Posts under ‘neophobia’

A Spoon Is Not a Spoon

Image credit: Photo by
skinnylaminx on Flickr
Licensed under Creative Commons

As I write this, I have a cup of tea beside me, and I am trying to get myself to drink it.  I'm not hesitating because I don't like tea or because I think it will be unpleasant.  I'm hesitating because I'm trying to drink it out [...]

If My Son Ruled the World

Image credit: Photo by
go to /theworldsaddress/ instead on Flickr
Licensed under Creative Commons

I was looking through Austen's school papers this week and found an exercise he had done describing what things would be like if he ruled the world. He had filled in blanks to complete several sentences, one of which read: "If I ruled [...]

Human Habitrail Redux

Image credit: Photo by
Sam Pullara on Flickr
Licensed under Creative Commons

Six months ago, my family spent an evening at an indoor play area with an overhead play structure that was a labyrinth of plastic tunnels ending in a slide. At the time, my son Austen was eager to climb up and try the slide, yet [...]

Huh. I Guess You Never Know.

Image credit: Photo by
nickwheeleroz on Flickr
Licensed under Creative Commons

Now rumor would have it that my son's autism translates into rigid, ritualistic behavior patterns. And you may have heard that he's afraid to try new things: from new play structures to new foods. But don't listen.
Yesterday, his sister asked to go play at a friend's [...]

A Tale of Two Mothers

Image credit: Photo by
Omar Eduardo on Flickr
Licensed under Creative Commons

As featured in the New York Times blog Motherlode
I
A mother and her son are in line at a grocery store. They boy looks like he’s about nine or ten. The mother looks a little tense as the boy starts to fidget in line. At this [...]

My Subconscious Makes a Joke

After several days of being up too late, I decided to take advantage of my husband's weekend presence at home and send him out with the kids while I took a nap.
I fell into a light sleep, listening to the kids alternately giggling and bickering as they got ready to leave, then slipped into a [...]

Wow. Really? I’m a Good Mama?

Photo credit:Image adapted from a photo byKRISnFRED on Flickr

In the mothering world, compliments are hard to come by. Oh, sure. You'll hear, "Your kids are so cute!" But that's not really about you, or even (usually) your kids. It's one of those generic statements, like "have a nice day" or [...]

Riding the Vomit Comet

My son got off the bus yesterday, walked into the house and covered his mouth with his hands. I thought maybe a wiggly tooth had come out, but when pressed to tell Mama what was wrong, the response was the dreaded, "I think I'm going to throw up." Twelve hours, several loads of [...]

A Halloween Miracle

Now I know, Halloween isn't usually a holiday one associates with miracles. But maybe it's the holiday on which miracles happen for heathens like me, or maybe it's just that miracles can happen at any time on any day, without any special occasions at all. I suppose sometimes miracles just happen. A [...]

Vaccines Did Not Cause my Son’s Autism

Almost inevitably, when I mention to someone unfamiliar with autism that my son is autistic, they begin talking about vaccines. Sometimes they proudly tell me how they have not had their own children vaccinated. Sometimes they go off on a screed against scientists, drug companies, government agencies or the establishment in general. [...]