Praying for Parker

The Bill of Rights: Special Needs Style

A Bill of Rights of parents of kids with Special Needs (I don’t know who originally created this. If anyone knows, please let me know and I’ll give them credit.) You have the right to take one day at a time, and take that day positively. Having...

Published Thu, Feb 09 2012 8:06 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Advocacy, down syndrome, Special Needs, bill of rights

Speech (or no speech) and the kid with special needs.

A Facebook friend posted this today: From your child with special needs: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the lord to give me words to speak. But if they never come this way, let my mommy know everything will be ok. Boy, howdy, did this one hit...

Published Tue, Feb 07 2012 5:48 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Special Needs Homeschooling, down syndrome, Special Needs, AAC, Ipad Apps, speech, apraxia

Make Your Own Snow Paint and an Alphabet Activity

Yesterday Parker painted his alphabet letters with snow paint. Super simple stuff. Half glue, half foam shaving cream. Stir. I have a paint brush shown in this picture. I quickly discovered that Q-tips were much easier to use. I may have been too lazy...

Published Tue, Feb 07 2012 8:41 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Special Needs Homeschooling, homeschooling, Life With Special Needs, Art Activities, art activites, snow paing

How to clean a burnt pan.

Once every two weeks or so I’ll get out all my pots and brew up a bunch of grains for Parker’s blenderized diet. I like to get the water boiling, add salt and the grain, cover the pot, turn the temperature down and allow the grain to cook...

Published Mon, Feb 06 2012 7:46 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: frugal living, DIY, cleaning tips

Welcome to Beirut by Susan F. Rzucidlo

Bright and early Saturday morning I headed up to a Utah Parent Partner meeting at the Utah Family Voices offices. It seems as though there are a few at Parker’s Pediatrician’s office who think I might be good at this kind of stuff….pointing...

Published Mon, Feb 06 2012 8:32 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Advocacy, down syndrome, Special Needs

It’s not just about keeping Parker alive….

I’ve lost 18 pounds. Really it should be more. I gave up my beloved Dr. Pepper over ice weeks ago. I haven’t even had a Diet Coke. I should be in a size 6 by now, right? Isn’t that the way it works? All this water I’ve been drinking...

Published Sat, Feb 04 2012 4:06 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: down syndrome, Special Needs, Life With Special Needs

Baptism/Communion and the child with Special Needs

In the LDS culture children are baptized at the age of 8. When Mormons baptize someone, it’s by full immersion. If even your hair rises to the top, they dunk you again. I was baptized in the Mediterranean Sea while my family was living in Turkey...

Published Wed, Feb 01 2012 5:59 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Advocacy, Life With Special Needs, baptism, religious rites, Holy communion

Urban and Organic Gardening

I really can’t be the only one who looks our her window at her garden and feels her heart yearn for Spring, can I? There won’t be as many pumpkins this year. There will be many more types of greens….mustard greens, kale, and the like...

Published Wed, Feb 01 2012 11:41 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: From Scratch, frugal living, urban gardens, organic gardens

What I feed my g-tube enhanced kid.

My g-tube enhanced Brave Hero has done so well on the blenderized diet I prepare for him daily. He lost a significant amount of weight from being sick so many times this season, but we are back up 2 pounds…..two more to go before we are back to...

Published Thu, Jan 26 2012 7:28 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: blenderized diet

Snow Painting

It happened. Finally. It snowed. Snow. Finally Not so much as to be a hassle. Not too little to notice. Just enough. Read More...

Published Wed, Jan 25 2012 5:31 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Life With Special Needs

Even if the rest never follows.

Sometimes the once upon a time me sneaks up and reminds the me in the present of goals set and dreams once dreamt. She reminds me that debt and doctors and pulmonary hypertension were never supposed to be part of our future, and that when my kids finally...

Published Tue, Jan 24 2012 8:14 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Holding On Tight To My Faith, down syndrome, family, faith, Life With Special Needs

The Red Thread and My Child with Special Needs

There is a Chinese folklore, which tells about the connection of family members. The Chinese say that there are invisible red threads that connect a newborn child’s spirit to all of the people that will be important in their life. As the child grows...

Published Mon, Jan 23 2012 8:03 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: down syndrome, Special Needs, Life With Special Needs, Family and Friends, The Red Thread

Would it kill them to stop doing that? The R-word and it’s derivatives.

Is a lack of consideration the new black of today’s social culture? When I’m really in the mood to raise my blood pressure I’ll find myself reading the comments section of our local Utah newspapers, namely the comments following articles...

Published Mon, Jan 23 2012 7:27 AM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Advocacy, down syndrome, spread the word to end the word, Life With Special Needs, r-word

Making Medicaid More Transparent: A Question From A Utah Legislator

Notice: if you choose to use my blog as your venue for trolling, your comment will be deleted and your ISP blocked. There is a difference between asking an honest question and making poorly researched accusations. I have spent much time working in behalf...

Published Sun, Jan 22 2012 12:26 PM by Praying For Parker

Filed under: Special Needs, medicaid, travis c. waiver, Life With Special Needs, Politics of Special Needs, transparency

Expectation and the Child with Special Needs

I’ve noticed lately that sometimes adults expect less out of kids with special needs than they do from typical kids. “Oh, that’s okay.” Don’t worry about it. I understand.” Um. No, it’s not. Not only will he pick...

Published Thu, Jan 19 2012 5:52 PM by Praying For Parker