My body is an a$$hole. I have never seen my rheumatologist flummoxed before today. She’s always confident and reassuring and has a plan of defense against my errant immune system. But today it all got to her, and we don’t have a good defense strategy at the moment. It’s a “wait and see if whatContinue reading “Woes and Joys”
Author Archives: hollykaustin
Book Rec Time!
I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for a long time, and finally picked it up today to read it. It’s a middle grade reader and it’s written in verse, so it’s a super quick read. I got through it with several interruptions in less than 2 hours. But boy does it pack aContinue reading “Book Rec Time!”
Adoption. Is. Trauma.
I got a note from Sprout’s teacher on Friday saying Sprout had a rough week. She refused to do her work unless an adult helped her (she is in a 12:1:1 classroom so that help is thankfully available). She was sometimes uncooperative. And the work she did do was not her best. Let me startContinue reading “Adoption. Is. Trauma.”
Health Update Time
A while back I posted about my health challenges. (See here and here if you aren’t caught up). I’ve been placed on Stelara for my ulcerative colitis (“UC”), which is an immunosuppressant that is aimed at UC and at psoriatic arthritis. It’s helping with the UC though is not putting me in remission. Regardless, I’llContinue reading “Health Update Time”
Generational Trauma and our kids
Sprout These Days Sprout is doing remarkably well. I’ll start with school academics. She’s getting retested for speech and OT services but likely won’t need either going forward, and her father and I wholeheartedly agree with those services being dropped. While she continues to be in a 12:1:1 classroom, she’s thriving in it, and weContinue reading “Generational Trauma and our kids”
Kid Harmony
For the past two years, Sprout (now 6) has regularly voiced that she doesn’t like Kiddo (now 12) because Kiddo is “mean to” her. And frankly, I had a hard time arguing with her! For while Sunny (now 10, and Sprout’s sister) was with us, any time Kiddo visited for a weekend, Sunny and KiddoContinue reading “Kid Harmony”
Travels with Sprout
Sprout and I have spent the last week adventuring. Sunday morning I attended the memorial service for my beloved friend, bonus father figure, Buddhist Monk, and author Terrence Keenan. It was at Hoenji, which is the Zen Center of Syracuse. After the service was over my husband and Sprout joined the gathering for lunch, andContinue reading “Travels with Sprout”
Brown skin is beautiful, but my kid doesn’t believe it.
My gorgeous brown-skinned Asian kid just told me she wishes she had white skin because “it’s prettier.” My heart broke. It’s something I heard before from Kiddo when she was about 4. I asked Sprout why she thought white skin is prettier, and she said “all the pictures are of pretty white-skinned girls.” This kidContinue reading “Brown skin is beautiful, but my kid doesn’t believe it.”
Self care isn’t just a cliché
My therapist introduced me to Silk + Sonder journals recently. They’re monthly journals, meaning they’re designed for people like me who lose interest in old things and get excited about new. Just as I’m losing interest in last month’s journal the next one arrives, fresh with a new theme and clean pages of possibility. ThereContinue reading “Self care isn’t just a cliché”
Sometimes Rain is Better than Sun
My house is peaceful, joyful, and fun today despite crappy rainy weather and all somewhat overtired humans. No one got enough sleep. One grownup has a migraine. But Kiddo and Sprout are playing so nicely together. No fighting. No exclusion. No meanness. I’m absolutely loving having my whole family together for the weekend. And sadly,Continue reading “Sometimes Rain is Better than Sun”
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