JENNY McWHO ????

That is my dream...one day, when you mention Jenny McCarthy, you get
Jenny McWho?

Jenny McCarthy has done more harm for children with Autism than any
other person in the history of Autism. Through promoting that she has cured...
I mean, recovered....I mean..hell, she can't even get the story straight.

Anyway, when I bring up the fact that I need to prepare my children for their future...
their future education, their future living arrangements, their future jobs, this is what
alot of people say..."Jenny McCarthy says your children can be cured...why don't you
cure your children, then you wouldn't need the services?"

Through Jenny McCarthy campaigning that autism can be cured..why would we need to prepare for our childrens future if they can be cured?...

I am working very hard to make sure my children with autism have a fighting chance
to have a decent life after public school. The school system has been a wonderful
place for my kids. They have been treated with respect and dignity. They have
inclusioned my children and educated them better than I would ever have imagined.
I want my children to be able to attend the college of their choice. I want them
to be able to work wherever they want.

Lately, I have had contact with several moms who have older Autistic children. These
true Mother Warriors, the one's who are fighting for better services for their adults with
autism, all say the same thing to me...
"Jenny McCarthy pisses me off"!!!!

Guess what? She pisses a whole bunch of people off.
I stopped liking her way before the Autism thing...I stopped liking her when she compared
herself to Lucille Ball...as if !!!!

Even worse, now she has written a new book with the same doctor who said my
children's souls were stolen by Autism...he obviously has not met my children!!!

Get ready for Oprah and Larry King to pounce on this one....

I wish to one day turn on the television...I want to see a group of women who have
seen autism for over 20 years. The mom's and dad's who have loved and cared for
a child with autism and now are caring for an adult with autism. I want to hear
their stories of encouragement. I hear these stories every day...why can't the rest
of the world be blessed with the beauty I get to see and not the "pity party" that is
so popular in the world of Autism?
I want to see adults with autism functioning and prospering in the community...like
Temple Grandin.
These parent's have paved the way so children like mine can get an education in
a regular setting...they have made it much easier for me to raise my Autistic children.

Now it is my turn to make it easier to pave the way for those who are younger
than my children. Now it is my turn to make sure that Autism is not just considered
a quick cure because Jenny says so.
Jenny McWho?????

Now, that's better!!!

WARRIOR MOM...

My definition of a Warrior Mom...

A mother who does not depend on Jenny McCarthy to define them.
I have an 18 year old daughter who needs to be able to attend college. How will anyone take
me seriously when Oprah has a Playboy Bunny preaching the cures of Autism?
A mother who fights tooth and nail at an IEP meeting so their child gets the respect and education they deserve. A mother who does not negate or ridicule another mother because they do not think the way they do.
A mother who does not feel the need to call another mother's employer because they disagree on the way to treat their autistic child...yes, people....this happens.
A mother who does not make assumptions of another mother because they do not do biomedical treatments.

I was on the phone tonight with a mother of a 23 year old man with autism. We spoke about how we were blessed not to have the Autism drama 18 plus years ago when we had to start parenting our adults with autism. We spoke about the new parent's coming into the world of Autism and how much they have to deal with the drama of Age Of Autism ,Generation Rescue and the other propaganda sites that will draw you in.

A Warrior Mom is a mom who loves their child unconditionally. Who wants them to have all of the advantages of other children. Who beams when they walk in a room.

I am a proud, card-carrying Warrior Mom...but not by the definition of Oprah and Jenny. But, by the definitions of all of the Warrior Moms that came before me. The ones who are raising amazing adults with Autism. The ones who are not looking for a "cure" or "recovery" but the ones looking to find respect and dignity for their adults with Autism...

God Bless You Warrior Moms...you lead the way...I am very close behind.

JUST ONE...TRUSERA...

This past September, I was flown up to Seattle, WA...my first time there.
I was sent there to be filmed for a video shoot for the health blog site TRUSERA.
Trusera is an amazing site everyone.
My video was released today...here is the link...

http://www.trusera.com/health/stories/mom26children/o-donnell-after-extreme-makeover-autism-and-5-kids

I hope you like it. I am very proud to be on the Trusera blog site.
The message of JUST ONE is that it takes Just One story to have
people relate to it. The philosophy of Trusera.com is very positive.
I hope you find it the same.

SO BOARD...OOPS !!!

I mean bored!
Autism forums, boards and "news" sites have become quite a joke
lately among the parent's of children and adults with Autism who are
truly looking for help.
I have been reading these sites for over 5 years now, and they are
still fighting about the same thing they fought about 5 years ago.
Luckily for the reader, some of the more prevalent writers have become better
spellers (my biggest pet peeve when someone is trying to be smarter than another
person).
I have read the same garbage written by the same people for years. They
have nothing new to say. These posters like to cut and paste from other forums
and act like they actually have a clue.
They call names, malign people, and actually...believe me this really happens...
start letter writing and petition signing campaigns.
PEOPLE....you are just pissing off the people you are intending to get to change their
minds.

On one board, there is a particular person who truly thinks they are smart. These
types are the scary ones. They read something somewhere...usually a site that promotes
propaganda and actually believe the crap that is written.
They take every twist and turn the propagandist makes and pushes it so far down in
their brain, it actually looks like the truth to them.
How sad they forget to think for themselves.

These places are like watching a soap opera you haven't seen in years...btw, I do
not watch soap operas (so don't go there with me). You happen to stop on the channel
and there are the same characters with the same problems..just more grey hair and they
have a couple of adult kids by now..having the same problems.
Do ya get where I am going here?

In 5 years, we will be reading the same thing on these boards.

Parents of Autistic children who practice the biomedical approach to Autism
will still be singing the praises of Jenny McCarthy and Dr. Andrew Wakefield.
Jenny and Andrew will be nicely retired after earning a butt-load of money
from these parent's.
The parent's who gave money to these retirees will be working to pay off the
large amount of debt they incurred while paying these "Autism prophets".
The good thing is though, Jenny's face will not have changed one bit...due to
being able to keep on affording the Botox she so greatly loves.

Oh, and Winnie...thanks for the chuckle today on the AW site. I have been
home all day with a sick child and needed a giggle.
"Verifying Facts"....tee hee !!!!
I hope if she is writing a book, she gets someone to spell check for her. ;)

THERE IS A FINE LINE....

between being a parent with Autistic children who doesn't use biomedical interventions and being a parent of children with Autism who do use biomedical interventions.

We are among the parent's who do not use biomedical interventions. We have seen great improvements in our children without the need for the biomedical interventions. Our children have continued to learn and gain education in regular education schools and classes.

Our children are thriving medically and very rarely get ill. They are on a gluten-filled and casein-filled diet. They are tall and meeting each milestone.

At one time, each of our Autistic children have had or is continuing to have speech, occupational, physical, recreational, play and massage therapies. These have been instrumental in our children's progress.

This morning, I went on an Autism message forum to answer a question a mother had about her daughter and having periods. She was asking for a person with Autism to answer her, but I thought that being a mother of a daughter with severe autism and having dealt with this issue, I would respond to the question.

I responded by telling what methods we used when Caitlin was having horrible issues with her period.

The response given back was written by one of the moderators telling this woman to ask a mother who does biomedical interventions. They would understand better without using traditional medical methods.

Here in lies my issues.....

Does it really matter what side of the biomedical spectrum we are on? Are we not trying to help each other cope when it comes to raising our Autistic children? Isn't that what a support group does?

Not for nothing, but my husband and I have had amazing results raising 6 children...5 of them on varying degrees of the spectrum. We have been in the "World of Autism" for 18 years. We have been there and done that. We have seen the worst Autism has to offer and the best. We have cleaned up more poop smears than any family we know. We have cleaned up more broken glass, spilled liquids, toothpaste and liquid soap spills than most people we know. We have been through the non-verbal child to the early talker. We have struggled with school systems and therapists. We have fought doctors and scientists.

My husband and I are still learning about our children. We have a pretty good grasp on them and their abilities, but always want them to achieve more. We love to learn from others who have been down this road before us. We seek out the parent's of adults with Autism, so we can learn from them....whether it is their successes or their failures.

I hope this fork in the so-called road of Autism (yes, I am full of metaphors today..sorry) narrows pretty soon. It is really getting in the way of the way people and professionals look at autism.

I mean, who can take parent's of children with Autism seriously if we cannot get along amongst each other?

DEAR BULLY...

My 12-year old daughter, who is by far the sweetest soul on Earth, received
a very sexually explicit note in her locker this week. This small, torn piece of
paper...with words that no 6th grader should know..with acts that no 6th grader
can conceive (especially my very sheltered daughter)...has shaken my daughter
to the core. She is afraid to sleep, because "she doesn't want to dream". She
has stopped singing (which is all she used to do).
Because of this young man, who thought it would be funny to pick on the
"Autistic girl"...I would like to write him a letter...

Dear "cowardly" Bully,
Because you thought it would be funny to write my daughter a very inappropriate
letter and you and your buddies could get a little chuckle out of it.
Let me tell you what it has done to my daughter.
It has taken the "song" out of her voice.
It has made her smile leave her face.
It has made her afraid to sleep, in fear of dreaming about the horrible things
you describe in your "prank" note.
My daughter is 5 feet 10 inches tall. She used to walk tall and proud, but with
one small-minded swipe of your pen across a sheet of paper torn out of a notebook,
you have taken what was a carefree, unafraid to try anything child and made her
into a person afraid to walk into the classroom.
But fear not....you will not win this one. Picture me behind every corner, every
nook and every cranny. I will be there watching your every move. Know that
you will not get away with this, even though the school has done very little to
punish you. Know that this is very far from over.
Sincerely,
The Mother of the daughter you were so "stupid" to mess with.

UPDATE:
The school has decided not to do anything to the boy(s) who wrote the letter
to my daughter. Therefore, it is now up to me to pursue the matter.
I have called for a meeting with the principal and will decide after her decision
what we will do.
This is really far from over!!!

BACK TO REALITY...

I would to thank the person who commented on my last entry about my
daughter Caitlin turning 18 years old.
This lovely person reminded me why I blog.

This past week, I let myself get caught up in the Andrew Wakefield drama of
Autism. That is the autism that is supposed to come from the MMR vaccine.
Funny thing is...my most affected child has never had the MMR shot...so there
shoots that theory (no pun intended).
I feel very badly for the parent's who feed into the propaganda and spend so much
of their time and energy on "fixing" their children...that they forget they have children
to parent.
I have been there and done that...I was almost drawn into the whole Wakefield
farce. I thank God I have a husband who can rationalize and told me, "Jeanette, I
will believe it when I see it".
I thank God everyday that we did not see it.
I cringe that my child(ren) may have been prodded, poked, and scoped...among
other horrible things.
Guess what, our children, 4 years later from our first meeting with Dr. Wakefield,
have surpassed all expectations. All while on a Gluten-filled and Casein-filled diet.

I read every thing there is to read about Autism every day. I am amazed by the
reasoning parent's give themselves to "cure" or "recover" their children. I am amazed
that they give into the McCarthyism of today.

I blog because my husband and myself have tried our hardest to raise 6 of the most
amazing people on this planet. Children who should have failed, because they were
labeled Autistic.
I thank the people who let us look past the label and continue to try to raise responsible,
kind, respectable and smart children.
I thank those in the blogosphere who have helped me to realize that I was not the crazy
one in this journey called Autism.
I truly thank God for giving me these children to show me what unconditional love is.
Through teaching me patience, love and understanding in a world that many do not understand.

Thanks commenter...you have brought back my spark !!!!

THE DAY HAS COME....

The day has come..the day that I thought would take forever to get here...
the day where I say..
"I am now the parent of an adult"...

When Caitlin was born 18 years ago...I remember making promises to her.
I promised to always love her and make sure she was happy and well-cared
for. I promised she would never need for anything. I promised her when she got
scared, I would do my best to comfort her.
I hope she feels that I have fulfilled my promises, and will continue to do so.

When Caitlin was diagnosed with Autism, I really did not know what was ahead
of us. What challenges Cady would face, and how, as her mother I could help her
meet those challenges.
I was going to stick by my promises and make sure she was protected and safe
from all outside elements that might hurt her. I would be her armour..
In doing so, I was shielding her from things that she needed to experience.

A very good friend of mine gave me a little piece of advice...
"Let her go, Jeanette"..."let her fall a bit and see what happens".

The minute I gave her more independence...Caitlin flourished. She became
happier and more grounded. She showed me that she was smart and capable.

Her Occupational Therapist gave me the same bit of advice when she wanted
Caitlin to be in the Special Olympics. I was not sure she could handle the noise
and the competition.
The OT said, "Let her go, Jeanette"..."you won't be able to hang on to her forever"...

I let her go...Caitlin went on to win 2 gold medals..one in softball pitch and one in
the short relay race. Caitlin was so proud of herself and we were just as proud of her.

At the age of 3, when Caitlin was still not using her voice, I was not sure she would
ever talk. Frankly, that was the least of my worries. But, around the age of 9, her
voice came. She has been vocal and opinionated since. That is how I know she is my
daughter...she has her opinions and is very vocal about them.

As Caitlin went from Elementary school, to Middle School and now well into
High school....she has proven that she is capable to be able to tolerate most
situations. Caitlin is respected by both her peers and her educators. She has
remained to make me a very proud mother.

As this day approached...I came to realize that it is not Caitlin who is having
an issue with becoming an adult...but my issue.
As her mother, I felt comfortable with the decisions we made in Caitlin's
journey through adolescence and teenage years. I know that we did our
best in making her decisions for her. We worked hard with Caitlin to make her
be able to be at the place she is now....

I, as a mother, am comfortable with parenting the rest of our children because
of the lessons I learned by being Caitlin's mother.

You see, it is I who is having the problem of Caitlin becoming an adult. I have
never been the parent of an adult. Hopefully I will learn from parent's who
are ahead of me in this area. Parent's who have had to make decisions for their
adult child with Autism. Decisions that might not be the easiest to make, but
what is best for their adult child(ren).

So, there you have it...the day has come.
Happy Birthday to my daughter...who I hope continues to challenge me and
teach me more about being the best Mom I can be.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAITLIN !!!!

PREPARING FOR ADULTHOOD...

Not me..our daughter Caitlin.

Caitlin will be 18 years old in 6 days. We are going to be the parent's of an adult with Autism. I am not quite sure what the difference is going to be..but, I have aged 4 years just by typing this paragraph.

I went Caitlin's annual review meeting today for High School. I told these educators, in not so many words, that they had better get better at these meetings by the time Kiernan, our 7 year old, crosses their doors..believe me, they are pretty pathetic in the Special Education department in High School.

I like the people and the educators that work with Caitlin...they truly are good people. But, let's be honest, their hands are tied because of beaurocratic "bull". The higher ups in the Austin education system do not know what to do with our adult children with Autism.

Man...I guess this gives me something to do for the next 3 years as Caitlin ages out of the system on her 22nd birthday.

GO GOO....

I was cleaning up after dinner tonight and took the broom into the Therapy
Room to sweep up a bit. I walked in and saw my 2 sons in there.
Kiernan was watching Barney and Patrick was on the computer.

I said, "Hey boys, how's it going'?"

Patrick said, "Good"....
but...

Kiernan said "Goo"...

Go Figure !!!!

OVERTHINKING AUTISM....

When I really take the time to think about my children, I truly do not think about their Autism first and foremost. I think about them as individuals.

Sometimes, and this is just my opinion, parent's overthink the Autism aspect of their children, some of them who happen to have Autism.

Autism is not a negative in our home. I know..hard to believe...

Maybe, we as a family, are disillusioned...

Yet, maybe, we as a family are right on target.

I know my children are Autistic...but, personally, I have never ever let that define our children. They are far more than the label of Autism will ever stifle them to be.

Just today, I am in Kiernan's yearly review...the boy is at 3rd grade level and in the 2nd grade...Autism was not even brought up until we had to determine whether or not to reassess him...

I am so very proud of my children. They are amazing, gifted, talented, individuals who happen to have Autism. What do I think about their Autism..I don't...

STAR STUDENT...

Erin told me she had something to show me yesterday. Now, this is a 12-year-old who does not have much to do with me lately...so I was happy she was even speaking to me with a smile on her face.

Erin hands me a blue sheet of paper. On the paper was written...

CONGRATULATIONS! You have been nominated by your core team of teachers for DECEMBER STUDENT OF THE MONTH.

Erin is so proud, but not near as proud as her father and I are of her. Erin has come so far in her 12 years of life. Diagnosed with Autism at the young age of 14 months. Delayed in speech until she was 4 years old...smearing everything smearable until she was 9 years old....to now, a very functional and happy (except when I am in the room) 12-year-old Middle School student.

Erin sings almost all of the time. She always has a song in her head...she gets that from me, but DO NOT ever let her know that or she will stop.

Erin makes straight A's on her report card, without one bit of help from anyone. She is just smart. Her behavior is impecable and we are most proud of that.

CONGRATULATIONS Erin..you deserve it!!!

SCREAMING TO BE HEARD...

I was speaking with our 12-year-old daughter, Erin, last night. We were watching the Golden Globe Awards together. That was a surprise in itself..you see, she does not want much to do with me now since she has become a pre-teen. That is very Neuro-typical of her and a great surprise to me.

While we were watching, Kiernan, our youngest son, came out of his area...a downstairs room he likes to watch television and play on the computer...Kiernan was trying to tell us something and we could not figure it out. Finally, we realized his DVD had stopped and he was having trouble getting back to regular cable.

Erin mentioned how Kiernan is doing well by letting us know what he wants, without words.

I asked Erin if she remembered when she was non-verbal. She started speaking around the age of 4 years old. Before that, she screamed and cried ALL OF THE TIME....

Erin told me..."I WAS SCREAMING TO BE HEARD"!!!

Makes sense to me....

JETT'S LEGACY...

I am numbed by the recent news of John Travolta's and Kelly Preston's son Jett's death. Really, truly numbed.
I look at pictures of Jett from a very young age and then into his teenage years and I see my youngest and my oldest children. They have very dark hair with great eyes, just like Jett.
When I see the pictures of Jett Travolta, I see a child who was deeply loved and adored..you can just see this from his face. You also see the same expression in his parent's eyes when they are in his presence.
I am not a Scientologist, but I get their reasoning in the reincarnation philosophy.
How can a human with such soul on Earth, as Jett had, not continue on and possibly become something even greater in his next life. I like to believe that this life is not all we have to offer. I believe we take our experiences from our life here on Earth and continue on....hopefully being better in our next life.
How can this be all that there is?

I truly do not care if John and Kelly are Scientologists....I could give a rat's behind if Jett was ever diagnosed with Autism....does that really, truly matter?

I have been a fan of John Travolta's for 3 decades. I had his posters on my walls, much to my Mother's chagrin. I have seen Urban Cowboy over 100 times...sad, but true. Remember, I was an Agriculture Education major and on the Rodeo Team in college!

What I hope we all learn from Jett Travolta is that life is so short...much shorter for many. I love how the Travolta's have stated that they are thankful for the time they had with their son. I am positive that Jett felt the same. He was blessed to have them for parent's and they were even more blessed to be able to say they were the parent's of Jett Travolta. Rest in Peace Jett!!!!
Thanks to you, this mother of 6 hugs her kids just a bit tighter at night when I tuck them in...

READY, SET, GO...

Kiernan is ready for school. He brought us clothes..so we dressed him. He got his coat out of the closet, so we put it on. He got his backpack on....and now is patiently waiting for his bus...

Trouble is...the bus comes tomorrow!!

Silly boy !!!

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT...

Saturday, I cut my oldest son's, Patrick, hair. He loathes (no exaggeration) haircuts.
I only cut his hair every 4 months or so...so I cut it short in a buzz. He is so cute with it short.
Our electric razor petered out on me during the haircut, so I ran to Walgreen's to buy a
newer model.
Last night, Kiernan, our youngest son, brought me the new razor to open. Kiernan hates
a haircut worse than Little Patrick. In fact, it usually takes 4 adults to get his hair cut.
I opened the new razor and told Kiernan that we would cut his hair tomorrow.
Nope, he was insistent (without words, of course)....
So, at 9 pm, with my assistant Meaghan (his older sister), we cut Kiernan's hair.
I am so proud of how this young man sat and let us shave his head. What a difference
a few months make.

Kiernan is severely autistic. He is obsessive and compulsive. He is non-verbal. He is
happy for the most part...really, I have never met anyone who is happy all of the time....
and if they are, I generally don't trust them. Kiernan has a hard time with change, but
is doing an amazing job conforming to changes in his environment.
Kiernan is following instructions well at school and at home.
He is growing up to be a very smart and much calmer little boy.

So, any new Autism parent's out there, please keep in mind....
Children with Autism do get better with age and can learn to adjust to
society.
Now, with our help, we need to get Society to jump on board and except
our children.
Baby steps Jeanette, baby steps......

THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE...

Caitlin cannot find her headband. She has had this headband for at least 6 years. At night, after her bath, she wraps it around her wrist. In the morning, she takes off the headband and hands it to me when I ponytail her very long hair.
Caitlin is a creature of habit. She loathes change.
Meaghan and myself have spent the morning looking for this headband, to no avail.

Caitlin is a 17, almost 18, year old Autistic young woman. She is very good at compensating for most issues in her life. She really does ask for very little. She wants her Diet Sprite, Rold Gold Pretzels, Goldfish crackers, beef jerky or chicken strips and her Rice Krispie Treats. On a good day, she will have Chex Mix...
Caitlin goes to 11th grade in a regular high school. She attends regular classes with an aide. She makes all A's and B's. She has a 3.5 Grade Point Average.
Caitlin has impeccable behavior in school and amazing restraint in situations which would normally set her off. She can usually be redirected into calming down when she starts to get frustrated.

But....this headband thing is setting her off.
Setting her off for obsessing all day about a tattered old headband. A headband that in some small, unusual way, makes her feel calmer and happier.

So...off I go to look, once again, for this headband.
Wish me luck !!!!

WRAPPING IT UP...

Meaghan and Patrick were helping me wrap gifts yesterday. Meaghan was writing the names on the name tags and Little Patrick was placing the packages under our tree.
Kiernan, who before this year, has had NO interest in Christmas. Actually, he hasn't had any interest in any gifts..be it Birthday, Valentines, Easter and especially Christmas. He is more interested in the foods that are around the kitchen.
Well, lo and behold, Kiernan started to put packages under the tree. WOW !!!!

This morning, Kiernan brings me gift wrap and bows out of our gift wrapping box. I told him there were no more packages to wrap today.
Kiernan did his little noise that he does, when he is annoyed...kind of a quick grunting noise.
How can I ignore this request?

Kiernan and I spent the rest of the morning wrapping little things around the house. They are now gingerly placed under Meaghan's penguin Christmas tree, on the top of the landing upstairs.

Kiernan will be 8 years old in March. He is tall and lanky. He does not have words right now, but he does have a voice. He makes his demands and requests known. He asks for very little in this world. Just things to make him calm in a world that does not conform to his needs. He has to find ways to make him happy. So, for a brief moment this morning, we did just that. We wrapped.....

I just got my Christmas present early...Thank You Santa Claus....

SPEECH-LESS...

I was told, this morning, that our 8 (almost 9-year-old) son will be dismissed
from Speech services in May. This means that he no longer qualifies for any
services...AT ALL !!!!
What does this mean?
Does this mean that our son, who has been diagnosed with Autism is recovered or
cured?
Patrick has been working very hard, since he was born, to be able to speak in a way
that everyone understands him. He has been in speech services ever since he was
10 months old. Patrick has gone from pure frustration where no one understood a
thing he said...Meaghan would be our translator (she has a gift), to where for the last
2 years, Patrick has had a major speaking part in the school plays.
So, recovered...no, that is what you do to furniture!!
Cured...nah, that is what you do to meat!!

Patrick has succeeded by pure determination, undying devotion from therapists and
teacher's, great friends and family members who saw his greatness since the day he
was born.

Patrick still has many sensory issues and is a very sensitive little boy. He has a heart
as big as Texas and wears it on his sleeve. He is adored by all that meet him and has
had the same friends for years. He adds to his list of friends all of the time.
He loves baseball, football, wrestling and now hockey.

I cannot wait to tell Patrick the good news when he gets home today. He might
be a bit sad, because he has been seeing Ms. Marsha since he was 3-years-old.
She has helped him gain his voice and articulate better than any other 9 year old boys.
Marsha glows when she talks about Patrick...she is so proud of him and gladly
releases him from Speech...now, that leaves me SPEECHLESS.

BIRTHDAY WISHES...

This is 48...

Today, I turned 48 years old. I would never have predicted my life to be the way it is now.
I would NEVER have envisioned 6 children. The Autism, well, I have always been one up
for a challenge, so the Autism never scared me. It made me back up a step or two, but
I have never let it stand in my way or my children's way.

When I turned 25 years old, I thought that if I made it to 40, I have made it.
Well, I hit 30, 35, 40 and 45. My next big event is 50. 2 years is not that far
away.

Not to brag, but I feel and look better than I ever have in my life. I am healthier
and happier. I am so glad to be a mom.....a mom to my children.
I adore the man I am married to...
I love my mother more than ever.
I am so thrilled to have the friends I do...hand-picked of course!

I waited until I was 30 years old to become a mom. I am so glad I did.
As a 48 year old mother, I feel like I am 27.....I thank my children for that.
It is not easy to keep up with them...but, because of them, I can..!!!