Students Hide. As the video image sharpens, we see a foot, a small body hunched under a desk, and we hear screaming, children screaming, These videos are from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where students are now hiding from the active shooter. Our children are taught to be quiet in lockdowns, to rush and hide in closets and bathrooms and sometimes, like this time, they are even told to run. But what if they can’t? What if they can't run? Can’t calm themselves enough to be quiet? Can’t see in the semi-dark room? Can’t hear the alarm or cry of... Continue reading

I am sharing this Father's Day post over on Today Parenting.. For all of these Father's we honor on this special day.. 6 Secrets of Strong Special Needs Dads... Happy Father's Day! Continue reading

" I'm not perfect". I told my teen. " I made a mistake, and I'm sorry." Still, as we sat down for dinner, Superbowl hum in the background, my daughter continued to make her point. Yes, she was right, but that wasn't the point I wanted to make." Listen," I told her.. "We are all imperfect. I can't go back and fix it, but I will try harder next time, and I am sorry I disappointed you." I wanted this conversation to be over, and yet, it wasn't. I tried again. " When you are upset over your own mistakes,... Continue reading

I have barely put my car in park when I hear Zoe's ardent plea from the backseat. " Mom, can I walk at this store?" It is our last stop and I try to recall how shaky Zoe's legs were when I last helped her back into the car. A quick glance at her face and what I see reassures me. Her eyes are bright, her face slightly flushed, but she is smiling too. All signs that she isn't too tired yet. At this store, we are just picking up something right inside the door, so it is easy to... Continue reading

A Mom friend of mine put it ALL out there the other day, when she declared her intent to get her daughter the ONE thing she really wanted. And it wasn't a toy, a fancy trip, or even the desire to " be like everybody else" ( something my daughter frequently wishes for). Her daughter really wants to have a sleepover.( I am hoping my daughter gets to be the lucky host!) When my older daughter ( Zoe's BFF since they were babies) approached her teen years, it was a big adjustment for Zoe. I thought Zoe and I had... Continue reading

I start and end each day thinking about my kids, my mothering, and I always question if I am getting it right? Like most other families, we have our normal moments of fun and games and everyday silliness, but we have the other moments too- when kids are tired, and stressed and there are tears. Times when we have to talk about medicine and doctors and how we are feeling, and then decide how to best handle it. We shouldn't second guess ourselves, but we do. We should do more of celebrating the small moments. In our house, we get... Continue reading

When Marie Holmes, one of the three recent Powerball winners sharing the $564 million dollar jackpot officially claimed her prize, she said the best thing about winning is being able to provide for her children. Holmes is a single mom with four kids and was living in a trailer. And most parents hearing her story will believe the stereotype that when she said “provide for” she meant food, housing and a secure future for her children, all under the age of 7. Holmes has one child with cerebral palsy, which suddenly makes her not so different from me. I know... Continue reading

My prose is not brilliant, My word choice just fine Dr. Seuss, he inspired this poem that rhymes! A birthday gift of reflection, A look back to when, This is Your 64 Bruce, Oh The Places You’ve Been!


 “ Congratulations! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting So.. Get on your way!” - Excerpt, From Dr. Seuss, Oh The Places You’ll Go. This Is Your 64, Oh The Places You’ve Been! When the sun has gone down And you find time to sit, You move fast through your years, Asking..… “ WHAT IF? “ From East Coast to West... Continue reading

Presence. With my children, I am present. The way I wait while Zoe haltingly speaks, starting and stopping before she strings her words together, until finally the garland that is her sentence is strung before me, her thought process complete . She tells me her secrets and I hold them close, I hold her close, until she is ready to move onto something else. I stay the course, ever present, while my teen girl travels her waves of emotion. Standing still I give her something to hold on to, I am present , if she reaches out for me. I... Continue reading

I used to run right by it, before I was a Mom. Simplicity, the beauty of the simple things in the moment. My standard pace was more of an easy run than a walk, easy to achieve with long legs that allow for leaping steps. And sometimes when my husband and I are out alone ( a sitter at home with the kids, the clock ticking) I return to this habit, when it is just he and I ." Slow down " he tells me. " We aren't in a hurry" he reminds me. When Zoe began her preschool years,... Continue reading

Delight. Sometimes the subtle things, they can slip by. The start of school this year brought change. So. Much. Change. My first born teen girl adjusting to high school, where everything was new; the scratchy uniforms, friends,rules, hours of homework and higher expectations. My heart felt overly full her angst and excitement, with her beauty and with amazement that my first girl, is so grown up. My daughter Zoe started her second year of middle school with a new sense of awareness, asking me to to fix the “ little girl “ pattern on her new wheelchair seat, so sure... Continue reading

A few weeks ago, on our last summer afternoon, my girls and I escaped the heat by heading to our local movie theatre. As we stood waiting in line at the snack counter, my soon to be freshman took hold of her younger sister’s wheelchair, took the movie tickets from my hand, and called over her shoulder “ I got Zoe, Mom, we’ll go grab our seats” Zoe smiled and waved while I stood stunned, watching my oldest daughter making her way to the theatre, pushing Zoe, weaving through the crowds with confidence. Once she reached our theatre, I could... Continue reading

Standing at my bookshelf, my fingers follow the worn, familiar feeling of my books, old friends that I have forgotten. There are books of poetry, art and religion; books on growing things and making things; books on building business; books of dreams once pursued. Mysteries, memoirs and fiction that used to carry me far, far away. I have come here now for a book of recipes, yet still, I am drawn to the now-dusty books about parenting. A shelf that started with a copy of What to Expect When Your Expecting and was filled to overflowing when the unexpected happened.... Continue reading

“ Can I die, Mom?” my daughter Zoe asks. She is standing in her walker, pausing, with one hand on her hip, in a perfect petulant tween pose. Her hair, middle school trendy, straight and long, flows over one shoulder onto the front of her graphic t-shirt. I take all of this in, how good she looks as Zoe’s eyes meet mine. She is searching my face as if this is an easy question and the answer should be floating through the air, on it’s way back to her by now. Why is she is asking me this? I wonder.... Continue reading

“ Mom, when I grow up I want to be a nurse so I can help people.. " Mommy, will you teach me everything you do, so I know how to be a good Mom?” “Someday, I’ll drive a big car like this ..” My daughter Zoe has been telling me these things since the age of 6 or 7, when her ability to simply exhale and tell me what she was thinking , finally arrived. Her words, still slow with awkward stops and starts, were a gift I so desperately desired. The doctors had assured me the day would... Continue reading

When my husband and I were newly married, and our life with no kids- still streamlined and slow, we had plenty of time to dream about the family we would grow. It was the start of one holiday season, when the Sears Christmas Wish book arrived, that we got to talking about holiday traditions. In his family, his Uncle dressed up as Santa Claus every Christmas Eve. With tears in his eyes and sometimes laughter, my husband told me story after story. How the children would squeal and the adults join in, as Santa hand pulled gift after gift ,... Continue reading

I sat down today with pen and paper, to reflect and record what I am truly thankful for this Thanksgiving. Most of my notes I email; notes to the teacher, quick questions to the doctor, reminders to my husband, even fun notes to my girls. Maybe it is the absence of handwritten notes today that generates such emotion and contributes to the viral fame with notes of shame left on restaurant receipts, anonymous notes left in the neighbor's mailbox or on car windows. In honor of the holiday season, and in effort to spread some holiday cheer, here is my... Continue reading

Somebody is smiling because she helped win a cake at the Harvest Festival cake walk! We made a great team and had fun.. like every holiday, celebrations are about what works for your family. Read my Halloween story about The Gift Of A Pumpkin, here at QueenLatifah.com, and my tips for how to find your own Halloween fun. I had the pleasure of rubbing elbows with the Queen herself as she inspired the audience at the BlogHer convention this summer. Queen Latifah was emceeing the BlogHer Voice Of The Year celebration, and she did an amazing job honoring the readers... Continue reading