Last week my mom and I took the kids to Steak ‘n Shake. It was a last minute decision because we had been on a mission to buy a new vacuum as our Christmas tree destroyed the last one (don’t ask). The restaurant was in walking distance from the store and dinner that involves no dishes and not having to load everyone in the car again is a no-brainer. The restaurant was crowded. Charlie was …

I try. I really do. But haircuts are not my thing. The one time I tried to cut my own hair (FYI never trim your own bangs), I looked like a Lego man whose hair you can pop off…if only. Charlie’s hair is a whole different animal. Take for instance its various textures. The front is relatively straight but tends to lean up and towards the right, like a pompadour. The back is blonder, coarser, …

Just popping in to share that Charlie is featured on YooCanFind.com. This is a great website for people with special needs. It offers support and encouragement for those of us who need to know there are others out there who get it! It is “the first inspirational community for people with disabilities and their families to share stories, buy products and empower one another to do anything.” Hooray for the munchkin! If you want to …

The four walls close in quickly when school’s out. The first day feels glorious: no alarm, nowhere to be, no reason to get out of the pajamas. Day two, reality sets in. How long can you color or shape playdough or watch videos or stack Legos before no one likes each other anymore? So in honor of this long road to January’s return to school, I give you my top 15 indoor activities for kids …

LUKE 2:16-20 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising …

You win some, you lose some. It’s a cliché for a reason. Sports, dating (which is kind of like a sport), cooking (at least for me), and any social event where you have to put yourself “out there” earns this phrase. I get that. I can handle it…when it comes to me. But when it comes to Charlie, anxiety has me tightening my laces when he has to “perform.” Take our most recent neurology appointment …

  ELMER by David McKee Perhaps my favorite book of all time, mostly because of the 1970s psychedelic illustrations. Elmer is an elephant who boasts a patchwork of colors. He’s good at making the other elephants laugh, but he’s tired of being different so he paints himself “elephant” colored. But when he returns to the herd he notices that everyone looks sad, so in true Elmer fashion, he shakes them up to make them laugh …

I was not planning on writing a post today, but I feel the need to send some love and prayers to Germany. Yesterday, a truck crashed into a Berlin Christmas market, killing at least 12 and injuring over 50. As I write, authorities suspect that it was deliberate, but nothing has been confirmed. According to The Guardian, witnesses say it was not an accident. Regardless of intent, people died and others will be spending their …

Chevy Chase could explain it better than me. He’s in the attic in a turban watching footage of Christmases gone by. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” anyone? Watch his face during that scene. Tears and grimaces. Christmas is a mixed bag for most of us. It carries the weight and joy of the birth of Jesus along with the memories of however many Christmases have passed. Little kid Christmases usually rock. You remember leaving cookies for …

JOHN 9:1-3 “1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ 3 ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’”   Sheesh. If I could tell you how many times people have responded to our mishaps and losses …