eSpecially Ben

BEFORE: Looks like all will go smoothly. MIDDLE: Ben tests the stylist's skills. AFTER:  "I'm cool." Special thank you to the Supercuts on Providence Road in Charlotte. They have been cutting Ben's hair from the beginning. They are patient when he decides to hang upside down or slither out of the seat. Surprisingly enough, they are happy to see him whenever we come in (or they are really good actors). eSpecially Ben is one of five finalists for About.com Readers' Choice Awards for Favorite Special-Needs Parenting Blog. Please take a moment to vote everyday.

See more Special Exposure Photos at 5 Minutes for Special Needs.

Imagine the splash!

Ben enjoyed our quick walk around the block during our Winter Blizzard with 2 inches of the white stuff. Check here for more photos of special kids.

Ben's Video EEG See more excellent photos here!

Ben had a wild one last week. Getting him to bed before midnight took Benadryll, Bob and a Battle (which he typically won). He was in such a great mood - all he wanted to do was move, explore, climb and participate in everything. And this was after a full day of school and an hour of therapy. In these photos, Ben decided he wanted to sit on the high stools at the counter. Before I knew it, he grabbed an apple and started munching.

Ben opens his present from Grandpa. See other photos here.

Waiting for takeoff. The Run Takeoff At the bottom Check here for more photos of other wonderful blogs!

Make these special bird feeders for winter time fun.They also look cool hanging in the yard. Use pipe cleaners, wire or wooden skewers for the base. Add food such as apples, oranges, dried apricots, pretzels, marshmallows, raisins, dates, bread, grapes and cheerios. Tie the ribbon or string on one end. Then take your decorations and tie them to the trees and watch the birds feast. It took a few days for the birds to find ours, but once they did, they ate them all.

Since before we had children, Ryan and I visited McAdenville , a small town south of Charlotte, that calls itself, Christmas Town, USA. This 55 year old tradition of displaying lights and decorating each house on the main street is described on the website . It is a fairly remarkable endeavor for this town to take on each year. I can only imagine what the fine print reads on the real estate agreements for purchasing a house on the main route. Since having children, our tradition has morphed into dining at the local restaurant and taking a walking tour of the town with friends and neighbors. Many of the people who join us know Ben from when he attended preschool at 3 and 4 years old. They are the teachers who have become part of our family. The smile on Ben's face is not surprising - he is surrounded by people who love him very much and eating peanut butter pie. Life does not get much better than this.

Clowns were just one part of the festivities at the Shriners Christmas Party!  Now who do you think requested this photo - Ben or his Dad? Click here and see more photos!

Even a short nap during a long car trip at Thanksgiving can be pure bliss to the haggard parents driving. For a while, nothing stands between us and our total engrossment in Pat Conroy's audio book, My Losing Season . Check this out for more photos.

I remember, and so does my mom, school portrait day when the teacher insisted on parting my bangs for my photo in the 2nd or 3rd grade. That photo is embedded in my brain forever. And those were the days without touchups or perhaps even makeups, because Lord knows I needed a retake. This year when Ben brought home paperwork for school photos and I had to choose a background and package BEFORE I ever saw a photo, I was not pleased.  I love my son, but I do know how difficult it is to get a good photo out of him. I am unwilling to pay for a shot of the side of his head or even better, Ben yelling at the camera. I have enough of those in my personal collection. Metro Portraits did a great job - they captured the essence of Ben. They generously gave me permission to display Ben's photo on this site. When I called them to describe my hesitancy to pay for something sight unseen, they assured me that they would refund me money if I was not happy with the final outcome. Needless to s

Advantage to long hair. Check out other photos!

The Board of Education voted to close Ben's school for next academic year. The teachers and staff have been wonderful to our family, treating Ben with love, care and respect. It will be sad to say good-bye to all these people prematurely.

Ben is hugging Trilby from the Raggs TV Show, a PBS show created in Charlotte. Ben and Trilby would have made the Guinness Book of World Records in the Longest Hug category (which has not been attempted yet) had we not broken them up to give a turn to the other kids waiting in line. * Addendum to this post: In March of this year, the record for the Longest Hug was established - 24 hours and 17 minutes. I was thinking about attempting to set the first record with Ben if it had never been tried, but a full day of hugs may even be too much for Ben. Now a Bob the Builder Marathon... Check out more photos : www.5minutesforspecialne eds.com

Check out www.5minutesforspecialneeds.com for more photos.

Our neighborhood fire station turned 75 years old this weekend. They celebrated by throwing a big party - food, drinks and of course, firetruck visits. Ben made several trips to the firetruck.

Ryan and I had a long weekend in Charleston, SC by ourselves. To say it was magical would be an understatement. This is taken from Shem Creek with the Ravenel Bridge (a.k.a. Cooper River Bridge) in the distance.

2008 2010