The first Thanksgiving I celebrated with Geoff meant dragging a 16-foot pine tree from the woods and then into his house with two friends who had helped him cut it down with a chainsaw. When we stood the giant pine in the tree stand, branches at the base stuck out approximately 5 feet in all… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Blog, November 27, 2017: At the Risk of Thanksgiving
We began to realize how much our kids listen to our conversations when our son mentioned to Geoff he was worried about getting a pressure sore on his bum from new pants with buttons on the pockets. I tried to explain that Dad is afraid of pressure sores because he doesn’t have much of a… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Blog, November 10, 2017: “Atrophy vs. Ass-trophy”
Fall fires are the best– warm enough so we can remain outdoors under a clear night sky in early November when our mountain tops begin to collect snow. I needed this bonfire tonight, to be surrounded by a lot of really good people, to watch big kids looking after little kids with the random adult… Continue reading Fall Fires, Full Moons, and Other F Words
There is no doubt that we are giving this parenting gig our best effort; however, in those moments when we realize just how badly a situation could have turned out, we shake our heads in disbelief at how we could have been so stupid. See the kids in this picture, smiling, wearing protective head gear,… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Blog, October 12, 2017: Parenting Risk Taking and Mistake Making
Some of my least favorite parenting occurs immediately following our arrival home after school, after the after school program pick up, maybe even after having stopped for the mail or a few items at the grocery store. When both our children were still strapped in the 5 point harness, they hung out for a few… Continue reading Missing the 5 Point Harness
Doesn’t every little girl want a Paralympic wheelchair racing Barbie doll? Ours did when she was four, and it remains one of her favorite toys because “wheelchair racing Barbie is fast, has fun hair and good clothes.” Last year this time, our family was all about the Olympics and Paralympics, discussing how they are alike… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Blog for September 29, 2017: “September is Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month”
Tomorrow, this bulletin board will greet my students on our first day of school. No matter how many years into this teaching gig I get, I’m still an excited school girl the night before. Change. Transition. Adolescence. Friendship. Work ethic. Big dreams. Little dreams. Balancing what we love with what we must do. Finding our… Continue reading On the Night Before School Begins, Our Last Batch of “Dear Mary from Birmingham” Letters
As I’ve officially returned to school this week for professional development, I await the arrival of my students one week from today. Sitting in meetings with colleagues, my eyes often turn to wonder outside the window, and I remember our hiking experiences this summer with our girls. Why is it that writing comes so much… Continue reading “Dear Mary from Birmingham” Letters: Batch 4
Here are some more strong letters in defense of our challenging White Mountain trails: Dear Mary Altz-Smith, My friends and I frequently hike in the White Mountains during the summer. Today, we hiked Indian Head on June 20 with my summer hiking group, Girls of Summer. We are a strong group of girls who… Continue reading “Dear Mary from Birmingham” Letters: Batch 3
A continued conversation of our response letters from Girls of Summer: Dear Mrs. Mary Altz-Smith, The letter that the you wrote to The Union Leader was very disappointing. You obviously have never been in the in the real outdoors of New Hampshire. Have you ever been on an actual hike before coming to our challenging… Continue reading “Dear Mary from Birmingham” Letters: Batch 2
Heather Ehrman Krill: The "Write" Kind of Coach 