Tag Archives: parenting

Autism, Parenting, Personal

Autism, I Am Aware

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April is/was (depending on when this finally goes live) Autism Awareness Month.  meandbearSince I’m the parent of a child who has autism, I felt compelled to write a blog about Autism Awareness.  I feel a great responsibility when I write about autism, because we all have our own story.  I speak for myself and for my family, but not the autism community as a whole.  As with anything, there’s good and bad with autism and most people who know me will tell you that I don’t like talking about the bad – I choose to focus on the good.  Believe me, this has been an evolution on our journey.  For the sake of authenticity, I have to address the bad, but I’m not going to dwell on it.  And honestly, the good is so much more fun to share.

I’m aware that autism, as with most permanent medical conditions, is life changing.  So far, hearing the words “your son has autism,” is the single worst moment of my life (and there have been some bad ones).  Back when we received our diagnosis, I didn’t know where to turn, what to do or what to think.  My only reference point was Rainman.   It was a very hopeless time in my life – one I really don’t like to revisit, lucky for you!   Continue reading Autism, I Am Aware →

Parenting

Cammy the Inventor

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So my Cammy kind of has me in the palm of his hand (and I’m in big trouble when he figures it out).  When I got home from our trip to Seattle, he was very excited to show me his invention.  I was excited to see it.

He held up a hanger with a pair of his underwear hanging on it and gushed, “Ta da!” Cammyinvention

“You invented that?” I asked.

“Yes!”

“What is it?”

With excitement, he declared, “It’s an undershirt!”

Say what?  Continue reading Cammy the Inventor →

Parenting, Personal, Travel

My Other City by the Bay

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I often joke that I’ve left my heart in the other city by the bay, San Francisco.  But a part of my heart has always and will always be in Boston.  I was born and spent my first decade on Cape Cod, but I also consider myself a child of Boston.

IMG_1503In the 1970’s, nothing much happened on the Cape, from Labor Day to Memorial Day – if you wanted entertainment, you had to go to the mother ship.  We’d take a Greyhound bus into the city a couple of times a year – sometimes to see shows –  or to Boston Garden to see the Bruins play, sitting in the rickety old seats and smelling that stinky odor that only old buildings with no air conditioning can produce.   I saw the Ice Capades at the Garden and came within seconds of shaking Dorothy Hamill’s hand, as she greeted fans rink side.  Christmas shopping in the city.  I’ve commuted on the T and actually raced my friend Marcie, up and down the aisles, late at night.  I have viewed the city from the top of the Prudential Building.  I’ve walked the Freedom Trail.  I’ve ridden on the Swan Boats.  I’ve eaten in Quincy Market.  I’ve felt the quake of Fenway Park, when the fans go wild. Continue reading My Other City by the Bay →

Autism

It’s the Little Things

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Dental Drama

 Autism presents all kinds of challenges.  Let me tell you, there are exploding landmines everywhere and just going to the dentist can often produce an explosion.  The twice-a-year appointments on the calendar are dreaded events,  which take lots of planning and fortitude.

Finding a dentist is no easy task.  It takes a special professional willing to take on the challenge, and believe me, they are hard to find.   A simple trip to the dentist can make anybody nervous, even those who don’t have major sensory deficits.   I remember the first time I had a cavity filled.  The huge needle full of Novocaine terrified me and the sound of the drill gave me nightmares for weeks.  Gives me chills just writing about it.  I was never going to go through that again – and I never did.  Fear is a great motivator.  Brush your teeth kiddos. Continue reading It’s the Little Things →