January 2011 - Praying for Parker

A Lentil Soup Recipe

It simply wouldn’t be New Year’s Day without making a huge pot of Lentil Soup. Lentils are a big part of Parker’s blenderized diet, so I always have at least 20 pounds on hand. The ingredients are simple. And cheap. And you know how...

Published Sun, Jan 02 2011 10:12 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Totally Worth The Calories, Recipes

Loving Our Lucky Bums

Anyone who knows our Brave Hero also knows that the activity he loves the most is flying through the air in his play set from Make A Wish. Except, at the moment, the play set seems to be in the midst of a long winter’s nap. What’s a Brave...

Published Wed, Jan 05 2011 9:35 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Fantabulous-ness, Doing it Special Needs Style

Because Leaving a Child to Rot in the System is Always Better….

A friend of mine, a smart, politically active Mama of many kids with special needs (both by birth and adoption) felt the claws of ignorance yesterday on her Facebook page. This Mama, who is looking at running for local office, was accused of having adopted...

Published Thu, Jan 20 2011 8:25 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Advocacy, I'm The Mama: Hear Me Roar!

How to Color Rice for Learning and Crafts

Colored rice is a staple in this homeschooling Mama’s manipulative arsenal. Montessori transferring activities, craft projects, lessons on color, weight and volume are just a few ideas colored rice can be used in. I spent an hour last week whipping...

Published Sun, Jan 09 2011 9:20 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Special Needs Homeschooling

Medical Bills and The Pantry Principal

If there was one thing I’ve been so thankful for while trying to be able to afford Parker, is the fact that I’ve always been a HUGE believer in the The Pantry Principal, the brain child of Amy Dacyczyn, author of The Tightwad Gazette Series...

Published Mon, Jan 10 2011 9:00 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: The HIGH Cost of Health Care, Cheap and Easy

Babysitters and the Kid with Special Needs

In all of my years of parenting I’ve never really many babysitters. When my oldest were little we were to poor to be able to afford to go out AND pay for a sitter, so we’d put the kids to bed and have date night at home. When my younger kids...

Published Tue, Jan 18 2011 9:02 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Doing it Special Needs Style

Making Your Own Green Cleaners: Orange Infused Vinegar

I was in the health food store looking at the all natural cleaners. After I picked my mouth up off the floor (how much can you charge for baking soda and vinegar, anyway?) and gently put the bottle back on the shelf, I got to thinking. Yeah, I know…...

Published Mon, Jan 24 2011 9:00 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Fantabulous-ness, Cheap and Easy, From Scratch

Wanted: An Army of Special Needs Parents

Becoming Parker’s Mom kicked me out of the Shrinking Violet Society. My membership was immediately revoked as my absolute need to find my voice took over. I sometimes refer to this as when I earned my Army Boots. Because I am a member of an army...

Published Tue, Jan 11 2011 12:47 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Advocacy

And then he said “Elmo.”

It had been a long day and I’ll admit, I was exhausted. Parker, of course, was just working up his 786th new wind. In an attempt to calm him down and remind him that it was dark outside and when it’s dark outside it’s time to sleep....

Published Fri, Jan 07 2011 11:35 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Fantabulous-ness, Doing it Special Needs Style

Then I Took My Kid and Left…..

Parker gets blood drawn once a month. Okay, so it’s more like every six weeks. Gimme a break. During these outtings they pull a LOT of blood. We test for BNP, liver, thyroid, CBC, CK and other things I know I’m forgetting. I used to make Reed...

Published Tue, Jan 25 2011 8:25 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: I'm The Mama: Hear Me Roar!

Livin’ On Love

I know. It’s the same old song. I feel as though I’ve been singing it for years now. Money is tight. We have saved sooo much money with cloth diapers? My personal favorite? The brown and blue GAD in the top left hand part of the pic. We don’t...

Published Sun, Jan 23 2011 9:46 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, Cheap and Easy

That’s When I Remember, He’s Just a Kid

I have a friend, who, when her son with Down syndrome was young, would create all kinds of learning experiences for him. Like filling a tub with jello, letting it set up, and then sticking her son in it. She figured that her son may have Down syndrome...

Published Wed, Jan 26 2011 9:32 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life, I'm The Mama: Hear Me Roar!

The Stubborness of My Heart

I’ve often said that we have been to busy just trying to keep the pulmonary hypertension from killing Parker to even have time to put too much thought into the extra chromosome. I can work my butt off to make progress in the areas that the extra...

Published Sun, Jan 30 2011 4:49 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: A Day In Our Life

For Tactile Learners

Parker is a tough kid to teach. It’s not that he isn’t teachable. Oh, no. He loves to learn. It’s the other stuff that can trip a homeschooling Mama up. Like the surgeries. Did you know that each time a kid like is put under general...

Published Wed, Jan 12 2011 7:42 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Special Needs Homeschooling, Doing it Special Needs Style

Quick and Easy Cookies from a Brownie Mix.

Remember my post about the brownies I was able to snag for .40 a box? Well, I grabbed a couple of boxes and made brownie cookies from them. Simple. Quick. Very addicting. And with .40 cent a box brownies….CHEAP! Meets all my standards for an excellent...

Published Sun, Jan 16 2011 5:17 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Cheap and Easy, Totally Worth The Calories