Bizarro World

The Heartache I Didn’t See Coming

November 29, 2012

Here in Mayberry, the kids wear uniforms to school. Uniforms are a parent’s dream. No grousing over what to wear in the mornings, no arguing about what to buy in the store during back-to-school shopping, and it’s pretty easy to find inexpensive tops and bottoms that fit the dress code. Because we live in a [...]

Continue reading…

My Love/Hate Relationship With Swim Team

July 31, 2012

Those of you who’ve been reading for awhile likely noticed that blog posts about swim team are conspicuously absent this summer. Gone are the days when I celebrated every tiny achievement and wrote ad nauseum about the trials and triumphs of having a daughter with cerebral palsy who swims competitively (“competitive” being understood to mean [...]

Continue reading…

The Day I Became a Crazy Down Syndrome Stalker

December 8, 2011

When you have a baby with Down syndrome, you become a part of a secret society. If you’re out in public and you spot another person with Down syndrome, you can’t help yourself – you have to make contact with them (or their parents). Other times, you find yourself on the receiving end of what [...]

Continue reading…

Some Days: Life as a Special Needs Mom

September 29, 2011

Some days…you struggle to make yourself get ready to go visit with other moms who have typical lives. Some days…you die a little inside when you hear another mom answer, “Gee, I can’t think of anything. Guess my life must be pretty easy!” when someone asks her the question, “What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever [...]

Continue reading…

Counter-Culture: Down Syndrome, Disability, and an Unconventional Life

September 1, 2011

Counter-cultural. It’s not a description I’d normally use to describe myself or my family. I’ve always been pretty conventional (in the way that Southern girls are conventional, with blush and lipstick). I made A’s all the way through high school, graduated valedictorian of my class, and went to college. I obtained a degree in electrical [...]

Continue reading…

The Typical One

July 28, 2011

Often, when I’m getting ready in the morning, I bring Nathan into the bathroom with me and shut the door to keep him contained. A few days ago, I was standing at the counter watching him while he banged on the door and made faces at himself in the full length mirror. I said his [...]

Continue reading…

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

May 19, 2011

I stood next to the dresser we’ve been using as a changing table and looked down at the vomit on Nathan’s and my shirts and pants. #$@! It was one of the first cool mornings of the fall and, knowing it was going to warm up later, I had very few options for dressing him. [...]

Continue reading…

Andi Speaks

March 22, 2011

Several months ago, I was asked to speak at an Atlanta-area Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) meeting. I accepted, feeling that it would be a good opportunity to spend the weekend with my sister and a chance to educate people about the challenges of special needs parenting. Many times over the past few months I’ve given [...]

Continue reading…

I Need Your Help!

March 7, 2011

Hopefully, there are still a few of you out there that I didn’t scare off with my a-hole post over the weekend (just keepin’ it real, y’all!)  If not, then I guess I’ll be hearing a lot of virtual crickets after this post, but I’m taking the chance, nonetheless, because I’ve got a job to [...]

Continue reading…

What Not to Do

January 18, 2011

Twice this week I’m going to be doing The Thing You’re Never Supposed to Do if you’re a parent of children with special needs.  I blew off Sarah Kate’s IEP meeting at the school, and then I blew off Nathan’s meeting with his service coordinator for Early Intervention.  Okay, maybe “blew off” is too strong [...]

Continue reading…