I live in Austin, TX  near Colorado Springs, CO with my husband and four sons. Three of them are adults now, on paper anyway. We have three spoiled dogs who are their own girl gang. One of our sons has Down syndrome and is known around town as the hype man.  He's got a big personality and  bigger heart. His twin brother is in college studying to be a speech and language pathologist. It was a huge adjustment for all of us this past year since he's the first to leave the nest, most especially for his twin brother who is mad about "stupid college" stealing his brother away. Right now he is all about his independence and knows pretty much everything. Our eldest son is attending college and thriving in their innovative inclusive program for students with various learning differences. He's got his own apartment and has matured a great deal and become a real live grown up during the course of the last year. He's got full time job doing something he loves and what could be better than that? Our"baby" is starting high school this month. He is all about his bike and rides it everywhere. He and his buddy have even started taking the train into Denver with their bikes to ride at the cool places up there. He's 14 going on 20 and on track to be the tallest of all the boys. 

     Life is never boring, on the contrary it's hard to keep up. I was a public school teacher in Houston during my 20's and remain a huge supporter of public schools. I've stayed active in public education one way or another my entire adult life. I've done a lot of advocacy over the last 20 years, most of it related to special education and educational civil rights for people with disabilities. Texas has always been home and I've probably driven along every highway, farm road and mail route in the state. Road trips are my favorite, especially the rare solo ones where I can make any roadside stop I want to without hearing any complaints, plus I don't have to compromise on the music selections. It's also when I do my best thinking.  There's something deeply therapeutic about cruising down backroads with the windows down and the wind in my hair. I do consider myself to be a legit "Texpert."  This is what makes it all the more surprising--and upsetting, that we have moved to another state for the sake of our children. It's something I never could have imagined would ever happen.