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Hall Full
In the end, I didn’t bake a pie. And the IEP still went well. As well as could be expected, I suppose. Maybe better. Okay, definitely better. Funny how I spent so much time looking for a fancy...
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End the R Word — And the Attitude
I don’t hear it so much anymore, so I was surprised. “I’m so retarded!” a brand-new employee said the other day, struggling to open a door with a new key card. We were coming back from lunch, and as...
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Pinch Me
“Hey Mom come here, I need help with the green eyeshadow,” Sophie called from the bathroom. “Um, okay,” I said, taking in the situation, the big, blurry smears. “You want me to get it off your...
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Why I Sort of Hate World Down Syndrome Day
Today is World Down Syndrome Day. All week long, my Facebook feed has been filled with posts by devoted, prepared parents going to their kids’ schools to educate others about DS. They are bringing...
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Tim McGuire’s Memoir is a Blunt and Touching Two-Fer About Life and Disability
Sophie got braces on her teeth last week. Knowing I had a solid hour with no (or few) interruptions, I settled onto a bench behind the line of dental chairs in the fancy orthodontist’s office, put my...
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Passover the Musical, Or the Search for Meaningful Traditions and Just Maybe,...
Last week, Jewish people all over the world cleaned out pantries and changed dishes — getting rid of all signs of leavened foods — in pious (and arduous) preparation for Passover, the celebration of...
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I Wanna See You Be Brave
So when did “brave” become a four-letter word? I think I know. Like so many — too many — things, it’s got something to do with Facebook. You know, that place we all hang around and share what we hope...
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Cinderella Moment
Sophie took the stage one night last week in the junior high cafeteria. With a microphone in one hand and a large sparkly “slipper” (her nanny’s prom shoe) in the other, she performed a short...
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In Defense of Teacher Appreciation Week
The other day I was scrolling through Facebook and saw something that made the top of my head blow off. It was a blog post entitled, Teacher Appreciation Week … Make It Staaaaahhhhhp!! The author made...
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Leaning In to Junior High
What a difference a year makes. A year ago this week, I sat in the audience at Sophie’s elementary school “graduation” ceremony and sobbed, convinced that the Salad Days were over, that no school...
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National Down Syndrome Congress Convention in Phoenix: Sophie’s Favorite...
I don’t know much, but I do know Phoenix. I’m a native (like, a real one — I was actually born here) and while I escaped for a few years, I’ve been back for more than 20. This city is a tough nut to...
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The Hand Written Letter is Alive and Well and in the Hands of 14 Year Old Girls
Summer birthdays suck. Particularly in Phoenix, and Annabelle’s is smack in the middle of July — the worst time of the year to gather friends. So last week we grabbed her ballet classmates (the ones...
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Should I Be Bringing Food to My Daughter’s IEP Meetings?
Sometimes you’re moving along through life, feeling like you have certain things down, know others to be true, and something happens that just completely rocks your world and makes you question...
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Conversations with Sophie
For as long as I can remember, Sophie has loved to talk on the phone. She can certainly hold down her end of a conversation, if she’s the topic. But lately I’ve noticed a sea change. Sophie is...
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Please Don’t Tell My Kid She Can Do Anything
Sophie has been really into groceries lately. Not eating them. Her four food groups are still rice, noodles, cheddar crackers and chocolate ice cream. I’m talking about groceries in the grocery store....
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Maybe Sophie Knows Best
Today’s one of those days where I wouldn’t mind having a good cry. Not a burst-int0-tears-at-the-drop-of-a-hat cry, but the kind you schedule, like Holly Hunter’s character in Broadcast News — where...
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Visions of Rosebuds Danced in Her Head
In our Christmas-loving house, the days following Dec. 25 can be a sugar-coated letdown. But one member of the family is clearly relieved that the holiday is over. Sophie never really did embrace the...
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Tangled
Yesterday I ran into the vice principal at Sophie’s middle school. I adore this woman, who ushered my tiny girl into cheerleading and is one of many who look out for her every day. After we had such...
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For Those About to Rock
My girls ditched homework and ballet class yesterday for a taste of the rock and roll lifestyle. Girls Rock is up and running in other cities, just getting started in Phoenix. This weekend the...
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“Hey Sophie,” I asked. “If there was a pill you could take and you wouldn’t...
My dear friend Claire swears that every time she had a fever as a kid, she grew. Claire is quite tall. She might be on to something. I feel the same about Sophie and Disneyland — but not with height....
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