Love Loud! And what it stands for.

Hello fellow bloggers and friends. I haven’t posted anything for awhile now it seems. I had an overwhelming urge to post something about the documentary I just watched featuring Dan Reyonlds from the rock band Imagine Dragons. Reyonlds is from Provo Utah, and was raised LDS. He completed a mission in Nebraska and following his return he fell in love with a non mormon. Reyonlds said he knew she was his soul mate, but because of his faith and the fear of abandoment from everything he knew he told her they could not be with each other but could remain friends. Aja, Reyonlds wife, decided to learn more about his religion and shortly after converted to the LDS religion. She said the only thing she did not approve of was the ban from same sex marriage. Aja said her two best friends did not attend her wedding because

the mormon belief went against their own beliefs. Her two best friends were lesbians and felt uncomfortable attending. Reynolds later said he still feels guilt due to his wifes two best friends not being there on their wedding day. I watched a documentary called Believe made by Dan Reynolds last year, and it blew me away. I myself practiced the morman religion in my childhood and was baptized LDS. I wouldn’t consider myself a devout morman, even at that age, but I knew enough to realize some people just look over a issue if it doesn’t directly affect their lives.

I live in Utah, and I was shocked to hear the suicide among teens has tripled in the last 3 years. Among LDS teenagers, they are taught being homosexual is a sin. Being a teenager is hard enough, you’re trying to find out who you are and what you want to do with your life. To have these feelings of being attracted to the same sex, or not feeling right in your body, feeling like you were born with the wrong sexual equipment 😉 has to be extremely overehelming, scary and suffocating. I can’t imagine what a young adult must feel like when they go to the one place they have always felt safe and protected by; their church, and they are told they will go to hell for having these feelings.

I support same sex marriage, I support happiness and being an individual. I feel helpless on the subject because I know it will take a hell of a lot more than my voice to make a chance. I’m not a member of the church anymore,  so I’m not scared of them backlashing at me for having an opinion about their ridiclous desire to control peoples lives. That is 100% what they are about. How does same sex marriage directly effect their lives? It doesn’t. They just want to control people and it makes me sick. Young teens and adults are dying everyday right here in this community because of the fear of judgement and the confusion of their own destiny. Their hearts are telling them one thing, and the church is completely telling them something else and their scared. It’s horrible.

I just want people to read this blog, maybe research this subject better and have their own opinions. My opinion is clearly in support for peoples happiness, their identity, loving one another and having a beautiful happy life. If a member of the church happens to be lesbian or gay, that is none of my business to tell them they are sinning. I don’t believe they are. I k ow this kight stir up some controversy, and I was prepared for that before I wrote this. I just realized I couldn’t not speak up on this subject. I hope I didnt offend anyone, my only desire was to open this conversation up and hope people can do just that. Have a conversation.

Thank you for reading, it truly meant a lot to me.

So…. Relapse Happened…

Hello fellow friends,

I did, unfortunately, have a relapse. At first, I was so upset with myself, I had almost 9 months clean and sober, how the hell did I relapse?! But that wasn’t doing me ANY good. So I forced myself to stop feeling sorry for myself, and I went to work on why I relapsed. There were quite a few reasons actually, and one of them was not attending meetings. Meetings are not for everyone, and I was certainly convinced they were not for me. But after reading the first 5 chapters of my AA book, I realized I have to adapt and completely open myself to this program and be honest with myself, or I will continue to relapse and relapse, only I might not be so lucky next time. I might never wake up, and then I’d feel like a total dumbass.

So I started by going through all the meetings in my area and finding one I could go to when I had my daughter taken care of. And after that, I then pulled out both copies of my AA and NA book. I have never read the AA book. Ever… I’ve been an addict for 10 years, and I’ve never read the book. I got through the first 5 chapters immediately and I felt better. I felt at peace with my relapse because as the AA book explains, many of us pursue the drug or drink into the gates of insanity or death. That is just how our disease works and has control over us. That is why meetings and other forms of alike social interaction are so important to the recovering addict/alcoholic. We need to support each other because no one knows how this disease really is except one another. So I forced myself to get over the uncomfortableness I feel when in a meeting, and I am going to one tomorrow morning. They are so important…

Now, other self-care activities should be practiced if you have relapsed or feel you are close to doing so. For me, I love to read, go for walks, take baths, shop, meditate and do yoga. Self-care is critical for someone in recovery because it dedicates time reserved for YOU. You need to be sure no matter how small, or big the act may be that you are committed to self-care and not ashamed to do whatever it is you are seeking. I sometimes feel guilty when I talk to my husband about watching the turd, (Aubree) so I can do yoga by myself, or go for a walk around the block by myself. But I can promise you, your partner much rather you share what you need from them so you can take care of yourself before it turns into a relapse situation. Anyways, I wanted to be open and honest about my relapse and share with you all in case this reaches someone who might be struggling with the same things and I hope it was able to help them.

 

 

Rather than viewing a brief relapse back to inactivity as a failure, treat it as a challenge and try to get back on track as soon as possible.

Jimmy Connors

Karin Slaughter is the BEST EVERR

Hello, my lovely blogging friends… How has everyone been!? I haven’t been on my account for a long time! I have been dealing with very adult things lately, like getting approved for my families first condo, and becoming first-time homeowners! And like all the other mother’s know, school is out, and the kids are itching for activities. But when I get a chance to read, I am in love with Karin Slaughter. I wanted everyone to know she is by far my favorite author. I started a bit backward with her collection, and the first book I read by Slaughter was The Kept Woman, which was outstanding, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller. I then read The Good Daughter, which is also pretty amazing, Pretty Girls, Cop Town, Blindsighted, Triptych, Fractured and Undone. I am currently waiting for my next 3 books of the Will Trent series to arrive, and I can’t wait. While I wait, I suppose I’ll gush over Slaughter some more…
I quickly fell in love with Will Trent as I’m sure every fan has and wanted MORE MORE MORE too soon. I say too soon because I finished my last book before the following books were scheduled to be shipped. All of her books I seriously suggest reading… Like ASAP. I get all my books on Barnes and Noble, but I buy them used. So I pay $1.99 but you have to pay like $6.00 for shipping, which blows but whatever. If you are willing to buy a book with very very little damage. then, by all means, buy it used! Saves you some money. Anyways, I really love this author, every single book I’ve read so far by her is simply amazing and like I said, I’m waiting to add to my collection of her books. I’ll let you know how the rest of the series turns out, but to be honest, I can’t imagine it being anything less than awesome. If you love a good fast page turning, thriller read, then go check her out!!

Love Brigette

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” -Charles William Eliot 

Small Great Things By Jodi Picoult… The most important book I’ve ever read.

Small Great Things By Jodi Picoult

Like I said above, this book is the most important and most memorable book I’ve ever read. I am true to all of Jodi Picoult’s books, but this one is my favorite. The book starts off with an African American woman named Ruth who shares an experience with the reader that helped shape her career. She has a teenage son and lives as a widow. Ruth helps the reader understand how even though she lives as an upstanding citizen in her community, her son is an honor student about to apply to Yale, the color of her skin holds her back to be viewed as an equal. Picoult dives deep into the everyday racism people experience and lets it be seen that although you might not consider yourself racist, you are. Some may think that phrase is absurd, and I can tell you I felt the same way. I would never consider myself racist, and judge someone on the color of their skin, but on one’s actions instead. Picoult is able to show that is part of the problem and explains the difference between active racism and passive racism. Active racism is someone who openly talks about their hate and disgust for someone physically different from them. Active racism is telling a racist joke, believing in the inherent superiority of whites. Passive racism is noticing there is only one person of color in your office, and not asking why. Passive racism is the lack of diverse curriculum and not thinking twice about it, passive racism is reading your kid’s fourth-grade history book and noticing the only black history covered is slavery, and not asking why. Prejudice goes both way’s, there are those who suffer from it, and there are those who profit from it.

Before reading this book, I had never heard of white privilege. I had never really considered what that meant. I have had heard of profiling, however, and although it’s similar, it’s very different at the same time. Let’s say a white female 19-year-old with a good background and high GPA applies to a good college and a black 19 year old with a good background and high GPA applies to the same college, but only the white female is accepted. Or a black woman walks into a retail store and after a few moments of browsing, notices a store employee carefully watching her, assuming she will shoplift. A white woman walks into the same store and has no incident of being followed throughout her browsing. I might not be explaining this the best, but the point is, racism is as real today as it has ever been, and being naive to the situation is getting us nowhere. By reading this book, not only did I bond with the characters like I do with every Jodi Picoult book, but I ended the book with a sense of wanting to change my everyday actions and become more aware of how this issue is affecting people in our community.

The Washington Post said this is the most important book Jodi Picoult has ever read. And I have to say I agree completely. This book is the best book I’ve ever read and I highly recommend it to ANYONE! Truth be told, I think your foolish if you don’t read it.

NOW GO GET IT AND START READING IT TODAY!

Wait..What? A teen is arrested for imposing as an OBGYN.. And he got away with it for a month..

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Police say a teenager in Florida was “playing doctor” inside a real medical facility. The teen, who posed as a doctor, was able to walk the halls of St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach. Police say he wore a white coat with the St. Mary’s logo. “I think it’s just crazy. I can’t believe he got away with it for a month,” Stacy Morales said. The impostor was busted while wearing a stethoscope […]

via Teen caught after posing as OB/GYN at hospital for month, fooling doctors — fox13now.com

An innocent man can die without our help.. Please read

via Richard Glossip… Innocent or Guilty of hiring for murder? Glossip is already sitting on borrowed time, beating the death penalty 3 times.

Richard Glossip… Innocent or Guilty of hiring for murder? Glossip is already sitting on borrowed time, beating the death penalty 3 times.

Richard Glossip is an American man who is currently on death row at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary after being convicted of organizing the 1997 murder of Barry Van Treese. At the time of his arrest in 1998, Glossip was only 34 years old and had no previous record involving violence or felony arrests. Glossip is the only prisoner on death row in Oklahoma who has no prior felony convictions. During his 20 years of wrongful imprisonment, he has never broken a single rule and has remained a model inmate. Barry Van Treese was the owner of a motel called Best Budget Inn and had employed Richard Glossip as the motel’s manager where he worked for two years before the murder occurred. Glossip was living in an apartment behind the motel with his girlfriend at the time and spent their days running the motel for his boss while Van Treese ran his other motels throughout Oklahoma.  Justin Sneed, the maintenance man working at the motel, is the man who has confessed to murdering Barry Van Treese. This is where the story gets frustrating for me because I believe Richard Glossip is innocent and the justice system has gotten this wrong. Glossip’s defence team has claimed that Justin Sneed was addicted to methamphetamines and murdered the victim with the motive of collecting the thousands of dollars Van Treese had on him at the time, to support his habit. Sneed entered the motel room that Van Treese was sleeping in and allegedly attempted to steal his car keys, to obtain the money, stashed in the trunk. Sneed claims Van Treese woke up, and the brutal fight broke out. Sneed was armed with an aluminium baseball bat and beat Van Treese to death, because “he wouldn’t give up the money.”

The prosecution’s star witness was the accused murderer himself, Justin Sneed. Sneed has been evaluated by a psychiatrist a number of times and they have concluded the same outcome, Sneed was incompetent and mentally ill. Sneed was on medication to treat manic bipolar episodes, and at the time of his arrest in 1997, he was withdrawing from drugs when he made the coerce claim that Richard Glossip made him kill their boss, Barry Van Treese so Glossip could take the motel into his hands and run the business, with the promise of giving Sneed money. At Glossip’s first trial, his lawyer at the time, Wayne Fornarant was extremely inexperienced and Glossip’s case was his very first homicide case, and death penalty case. Due to his lack of experience, Fornarant delivered an embarrassing job of preparing for the biggest case of his life, one of the many things he failed at doing was he did not call for the police tapes interrogating Justin Sneed and showing he was coerced into pointing the finger directly at Glossip. In Sneed’s first statement to the police, he never mentioned Glossip’s name, and only after the police had Glossip in their view, they gave Sneed the information they wanted him to say right on camera. It has been said by all Glossip activists that if the jury had seen the footage, the outcome would have been in Glossip’s favour.

In exchange for blaming Glossip for “masterminding” the plot, Sneed dodged his own death sentence and instead received a life in prison sentence. Justin Sneed is the only person to ever implicate Glossip in the crime. There was never any witnesses to confirm Sneed’s story. At the time of Justin Sneed’s arrest in 1998, the Oklahoma police detectives in charge of the case were accused of “steering” Sneed toward implicating Glossip. At different times throughout his imprisonment, Sneed has told at least 8 different versions of stories on the events of that night, and some of those stories don’t mention Glossip at all. Police interrogation experts reviewed the Sneed interrogation footage and said it was handled very poorly. The detectives should have let Sneed bring up Glossps name himself if he did at all. By the police bringing Glossip into the interview, experts say Sneed saw a way out and blamed Glossip for his own doing.

Glossip got the short end of the stick in two of his trials. They were both riddled with poor, lazy and unprepared legal representation. The first trial defended by Wayne Fornarant was overturned on appeal due to ineffective assistance of counsel, and he has since been disbarred. His second trial was provided with state-paid attorneys, and they conducted virtually no investigating and did little to none to prepare for their case. Their lack of effort on behalf of Glossip’s freedom and life paved the way for his conviction and a harsh death sentence. At both of these trials, if any of these so-called defence lawyers would have done their jobs, they would have been able to gather some easily found information that Glossip’s pro bono lawyers were able to find. For one, Justin Sneed was a drug addict and had been stealing from the hotel rooms to support his habit for awhile prior to the murder. Second, Justin Sneed was acting alone when he broke into the room (102) occupying his boss Barry Van Treese in hopes of finding money, and his plans changed when the man unexpectedly woke up “forcing” Sneed to rapidly make the decision to kill Van Treese. These events are so important because it suggests that the actual plan between Glossip and Sneed to murder Van Treese didn’t happen,

Glossip’s new lawyers have also discovered there was valuable information in the hands of a witness who was in prison with Justin Sneed, Michael Scott, after the trial of Richard Glossip. Scott came forward and told Glossip’s lawyers that he overheard Sneed “bragging” about successfully setting Richard Glossip up so he himself could escape the death penalty, and even heard him say that Glossip didn’t have anything to do with the murder. Another newly discovered witness, Jon Tapley stated he talked with Sneed about details of the murder, and Sneed “proudly” admitted to committing the crime and not once did he ever mention Glossip played a role at all.

This is a picture of Justin Sneed,  and it is beyond me how he can live with himself knowing he not only destroyed an innocent man’s life, but he helped the Oklahoma police who had a hard-on for killing Glossip, ruin the lives of those who love Glossip.

Currently, there is a petition set up by his lawyers asking for to grant a new and FAIR trial. If this blog has had any impact on you, and you feel this man is as innocent as I do, then I strongly encourage you to sign this petition. They need a lot more signatures to get this petition recognized, and like I mentioned, Glossip has beaten the death penalty 3 times already, getting granted “stays” due to the drug used by Oklahoma, causing the death to be slow, inhumane and torturous. It would be easy to overlook this case if Glossip was in fact guilty. But with not ONE shred of evidence pointing him in that direction and all the fuel the prosecution had was the statement made by a drug addict, admitting to the actual murder himself, it’s crazy this has gone on as long as it has. I’ve seen videos of Richard Glossip being interviewed, and the man harbours no hate or outrage for his situation. He is humble and hopeful the justice system will some way correct itself and believes he will NOT die one day at the hands of these angry mobsters. He thinks Justin Sneed is a troubled soul and made the remark “if he had done to someone as Sneed has done to him, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself, let alone sleep at night.” Please, it will take two seconds to sign your name on this petition, and even share it on your facebook page. I don’t have a facebook, so I decided to share this story with my blogging family. And I hope you do the same!

Thank you for reading this, and I truly hope you enjoyed it.

You can find the petition here-

https://www.change.org/p/oklahoma-criminal-court-of-appeals-grant-oklahoma-death-row-inmate-richard-glossip-a-new-trial-evidence-never-heard

 

HELP SAVE RICHARD GLOSSIP

PLEASE HELP THIS MAN. THE JUSTICE SYSTEM HAS IT WRONG, AND I THINK THEY ARE TO PROUD TO ADMIT THEY MADE A HUGE MISTAKE! LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD, BECAUSE RICHARD HAS EXHAUSTED ALL HIS RESOURCES TO SAVE HIS OWN LIFE.

I pray for this man, and I hope we as a community can help save his life. I also pray for the troubled soul, Justin Sneed. He will need forgiveness in the afterlife because he is the only man guilty of any wrongdoing in this brutal murder.

Trust yourself. You have survived a lot already and will survive whatever is ahead.

Some days are better, 

Some days are worse, 

Look for the blessing instead of the curse.

Be positive, stay strong, and get plenty of rest. 

You can’t do it all, but you can do your BEST. 

 

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY; FOR A GOOD DAY. 

I learned that things don’t always turn out the way you planned, or the way you think and hope they should have. I’ve learned that there are things that go wrong that don’t always get “fixed” or get put back together the way they were before. I’ve learned that some broken things were meant to stay broken. I’ve learned that you can get through bad times and continue looking for better ones. It’s possible to do by your self, but it’s more possible allowing yourself to be surrounded by those that truly love you. 

 

The Four Agreements 

Be Impeccable with your word; Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.  

Don’t take anything personally; Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do, is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering. 

Don’t make assumptions; Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life and health. 

Always do your best; Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are tired as opposed to well-rested. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse, and regret. 

 

Practice the PAUSE. Pause before judging. Pause before assuming, Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you’re about to react harshly and you’ll avoid doing and saying things that you’ll more than likely, regret. 

To protect your energy… It’s okay to cancel a commitment. It’s okay to not answer a call. It’s okay to change your mind. It’s okay to want to be alone. It’s okay to take the day off. It’s okay to do nothing at all. It’s okay to speak up. It’s okay to let it all go.

 

MAY I BE PEACEFUL, MAY I BE HAPPY, MAY I BE WELL, MAY I BE SAFE, MAY I BE FREE FROM SUFFERING. EVERY DAY I CHOOSE HEALING FOR MY HEART, BODY AND SPIRIT. THIS JOURNEY IS MY OWN UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. I CAN CHOOSE TO MAKE IT WHATEVER I WISH. I WILL TAKE MY TIME AND ALLOW MYSELF TO SIT WITH MY GRIEF. I AM NOT AFRAID TO GO DEEPER AND ASK WHAT IT CAN TEACH ME. I LEARN FROM MY GRIEF. I WORK THROUGH THE DARKNESS IN MY LIFE, AND I AM ABLE TO SEE THE STARS AND BEAUTY. I HEAL IN MY OWN TIME AND I AM GENTLE WITH MYSELF EVERY DAY. I FORGIVE MYSELF AND AM ABLE TO FORGIVE THOSE WHO MAY HAVE HURT ME IN THE PAST. MY HEART MAY FEEL BROKEN. BUT I AM CHOOSING TO HEAL THOSE CRACKS WITH LOVE AND TIME GENTLY. I AM HEALING MY BODY CONSCIOUSLY AND BEAUTIFUlLY. 

Some daily thoughts to help you get through your day. ❤

 

List of Christmas gifts for your special needs child!! Santa’s Little Hackers :)

I’ve been extremely open and honest about my daughter and her disability. That matters to me because although it’s mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting, my fellow bloggers should have access to the whole truth. It’s not always rough, my daughter has proved to be very unpredictable. She has been getting over a 5-day flu bug, and when she is sick, she is extremely aggressive towards herself and others. Which is understandable, she can’t tell me where it hurts with her words, so she uses her head against my head and she bites her fingers. It breaks my heart to see her so miserable and distressed, but it pays off completely to have days like today. She finally feels better, and she is her usual bubbly, loud and silly self. She woke up singing and has said “love you” 2 times today! She has finally had the energy to jump on her little tramp and play her kiddo piano. So, it has been worth staying up all night the last 4 days, rocking her in the chair, and keeping damp cloths on her forehead only when she falls asleep. (She doesn’t like the feeling of it when she’s awake.) Anyways, my husband and I spent a lot of time thinking of fun and educational toys for our daughter from “Santa” and family, and because of her being blind, delayed, non-verbal with severe sensory issues, we came to a frustrating point where we felt there were hardly any gifts out there we could not only afford, but could benefit her in some way.

I have always been extremely envious of LeapFrog and the education and fun other children have while using LeapFrog. For obvious reasons, my husband assured me buying a LeapFrog would be a waste of money for us, because Aubree wouldn’t ever use it, because it is mostly visual fun. But I figured that if the “book” can talk back to her when she touches a word, picture or shape, then we could work with that! If you have the time and resources, you can even Braille the little educational books, as I am going to do, by renting a Braille typewriter from my daughter’s school. (Just make sure you have clear sticky paper.) I found LeapFrog on sale for $29 at Wal-Mart, and I got 3 “books” on clearance for $5 each. It was a great idea, (I hope) and even if your child doesn’t seem interested in the mysterious talking book, then try using it yourself with your child in your lap, and gradually introducing it more and more at certain times a day. LeapFrog allows so many educational options and especially for a delayed child, it’s very important to learn, allow and help them grow their big imagination.

Another gift option you can consider is musical toys we found on Amazon. Aubree is very intrigued by music, and I have a feeling we will be paying for music lessons when she’s older. Music is on 24-7 in our house, and I have no problem with that. The brand Munchkins has a Mozart Magic Cube that was very inexpensive and allows all kinds of fun learning for your kiddo. If this doesn’t seem like a fit for your kiddo, there are millions of other music inspired toys and I know you will find the perfect one for your child, that will encourage sensory fun and learning. It has been said that music plays a vital part in helping to increase motor skills, cognitive skills help to improve self-esteem and control, it can help increase the ability to identify and communicate feelings appropriately. Research shows that music therapy has been effective in reducing pain and anxiety, it can strengthen the immune system and promote relaxation. Music has been used as a therapeutic tool for over 30,000 years. So I strongly encourage you to think outside the box, and consider all kinds of options for musical therapy and play to help your child.

Another amazing resource I recently found online, is a site called Songsforteaching.com, songs for teaching has a ton of musical topics to make everyday education into a fun, silly and catchy song.  If you have a child that is so musically inspired like Aubree is, then this is really cool. You go to the site, click on whatever topic or subject you think will benefit your kid, and at least 15 or more songs pop up, you can play the songs directly on your phone or computer. They even have a radio app you can download and play a variety of each subject throughout the day. I’ve tried to make educational music apart of our routine to encourage Aubree talking more. It’s worth checking out for sure.

Hammock Swing/Sling, if you haven’t already explored this for a child with sensory issues, I strongly suggest trying it. We found a “sitting hammock” on Amazon for around 90$ (including the stand) and Aubree is obsessed with it. It promotes relaxation, and is one of the only things we turn to when she is having an “episode.” We allow her to curl up in a hammock with a warm bottle, and turn on Genote, or the piano guys and softly rock her. We even use this for bedtime routine and although it’s a bit on the pricier side, you can find very inexpensive ones as well. I would recommend every family raising a child with multiple disabilities and sensory issues to try this out. We first used a “raindrop” swing with Aubree’s OT and we (and she) fell in love with it.

Kinetic Sand, Water Beads & Zuru Tangle we found for some stocking stuffers. As a mother of a beautiful but cautious little girl, these three simple things can offer a new world with encouraging play with hands. My daughter plays musical toys with her hands no problem, but when it comes to something a little unfamiliar, even food, she is not a happy camper. So when I see things that will help her use her hands and might seem interesting, I have to try it. I encourage you to do the same. I found she is not a fan of playdoh, but she does like water beads. So these other “stocking stuffers” might be added to the LIKE list. 🙂 I also think silly putty is a good thing to try, and we have thrown that in her stocking as well.

Colouring was a little challenging for me to get used to. We had to come up with a lot of different ways Aubree could enjoy colouring if she wanted. So if your child has similar disabilities, (blindness) then I’ll share a couple things with you that we found were helpful. A teacher we had a program called Early Intervention brought over a board with a screen (from a house window, to keep bugs out) taped down tightly to it. We had Aubree put a blank piece of paper over the screen/board and gave her a “jumbo” crayon and the noise it makes was quite entertaining to her. Something else to try is the little images with black fuzzy felt around the image, so if your child is blind or has visual impairments, this will be a fun activity to use your hands and senses to “stay in the lines” and help them use their imagination to identify what the image is. You can get all kinds of fun pictures online, different animals, shapes, favourite characters on T.V., etc.

Wellie Wisher’s American Girl Doll, $60, or any doll for that matter. And if your child is willing to play with the doll, that’s great. We were advised by a doctor at our local Developmental Center, that using a doll as a tactile symbol for Aubree, might help make daily activities easier to anticipate for Aubree. If your child has any of the same struggles with self-care, feeding self, or even sticking to a set routine, then using the doll as a tool and helping guide your child throughout the day, might make the anxiety of a routine in general, easier. For example, “Aubree, we’re going to brush Sophia’s (doll) hair and teeth. Will you help me get her ready?” And then let Aubree know that now Sophia is ready, it’s time to get her ready. It might feel weird at first for both your child and you, but if you notice your child easing up when it comes time for their turn in daily routine, then why not use this tactile symbol?

I have struggled daily at times being strong with the fact that my daughter is different, and that’s OK. A few years ago, on her first and second Christmas, it was a constant reminder for me that we would always have to plan things differently. Our lives would never be what the average person could say was “normal.” But when life is a little easier for them, it gets a little easier for you too. Toys and education are apart of every little kids life! I hope this post has given you some ideas on some different and fun toys for this Holiday. I love all my fellow readers, and if any other families of special needs children have any other toys or ideas to add to the list, please comment below. You wouldn’t believe how frustrating it is trying to find whats right for your child, and what’s not. So let’s help one another out!! 🙂

If you haven’t heard of a program called Santa’s Little Hackers, I suggest you check them out!! Santas Little Hackers is a seasonal toy drive that takes toys, adapts them, makes little modifications to the electronics of toys, and gives them away to help disabled children play independently. You can find more information about them here-

 www.santaslittlehackers.com 

I feel responsible for letting you know if you think your child could benefit from an “adapted toy” then go to the website, and fill out the toy registration for Christmas 2018.  It is sadly closed this year. But it is a wonderful program!

2-week old baby girl’s father is accused of beating her to death. This story makes my blood boil!

Christopher Michael McNabb, 27 and from Covington Georgia has been accused of killing his baby girl by blunt force trauma to the head. Authorities have reported that after striking baby Caliyah in the head with an unknown object, McNabb wrapped her lifeless body up in a t-shirt, then a blanket and proceeded to place his daughter’s body in a drawstring bag and took her not far from their residence into the woods. He buried her in a shallow grave then placed a log on top of her. Authorities believe the murder took place in the woods, where the body was found. After revealing baby Caliyah was struck in the head with a heavy object, authorities said, “This action did cause the victim’s skull to be seriously disfigured and damaged well beyond repair.” What makes this story equally chilling is the way Christopher McNabb handled the situation afterwards.

On Saturday morning of October 7th, Courtney Bell called 9-1-1 stating her 2-week old daughter was missing. In the 911 audio, Bell can be heard telling the dispatcher that her 2 year old woke her and McNabb up to report the baby “was missing.” Sobbing, Courtney Bell explained to the operator that she has been awake with her daughter most of the night, but around 5a.m. Bell claimed to have fed her baby, and changed her diaper, soon after she fell asleep on the couch. The operator was confused when she asked if Bell thought someone had taken the baby, and Bell responded with “my two years old said the baby is gone, and I don’t know any other possibility.” Bell then stated “she’s not in her sleeper. She’s not here. I’ve looked under clothes and everything.” Bell then informed the operator that the baby’s father, Christopher McNabb was outside frantically looking for their daughter.

A search team had been arranged for locating Caliyah McNabb, and on Sunday night, they discovered everyone’s worst fear. The body of Caliyah had been found in the woods, wrapped in a blanket inside a duffle bag and in an attempt to further conceal the body, covered in debris.  Before even being charged with the heartless murder, McNabb was reportedly telling random people that he “didn’t do it.” Police took McNabb into custody shortly after allegedly fleeing on foot once discovering Caliyah’s body had been found in the woods, not far from their home. He was seen by witnesses in a nearby convenience store, and was reported to have been “wet” and “dirty” like he had been running around in the woods while it was raining. The clerk stated she heard McNabb shouting, “I didn’t do it! I didn’t do it! They’re going to get me! I’ve been running in the woods all day! They’re going to get me!” And even went as far to say, “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t the baby’s momma.” The clerk then called 9-1-1 where McNabb was arrested and taken into custody without incident for a probation violation.

Courtney Bell was also questioned that night and later released to grieve her daughter’s death privately. Christopher McNabb wasn’t so lucky. He is still being held at the Newton County Jail. On Thursday, October 12, McNabb faced a judge and was denied bail. McNabb refused his right to a public defender.

As of Wednesday, October 11th, 2017, Christopher McNabb has been formally charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery and concealing a death.  I don’t know if the mother had any involvement in this, or if she is a victim herself in this case, but it seems the police believe she is not involved.

I don’t know what the outcome of this case will be, but I sincerely wish this man who at one point considered himself a father, gets the book thrown at him and rots in prison for the rest of his life.

How this horrifying tragedy even occurred is beyond my thought process. I feel this poor little baby girl, Caliyah, was in the hands of a monster, and although how her short life came to an end is a nightmare, I believe she is now safe and out of harm’s way. This is such a cold-hearted murder of nothing other than an innocent angel. My thoughts and prayers are with the grieving family, and I hope they find some comfort in knowing their angel is in heaven safe and no harm can ever be done to her again.

Rest in peace baby Caliyah. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.