eSpecially Ben

Over the next two weeks, please cast your vote for our Amazing Race Team Name. You may vote as many times as you would like. The box to the right of the eSpeciallyBen site has the information. On another note, all 15 Ben Bookmarks have sold - raising $150! I will put in another order if I get enough requests. Thank you for your support.

Last fall, I spent a large number of my hours fighting the recommendation for the school board to close Ben's school. I spent countless hours talking on the phone, sending emails, attending meetings and even more time worrying and stressing about the situation. What exactly was I fighting? I did not want Ben's current school to close. I wanted him to stay where he was with the same teachers, same students and same environment. Why did I want these same things? I was happy with where he was and I knew the teachers, students and environment. We were comfortable there. I was really fighting the unknown. I made the assumption that the unknown would be bad. Two weeks ago, I wrote about Ben's new placement for the fall 2011 and how I was thrilled with the new school. I met with the principal for two hours recently. Her philosophy about inclusion blew me away. Her background is in working with special needs children and she lead an area of the Exceptional Children before

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.

Thank you for your great responses to my request for team name ideas for Amazing Race. The winning name will be posted on t-shirts and banners. We will show our team spirit to Charlotte. Beginning Friday, you may vote for the one name that you like the best. A box on the right-hand side of this site will have these choices. Of course, you may vote as many times as you would like. Here they are: Bentastic Ben the Builder Ben and the Builders eSpecially Ben Peanut Butter and Benanas The Red-Haired Fighters The Amazing Ben   Unfinished Benness (The TV show's theme this season is Unfinished Business) If you have a creative jolt in the next few days and want your idea added, late entries will be accepted. Just email them to me at vanessainfanzon@gmail.com or include them in the comment section below. Remember there will be a prize for the creator of the winning name!

I have wanted to write this story since it happened, but then life got too busy and the emotion of the experience dissipated. As weeks passed, it was like, as my long-time friend, John, used to say, "It's out of the moment." Circumstances over the last month make it important for me to tell the story now because it marks a big change in Ben. Christmas Eve last year , we attended the family service at our church and had an absolute wonderful time. Since I was pregnant with Logan, we have attended services three times at this church - Logan and Sean's baptism and last Christmas. To our credit, before Ben was born, we were active participants and luckily, church members remember us from then. So this year, I had high expectations for the Christmas Eve service. As usual those expectations were thrown out the window as soon as we sat down in our pew. Ben was very noisy, so I took him to the back of the church in his Convaid chair . Using eye gaze, he lead me down the s

Christmas Wreath by Sean, age 2 1/2 Fall Wreath by Ben, age 7 See what other little artists are up to.

  50 Days Until Amazing Race As many of you have read, Ryan and I will be contestants in our local version of Amazing Race on Saturday, March 12, 2011. The county parks and recreation department is organizing this event to raise money for the scholarship fund for Therapeutic Recreation camps offered during the summer for people with special needs. To catch up read here .   We still need your support!   1. Donate $10 and receive a Ben Bookmark. Proceeds will be sent to the scholarship fund. Send me a private email at vanessainfanzon@gmail.com. 2. We need a team name. We have two suggestions for team names: eSpecially Ben and Bentastic . We want a few more so everyone can vote for their favorite. Get your creative juices flowing and send us your suggestions in the comment section below. There will be a prize for the person whose team name is chosen. Prize categories for Amazing Race were announced this week: Team Spirit, Most Funds Raised and Grand Prize - a Char