Tales Of An Educated Debutante
on life, loss and the joy that rules the day.






























The future is far away and scary, but today is lovely.
Adrian H. Wood, PhD
Best Day Ever
Mondays are tricky. Alarms rouse grumpy folks from slumber, including me. Today is the best day ever. It’s not your circumstances that support that seemingly confident proclamation. It just is. We are alive and here and tackling life. A life that ain’t picture perfect or terribly easy. It involves kids and work and for me, a little person with special needs that detests getting his shoes on. It involves coffee and sweating and coaxing fruit loops into a person wallowing ..
Read moreTo the School
Dear School, Ours is a special needs family. Next year scares me. I can’t imagine there’s a special needs parent that doesn’t feel that way. Why is it different for us? Well, I’ll tell you. My big three kids are going on to the next grade, regardless of what I do or say. There is no choice to be made unless we want to consider a different school all together or make a fuss in order to get a specific teacher. For those of us who have kids with special needs, ed ..
Read moreTed and Amos
An unlikely pair, yet a match made in heaven. I wonder if that heaven phrase was born to describe things or those relationships that could only be crafted by the very hand of God? I think so. A year ago, I longed for Amos to go to Sunday school and yet, I didn’t want to have to take him. A big part of him being in the world is learning to do it without his mama. I talked to the powers that be and we made a go of it. Him in his class and me helping to teach the older group, ..
Read moreAutism Never Goes on Vacation
Autism never goes on vacation. I didn’t know that before this precious boy. At least, I didn’t think about it. Vacation is a getaway, realistically, a relocation. For autism though, it’s tough stuff. New places. New beds. New activities. Autism doesn’t like new so much. New is scary at our house and things like jacuzzi jets or gas station bathroom hand dryers can set off a great big noisy fuss. We have more of those on vacation. It’s okay, truly, ..
Read moreYellow Bellied Slider
He’s quite fetching, the boy named Amos. I’d like to call him “King of the Yellow Bellied Sliders,” but that would sound silly. I’d still like to, though. His next oldest brother has always adored creatures of this earth and when Amos stroked that big wide shell, I was fearful and proud. Autism is reflected in most everything we encounter, at least when we’re looking. Brave yellow bellied sliders born of Queen Anne’s Creek seem to be more friend than foe to Edent ..
Read moreBlair's Thoughts
She shares so much these days. Just two since school’s been out and already, I’ve learned an awful lot. She’s squished between two older siblings and one younger. All boys and she, my daughter, is the Lone Ranger of all things lovely. Not in the most traditional of ways, but she thinks these big thoughts. This brother arrived four years behind her and she has been the most enchanting of big sisters. She works with him. Every day, she works with him. Mom ..
Read moreLove of a Sister
She shares so much these days. Just two since school’s been out and already, I’ve learned an awful lot. She’s squished between two older siblings and one younger. All boys and she, my daughter, is the Lone Ranger of all things lovely. Not in the most traditional of ways, but she thinks these big thoughts. This brother arrived four years behind her and she has been the most enchanting of big sisters. She works with him. Every day, she works with him. Mom ..
Read moreIt’s Them
If anyone knows what it’s like to give your heart away, it’s them. If anyone smiles and stretches out their arms most every morning, it’s them. If anyone feels every boo-boo, those inside and out, it’s them. If anyone dreams big and embraces a future that scares the daylights out of me, it’s them. If anyone overlooks diaper changes and messy noses, it’s them. If anyone notices progress that slips past the world unaware, it’s them. If anyone can cajole grumpy lit ..
Read moreHis is the Face
His is the face the face of a boy just half past four years old the face of my youngest child the face of the son I never dreamt of having the face of autism and extra special needs the face of a child who loves big the face of the one who has shown me that life has a way of surprising us the face of a little brother named Amos who is quite delighted in his ability to flip a light switch Oh, his is the most beautiful face. ..
Read moreLub
Most every night, I tell the littlest boy in our house to say goodnight and give a hug. It’s not been so long that he’s learned to follow directions such as this and so, we have delighted in this snippet of success over the cold winter evenings. One by one, he makes his way ‘round the room, his signature walk and acknowledgement bright amongst the fire’s flames. At four years old, his big brothers were mastering the art of riding with no training wheels and Amos? He is learning ..
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