Welcome to the Club (You Never Wanted to Join)

I participate in a Facebook group to support other parents of children with Chromosome 6 Disorders. Last night, a mom of a newly diagnosed baby girl posted a note of thanks to us for our support, but also said, "Our daughter is only 7 weeks so I am a bit terrified when thinking into the future and the unknown. There is never anything good I read about the c6 abnormalities so I am feeling like this is a family I really don't care to be a part of."

This is my (slightly edited) response to her, and I wanted to share it with others who might be  facing this same uncertainty.

Twenty Years

I'm heading back to my hometown today for my 20-year high school reunion. Thanks to the wonders of Facebook and the Internet, I've reconnected with friends I honestly never thought I would talk to again, and seeing them in person will actually be really fun… or at least I think it will be.

It Was Surreal ~ Part One

Today marks the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attack. Many are sharing the story of this day, how they heard the news, how they remember the tragedy, and how it affected their lives. I remember as well. It was one of the two most surreal moments of my life.

One Happy Girl

Yesterday afternoon, after many tears, some yelling, and my letter (which was exactly what I sent via email to the transportation department), my daughter rode the bus home from school with her brother. She was thrilled! She bounced off the bus with a huge smile on her face! It was awesome! Immediately she asked, "Do I get to ride this bus every day now?" Yes, sweetie, you do.

In my letter to the transportation department I talked about why this needed to happen - I talked about the girl and how badly she wanted to ride his bus. What I didn't talk about is how happy that makes me! To know that she wants to be part of his community. She doesn't see it as different or weird to ride his bus. To her, it's just a bus with kids going to school.

Open Letter to the School District Transportation Department

Update: The issue has been resolved and The Girl can now ride the bus with her older brother. I could take this letter down, but the fact that I even had to write it is the reason it is going to stay posted. If you want to read about The Girl's first day on the bus, click here.

To whom it concerns:

This morning you had someone call me to tell me that you had reviewed my request to allow my daughter in Kindergarten to ride the same bus as her brother, who is in Life Skills at the same school, and that it had been denied. Your rationale involved logistics. You cited that the bus for our neighborhood which stops a block from my house is coming approximately 10 minutes earlier than the bus for my son, which comes directly to my home. You said that is enough time.

New Beginnings

My daughter starts Kindergarten tomorrow. For many of my friends, they are shedding tears, passing tissues, and mourning the passing of time. For me, it's totally different. The boy started 3rd grade this year - well, technically. He's still in the same classroom, with the same teacher, and the same team, being taught the same concepts as last year. But for things like library and assemblies, he's in 3rd grade.

Smile and Nod

When I first envisioned blogging, I thought it would be my way of expressing myself. A place where I could talk about the things happening in my life, and how I felt about them, no matter what the circumstance or situation.