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 Courtney Cappallo (USA) | Nov 26, 2010 | Being Thankful, Family, Motherhood, Parenting, USA
Pumpkin, sugar, peanut, dumplin’ – I’ve even heard parents refer to their babies as “woobie.” Many parents have special nicknames they assign their children. My oldest daughter has grown out of her baby nickname, which was “Siddy.” Her real name is Sydney. We have a nickname for my youngest daughter, but it isn’t as cutesy as the names I’ve listed above. It’s “Destructor”. Yup, and believe you me she lives up to the name!
My sweet little Destructor is two-years-old. I never liked the label “terrible twos.” I know it is a hard age (believe me, I do), but I don’t like to think that any age or stage, for that matter, is terrible. Other synonyms for the word terrible are: frightful, appalling, dire, horrifying, horrendous and horrid. I mean c’mon! A little strong don’t ya think? (more…)
Courtney Cappallo is a mom of two girls, ages 7 and 4-years-old. She is living her dream life by residing on Cape Cod and being able to stay at home with her two little beauties. Courtney is currently homeschooling both of her daughters for 2nd grade and preschool, respectively.
Courtney uses a mix of Classical Education and Montessori. She is a strong believer in teaching to the five senses. Courtney’s homeschooling efforts are unique, as she uses the latest technology of the Smartboard. She is also taking on the task of learning Spanish as a second language, as well as, teaching her two children and husband Spanish.
Prior to becoming a homeschooling teacher, Courtney was the Director of Marketing for Simon Property Group, which is the largest U.S. real estate company. Courtney was Simon’s Director of Marketing for the Burlington Mall, Arsenal Mall and Cape Cod Mall. Courtney is a graduate of Villanova University and is proud of her small town roots from growing up in Oxford, Pennsylvania, which only has two traffic lights! She can be found making homeschooling lessons and more at Table of Four !
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by Kally Mocho (USA) | Nov 24, 2010 | Culture, Family, Health, International, Motherhood, Multicultural, Parenting, USA
Five and a half years ago, my husband and I found out we were pregnant with our first child, and we were ecstatic. There was so much planning to do. We had to decide on a name for a girl and one for a boy since we chose not to find out what we were having. We had to figure out how long we could afford for me to stay at home with the baby, and what we would do for childcare once I returned to work.
We had to assess whether or not our cars were appropriate for a newborn and all of the items they require (which, by the way, one totally wasn’t). And, one of the major decisions we had to make was whether or not we would circumcise our baby if we had a boy. (more…)
by Jennifer Burden | Nov 22, 2010 | Being Thankful, Family, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Parenting, USA
When I was a child, I despised the fact that my parents often said to me, “Veronica, don’t get your hopes up.” They said this to me a lot, and it made me angry. I felt that they didn’t want me to be happy, or didn’t want me to get whatever I was wishing so hard for. But, now that I am a parent, I’m beginning to understand why they felt the need to say this phrase in particular.
As parents, they couldn’t bear to see me so disappointed when I wished so high for something that they couldn’t provide, was impractical or that I couldn’t achieve. They loved me too much. But, I never heeded the call. I continued to live my life with my hopes up, and I created much disappointment to myself and created worry for my parents.
Growing up in New Jersey, USA, we were considered a low-income household back then. But, I had large hopes and dreams. The younger I was, these hopes were made up more of material items, and the older I became, they were more along the lines of opportunities or experiences.
(more…)
Jennifer Burden is the Founder and CEO of World Moms Network, an award winning website on global motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. World Moms Network writes from over 30 countries, has over 70 contributors and was listed by Forbes as one of the “Best 100 Websites for Women”, named a “must read” by The New York Times, and was recommended by The Times of India.
She was also invited to Uganda to view UNICEF’s family health programs with Shot@Life and was previously named a “Global Influencer Fellow” and “Social Media Fellow” by the UN Foundation. Jennifer was invited to the White House twice, including as a nominated "Changemaker" for the State of the World Women Summit. She also participated in the One Campaign’s first AYA Summit on the topic of women and girl empowerment and organized and spoke on an international panel at the World Bank in Washington, DC on the importance of a universal education for all girls. Her writing has been featured by Baby Center, Huffington Post, ONE.org, the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life, and The Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists.” She is currently a candidate in Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in the Executive Masters of Public Affairs program, where she hopes to further her study of global policies affecting women and girls.
Jennifer can be found on Twitter @JenniferBurden.
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by World Moms Blog | Nov 21, 2010 | Culture, International, Motherhood, Multicultural, Parenting, UK, USA, World Moms Blog Itinerary
Start off the week on Monday with World Moms Blog in New Jersey, USA, where Veronica Samuels, is back to reflect on life, parenting and not always getting what you want. It’s a must read and just in time, if you are planning to do any holiday shopping for the kids!
Tuesday, we cross the Atlantic again to check in with our resident British Navy wife and mom, Jenny Warren, in England, UK! Wednesday, meet us back in New Jersey, USA, where our Basque heritage queen, Kally Mocho, writes about her tough decision on male circumcision.
Thursday is the holiday of Thanksgiving in the USA. We will post our question for our WMB writers about the traditions involved. Friday, we’re headed up to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, where our world-class homeschooling mom, Courtney Cappallo, reflects on her child’s infamous nickname and her brand new milestone!
And, don’t miss the last of III parts of Maggie Ellison’s “Too Loud” series on special needs of the “Special Saturday Edition” we’ve been running from the low country of South Carolina, USA!
In news this week, we’ve added two new writers to our blog! Shaula Bellour will be writing from the country of East Timor, and Margie Bryant will be writing from the state of Arkansas, USA.
Also, we’ve hit over 100 fans of World Moms Blog on Facebook! We grow by word of mouth. Do you know someone who might be interested in reading or writing for our blog? Please pass on our link or suggest friends for us on Facebook!
We have many great reflections this week. So, buckle your seat belts and log in for another exciting journey with our World Moms Blog writers!
— World Moms Blog
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World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
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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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This post is part III of III posts. The former posts are “Too Loud: Part I” and “Too Loud: Part II” by Maggie Ellison…
