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Author Archives: Maggie

I've become a self-proclaimed novice in the pursuit of [my own] happiness and in finding pockets of peace amidst the chaos of raising my 7-year-old identical twin sons who were blessed with an extra 21st chromosome (aka. Down syndrome) and my beautiful daughter (ADD) who vacillates between being helpful and being 10.

Down Syndrome Statistics Turned Upside Down

Written on January 8, 2011 by Maggie

13 Comments

I love hearing factoids and stats that raise an eyebrow and make me think a little deeper about things I thought I knew. Information presented in a way meant to shock but in the end, I find, actually gives me hope when turned inside out or upside down. Here are a few stats and how I choose…

in Advocacy, Day In And Day Out, Dealing With Public Perceptions, Down Syndrome, Raising Awareness

- 13 Comments

Resolution: Don’t Give Your Power to Others

Written on January 1, 2011 by Maggie

6 Comments

Like Santa, I know my children! I see them when they’re sleeping. I know when they’re awake. I know when they’ve been bad or good and I teach them to be good for goodness sake! So why… WHY, when a nasty, mean-spirited coward rolls down her car window as we exit the store where my children behaved…

in Advocacy, Day In And Day Out, Dealing With Public Perceptions, Down Syndrome, Raising Awareness

- 6 Comments

Peace in the Wee Hours

Written on December 26, 2010 by Maggie

1 Comment

Ah, the wee hours of the morning, when the sun and my children are still asleep — where they stir quietly, smiling in their sleep… dreaming of sailing the high seas on their new pirate ship… in another world — there is resounding peace here in my world. Everything is as it should be. No one is judging us. No one…

in Day In And Day Out, Dealing With Public Perceptions, Down Syndrome, Holidays, Me Time

- 1 Comment

Managing Expectations to Foster Acceptance

Written on December 18, 2010 by Maggie

2 Comments

There’s this concept out here in special-needs-land that we parents have to mourn the loss of the typical child we were expecting before we can accept the child with special needs that we were gifted. Personally, I’m not sure I buy that! I didn’t mourn. I embraced instantaneously. And, I did so, I think, because so…

in Day In And Day Out, Dealing With Public Perceptions, Down Syndrome, Me Time

- 2 Comments

What Do You Worry About?

Written on December 11, 2010 by Maggie

2 Comments

Like most Mothers of children with special needs, I worry about doing all that I can to foster the development of my beautiful 5-year-old boys with Down syndrome. For me, worry leads to action and action to change. But lately, there’s been talk in the blogosphere about the usefulness of such worrying. In one post, it was…

in Advocacy, Day In And Day Out, Down Syndrome, Raising Awareness

- 2 Comments

Inclusion Runs Deep (Or It Should, Anyway)

Written on December 4, 2010 by Maggie

8 Comments

For those of you who don’t know my story… yet (and for those who do, sorry, you’ll have to suck it up and read it again), My beautiful Boys are a matched pair who also happen to have an extra copy of the 21st chromosome. Yes, my amazing 5-year-old identical twins have Down syndrome. That…

in Advocacy, Day In And Day Out, Dealing With Public Perceptions, Down Syndrome, Education, Raising Awareness

- 8 Comments

Addressing “The Look”

Written on November 28, 2010 by Maggie

6 Comments

We’ve all experienced “the look” from folks whose mothers apparently didn’t teach them it’s not polite to stare. Sometimes it really bothers me. Sometimes not. Recently, I had the opportunity to unofficially analyze the look and figure out the difference…. for me! I spent a day at the Bronx Zoo with my 3 beautiful children —…

in Day In And Day Out, Dealing With Public Perceptions, Down Syndrome, Raising Awareness

- 6 Comments

Another Blogger Writing About Her Kids with Down Syndrome

Written on November 20, 2010 by Maggie

4 Comments

Oh no, not another mom blogger of a child with Down syndrome! Yes, there are lots of us out here in the blogosphere tapping away, sharing our perspective – the good, the bad, and sometimes the ugly — each with a unique story to tell. But, like the National Down Syndrome Society’s “We Are More Alike…

in Advocacy, Down Syndrome

- 4 Comments