I love this ecard! It reminds me of my Dad! I remember as a child cringing at some of my Dad's clothing selections and wishing he was "cool"... As my Dad is from England the socks with sandals were a staple in his wardrobe! Today I can look back and laugh.  My Dad never cared what anyone else thought. He was never influenced by trends or by peer (or children) pressure.  He wore pink polo shirts (before they were preppy) and he wore funny flannel plaid shorts and he didn't even golf! He put his time and his money into ensuring that my sister and I had everything that we needed - including some of the trendy clothes that he would never purchase for himself.  As an adult I can see now that so many of the choices he made that embarassed me at the time  - were actually sacrafices he was making so we could "have it all..."  In addition, he was leading by example and showing us that it is ok to set your own limits, live by your own definition, and buck the trend of what is or is not cool!  He taught us to follow our passion, engage fully and honor our unique interests.  Now when I see my Dad sporting his sandals and socks I just smile.  I love my Dad for the wonderful, devoted, passionate, supportive, funny, witty, smart, giving and patient person he is! He has always been there for me and I know he always will.  I love you Dad! Happy Father's Day!

This image reminds me of Brien.  We could hang this in our house and it would be very appropriate! He is always calm.  He has faced down so many crisis situations in his life and he is never phased - never rattled. He is a beacon of strength and he is a rock for our family.  He always sees the glass as half-full and he always sees the best in our children.  I love and admire him for his devotion to the children and his committment to ensure they are all thriving and achieving their goals. Our 3 little monkeys are so lucky to have his support, guidance and love.  He values each of our children with unconditional love and is always teaching them to be strong, sensitive, and compassionate individuals. He embraces what makes each child unique and nurtures the areas that need more attention and love.  Noah has his Daddy on a pedestal.  (Cecily and Cason think he is pretty cool, too!)  It is always fun for me to see Brien with his little skateboarding/surfing sidekick!  They have the exact same sense of humor, they each think they are so very funny and they amuse each other (and the rest of us) with their antics.  Cecily makes Daddy work for smiles and kisses but she loves him dearly.  When she hears his footsteps along the corridor she chants Dad, Dad, Dad and smiles wide until he gets within her line of sight... and then she pretends she could care less!  I love that she does this every day - because it is her routine and Brien never lets her off the hook!  He is always quick to see the progress of his smart and sassy princess and he always gives Cecily the attention she needs even when she is acting like she does not care one bit! And then there is our happy, angel-baby Cason.  He just doles out the smiles for his twin, Daddy.  Cason brings out the best in everyone - and it is a joy to see the stress of work melt from Brien's face when he sees his happiest camper, Cason! 

We are so lucky to have such a lovely family and the children are so lucky to have the world's best Dad & Grandpa!  Happy Father's Day Brien & Dad! You are the sun, the moon and the stars to our family!

Onwards & upwards!

Where did this school year go? I honestly feel like I just dropped Noah off for his first day of Kindergarten.  I remember being so nervous for him and likely hugging him a little too tightly. He was ready. I was not - but luckily he had been prepared well from his lovely pre-school teacher Miss Anne.  The fact that he is now a first grader is wild to me! I was so proud of him today at his end of the year celebration.  I brought Cason & Cecily - and it was madness!  Noah was the sweetest brother holding Cecily's hand and letting her participate right along with him despite having all of his friends to play with.  Cecily even tackled him more than three times and he just let her hang on him and carried on without even blinking.  I am so grateful for the Cardiff School and his wonderful teacher, Danan McNamara.  Noah thrived in her care and blossomed into such a good, little student.  The art program she ran was inspirational and the emphasis she placed on learning through writing, drawing and journaliing channeled Noah's energy and brought forth a new method for him to communicate.  She stirred in him a love of nature, a curiosity about bugs and how things work - and how plants grow!  She is a gift to the school and to our family and as the year ends I'm just sorry that I wasn't able to volutneer more in the classroom. We are sad the year is over but we are so thankful for the love and care he received at school!  I'm sure we'll blink and school will be back in session!

Little Miss Cecily also shined on her last day.  She was the life of the party - shrieking during the songs and dancing during the videos and making a statement with her tutu in full force!  She just loves school and had a wonderful year, just like her big brother.  Cecily excelled in the care of the most exceptional special education teacher on the planet.  To say we adore Miss Marina is an understatement. She walks on water - and I'm not alone in my hero worship. She is a real-life, SuperHero! Cecily can even say Miss Marina's name - a testament to her love and devotion for dedicated, passionate and giving teacher.  We are sad that the year is over but we are happy to have ended on a great note!  After struggling with speech for most of the year - Cecily shined in the last few months with amazing progress week after week!  Her speech teacher said of the 43 students she works with Cecily shows the most improvement and we couldn't be more proud of our little angel.  to think when Cecily started the school year she was not walking, talking or taking any fluids or food by mouth.  Now Cecily is not only walking - she's dancing! She's not just signing - she's talking (a little!) but the future is bright.  And she was able to have one feeding tube removed and is now taking more and more food and licquid by mouth!  Cecily communicate so well with touch, sign, her eyes and her heart - but to hear the voice start to emerge is just a piece of heaven.  Thank you to the amazing team at Sycamore Ridge for supporting Cecily this year and we can't wait to return for summer school! Thank you teachers, therapists, aides, and of course Cecily's nurse, Miss Kim. 

Cason is thrilled to have his brother and sister at home and perhaps he is the happiest about this summer vacation business... He just idolizes them both and I am sure we'll be having plenty of fun in the weeks ahead. I just hope I can survive without the gift of school!

Here's to the teacher's who work tirelessly to help us raise our children!  We truly love you! And a special thanks to Ms. Mac & Miss Marina for making the Ackerly school year so fun and rewarding!

Onwards & upwards!

Cecily's Closet joined the Foundation for Developmental Disabilitie's Run, Walk, & Roll 5K/1 mile event on Saturday!  We had a great day as a family despite more than a few tantrums from everyone! Cecily, Noah and Cason earned medals - and they were ALL very proud to wear them ALL day!

This was Noah's 2nd 5K race - but his first time running! I was so proud of how hard he tried and how fast he ran - finishing in 33:39!  He ran most of the way - taking a few moments to walk and a few moments to take a breather while Daddy pushed the stroller with 2 flat tires! (Go Daddy!)

Cecily enjoyed all the dogs at the event - confirming in my mind that despite our crazy life she NEEDS a dog! She curled up with Max, a lovely golden retriever and had a good snuggle.  She also met a lovely labradoodle name Brownie who had quite a few pats from Cecily & Cason. We are so grateful when people take the time to share thier animals with our kids. Cecily adores animals and dogs are her all-time favorite!

Thank you to Emily and Connor (3rd place fundraiser!) for their support in the Team Cecily's Closet booth. 

We met some lovely people and have added a few more sewers to Team Cecily's Belly Band operation!  It's always great to see how many people in the community come together to support children with disabilities.

Onwards and upwards!

Our family had a wonderful day at PoVa Day - celebrating Cecily and all of the progress she has made! Watching her ride BlueBelle and seeing her grinning with pride when she was awarded her blue ribbon is what life is all about! We couldn't be more proud of our little angel.  I just want to say thank you to Grammy, Grandpa, Grandpa Bob, Auntie Julie & Uncle JC, Kim, Abel, Tommy, and of course Noah and Cason for cheering on our little princess during her moment of glory.  PoVa is a gift to the community and we're so grateful for the love and support they provide sweet Cecily.  These pictures tell a beautiful story and you can see the love!

Onwards and upwards!

Thank you to the North Coastal Consortium for Special Education  (NCCSE) Community Advisory Committee for recognizing the work of Cecily's Closet for excellence in supporting students with disabilities and their families.

We are honored and humbled by this recognition and we are so grateful to our amazing support team at the HOPE Infant Program for nominating us for this award.  It was inspiring to hear from all the wonderful teachers and administrators that are making such a positive impact for children with special needs in San Diego.

This award is for ALL the parents, Moms, Dads, and extended family members and friends who collaborate with Cecily's Closet to help us accomplish our mission of spreading love and hope to children with special needs.  It is because of each and every one of you that we're able to make a difference for so many amazing children in our own backyard.

We are inspired to keep on trucking!  Cecily's Closet is all about giving back and taking advantage of the gifts we have been given to help others achieve their goals.  We say it over and over and over again but Cecily's Closet is a direct response to the love, care and support we receive from our family, friends and our community. Thank you to Cecily's amazing 0-3 teacher, Mary, who truly set our family on such an amazing course by believing in Cecily and helping us to manage the opportunities of raising a child with special needs.  You are such a gift to the community and we are just so very grateful that we were able to have you as Cecily's teacher. You are and will always be the person we credit with keeping us on course!

We're passionate about what we do and we're just so grateful for this award! Thank you for honoring our little operation and believing in us!

Onwards and upwards!

We had a lovely, relaxing, family-filled Memorial Day Weekend. It
was dare I say perfect? It was just so nice to spend the entire weekend loving on the kiddos, not working, ignoring all sorts of responsibilities and just playing! We hit the beach like everyone else in town and managed to find a parking spot out front - effortless! We had no tantrums, just sandy, good times!
Noah caught his best waves yet with Daddy and Daddy was so very proud... I love Brien for a million reasons - least of all for putting up with me. (I can be dare I say a challenge?) Haha. But I love Brien because he is that Dad that does
not project himself onto his children but rather supports the direction they are going. For example today - Cason wanted to Cecily's pink shoes. Her very, pink shoes! So he just put them on his feet and he was happy walking around with his manly baby, in very pink shoes! And I love Noah because he said - nothing wrong with pink. Now purple... I don't really like purple but I think hot pink is cool.
Love my boys. And this weekend when Noah was dying to get into the water Brien was so quietly proud. When Noah caught his longest wave and rode like a champion Dad was quietly proud - not bragging, not hooting - just soaking it in with a few glorious fist bumps. Sadly - I missed most of it because I had my hands full with two toddlers and buckets and buckets of sand. There is nothing Cason won't eat... sand included! Cecily made her own sand castle and happily played for hours with no assistance required. It was glorious. When she heard me mention a possible return beach trip she promptly through 2 hands in the air - her way of saying yes, me too! Let's do it again! She even tried to say beach with a glorious burst of "b" sounds!

We got to celebrate my dear friend Julie and her lovely family on her birthday! It is hard to believe that we've been friends for more than 30 years... but childhood friends are simply the best of friends and we couldn't be happier that Julie & JC and their two precious boys live here in San Diego.  We just need to get together MORE!

But perhaps my favorite memory from this very relaxing weekend was Noah's response to my simple question. I asked Noah if he had one wish - and he could do anything, have anything, be anything, or give anything... what would he wish for. He looked at me and said, "Legos... I'd wish for Legos" before saying, "wait! No. No. If I only had one wish and I could have anything I'd want 10,000 brothers and sisters. They are the best!"

And this is why I love this kiddo. There are times when I'm not sure how he got to be such a wise, old soul. He let Cecily give him upwards of 50 cuddles this weekend. He just lets her steal his toys and he does all sorts of funny things to keep her calm and quiet. He is ok with Cason drooling on all of his stuff. He has tolerance for baby slobber and has no problem checking to see if his little brother or sister left a "woo woo" in his/her diaper. His patience is endless and reminds me of my Dad. I am so grateful for this little guy. There are many people that don't get to see this side of Noah because he's too busy trying to get his place in the sun. Cecily gets so much attention and Cason - just being a baby - gets so much attention. Yet here is my six-year old wishing for MORE babies... and more siblings. Love him!

We are so grateful for family and friends and a lovely we

Onwards and upwards!

I was so excited tonight after I logged into the Cecily's Closet site tonight.  Some of our most popular search terms (the terms that lead people to us on the Web) are hope & love.  When we founded Cecily's Closet our mission statement seemed "too soft" and undefined.  I stood by it because it is truly our mission - to spread love and hope to children with special needs - and their supportive families.  The fact that people with kids of special needs are looking for hope & love only confirms what I believed - and still believe!  What is more exciting is people are searching for success stories for infantile spasms and THEY ARE FINDING US!  I am so happy about this because that night in the hospital when we received that diagnosis I wanted to crawl into a blanket and have a good cry.  I'm not one for crying (many of you may disagree after recent events...) but I really do pride myself on trying... to keep it together! (yes, haha... I don't keep it together but the emphasis in that last statement did have the word "try"! 

Ramble ramble.  I am just so excited that Cecily's story may be the beacon of hope for some families that receive that startling diagnosis before a child is even 8 months old.  I am passionate about spreading hope to others and to show people that a diagnosis is just a guide - you have no idea what your child, your unique and special child can do - unless you give them the room to prove everyone wrong!

There are nights when I question whether all the hard-work for Cecily's Closet is making a difference.  Failed grant after failed grant it is hard to convey the value we provide to a Mom or Dad that may need help.  But today - seeing that people have found us by searching for a success story I'm invigorated and excited! 

Today Cecily screamed when in a hurry I didn't provide her the usual opportunity to pick out her clothes.  I chose an adorable outfit and proceeded to get her dressed for school.  I realized as she tore at the shirt that she was mad and she felt unheard.  I stopped and told her big girls use their words or their signs.  I reminded her how smart she is and that she needs to use her new skills to explain to silly mommy what is wrong.  She said, in her beautiful voice, "no, that one!"  OMG this is a gift! My little diva communicated with a tantrum over a clothing choice but then used her words to ensure I heard her when the tantrum just didn't cut it! I am so proud of her.  

Almost four years ago when I was desperate for hope I googled and found a success story for Infantile Spasms.  To think that some stranger in a cold, lonely hospital room may be doing the same thing and reading about our mircale child who is proving the impossible possible makes this all worth while and more!

Onwards and upwards!

Dance & Company Performing Arts Studio is now offering a Dance With Me class for children with special needs.  Come join Cecily and her friends as they enjoy the power and movement of dance!

Classes start July 9th!

See more information below.

Onwards & upwards!

After a very long week - Cecily and Cason have finally turned the corner!  This was not an easy week - and after a long hospital stay it was a less than ideal homecoming.  But the good news is everyone is finally feeling better and we have a house full of smiles and laughter again.

This week forced us to reflect on how far Cecily has come.  Our life used to be full of weeks just like this one... sleepless nights, pain, and suffering with no medical answers - not knowing what is happening or how to help.  It is amazing to me how a simple bug can lead to a week of misery for her - something that a typical person would likely be able to fight off with some antibiotics.  We are just so grateful that we have our spunky, sassy and fiesty little angel back! 

Today we had a wonderful day full of our traditional Saturday fare - soccer, skateboarding and surfing. It was so nice to be together as a family!

Onwards and upwards!

Please buy tickets to this event! You can help to make the difference in the life of a child.

Onwards and upwards!