October 2007
October 31, 2007
Update: blogroll / Upcoming: Thanksgiving
Still working on my article - will share more about it when I'm finished. Tomorrow will be catching up on emails hopefully - and updating my blogroll. If you want to be on my blogroll, simply add my link to your blog and send me an email. Also will be...9:00 AM in Thanksgiving | Permalink | Comments (1)
We don't do Halloween
Just in case anyone wanted to know. Some friends of ours are having a family bonfire tonight though and we are going to go toast marshmallows and sing with friends of all ages - which to me sounds about as perfect as it gets :) What about you?...6:11 AM in Family | Permalink | Comments (21)
October 30, 2007
Green funerals - taking back family responsibility
Came across this article Sunday - excerpts below: GREEN FUNERALS: Putting aside embalming and tombs Some believe that services at home and simple caskets gradually will change how society deals with death. By John Richardson Portland (Maine) Press Herald, October 28, 2007 Klara Tammany's mother didn't want a typical American...11:12 AM in Current Affairs, Family, Practical Info | Permalink | Comments (22)
Today's mini update
I am working on deadline for Focus on the Family and so must resist the temptation to write about the many things going through my head right now - but still. I have posted a few things recently at The Miz Report. And because of readers' interest in our views...10:50 AM in My life | Permalink | Comments (2)
October 28, 2007
Casting call: Newborn girl with Down syndrome - urgent!
Passing this on from several people who've sent it to me for publication: We have an assignment! Please help me out and forward this email to anyone you know anywhere in the US and Canada that might have contact with a brand new Caucasian baby girl who has Down syndrome....9:39 AM in Down syndrome | Permalink | Comments (8)
Elisabeth Elliot on "quiet time" - and my thoughts too
Loved this one from Elisabeth Elliot: Hints for Quiet Time Having a quiet time with the Lord every day is absolutely essential if you expect to grow spiritually. But you have to plan it. It won't "just happen." We're all much too busy. Early morning is best, and there are...6:29 AM in Inspiration | Permalink | Comments (2)
October 27, 2007
Loudoun County Public Schools - calling all Special Ed families
I had the distinct misfortune Friday of taking one of my kids back to school after his annual physical. I say distinct misfortune because I was absolutely devastated upon seeing his classroom - and feeling guilty that in focusing on a couple of my other kids' needs I neglected seeing...3:51 PM in Disabilities, Inclusion, Loudoun County, Public schools | Permalink | Comments (5)
Who Is Mainstream Loudoun?
(Rerun) Where to begin with Mainstream Loudoun? For me – having spent so much of my life in the “Personal is the political” tradition, I always like to start from my own experience. I first heard the name Mainstream Loudoun when I was living in Marin County, California. I was...8:42 AM in Current Affairs, Loudoun County | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 26, 2007
What do Down syndrome kids look like?
Thanks to my friend Geni - mother of ten and grandmother of one (our church had a baby shower for her and her oldest daughter at the same time) - for linking me to this cute slide show of kids with Down syndrome at the PolkaDot Platypus, which also gives...11:52 AM in Down syndrome | Permalink | Comments (2)
Quiverfull article at Crosswalk today
My article is up at Crosswalk today: Why some Evangelicals are throwing out birth control I only had 1500 words, but was able to provide a link to the insights and personal experiences which led many of you to shift your paradigm from the prevailing cultural view of children as...6:51 AM in Big families, Church Issues, Family, Pro-Life Issues | Permalink | Comments (10)
October 25, 2007
Do mothers of big families and/or kids with special needs face more judgment?
You know those Life Comes At You Fast commercials? They could have been written with moms in mind. Last week my travels got me behind. This week, it's my life as mommy. Took Jesse and Justin for their check ups yesterday with the most wonderful pediatrician in the world (at...6:29 AM in Big families, Disabilities, Mothering, My life | Permalink | Comments (27)
A mother on Down syndrome, heaven and perfection
When it comes to the expectation that kids with Down syndrome will find perfection in Heaven, my blog friend ChewyMom has a different take: In Heaven we will be made perfect. Thanks to Meredith of Like Merchant Ships for the link!...5:36 AM in Domestic violence | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 23, 2007
Don't judge me by my nails :)
That Southern Women post reminded me of something. There is so much I like about the South - the manners, the drawl, the sweet tea (though I never make it myself), the slower pace, the waves on the road - but there is one thing I just can't get into:...12:55 PM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (15)
Starting a church group for parents of kids with disabilities - reader needs your input
Hi Barbara, I had emailed you a month ago, or so, about our daughter Tullie who has Down Syndrome. We go to a large church in Seattle. It's also a very young church, the average age of an attender being 25ish. Tullie was the first child (that we know of)...11:21 AM in Church Issues, Disabilities | Permalink | Comments (7)
Family update
It was hard to pick up and go to the meeting yesterday - a morning discussion for moms of kids with Down syndrome featuring Eleanor Voldish. But I am sure glad I went. She is a powerhouse and full of information on eligibility/IEP issues. It was wonderful to see a...11:13 AM in Family | Permalink | Comments (5)
October 22, 2007
Be back soon
I am so sorry to leave everything I've been working/reporting on hanging. After last week, I was - frankly - just exhausted and ended up staying home to recuperate/catch up/spend time with my family on Saturday. Yesterday we did a lot of preparing for winter - taking out screens, stacking...9:09 AM in My life | Permalink | Comments (4)
Life planning for kids with special needs - northern Virginia workshop
Special Education Parent Resource Centers and The Arc of Northern Virginia present LIFE PLANNING TOOLS “Looking Ahead - Experience and Explore Your Child’s Future: Options for Children with Disabilities” When: Saturday, November 17, 2007 from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm Check-in will begin at 8:00 am; a complimentary light breakfast...9:03 AM in Disabilities, Down syndrome, Loudoun County | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 18, 2007
Dashing in, unpacking, and dashing out again tomorrow
Home again. Everything went smoothly and I got home around 6:00, hugged the kids and caught up while doing laundry, fixing dinner and unpacking. I don't really have a lot of time to settle in as I am leaving at 6 tomorrow morning for the Washington Briefing - see my...9:22 PM in My life, Pro-Life Issues | Permalink | Comments (3)
Live blog coverage of the Washington Briefing Friday and Saturday
I have a press pass for the Washington Briefing tomorrow and am hoping to do some Live Blogging from the conference. Should be pretty exciting as the lineup of speakers includes: Dr. Ted Baehr Gary Bauer Dr. Bill Bennett Rep. Marsha Blackburn Ken Blackwell Myrna Blyth Judge Robert Bork...8:41 PM in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (2)
October 16, 2007
A busy week for me
Hello from South Bend, Indiana where I am spending the night before taping an interview on Reaching the Left from the Right with The Harvest Show tomorrow morning. I flew into Chicago this afternoon and rented a car to drive to South Bend - about two hours - with a...9:30 PM in Family | Permalink | Comments (7)
Southern Women
This is for all my southern friends: SOUTHERN WOMEN Southern women appreciate their natural assets: Clean skin. A winning smile. That unforgettable Southern drawl. Southern women know their manners: "Yes, ma'am." "Yes, sir." "Why, no, Billy!" Southern women have a distinct way with fond expressions: "Y'all come back!" "Well, bless...6:14 AM in Culture | Permalink | Comments (11)
October 13, 2007
Can you read this?
Tripp sent me this: fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at...3:47 PM in Fun Stuff | Permalink | Comments (14)
Organizing toys
Hi Barbara... I thought of you for advice in this issue! I'm trying to determine a good balance with toys in our house. I have 3 boys so far- 4.5,2.5 and 6 months. It seems we are constantly picking up toys and it is a source of stress for them...11:48 AM in Montessori, Mothering, Preschoolers | Permalink | Comments (3)
When phonetics just don't work
I had a question about sight reading. I think you wrote recently that one of your children did better with sight reading. My 5 year old son has been working on sounding out words for over a year, but isn't catching on. For instance, he has sounded out c-a-t...10:47 AM in Homeschooling, Preschoolers | Permalink | Comments (6)
Elisabeth Elliot on how God teaches us
Loved this one from Elisabeth Elliot: God's Curriculum One day recently something lit a fuse of anger in someone who then burned me with hot words. I felt sure I didn't deserve this response, but when I ran to God about it, He reminded me of part of a prayer...10:34 AM in Inspiration | Permalink | Comments (0)
Special Education - law and advocacy
Parents of children with disabilities, you need this! Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities. After years of being a happy camper parent and signing on the dotted line of four children's IEPs...10:10 AM in Disabilities, Loudoun County, Public schools | Permalink | Comments (0)
Patrick Henry Hughes - transcending "disabilities"
Kathy sent me this to share here - an inspirational story that illustrates what I keep repeating: While we designate some people "disabled" - and many privately think of them as somehow "less than" - we are all just differently-abled. Here is a young man who has accomplished more than...9:59 AM in Disabilities | Permalink | Comments (3)
October 11, 2007
Tantrum-proofing your child - Part 2
I know I promised a series on Tantrum-Proofing Your Child. But life got in the way :) I also felt a little deflated by various comments which made me feel like I had to start the series like a cigarette pack full of disclaimers. Let me just say that there...4:22 PM in Montessori, Mothering, Preschoolers, Toddlers | Permalink | Comments (4)
Gleaning: a way to help others in Loudoun County
Passing this on: Help us stamp out hunger on Saturday, November 3rd by going gleaning with Leesburg Community Church. Gleaning is harvesting healthy and nutritious produce that has been left in the field, and would otherwise go to waste, for those in need. We will be partnering with the Society...4:10 PM in Loudoun County | Permalink | Comments (2)
October 9, 2007
Tribute to a son with cerebral palsy
Our family (Tripp, Ben, Zach, Sophia, Maddy and I) have been working our way through Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series. While I'm really not a big fan of fantasy - other than the Rings Trilogy and C. S. Lewis's Space Trilogy - I do love intelligent philosophy-driven science fiction....12:52 PM in Books, Disabilities | Permalink | Comments (3)
Ashburn MOPS 10/12 - see you there!
Just want to let you all know I will be speaking at the Ashburn MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group which meets at Capital Community Church on Friday morning. I was there last year and they were kind enough to ask me back :) I will be speaking on making...12:34 PM in Loudoun County, Mothering, Preschoolers | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 8, 2007
Chicken Soup for the Soul - Stay at Home Mom story call out
Sharing this from my Inbox - hope it inspires a few of you SAHM moms to submit something: Chicken Soup for the Stay At Home Mom's Soul Share Your Favorite Story What a busy life a Stay At Home Mom leads! She has so many different jobs that it is...3:34 PM in Books | Permalink | Comments (2)
VBAC - labor and delivery - book recommendations
Dear readers, this is where I must rely on you. Since it's been 14 years since I've given birth and many more years since I read about it, you are in a far better position to answer this question than I. Kim said I could run this here - especially...1:50 PM in Pregnancy, birth and labor | Permalink | Comments (21)
Columbus Day
Now that I'm back in Virginia, I'm glad we can celebrate the significance of Columbus Day. In northern California, I'm afraid this type of holiday elicited a certain amount of embarrassment in a culture that felt uncomfortable around anything that had to do with tradition or national pride. How...8:45 AM in Holidays, Homeschooling | Permalink | Comments (1)
Theology and Down Syndrome: Reimagining Disability in Late Modernity
I am so excited! Those of you who know me well will understand why when you see this book which is coming out November 1: Theology and Down Syndrome: Reimagining Disability in Late Modernity I have ordered this book and will be reviewing it. In the meantime, here''s a little...8:19 AM in Disabilities, Down syndrome, Spiritual education | Permalink | Comments (3)
October 7, 2007
Big Apple Circus
For the sixth year in a row, we went to the Big Apple Circus yesterday. This started the first year we moved to Virginia when we received some free tickets distributed to families with special needs and/or foster care kids. We loved the circus immensely. It is small and...3:04 PM in Family, Fun Stuff | Permalink | Comments (1)
Shop Online - save time and money, support this site
A big thank you to all of you who have begun buying your regular supplies - from diapers and vitamins to gluten-free bread mix - by clicking through my Amazon link. I just discovered I can even set up a program of subscribing to products I use regularly - like...7:42 AM in Practical Info | Permalink | Comments (1)
October 6, 2007
Waterford Fair 2007 slideshow
Sophia and three friends from Loudoun Valley High's History Club participated in a reenactment at the Waterford Fair yesterday. Since these photos are focussed on capturing that, they represent only a small slice of the rich environment and uniquely talented people who contribute to the fair. At the end are...8:42 AM in Loudoun County | Permalink | Comments (4)
October 5, 2007
Will I ever be able to hear this song without crying?
I was just making the Downzers milkshakes, cleaning the kitchen, and listening to a CD of his favorite groups that Zach made for me when he was home. It makes me miss him so much - I guess in the way that they always describe in books when a...7:36 PM in Music | Permalink | Comments (7)
Pediatricians prying into family privacy
Those of you with younger kids may not know of this insidious practice of pediatricians asking teens intrusive questions, a la American Pediatric Association guidelines. This is from yesterday's Boston Herald: Doc, what’s up with snooping? Pediatrician paranoia runs deep They’re watching you right now. They counted every beer you...2:39 PM in Current Affairs, Health, Teens and Tweens | Permalink | Comments (9)
Waterford Fair - misty maidens
What a blessing to have so many children! While the early years may have been hard work - which isn't to say these years aren't too - as my kids have matured they open up so many new opportunities and add such richness to my life. They continue to delight...9:03 AM in Art, Family, Loudoun County | Permalink | Comments (6)
Women in Art
You will love this. Another reason I am grateful for YouTube!...8:19 AM in Art | Permalink | Comments (1)
October 4, 2007
Tantrum-proofing your child - Part 1
Yesterday at the Leesburg Ross all the shoppers were looking at each other helplessly as we witnessed one of the worst cases of mothering I've ever seen. Actually, maybe it was a bad day for kids everywhere as it seemed like every store I went in had a toddler screaming...9:10 AM in Montessori, Mothering, Preschoolers, Toddlers | Permalink | Comments (8)
October 3, 2007
Best Growth Chart ever
I discovered this wonderful growth chart by Eric Carle this morning Up, Up I Go - a growth chart by Eric Carle We've kept a growth chart for years - it is so much fun for the kids to see how tall they've grown. I wish we'd had this one...8:39 AM in | Permalink | Comments (1)
October 2, 2007
Making her mama proud
Maddy is auditioning for her school play this afternoon. Last night she showed me this contract she had to sign and I was so pleased with what she had written: I know in ninth grade my handwriting may have been better, but not the contents of my heart. This is...7:20 AM in Family | Permalink | Comments (5)
October 1, 2007
On prejudice, disabilities, and hypocrisy
From Marie as a comment - but this merits its own discussion: Barbara, this is WAY off of everything else being posted...but when this first happened with your neighbors (last year) and when you first started making noise about enrolling one of your downzers...weren't you still very overweight?? I think...8:27 AM in Disabilities, Down syndrome, Loudoun County | Permalink | Comments (5)
My interview at Connecting Moms today
I have an in-depth interview about my personal and writing background up at Connecting Moms today. If you don't already know more than you want to about Barbara Curtis :) you can read it here. If you're visiting from Connecting Moms and have a little extra time, grab a cup...6:34 AM in Blogging | Permalink | Comments (2)
