Today Has Many Faces

Happy April Fool's Day! My favorite thing about April Fool's Day is the annual spoof news story on NPR. I haven't heard today's yet, but I can't wait! But here's a little something that's for real - it's Nancy napping with our new birdies!


Today is also the birthday of our dear friend Nic and was my Gramp's birthday. Happy Birthday!

And, today is Rabbit Day. What's Rabbit Day, you say? Well, as my Gran used to tell us, on the first day of every month, if you say, "rabbit, rabbit, rabbit" and then jump off the end of your bed when you wake up, you can make a wish and it will come true. Check out the link above for a different take on the superstition.

And if that weren't enough, today is also the first day of national Autism Awareness Month. To that end, each of my blog entries this month will highlight a different topic on autism that is of interest to our family. Today I'd like to recommend to everyone the wonderful and invaluable books of my dear friend, Ellen Notbohm.

Ellen and I met almost exactly a year ago at Soapstone, a writer's retreat for women near the Oregon coast. We became instant friends, and I am daily thankful for her presence in my life. Here we are on our last day at Soapstone, posing outside the wood shed.

Ellen's books about raising a child on the autism spectrum, written from a parent's perspective, are some of the best books out there on the subject, in my opinion. For those of you interested in better understanding the children in your lives with autism, I highly recommend reading Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew. And I also can't praise highly enough Ellen's new book of essays, The Autism Trail Guide: Postcards from the Road Less Traveled (and if y'all read the "Forward" at the end, you'll find a little something by yours truly). Ellen is one of the most amazing women and mothers I have ever met, and I hope you all get a chance to meet her someday.

Finally, here is Miss Imogen in all her spring cuteness, and Elliot having a blast with Joey and Pippin.




Now get out there and play a practical joke on someone! Tee hee!