Large family life: Hilarious, horrifying, and sometimes even serious.
Raising kids with special needs is hard than I ever imagined it would be. In 2002 and 2015 Chuck and I adopted babies with special needs. Both were drug and alcohol exposed. One would later be diagnosed with autism. In 2010 I gave birth to our youngest child, Apollo, who was born with a double aortic arch, a rare congenital heart defect. Come read my stories and share in our heartbreak and triumph as we raise children with special needs.
Bedtime Routine for Children with Anxiety This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. Post contains affiliate links. Why A Bedtime Routine is Important for All Children We all know bedtime routines are important for children. The science clearly points to early bedtime as the best…
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. Post contains affiliate links. Sensory-seeking kids can be a challenge. In our 20 years of parenting, we’ve had more than a few wiggly-squiggly and (dare I say?) hyperactive kids. When Adalia was a sensory-seeking toddler, we had no…
Feeding Clinic, Seattle, and Success Some people measure success in money. Some people in their creative endeavors. Some people in what others think of them. Measuring success in Apollo’s eating skills can be painfully slow. When he had the feeding tube placed at twenty-two months, we accepted that he might have it for years. Then…
Post includes affiliate links. Spring break is upon us. Spring break didn’t mean a whole lot back when all the kids were homeschooled. Now? It means a change in structure, routine, adjusting to What Do I Do All Day Without the Structure of School. It’s usually a bit rough on everyone. I’ve been a mom…
Dental Work at Seattle Children’s Hospital If you read yesterday’s post, then you know all about how we make the worst house guests ever and Apollo’s ambitions to be a panhandler. Lying in bed that night, in fresh, crisp (puke-free) sheets I was scared of two things: a) We were about to begin a Puke Fest…
Worst Houseguests Ever: Guaranteed Apollo had a rough night the day before his pre-op appointment. He was up repeatedly and ready to talk. At one point, settled in the bed between Chuck and me, I felt a tap-tap-tap on the top of my head. “What, Apollo?” It was 2:30 am. “I just wanted to remind…
We have just passed the halfway mark in the 2015-2016 school year, so I thought now would be a good time to give an update on how the kids are doing. Jubilee, Hezekiah and Tucker and are doing great. Hezekiah and Tucker remain at the top of their classes academically and Jubilee’s current math grade…
So there I am, in the drug store fishing around in the bottom of my bag so I don’t have to break a dollar bill over the forty-seven cents in change. I mean, you’d do the same, right? But you might not have not one, not two but three bottles of prescription medicine threatening to…
Sitting in the counselor’s office recently with my 13-year-old son (whom I love with all of my heart) I said, “We can deal with anything except the rages. And his refusal to do anything he doesn’t want to. If he decides he isn’t going to do something, there is no way to make him. If…
Four Years Past Heart Surgery: Double Aortic Arch Four years ago today we handed Apollo over to a surgeon we had only met the day before, trusting she would fix our son. We were told this was a one-time surgery. Afterward, he would be able to eat freely and within a few months, he would…