Posts Tagged ‘family’
Ebenezer Scrooge has nothing on an Autism Christmas
A look at our Christmas present, present and future… CHRISTMAS PRESENT As I sat alone with my oldest, panting from our recent wrestling match, keeping him from darting off for the third time, I realized I was an outsider at our own family celebration. I watched as if I was outside a storefront window. This beautiful unattainable family holiday gathering performed in front of my eyes. How badly do I want to fit in. How do I wish that just once my boys could have a happy Christmas gathering. I…
Read MoreOur Week in Seven Photos
Taking photos of my beautiful boys and crazy, wild life is one of my favorite things to do. Part of me wishes I would have became a photographer. Photos show our life in a way that my written words never could. One thing that I struggle the most with is that fact that Cooper simply can’t go places with our family. He doesn’t enjoy it. He gets WAY too much anxiety. He doesn’t understand that he is supposed to sit. Or wait. He gets nervous. And wild. So, we made…
Read MoreOur Weekend in Five Photos
Taking photos of my beautiful boys and crazy, wild life is one of my favorite things to do. Part of me wishes I would have became a photographer. Photos show our life in a way that my written words never could. Super Cooper celebrated his eight birthday at school on Friday. He brought cupcakes and they had a dance party. I can’t even tell you how much it means to me to get photos sent to me of him enjoying his day. When you have a nonverbal kid, you typically…
Read MoreI Am Thankful for My Family
I am thankful for so much. I am thankful for my job, my health, and my sense of humor. Which really helps when we are stressed out!) But most of all, I am thankful for my family. My family consists of my father, my mother, my brother, my husband and my boys. My husband’s wonderful family (his father, mother, brother, and sister) are absolutely wonderful and we love them to no end, but they are very far away. Let me start with my mother… My mother and father live about…
Read MoreThankful for my Son’s Second Family
Have you ever prayed so hard for something and when God answers your prayer it is the opposite of what you expected. Then when you look back it was the biggest blessing that you ever experienced? I remember the day so clearly. It was a beautiful Friday in August. We were on our way to Green Bay to celebrate Chad’s nephew’s birthday. As our car was pulling out of the driveway, my phone rang. It was Katie, one of the supervisors at WEAP. She was calling to say that they…
Read MoreOur Tribe, I’m So Thankful For You
While motherhood has certainly been my greatest adventure, the vulnerability in becoming a mom, and an autism mom, has been a substantial challenge for me. I found myself, for the first time in a long time, in need of help. A lot of it. This has never been something I’ll easily admit, ask for, or receive. Thankfully, I am surrounded by the most patient, kind and generous humans who constantly offer their support. Our friends and family and friends who are family, you open your homes to our curious five-year-old…
Read MoreThe Relationships Lost Along the Way
There is a very important lesson you will learn after you have a child diagnosed with autism. There are people in your life, and your child’s life, that will never fully understand. They will never be what you need them to be. Maybe it’s a shoulder to cry on. A phone call. A visit. But they simply can’t do it. They also aren’t always bad people either. They just can’t emotionally handle the diagnosis. Or the differences. I will admit it took me years to understand and accept that. Many…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: My Parents
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Samantha and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I would like to honor and thank my Mom and Dad. Without their help with my son I don’t know what I would do or where my family would be. A little bit about my family…I’m 29 and a single mother of two. My daughter Anissa is nine, absolutely beautiful and hilarious. My son Mason will turn five in December. He is the most handsome and funny little boy ever.…
Read MoreA Letter to the Family and Friends of An Autism Parent
Dear friends and family, I am sitting here thinking about our relationship. And about how much I love you. And how I rarely see you. We joke that it’s because life is so busy. We have jobs and babies. Life is crazy. And how some day it will be better. We will have more time. One of these days we will actually get together and do something. I’m not sure if that’s entirely true though…at least not for me. We are different. We are friends. We are family. But we…
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