Category: Fatherhood
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Successful birthday parties for a child on the spectrum are rare, at least they have been for us so far, having just celebrated London’s 12th. The first parties, the preschool parties, don’t count. Those are the easy ones, where everyone is invited. Parents hang around too. Maybe you have a cooler of juice boxes next…
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Being a sibling of a child with special needs is tough. I think about Camden’s voice being stifled and smothered from time to time by London’s voice. Not that she is trying to be rude. She loves a good chat. She loves sharing facts. She loves asking questions. Hang around for an evening and you’ll…
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London enjoys a lot of the same music I do. While driving across town I might listen to the score from Dune 2 or Oppenheimer. We love a big, vibrant, orchestral soundtrack. Since she first heard “Can You Hear the Music” from Ludwig Göransson’s stirring score for Oppenheimer, it has been one of our favorites.…
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For a good part of yesterday I beat myself up about not writing. My goal for this January has been to write every weekday that the kids are in school, I even managed a post on one holiday, but the streak died yesterday. I have a very defeatist attitude about not reaching a goal sometimes.…
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Inspired by the tales about three different days of diagnoses in Autism Out Loud, I’ve been trying to recollect our own, the day London was diagnosed with Autism. Before the day, actually much earlier in that preschool year of 2017-2018, London’s teacher expressed concern about London’s behavior. London rarely shared information with other kiddos and…
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The kids have had 9 days of school in 2026 and it’s already time for another holiday? Help me. That said, MLK Jr. is far and away one of the best people to celebrate, especially in today’s America. He’d be astonished at how much we’ve slid right back into old, deep ruts of racism and…
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I will occasionally make unsolicited recommendations on this site. Here is the first one since I picked this blogging thing back up like it is 2005. The book is Autism Out Loud. It is written by three moms (Kate Swenson, Adrian Wood, and Carrie Cariello) who each have a son on the Autism Spectrum Disorder…
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Watching the video of Renee Good’s murder is essential viewing in America today. It’s a prerequisite if you deign to defend ICE. And, if you don’t defend ICE, congratulations! You have a conscience. I have many thoughts about the tragedy, the political implications, the hypocrisy of our “leaders,” and about how I would absolutely love…
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If you know me, you know that I love movies and, to complement that love of movies, I listen to and also love The Big Picture, the esteemed podcast from The Ringer with hosts Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins. I do not miss an episode and, on occasion, I even listen to them discuss a…
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“Sometimes fear does not subside and one must choose to do it afraid.” – Elisabeth Elliot, poet. That is how I feel about writing these days, months, and years since I have not put pen to paper and fingers to keys. I have waited for the fear to subside. As you can tell, it has…
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“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” – George Orwell, 1984 In the aftermath of ICE murdering a woman in Minneapolis today, this quote from Orwell’s classic filled up social media feeds, and rightfully so. Like many people, I have seen all…
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Here is a shorter summary of just some of what this family did in 2025! January – Love a good run on the first day of the year. A clean slate. Everything back to zero. All things feel new, even though a lot of them aren’t. London turned 11 and made her own Barbie cake!…
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How do you sum up a year? I have in the past, written blog posts under the title “The Year in Review,” or something along those lines. I started writing such a thing a couple days ago and I finished today, but it’s too long. I post the whole review and not many people are…
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As soon as I carefully took the kids artwork down, picking at the bits of scotch tape holding self-portraits to doors, and taking care not to rip the large piece of paper my son drew a pipe system on, the house felt different. Moving changed from this half-serious idea that has held space in our…
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A version of this post appeared on my blog years ago when London wasn’t even a year old. But I just tweaked it a bit, slimmed it down , and added here and there. I think it’s better now. Here it is… Never in my wildest dreams, as I prepared for fatherhood, did I think I was going to…
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This was a journal prompt I had almost four years ago. I answered it this way on February 21, 2021… This is the question, isn’t it? It has been for quite some time, the question that gives me pause, makes me stop in my tracks, that question that forces me to take a good long…
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A couple of weeks ago, the family gathered for a reunion, one that my Grandma Suzi played a role in planning, but one that she did not make it to. She passed away in June after an amazing 91 years on Earth. Naturally, part of the reunion weekend turned into a memorial for her,…
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Yesterday @ANNELAMOTT tweeted: Okay everybody, it’s almost time to start writing. Main thing: put on some pants. Finish up your cup of coffee–no one here thinks you need more. You’re good. Now: butt in chair; deep breath; write something, badly. Write something, badly. Too often I think I can’t write until I can sit down…
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I confess I am fearful of wading into the topic of gun control, even in the wake of the disgusting tragedy in Las Vegas. Already this shooting has faded from the headlines. Last week there were at least a few headlines about token Republicans saying they would be open to banning bump stocks or, at…