Posts Tagged ‘special needs and christmas’
Real Joy
Can I tell you about a boy and his secret, amazing world. And joy. He is ten years old. His name is Cooper, although we mostly call him Snoopy Joe. He loves bright colors and snow and music and waving. He also loves Christmas. He doesn’t talk much. In fact, on the paper in my drawer it says he has level three, severe, nonverbal autism and an intellectual disability. There is more too. It’s a lot. He has a file. I don’t look at it much. Only when I have…
Read MoreChristmas Day 2020
I have really great kids. I’m not sure if I say that enough. But this morning reminded me how lovely these three boys truly are. We had the best morning. Cooper starting asking me three months ago for 4 movies about Toy Trains. A series. They are the preview on all of his current train movies. And how does a nonverbal kiddo ask specifically for four movies? Well, he uses his iPad to take photos of the advertisement. His iPad is linked to my iPhone. Every day I have to…
Read MoreA Christmas Gift
Our Christmas in photos…For as long as I’ve known my son, trying anything new or different has been a no. I have pictures to prove that at one time he tried foods sorta willingly. An adorable blonde haired baby covered head to toe in spaghetti sauce, the high chair tray speckled with some green vegetable. But one day that all stopped. Almost seemingly overnight. He would scream and cry at the sight of an apple or an egg. All but 5 foods were pushed away in anger. Substitutions were not…
Read MoreWaiting for the Magic
Our Christmas in photos… Cooper is a concrete thinker. He sees, therefore it is. Abstract thoughts are harder for him to grasp and understand. Like time. Danger. Things you can’t see or feel. Magic. He’s also a yes man. So anything you ask him…he will ultimately say yes. And while many times the correct answer is yes…often it’s not. Like when I ask him and his younger brothers incriminating questions. ‘Did you make this mess Cooper?’ The answer is always yes. Even when I know for a certain that his…
Read MoreChristmas in 2020
A few weeks our Christmas tree fell over. Jamie and I were sitting in silence after putting the kids to bed, when out of the blue the tree fell over. We lost the star. And most of the ornaments. The needles went everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Candy canes smashed and slid across the floor. Neither of us moved. I’m not lying. We just sat there. Looked up. Nodded. Looked down. And went back to our phones. Apparently a giant tree flipping over in our living room can’t phase us.…
Read MoreHappiness Looks Different for Everyone
A profound moment for our family was letting go of the picture in our head if what it was supposed to look like. Timelines. Must do’s. Picture perfect moments. Obligations. Stress. I suppose you could say expectations too. We let all that go. It was a hard goodbye. Because as people, humans, parents, we have this picture of what life is supposed to look like. We expect certain things. Big and small. We want things to go a certain way. Holidays are a big one. And autism changed them all…
Read MoreA Letter of Hope and Inclusion
A beautiful and heartfelt letter. Written to my son by a fellow classmate, a “secret elf.” Dear Ethan, You are a great friend. You fill the class with joy. You make our class better and better. I love that you like dinosaurs. You work so hard. Keep being you. From: Your Secret Elf When I read these words, I see kindness. I see inclusion. I see love. And that last line, “keep being you.” That my friends, is acceptance. The true beautiful meaning of acceptance in its purest form. Another…
Read MoreA Christmas Wish from a Stranger
This holiday season we have been touched with the spirit of Christmas by friends and complete strangers. Christmas is a little different for us. My son, Johnny, who is almost 6 and on the autism spectrum, doesn’t ask for toys or say what he wants. He lacks communication skills and understanding. We can go to the store and he may look and touch and couple things, but never says he wants them or tries to take it with him. I’m sure that sounds amazing to many parents, but for me…
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