Another senseless tragedy that could have been avoided A Pennsylvania family is grieving after the tragic loss of their 15-year-old daughter, Sadie, who died by suicide last week. Her family, though devastated, decided to make a statement against the bullies they feel contributed to her death by asking all of us to be a little kinder to each other. Sadie, a softball player who loved “reading, drawing and music,” was a member of the Solid Rock Christian Fellowship Church in Bedford, Pennsylvania. She lived with her aunt at the time of her death and when you … [Read more...]

People often ask me to describe what I’ve learned as the parent of a child with apraxia. It isn’t always easy to put into words. In fact, lately I have been struggling on this journey — and it is a journey, with highs so high you’ll remember them forever and lows so low you’ll curse the word apraxia and the first person who ever uttered it to you. When our son was first diagnosed, everything I heard, everything I read, scared me to death. Now I have a bit more perspective and experience. Here are some of the things I’ve … [Read more...]

Growing up as a first-generation Muslim immigrant kid, I assimilated exceedingly well into my American culture and never really imagined calling any other country my beginning, my home. I came here as a 6-year-old first-grader and grew up near Chicago’s infamously diverse stretch of land known as Devon. My childhood friends were populated with Russian, Greek, and Indian immigrants, also recent newcomers to the land of opportunity in the mid-’80s. After the usual soul-searching expeditions for cultural identity during my angst-ridden teenage years, I … [Read more...]

Iowa mom believes “Count the Kicks” app is a lifesaver Pregnant women are often told to count their baby’s kicks when they get closer to their due date. But let’s be honest, sometimes work is distracting and you forget. Or you maybe you have “pregnancy brain” and can’t remember a damn thing or maybe you have other children who keep you really busy. It can be pretty hard to keep track. Enter modern technology. A relatively new app that’s gaining lots of attention lately called, “Count the Kicks,” can help you … [Read more...]

Because no one wants to fish dead animals out of their swimming pool Owning a swimming pool is a ton of work. When you’re not on constant summer lifeguard duty for your kids and all their friends, you’re probably skimming nasty stuff out of the water, adjusting chemical levels and rescuing the Shopkins your preschooler thought might want to take a swim from being stuck in the filter. The last thing you need to deal with is waking up to a small animal that drowned in your backyard oasis during the night. Luckily, there’s a way to prevent it. I … [Read more...]