If he had his druthers, Carson would pick his mom over his dad for most things.An example would be every night at bedtime. Pam and I switch kids each night when it comes to tucking them in. That’s a phrase I’m sure they both would cringe at hearing. Carson, 7, invariably hunches his shoulder in… Read more »

I love Beckett’s interest in music.When he heard word this week of Tom Petty’s unexpected passing, he, being 9 years old, immediately made it all about him.His quote was something along the lines of “there’s another of my favorite musicians you got to see in concert without me.” Pam and I were fortunate enough to… Read more »

Phone conversations with my son are always interesting.Pam and I got away for some live music in New York City last weekend. The only negative to that was it meant we would be missing the kids’ soccer games.We called on Saturday afternoon to get an update from my mom, who graciously stayed with the kids… Read more »

Forgetful is the latest adjective I am using to describe Beckett.He has a long list of positive attributes, including being funny, smart, optimistic, compassionate, understanding and kind-hearted. However, he also has one not so positive trait. He’s forgetful. There are times he can’t remember to do the simplest of things.At our house, school mornings have… Read more »

How a kid handles losing says a lot.Although I don’t keep track, if I had to guess, I would estimate Beckett’s sports teams have lost more than triple the amount of games he has won in his young life. It’s to the point I think he expects to lose most of the time and therefore… Read more »

A constant challenge for me is balancing expectations with my kids.In a perfect world, the same would be expected of both. That’s not our reality at this point with Carson’s unique special needs. That’s in part why, generally, I tend to underestimate Carson while setting expectations too high for Beckett. The end result is at… Read more »

Are you ever truly ready for school to start?In Beckett’s case, the answer is definitely no. The good news is I know after the first day he will be happy to be back at school. It’s just that weekly camp life has been treating him well all summer and he likes the relaxed environment, multiple… Read more »

As I dangled a couple hundred feet in the air on a ride called, “Griffon,” I was biting my tongue.One, I was scared so I was trying to refrain from cursing or letting on to my son that my aversion to heights was getting the best of me.Yes there I was two weekends ago braving… Read more »

“One perfect day” is how many families living in a world of children with special needs describe Surfers Healing.As a member of this world, I would agree wholeheartedly. It’s impossible not to be reflective and emotional on this day. It’s become an annual tradition for many families, including mine.It’s a time when there’s no judgment… Read more »

Never have I felt older than last Sunday night at the Boardwalk amusement parks.Over the last several years, I have noticed amusement rides — especially those of the Tilt-A-Whirl and spinning variety — have been leaving me wrecked when I get off. I get dizzy and nauseous and any other adjective that describes feeling uncomfortable… Read more »