Raising an Angel — Mary Kay

Alert the media! Not only did our angel get dressed independently this morning but she also put the lid back on the Play-Doh! For years, Jessie left a trail wherever she went, just like in the movies, except that…

Little did we know what surprises were in store for the day ahead. As the sun was rising, my husband saw that we had an unexpected guest. Underneath the bird feeder was a young…

Dear Angelman syndrome, We read your definition, and we didn’t like it. Stating that a person with Angelman “can’t do this” and “can’t do that” wasn’t going to work for us. We opted for “…

Because people rarely see an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device in action, they don’t recognize it. Most assume Jessie carries an iPad for entertainment. Though talking is amusing, to her it is no game.

When my daughter, Jessie, was 2, she saw a balloon while we were waiting in line at the market. I pulled it closer for her to see, then let it go. She smiled as it floated to the end…

As of this writing, 140 days remain until 2021 — but who’s counting? Within two weeks, my husband had two ER visits, one resulting in a hospital stay. A tropical storm caused a power outage,…

It was 5:30 a.m. and Jess needed to use the bathroom. Instead of returning to her room, she exited stage right. The sun was rising and that was all the incentive she needed to begin her day.

Three things keep me up at night: worrying that my daughter’s seizures will return, thunderstorms, and a waning gibbous moon. This past month, we hit the trifecta and experienced all of the above.

Since 2020 has gone to hell in a handbasket, it’s necessary to step away from the 24/7 news cycle. I don’t want to focus on the virus. Instead, I declare this the “Year of the Dog.” As…

Captain’s Log, Stardate 04.14.2020: This is our 34th day of self-quarantine. To survive, we’ve had to adapt to new restrictions and find distractions to prevent ourselves from losing our marbles. *** Easter was…

I learned to cook by my mother’s knee. We baked cookies and kneaded dough. She even would give me cake batter for my turquoise Easy-Bake Oven. Sometimes, Mom would pull up…