Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Greenbelt mom, Gretchen Schock, says "There isn't an easy way to do it, but they have to hear it from you."
During a recent mammogram, the technician unexpectedly discovered a mass in my left breast. After the appropriate number of images were taken, I was moved into another room to have an ultrasound performed. I couldn’t see the screen, but the technician had a permanent furrow in her brow as she swiped the wand back and forth over the same area on my breast. She stopped only to type something on the machine, and then she put the wand back to that exact spot. My heart began to race, and I was told the radiologist will speak to me in a few minutes. The kind eyes of the radiologist and her directness about the mass put me at ease, and she assured me that at my age it’s most likely a benign fibroadenoma and just to be sure they would like to get …
Monday, May 21, 2012
Greenbelt mom, Gretchen Schock, says "There isn't an easy way to do it, but they have to hear it from you."
During a recent mammogram, the technician unexpectedly discovered a mass in my left breast. After the appropriate number of images were taken, I was moved into another room to have an ultrasound performed. I couldn’t see the screen, but the technician had a permanent furrow in her brow as she swiped the wand back and forth over the same area on my breast. She stopped only to type something on the machine, and then she put the wand back to that exact spot. My heart began to race, and I was told the radiologist will speak to me in a few minutes. The kind eyes of the radiologist and her directness about the mass put me at ease, and she assured me that at my age it’s most likely a benign fibroadenoma and just to be sure they would like to get …
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Greenbelt mom, Gretchen Schock, talks about April—Autism Awareness Month—being the time to learn more about the disorder.
I am a huge advocate for both my children; my oldest is on the Autism Spectrum. I believe many people are scared of the diagnosis. I was in the beginning as well. Though I also was searching for answers. Why won’t my son talk to me like the other children his age? Why does he sit and stare off into space for long amounts of time? When my oldest son, L, was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum it was because I was determined to have someone help me learn how to parent my child. The diagnosis gave me the ability to understand Autism and it opened a window into my child’s mind. One day a parent confided in me that her child was recently diagnosed being on the Autism Spectrum. I told her to treat the diagnosis the same way you would if your doctor…
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Greenbelt mom Gretchen Schock says - a best friend for a child on the Autism Spectrum is a gift like no other.
When I rounded the corner on my walk to school to pick up the kids, I saw L sitting next to his best friend B. When they saw me approach, both boys came running up. “Can B come over to play today? Please!!” L asked. “Sure, we need to ask B’s mom or dad first though,” I replied. B quickly interjected: “We already did—He said 'Yes.' He’s over there.” And off all three boys went, running down the sidewalk to our house. My youngest son, Z, tried unsuccessfully to be a part of their pack. Although he plays well with older kids, it’s not the same with L and B. L is on the Autism Spectrum and his friend also has some speech delays. The two of them speak their own language and live in a world together, and it’s hard for other kids to be a part of …
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Our Greenbelt mom columnist says society accepts many forms of habits and mannerisms. She asks why can't society accept that her child recites movie lines to calm himself down.
I pull into the pick-up lane at the school, scanning the running children for my two sons. I see my youngest, Z, playing tag with some other kids in his class, laughing and yelling the children’s names as he runs away from the child who is deemed “it.” My oldest son, L, who is on the Autism Spectrum, is sitting alone eating his snack, staring off into the distance, as if the children running and laughing aren’t within mere feet of him. He never turns to look at them or watch their game. He sits and stares. This veteran-special-needs-mama knows what this behavior means … He didn’t have a good day. Something must have happened out of the ordinary. Did he have a substitute teacher, an assembly? The smallest detail in his routine shifting or …
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Our Greenbelt mom columnist says standing in line at the grocery store was not where she expected to receive the best advice about her divorce.
I was standing in line waiting to pay at the grocery store, lost in thought as I often was during this time. I clearly had a dissatisfied look on my face. The cashier gave me a smile and said, “Oh come on, it can’t be that bad.” “I’m getting a divorce,” I replied flatly. Everything seemed to stop. I couldn’t hear the beeping of items being checked out, the music playing over the speaker system was suddenly quiet. The words left my lips before I had a chance to realize what I was saying. I hadn’t really admitted it to myself yet, but I knew in my heart my marriage was over, and here I was in the grocery store trying the sentence out for myself. “I’m getting a divorce.” How did it sound being spoken out loud? Would it hurt less the more I …
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Mom and daughter bond over book reading.
Many of my columns are written about the triumphs and challenges I face being a mom. But it's comforting to know that I’m always in good company. Some time ago, my own mom was a new mom enjoying a baby of her own—me. Well, at least she says she enjoyed it. I'm an only child and I'm close with both of my parents. We talk about raising kids a lot now that I have entered the prestigious parenting club. But sometimes, it's fun to step outside the box and do grown-up things together. My mom and I had just the opportunity. She came into town for a special visit that included a night out on the town—just me, her and a few of my friends. We went to the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue to hear Diane Keaton speak about her new book, Then Again. Keaton …
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
One word can mean so many things, and this Labor Day drove that point home.
"Mommy, what does 'labor' mean?" Certainly, to any woman who has huffed and puffed through delivering a baby, this word carries much weight. At this time of year, though, I know that the question coming from my five year old daughter has nothing to do with childbirth. Living in Greenbelt, Labor Day really only means one thing to my children—the festival. I feel a responsibility to fill her in on the real meaning behind Labor Day, lest she grow up to never add anything to her current association of the holiday with carnival fare and spinny rides. Ironically enough, with my recent return to full-time work, my younger children are being exposed to life with two working parents for the first time. While they won't be privvy to the positive …
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Big changes this week mean saying goodbye to a part of life I never thought I'd experience.
All through middle and high school, I earned good money as a babysitter for families in my small town. This was followed by summer stints working in a light production factory and a pool store. I learned that while sitting at a riveting machine for 9.5 hours a day can bring me to the edge of an emotional breakdown, I'm actually quite good at customer service. Tutoring, babysitting, and center-based child care all provided spend money during college, perfect for catching a movie on the nights when I wasn't on duty as a resident assistant, another job that completely covered my college board fees. After graduation, my career in early childhood education began, only broken up by a few months in an office job. Here I once again learned …
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
When the cats are away, the mouse will organize.
My whole family went to Virginia for the weekend, and all I got was an amazingly clean and organized home! Yup, my wonderful husband spent two days with the kids at his parents house, while I got an entire weekend free of any child-related responsibilities. No family meal preps. No nap time enforcement. No running interference between bickering siblings. And it was good. While it would have been absolutely lovely to have spent my 48 hours of single life engaged in luxuries like spa appointments or bubble baths, the truth of the matter was that the family was away specifically so that I could do what I love best: get things in order. Friday morning brought the delivery of our very first matching bedroom set, after a mere thirteen years of …
Rebecca
1:59 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Gretchen, Wishing all the best for you and your lovely family! Hopefully those 24 days go by quickly and looking forward to big hugs after your speedy recovery! Rebecca more ›