A few weeks ago I posted on Instagram about my chromosomally-gifted girl’s adventures in color guard costuming. The response was so sweet, it reminded me that for all my personal interests of music and fiction and photography, it’s my daughter you all like to read about the most. It’s been quite a while since I…
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Mad Lib Theology
Today, I visit my blog to talk about this girl: Wednesday nights, Julianna goes to “church school” (because it’s easier for little kids to say than “religious ed”) while we’re having choir practice. Usually, in the chaos of grabbing boys from the nursery, cleaning up octavos and books, and getting an overtired family of six…
Read MoreOn Losing A Child, Recognizing the Value of Friends, and the Humbling Realization That Everyone Really Does Know Who You Are
It’s almost too complicated a story to explain. A group of parents were meeting Friday after school, at the Starbucks inside Barnes & Noble, to discuss a topic of mutual concern while the kids perused the books and toys. When it was time to go, I sent Nicholas to get Julianna from the children’s area,…
Read MoreFun With IEPs
Fun fact: I spent 2 1/2 years as a music ed major before deciding all I really wanted to do was play my flute, and I universally hated every one of my education classes. The class that broke me and caused me to switch? Special Education For Non-Special Educators. It took me until Julianna was…
Read MoreThe Reason That Dream Was So Scary
I’ll blame it on watching “Logan” late at night. I had this vivid dream in which we were at my parents’ church and in the middle of the Gospel, I realized Julianna’s bus was due to drop her off at home in five minutes. Only my parents’ church is 35 minutes away, and by the…
Read MoreThe Charm and Challenge of Raising Julianna
In bullet points, in no particular order: Every time we introduce Julianna to a new teacher, be that classroom or for swim lessons, we have to begin with these words: “She likes to pretend she’s more helpless than she is. You have to be firm with her.” The truth is, she manipulates without even realizing…
Read MorePhoto Friday: Sunny Oak Through The Eyes of a Five-Year-Old
Michael had the iPad last night at Julianna’s last therapeutic horseback riding lesson of the spring session. Enjoy his photos, and a couple videos at the end! I did not think I would be able to share any of the videos Michael took of Julianna riding, because I don’t have permission to show the other…
Read MoreMy Alternative Spring Break
You know those trips organized by campus ministries every year, where college kids go to build houses in Appalachia or Central America? I never did one of those. I was way too timid (shocking, I know) and way too comfortable in my own ordinary. Those kinds of missed opportunities are the only real regrets I…
Read MoreThe Queen of Random (a Friday Funnies post)
Christian, at bedtime: Hello, Miss Horse Woman. Julianna: Stop that. Christian: Why do you want me to stop? Julianna: Because you are old. Parenting requires a serious sense of humor. That’s all. With my husband going out of town for a conference, I’m giving myself permission to take a Spring Break from blogging. See you…
Read MoreThe Orthopedic Surgeon Who Rocked My World (or: The Saga That Isn’t)
You all remember, I’m sure, the saga of the orthotics. I’ve been talking about it periodically for years, both here and on Facebook. After Julianna broke her second brace in January, the orthotist sent us back to the PT. The PT told me she really wasn’t sure what to say except she’d like to see…
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Kathleen M. Basi 