Mandy
Mandy was born and raised in Shreveport and married her best friend, Dustin, in 2008. When they moved to Baton Rouge in 2010 for graduate school, they had no idea how much this city would change their lives. After meeting some incredibly inspiring people, they decided to become foster parents in 2011 and adopted their bundle of energy, Joseph, in 2014. Mandy works part time as the Safe Families for Children Coordinator, a program that aims to support and stabilize families who are experiencing a crisis. She spends the rest of her time managing Joseph's therapies for autism and living out the gift and honor of being a mom. When she has a few minutes of spare time, Mandy loves to bake, draw, hit the pavement for a run, or even better- NAP!
Be the Coach, Not the Warden
Do you ever have days where you feel like all you do is reprimand everyone in your house? Last weekend I had one of those days. I felt like all I did was chase after everyone...
Inside Mommy’s Mind: Mental Health & Motherhood
Mental illness is such a tough topic to discuss- so much so that I'm not even exactly sure how to start this post. When people experience a physical ailment like diabetes or ALS, they...
Unsolicited Comments: Responding with Grace
I've written before about some of the things we've experienced as a transracial family in the deep south. I wish I could say that I always responded to these situations with grace, tact and an...
Choosing the Best School {Special Needs Edition}
It's no secret that the Baton Rouge school system is...well....complicated. Parents of "typical" kids often struggle with the decision about whether to send their kids to public, private, magnet, charter, or home school. When...
An Open Letter to Moms of “Typical” Kids
Dear Moms of "typical" kids,
I'm writing this letter because I want you to know a few things about how it feels to be a special needs mom in what feels like a world of...