Red Lights: A Record of Life's Defining Moments: Universal Design for Learning

About the Title "Red Lights"

So many times in this journey of life, I have been frustrated as the light has turned red and I've been forced to stop and wait. As time has gone on, I've come to realize that it is the time spent waiting at these lights that makes up the very essence of what life is supposed to be about!

Mikey had just had his first birthday and we were on our way to Kindermusik class in the car. It had been a busy day with me at work and him at his dayhome all day. We had shared a quick supper and then gotten in the car to drive to his class. When we hit a red light, I turned to check that he was doing okay in his car seat and his face instantly lit up and his little fingers came together to make the motion used when the spider climbs up the spout in the "Itsy-Bitsy Spider". I took his cue and began singing and acting out the song with him and was all too soon interupted by the driver behind me honking his horn to get me to respond to the light that had turned green. As I began pulling forward I had a flashback to a time before Mikey when a red light would have frustrated me simply because of the "wasted time" that took place while trying to get somewhere. The moment and thoughts became frozen in my heart and soul and mind as I knew there was a lesson much larger in it all then just what was on the surface. And so it began...

I am Monica, single adoptive mommy to 10 year old Mikey who happens to have trisomy 21 (aka Down syndrome). I am currently hoping to add one more to our family through adoption sometime in the next little while (fingers crossed). I teach in a self-contained special education classroom in a small city in southern Alberta. Life is busy, full and wonderful! I have a dream to someday be a published author. One of the books that I would like to publish is a book of the lessons I've learned since I've become a mother. My blog "Red Lights" is meant to be a place for me to begin to organize the thoughts that I would like to someday put in this book as well as a place for me to just post about my day to day life!

I welcome your comments and/or responses to any of the things that I've written. Feel free to use the comment links that follow each of my posts. I would love to know who is all lurking out there!

View my About Me Page!

100 Things About Me
A "me-me" that at first seemed easy but gets to be quite the task as you work on it!
My Vision for Mikey
A statement of what I dream for Mikey as well as a promise to him to help him to achieve his dreams!
Our Adoption Story
The story of how we became a family!