My name is Rowena Givens.  I live near Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with my family.  I am married to my husband (and best friend), Kirk, and have four wonderful, beautiful children: Caden Chance (10); Coriander Maureen (8) (we call her "Cori" for short); Cerise Danielle (6); and last (but never least!), Cooper Franklin (2 1/2).

I am a homemaker and home school instructor; my husband, meanwhile, works outside of the home, where he is a private contractor.  I have to be home with the children because two (Cerise and Caden) both have special needs.  Cooper has an autism spectrum disorder (not specifically identified), and Cerise has cerebral palsy, seizures, and is visually impaired.

Cooper is a bundle of kinetic energy: one never knows when his moods will change.  He is like a stick of dynamite; one has to be so careful around him, especially when introducing change or new experiences to him.  He has never handled change very well.  He can throw a temper tantrum that can last for hours and can quickly dismantle our house in mere moments.  We call him our mini tornado because he leaves a debris pile that can rival any huge tornado.

As for Cerise, she can walk a little, but not that well; she prefers using her wheelchair.  She doesn't see that well, so we are always scared that she will fall down or hurt herself.  She is shy and introverted; kids tend to tease her, so she doesn't have many friends.  It also doesn't help matters whenever she has a seizure; this is another reason why she is teased.

We try to be there for our daughter, but Cerise remains aloof and extremely shy.

It isn't easy for the two "healthy" kids.  Cori and Caden have to defend their younger brother and sister and often have to field or answer questions from curious onlookers who don't understand their needs.  They are two of the bravest, most courageous kids Elvis or I have ever met or had the pleasure of parenting.

We try to include Cooper and Cerise in everything we do; we don't want them to feel excluded.  We find this helps others to get to know our children as human beings who happen to have disabilities.  We also find that this helps them adjust to their special needs and are always happy to answer questions they may have.

Well, I hate to run, but Cooper is upset about something; he is screaming again and it's quickly giving me a headache.  I will run along; until later, take care; this is Rowena Givens signing off!  God bless!

~Rowena.  :)