eSpecially Ben

Ben and Logan had their first day of school today. Sean starts on Thursday for staggered entry for Pre-K students. Ben's bus was too late for us to wait for it, so after 50 minutes of waiting impatiently, I drove him to school. It was so easy, it made me think about making that one mile drive each day. This year, I am trying out a new plan. I will pick Ben up from school at 3:15pm every day to give him  time to eat and use the bathroom before therapy. In years past, it has been a mad rush to get everything done and if the bus was late, it was stressful. Logan and Sean need to be picked up at the same time Ben is "supposed" to get off the bus. By doing it this way, Ben will get to walk with me to Logan and Sean's school to pick them up. I think he will enjoy being a part of this ritual. Hope all goes well for your first days of school!

During a conversation with another parent yesterday about the best way to work with the teachers and principal at Ben's school, she said that she was ready to "do battle." I was glad we were talking on the phone because she could not see my reaction to her declaration. I vehemently disagree with this method of advocating for your child. Using a fighting mentality to get what you want for your child may only get you a reputation for being a difficult parent, that could potentially follow you around from school to school and agency to agency. (The special education/exceptional child field is small.) The results may be that your child's needs are never met. Here are a few ideas that came to mind as I thought about this situation with this mom and how she discussed her relationship with the school and the roadblocks she encountered. Hopefully, you may be able to put a few of these to good use: Be an advocate. When I looked up the definition for "advocate" a...

There are not many times when Ryan and I are both left speechless, but it happened one evening when we were out to dinner with the boys. It was our last night at the beach and a thunderstorm was threatening to hit. We chose the covered porch area because the wait for an inside table was over 30 minutes long. I realized too late that the outdoor dining also served as the smokers' hangout. With the Olympics playing on the TV, the big storm hovering above and three rambunctious boys, conversation with the revolving door of smokers came easy. Our food took awhile to arrive and Ben became fiercely hungry. Ben's mood was not at its best - he was tired and hungry, never a good combination for anyone. One of the quieter smokers brought us out popcorn. He mentioned that things were a bit slow in the kitchen. We thanked him, and assumed he was an owner. After we ate a delicious dinner, the waitress came over to tell us that our bill had been paid. My husband...

I believe Andy Cooper deserves credit for this photo. This is Oscar Pistorius of South Africa.  The little girl is five year old Ellie. As the story goes, she raced Oscar four times and won each time. I know controversy surrounded  Pistorius's participation in the Olympics . I did not know much about his story, but I believed he should have the opportunity. After hearing him speak after one of the semi-finals and then seeing this, I am confident in my support.  With technology changing and opportunities being made possible, why not be inclusive?

Adrenaline Rush, Endorphin Spike, or perhaps Olympic Envy -  whatever it was, I have a new love for  Jumping Pillows . There were moments of fear - especially when my brother or husband decided to jump within inches of me. For the most part, it was like flying (with a safety bubble underneath me). Photo credit goes to my brother-in-law, Steve, who was very patient with me and my camera.

On impulse we followed signs directing us to this covered bridge. We traveled through twelve miles of winding countryside and worried if we would ever find our way back to the main road. We were skeptical, but were rewarded with a break from our long road trip. The stream with rocks and short walking path were enough to rejuvenate us for the hours to come. Is there a life lesson here?  Wandering can sometimes be what we need at the moment .

Ben's favorite place to be. Ever heard of the sea turtles who lay their eggs on the beach and then head back to the sea. Ben's technique reminded us of those beautiful creatures. If we did not stop him, Ben would have kept going and going. When Ben was not in the water, this is what he looked like... We used the Landeez Chair again. The lifeguards and staff at this beach were so helpful in making sure we knew we could use it for Ben and even offered to put one aside for the next day. It made traveling on the sand easy.