Every August for many years, I have prayed the St. Monica novena. She was the mother of St. Augustine, a philosopher and theologian and one of the Catholic Church’s most highly revered saints, but it took seventeen years of her prayers for him to convert to Christianity (she also worked to convert her husband and… Read More
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Just Do The Next Right Thing
What would you say if I asked you what your primary job is with respect to your child(ren)? I had this discussion with a friend recently and we agreed: our mission is to keep our kids alive and get them to Heaven. That’s it. That’s the job. It’s simple to say but challenging to accomplish…. Read More
Reflections on St. John the Baptist
Most of the time, when I sit down at my computer to write for Accepting the Gift, I begin with a “tidy” end in mind. My first child with special needs was born almost twenty years ago, and my second over twelve years ago, so I’ve got a great deal of experience under my belt… Read More
A Day In The Life: Homeschooling With Down Syndrome
One year ago, Nathan was a fifth-grader in the public school around the corner from our house, loving the kids and his teachers, and I was scrambling to prepare Sarah Kate for college. I was also working part-time as a freelancer from home and my days were…comfortable. As I shared last week, in August the… Read More
Why and How I Decided to Homeschool My Son with Down Syndrome
Last September, I fell accidentally into homeschooling my child with Down syndrome. Two years ago, I would never have believed I would choose, much less enjoy, homeschooling Nathan. As Mr. Andi has declared quite a few times, “I’d have lost money on that bet!” I simply never had the desire and I was pretty sure… Read More
St. Gianna Molla, Pray for Me!
Before we go to Reconciliation, Mr. Andi and I get small notecards to write down what we intend to confess and we take those in with us, then destroy them afterward. I don’t know if other families do it this way, but it helps us remain focused, forces us to be intentional in our assessment… Read More