by Maggie Ellison | Feb 14, 2011 | Being Thankful, Communication, Culture, Family, Holiday, Kids, Motherhood, USA
In my twenties, I found my love. Our first Valentine’s Day together, I gave him an ink sketch that I had done and he gave me a bottle of wine. It was a month into our relationship, so this exchange was pretty much expected.
As I got to know him more, I learned that he did not like Valentine’s Day. He thought it was a holiday made by Hallmark and it was all about money. I had never heard of this interpretation before, but I heard him out.
Unfortunately for him, I am much more based in my emotions, so he knew it would hurt me if he boycotted this day. It is not about the price tag, but the sentiment. We found a way to make us both happy and my favorite gifts have been hand-picked flowers, a card made by the kids and a poem written for me. What I like about us, is how we found a way to meet in the middle and understand each other. I get my romantic day, and he doesn’t feel like he is forced to go commercial. (more…)
Maggie is so grateful to be raising her 2 children with her husband in the low country of South Carolina. Life at the beach is what she’s always known, although living in SC is new to this NJ native! The beauty of the live oaks and the palmettos takes her breath away on a daily basis and being able to go to the beach all year is a dream for her. Art and music have also always been a part of Maggie’s life, and she is happy that her family has the same love and appreciation for it that she does.
Maggie and her family are also very active. Her husband coaches both kids in soccer, and they like to spend their time outdoors kayaking, biking, swimming, camping, etc. They try to seize every moment they can together, and they feel that it’s not just the family time that is important. They want their kids to know a life of activity and respect for the outdoors, expose them to new things and teach them about the world! Maggie and her family are no strangers to overcoming life's challenges. They've had to uproot their family several times when jobs have been lost in the economic crisis.
They also lovingly face the challenges of having a child diagnosed with special needs. Through all this, Maggie has learned to celebrate the good times and never take them for granted. Her family is everything to her, and she is incredibly grateful for every day she has with them and for every moment she has shared with them. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t tell them she loves them and how lucky she is to be her kids’ mommy. How sweet!
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by Maggie Ellison | Nov 27, 2010 | Being Thankful, Family, Health, Kids, Motherhood, Parenting, Special Needs, USA
This post is part III of III posts. The former posts are “Too Loud: Part I” and “Too Loud: Part II” by Maggie Ellison…
Now that we had a diagnosis, I felt that I had some back-up to explain to people that my son was not just misbehaving. I also had more tools to help him, and I had the reasoning to explain why these things helped him. I still dealt with looks and comments from other people who didn’t understand or know us, but clearly could not take their eyes off us when my son was having a sensory meltdown.
Some of the hardest moments have been when I was asked what his capacity was, or when he covers his ears because of the loud noise and people look at him like he’s walking around with antennae on his head. I do my best not to let them get to me, but it stings. (more…)
Maggie is so grateful to be raising her 2 children with her husband in the low country of South Carolina. Life at the beach is what she’s always known, although living in SC is new to this NJ native! The beauty of the live oaks and the palmettos takes her breath away on a daily basis and being able to go to the beach all year is a dream for her. Art and music have also always been a part of Maggie’s life, and she is happy that her family has the same love and appreciation for it that she does.
Maggie and her family are also very active. Her husband coaches both kids in soccer, and they like to spend their time outdoors kayaking, biking, swimming, camping, etc. They try to seize every moment they can together, and they feel that it’s not just the family time that is important. They want their kids to know a life of activity and respect for the outdoors, expose them to new things and teach them about the world! Maggie and her family are no strangers to overcoming life's challenges. They've had to uproot their family several times when jobs have been lost in the economic crisis.
They also lovingly face the challenges of having a child diagnosed with special needs. Through all this, Maggie has learned to celebrate the good times and never take them for granted. Her family is everything to her, and she is incredibly grateful for every day she has with them and for every moment she has shared with them. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t tell them she loves them and how lucky she is to be her kids’ mommy. How sweet!
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by Maggie Ellison | Nov 20, 2010 | Family, Kids, Motherhood, Parenting, Special Needs, USA
This is part II of III parts, beginning with last Saturday’s post, “Too Loud“…
I knew I needed to get my son evaluated, so I made an appointment with the pediatrician and explained what happened at the fire house and downtown. We got a referral to have an evaluation done with an occupational therapist (OT). We were given a diagnosis of sensory integration disorder (SID). We started therapy twice a week. I read one book after another on SID, and there were parts that explained my son so well.
It was actually a relief to get some answers and reasons for his behaviors. He was getting help, and we were, too. I joined a support group and got a ton of information from other moms. One thing that stood out was when one mom told me that SID usually doesn’t walk alone. This had me thinking about what else could be going on with him. Did we have it all? What about his language? (more…)
Maggie is so grateful to be raising her 2 children with her husband in the low country of South Carolina. Life at the beach is what she’s always known, although living in SC is new to this NJ native! The beauty of the live oaks and the palmettos takes her breath away on a daily basis and being able to go to the beach all year is a dream for her. Art and music have also always been a part of Maggie’s life, and she is happy that her family has the same love and appreciation for it that she does.
Maggie and her family are also very active. Her husband coaches both kids in soccer, and they like to spend their time outdoors kayaking, biking, swimming, camping, etc. They try to seize every moment they can together, and they feel that it’s not just the family time that is important. They want their kids to know a life of activity and respect for the outdoors, expose them to new things and teach them about the world! Maggie and her family are no strangers to overcoming life's challenges. They've had to uproot their family several times when jobs have been lost in the economic crisis.
They also lovingly face the challenges of having a child diagnosed with special needs. Through all this, Maggie has learned to celebrate the good times and never take them for granted. Her family is everything to her, and she is incredibly grateful for every day she has with them and for every moment she has shared with them. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t tell them she loves them and how lucky she is to be her kids’ mommy. How sweet!
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by Maggie Ellison | Nov 13, 2010 | Family, Motherhood, Parenting, USA
The first time we heard someone refer to my son as having special needs, it hit us like a train. I didn’t see it at first, although I was jumping through all kinds of hoops to keep him content. I was “on” all the time. I parented him and took care of his needs. He was my first child, and I didn’t realize that certain things were not typical. He met all his milestones early or on time. His language concerned me a bit, but then he put those 2 words together just in time for the check-up, so I wasn’t worried.
He was very sensitive to noises, but the pediatrician told me he would grow out of it. Lots of kids and people don’t like loud noises. In fact, I hated loud noises as a kid, too. My son was also a very picky eater, but once again, I thought of a lot of kids who were picky eaters. At times, he had so much energy, it was hard to calm him down.
I had a few people talk to me about occupational therapy and how much their child liked it and benefited from it. I would think to myself, “Are they suggesting we need this, or am I reading too much into what they are saying?” I would also hear how I never took a break. I never got to sit down. I thought, “Of course not. Parenting is hard, especially when you want to be a good parent. All kids keep their parent’s busy, right?”
(more…)
Maggie is so grateful to be raising her 2 children with her husband in the low country of South Carolina. Life at the beach is what she’s always known, although living in SC is new to this NJ native! The beauty of the live oaks and the palmettos takes her breath away on a daily basis and being able to go to the beach all year is a dream for her. Art and music have also always been a part of Maggie’s life, and she is happy that her family has the same love and appreciation for it that she does.
Maggie and her family are also very active. Her husband coaches both kids in soccer, and they like to spend their time outdoors kayaking, biking, swimming, camping, etc. They try to seize every moment they can together, and they feel that it’s not just the family time that is important. They want their kids to know a life of activity and respect for the outdoors, expose them to new things and teach them about the world! Maggie and her family are no strangers to overcoming life's challenges. They've had to uproot their family several times when jobs have been lost in the economic crisis.
They also lovingly face the challenges of having a child diagnosed with special needs. Through all this, Maggie has learned to celebrate the good times and never take them for granted. Her family is everything to her, and she is incredibly grateful for every day she has with them and for every moment she has shared with them. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t tell them she loves them and how lucky she is to be her kids’ mommy. How sweet!
More Posts
In my twenties, I found my love. Our first Valentine’s Day together, I gave him an ink sketch that I had done and he gave me a bottle of wine. It was a month into our relationship, so this exchange was pretty much expected.
