 Corinthians, 13:4-7 Among the many wonderful books we’ve been gifted by family and friends for T’s personal library are those written by Canadian author Robert Munsch. HeContinue reading “Love You Forever”
Sharing A Love of the Outdoors with Our Son
“The ghostly winter silence had given way to the great spring murmur of awakening life.” – Jack London, The Call of the Wild. This Canadian winter feels forever. It’s now the time when registration for summer camp sites opens and it makes me long for hiking through forests, swimming in lakes, and eating campfire food.Continue reading “Sharing A Love of the Outdoors with Our Son”
The Story We Tell Our Son About His Adoption
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson February marks the 3rd anniversary that our adoption was finalized and when our sweet little boy turns 5. Where did the time go?! There was a time when T enjoyed hearing stories after our bedtimeContinue reading “The Story We Tell Our Son About His Adoption”
It’s Ok To Not Be Ok: Grief, Acceptance & Self Care for the Special Needs Parent
“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”
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”