Posts Tagged ‘autism parenting’
A Camp for Autism Families
We are packed to the gills and headed to a family camp for children with autism. We. Are. So. Excited! We are also a little bit nervous because this is really brave for us. We don’t usually do things this adventurous. Two sleeps away. In a cabin. With itineraries. And activities. And people. But I also hear that there are no apologies at this camp. That little people can have hard moments and no one will stare or judge and moms and dads can breathe easy. And siblings can make…
Read MoreTime Changed When I had My Fourth Baby
There are a lot of things that change when you have your fourth child. Many that didn’t surprise me. Your house suddenly feels a lot smaller for one and it’s nearly impossible to find a quiet space. Your favorite car or truck that you have loved no longer fits two car seats and 4 other people and you ultimately have to decide if you are minivan person or not. I am not. I am fighting it. You can no longer fit at the kitchen island for meals. Someone or two…
Read MoreJoin Miracle League!
Cooper had a strong finish to the first half of his miracle league baseball season! He got on base 100% of the time. Gave hundreds of high fives. Threw the ball to his coach. Ran the bases. And enjoyed himself! And I got to watch as he played. Which sounds so simple. But for parents with kids like Cooper, kids who need more, we often feel more like teachers, nurses, and therapists than moms and dads. So tonight, for the first time, I got to wear my mom hat instead…
Read MoreMore Than a Caregiver
My dear sweet boy, I love you, and I thank you for being so patient with me right now. In this new season of hard I want to be the best mom, but right now it feels like I don’t know how to be your mother at all. I promise, I’m trying. Thank you for forgiving me, for loving me through, and for granting me grace as we walk through this hard season of our journey. I’m asking all the questions, looking for all the resources. We are actively working…
Read MoreThe Gift of Sight
One of the unforeseen blessings in the world of autism is the gift of sight. I get to see who the good guys are. The people who see him, really see him, and choose to learn and understand… The people who wave and smile… The people who fall in love with him for the amazing kid that he is… The people who help him when he’s struggling… The people who treasure him… Today was haircut day. Haircut day is challenging and scary and a whole lotta other emotions. Thankfully, our…
Read MoreGoing Fishing
Our goal this summer is to do stuff. Yup. You read that right. We want to try new activities with our kids as a family. For so long, Coops was unable to try most things but lately he is so interested in trying! So we made a bucket list of sorts. Today…we fished. The worms went over the dock twice, it was insanely chaotic, but it was super fun! Cooper was able to reel a fish in too and tried to kiss it which gave us all the giggles. Sawyer…
Read MoreCongratulations Dylan!
Congratulations to my nephew Dylan on his graduation from high school! We are so proud of you! We definitely spread all of the autism awareness at the party. Cooper did his best and that’s all that any parent can ask for. And we will try again next time. Because that’s how we learn. Now it’s time to rest because this mom and dad are exhausted. Back to Minnesota we go. Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting…
Read MorePutting on Our Brave Hats
Wish us luck! We are headed on our first big outing as a family to six! We are headed to Wisconsin to celebrate my nephew’s graduation. Cooper has never been to a graduation party before and is very excited. He’s been ready to go since 8 am and keeps playing a Barney episode on his iPad about visiting Grandma. It’s pretty sweet. Just a short time ago we would have never been able to go to a party like this but Cooper is doing so great and wants to go…
Read MoreThe Witching Hour
Unpopular opinion. I hate grilling. I mean, I love all the food that comes off of said grill, but I hate that at our families most stressful time my husband gets to stand in the garage cooking glorious food while I manage a fight club in our living room. He’s waving to the neighbors and dead heading flowers and nursing a beer while I’m nursing our youngest and chasing our toddler who has somehow gotten into the pantry and opened up a mac and cheese cup. ‘Mama! Yellow snow!’ My…
Read MoreBeyond Measure
Like so many special needs parents, I’ve spent countless hours filling out paperwork and rating scales about my child. I know all too well what it feels like to anxiously wait in doctor offices, therapy lobbies, and conference rooms…to go over the results of various assessments, listening to the numbers that describe my son. I’ve left meetings, only to replay the conversations in my head, trying to stay positive and put the scores behind me. The numbers and scores for my son, Charlie, are always associated with significant delays and…
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