This is the story of a Great Lakes Bay family’s journey navigating parenting a child in our community with special needs. To protect the privacy of this family, we have changed their child’s name and some minor details. Our Special Needs Journey Like any mother, when my oldest child, Alison, was a baby I worried […]
Rhonda is a mother and business owner. This last fall, she advocated for food allergy awareness in the Great Lakes Bay by hosting the Midland FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) Walk. She and her husband own Collector’s Corner Inc., where they sell friendly-food items for individuals with allergens. One Out of Thirteen Anaphylaxis, […]
Dani lives in Bay City with her husband, daughter, and crazy collection of pets. She found her dream job working as a Children’s Librarian, where she feels she has a wonderful opportunity to make a positive impact on the community, and is continually inspired by awesome parents. Postpartum Depression Postpartum depression is real! If you […]
Activities & Organizations for Child with Communication Disorder (Similar to Autism) Great Lakes Bay has many organizations that offer programs for children who have been diagnosed with autism. However, children that do not receive this diagnosis status but need special assistance, are left in the dark with parents paying out of pocket. This Ask the Parent […]
By: Jen Wainwright Can we be real for a minute? I mean … Real? You see, my grandma used to say that she had no use for, “a person who can’t say ‘shit’ when they have a mouthful.” You know these people? We all know these people. They run around acting like they’ve got sunshine […]
By: Jen Wainwright Many moons ago, I worked in a restaurant with a manager who … noticed. If you were stocking salads, or prepping silverware or doing some little, behind-the-scenes job, he’d yell out across the back of the restaurant, “I see your work! I’m seein’ what your doin’! I see your work!” These days, […]
By: Jen Wainwright It was like a scene from a movie. A horror movie happening in real life … She was so awkward, so painfully awkward. She epitomized all that can and does go wrong with limbs, and social awareness, and braces. In the thick of eighth grade, I’m not sure if she had any […]
By: Jen Wainwright I actually have it all together. I have it all figured out. My life is perfect. My relationship, my job, my income – perfect. My children and stepchildren, my family, my partner’s family – all absolutely perfect people and perfect relationships. I write a blog titled JEN’S ZEN because I have it […]
By: Jen Wainwright Sitting on our bathroom counter, staring into the mirror, my five-year-old ran her fingers along the scar on her forehead. “Will my scar ever go away, Mama?” “No, baby girl. It will keep fading, but it will not.” She ran her fingers along the pink, tender area, smiled a few times, […]
By: Jen Wainwright Driving to school the other morning, we passed a new shop opening in Old Town Saginaw. The owner is a youngin’ of about 22, good friends with my little brother, venturing into business in a unique, and somewhat lost trade – he is a cobbler (by definition: one who mends or makes […]