Writer's Note: Get out the cheese...Julie's whining again!

For the past 20+ years I’ve been a pretty good juggler. You know, a modern “do-it-all/have-it-all” type. A multi-tasker. But about a year ago this juggling went to a whole new level. And I haven’t recovered. I have too much to do. And too many DIFFERENT things to do. I just can’t seem to get a handle on it.

I wonder how many other parents of special kids feel the same, not only overwhelmed with the complexity of their lives but at constant conflict with what... more

LuLu and I went to see Charlotte’s Web last weekend. She really wanted to see it. It hasn’t been that long ago that LuLu’s inattentiveness and impulsiveness made sitting through a full length movie impossible. Or at least uncomfortable. But lately, we’ve noticed that she doesn’t even ask “When will it be over?” like she used to about 15 minutes into the movie.

She is also grasping more of the details…understanding the plot, understanding the characters, getting the jokes. Hurrah... more

Yesterday, I was trying so hard to carefully choose my activities. My grandmother passed on her superstition that “whatever you do on New Year’s Day you will likely do often for the rest of the year.” So, when I awoke yesterday sneezing and with the sore throat that LuLu had the week before, I was unhappy at the prospects of the coming year.

It wasn’t long before I had wandered to my computer, where I found an email from a friend struggling with her daughter’s school district's lack of understanding. My blood pressure soared and I responded with information... more

I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions, mostly because I NEVER keep them. I understand the whole “starting anew” thing. But resolving to eat less, exercise more, keep my house neater, etc. seems like such a futile effort when I just slip back into my bad habits a week or month from now.

But the re-run of Dear Abby’s “Just for Today” New Year’s Column hit a nerve with me yesterday. Maybe that’s the key. A “living in the present” approach. Feeling guilty about breaking the resolution... more

The truly BAD of 2006 (the infamous due process hearing) reached heights that can only be described as Utterly Ridiculous. Here they are:

1. The school’s proposed placement of LuLu included going to a room with a man wearing protective gear for 2+ hours each day for 6-8 weeks. This man would “conduct experiments” on her using known triggers, such a loud noises and handwriting, to “figure out” her behaviors – aka behavior analysis. 2. The behaviorist who proposed these “experiments” designed to “provoke” her behaviors testified... more

A year ago this week LuLu had an incident where her trauma was triggered and she nearly hurt herself or KayKay. I had left them at home while running errands and LuLu was playing with a new doll she’d bought with Christmas money. We have always been leery of letting her play with dolls and dolly diapers because her trauma memories are triggered by diapers (among other things). But she so very much wanted the doll…

The incident led to some serious destruction of Christmas decorations (I lost my nativity scene) and near-injury with a pair of... more

Despite everything that LuLu is not, she IS decisive. This is an interesting trait, given that our older children can be less so. But whether it’s a personality trait or her OCD, when she locks on something, she locks on something. LuLu wanted a Baby Alive doll for Christmas. That’s ALL she wanted. She started asking for it before her birthday and we declined for two reasons. First because she was kinda pricey and she really poops – what a mess! And second because of LuLu’s strange trauma bond with diapers that has never really healed and her doll... more

The bad stuff of 2006 started in late 2005 as far as LuLu and school go. I didn’t know how bad things really were, or how bad they were going to get until that fateful Feb 13 IEP meeting…

1. On Feb 13, the school district gave us a choice that contained three options: put LuLu in an unsafe placement and allow them to do emotional harm to her, walk away from public school education for her, or file due process. Backed into the corner…we filed due process.2. Filing... more

There’s never been a year I’ve been more excited about leaving behind than 2006. It will “live in infamy” in our household as being the worst year ever (hopefully the future doesn’t hold another year quite like this…at least for some time.) I will recap for you all the craziness and pain of 2006. But first, even in the most awful of years, good things happen. Here is the good from our 2006:

1. In February, I started writing this for adoptionblogs.com. It has been fun, educational and therapeutic for me in many ways. I have had to... more

My friend Nancy reaches the half-century mark today! She’s bound to tell you many things about herself in her own blog over on Reactive Attachment Disorder. But there are probably things she will not tell you...and those are the things I want you to know. First off, in addition to being 50 years on the planet, for the last decade, Nancy has been tirelessly running (nearly single-handedly) the Attachment Disorder Network. Starting locally and now reaching out globally, this network supports... more