No parents should ever have to listen to this. No child should ever have to learn it. But this is the world we live in, and no matter how uncomfortable it is, we need to do what we can to keep them safe. This is Littlest, my baby, explaining what to do if an active shooter comes to her school. … Read More
Christmas Gifts for Children with Special Needs
This is a toughie. It can be downright hard, because there are so many emotions tied up with the holidays. We have expectations. Christmas is supposed to be a time where we express our love and gifts are a way we do that. What if the child, who has special needs, doesn’t like their gift? What if they don’t play … Read More
The Las Vegas Shooting.
I’m going to start out by saying that my family is safe. This is the main purpose for this post, because I want loved ones to know that the Yardley family is accounted for. That isn’t the case for everyone, and that’s difficult to wrap my head around. Last night was a panic as the story unfolded. It was a … Read More
This Is What Williams Syndrome Looks Like
And it’s beautiful. This is my son, Niko, now 14 years old.
The Thing No Parent Wants To Think Of
Comfortable? Not at all. Necessary? Absolutely. It’s something that my husband and I have discussed for a long time. Niko is friendly, gregarious, and just as apt to sit on somebody’s lap now as he was when he was two years old. Kisses from a toddler are darling. From a teenager who can’t read the situation? Not so much. And … Read More
A Different Kind of Christmas Present
Niko, my darling boy, is 13 this year. He has Williams Syndrome, and like a lot of kiddos with WS, he’s difficult to buy for. One year he asked for an escalator, and Santa pulled a few tricks out of his bag for that one. He doesn’t attach to typical things, generally. He doesn’t particularly care about gifts, and that … Read More
A Veterans Day Bus Ride
My son Niko, who has Williams Syndrome, has a few fixations, Washers and dryers, for example. Listening to the same song over and over. Hotels and buses. About six months ago, we promised we’d go on a public bus in November. He’s been looking forward to it for months, and has asked about it several times every day. (Anybody familiar … Read More
Frontier Girls and Williams Syndrome
My daughters are members of Frontier Girls, which is similar to Girl Scouts. They earn badges, do activities, and apparently surprise their mother. This summer Niko and I came to two meetings and taught the girls about Williams Syndrome. We shared this short video. We talked about several of the WS characteristics. The girls asked Niko and I questions. It … Read More
Here’s a Chance to Help Sweet Wes With His Kidney Transplant
Sweet Wes is very dear to me. He has Williams Syndrome like my son, and is in desperate need of a transplant. I applied to be a donor myself, but was unable to be considered because I’m diabetic. There were many, many bitter tears that night. However, they just found a match (YAY!) but need to raise some funds very … Read More
A Typical Day Living with Williams Syndrome
This photo breaks my heart and makes me smile at the same time. It stirs up emotion. This is my beautiful, guileless son, who has Williams Syndrome. He’s crying in the bathtub after I told him his behavior wasn’t up to par and he wouldn’t earn a trip to McDonalds unless he improved. His emotions are always so close to … Read More