Accessibility · Adaptive Parenting (an adventure itself) · Conversations with Kids · Education · Family life · Through the Power of Sport

August 15, 2017 Christopher and Dana Reeve Blog: “What about the daddies who can’t slingshot?”

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Recently, our six-year-old daughter asked if other daddies might be sad if they couldn’t slingshot. Perplexed, I thought she meant using an actual slingshot as in caveman style sling and rock to kill an animal. I think I said something like, “Well, not all people like to hunt.” She gave me a funny look because… Continue reading August 15, 2017 Christopher and Dana Reeve Blog: “What about the daddies who can’t slingshot?”

Conversations with Kids · Education · Politics Aside

Thinking of You, Charlottesville, With Both Hope and Humanity

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So, as a teacher in a small town, I generally tread carefully with social media, trying to model for my high school students the power of words– when to use our strongest language and when we should just listen.    This is one of those times when helping our kiddos to articulate what makes them… Continue reading Thinking of You, Charlottesville, With Both Hope and Humanity

"No Child Left Inside" · Conversations with Kids · Education · Growing Up New Hampshire · Local · Nature-Based Learning · Through the Power of Sport

“Dear Mary from Birmingham” Letters: Batch 3

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  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

Conversations with Kids · Family life · Local

Remembering Why We Love Orphan Annie and her Sunshine

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I took my little girl to see Annie the Musical last night at Jean’s Playhouse in Lincoln, NH.  Actually, my parents took us; the theater was jam packed, and we were wowed by everything: Annie and the orphans, Sandy, (played by the beloved pet of our local second grade teacher and his wife),  Ms. Hannigan,… Continue reading Remembering Why We Love Orphan Annie and her Sunshine

"No Child Left Inside" · Conversations with Kids · Education · Growing Up New Hampshire · Nature-Based Learning · Through the Power of Sport

“Dear Mary from Birmingham” Letters: Batch 2

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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

"No Child Left Inside" · Accessibility · Adaptive Parenting (an adventure itself) · Family life · Nature-Based Learning · Through the Power of Sport

When Making Family Memories Takes Years Off Our Lives in Only the BEST Ways…

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For the record, for all of you judging the safety represented in this photo, this Boston Whaler containing my family is within the legal weight limit, and our son, in the green sweatshirt, is wearing his lifejacket beneath his sweatshirt.  We are away on vacation visiting my brother and his family on Martha’s Vineyard, and… Continue reading When Making Family Memories Takes Years Off Our Lives in Only the BEST Ways…

"No Child Left Inside" · Accessibility · Adaptive Adventure · Adaptive Parenting (an adventure itself) · Family life · Through the Power of Sport

July 27 Christopher and Dana Reeve Blog: Grit, Resiliency , and Resolve

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When having a conversation with anyone– with or without a spinal cord injury– we garner information about their attitude, sense of grit, and/or capacity for resiliency within a few minutes. I’ve become slightly obsessed with this concept of GRIT reading many articles over the past few years identifying grit as one of the qualifying characteristics… Continue reading July 27 Christopher and Dana Reeve Blog: Grit, Resiliency , and Resolve

"No Child Left Inside" · Conversations with Kids · Education · Growing Up New Hampshire

“Dear Mary from Birmingham” Letters: Batch 1

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Just 24 hours ago, many of us who were spending the night anywhere in a tent in Northern New Hampshire were cursing the weather people along with Mother Nature herself.  The rain was supposed to end.  Cooler than normal temps meant 50 degrees but not 40.  These girls pictured above not only hiked for 5… Continue reading “Dear Mary from Birmingham” Letters: Batch 1

"No Child Left Inside" · Books · Conversations with Kids · Education · Growing Up New Hampshire · Nature-Based Learning · Through the Power of Sport

The Weight We Carry

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One of my favorite American novels is The Things We Carried by Tim O’Brien.  In the first chapter, he writes about what they carry in their packs.  Today, while hiking we teased one young lady for packing an entire jumbo box of goldfish in her pack along with a pudding cup, not her best choice… Continue reading The Weight We Carry

"No Child Left Inside" · Accessibility · Adaptive Adventure · Adaptive Parenting (an adventure itself) · Family life · Through the Power of Sport

Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Blog for July 13, 2017: a Different Kind of Independence

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Independence for those of us living a wheelchair lifestyle means different things for different people. For my husband, Geoff, independence is creativity paired with accessibility. We live in a beautiful place where so much is accessible to our family, a place where adaptive programs like Eastern Adaptive Sports and New England Disabled Sports and Adaptive… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Blog for July 13, 2017: a Different Kind of Independence