No Education on Vacation

Ryan really impressed us on vacation this year. We didn’t have to convince him to come out of his room, stay outside or get in the water (either the pool or the ocean). While I was thrilled to see him out bobbing in the waves, the area we were staying was under warning of severe […]

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Deck Waffles

In the 1995 Movie Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead Andy Garcia and his criminal pals have a simple phrase for the single best thing in life: “boat drinks.” As in, if you’re having a cocktail on a boat, things can’t get any better. It’s how they greet each other in prison, thinking […]

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Vacation Ambition

“Family vacation” is a phrase that doesn’t always recall images of tranquility. Many parents return from one feeling like they need a vacation to recover from their vacation — and that feeling is hardly the exclusive realm of special-needs parents. We’ve had family vacation hits and misses, and over the years we’ve learned what works […]

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Something Was Different

Repeating the same activities year after year stands as a convenient way to measure Ryan’s progress. Ryan has played in our town’s summer street-hockey league for five seasons, and he has come a remarkably long way in that time. His coördination, his social skills, his understanding of how to be a good teammate — all […]

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A Spontaneous Outing

Riley would have been up for the trip. Had Ryan been on board, we might well have spent much of Sunday in the car. But when we floated the idea at breakfast, he was not having it. It’s not that he has an aversion to car trips, he’s actually quite good despite the lack of […]

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