eSpecially Ben

This is a family tradition dating back to the 1970's when I was in second grade. My teacher, Mrs. West, taught us all how to make a Graham Cracker House. We used our individual milk carton from school lunch as the base, graham crackers for the walls, Royal Icing as the edible glue and lots of candy to decorate. Over the years with the help of a carpenter husband, the house has grown in size and intricacy. One year, the roof made from Big Red gum, looked like slate. Now with the kids involved, we make the building and the kids decorate. For the past two years, we have had a Graham Cracker House Building Party and several families from the neighborhood join us. Each family brings their own house setup and we all share the candy we bring. It's a lot of fun! Directions • Approx a 12” x 12” cardboard or baking pan covered tightly in tin foil. This will serve as the platform for the house. If you use a baking pan, make sure it is not one you will need soon. • A cardboard fou

Logan is four and learning to ride his bicycle with training wheels. His grandpa and grandma visited this weekend and he was showing off his new moves and feeling very proud of himself.

In case anyone is catching up on this blog, I have committed to running 12 races in the 2010 year (the year of my 40th birthday) - one per month. Hair of the Dog  is sponsored by the YMCA in Spartanburg, SC. This race is at 9:00am on New Year's Day and it is about a 90 minute drive from our house. Am I crazy? A bit, but there are no races in the city I live in during the month of January. This is the best I could find and the idea of it being on January 1 interests me. There is an old saying that says whatever you do on New Year's Day is what you will spend most of your time doing the rest of the year. Running could be a good way to spend this 2010. And word just in from my husband, he's considering walking the 2 mile route with the three kids. Okay, maybe this will all workout for the best. Wish me luck, or better yet, run a race too! Just in case you are wondering, like I was, what the heck Hair of the Dog  means - check out the link to Wikipedia.

Ben's class made this piece of artwork. This week, Ben brought home a lot of artwork, and I wasn't sure which one to choose until I saw this one. The theme is "Friends", and each child added their handprint to the paper. The computer program, Boardmaker was used to make pictures that represent Share, Play, Care, Help and Listen. A posting this week on 5 Minutes for Special Needs focused on how all kids need playdates and friends. This artwork seemed to be yet another reminder of how important it is. Magic Marker Monday is a creation through 5 Minutes for Special Needs , a website full of information, blogs and discussion groups. One way to celebrate life is to see it through art, and this site helps us share our children's creative masterpieces. Please check out the site.

If you have a child with special needs, most likely, you will also have gadgets and gizmos that help your child learn to walk, talk, eat, drink, toilet train, sit-up straight and a whole host of other skills. Some gadgets and gizmos may be a medical necessity for your child – helping them to breathe, get nutrition or stay healthy. Whatever it may be, it takes time to find out about what is available and then learn the ins and outs of each piece of equipment. But when a real good tool comes along, it can be life changing for the child and even the family. Over the next few months, I am going to introduce a few of the items we have used. I am always surprised to find out about new equipment. I hope to spread the word about things that have been worth the time, effort and cost for us. The TAOS , Therapeutic Ambulatory Orthotic System , is what I am focusing on today. Not many people have ever heard of it, even physical therapists. It is actually Ben's latest gizmo – and it is seri

This year it took 28 photos to get the "best" Christmas Card Photo. They were all good in their own way - funny faces, poses and expressions. This is one of the 27 that did not make it this year. Special Exposure Wednesday , a part of 5 Minutes for Special Needs , is a wonderful way for families to share inspirational photos with others. Each week dozens of sites will post their photos - please check them out.

Turkey Trot 2009 * 5 Minutes for Special Needs , a blog I follow, had a posting last week about taking care of yourself. It basically said that we are so busy taking our kids to doctor and therapy appointments that we may overlook our own health. I do know that I need to stay physically fit as well as emotionally stable to handle the stress and physical work that is involved in raising Ben. I am fairly good about taking care of myself - I exercise almost every weekday, I read fiction to relax and get together with friends to unwind and share stories. It is sometimes a struggle to find the time to do the things I enjoy or even fight off the guilt of being selfish. I ran an 8k on Thanksgiving, not having run a race in more than two years. I forgot the enjoyment I got out of being with so many people also excited to be running. It was exhilarating. The best moment of the race was when I saw two kids pushing their dad, who was in a wheelchair. I wanted to say something positive to them,