Jennifer Briggs

Last Sunday we had a wonderful time at Simmon’s farm, our traditional spot for play and pumpkins. Two of Amy’s friends were there too, and we were lucky that it didn’t rain. After our requisite chocolate covered pretzels to eat on the hay ride, Sarah made a bee line for a giant slide. She grabbed… Read more »

Sarah was living her best life this past week because every day was a dress-down day with a special theme. Monday was “dress like a celebrity. . . or . . . dress like someone.” Sarah opted to dress as a music teacher, wearing musical notes head to toe including her musical note cardigan that… Read more »

Sarah went to work! Part of her school program now includes one day a week of going to a job with a teacher and some other students from the St. Anthony Program. Sarah started her job on Monday, going to a seminary that is near her school. She helped empty trash cans, wipe door knobs,… Read more »

I’ve been thinking about the impact of language. I can tell you that Monday was stressful or I can tell you that I felt stressed on Monday. If I say the day was stressful that doesn’t give me much agency were the same things to recur. But, if I say I felt stressed then that… Read more »

I almost feel like I should write two separate updates because part of what I have to share is light and funny and part of it is so tragic it should stand alone. And yet, perhaps we need the lightness to survive the heaviness. The tragic part does not directly involve us, but Carl and… Read more »

Overall, the week felt stressful. I second-guessed myself and judged myself, replaying some interactions with people and wishing I had handled my part of things differently. The days felt extra full, because most of them were. That’t not necessarily bad, but it gave me less time to pause and regroup. We always go swimming on… Read more »

This past week had a lot of appointments. On Monday the girls and I drove home from Philadelphia after a short but lovely visit that morning with my dad, stepmom, and brother. That short visit was also a good reminder of how Sarah is notably allergic to cats other than our own even when she… Read more »

Sarah started tenth grade on Tuesday. I planned to get up at 5:05 so I could get her up at 5:25 with everything ready for breakfast and the cat fed. Her body clock decided that 4am made more sense as a waking time Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday she had a bit of phlegm and throwing up because of the phlegm. Luckily,… Read more »

Sarah’s dreams have come true. . . . She needs glasses! She only barely needs them, being a tiny bit farsighted, but because she was singing gleefully about how much she loved glasses while she had her annual check up at the eye doctor, the doctor figured she wouldn’t mind having glasses. Now the only… Read more »

Ice cream! We have been enjoying so much ice cream lately. Friday night was family night at Carl’s work that included a Millie’s ice cream stand, so of course that is where we started. Then the girls raced a robot, climbed into the cab of a semi-truck and did cartwheels in the parking lot. My… Read more »