The Family Behind the Blog

“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”

- Mother Teresa

My family is one of the main reasons I wanted to start this blog. I hoped that by writing I would find a way to escape, and, with that opportunity for escape, would hopefully be more prepared to take on the daily challenges of raising a family. Since I know that I will be writing a lot about my family, I thought it would be fitting to give you a glimpse into their identities, as I perceive them, of course.

A is 9. She is a confident, over-achiever who has so many interests that she has trouble deciding what she should do. So much so, that, when she was in first grade, her teacher told us, during the fall parent conference, that all she wanted was for A to stop taking things so seriously - she was 6! She is brainy and athletic and, much to our horror, is entering tween-hood. She loves singing, dancing and drama. This girl lives for the performance, whether on stage or off. I love A!

E is 7. She is in the middle. I see her constantly struggling between following and leading, traditional and unconventional, and dependence and independence. She is talented in music, but would rather compose her own songs than learn the notes. See what I mean? She is extremely sensitive and loves deeper than anyone else I know. She is a model student and her teachers adore her. I love E!

O is almost 4, but he is still the "baby." The only boy. From the very beginning I knew he was different. There was just something about him that made me crazy with worry . . . maybe it was the fact that he hardly slept, unless cradled in my arms, which I tried very hard not to do. Since, he had to be "trained to sleep on his own," right? It had worked with the girls, so why not with him? Probably because every time I laid him down, no matter how gently, he would wake with terror, his whole body reacting to the release. From diaper changing to bathing, speaking to eating, everything was different. Boys are different than girls, right? But my instinct told me it was more. By 18 months he was in speech therapy, was receiving early intervention through our local Regional Center and he began occupational therapy around the age of 2. Although, now, in many ways, he is like any other preschooler - he loves to learn, make us laugh and ride his tricycle - he also experiences this world different than most. I anticipate most of my writing will be about O. About his journey, and ours, as his parents. About his experiences, and how we struggle to make life easier for him. I love O!

I also have a truly amazing husband, who is extremely supportive of me. I do have to say, though, that the first time I mentioned to him that I wanted to write a blog, he looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. But, once I translated my crazy idea into a vision, he could not have been better at pushing me toward my goal. He even offered to push the "publish" button on my first post when I couldn't bring myself to do it. (Incidentally, I did end up pushing the button myself...it just felt like it was mine to do, but I really appreciated the offer). Most days I don't know how he puts up with all my insecurities and obsessiveness. But, everyday, I am grateful that he does. I love M!

So, there you go . . . that's my family and I love them!