Imagine this: You are the mother of a son with special needs. In this case Down syndrome, but it could have been anything really. Your son has become enraged, cut his hand and is stomping around the house. You need help. So you call 911 and ask for help. But, you tell the 911 operator,…
When’s the last time you were away from the kids?
I got to attend BlogHer this weekend, and it was absolutely amazing. I got to hang with women I’ve only known online, including fellow 5 Minutes for Special Needs blogger Janis, Jean from Stimeyland and Julia Roberts from Support Special Needs. I went to great sessions. I met a hot New York City fireman, who…
Making the Tough Calls
When does the risk outweigh the benefit? How do you decide if medical treatments for your child are more harm than good? Making the tough calls has never been easy, and apparently the weight of this burden never goes away. I remember my son, 4 months old, critcially ill and crying incessantly. Crying because he…
Advocacy for Special Needs
Sometimes, I have completely random thoughts that I just have to get out of my brain before it explodes. Lucky you–heh. We (as in special needs parents) advocate. Hard. Passionately. We push administrator’s buttons in the schools. We give the stink eye to people who stare at our kids. We complain (sometimes incessantly) about doctors,…
NEWS FLASH: Raising a child with special needs causes marital strain
According to a study by researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Waisman Center, parents of grown children with autism are more likely to divorce than couples with typically developing children, according to new data from a large longitudinal study of families of adolescents and adults with autism. Uh, oh. The study, published in the August…
The Best Job in the World
This is the 9th day of a very difficult hospitalization and surgery for my newest son, Ronnie. I have been spending every waking moment at the hospital, and fortunately, the end is in sight. I believe Ronnie may be able to come home tomorrow. I hope you don’t mind that I pulled a post out…
A Very Special T-Shirt
Have I mentioned before that T-shirts talk to me? Well, one T-shirt does. It’s a shame really because other than this little quirk, I’m a mostly normal person. So the talking T-shirt? It belongs to Charlie (of course)My brother gave it to him years ago and it’s fro a company called Threadless. The T-shirt features…
Oopsie! Forgot to have a life
Last night, at 10:10 p.m., I stood in front of my bathroom mirror and plucked my brows. There were a lot of scraggly hairs, as I haven’t gotten around to doing this for a while, and I found it kind of zen to tweeze away. But as I stood there peering at my reflection, it…
Out Sick
Just wanted to make a quick post to account for my absence this week! Mama is sick. Traveling from Texas to Ohio and back again in three days has wreaked havoc on my allergies, leaving me with a sinus cold 🙁 . I’m on the mend though and will back in full force soon! Y’all…
Today’s Hero
Dear Soldier in Panera, We were waiting to grab a bite of lunch. Of course, we made it “to-go”, because Jack doesn’t eat and hates being around food. The line continued to grow, and you stepped in front of us to grab your order. My son, who is completely enamored by the “pow-pow men” (otherwise…