A life lived small

The simple act of going to basketball practice None of us parents want our kids with special needs to have a life lived small. But it can happen quickly, can’t it? Evie went to basketball practice last night for special olympics and here is my confession: I didn’t want to take her. I feared she’d get bumped by other players or upset or clobbered by the big round orange thing essential to the game. I’m

An important reminder from our daughter Years ago, my husband Sergei preached a sermon about following Jesus (OK, all of Sergei’s sermons are about following Jesus. But this one stuck out to me). He said that a lot of us tend to follow Christ to get something out of it. We follow Jesus the life coach or Jesus the marriage counselor, or Jesus the CEO. But when God calls us to follow him, it’s not

To the new mother of a baby with Down syndrome Meeting Her You had a baby with Down syndrome. I remember the feeling. That first meeting with another family farther along the path of Down syndrome after the birth of our child with the same diagnosis. I remember fear and fascination. Fear of the child four or five years old who’s eyes mirrored my baby’s. She shouldn’t have looked like him. I birthed her. She

It’s that time of year again. Backpacks are bought. New tennis shoes are donned. Back to school. It’s also time to educate our teachers on what they should know about Down syndrome. I have two girls with Down syndrome. Polly is going into 2nd grade, fully included with an aid, and Evangeline is going into 1st grade in a special education school. When a parent asks me how to find a good school for their child