“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
1003, 2014

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

I love, LOVE Maya Angelou.  I always have.  I was talking with a friend today who was concerned about her apraxic son talking so he can get a job one day.  In the midst of apraxia, in the midst of our children not speaking, us parents all get caught up in the thick, dense trees.  We all, including myself, miss the forest.  In the end, we all ultimately just want

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“She just needs more repetition than most.”
0203, 2014

“She just needs more repetition than most.”

Today was Ashlynn’s Spring parent/teacher conference.  I don’t know what I expect really.  As much as most of the time is spent focusing on her strengths, all that hits me like a ton of bricks is what she ISN’T yet doing. My husband thought I was crazy.  He couldn’t come to the meeting today, but read the paper tonight at dinner and told me he felt it was predominantly positive. 

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Her first “favorite”
2302, 2014

Her first “favorite”

Kids always seem to have a favorite flavor of the week. Parents probably promote this. What is your favorite color? What was your favorite animal at the zoo? What was your favorite candy you received on Halloween? What is your favorite TV show, movie, toy, food, dessert etc etc. if Ashlynn has ever been partial to anything, we have never known, until last weekend. We went on a mini vacation

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Did I cause her apraxia?
2701, 2014

Did I cause her apraxia?

It starts with a question:  Did I cause her apraxia?  I know I’m not the only mom to wonder this, or worse, believe this.  This is where the guilt sets in.  It set in early and would tap on my shoulder in the shower, at lunch, or when I was trying to go to bed. Even though I’m an SLP, and I tell parents all the time that the speech

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She really does have “special needs.”
1501, 2014

She really does have “special needs.”

So, I obviously am well aware my daughter has apraxia.  I’m well aware of her challenges, but for some reason, I didn’t want to admit she’s “special needs.”  I don’t know why.  I work with special needs kids all day long.  It’s what I do.  I don’t see them as special needs.  I just see them as maybe learning differently, or needing different supports than other kids to be successful.

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Just love
1301, 2014

Just love

It’s really not ok to develop a severe disliking for a child.  They are, after all, just a child.  However, there is a little girl at Ashlynn’s school who is very hard to like.  She’s rude, rolls her eyes, and bosses Ashlynn around.  She has mocked my son (who’s a baby) when he was talking, refused to say “hello” to Ashlynn even as Ashlynn greets her with a cheerful “hello,”

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