We spent last weekend in Philadelphia.While it wasn’t without its stressful moments with our boys, it was an enjoyable time away in a city that’s become one of our favorite weekend getaways.The following are some takeaways from the weekend.•What brought us to Philly was a Maroon 5 concert on Friday night.With the band not taking… Read more »

“It’s not fair.”It’s a comment we hear often from Beckett when things don’t go his way.We hear this phrase about small things, such as our decision to not let him attend a birthday party an hour from home the night before an early soccer tournament or about not being able to get out of school… Read more »

Years from now when he is older, I hope I remember my conversations with Beckett in the car before and after soccer practices.Every year during travel soccer orientation meetings coaches advise parents to avoid talking about soccer with their kids immediately before and after practices and games. Despite it being difficult to not offer feedback… Read more »

Laughter really is the best medicine.Pam and I for years laughed at our kids and their antics. While we still laugh behind their backs about their ridiculousness from time to time, more often we find ourselves these days getting tickled with our kids over random things life throws at us.That’s a great thing because life… Read more »

It was a Sunday afternoon to remember.Heading into last weekend, our plan was to keep close to home because Carson, our special needs 8-year-old son, was starting a new medicine in an attempt to help curb some behavioral changes that have been occurring.On the second day of the new medicine, Carson had an acute dystonic… Read more »

There was a time when a rainy weekend would drive me crazy.With last weekend’s weather forecast calling for rain and then some more rain, I figured I was headed toward some mental torture. I tend to get uneasy stuck in the house all day, particularly if the kids are unable to burn off energy.In fact,… Read more »

Like most parents, there were lots of mixed emotions around my house about back to school.Generally, it’s easier to manage our work schedules when the kids are in school. There is less running around to various camps and doctor’s appointments when school is in session.As far as the kids, it’s a bit sad for them…. Read more »

Earlier this month, Beckett had back-to-back nights of fun.Back in June, Pam and I attended a conference in Washington DC organized by a non-profit group formed by a group of parents with kids sharing Carson’s diagnosis – a rare genetic disorder called 7q11.23 duplication syndrome. The name is complicated, but he basically has extra copies… Read more »

There’s not much I can say new about Surfers Healing.For those who don’t know, Surfers Healing is a traveling camp that provides children with Autism and other developmental disabilities the opportunity to go surfing under the caring and professional guidance of surfers. Carson, our younger son at 8, fits into the category of eligible participants.Surfers… Read more »

(Editor’s Note: The following is a reprint from December of 2009. The writer is on assignment in Ocean City having a “staycation.”)Nineteen months ago, life, as I knew it, changed forever when my son Beckett was born, and it gives me great pleasure to report the birth of our second son last month.Of course, it… Read more »