Category Archives: Parenting

Parenting, Personal

Halloween Over the Years

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I don’t have ONE particular Halloween that sticks out.  As a kid we had fun trick-or-treating, but I don’t remember it being the “event” that it is today.  And my parents certainly never thought the holiday was a big deal.  I have precious few photographs of me on Halloween from when I was a child.

High school – I have not one Halloween memory. In college, it was an excuse to get drunk cheap.  As for my early twenties, I got nothing.  When I was waiting tables in graduate school, it was a very profitable evening.  When I entered the corporate world, I got my ass home early so I didn’t get stuck in nightmare traffic

Then I had children…

2001

 Halloween 2001

It was exciting to live in our first home and give out candy. My little guys were not quite one, so we didn’t take them out – but they did wear little pumpkin onesies. Continue reading Halloween Over the Years →

Autism, Parenting

A Tiny Peek Inside My Autumn World

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As I may have mentioned, ad nauseum, I love autumn.  There are many events I get excited about (football, leaves changing, boots and scarves, my wedding anniversary, Halloween, my birthday) during this stretch of the calendar.  One of my favorites is driving up to the north Georgia Mountains to visit Burt’s Pumpkin Farm.  That’s where we buy our pumpkins each year and of course, enjoy a hay ride.  As has become tradition, we go with some close family friends and try to make a day of it.  The kids are getting older, and I think some of them may be over the ritual – but tough.  My children are going until they no longer live at home!  Continue reading A Tiny Peek Inside My Autumn World →

Guest Posts, Parenting

Family Legacy Center Post: Family Dinners

I’m over at the Family Legacy Center today, talking about how I’ve made the extra effort to have family dinners multiple times a week – as a part of our family’s legacy.

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I watched a lot of television when I was growing up, especially the family shows like, The Brady Bunch, Leave It to Beaver and Eight Is Enough.  My favorite scenes took place at the dinner table.  Whether it was a family feud or a cheerful gathering, I was enthralled.  I romanticized the “iconic family dinner,” probably because my family rarely sat down and ate together.  My dad worked nights and my mom dined with him when he got home, which was always after my brother and I had gone to bed.  For some reason, at our house the family dinner was never a priority.  This is probably why I’d get so excited whenever I was invited to dinner at friends’ homes.

Before I had children, I vowed that when I did, I’d cook every night and we’d eat together as a family.  So I was very surprised when I realized that this didn’t often occur in our house.  And believe me, I have tons of excuses – some good, some lame.  Suffice it to say, my family was so not The Brady Bunch.

Please join me over at the Family Legacy Center to continue reading this post.  See you there!

Autism, Parenting

When Barrett Met the Neighbors

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When it comes to my neighbors, I’ve been pretty lucky. A few years ago, we lived in a typical subdivision, on a cul-de-sac, with lots of neighbors.  Having spent many, many years living in Florida and/or apartments, where neighbors rarely even acknowledge each other, I loved the suburban life – especially for my kids.  I also came to appreciate the village it took to look after our son Barrett.  Continue reading When Barrett Met the Neighbors →