January 2010 - Praying for Parker

Winter: A Preschool Unit

Some days preschool just doesn’t go as well as this Mama would like. Case in Point: When a certain little Brave Hero decides to ignore everything and just turn his back on me. Parker is still working off his anger from the surgery and that FEES...

Published Thu, Jan 14 2010 10:07 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Special Needs Homeschooling, preschool unit, speical needs homeschooling, winter

He’s a GENUINE Hodson Boy……..

I’ve given birth to a few athletes. Which is interesting considering my lack of all things uh…..coordinated. Ahem. We often joke at our house that the way you know our boys are gen-u-ine Hodson is by their love of all things accompanied by...

Published Mon, Jan 25 2010 8:57 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Fantabulous-ness, down syndrome, Special Needs, bowling

A Lacing Activity For Fine Motor Skills!

We are on our way up to Primary Childrens Hospital today. It’s the after the Nissen follow up appointment. I don’t mind these appointments so much. No stress. Just making sure all has healed as it should. (insert sigh of relief here) But I...

Published Tue, Jan 19 2010 9:24 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Special Needs Homeschooling, Fantabulous-ness, homeschooling, sewing cards, home school

Making Yogurt at Home

I’ve told you about Parker’s blenderized diet. And how expensive it is proving to be. So, I’ve been working on ways to bring the cost down. I can purchase a quart of organic whole milk for about $4.00. But I prefer to offer up yogurt...

Published Mon, Jan 11 2010 2:56 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Totally Worth The Calories, From Scratch, how to make yogurt at home, homemade yogurt

Discount School Supply: A Giveaway!

It’s no secret. I love the stuff I get from Discount School Supply. And now, thanks to the great folks over at DSS, I can give one of you the opportunity to see exactly what I’m talking about! But first the the legal-eze: I did NOT receive...

Published Fri, Jan 15 2010 8:19 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Uncategorized

Save The Date(s)!

May 28th and 29th! I’ll be Right here: Okay. I know what you are thinking……that they must have been exceptionally desperate to invite HER to be on a panel at a blogging conference. But, nope. I mean just look at the awesome that will...

Published Wed, Jan 06 2010 7:58 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Fantabulous-ness, Advocacy, I'm The Mama: Hear Me Roar!, casual blogger conference

Have Cape, Will Soar

Parker’s been working on mastering his shapes. We’ve identified. We’ve matched. We’ve traced. Colored and created. Now we are upping our game. We offer Parker two different shapes and ask him to hand us a specific one. This is...

Published Thu, Jan 21 2010 7:45 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Fantabulous-ness, Advocacy, down syndrome, Special Needs, People I Love, homeschooling

Parker’s vote for the next American Idol is……..

Maddy Curtis! She has MY vote too. (I know this is bigger than my page, but I don’t know how to fix it. Anyone?) I’m been trying for a few years now to convince my Bailey to audition for Idol when they come to Salt Lake. Maybe Maddy will inspire...

Published Wed, Jan 13 2010 12:09 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Fantabulous-ness, Advocacy, American Idol, Maddy Curtis

Technology and the Child with Special Needs

I’ll admit it. When it comes to new technology I’m a little slow on the uptake. My usual game plan includes handing any and all tech issues over to one of my kids and offering up a really pathetic “pretty please?” Ahem. We all...

Published Wed, Jan 13 2010 8:50 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Fantabulous-ness, Stuff We LOVE!, iPod Touch, Voice4u, augmentative and alternate communication applications

New Kid On The Block

I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine, Erin Breedlove. Erin blogs at Empowering People and Changing Lives Erin, a college student majoring in Music Therapy, has mild CP. She understands, first hand, the power of an advocate. In Erin’s...

Published Wed, Jan 06 2010 10:28 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Uncategorized, Erin Breedlove, music therapy, cerebral palsy

What families do.

If you were to go back in time, say 10 years or so, to ask each member of our family where we saw ourselves 10 years hence, I’m pretty sure that not a one of us would describe our current location. 10 years ago my 3 oldest would have told you that...

Published Tue, Jan 26 2010 9:02 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Fantabulous-ness, People I Love, family

This….That….. and Whatever

By the time you read this I will most likely be out. of. the. house. Just typing this is causing me to hyperventilate with excitement. To add to the awesome, I received an invitation for our family to be included in Sharon Astyk’s new book, Making...

Published Wed, Jan 27 2010 10:09 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Fantabulous-ness, Stuff We LOVE!, From Scratch, Voice4u, sharon astyk, Discount School Supply, making yogurt at home, adapting in place

Why I would never ‘cure’ my kid with special needs.

Every once in a while I’ll come across a conversation were parents are waxing philosophical about whether or not they would ‘cure’ their child if they could. My answer to this question may raise some eyebrows. (And offend anyone who...

Published Sun, Jan 17 2010 5:12 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Holding On Tight To My Faith, A Day In Our Life, Advocacy, Special Needs, People I Love, advocay, a cure for down syndrome?, what I velieve

Who Needs Play-Doh When You Can MAKE Snow Dough?

This week’s preschool theme is: Snow. Last night I made a double batch of ‘Snow Dough. It’s awesome. (I don’t know about you, but I think the Playdough you purchase in the store smells awful. blech. Making it is fast and simple...

Published Tue, Jan 05 2010 12:09 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Special Needs Homeschooling, Fantabulous-ness, Cheap and Easy, From Scratch, Snow Dough, Homemade PLaydough

A Provident Pantry: One staple of a frugal life.

Reed e-filed our taxes on Saturday. BP (before Parker) this was a time of great anticipation. Kind of like a Christmas Eve just for Mom and Dad, we entertained visions of fun stuff about to become ours. We felt pretty responsible by putting half into...

Published Sun, Jan 24 2010 8:57 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Cheap and Easy, From Scratch, frugal living, pantry challange, food storage, stockpiling