In the summer of 2016 I wrote about how I blinked and Abby went from sitting backwards in a car seat to sitting next to me in the passenger seat. I wondered how the heck did that happen? When did my baby become a tween in control of my car radio? I miss having control over the radio, truth be told.

This fall Abby went from the passenger seat to the drivers. I blinked and my baby went from needing me to chauffeur to in just a few short months she will be asking me for the car keys.

I’m good with that, I have always been okay with Abby is X age this is supposed to happen. It drives my mom nuts that I don’t place a lot of significance on the “first day” of whatever milestone Abby is achieving. I usually reply, I’d be worried if she didn’t!

What I am having struggles with is having a teenager with a permit and answering her questions. The endless questions. Continue reading →

The Year was 2019 and Bridget owned it.

In January of 2019 she rang in the New Year, touched the snow for the first time without panicking and rocked a Bat Mitzvah. Continue reading →

Last week Bridget’s class was doing a Pen Pal project. Her class had partnered with other Unique classrooms to send Christmas Cards to one another from across the country.  The parents in her class were asked to send in our family Christmas card.

Except I haven’t done a Christmas card since she was two and tortured by the fat man in a red suit. Continue reading →

Every year I am asked, “What do you want for Christmas?”.  This is always hard for me, because I don’t like to say what I want. I want to be happy with what I have. This year was different. When I have already been given the perfect gift and do not need anything else.

This was the first year Bridget hosted a birthday party. Continue reading →

As children get older, it becomes more difficult to be inclusive. Bridget’s age, it’s kind of forced inclusion. Every kid gets invited to the birthday party. Kids spend most of their day in one class, so a teacher is more apt to see what child needs the extra attention and what child just needs to visit the take a break chair. As her sister ages through the school system, I notice there are fewer children with special needs in her circle. Continue reading →

Bridget starts 4th grade today.

It’s crazy to me, but this year I am not scared. I’m lucky because this year her classmates include her hero Jake, a friend since preschool, her best buddies S & A who have included her in their group since 2nd grade and other true friends that look out for her. She gets invited to playdates and birthday parties, not because they have to but because they want Bridget to be with them. Continue reading →

Bridget is ten years old and has spent 9 years and 3 months of that time in therapy. First it was physical therapy. Then feeding. Over time occupational therapy was added and finally speech therapy.  We would take minor breaks over the years but they were more mini-vacations than actual breaks. She has always had at minimum one therapy a week.  Bridget works very hard to live her best life.

We live with the motto, they said she would never so let’s prove them wrong. Continue reading →