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My Kid Does It Too…
It happens in the life of almost every special needs mom, at some point we share a concern with a friend over what our child is doing – or not doing – and we’re met with the well intentioned, “Don’t...
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You changed me
Dear Nichole, When you came into my life, your diagnosis of Down syndrome threatened to crush my heart. That tiny extra 21st chromosome seemed too powerful for me to stand up against. I cried...
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Special Needs Parents are Hard to Get Along With
Perhaps some of us special needs parents have snapped, yelled, spit, or barked at friends or family, leaving them utterly confused about our behavior. Who can blame them for thinking, “Well that’s the...
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What adoption costs
Looking at the fees and expenses associated with adoption can be overwhelming. How can anyone afford to adopt? The dollar sign is big, but make no mistake, that is not what adoption costs. Adoption...
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If time stopped
Too quickly you are shedding the words “little.” Loosing baby teeth, growing taller, sitting at the piano with great concentration. Sometimes I look at you and see the face of what you might look like...
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I Cannot Go Back, But I Have Today
My youngest daughter has Down syndrome, and when I say she has blessed my life I’m not simply using a cliche, the significance of those words flow through me along with the blood that runs through my...
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When Mama Needs Help
This is a hard post to write because it’s a big issue, it’s something I am constantly working on, an ongoing journey that changes along with the needs of my family. This is not a post about parenting...
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You’re Not a Failure
“I feel like such a failure, I mean, I’m trying to do everything I can to get services for my son but I’m not getting anywhere. His behaviors are getting so challenging. It’s just been…hard. My house...
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Motherhood Unexpected
Some women become mothers unexpectedly because motherhood was not part of their plan. But even when you plan to become a mother, once you actually hold that baby in your arms so much of motherhood is...
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Mother’s Day Gifts: The Special Needs Way
I wonder how many mothers will wake up Sunday morning to breakfast in bed, homemade cards, hugs and kisses, and eating out so mom does not have to cook. And a special gift, you know, like a new...
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What About You Mom? PTSD and Special Needs Parents
Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Jolene Philo, for a summer series highlighting great writers who focus on disability. PTSD and parents. I don’t want those two words to go together in the same...
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How My Son Inspired Me To Write a Book
Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Judith Iris Quate for a summer series highlighting writers who focus on disability. In 1979 I gave birth to twin boys who were two months premature. They were...
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Please Don’t Praise Me for Loving My Child With a Disability
It happens to most of us as we parent kids with disabilities, we hear statements like, “You are amazing, I could never do it.” “It must be so hard.” Yes, it’s true, sometimes parenting kids with...
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Ten things I want my kids to remember
Much of what we do as a parents seems trivial: laundry, cooking, making beds. But when our children look back at this beautiful messy life, this is what we will want our kids to remember. I love you....
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She Used to Live In My Belly
My youngest daughter has Down syndrome, and the way she learns and makes sense of life is by repetition. My sister recently had a baby, so one of the stories we often talk about is how she, too, used...
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Dear Special Needs Mama, I Celebrate You
Having a child with a disability can make life different from what other moms of typical children experience. On a day like Mother’s Day, while friends receive cards from their kids, breakfast in bed...
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The Sisterhood of the Special Needs Mamas
Eight years ago I gave birth to a baby girl with Down syndrome. At the time, I was a scared mom unsure of what my daughter’s diagnosis would mean for our family. I imagined the hard things, but I did...
View Article10 Ways to Foster a Positive Relationship With School [Podcast]
Welcome to Episode 1 of the Unexceptional Moms Podcast. Today, Erin and I are talking about the podcast and why we named it, “Unexceptional Moms.” We introduce ourselves briefly and since kids are back...
View ArticleWhen People’s Words Are Rude [Podcast]
Join Erin and me as we talk about what to do when people say rude comments about our kids with disabilities. Listen to the show: Subscribe on iTunes and leave us a review. Don’t forget to get a copy of...
View ArticleWhat adoption costs
Looking at the fees and expenses associated with adoption can be overwhelming. How can anyone afford to adopt? The dollar sign is big, but make no mistake, that is not what adoption costs. Adoption...
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