Navigating Life's Detours
Finding the right path for a teen with special needs
Tag: parenting
The J.P. Story: Joyous birth
Dad’s note: In honor of J.P.’s 12th birthday, I’m writing “The J.P. Story,” which looks back at our journey through birth and now approaching teen-hood. I hope you enjoy. The third chapter looks at the birth of what many called our miracle baby. To… Continue Reading “The J.P. Story: Joyous birth”
The J.P. Story: Waiting game begins
Dad’s note: In honor of J.P.’s 12th birthday, I’m writing “The J.P. Story,” which looks back at our journey through birth and now approaching teen-hood. I hope you enjoy. The second chapter looks at life before the trip to the delivery room. To read… Continue Reading “The J.P. Story: Waiting game begins”
J.P.’s staycation adventure
It’s been a busy few weeks with schedule changes at work and numerous special appointments — both personal and business. Through it all, I’ve been looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. That’s when my sister and niece arrived for a… Continue Reading “J.P.’s staycation adventure”
Vacation all I ever wanted …
J.P. just completed extended school year, and the start of fifth grade for him is less than a month away. Most would be thinking about summer vacation, but with much of my vacation time used for training at Canine Companions, it’s time to get… Continue Reading “Vacation all I ever wanted …”
Friday Fun: Karina assists in therapy
Hi everyone, it’s Karina. My facilitator, Jeff, told me he’s been getting many questions about how things are going as I’ve settled into life with the Cousins family. I thought I would try to fill people in on how a Canine Companion goes about… Continue Reading “Friday Fun: Karina assists in therapy”
Karina gets clean
It was a big week for J.P. and Karina as we passed the one-month mark after graduating from Canine Companions for Independence. One month later meant Karina got her first bath, and we had to file our first report with CCI. The report asked… Continue Reading “Karina gets clean”
Fatherly thoughts
When I was young and thought about what it would be like to be a father, I always dreamed of the chance to have conversations with my children that would guide them through their younger years and into adulthood. I thought about teaching them… Continue Reading “Fatherly thoughts”
Praying for healing
I’m not sure what to title this post, so I’m going to write it first and see what comes to mind. I am very lucky to be surrounded by some amazing people in my life. I hold them in high regard and thank them… Continue Reading “Praying for healing”
Enjoying the everyday
After more than a month of chaos, even doing household chores seems relaxing. It’s really nice to be settling into our new normal in the Cousins’ household. Over the past few days, there’s been an effort to get things cleaned up inside and outside… Continue Reading “Enjoying the everyday”
Karina assists in therapy
Our skilled companion dog is being put to work. As things slowly return to normal in the Cousins’ household, Karina is getting involved in speech therapy. Our speech therapist, Amy Thomas, is creating a whole section of J.P.’s Dynavox to tell Karina’s story, and… Continue Reading “Karina assists in therapy”
Blogs I Follow
Blogs I Follow
Navigating Life's Detours 