Billy shoes are great to wear with AFOs. They have made such a huge difference for us! We no longer go from store to store to store the day she gets new AFOs searching for ANYTHING that will fit, pretty, ugly, cheap, expensive, doesn’t matter. ANYTHING. That was our life for years. Now I don’t have to, and they come in all sizes, colors, patterns, and styles. They are linked in my Amazon storefront under Zoe’s products, along with the smartknit AFO (and SMO) socks. In my bio I have a referral link that will take $5 off your purchase from the BILLY Footwear site, and they usually have the best selection there.#amazoninfluencer #afos #cpwarrior #billyfootwearkids #billyshoes #smos #specialneedsparenting
For each trip we take, we have the girls create a vacation wishlist. This tells us their TOP priorities for the trip, the things they want to do, see, eat, THE MOST. We do this because we want to make sure those things happen; we make them our priorities. What we’ve learned in doing this, though, is that the parts of the trip they most look forward to is not what we’d typically expect.But that’s why we do it. That, and the planning and anticipation of a trip is also a big part of the fun, so we want them involved in it too. ❤️#autismparenting #autismvacation #vacationwishlist #travelingwithkids
This is a video from last summer, but it’s one of my favorites. 😍I want to be clear, these two aren’t perfect and neither is their relationship. They are very much normal teenage girls who irritate each other (sometimes intentionally) and laugh when the other gets in trouble. It’s a unique relationship in that, for being so close in age (2 years), their daily lives, goals and Christmas lists are vastly different. They’ve never really wanted the same things at the same time, so the only things they’ve ever had to share is us, their parents. But they are funny to watch (sometimes sweet), and they love each other.It’s a struggle to get Zoe to drink enough because, with facial paralysis, it’s hard. And it’s also hard not to be messy with it. She can use a straw sometimes, but she has to really work to get anything and then try not to choke. I have another video of her using a straw herself, and I’ll try to get it posted soon. I had been giving her drinks this way earlier (minus the vehicle sounds), and she’d said she’d had enough. Apparently she decided she wanted some more of my tea while I was in the restroom, and her sister made it happen for her. I love that Abby saw what I had been doing, and without being asked, stepped in to help her, and even made it fun.And in case you didn’t know The Cheesecake Factory has THE BEST iced tea. Which is why you see to-go cups of it. This is the only place I get a drink to take with me.#sistersgoals #facialparalysis #specialneedssiblings #moebiussyndrome#specialneedsparenting
Switching to BILLY Footwear has made our lives so much easier because we no longer have to spend all evening the day she gets new AFOs dragging her from store to store looking for something, ANYTHING, that might work over them. And cost didn't even come into play then. If we found a shoe that would somewhat work, we would buy it. With Billy shoes, she has color options, choices and she gets to choose shoes she likes without getting disappointed when we realize they don’t fit.#billyfootwear #afos #zippershoes #accessibility
#comfierpartner I love to walk, and going for walks is also one of Zoe’s favorite activities (but she’s usually in her wheelchair because she has cerebral palsy and walking long distances can be hard). She’s also autistic, and walking is one of the easiest and quickest ways to instantly make a hard day easier, for us both. My feet have been hurting lately though, and that is not a complication I need in life, so I was so excited for the opportunity to work with Comfier again to try their foot and leg massager. It has definitely helped my feet, and the added bonus is that I LOVE how the cute ottoman look has upgraded my cozy corner in my room! To make it easy, comment MASSAGER and I’ll send you the link.#comfier #comfiermassager😘 #sorefeet #amazoninfluencer #autismparenting
Learning life skills is so important. Whether she is able to live on her own one day or not, I want my daughter to be as independent as possible. I want her to be able to take care of herself and contribute to the things that need to happen for a household to run smoothly. These are valuable skills, and I’m so glad she’s motivated to not just pitch in, but to learn how to do them right. Zoe still needs help getting dressed, eating, putting on her shoes, and many other things, partially because she’s not been motivated to do them herself. I believe that will change, and she will let me know when she’s ready to work more on those things, but it’s very encouraging when she decides she’d like a little more independence and she takes steps in her own to get there. Sometimes the progress feels really slow, but I’m okay with that. She’s taking steps forward, getting stronger and learning. #specialneedsparenting #autismacceptance #cerebralpalsywarrior #homeschooling #lifeskills #therapypractice
#myfreeloaderpartner I saw a video of another family using one of these carriers a couple of months before our beach trip, and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I am so excited to be partnering with My Freeloader because I know that there are so many families who could benefit from one of these, and they probably don’t even know it exists. If you’ve seen any of my other beach videos you’ve probably either seen Zoe walking or her dad pulling her in a wagon. We’ve done both, but neither work very well for very long, and depending on the type of sand, sometimes neither work. Walking in the sand is hard, but for someone with Zoe’s gait and balance, it’s so much harder, and wagons don’t pull well through most types of sand, especially while carrying the weight of a person. This was such an amazing game changer for us. We were able to walk as long as we wanted, and we were able to really enjoy this time. I can’t wait to use it again. Maybe we’ll try hiking next! Having a disabled child can really impact the types of activities you can do as a family, and I’m really excited to make inaccessible places a little more accessible for us. I have added the freeloader to my Amazon storefront in Zoe’s products.*For anyone concerned that Abby was left out of this walk, she opted to sit and enjoy her book instead of joining us. #myfreeloader #accessibility #cerebralpalsywarrior #familyadventures #autismparenting #inclusion
It’s really not you. Weeks that we have several appointments, it’s not that we can’t fit in anything else. But we’re tired, and we need some downtime. Zoe is also at a particularly challenging phase where, as much as she says she wants to go places, she’s also really grouchy and difficult a lot of the time, even if we’re doing what she’s asked for or going someplace she’s excited about. Sometimes it’s just hard to go places. We usually do better inviting friends over to our house, one family at a time, with the understanding that Zoe may choose to spend some time alone in her room while they’re here. Not everyone understands that, and being friends with us is definitely not for everyone. #autismacceptance #autismmoms #specialneedsfamily #momfriends
We all love going for walks on the beach, but Zoe walking the whole way isn’t usually possible unless we want to make it a pretty short walk. Using the wagon makes longer walks possible for us. This wagon works pretty well on the beach, but it’s harder to get through the soft sand to the packed sand. Daytona Beach also allows cars to drive onto the beach, and that’s where the deep ruts come from. So those are a struggle to get over too, but once we do, this is the easiest beach for us to walk on because the sand is usually packed and firm, and the landscape is pretty flat. #cerebralpalsydad #specialneedsdad #accessibility #beachwalks
Zoe was born with a neurological condition called Moebius Syndrome, which is characterized by a lack of facial and lateral eye movement. It impacts her speech and her eating tremendously because it also affects her tongue movement. She can swallow, and she only eats by mouth, but for her to be able to do that, she needs food that requires very little chewing. So today I’m mixing together some applesauce with other ingredients that will add calories and nutrients that applesauce alone doesn’t have. I added shredded coconut, ground flax seed, toddler formula, a little sugar, cinnamon, and baby oatmeal. All of these things stir really well into the applesauce without adding much texture, but it does thicken the consistency, which is also part of the goal. I usually make a double batch which will be about 2 weeks of lunches, but today, I’m making a single batch to freeze to bring on our trip, and a single batch to mix together on the trip when we need more. I’ll just wash these jars and refill them.#Moebiussyndromeawareness #facialparalysis #feedingtherapy
#comfierpartner I’ve had a few requests for vlogs so I thought I’d show you a typical morning for us. Zoe’s older sister Abby drives now and isn’t home a lot, so that’s why she isn’t included. Many mornings these days it’s just the two of us. Let me know if you’d like to see more of these types of videos.And I can’t say enough good things about this massager. @Comfier sent it to me as a Mother’s Day gift right before our trip, and it was such an amazing upgrade to my mornings! This exact one is linked in my Amazon storefront if you’re in the market or you just happen to know someone who could use a little daily pampering. 😉 To make it easy, comment CHAIR and I’ll send you the link.#comfier #comfiermassager😘 #mommyvlog #morningvlog #autismmom #amazoninfluencer
This isn’t everything we do, but most of the accommodations we make for Zoe fit into these categories. There are a lot of little things that vary from one trip to the next because as she grows and changes, we adapt our modifications to fit her needs.I know this seems like a lot, but our family loves vacationing, and it’s important to us that ALL of us have a good time. Zoe loves vacation too, and these are the things we’ve found that make it more enjoyable for all of us. If you’re planning a trip and need some help troubleshooting an issue or finding a solution, please reach out. I may not have the answer, but I’ll give you any ideas I have.#autismparenting #autismacceptance #autismtravel #kidtravel #familyvacations
Finding out your child is going to struggle and will need extra help, therapies, and medical interventions, to do the same things so many kids can just do naturally is jarring. It’s scary and frustrating and confusing. And it’s okay to acknowledge that. Admitting that it’s hard and that it’s frustrating doesn’t mean you love your child less, or even that you’d change him or her if you could. It just means that it’s hard.#autismacceptance #autismparenting #specialneedsparenting
Zoe having her decompression time after outings makes the rest of the day possible. On the days we’re too busy, and we go from place to place, she’s more likely to melt down once we get home.We can usually avoid that, but she needs quiet and space to do what feels right to her. Looking at a book or snuggling her kitty are two of her favorites. Sometimes we don’t even make it out of the car. As soon as we pull into the driveway she’ll unbuckle, move to the back of the van and grab a book. When she does that, we’re usually there for about an hour, just listening to music while she looks at her book. Absolutely NO TALKING unless she has something to tell me. She needs that.#autismparenting #autismacceptance #specialneedsparenting #decompression
Zoe loves helping at the grocery store while I shop. Usually she is moving the empty boxes from their spots on the shelves to the bins stationed around the store for shoppers to grab from. Sometimes she’ll find an unattended broom and she’ll sweep a bit or straighten messy shelves. Today she was helping with boxes, but before we left she found this guy and knew he needed to come home with us.#autismacceptance #autismparenting #therapypractice #aldiusa
Our daughter loves going with us to the grocery store so much that I rarely do grocery pick-up orders these days. We go almost every week, and I wouldn’t think of going without her. Zoe loves to help clean and straighten the shelves while we are there. I love that the workers are so sweet and encouraging to her. They also always let her take photos of the radios they carry because they know how much she loves them.This weekly trip is a really good experience for her. She gets to practice many of her therapy skills, without even realizing it, like walking, keeping her balance while she carries things and straightens items on the shelf, interacting with others, even just tolerating being around people, which is hard for her. But this makes it fun. We’re also taking a break from physical therapy for the summer, so all of this walking and practice with balance is even more important now to keep her progress going.#autismparenting #autismacceptance #specialneedsparenting #therapypractice
Sometimes our days are like this. We have a lot of good days, but there are plenty of these sprinkled in, too. Sometimes we’ll have an afternoon like this, but our morning was good, or it’s forgotten by the evening. But that doesn’t always happen. Autism and the triggers for a bad day can be unpredictable. I know Zoe well enough that a lot of her triggers are very predictable, but not always avoidable. That’s why it’s easier for us to be home than anywhere else. I have the most control over our surroundings when we’re home. Her reaction to my phone being in video mode surprised me; I wasn’t ready for it. That happens sometimes too; she still surprises me.But for anyone wondering if Zoe minds when I record her, take comfort. If she’s recorded against her will, and I post it, you’ll know. #autismparenting #autismacceptance #specialneedsparenting #sensoryprocessingdisorder
Because Zoe has cerebral palsy, there are several specialists she sees each year. She used to not like these appointments, but the last few years she’s begun to look forward to them. One of the reasons for that is the bookshelf. Local business donate books to keep the shelf stocked and make sure that there are plenty for the kids to keep one when they come for a visit. Sometimes she’ll read one while she waits and then want to keep it, and other times, she’ll put it back on the shelf and choose another to take with her. But she always organizes them.#autismparenting #autismacceptance #cerebralpalsywarrior #specialneedsparenting#lebonheurchildrenshospital
“Kitty, stop playing with my hair,” while she’s intentionally dangling her hair in his face. 🤣These two make me laugh all day. I have so many videos in my phone, this could easily become a “cute kid with her cat” account.But this counts as her helping with the laundry because she’s in sight and she’s content, and that’s means that I can get some things done. If she’s in another room I have to walk in there every few minutes to see what she’s doing and if she needs help because she’s very selective about telling us when she needs something. It depends on the day; sometimes she will come find someone; sometimes she will get upset and loud, but other times she will sit and silently cry until we notice she’s upset. And by then it’s much harder to calm her.#autismacceptance #specialneedsparenting #autismparenting#cutecats
