Welcome to the Nickel Jar!

I wasn’t sure where to start, so I thought I thought I’d start by explaining this blog. So… I chose The Nickel Jar for the title of this blog because – dang! – if I had a nickel for every time someone told me some version of “Don’t compare your kids. He’ll catch up. Just wait and see,” I’d have a big ole jar full of nickels.

Hypothetical nickels aside, I decided that instead of coins, this jar could hold something better… stories. The messy, joyful, hard, and hilarious – and all the other beautifully chaotic stories of raising two boys.

I’m a (literal) soccer mom, a special needs advocate, and a firm believer that motherhood is both the hardest and most rewarding job I’ll ever have the blessing of holding.

My oldest, Aiden, came into the world kicking a soccer ball and wise well beyond his years — a social butterfly who’s never met a stranger. A kid who read chapter books before kindergarten, held full conversations with grown-ups by six, discussing statistics with anyone who would listen (mostly just sports stats he memorized from ESPN, but most people didn’t know that – it was his little party trick 😉), and has always chased excellence with his whole entire being.

My little guy, Eli, has taken the long-way-round to most places – a path marked by Autism, ADHD, dyslexia, borderline intellectual functioning, and more appointments, assessments, and acronyms than I ever knew (or cared to know) existed.

This blog is about both of them. It’s about the juxtaposition of brothers growing up side by side in completely different ways. It’s about the moments that absolutely broke me, the ones that rebuilt me, and the countless lessons I never expected to learn.

Most of all, The Nickel Jar is about community. Because every mom has her own jar – filled with the nickels of advice, the stories of waiting and wondering, and the nuggets of wisdom gathered along the way. My hope is that you’ll find pieces of your own story here, and maybe even drop a few “nickels”of your own into the coin jar.

So whether you’re here as a fellow parent walking a similar path, a teacher, a family member, or just someone who loves a good story – welcome.

Let’s fill this jar…together.

Susan