A very dear friend of mine had an interesting interaction at work. She has a framed picture of our two kiddos on her desk and someone came around to ask her about it. That person said it was sad Rowenna has Down syndrome, and my friend told her that it isn’t sad, Rowenna is great. […]
About Melissa
Mom, writer, advocate, knitter.Author Archive | Melissa
It Matters
Take a look at this picture: This is a little girl. This is a toddler. Here’s another: This is a little girl who has Down syndrome. And here’s another: This is not “a Downs,” “Downs,” or “a Downs girl.” There are a lot of things you can call Rowenna: happy, curious, beautiful, funny, clever. But […]
Something New
I’m starting a second blog. I’ve been thinking about doing this for a while, but it wasn’t until I finished my first training session for Partners in Policymaking that I decided to go forward. So, I want to share a short story about what lit my fire for legislative advocacy, and then call it a […]
Why I Knit – And a Brag
My blog has been silent for a few weeks. My laptop had a nasty virus and it took a looooong time to take care of it. I learned very quickly that while I love the new iPad, it’s totally worthless for typing anything longer than a Facebook status update. So the blog has been on […]
Another Love Story
This is a love story. A story about this beautiful little girl and the thing her dad did to help her out. A couple months ago, hubby and I started talking about an iPad for Rowenna. We knew it would take a while to save up for one (we had decided to go for the […]
That Mom
I found out last week that I’ve been selected for Wisconsin’s Partners in Policymaking program. (a little info here) It’s a 6-month training program to help people with developmental disabilities or family members of people with developmental disabilities be effective communicators and advocates at the legislative level. Graduates of this program have gone on to […]
18 Months
I have an 18 month old. Wowzer! Here are the vital stats: -29.5 inches and 19 pounds, 11 ounces -blonde hair that’s showing no sign of getting darker, despite both her parents being brunettes -saying dada, mama, cat, and more -signing more and dog -self-feeding like a little champion, willing to try anything – even […]
Guest Blog: Thankful I Am Not Alone
I have a bloggy friend who has an annual tradition of inviting guest bloggers over to her blog during November. The theme is “Thankful We Are Not Alone” and it’s eye-opening and heart-warming to read other takes on what that means. I guest blogged last year about the importance of understanding ourselves and each other […]
Thanksgiving 2011
Another trip around the sun and here I am, excited for another Thanksgiving Day. I love this time of year. I love the preparation, the hunkering down, the deep sigh as you cozy up your home and wait for winter to really settle in. I love to decorate my house for this holiday (including a […]
When There is Silence…
…go look for your bag of Pirate’s Booty. It’s possible your 17 month old has figured out how to pull up on the coffee table and reach things that used to be inaccessible to her. It’s also possible she won’t eat them one-by-one, delicately – she will dump the entire bag on the floor and […]
