Some days you can't be prouder of your kids

For anyone who knows or loves a child with special needs, you know how special it is to have them get up and do something out of their comfort zone. Then to watch then watch them excel at it...it's one of those heart swelling moments.

My daughter is what we lovingly call an "Aspie", meaning she has Asperger Syndrome. (It's a high functioning form of autism) Many of you might recognize recent stories about Odin, the young man in Peterborough who didn't have anyone rsvp to his birthday party and his mom asked for help to make it a special 13th for him. He too is an Aspie and I can't read enough about how wonderful the world made his special day. Tee is a bit older than him, she'll be 18 in a couple months. Like many mom's the idea of her going to college makes me want to wrap her in bubble wrap.  

Seneca College has an amazing behaviour science program at the King Campus. One of the courses offered focuses completely con Autism and other spectrum disorders. We met the instructor at a Ride for Autism event in the fall and she contacted me to ask if Tee would be willing to be a guest speaker in her class. (The majority of their interaction with kids are non-verbal elementary students.)

Dad gets camera credits, I'm behind the artwork. lol

In short it was an amazing couple of hours. Tee was so nervous and I wasn't certain if she would get overwhelmed and "shut down" but the students in the class made us all so comfortable. Our entire family went  because the class was excited to learn the perspective of not only Tee but her parents and sister. 

Tee did an incredible job. She answered all their questions and talked about her art work and her plans for the future. It was a moment when I realized how much she has matured and capable of doing things completely out of her normal routine. Ry is incredibly good at public speaking and between the both of them I think they showed that our family is just as (slightly) normal as everyone elses. Or as normal as any other family with a sense of humor as twisted as ours. 

That doesn't mean I'm not still going to fight to wrap her in bubble wrap before college but maybe I'll limit the amount to 2 or 3 layers. :) 

Available for Pre-Order!
    Release Date: April 14th, 2015

Unconditional Devotion (Peacock Terrace Apartments 1)

A devastating battle with depression destroyed Hannah Robinson’s once-victorious career as a defense attorney. The relentless dark cloud of despair that shrouds her brings Hannah to question whether she can fight to go on any longer. That is until what had been an unexpected request from her neighbors leads to new-found joy that breathes new life into her dreary existence. 

Passion and seduction sizzles for Hannah and her dynamic neighbors, but as fate would have it, they will need far more than erotic satisfaction from her, despite her struggle with mental illness. 

As close as brothers since their days in the same neglectful foster home, Craig Ledet and Daniel Mire’s friendship stood the test of time. Their bond was fortified upon the arrival of a child neither of them knew about before. Blissful with the creation of an instant family, they are soon scourged by a vicious trail of events that leads them to court, extortion and kidnapping. 
Unconditional Devotion (Peacock Terrace Apartments Book 1)

Do you have plans for April 17 & 18th? Don't miss out on the first annual Romancing the Capital Conference in Ottawa, Ontario. There are only a handful of tickets left for what is going to be an amazing weekend!!

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