Brain Fog & Brilliance

Sorry, I haven’t been around for the past few weeks. I have a history of Sorry, I haven’t been around for the past few weeks. I have a history of chronic migraines, and I’ve spent most of the last five weeks in a cool, dark room trying not to make the pain worse. Thankfully, my doctor was able to break the migraine last week, and I’m finally feeling better. Maybe one of these days we’ll talk…

Who names paint colors? And more importantly…how does one get a job like that? Is it one person? A group of people working independently? A committee? Are there meetings? Vetoes? Checks and balances? If Joe Jones thinks Mysterious Refrigerator Liquid is the perfect name for a weird pinkish-brown paint, is there anyone in that room who has the authority to say, “No, Joe. Just no…absolutely…

I know from a reader’s perspective, I seem pretty awesome. And don’t get me wrong—I am—but like everyone else, I put my pants on one leg at a time. After all, what kind of maniac puts both legs in at once? Were your parents savage beasts? Or maybe you were raised by wolves? I digress. Back to my obvious awesomeness… Like everyone else, I have things that get under my skin. Some of them are…

I am a naturally suspicious person…at least I believe I am. Who knows, maybe I was more trusting at birth and too many games of “got your nose” as a baby left me this way. The good news? I still have my nose. The bad? I’m suspicious of everything and have trust issues. As my son Nick would tell me, “You lack trustness.” Honestly, he’s right. I do lack trustness. I’ll tell you about the time…

Author warning: Contains unsettling discussions of reincarnation, night terrors, and tiny children saying deeply concerning things. My dad finds this type of thing creepy. So if you’re my dad—or easily creeped out by this kind of thing—this is your warning. Proceed with caution. I’ve always been interested in the topic of reincarnation. I believe souls come back as someone else. That being…

Ugh. There are days I strongly dislike technology… and today is one of them. I had just started writing about IEP services when WordPress reloaded and deleted my draft. I’m guessing that’s technology’s way of saying, “Don’t write this post.”? My brain is telling me the IEP info I was working on is important and timely… but my computer is very clearly saying NO. So what is one to do? If I…

I’m not a fan of clowns. Honestly, I don’t think that statement fully conveys my dislike of clowns—but I also don’t think anything I write really will. I don’t find anything charming, fun, or delightful about them. There is nothing you can say that will convince me otherwise. Popular clowns people often think will change my mind? Ronald McDonald? No. Bozo the Clown? Hmm…no. The Joker? No…

This post is based on personal experience and advocacy training. I am not an attorney and do not provide legal advice. Please check your state regulations and seek professional guidance as needed. I’ve talked about different aspects of the IEP process and the document itself. One important part that I haven’t discussed much is placement. Placement is where a student’s services are carried…

I had a doctor’s appointment the other day. Although the doctor I saw didn’t need blood drawn, a few of my other doctors did, so we stopped at the lab afterward. There were already a bunch of people ahead of me, so I took a number and found a seat. Up until recently, there was a sign-in kiosk where you would enter your name. But apparently we’ve gone super low-tech, which is fine—it doesn’t…

It’s kind of wild to think I started this blog almost 8 months ago… and this is my 60th post. Congratulations to me, right? Thank you, thank you. (Imagine applause. Maybe even a standing ovation… definitely a standing O. Feel free to throw in a few curtain calls—I’ll wait.) I honestly had no idea what I was doing when I started. And now, almost 8 months and 60 posts later? I still don’t…

I apologize for my recent absence. I’ve had a very bad migraine for about a week. It’s not the most fun I’ve had this year, but this is where I am. One of these days, maybe I’ll write about the migraines… but then again, maybe I won’t. Now, on to something not headache-related! Every so often, a memory jumps into my brain and makes me laugh. It’s statistically likely that whatever the memory…

I have a confession to make: I tend to be brutally honest. I don’t mince words or sugarcoat things. I’m perfectly capable of doing both—I just choose when and where to use those skills. And when not to. I’ve always been like this, so I don’t see it as a big deal. But according to the internet—which, of course, is also brutally honest and always correct—people like me are rude and selfish.…

There are a lot of feelings tied up in the IEP process. The meeting can leave parents feeling overwhelmed and underqualified. As a parent, I often felt like the least qualified person at the IEP table. These feelings of inadequacy didn’t just surface at the meeting, but also when reading the IEP. The IEP document can look a lot like legal mumbo-jumbo at first glance. You look at it and…