This morning Sophie burst through the kitchen door — fresh from a shower, wrapped in a towel — and announced, “I look like a full-grown woman!” I smiled. Adorable? Yes. Full-grown woman? Hardly. True, she didn’t have the towel draped over her shoulders like a little kid, but at 43 inches and 54 pounds, dripping […]
Not long ago, Annabelle created her very own superhero. It was for a school assignment — the big assignment of the year, in fact, the Third Quarter Presentation, a term uttered with dread by most every student at her school. I love Third Quarter Presentations. From fifth grade on, each student is required to stand […]
After two tardy slips this week, I was determined to get Sophie to school in plenty of time to make the bell, and in my rush I didn’t notice that she’d left the house in patent leather party shoes and sweatpants. It wasn’t until she’d leaned over from the backseat for several goodbye kisses, handing […]
Last night was the regional competition for Special Olympics cheerleading. Sophie’s team was robbed, I tell you. Robbed. “Tempe’s bringin’ down the house!” the announcer yelled at one point during their routine, and it was true — the entire crowd was rooting for the navy-and-white clad cheerleaders, who had the best moves of the night […]
“I have something for you,” my dear friend Kim Porter messaged me on Facebook the other night. The next morning, I was holding a tiny brown paper bag. I gasped when I pulled out the contents: a pendant hanging on a ball chain, fashioned out of an old silver spoon, featuring a bronze cutout of […]
Yesterday afternoon, I snuck out for lunch with someone I met on the Internet. I didn’t tell my husband about it. I had an awesome time. And you know what? I’ll do it again. I’m not sure how I met Lisa — maybe on Instagram, or through this blog. But for a while, I’ve been […]
For a long time — longer than I like to admit — I thought of Sophie as my kid who has Down syndrome. Somewhere along the way, that fell aside. And it’s not like I never think about it — I think about it dozens of times a day, I bet — but most of […]
Earlier this week, during the Big Meeting at school, I mentioned to Sophie’s team that she’s been nostalgic lately for pre-school. Several heads around the table nodded. She’s been talking about it at school, too. It’s pretty clear that Sophie has been thinking about her old school as a way of preparing to go to […]
The birthday monsters are in town. (Apologies to Sandra Boynton.) I got an email last week from Sophie’s aide: [Sophie's teacher] and I wanted to let you know that we had a talk with Sophie today about her birthday. There have been several occasions recently where Sophie has told a student she was not invited […]
A note came home from the principal last Friday. Tell Sophie I’m wearing purple on Monday! It was not your typical note home. It is not your typical situation. I’ve been talking with the principal at Sophie’s elementary school since August about where she’ll go to junior high. It’s a big decision for any kid, […]
