All year long, families who are raising special needs children give tirelessly to those that they love. Without complaint the needs of others take over our daily lives putting the thought of ourselves on the back burner. Today the HOPE Network recognized many of these caregivers and offered them a day of pampering...to give their caring hands a day of rest.

The goal was to take the weight of our worries and temporarily put them behind us. For once we were to focus on ourselves. With the help of the community, we were offered manicures, pedicures, massages, makeovers, and we're treated to a wonderful brunch. Seventy women to told to go have at it...and we did!

Pat enjoyed a manicure while I started my day with a relaxing massage. I would have fallen right to sleep if I didn't need to be alert for the speech that I was giving midday. So I spent the time finding the words that I wanted to say while getting a knot worked out of my shoulder. After that I was talked into getting my eyebrows waxed for the first time ever. I have one word to say to that...OUCH!

even though I had practiced The testimony that I planned on giving, I was caught off guard as I teared up talking about the struggles my daughter endured the first few years of her life. end the end it made me more relateable to the audience and I managed to get a few chuckles and a big round of applause. Every attendant walked away with a copy of Sometimes the Wind Blows Sideways, and the offer was extended for each of them to write their own story for the sequel.

A big thank you goes out to Carissa Lagoe, Lori Sills, and everyone else involved in the Northside Baptist Church HOPE Network. They work year around to offer services for our children to enjoy that they might not otherwise be able to have access to. For more information on their programs please visit Northsideonline.com.

March is filled with all kinds of excitement. Geese are flying back from their winter migragtion, the chipmunks are once again romping around the yard, and the sun is shinning down with bright warm rays that evoke a sense of spring cleaning among us folks.  There is so much to do and my personal calendar holds no exception to the business of the season.

This week my friend Lisa Buske and I will once again be traveling to our writer's critique group. It is always such a nice night out with a wonderful group of friends. This month I am bringing a special piece of work and I am very excited to be having it looked over by some great writers. Their input will help me in my final copy which is due in two weeks.

On Wednesday I will be coaching my team in the Battle of the Books. Since December the kids have been reading books, memorizing the title and author of each, and practicing the study questions and participating in mock battles. They have been working very hard. After our building battle medals will be awarded and the first place team will proceed to the district battle on March 28th. The Rockin' Readers are ready for the challenge !!

My focus will then be turning to my speaking engagement for the HOPE Network on March 28th. A spa day is being held in honor of mothers who are raising children with disabilities. (Yes, I get to speak and enjoy spa treatments...the best of both worlds!) I have been asked to talk about my experiences as a mother so I prepared my speech accordingly. Now I just need to do a run through to ensure that it fits into the time constraints. There will be approxiamtely 65 participants at the event, and each one will be going home with a copy of Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child.

At school the kids have been working on the character trait Fairness. I have been working with the Oswego Arise office to bring in a speaker to our assembly to talk to the entire student body on exactly what fairness is.  It does not always mean treating everyone the same, it means to give everyone gets what they need. Our goal is to show the school examples of this so that they will come away with an understanding of why some people get certain things while others do not.

My calendar is also filled in with various appointments and two birthday parties before the months' end, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel because as March goes out like a lamb it will bring me into spring break and allow for some much needed time to relax.

Congratulations to Patricia Mott for winning a copy of Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child. 

 Pat was at the Sacred Heart Church craft show this
morning working her own booth selling handcrafted wood, gifts, and collectibles, but took a moment away from her own table and entered into a raffle to try and win a copy of the book. She was so excited when she won...YEAH Pat !

At the crack of dawn this morning I rolled out of bed after very little sleep and packed up my car for the trek up to Cicero. Of course Mother Nature chose the one day that I had to drive somewhere to sprinkle the world with white dust, but I braved the bitter snow and spent an hour setting up the table getting ready for the day. Books were on display, brochures available to let people know how they can submit stories to the next book, and a sign up sheet out out for speaking engagements.

Thanks to my friend Lisa Buske, the day went by fast as conversation passed between us as we worked, planned, and discussed our writing. It seems like the work of an author & speaker are never done !  Tomorrow Lisa will be at the Port City Assembly of God, giving a testimony of hope - It's possible to get through the tough times.  She is a phenominal speaker and if you get a chance you should stop by and listen to her presentation.

As Disability Awareness Month continues I will be focusing on my own speaking engagement for the H.O.P.E. Network on March 28th at the Northside Baptist in Liverpool. They offer support to families of special needs children and I will be talking about my experiences in raising a child with a disability. Every person going to the event that day will be receiving a copy of Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child. I can't wait to meet all of the other parents and learn what makes th