In the middle of another hectic week we finally had a chance to hang out after school and play on the playground. This is one of my few opportunities to see how my daughter is navigating through the social challenge that the asphalt schoolyard can bring to a kid on the autism spectrum. After a…
Category Archives: Dealing With Public Perceptions
I was desperate for sleep
Define Sleep: A natural periodic state of rest for the mind and body, in which the eyes usually close and consciousness is completely or partially lost, so that there is a decrease in bodily movement and responsiveness to external stimuli. During sleep the brain in humans and other mammals undergoes a characteristic cycle of brain-wave…
Where’s the Line?
I realize I’ve been writing here for several weeks now without really introducing myself or my daughter. I haven’t written much about her specific challenges or my responses to them. I guess I expected all of this to come out more naturally, but there’s a hang up — which I’ll explain shortly. Our daughter is…
I Have A Dream!
I know, I’m late to the party weighig in on the legacy that is Martin Luther King Jr. But I post on Saturdays and Martin Luther King Jr. Day was Monday. Thing is, it really REALLY hit me on Monday just how thankful I am to this remarkable man who gave his life fighting for the simple God-given…
Make New Friends
When I was expecting my oldest child, I met a bunch of other mothers through pre-natal fitness classes. After he was born, I met some more at a weekly well-baby clinic where the babies were weighed and the moms chatted while the children hung out on a mat on the floor. All the babies were…
Doing Business with Accepting Individuals
A long time ago, long before kids, my husband (aka: Sarge) and I decided that we only wanted to do business with good people; Folks who were honest and hard-working and who treated us right… versus those establishments that may have a slightly lower price tag but their store-side manner just stunk (cleaned up for…
Bragging Rights
This year my oldest daughter entered high school. The school had several orientation meetings for parents and students about what they could expect in the upcoming years. At the beginning of these meetings the principal would get up and say a few words about the school’s academic record and how well the students have done…
Down Syndrome Statistics Turned Upside Down
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…
Dear Mean People: You Suck
Dear Mean People, You know that saying, “Mean People suck.” Well, it’s true. I don’t understand (maybe because I was raised better) how people can be so judgmental and so cruel sometimes. Seriously, how hard is it to mind your own business? Can’t you just go about your lives the way we go about ours…
Underestimating Our Children’s Awareness?
Do we underestimate our kids or are we spot on? This question has been floating around my head; though it’s not the first time I’ve had floating thoughts, nor the first time this one has made its rounds, it is at the forefront today. After our wedding fiasco (said lovingly and lightly), we had theories…