Tag: special needs parenting
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Sometimes the Right Choice Is a Different Choice
As I mentioned in my last post, life has been utter chaos. It’s been difficult to find any kind of balance between work and home, and eventually, everything started suffering. Most importantly, I was suffering. I couldn’t do the things I enjoy doing—blogging, reading, listening to podcasts. Every single minute…
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The Damn Goal Was to Be Present
In the words of Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” That’s honestly the best way to describe the last several months. Lots of activity. Lots of moments. And I’ve just been trying to soak it…
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From Phonics to Function: Helping My Son Read the World Around Him
One of the things I’ve loved most about teaching Boy1 at home is the ability to truly individualize his learning. I’ve written before about the trial and error that comes with finding the right curriculum, figuring out what works, and setting meaningful goals—but the truth is, that process never really…
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Our Sweetest Sing-Along Yet
Boy1 is deeply motivated to communicate with words, but his apraxia can sometimes make that feel out of reach. Even so, despite the odds, he’s learning to say new words regularly these days. He works through a preferred word list with his speech therapist and is making truly amazing progress.…
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When Trauma Whispers Instead of Shouts
Trauma has a way of sneaking up on you. One minute you’re driving home from soccer practice, singing along to the radio, and the next you’re blindsided by a memory from a previous life—one that brings you to tears without warning. If you have any understanding of adoption through the…
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It Takes a Village
According to Google AI, the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” is widely believed to originate from African proverbs. Its exact source may be unknown, but the sentiment reflects a beautiful, long-standing truth — raising children has always been a collective effort. When we adopted the boys,…
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Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone: How I’m Doing with Homeschooling
“But how are you?” I get asked this almost as often as I’m asked how Boy1 is doing with homeschool. And it’s a fair question — how am I doing? I thought about homeschooling Boy1 for a long time before actually making the leap. The biggest obstacle for me was…
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Learning What Works: Homeschool Adjustments with Boy1
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about homeschooling Boy1 is the flexibility. I talked about this in a previous post — Teaching the Way He Learns — and believe it or not, we’ve already made some adjustments! In just a few short weeks, I’ve learned so much about what…
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When Your Brain Goes “Hoo-Hoo”
Lately, Boy1 has been raising a finger to the side of his head, twirling it around, and saying, “hoo-hoo” — that familiar gesture for “crazy.” It makes me giggle every time, but it also tugs at my heart a little. I can’t help but wonder if he’s more aware than…
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Teaching the Way He Learns
It’s happening — we’ve officially made the call to homeschool Boy1. It’s a mix of emotions right now: grief over saying goodbye to the wonderful elementary school experiences we’ve had, excitement about the new opportunities ahead, and a fair amount of anxiety about figuring out this new path. Boy1 is…
