I’ve wanted to be a mother and a wife as far back as my memory can reach. I knew that motherhood would be the most rewarding experience of my life but I never could have imagined what I stood to learn from this experience! My husband and I have been blessed with three beauties whose gifts amaze and challenge us!
Our daughter Meagan was born to Ronan and Kim in January 1996 and she has impressed me and made me very proud since the first time I heard her speak on the phone when she was three years old. She is academically gifted and that was clear from the start. She’s a good kid too, she is almost 15 now and she still behaves as though she loves and respects us (most of the time;). She sets high goals and works hard to achieve them. Sometimes she puts too much pressure on herself, thinks too much, and fills herself with anxiety. We try to be careful to remember that she is young, but it's hard sometimes because she is capable of so much responsibility, not to mention, she is an amazing big sister! Being a step parent isn’t something I dreamt of (hard to imagine meeting your daughter in McDonalds when she is five years old while having lunch with her mother (and husband’s ex-girlfriend)) But I do feel so incredibly blessed to be apart of raising her.
Ronan and I welcomed Blade into the world in March 2003. It was during the time when Blade was a baby that I thought I had the world by the balls. I was quite sure I was proving that parenting done carefully, would produce perfect results. I am teased to this day for remarking that Blade was very advanced for his age…when he was five weeks old. As funny as it was at that time it seems that Blade, not unlike his sister, is very smart. He reached all of his milestones very early, he is reading well above grade level and retains facts about science and math that are well beyond that of most grade two students. When Blade was three it was fairly clear that along with extreme smarts he was blessed with a ton of energy. Blade is responsible for a complete change in my thinking in regards to people’s behavior. I now realize that the omega 3’s, vitamins, and folic acid while I was pregnant and the best laid parenting plan was not going to stop what was genetically predetermined; Blade lives with ADHD. In spite of all his gifts, he struggles a great deal with executive functioning. It has been difficult for him in the classroom since preschool. I have had to be very involved in Blade’s education in order ensure he continues to be included in a regular classroom at our community school and that he has the best chance at success. Blade is destined for greatness. He’s an orchid amongst dandelions and requires greenhouse care (it’s an interesting hypothesis at least).
In June of 2005 Carson was born. Carson came to us with a chromosomal uniqueness that has resulted in a seemingly fragile little boy, or so we thought;) We have seen Carson through some very scary health problems including status seizures and respiratory issues that resulted in frequent hospital stays including the intensive care unit. There were times we wondered how much his little body could take. I didn’t dare imagine his future for fear that there wouldn’t be one. Carson has surprised and impressed us so much with his determination, bravery, strength, kindness, and trust. He has already been making a difference in the lives of those who know him and even in the lives of some who don’t. Thanks to the help of the GRIT program our family is learning the joy and normalcy of living an inclusive life. Carson is being beautifully included at our community school with the help of our GRIT team. Ronan and I are doing all we can to ensure that Carson feels the sense and reality of belonging. From Carson I have learned that I am far more capable than I ever gave myself credit for.
It is not exactly as I pictured it...it is even better!
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