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Catching up with Ben

  I wish I had more time to write on eSpeciallyBen . Ben teaches us lessons on a regular basis: Smile often, give hugs, sit down and savor the moment, grab someone's hand to let them know you care and laugh with abandon–even if it annoys your brother. Ben will be 18 this summer. He attends high school in-person and enjoys seeing his classmates and teachers each day. In the photo above, it's 6 a.m. and he can't wait to get on the bus. As for most people, the pandemic has been tough. Ben's in-person activities, camps and programs were canceled. He's happy to see grandma when we met on a Charlotte greenway or park. Ben seeks out social interactions and being quarantined away from friends and family was even more difficult because he didn't understand why. Ben's teacher sends me photos of him throughout the week. They just finished a rousing game of catch here.  Thank you for following eSpeciallyBen. If you want to see what I'm working on now, find me here .

Accessible Parks in NC

It's the perfect weather for spending time outdoors. When one person in the family has wheels or needs an easy trail, it means looking for places that are easy to maneuver with a wheelchair, stroller or other special means. Frank Smithwick, a Charlotte dad, researched local parks and found out that North Carolina has several. Here's the website:  Find a Park  and these are the accessible parks: Carolina Beach – Flytrap and Fitness Trails Dismal Swamp – Swamp Boardwalk Trail Goose Creek – Palmetto Boardwalk Trail Hanging Rock  – Rock Garden Trail Lake Norman – Dragonfly Trail Merchants Millpond – Cypress Point Trail Mount Mitchell – Summit Trail New River – Dogwood Trail Pettigrew – Boardwalk Trail Raven Rock – Longleaf Loop Trail Please add any other suggestions in the comments.

Special Olympics Mecklenburg County Opening Ceremony and Spring Games Start Next Week

Photo credit: Special Olympics Mecklenburg County Charlotte Country Day School (CCDS) hosts the Special Olympics Mecklenburg County Spring Games each year. Abigail Ilfeld, a CCDS student, wrote this story for her journalism class: Swimming in the Spirit of Special Olympics By Abigail Ilfeld Special Olympics is a rite of passage for Charlotte Country Day students; every freshman, sophomore, and junior participates as a buddy, helping the athletes and encouraging them at events. Seniors are given special tasks to entertain athletes. Some students; however, get involved with the special needs community outside of school. Anna Hawkins Dulaney is a senior at CCDS and has been coaching a special needs swim team for 2 years; getting involved after a recommendation from Kinga Zay that Anna Hawkins’ swimming skills could be helpful in another setting. “I love helping kids discover things they could be passionate about,” she said. Swimming is Anna Hawkins passion and eve

Planning for a Smooth(er) Family Vacation

Ever think other families have smoother vacations than you? Read what these Charlotte parents say about what they do to make it go a bit more smoothly: Charlotte Parent: Planning for a Smooth(er) Family Vacation

Students learn advocacy, resiliency and compassion through peer program

This story was in Charlotte Parent this month:  Middle-School Students Learn to Advocate Through Extensions Program