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.
You’ve heard of extreme sports, extreme couponing and extreme makeovers…Well Chuck and I are now practicing something we call Extreme Parenting: The Choose Your Battles Edition. Now, as a parenting philosophy we believe in regular (and early bedtimes), teaching children to obey, teaching them to show respect for their elders and authority figures. We believe in…
Leaps and Bounds: Sleep Disorder Progress Leaps and bounds. That is the only way to describe Apollo’s current social and emotional growth right now. When Apollo was a baby with a mysterious, undiagnosed illness, I worried a lot about his social and emotional development. Having adopted children with special needs, who we went overboard with…
This little guy has only six more weeks to be a five-year old…and less than that to be a kindergartener. I cannot believe how much he has grown in confidence since the beginning of the school year. This time last year he developed a terror of the floor. That’s right, my friends, a terror of…
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…