October 2013 - Praying for Parker

Friendships and this special needs Mama.

Friendships and this special needs Mama. When I first became a special needs mom, one of my friends, one that I was sure I would grow old with, simply wasn’t able to understand why I couldn’t just ‘let Parker go.’ In her defense...

Published Tue, Oct 29 2013 10:53 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Life With Special Needs, Family and Friends, special needs parenting, friendship, special needs friendship

Painting furniture: An epiphany

Painting furniture is one way to stretch a meager budget when the new stuff is out of reach. When my oldest daughter got married she asked if she could take a simple dining room table that we had been using for a desk. It wasn’t anything spectacular...

Published Mon, Oct 28 2013 8:03 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Life With Special Needs, Family and Friends, special needs parenting, perfection, painting furniture black

My totally typical kid with special needs.

No words. Just incredible gratitude for my totally typical kid with special needs. I’ll forever be thankful that I’m the one he signs “Mama” to. The post My totally typical kid with special needs...

Published Fri, Oct 25 2013 10:39 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: down syndrome, Special Needs, Life With Special Needs, special needs parenting

Baptizing kids with special needs, revisited

I’ve written about baptizing kids with special needs before. There is NO one size fits all option. There are just each person individual experience that leads to their individual decision. You can read more about our decision with Parker in my post...

Published Thu, Oct 24 2013 8:45 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Holding On Tight To My Faith, Life With Special Needs, baptism, special needs parenting, mormons, lds.org

Obamacare: An Informal Poll

Last night Reed came home and told me about a friend of his that recently moved to California. This friend just received a letter from his insurance company informing him that due to Obmacare his costs for insurance just went up to………...

Published Wed, Oct 23 2013 8:48 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: The HIGH Cost of Health Care, Life With Special Needs, special needs parenting, Afordable healthcare, ACA

Halloween Playdough Mats!

It’s been a really weird few days around here for sure. I’m excited to get things back on track and have the perfect idea to share! Halloween Playdough Mats are wonderful fine motor and sensory activities. We make our own playdough, but the...

Published Mon, Oct 21 2013 10:11 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Special Needs Homeschooling, playdough recipes, teachers pay teaches, playdough mats, Halloween crafts for kids

Cyberbullying

This is a comment that Nancy’s Mom left. I’m posting here rather than at the end of the other post, which as you can see I’ve chosen to take down. “I have debated about writing anything at all on this issue, not wanting...

Published Sun, Oct 20 2013 5:44 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Life With Special Needs, internet stalking, cyberbullying

Watch my son with Down syndrome soar.

I get lots of emails and comments from readers of Parker’s blog sharing with me stories of the hard won battles and successes of their children with special needs. I’ve made some dear friends from this little blog of mine. It’s amazing...

Published Fri, Oct 18 2013 8:51 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Advocacy, down syndrome, Life With Special Needs, Family and Friends, trolls, special needs parenting, Now I Can, therapies

Special needs student raped in school bathroom.

A Jackson, Mississippi mother claims that her daughter was raped in a Callaway High School bathroom stall while classes were in session. A special needs student raped in a school bathroom. What is wrong with this world? “She said she screamed. She...

Published Thu, Oct 17 2013 3:47 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Advocacy, Special Needs, Life With Special Needs, special needs parenting, sexual abuse of children with special needs, rape of student with special needs

Charlie the Cockatiel

The last couple of weeks my oldest daughter and her husband have been staying with us while their new condo was being finished. Along with my daughter and son in law came Charlie the Cockatiel. I could never figure out why people chose birds as pets....

Published Wed, Oct 16 2013 8:35 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Family and Friends, special needs parenting, cockatiel food, cockatiel care, cockatiel sounds

Halloween Sensory Bin Activities

I love me some Halloween. I think it’s because Halloween is October and I love both Fall and October. I remember so well the excitement my kids brought to Halloween and I work to try and encourage that same excitement for the Brave Hero. First on...

Published Wed, Oct 16 2013 8:38 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Life With Special Needs, Sensory Tubs, special needs parenting, Halloween sensory bins, Halloween activities

The Daily Herald and Now I Can

Remember that yard sale we had in August? The one that took all summer to prepare for? Well, we’ve made it through our three weeks at Now I Can. And today The Daily Herald and Now I Can have teamed up to share our story. I am so thankful for everyone...

Published Sun, Oct 13 2013 12:30 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Advocacy, Therapy, physical therapy, Family and Friends, trolls, special needs parenting, Now I Can Foundation, The Daily Herald

College and the Kid with Special Needs

McCall is my 3rd kid. She is beautiful, intelligent and feisty. Emphasis on the feisty. I have no idea where she got that quality from. (ahem) McCall switched from majoring in nursing to majoring in special ed. I won’t lie, Reed and I have tried...

Published Tue, Oct 08 2013 10:15 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Advocacy, Life With Special Needs, special needs parenting, continuing education, BYU, UVU, special education

Homeschooling a child with Down syndrome.

Every 4 months or so I block out a couple of days for planning Parker’s home school curriculum. You’d think that in that much time I’d be able to knock out the entire year. Nope. No such luck. It takes time to translate Parker’s...

Published Mon, Oct 07 2013 9:58 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Special Needs Homeschooling, Special Needs, homeschooling, Life With Special Needs, special needs parenting

Down syndrome

I’ve taken a lot of pot shots about how I look at having a son with Down syndrome. Seems as though I see the whole thing through glasses too rosy for comfort for some of my peers. They don’t realize when your child is born with a disease that...

Published Fri, Oct 04 2013 10:05 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Advocacy, Life With Special Needs, special needs parenting, down syndrome facts, Down syndrome awareness