Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours! We’re playing a little catch up with our letter this year as we were unable to send one out in 2015. So much has happened over the past two years!

Jason returned home from work in May of 2015. The demands of Sunshine’s special needs are such that two adults need to be present at home to keep everyone safe, happy, and healthy.

He now works full time with Renae on the blog. The two released their first book, Holidays and PTSD: A Parent’s Guide to Survival in October, available now on Amazon and here on the blog.

Renae is working hard to finish up her second book, The ABCs of Montessori and Special Needs with an expected release date of December 28, 2016. She is participating as a presenter in her first Montessori conference in early January. (Don't forget to sign up to watch!)  All of these opportunities are a result of the blog, which has now become a business.

In October of 2015 our family spent a week in Walt Disney World. The experience was full of firsts for everyone, including flights, a Walt Disney World Resort, all four Disney theme parks, and delicious dining with character experiences.

In March, Renae’s grandmother died unexpectedly, and once again our family returned to Florida, this time by car, for the funeral. We were thrilled to stay with family and friends as we traveled, some of which we hadn’t seen since before Jason and Renae were married. The kiddos also enjoyed two days at LEGOLAND in Florida, an afternoon in Williamsburg, VA, and a morning spent at the National Zoo in Washington D.C.

We had no idea the kiddos would do so well and enjoy being on the road so much. All of us are looking forward to many more travel and vacation experiences in 2017. There’s no better way to learn than through real life experiences. We’re thankful all of this is made possible as we homeschool our children and work from home or on the road.

Dinomite turns ten in January 2017. We can’t believe we’ll have a kiddo in double digits. It’s amazing how fast time flies. Dinomite’s biggest accomplishments this year have been advancing to riding a horse by himself during lessons and learning all of his swim strokes.

He is also very proud of himself for trying new foods this year. Those who know Dinomite, his autism and food issues, know this is a BIG deal for him. He is very excited to announce that he now loves steak, turkey burgers, and turkey bacon.

Dinomite continues to love all things LEGO, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. He also enjoys Star Wars.

Bulldozer turned eight at the end of August and celebrated his special day by getting baptized. It seemed like overnight he went from struggling to write his letters correctly to writing complete sentences. The same thing has happened with reading.

Bulldozer started hippotherapy and private swimming lessons this year to help with muscle tone and gross motor areas where he struggles, related to his autism. These weekly activities have been fabulous for him.

Bulldozer continues to love all things LEGO and Star Wars. He’s also developed a passion for Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

Princess really struggled during 2015 with behaviors related to Reactive Attachment Disorder and PTSD episodes. It was our hardest year with her yet. Thankfully she seems to be turning things around and is doing extremely well right now.

Princess is quite the bookworm. We can never keep the house stocked with enough chapter books from the library. She enjoys reading with her new glasses, which she received this Fall.

Princess has also shown a huge interest in learning how to cook and bake this year. I can’t believe how fast she’s growing up. Can you believe she’s already seven years old?

Sunshine who just turned five in November, was diagnosed with a mood disorder earlier this year. The diagnosis has been added to her already existing list, which includes autism, Reactive Attachment Disorder, PTSD, and Mild Cranial Facial Microsomia.

To say our road has been difficult with her is an understatement. The combination of diagnoses has been the hardest thing Jason and Renae have ever dealt with. Trying to find the correct medications to manage her manic episodes and dealing with daily rages and physical aggression has been such a challenge.

When Sunshine is doing well, she loves to learn. Her favorite school subject is botany. Sunshine’s smile and excitement for life are so contagious. You can’t help but smile when you meet her and enjoy her bubbly personality. She loves to play with baby dolls and dress up clothes. Just recently we’ve learned that swimming is something that calms her.

Life can be quite crazy and chaotic at times, but we’re making sure to enjoy every happy moment we can and learn from those moments that are challenging. The kiddos are growing up so fast. We’re trying to give them every opportunity and experience we can from camping to learning the Montessori way.

We hope this letter has found you well. Our family looks forward to staying in touch and following your wonderful life adventures in 2017. Merry Christmas!


With Love,

The Eddy Family