Category Archives: Writing

A New Book, Twins, Running, and Autism

March 25, 2016 latchkeymom

First, I want to thank everyone for their sweet comments about last week’s post on my returning to work. I really appreciate all of you! As I promised, I’m not going to stop writing and I’m working on a few Autism Awareness posts. I was going to feature my funny story about my husband today, but something else has taken priority.

As announced last fall, one of my essays was chosen to be a part of a new book about multiples. Multiples Illuminated will be published on May 1^st, and you can order a copy here. I’m really excited about this book, because it’s going to help new parents of twins, triplets, and more! I contributed a funny story about Barrett and Hunter and the time we tried to put them in separate bedrooms.

To help promote the book, I’ve written an essay about the boys and their mutual running careers. The timing couldn’t be better – since Barrett just scored a personal record in the 800 M on Wednesday, with a little help from his friends. He was really tired this race, I think because he really pushed himself hard. He stopped after his first lap and I panicked. Once he started running again, it looked like he wasn’t going to make it around the track another lap – but he did it. One of his teammates jumped on the track to run with him, and a few others ran with him on the in-field. It was amazing. His time was 3:35, which was more than a minute faster than the week before.

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So how does a fifteen year old boy with autism, who has extremely limited communication skills, become a member of his middle school’s track team? I’m glad you asked, because that’s what my essay is all about over at Multiple Illuminated. I’d really appreciate it if you could pop on over there to read and comment.

Shamelessly, I am linking up with FTSF, because there is a line in my opening paragraph alluding to my once-upon-a-time future vision of my twins playing baseball together. Kind of works, no?

Todays’ FTSF prompt is: “If I could travel in time…” Hosts: Kristi of Fining Ninee and Michelle Grewe.

Click here to read the essay. THANK YOU♥!

Writing

Superwoman or Everywoman?

March 17, 2016 latchkeymom

35 Comments

Hello friends! How are you? As promised I’m posting a blog this week, my first (with the exception of a few “Books of My Life” posts) since early January and I’m feeling a bit awkward. Strangely, I’m at a loss for words. I have so much to share, perhaps too much, perhaps stuff you could care less about, and I’m experiencing a bit of stage fright. Where do I begin? I find myself with little time these days to craft anything with structure, so if you’ll indulge me, this is going to be a random Hodge podge of updates and observations (with minimal editing, I’m sorry)

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I got a job, a real one, working in an office. It has been quite an adjustment. A strange series of events led to this. Last fall I was painting some furniture, which was a hobby that had generated some nice mad money for me (even more than writing, sadly). I’d begun to plan our annual summer road trip and factored the costs into my budget spreadsheet and was gooblesmacked to discover Momma was in the red. There are a number of reasons for this, but I won’t bore you with them (and who knows, it may be a travel planning post one day). Suffice it to say, it was clear that if I wanted to embark on our trip, I was going to have to make some more money. Continue reading Superwoman or Everywoman? →

Gratitude, Writing

Multiples Illuminated

December 1, 2015 latchkeymom

32 Comments

My oldest boys, Barrett and Hunter, are twins. They’re so different that I rarely think of them as twins. They’ve never dressed alike, they don’t attend the same school, have different interests and about ten years ago, Barrett surpassed Hunter on the growth charts and never looked back. And then there’s autism, the divisive factor in their twindom and the main reason they lead very different lives.

Why the twin talk? My twins will be turning fifteen in a few days (more on that later this week), and I recently learned that an essay I wrote about the boys will be featured in an upcoming anthology about multiples. The book, Multiples Illuminated, is written and edited by Megan Woolsey and Alison Lee. When I first read the submission guidelines for this book, I was hesitant about writing an essay. I wasn’t certain I could come up with an appropriate topic, given our special situation. And the book focuses on the early years of being a parent of multiples. Babies and toddlers – that was a very long time ago for us. I was searching my memory archives when Audrey came to the rescue. Aud has a favorite Barrett and Hunter story that I’ve told many, many times and she urged me to start there. I’m so glad I did, because Megan and Alison liked the story enough to include it in their book.

B&H at 9 months.

Megan and Alison are the creators of the website Multiples Illuminated. You can visit their site by clicking here. They share essays written by parents of multiples, as well as parenting tips and some incredibly delicious recipes. The parmesan broccoli bites are amazing. If you’re the parent of twins or triplets, you need to sign up for their updates. They also have give-a-ways and notices of freebies and discounts for parents of multiples. I wish the site was around when I was buying diapers by the bushel.

But back to the book…

I’m super excited to be included, along with twenty other writers. There are some heavy hitters in this book, and I’m in awe. Also, the forward is written by Dr Drew’s wife, Susan Pinsky. The book will be published this spring and as soon as it’s available for pre-order, I’ll be letting you know.

Thank you so much to Megan and Alison for giving me the opportunity to have my words in print. I love books! I especially love books with my name in themJ. I feel so very fortunate. Thank you to my husband for his editorial comments (and censorship) and my friend Kristi Campbell, who’s advice I always appreciate. Finally, Audrey, thank you for helping Mommy find her twin voice.

Writing

Not in My Wildest Nineteen Year Old Dreams

November 5, 2015 latchkeymom

33 Comments

When I was nineteen I was a bit of mess. It was a year of firsts – some good, some terrible. My nineteenth birthday was my first without a mom. At nineteen, I moved into my very first apartment, paid for by me alone. I loved that apartment and my milk crate furniture. I bought my first car at nineteen – a white Ford Escort hatchback. My love for the car was short lived. At nineteen, I earned my first college degree. I had my first serious boyfriend. I fell in love for first time. I had my heart broken for the first time. To steal a line from Dickens (which is on my mind since Tamara’s Books of My Life post), “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Continue reading Not in My Wildest Nineteen Year Old Dreams →