eSpecially Ben

While vacuuming, I heard a noise and chose to ignore it. Then something tugged at me to go investigate the source of the noise. I found Ben pinned underneath the TV and table. I lifted it all up, and pushed him with my foot, out of the way. Sometimes when Ben is wild and we cannot watch him every minute, we strap him into a chair. I always feel terrible doing it. Ben had been strapped in the chair while I was cleaning, and the guilt was eating at me. So I got him out. It was not ten minutes when I heard the bang - and it did not even dawn on me what could have happened - I kept vacuuming for another couple of minutes. Ben likes to kneel at the table in front of the TV to get a very close and personal experience with the movie he is watching. This one being a home movie, he must have wanted to get real close. Ughh! The damage - a busted lip, swollen nose and demolished brand-new 32" flat screen TV, a recent gift from our neighbors. So what have I learned? Safety is going

For what seemed like eternity, our neighbor's RV was parked outside our bedroom window. When I looked out, the dad from the Walton's and a bald boy with a knit hat stared back at me. The RV is wrapped to advertise the movie, Letters to God , which comes out on April 9. My neighbor promotes films and thought this might be a good way to get the word out. We certainly got the message. Last week, my neighbor asked if I wanted to see a sneak preview of the movie. Curiosity and a night out ensured my acceptance. The film is based on a true story - and to the credit of the writer, producer and director - they deliver a message of hope and prayer. In addition, they share resources and information about cancer organizations available to help families and individuals affected by this disease. A number of national and international organizations support the movie. The movie is about a boy, Tyler, who has brain cancer. As a coping mechanism, he writes letters to God explaining wha

Perhaps I have mentioned before that Ben loves Bob the Builder. This photo captures Ben watching his new "Bob" video from Santa on Christmas Day while we opened presents, something he does not particularly enjoy. It was our way to involve Ben in something he likes and be with us at the same time. Rather than feel guilty and sad about Ben not participating in Christmas morning activities in the traditional way, we tried this innovative approach - and it worked well for the whole family.