Search for ideas on parenting, crafts, gardening, books, cooking and more
hosted by Scribbit
« August 2007 | Main | October 2007 »
Welcome to my day of sharing a little beauty. Beauty is found in that which is created from the heart...
A new blog I plan to frequent...Tangled Wings. She shares beauty through her photography, her poetry and more. Sit back with a cup of your favorite beverage and enjoy.
Wishing you a Sunday filled with beautiful smiles.
I'll not share my completed art journal page. It was created in moments of deep, personal despair...just too dark and ugly to share...too raw. But it's creation was necessary and allowed me to come unwrapped...then re-wrap the package of me with pretty paper.
Trust. What I know about trust is that at this moment mine does not extend beyond God and myself. Honestly, I thought that I could not trust myself, but clearly I can and should.
This week's Wrapped Emotions project really is not difficult for me...I am well-aware of each of my fears and I slay them daily. My place of trust is within myself with my faith. My ritual of renewing that trust is found in calming moments of the night, embracing the quiet beauty of creation which surrounds me in what is my time of peace.
This week the calming moments of my nightly renewal have stopped. There's been no time to commune with the peace of the night, and it's because I failed to trust myself...what a mother knew about her child. I gave in to the trusting of doctors, again, and am left with the ache, the guilt, the tears as I have watched my child pay the price of my trust...in someone else.
During the past two weeks I have been brought to a breaking point more times that I can count. Even to the point of believing life for me could not go on...not one day more. I hurt so hard, so deeply for my child that the grief was too much to bear....at least I thought it was too much...
Then my child's eyes met mine...his tears flowed in unison with mine...his heart beat in a rhythm of pain with mine...his words blended in harmony with mine..."I love you"...
A new ritual begins. Nightly, as sleep fails to embrace my child, I trust my soul. As only a mother can, I wrap my heart and arms around my child...stroke the precious head of fear...kiss the salty tears of pain. Together, we will fear. Together, we will trust.
My post at Faith Lifts today continues my night groove. I hope you will visit and share your thoughts.
Listen, I have a project to finish and I'm on a roll. How 'bout you pop on over to My Nesting Place and enter her giveaway. I really want to win it, but since you're such a good friend, I want to share the chance.
As usual, those 5 Minutes For Mom ladies, although about to give birth, have contests galore. The one I have my eye on is for a new passport. I could rest a little easier knowing I had backup. Go on, enter it, too.
*leaves mumbling "good luck" trying to sound sincere*
I sit on the cold planks of the open deck
Close my eyes, breathe in darkness
As my skin feels beams
Of a moon
Hung only
for
me.
~Melody
Share other rituals at Thursday's Theme.
The photo is posted for Wordless Wednesday, and you are welcome to simply take it as such and click here to go to comments. Thanks for visiting.
However...
There are many lives other than his or mine behind the shadows of this photo, and I hope that you will take a couple of minutes to read this post in its entirety or come back to it when your time allows.
Understanding
It is important that people try to understand and become less judgmental of others. We cannot know from a chance encounter what lies beneath.
I have found that several people who read, comment and/or email me live with a connection to bipolar disorder (or other mental illness) through a family member, friends or themselves. Know that in me, Amy and the Doctors Papolos you have found four people who completely get it...and we know that it is so hard. Hugs and prayers.
I have often thought of explaining what life is like for and with a bipolar child. Amy left the following comment on my post. Like me, she has a twelve year old son living with Bipolar Disorder. Her comment included an email she received from the Doctors Papolos. They give a glimpse of the life which bipolar children, their parents and siblings live. Amy, thank you for sharing this with me and for allowing me to share it with others.
~~~
I have a son with bipolar too..and the struggles that he goes through..the challenges..the meltdowns..the sadness..mania..it all can break my heart to bits. I got this email from the author of the "The Bipolar Child" and thought they said well and understand our challenges..and it comforted me to feel not so alone.
Hugs,
Amy
~~~
In our book, and in almost every newsletter we write, we talk constantly about the burdens that parents of children with bipolar disorder must shoulder and overcome, all the while attempting to make decisions with the clinicians who work in an area of medicine that is still in its infancy.
But we've never composed a stand-alone list that lets others look at what the parents must grapple with and withstand--in all its stark and disturbing reality.
This list, sadly, cannot even be described as "exhaustive or complete," but as Mother's Day approaches, and Father's Day is just a calendar turn away, the parents coping with a child (or children) with bipolar disorder deserve special recognition and honor for their enormous valor as they:
* Look at a very young and much-loved child with a nagging fear that something is seriously wrong.
* Feel the external world bearing down on them, advising them to take multiple parenting classes or to tune into Nanny 911. Feel infantilized and ashamed as people offer up criticism and advice.
* Accept that they need help from a professional, but feel a stranglehold of fear.
* Come to learn that there are only 4,101 child psychiatrists in the entire United States--many wary of making this diagnosis.
* Watch their child and other siblings besieged by an illness for which there is little diagnostic or treatment consensus in the field of psychiatry.
* Receive multiple diagnoses such as ADHD, OCD, ODD, PDD, anxiety disorder, or simple depression.
* Come to accept that the child has a very serious psychiatric illness and make the agonizing decision to begin a trial of medications (if they can find a psychiatrist who can treat their child, or who has open hours).
* Read the package inserts of medications which list possible side effects, as well as frightening black-box labels, and watch apprehensively for any signs of serious trouble such as lithium toxicity, tardive dyskinesia, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, new-onset type-II diabetes, or pancreatitis.
* Attempt to explain to a child how the doctor is trying to help and what the medications are going to do; subsequently they watch their child experience distressing early side effects that include nausea and diarrhea and severe drowsiness; or worse, the paradoxical effects that produce the opposite reaction of what the drug is being used to treat.
* Deal with the disillusionment of a failed medication trial and explain to that child why those pills didn't work and tell him or her: "We're going to try something else," knowing that they may have to repeat that phrase a number of times and thus begin a new round of side effects.
* Have to get a child who has a needle phobia to a lab for a blood draw to determine drug levels. (This experience alone could turn one's hair grey.)
* Watch children's weight balloon upward and their self-esteem plummet as they take certain medications that can be very effective, but that may also cause weight gain.
* Become an all too familiar face at the pharmacy, experiencing shock at the cost of each prescription.
* Have to suffer the ignorance of people in the media, who--in a cavalier manner--discuss over-diagnosis and over-medication. Moreover, these parents hear certain clinicians in the field publicly utter insulting sound bites such as: "This is an easy way for parents to let themselves off the hook;" or "This is simply the diagnosis du jour."
* Have to listen to the word "No!" from a child one hundred times each morning, but be unable to assert the parental "No" as it will predictably trigger a meltdown.
* Suffer the physical abuse of a child raging out of control, and experience crippling shame because they can't manage their own child.
* Are set adrift in a house that has become a war zone.
* Deal with feelings that alternate from extreme anger at the child to the most unbelievable yearning to help that child, from anger at the outside world for failing to realize what is happening to them, to exhaustion in trying to deal with the child with some modicum of equanimity.
* Become perplexed that their child often does well in the outside world, only to return to the safe harbor of home to rage at a parent (most often the mother), leading to the suspicions of outsiders that "Something must be going on in that household, and with that woman;" or "She seems so nice, but you never really know people;" or "He can keep it together at school, so he must be a very manipulative kid."
* Have to mount a siege each school-day morning simply to get a child suffering a sleep/wake reversal up and out to school.
* Hesitate to answer a phone, afraid that it will be the vice-principal in charge of disciplinary action calling to report an "incident" at school.
* Come close to earning a degree in educational law so as to work with the school system. Keep in constant contact with the teachers and psychologist or aide in order to assess what's working and where yet another accommodation may help.
* Waylay careers and reduce household income so a parent can stay at home to deal with the child and spend hours at doctors' and therapists' and tutors' offices.
* Experience the heartbreak of knowing that their child is rarely invited to birthday parties. Conversely, if he or she is invited, the event might be overstimulating thus provoking some kind of meltdown, and effectively putting an end to any such celebrations in the future.
* Fear that their child will become aggressive with kids on the playground or in the neighborhood, thus earning disdain and a cold shoulder from the other parents.
* Want the world to understand, but fear that the stigma will further isolate the child and their family.
* Attempt to explain the almost inexplicable to the siblings, and to help them cope with the chaos in the household. Feel overwhelming guilt that the family is always fractured as one parent goes to a soccer game while the other stays home with the unstable child; or that a rare dinner at a restaurant devolves into an embarrassing, abruptly-ended event as parents race the child and siblings home and away from disapproving diners.
* Are paralyzed if a child becomes manic and hypersexual and says inappropriate things or makes inappropriate gestures.
* See their marriages become shaky as the stress of coping with this illness leaves parents little time to relate to each other and most conversations begin to center around the problems of their ill child.
* Listen with horror as their child screams, "I don't want to live anymore;" or "I'd be better off dead."
__________________________________________________ _
It is hard to fathom how these parents get through a day. Their reality is simply unimaginable to the outside world, and their lives--until their children are stable--are a virtual stew of guilt and powerlessness, anxiety, fear, uncertainty, confusion, blame, and shame. These are feelings that most of us would do anything to avoid, but all are feelings that a family who lives with bipolar disorder must endure for months and years at a time.
And yet, we see family after family find the help, learn to cope, steady their footing, and move on with their lives. And then we see them turn around and offer a lifeline of information and support to others who must walk the same path, only now no longer alone.
Some people think of Mother's and Father's Day as Hallmark holidays; but we see them as an opportunity to celebrate these parents: their grit and their commitment, their love and their humanity....Parents who have never stopped trying to help their children--against seemingly overwhelming odds. Please take good care of yourselves.
We send you our best,
Janice Papolos and Demitri F. Papolos, M.D.
~~~
This post is not a plea for sympathy. Bipolar Disorder is a difficult life of bright light and shadow...but we consciously choose to look toward the light. Our family is a wonderfully created blessing. We laugh. We cry. We walk barefoot in the grass. We have tickle wars. We eat marshmallow creme out of the jar. Most of all...we love.
Go in peace and with a smile. May we each try more to judge less.
Whew! My thanks to you for reading the entire post. Any thoughts to share?
"My life...is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next." -- Gilda Radner
"A spirited mind never stops within itself; it is always aspiring and going beyond its strength." -- Montaigne
"Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life." -- Seneca
"The opportunity to experience yourself differently is always available." --Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
"The challenge is in the moment, the time is always now." -- James Baldwin
"It is not enough to take steps which may someday lead to a goal; each step must be itself a goal and a step likewise." -- Goethe
"I do it." -- Mike's son
I am struggling to trust myself. Maybe you would like to join me in learning to trust yourself. I'd love the company.
It's a long post, but I'm catching up on a lot of thank yous and passing of awards...and there's some wonderful blog links...
When beginning my blogging adventure in October 2006, I would visit blog after blog always noticing the award buttons and thinking, "How wonderful that bloggers do that for one another". Never did I imagine my little blog would be blessed with award buttons. I get goose-bumpy each time I receive one...seriously. I've been very goose-bumpy the past couple of weeks...
Michelle of In The Life Of A Child has passed the You Make Me Smile Award to me. Thank you. *smiling really big* If you haven't read Michelle's blog, read this post for starters. You'll smile. Then browse through her blog...you'll smile some more and cry a little.
Because they were my first loyal readers and regular commenters...because their hearts and blogs are always full of beauty which makes me smile...this award is fondly given to Marie of Marie's Muses ~ Christina of Momology ~ Natalie of The Benson Family and Other Stuff ~ and Stacy of The Land of K.A. Thanks for being a girl's true-blue-stand-the-test-of-time bloggy friends.
Next...
Jenn of All Natural Mommies Blog has nicely given me the Nice Matters Award. I'm using my nicest manners to say "thank you". Jenn makes the world a whole lot nicer for us mommies with her online site and store All Natural Mommies. And even though she's been feeling the fog recently, too, she has emailed and left comments to uplift and encourage me. Thanks Jenn.
Sheila of My Memories has also chosen me for a Nice Matters Award. I am like so giddy at this point. Sheila is a new blog read of mine who truly makes me feel nice when I visit. I loved these fabulous kitty photos of her cat-dog.
Also...
Maddy of Whitterer On Autism has also given me a Nice Matters Award, but she's added a sparkly new Hugs From The Heart button...which I nicely swiped to post here. Maddy amazes me with her writings about her son who lives on the autistic spectrum. She has such a way with words. I find myself nodding, smiling, crying and struggling to understand all in the same instant...and those are all good things.
And now...
I'm all goose-bumpy again because this is the best part...passing the awards to others.
This time my choices for the Nice Matters Award are:
Trina of Jophie's Jungle. Trina's love and devotion to her son, Jophie, warms my heart. With the daily intricacies and trials of Jophie's extremely involved care, she makes time to stop by and offer words of encouragement to me.
Angie of Sonflower whose Christian faith and words of wisdom never cease to bless me. Reading her blog is a nice part of any of my days.
Julie of A Surrendered Scribe, who is gifted with the talent of words and a heart of gold, is a must for this award. I've come to know Julie a little better over the last few weeks, and her blog is a nice place to sit back and refresh your spirit.
Erinne of Chaotic Family Picture Blog is a very new blog friend of mine. I've not yet pinpointed exactly what it is, but when I visit her place it just feels good. Someone who makes you feel good is nice in my book.
Mandy of Second Star To The Right And Straight On Till Morning has been so kind and uplifting when she visits me. Besides, how could someone whose blog title is taken from Peter Pan (my favorite childhood story) not be nice.
Sara of It's Not About That Anyway over the past year has been going through a difficult time in her life. Yet she reaches out to others with good thoughts, love and cookies. Cookies are definitely nice.
Rebecca of just a little bit of something extra should be in the dictionary next to the word nice. I've come to know Rebecca through working on Love for Parker and my new blog design for Wrapped Emotions. She deals with the struggles of motherhood, yet has never failed to be a kind and generous friend to me and everyone she encounters in the blogging world.
Those are my nice choices this time around. Ladies, take would bow and your award with my appreciation for all you do to make the blogging and real life world a nicer place.
Finally...
I have received several Nice Matters Awards over the last few months, and each one means as much as the one before. My mom worked hard to raise me to be a good girl, and so I am sharing these with her. Also, a few weeks ago someone passed A Nice Matters award to me and I lost the comment or email...so that person has not been properly acknowledged. If it was you, please let me know. I want to thank you.
In the words of my mom, "If you can do nothing else to make this world a better place...you can always smile and be nice to someone". I tell my boys the same thing.
By the way, I have never had a reader/comment at Slurping Life that wasn't nice...thank you.
As the family plopped all over the family room watching television and the boys begged to eat marshmallow creme straight from the jar, I kept glimpsing flashes of light.
"Looks as though we're about to have a thunderstorm" I commented. No one else seemed to see the light.
Lee spoke, "Mom, I'm not saying you're old or that you're about to die, but old people usually see flashing lights before they die."
Pass the butter knife. If I'm about to go, the whole jar of marshmallow creme is mine...
Seriously, after being told I was old and knocking on death's door AND listening to the boys beg for marshmallow creme for at least half an hour, I went into the kitchen and indulged. I repeatedly scraped the jar and licked the gooey goodness from the butter knife. During one of the pauses to work my tongue loose from the roof of my mouth, I noticed the vibrant colors of the label against the white marshmallow creme. Then I looked at my white counter top. Then, of course, I thought...great photo for Best Shot Monday.
Wouldn't you have thought the same?
~~~
The prompt for the week will be up at Wrapped Emotions this evening. In the meantime, pop over and see the featured artist and her beautiful creations. One lucky winner this week will win a choice of one of her treasures.
Sunday at Slurping Life is a day of sharing beauty. Beauty is found in that which is created from the heart.
I discovered the beauty of finishing my art journal cover last night.
(If you click the photo you get a larger image and can read the stickers)
I also discovered that I am a procrastinator at beginning any project in my life. My problem lies in that I make the assumption that something or someone will interrupt, therefore, it is necessary to find a huge chunk of time alone to begin in order to complete. Life is what we think it is...have you noticed that? We truly have much power over making our reality. I will be working on my mindset.
However, I also realized that I work best under pressure...being forced to get it done NOW. It is the nature of life around here because the personalities and needs of this family are extreme and often acute...I am constantly forced to function under the pressure of dealing with issues of bipolar disorder, autism, cerebral palsy, PMS (whatever). I now understand that's the way it is, and you know what, I'm good at working under pressure. Although a quiet lulling day now and then is soooooo nice.
Look, I even mounted my second Wrapped Emotions project in my art journal. My first project was originally done in the journal. Rolling right along...
Visit Wrapped Emotions for links to the beauty participants are creating...with their hands, minds and hearts. We hope you'll join us in our journey...to create, connect, express yourself.
I sit here and think. My face-to-face friends make compulsory remarks of support and concern...reach out with arms of love...offer their well wishes and prayers. After all, they are face-to-face with me. Their polite upbringing requires that they do these things even when they honestly don't feel like it. I know they care, but it is often easy to discern the "I don't want to hear this today" mindset...and that's really fine. We each have our own lives, our own problems.
Then I read your comments... and I hear the voices I've never really heard...feel the hugs of friends who have never touched me...connect with people who breathe the same air but are miles away. You will never convince me that blogging friends are not real. How easy it would be to click away without commenting on a blog post that is less than uplifting...without a second thought...without extending arms...without making a connection. But you chose to give me a part of yourself with your comments...with your thoughts...with your prayers...
My blogging friends are real, and I appreciate you.
~~~
I have not been able to visit the blogs of everyone who commented at Slurping Life this week...my time and attention is rightfully focused elsewhere. I always make a point of visiting my blogging friends and never regret the effort. But this week, well, you understand. Have a beautiful weekend...and remember to hug a friend...even when you don't feel like it.
My fave photographer, Tracey Clark is now a movie star. Well, a video star, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before she hits the big screen.
Tracey has teamed up with New Baby and HP to produce a series of how-to videos designed to help you improve your photography skills. I'm not talking high tech jibberish, but real tips you can use to make your everyday shots the best. There is a video for everyone...from how to capture the best soccer shots to better black and white photography. One of my favorites is fun photo projects for you and your kids. You can even copy and embed the code to display the following video widget on your blog.
Share Tracey's talent for photography...but beware, her genuine love of photography is contagious.
I needed to shoot some photos of myself and submit one to a project. This is the one I chose, and this is my choice for Thursday's Theme...freedom.
It's been an extremely rough week for our family, and it's left me aching for freedom from the responsibility, the stress, the helplessness, the tears of mothering a bipolar child. I don't selfishly long for the freedom. My heart aches for my child...who needs freedom from the responsibility, the stress, the helplessness, the tears...
It would mean a lot to us if you would say a little prayer for him.
...for sensory integration dysfunction. It's fine to laugh. Even Mac says this looks funny, but it is how he deals with the times Lee is too hyper and annoying. Really, you should be a fly on the wall at our house. Laugh people...we do...it's how we make it through the day.
Get your head out of the sofa cushions and pop over to 5 Minutes for Mom for Wordless Wednesday.
Remember that I'm over here, too.
Conversation overheard...
Wil (to his older brothers Lee and Mac): Y'all don't like me.
Mac: You only feel that way because we won't let you touch our stuff or play with our stuff, and we won't play with you.
Wil: Huh?
~~~
Don't forget that the new prompt is up at Wrapped Emotions. Hope you'll stop by.
The crisp breeze tickled...the wind chimes plinked...the thump thump thump of children's feet echoed...the leaves dropped...the hydrangeas of summer waned. Sunday afternoon on the deck. Could autumn be rounding the corner?
While the hydrangeas prepared to sleep, I was surprisingly attracted to their waning blooms. It's been a long time since my telephoto-macro lens was attached to my Canon, but the hydrangeas drew me in. I found myself snapping photos of them and other wilting plants, browning leaves, rusting metal...things whose beauty is often overlooked. Much like society overlooks the beauty of a waning person.
Relax with beautiful the photography of Best Shot Monday.
~~~
This week's prompt is up at my other blog, Wrapped Emotions. Come over to create, connect and express yourself.
If you haven't heard, I have another blog, Wrapped Emotions. It's a place where we're getting emotional and creative. Looking for a way to express yourself creatively, connect with your emotions, give and receive encouragement? Then please stop by and see what we are doing over there.
It's Monday and the prompt of the week is up. Can't wait to see what you create.
Today you'll find me at Faith Lifts...demanding that God speak to me. I know, who would of thought I could be so bold. I imagine that He would.
A grown woman who has been mothering boys for as long as I have should know better. I have not felt well all week, fighting a bug and full-blown insanity. Yesterday I needed to get Lynnae's gift from last week in the mail, so I loaded up the boys and headed to the post office. In the recesses of my mind was the thought "this will be an opportunity to finally get some shots for the Wrapped Emotion prompt this week".
The line to the postal counter was long...my patience was not. So I stepped up to the high tech box which will weigh your package and with a few screen touches produce the postage label to send your pre-addressed package to the land of your heart's desire. With much assistance from my crew, I chose a label which was too large and would cover the mailing address. Great, a $2.32 useless piece of sticky paper. Being the ever clever woman, I grabbed a larger envelope, popped the smaller package inside, adhered the postage label and dropped that baby into the mailbox. Ta-dum...problem solved...IF I had managed the forethought to address the new envelope. Funnier still is that I only realized my error sometime in my sleep last night and awoke with the realization of what I had done. Yes Lynnae, your package of card making supplies is out there somewhere. I'll get a new one in the mail tomorrow.
Having finally accomplished something for the day (so I thought), a wave of energy overtook me. I grabbed my point and shoot camera from the car. The boys accompanied me to the flag pole in front of the post office which fronts a busy four lane highway and were completely flabbergasted as I proceeded to place my body horizontally on the wet sidewalk (finally, rain) and snap shots of the flag. People walked by me and over me. As I pulled my self upright and the boys snickered at my wet backside, a car load of dudes whistled and shouted "Hey beautiful, did you get the shot?". Being the eternal optimist, I chose to look at this as the high point of the experience.
A woman whose head has been in the toilet for two days takes what she can get. I have absolutely no insights, no epiphanies, no creative gains from the experience. The photos were not even very good, so I played in Photoshop to come up with a photo that revealed at least a little creativity. Some days the most a gal can hope for is a whistle and shout.
When Tracey announced this week's Thursday's Theme was "three", good grief, I never imagined being flooded with so much emotion over a number. It's just a number. But...
I am a mom of four sons. My oldest son is twenty-six and has been living life outside of our home for several years. I miss him so much and sometimes pinch myself to make it real...he's grown-up. He has grown into a young man to be proud of, and I cherish every moment we're together.
My younger three sons are very close in age and size, and they have always been like triplets. For as long as I can remember, I have been immersed in a life of triplicate. Purchasing everything in sets of three...three bikes, three pairs of shoes, three ice cream cones, chocolate please...and it has been so with everything. They have always had to have everything identical until this past year.
The boys have discovered individuality...distinctly different interests, tastes, likes and dislikes. They are growing at different rates, physically and mentally. No longer are clothes interchangeable. No longer do they crave the constant companionship of one another. My boys are growing up.
No longer to be referred to as "the three of them", it is now "each of them". Not so little humans with minds of their own, beginning to shape their own lives. I can't help but feel that as each boy walks individually, searching for his life's truth, they will always be connected...memories of a hot summer day intact. After all, 1 + 1 +1 = 3.
scan of 35mm photo taken summer 2002 ~ click photo for larger image
Over the last month, life at our house has become almost overwhelming...again. Medications and behavior modifications are not working. Diagnoses of the boys have been altered with additional complications. There are days it seems too much...my husband and I wonder how we will manage this day or the next or the next. But we do, because our family is grounded in love...firmly joined...unbreakable...we pray it cannot be broken. We depend on our faith.
Other families, by birth and adoption, struggle and never dream their families will be broken. Still, sometimes families are broken. But no family should be shattered because they extended hearts of love, hope and faith to adopt special needs children. No mother should lose her biological child to a biological father because she adopted special needs children.
Please read this story. Draw your own conclusions. Publicize the story if you feel led. The judge seems to have sent a strong message against adopting special needs children. They are damaged, therefore are too much work and not a good influence on "normal" children in a family. He seems to believe parents are not capable of parenting children with special needs in addition to a normal child.
Do I know these people personally? No. Am I privy to all the details of the case? No. But it does send up a red flag and lead me to publicize the story for others to be aware of the possibilities.
We had a "normal" minor-age biological child. We adopted three children with special needs. If a judge can make such a ruling in the case of a divorce, perhaps if adopted special needs children and biological children are parented by two loving parents not divorced, he could do the same on the urging of an outside party. As parents, we should pay close attention to cases such as this.
I encourage you to read more about this case at Blogging For Justice and draw your own conclusions. Publicize the story if you choose. But whatever you do, pay attention. I would venture to say a majority of children of adoption deal with special needs on some level. It would be a sad day when people are afraid to adopt children with special needs from fear of losing their biological children.
Oh dear me! No one is commenting over there. Did I frightened you with my latest? Come back and play...it's really fun, really.
Just my silly way of reminding you the latest Wrapped Emotions prompt is up, and I'd love to have you come over and express yourself.
~The creative prompt for this week is up at Wrapped Emotions. Hope you'll come play.~
Our son, Mac, celebrated his tenth birthday this weekend. The afternoon began like any other birthday party, food followed by the lighting of candles...
Then following our plan, we load up our boys and the guests, more boys ages 9 to 12, to continue the party at the bowling alley...where two reserved lanes awaited us. So we thought. Seems we were preempted without notice by a bowling tournament which would not end for five hours. After dealing with the blown expectations of a birthday boy with Asperger's Syndrome...think no tolerance for quick change of plans...we decided to haul the two vehicles of boys to the skating rink.
As we prepared to rent skates..no one brought their own, we were suppose to be bowling...a police raid ensued. I.Kid.You.Not. Seems they were looking for the vandals who broke into several cars in the parking lot. So now
