At 9:30 in the morning, the small swish of paper brushing across my bedroom’s wooden floor woke me. My husband Matt was at the Ravens game with some friends. There had been an early curtain call for the pre-game frivolity, so he’d been gone for some time. The night before had been a late one, and I’d overslept. Meaning, I was already frustrated. Unless there’s a nuclear winter and all the alarm … [Read more...]
She Calls Me Mama
She calls me what her brothers don’t. Because they are boys, most likely, or perhaps because they are impatient and "MOM!" hollered from somewhere else is easier to get out of their mouths. Loudly. Grace is walking up the stairs, calling my name before she reaches the top. But it’s not the “Mom!” of Noah’s tween insistence. It’s her calling, “Mama?” It is sweet and gentle. And it lasts only … [Read more...]
New Baby Brother Brings New Excitement
This past Saturday on August 30th, we welcomed our 3rd child into the world. Noah Dean Buckley joined the dynamic duo and turned it into the three amigos. It should be fun. However, we were not sure how Fayth and Stephen were going to act. Fayth, our oldest daughter with Down syndrome, was not very welcoming to her first brother, Stephen, 18 months ago. When Stephen was born, she ignored … [Read more...]
“Mom, I feel like Cinderella….”
I wished that statement had been a good thing…. Kristina, our second born was healthy, smart, helpful, and compliant. She was often there to help our son Joey (3 years older than her) when he needed his shoes tied, face washed, or teeth brushed. The problem was - she was somewhere around the 5-7 year age range. Joey’s special needs made it such that he needed a lot of help for us just to … [Read more...]
To The Typical Siblings
Dear typical sibling of a brother or sister with a disability, Today I want to speak to you as a parent, perhaps not your parent, but a parent nonetheless. I know you've had to sacrifice so much, and I wish you hadn't. For the many times you've thought it wasn't fair, we've felt it too. And if you've had to miss out on life experiences, please know that we wish we could offer you the … [Read more...]
For When You Feel Like A Bad Parent
She sat there, big blue eyes brimming with tears, lip quivering. My five year old and I'd been sitting on the couch, reviewing her kindergarten sight words. She was having trouble sitting still, I had trouble giving grace. Why is it a struggle to teach my youngest child something so simple? Maybe it's because I've done the "prep for kindergarten" routine with her three older siblings … [Read more...]