This is a very hard post to write, but I’ve learned that fears die down when you face them. I’ve been enjoying the ramp up to Halloween – recently catching a matinee of “Halloween Ends.” Yesterday night, a real horror scenario played out: T took a lollipop from a store without paying for it. ThisContinue reading “The Boogeyman”
Tag Archives: FASD
On a Night Like This
When the unicorn of a night out without T presents itself, I grab it by the horn and go for a ride. Going into parenthood 6 years ago, I knew weekend night outs by myself would be rare. When we do go out, it’s usually with friends; company that we enjoy. Parenting a child withContinue reading “On a Night Like This”
Secret Sauce
Asian cooking and special needs parenting have one thing in common: assembling your ingredients. Hear me out. I have not gone off the deep fried end; not yet, anyway. As parents of a child with FASD, the hubby and I have learned so much. We’ve been blessed with help to create a toolkit of ingredientsContinue reading “Secret Sauce”
The Traveller
What’s the meaning of a name and does it express one’s desire in life? For social studies this week, T completed an assignment that asked to research his name. It turns out one of the meanings is “traveller.” To see the world was one thing the hubby and I prioritized during life before T. TravelingContinue reading “The Traveller”
Cross Country Race
Our little guy competed in his first cross country school meetup today. For a kid who is endlessly active, gym is a class T struggled with the last few years. For his mid-year report card last year, his gym teacher gave him an “I,” as he didn’t participate enough for her to give a properContinue reading “Cross Country Race”
Walking Towards Hope
Inspiration exists in all forms and they are so important when traveling down unpaved road. Thanks to our FASD service provider, the hubby and I recently joined a cohort of parents and caregivers for a weekly support group. It’s an 8-week pilot initiative hosted by Surrey Place, an amazing organization that has supported T sinceContinue reading “Walking Towards Hope”
Rain
God bless the innocent unfiltered honesty of children. During a drive to a family lunch today, there was torrential downpour. The visibility was bad and the conditions got quite dangerous at one point. Suddenly, T says matter of factly, “Good thing I don’t live with my mother. She’s homeless. I would be soaking wet!” T’sContinue reading “Rain”
Guiding Light
Earlier this month, Pa would’ve turned 100. I thought about him when T had his first swim lesson. T’s always loved the water. The outdoor pools saved our pandemic summers and T loves swimming in lakes during our outdoor adventures. He’s very comfortable in the water and it was time he learned proper swim technique.Continue reading “Guiding Light”
Stand Up Paddle Boarding
Experiencing life through a child’s eyes is sweeter when you do something for the first time together. On Sunday, our friend, T’s Auntie E, whom we recently went to Tobermory with, organized a stand up paddle board outing for friends and us. E is a SUP hobbyist and took us to Cherry Beach, a scenicContinue reading “Stand Up Paddle Boarding”
Training Wheels
The sandwich generation experiences the joys of kids growing up and the sorrow of aging parents. Earlier this summer, T showed interest in bike riding again after having no interest last year. While he loves zipping down the park, he doesn’t yet feel comfortable taking off the training wheels. And that’s ok. I thought aboutContinue reading “Training Wheels”
Sanity Savers for Enjoying An Outing with A Neurodiverse Child
Some people joke their restless kids are “climbing the walls.” Kids like our T actually climb them. I’ve seen memes of this boy climbing a pillar in an airport (below) many times on social media. I empathize with this kindred spirit. Even though it’s never disclosed why this kid was climbing, I infer and understandContinue reading “Sanity Savers for Enjoying An Outing with A Neurodiverse Child”
The Dance of Life
Music can be such a revelation. Every August 16, we celebrate Queen Madonna’s birthday; she turned 64 on Tuesday. I discovered her music in high school in ‘98 and continue to admire her tireless work ethic, tenacity, fearlessness, and advocacy. Just as she redefined music, it’s interesting to watch her age on her own terms,Continue reading “The Dance of Life”
First Sleepover
A cotton candy sunset on the beach was the backdrop to a memorable first for our boy. Our three-week family vacation is flying by. We are creating happy memories while navigating super trying moments. Last Sunday, the end of week two, T was reunited with his cousin A, who was visiting for the week. AsContinue reading “First Sleepover”
Rushing Rivers Lead to Calm Waters
When you feel like you’re being pulled under by chaos, it may be best to go with the flow. We’re still at the hubby’s parents for our annual summer vacation – and T is having a blast with his grandparents and vice versa. While T has made so many gains since last summer, his useContinue reading “Rushing Rivers Lead to Calm Waters”
The Homeless Man
Slowly, our little one’s innocence will be tempered with lessons about the hardships of the world. On a drive home this weekend, we stopped at a red light and a disshelved man approached each car, with a cup in his hands. We found two loonies in our car and I rolled down the window andContinue reading “The Homeless Man”
Early Morning Goodbyes
One blessing during the pandemic was spending more time together as a family. When I was losing my mind with virtual schooling, I stopped to think when else could I take a break during work to go for a walk with T or to eat breakfast together when I’d normally be at work. This summer,Continue reading “Early Morning Goodbyes”
Finding the Calm in the Storm of FASD Parenting
Any parent of a child with FASD will tell you that “calm” is like a mythical unicorn. A few weeks ago, a Saturday morning in the playground started off well enough. Then a little girl with her grandmother came over to the slide and T didn’t want to share it. I reminded T the slideContinue reading “Finding the Calm in the Storm of FASD Parenting”
Thank You For Being a Friend
Life is blessed and brighter if we have a Dorothy, Rose, Blanche or Sophia in our lives. During pandemic lockdown, I watched a lot of Golden Girls reruns. It was a show I watched after school in grade school and nicely complemented the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Revisiting the show as an adult, the storyContinue reading “Thank You For Being a Friend”
Wildflower
What if we let the weeds grow freely? I thought about this from the perspective of parenting when I read this article about naturalists encouraging people not to mow lawns or pluck weeds, in an effort to encourage biodiversity. Biodiversity, it is argued, is good for everyone, including animals and endangered bees. Naturalists encourage usContinue reading “Wildflower”
Sharing A Child’s FASD Diagnosis with Them
How do you share difficult life changing news with a young child? That’s a question I’ve been thinking a lot about since we received T’s FASD diagnosis in January. The hubby and I shared the info with the school right away as it would better inform the way they supported T. We’ve held off onContinue reading “Sharing A Child’s FASD Diagnosis with Them”