It’s not everyday a news crew comes to your house, but today this was a legitimate question. I was being interviewed about our school issues (more on that at a later date), so as I was scurrying around this afternoon, I told LuLu that she needed to pick up some toys and clothes and take them to her room.

She, of course, wanted to know why. When I explained that it was because the woman from TV was coming, her reply was

“Mom, I watch the news all the time and there are lots of people on there whose houses aren’t clean!”

She... more

What a cynic I’ve become, that when I meet someone with true compassion for LuLu that I’m taken totally by surprise. Especially when I meet that person in a place I didn’t expect…like wearing a doctor’s lab coat.

Yesterday I took LuLu to the pediatric gynecologist. I was both anticipating and dreading the appointment. Our pediatrician referred us to this woman because she has the background of treating girls with autism and Downs Syndrome and would likely understand our dilemma surrounding LuLu’s period and the impact it made on her trauma triggers and... more

I watered my garden again today, and let my mind wander as to how our semi-producing garden continues to be a metaphor for our healing lives. I related in this blog that my tomatoes were producing, even though they were wild and make the garden look overgrown and clutter.

The cucumbers have suddenly died out, likely a victim of our prolonged draught and my inability to consistently remember to go water the blasted things. And the zucchini plant that is eating our garden has... more

I’ve mentioned before that we have been having difficulties with our daughter, who just turned 10 this month, for about a year now. The problems really seemed to begin when her adoption kept being postponed, by the stage agency, not by us. Last night, Super Dad and I had an interesting conversation with our daughter and I would appreciate it if you would offer your opinions or suggestions. It went like this…

“Dani, what were you doing in the bathroom?” I asked, as she resumed eating her treat.

Scene:... more

Last spring I was searching for reading curriculum ideas, after spending the school year piecing together a reading program that included several grade level workbooks and some high interest books, mostly Magic School Bus. I ran across several programs that used The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner as part of their curriculum, usually at about the 4th grade level.

Just seeing the name of this book brought... more

Julia’s blog about her daughter’s clothing choices reminded me of how far I’ve really come. You see, I was raised by a mother who was very concerned about my appearance. As the oldest of three girls, I was the beginning of my mother’s quest for the perfect outfits for each of us to be worn at the perfect time. (And once all three of us were born…we were often matching. I’m still suffering the psychological effect of wearing matching bathing suits to the swimming... more

I’m just finding time to catch up on the firestorm of responses that Nancy has garnered over on the Reactive Attachment Disorder blog about her daughter Amy. Having known Nancy and Amy and the whole family for several years now (and provided respite for them a few years back), I know that Nancy has both intense love and a realistic view of Amy.

I also know Nancy has an uncanny knack for saying out loud those thoughts that the rest of us try to push back into the dark recesses... more

Do you know a learning disabled person who is always thinking outside the box? Sometimes a person with a learning disability can come up with unusual problem solving ideas. Apparently, they’ve gotten used to tackling problems in unusual ways. It can be difficult for the learning disabled to accomplish task in the standard ways normally taught in school or at work.

Because of their learning disabilities, ADHD, or dyslexia they have had to work harder than their non-disabled peers. They have had to create alternate ways of solving... more

Every year our church’s youth group has a back-to-school blowout event that just can’t be missed. They gather early in the morning and begin a day-long scavenger hunt that includes taking pictures in front of landmarks (if you can figure out the clues) and collecting items for donation to our local food pantry.

The event grows each year (from 4 teams originally to 11 this year), and the youth group scrambles to pick up more friends and donations along the routes.

Kay and I headed out before anyone should be awake Saturday morning to gas up the car and grab... more

On the roller coaster ride of raising LuLu, we often have trouble seeing any improvements she is making. But our trip to Kansas City for the ATN conference provided an opportunity to view LuLu through the lens of others who knew her, but haven’t seen her for a while.

My family lives in the area, so we took a few days prior to the conference to visit my sister’s family and my mother. We were all together at our house last Christmas. One of the biggest changes we observed was in LuLu’s relationship with my sister’s son, who is six months older... more