Monthly Archives: March 2016

When did I blink?

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“Mom, when can I sit in the front seat?” said my child who is still small enough to use a booster seat but old enough that she wants to be the tween.

I remember the first time I had to place her in a car seat. How it took us three hours to figure out how even install the thing. I remember when we would keep her strapped into the car carrier while we grocery shopped.  How I didn’t know how to put the car carrier on the grocery cart, so I put it inside and piled up the groceries around it. (Least expensive shopping trip ever).  Continue reading →

Just find another word…

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Every March I’m asked why out of all the fights I have to compete in for Bridget, why is ending the use of the word retarded so important?

I understand the question. I know that I have to choose my battles. That I only have so much mental energy and need to be careful how I expend it.

To those who ask the question, why is the R word fight so important I have this answer:

Because having Bridget accepted for who she is, for opening up doors for her and to have her be included… every one of those battles begins at the R word. I never want to imagine that when it is said that something is retarded, they mean mentally challenged. The truth is, they usually do when the term is used to describe a person or a person’s actions.

When someone uses the word retarded to describe another person they are saying that person is less-than, that person doesn’t have value or that person is “not right” in their head. They are saying that the person is mentally incapable or intellectually challenged.

Bridget is intellectually challenged. When you say, that Bozo is retarded you are not saying he is brilliant or spectacular. You are saying he is mentally challenged. Or are you saying something else?  Continue reading →

This is SPECIAL education

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In September I was terrified of Bridget entering kindergarten and transitioning from the Spinnaker program to a new self-contained special education classroom. Even though I knew the special education teacher for years, leaving the sanctuary of Spinnaker was heart wrenching.

I knew I was over-reacting and worrying for nothing. However loud the brain is shouting, the heart beat of panic is louder. Six months later I am happy to report that not only are we surviving kindergarten, Bridget is thriving.  Continue reading →