A blog about parenting children with ODD
I am pretty sure half of these posts refer to hiking. It makes it sound as if hiking is our life. (I would be totally happy about that, by the way. A hike a day? Yes! Unfortunately, we have things like work, school, and…responsibilities.) Hiking is a wonderful activity that provides multiple opportunities for teaching […]
There are times when I think, “My daughter is bipolar.” But her psychiatrist assured me she is not. I was given a number of documents comparing oppositional defiant disorder and bipolar side-by-side. I get it. She’s not bipolar. So what is happening in those times when she just seems to exude crazy dark energy? I’m […]
JUNE PHOTO JOURNAL I decided the best way to display the roller coaster of the past month would be with a plethora of images from the life of Aurora. Left: Aurora has a bag of tiny animals in her room. I did not buy them, and I don’t know where she got them. She claims […]
The last three weeks have been filled with minor victories and beautiful moments. There have also been a few awful, losing-control, pulling-your-hair-out stretches. I am sure that many parents are struggling right now, trying to turn this unexpected at home time into family bonding time. I am equally sure that many children are struggling. Mine […]
I generally prefer, when I write, to be able to look back, reflect, and find the meaning in life’s situations. It’s easier to see patterns. I am more apt to see God’s hand in my life. It was inevitable that eventually I would catch up with the current day. Here we are. It’s today. And […]
Have you ever noticed that whenever you speak of something that is difficult for you, people start giving you advice on how to fix your problem? That’s not a bad thing, necessarily. It can be helpful. Or it can be unhelpful. I remember years ago reading all of the baby books, websites, and reference manuals […]
written by Aurora When I was little I LOVED cats. My clearest memory of loving cats is probably Halloween when I was three. In Sunday school nursery thingamajig (whatever you call it), I remember making a mask that was a cat. I scribbled and scrubbled all over my mask, convinced it was beautiful. It had […]
Have you ever had something you really wanted to do, and you get the chance to do it, but you know it is just not very good timing? Do you do it anyway? Well, I did. I have always wanted to go to Ireland and the United Kingdom with my family. A bonus from Ike’s […]
I received a call one evening from my neighbor. We’ll call her Jane. I could tell that Jane was being very careful about what she was saying. “So I came home this evening and I noticed that my shed was open,” she began. “I went in and an overwhelming smell of paint hit me. I […]
“I’m sorry you’re upset,” I said in the most calming voice I could muster while trying to quench the frustration burning in my belly, “But you need to give Miriam her necklace.” “I’m just looking at it. Can’t I even look?” Aurora sassed as she walked up the stairs carrying Miriam’s new necklace. It was […]