Remember that time you skipped and twirled your way into your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting, stopping only to sign in at the office? You didn’t even realize you were humming ... Read More about 3 Helpful Ways for Parents To Approach IEP Meetings
On Choosing Public School…Again
When kids began to sprout up in our home, I just assumed that Glendon & I would be the kind of parents who drafted an educational plan for them and THAT WOULD BE IT. I viewed our decision sort of ... Read More about On Choosing Public School…Again
My Dad’s Greatest Gift to Me
When I was 4 years-old, my family ventured down our street to join the neighbors for dinner. I tripped en route and my arms, apparently glued to my sides, did not extend and I fell--quite ... Read More about My Dad’s Greatest Gift to Me
The One About Birth Moms
There’s a stigma that often follows the title “birth mom”--the woman who surrenders her rights for another to raise the child(ren) born to her. Stereotypes might ... Read More about The One About Birth Moms
How Adoptive Families Can Respond to Awkward Comments
When motherhood chased me and finally caught me in the early months of 2007, I was stunned. Pregnancy wasn’t in Katie’s Carefully Crafted Master Plan, which included completion of nursing school and a ... Read More about How Adoptive Families Can Respond to Awkward Comments
The Way My Mom Loves
If you want a glimpse into how my mom loves, you can follow the clues on her hands. They are practical: trimmed nails, subtle color, nothing dramatic. They are busy: often moving, ready to grab a ... Read More about The Way My Mom Loves
![When I think back to the early months of motherhood, those bleary-eyed, overwhelming days (nights?) of colic and learning the needs of my first born, I can hardly believe we're here.
The toddler who traipsed around in Huggies and heels, singing made-up tunes and chatting with her hilarious imaginary friend, Lackey, outgrew my heels two years ago. And for the past year, I've been looking up to her--literally.
The longer I parent, the more I discover this gift to be one long, winding road of learning to let go. From the moment she said, "My do it, Mommy," I knew we had begun to leave the days of her tiny hand snuggled in mine.
And while I know these seasons of greater independence are part of her journey, I'm still surprised when they arrive with another milestone at my door, another invitation to release. Some days I ache to hold on just a little longer.
Happy 17th, Sissy.
You're a gift to our home, to your friends, to this aching world.
[ID: A white teen girl with brown hair in 2 braids, wearing black leggings and a black hoodie, is walking in the woods. Sun beams are coming through the trees as she walks away from the camera.]
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