I found myself sitting on a bench nursing Harbor at a store today on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. We were out grabbing a few last minute things. A train magazine for Cooper. A sweatshirt for Sawyer. My bench happened to be right in front of the line to see Santa Claus. I had the perfect view of the big guy in red. And all the kids that were so excited to see him. Little girls in fancy dresses with bows in the their hair. Little…
Read More
Last night I did the usual unpacking of my daughter’s school bag, emptied her lunch kit and read her commination book to see how her day was. As I was going through her stuff, I noticed a card ‘’To Mom’’ which threw me as she calls me Jennifer. I opened it up and it was a Christmas card Kya had made for me. I burst into tears. To me it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It was also the very first card from Kya. As a…
Read More
It was still dark out when my eyes opened. One child was still breathing quietly under the comforters, while another cozied up next to me suckling at my breast. There was just enough time for me to put on a face and prepare for Julian’s Christmas party. If he can get 45 more minutes of sleep I thought to myself, we will be in good shape. I could coerce him into wearing something other than his dinosaur sweat pants…And just maybe, he will take delight in his Christmas party! I…
Read More
This is a quick list of the things that I have learned as an autism mom to make the holidays a whole lot easier for our family. My son Noah is going to be four next month, is nonverbal, and is considered a huge sensory seeker. My first and foremost suggestion is if you can host the party in your home, do it. Your kid is always going to be more comfortable being in their own environment with their own things. This will be our second year hosting Christmas in our home, and I believe it…
Read More
Dear Santa, Instead of toys, trucks and the usual boy stuff, I wanted to ask you for something a little different this year. All I want for Christmas is to be treated like everybody else. I’m just a regular little boy after all! It makes me sad to miss out on things. I want so much to be welcomed and included in ALL school and church activities. I want to be included in sports teams and clubs at school. I really want to be invited to parties and dances and…
Read More
What does Christmas look like for your family? For many families of those with special needs, it may or may not look like your, “Dreaming of Sugar Plums dancing in your head” vision. Christmas for our family begins soon after Thanksgiving with a late night visit from the Christmas Fairy. While I adore my decorations I have collected over the years, planning to set them out is almost like a conspiracy. My son does not do change in scenery very well. A few years ago, as we were getting everything…
Read More
I find myself having the same discussion that I’ve had every year around this time… Buying presents for my son has always been difficult. I remember going to the toy store and grabbing my basket and strolling through the store excited to buy him something he was wanting or truly looking forward to and then suddenly reflect on the fact that he doesn’t even know how to play with toys. I remember seeing all the parents together excited with their overflowing carts and chatting about how their child wanted this…
Read More
I am so excited to share our 2018 Christmas card with you. Christmas cards are one of my favorite holiday traditions, and I love documenting the end of our year with a new card. Every year I include a quote about autism and hope on our card. I think people get the subtle reference and hopefully smile. My favorite: ‘Anything can happen child. Anything can be. Never stop believing.’ I also love receiving cards from our friends and family. I typically hang them all over my kitchen and leave them…
Read More
I’m a mother of three amazing humans. But as a divorced mom it wasn’t always easy. I’m proud to send them out into the world and know that they will experience all of its wonders. I worked hard on being what they needed. As the story goes, I was living my life for them…the time put in was well worth it. And believe me twenty years goes by very slowly yet they grow so fast. All my babies have flown the nest. I guess it’s bittersweet my new found freedom.…
Read More
This morning we were running late. I couldn’t get Sawyer out of bed. Harbor needed to be fed. And Cooper had somehow found a pile of hidden construction paper in the pantry and was spreading it all over the floor. He wanted me to draw him trains. That’s his new thing. He finds pictures of trains in magazines and has people draw them for him. While yes, it is adorable most of the time, it’s not quite so cute when you are running late for school. He will stand in…
Read More