Category: Parenting a child with a Disability

RV Trip Part Two, Fun Facts and a Surprise Ending

OK, now that we got all the repairs, hospital visits, and other nonsense from my last blog out of the way, I want to let you know about the good parts of the trip, Fun Facts and a surprise to both of us. Rocky Mountain High We drove through the twisty, turny Rocky Mountains to Grand […]

My First Pair of Fancy Shoes- Thanks, Mom

I know, I know, I have talked about purses in my blog. Yes, it’s shallow but still fun, right? However, I never spoke about My First Pair of Fancy Shoes. When my mom passed away in February 2020 my father and I had the hard task of going through all her clothes and belongings. And […]

Music Therapy Becomes A Love Language (My View Buffalo News)

Music is our daughter Jessica’s love language. She speaks it fluently. Jess is 41 years old, nonverbal, and has a rare genetic deletion (1Q 43-44). She lives in a group home with five other women who have become family. (Article in Today’s My View ) Jacob is Jessica’s music therapist and part of a local […]

What the Exit Interview with our Son and Daughter Revealed

So, how did we do? Why not conduct an exit interview when your adult offspring move out of the house. The intention is not for us to do a better job with our future children , but to get a fair assessment (can this really be fair and honest?) of how we did as parents.

What My Mother Knew That Took Me 20 Years to Find Out

My Mom was a big fan of my writing and said, “you should write a book. But I was too busy to write a book. I had a full-time job, three kids, and three dogs at home. Jessica, as documented in many blogs, needed help with every daily life skill.

Why We and Other Families of Children with Disabilities Zoom from Across the World

For many years we did not know our daughter Jessica’s correct diagnosis. We did know that the DNA Jess was missing played a significant role in her development. In 2002, when Jessica was 20 years old, we received results that Jess has a rare chromosome deletion (missing piece). We struggled to find another family in […]

View post to subscribe to site newsletter.

Finally Seeing Our Daughter Jessica After 54 Days Apart

Today was our first-time seeing Jessica after 54 days–I was not sure how this was going to play out. Jess enjoys facetiming with us, but I was concerned that she would not understand why we were unable to touch her even though we were visibly in front of her. My husband, Mitch, insisted that we […]

View post to subscribe to site newsletter.

FACE-TIMING with JESSICA a Magical Moment

Coronavirus has changed all our lives in so many ways. One of the saddest changes is the absence of seeing and hugging family. But through sadness, in our situation, we found some illumination and a bright light that brought a smile to my husband Mitch and myself.

View post to subscribe to site newsletter.

Connecting with Others: Our Daughter Jessica Started My Path to Writing and Receiving

Our eldest daughter, Jessica, has a rare chromosome abnormality, uses a wheelchair, and needs total assistance with all daily life skills. Jess was born in 1982 and within the year we knew that there were many developmental issues. Jess just turned 38 years old and is a joy to all who know her and love […]