Blog Posts
No More Taters, Tot!
Going to the grocery store became a highly preferred activity for my son when he was younger. It was surprising, because he experienced difficulties in places that were too bright, too loud, too chaotic. We realized he was a foodie, and then it made perfect sense why he adored the market. […]
If At First You Don’t Succeed…
(First appeared on VestLife blog) The other day, my son and I were in a store, and he was helping the cashier by putting our items in a bag. One slipped. The clerk said, “Ooops! Try again!” And I cringed. I glanced over at Zach, fearing some kind of reaction. I readied myself to calm him. Fortunately for all, he [...]
Sequins and Sharks
(Originally appeared on the VestLife blog) It feels like yesterday, but it wasn’t. My son and I were doing some browsing around at a San Francisco shopping plaza. It looked like rain was coming, so I had an umbrella. I also carried a very loaded-up backpack. Special needs parents go places prepared for almost anything! After a visit to F.A.O. [...]
Sharing Some Sun on Groundhog Day
“Then put your little hand in mine…there ain’t no hill or mountain we can’t climb…Babe, I got you babe…I got you babe…” As the black alarm clock on the white doily flipped to 6:00 A.M., Sonny and Cher awakened Phil from his slumber in his room at the Cherry Tree Inn. It was February second, Groundhog Day, and haughty weatherman [...]
How an Apple Changed the IEP
It can take the strength of a weightlifter to haul documents, books, and a laptop from one’s car to an IEP meeting. That particular Individualized Educational Plan meeting for my then 10-year-old son was pivotal (not that every IEP meeting isn’t). My husband and I, along with our advocate, had one ginormous task in mind: to have a communication device [...]
Cookies, Crayons, and Cookbooks
As a special needs parent, you just want to get it right. You won’t hit it out of the park all the time. But when you do, it sure feels good. When you go from idea to reality and the outcome brings sheer joy to your child, there’s nothing that compares. […]
Sunflowers and Sunbeams
As I gazed at my son watching the beloved bees on the salvia in our yard, I wondered if what happened earlier played in his mind. There is no way for me to know. As the afternoon sun slanted, I studied him, and thought about what he might be thinking about. Waves of sadness lapped the edges of my heart. [...]
Mourning Has Arrived
About a week ago, as cases of coronavirus multiplied across the country and social distancing became the new trend, a visitor arrived on my front porch. Unexpected, unannounced, save for the deposit of a tiny package. […]
Oh, Sweet Child of Mine
There’s a place off Highway 50, about 45 miles east of Sacramento and 60 miles west of South Lake Tahoe, that is pure gold. Well, pure gold figuratively, but also literally, in the past. Placerville is a Gold Rush era town that was a central hub for the Mother Lode region’s gold mining operations. As a hub, it had banks, [...]
Of Central Concern
My son is a homing pigeon. As am I. When little, I didn’t know what ‘sense of direction’ meant, but I knew people often said I had a good one. And besides my dimples, my boy inherited the instincts of a rock pigeon. From the time he could walk, he knew how to find his way to, and from, certain [...]
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