Fine-tuning this thing

I'm still trying to figure out the content filters and "crawlers" for that thing on the side, but I think I at least understand how it works. So now I'll talk a lot about how all our Special Needs have been so important in bringing me to this point.

Down syndrome: When Sofia was born, 26 months ago, we were already prepared for her diagnosis. Trisomy 21, an extra chromosome on the 21st pair. But being involved in the Down syndrome community has been an incredible learning experience for me these past 2 years. In the "virtual" world of the Internet, I've "met" so many people with such varied experiences and backgrounds. In real life, my life has been incredibly enriched by all the amazing people who help me provide Sofia with the best possible education.

Food Allergies: While Micah's food allergies have not provided us with nearly as much fun and amazement as Sofia's DS, dealing with food allergies has been an empowering experience for me. He's up to 12 foods:

• Tree nuts
• Peanuts
• Sesame
  
• Soy
• Grapefruit
• Apple
• Mint
• Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
  
• Sea Bass
• Haddock
• Black Bean

Plus he's allergic to Penicillin. I found a wonderful site to order "taggies" for him, from a place called "Letters 'n' Wood" (link is to the right). Micah's tag is customized, and says "Severe Allergies/Penicillin/All Nuts/Sesame/Others". He pins it to his shoulder each morning, and is proud to show it off to people. He is a very responsible little fellow, and very cautious about what he eats.

Dyslexia: Sam was diagnosed with a "Specific Reading Disability in the English Language Arts", which in another state would be called dyslexia. Right now he is making terrific progress, thanks to the amount of time and energy his school has put into his education. They use the Wysnia-Kapp method for reading.

Crohn's Disease: My dear husband has suffered from Crohn's since he was a teenager. It gets worse when he's very stressed (which is quite often), and when the seasons change.

Skin Cancer: Yup, that's mine. I had a malignant melanoma in situ right after we got married. Now I slather on the sunscreen, and go for screenings every 6 months (more often if I see something that worries me). I'm just coming out of my sun-phobia, after 8 years, and learning how to live in the light. This summer it will be interesting to see how I handle the pool club.