If you have a child with developmental disabilities, you might want to check out cheerleading. This sport is active, accessible, inclusive, empowering, highly social, and a lot of fun.

In this episode we talk about our experience with cheer and Avery hops on to explain what she loves about this sport.

This episode was prerecorded and will air on the day Avery's team competes at the World Cheer Competition in Florida. Go Team Canada!!

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This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited by Lisa Thornbury (with assistance from Avery)

Read more and find the transcript for this episode at ⁠⁠⁠⁠averybrightlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.

And, come chat with us on social! No seriously, c'mon over! It's fun there.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@LisaThornbury⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠aVERY Bright life⁠⁠⁠⁠ (formerly Forever In Mom Genes)

Questions or Partnership Inquiries: averybrightlife@gmail.com

Have a comment, question, episode suggestion or just want to say hello? We’d love to hear from you! Message us old-timey style by commenting on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast page⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or show us your techie and leave an AUDIO message via the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Anchor messaging button⁠⁠⁠⁠! We might even use your voice message in an upcoming episode!

Thanks for listening. 💜

I'm feeling a little "meh" lately. Not happy, not sad. Just flat. Maybe you can relate?

***

This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited by Lisa Thornbury (with assistance from Avery)

Read more and find the transcript for this episode at ⁠⁠⁠averybrightlife.com⁠⁠⁠.

And, come chat with us on social! No seriously, c'mon over! It's fun there.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@LisaThornbury⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠aVERY Bright life⁠⁠⁠ (formerly Forever In Mom Genes)

Questions or Partnership Inquiries: averybrightlife@gmail.com

Have a comment, question, episode suggestion or just want to say hello? We’d love to hear from you! Message us old-timey style by commenting on our ⁠⁠⁠podcast page⁠⁠⁠. Or show us your techie and leave an AUDIO message via the ⁠⁠⁠Anchor messaging button⁠⁠⁠! We might even use your voice message in an upcoming episode!

Thanks for listening. 💜

I don't love talking about the dark stuff. But I feel like the more we know, the better prepared we are to protect our vulnerable kids.

*Content Warning—not for younger or sensitive listeners.

***

This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited by Lisa Thornbury (with assistance from Avery)

Read more and find the transcript for this episode at ⁠⁠averybrightlife.com⁠⁠.

And, come chat with us on social! No seriously, c'mon over! It's fun there.

Instagram: ⁠⁠@LisaThornbury⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠aVERY Bright life⁠⁠ (formerly Forever In Mom Genes)

Questions or Partnership Inquiries: averybrightlife@gmail.com

Have a comment, question, episode suggestion or just want to say hello? We’d love to hear from you! Message us old-timey style by commenting on our ⁠⁠podcast page⁠⁠. Or show us your techie and leave an AUDIO message via the ⁠⁠Anchor messaging button⁠⁠! We might even use your voice message in an upcoming episode!

Thanks for listening. 💜

We're reposting an old episode this week. Mama's got a sore throat and sounds like a toad, so Avery is helping out with the intro. Please enjoy this happy little episode from 2021.

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Hey! It's Sponge Lisa Tight Pants here. We spongey empath types tend to soak up the vibe around us so when the world is hurting, we hurt too. So, in an effort to avoid dwelling on the dark and heavy feelings, we're trying to highlight some of the bright, fluffy, happy, cute things that are all around us.

Based on the popular and positive TikTok trend where people are listing the little inconsequential things that people do that make them happy, this is our list.

We'd love to hear what little human (or animal) behaviours bring you joy.

Read: ⁠Sponge Lisa Tight Pants⁠

***

This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited by Lisa Thornbury (with assistance from Avery)

Read more and find the transcript for this episode at ⁠averybrightlife.com⁠.

And, come chat with us on social! No seriously, c'mon over! It's fun there.

Instagram: ⁠@LisaThornbury⁠

Facebook: ⁠aVERY Bright life⁠ (formerly Forever In Mom Genes)

Questions or Partnership Inquiries: averybrightlife@gmail.com

Have a comment, question, episode suggestion or just want to say hello? We’d love to hear from you! Message us old-timey style by commenting on our ⁠podcast page⁠. Or show us your techie and leave an AUDIO message via the ⁠Anchor messaging button⁠! We might even use your voice message in an upcoming episode!

Thanks for listening. 💜

Kelley wrote the book we've all needed! It's going to become a go-to handbook for so many parents. I wish there had been something like it when we were starting out on our disability parenting journey. I felt pretty alone and lost back then (and still feel that way from time to time, even now). This book is going to spare so many parents from that feeling.

I hope you'll have a listen to this longer than usual episode. We talk about the book, get to know more about Kelley (spoiler alert: she's awesome), and connect over our mutual love of tacos and to-do lists.

Visit Kelley here: kelleycoleman.com

Order her book here: amazon.ca

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This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited by Lisa Thornbury (with assistance from Avery Thornbury).

Read more and find the transcript for this episode at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠averybrightlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

And, come chat with us on social! No seriously, c'mon over! It's fun there.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@LisaThornbury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠aVERY Bright life⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@LisaThornbury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Questions or Partnership Inquiries: averybrightlife@gmail.com

Have a comment, question, episode suggestion or just want to say hello? We’d love to hear from you! Message us on Instagram or send us an email. Or, show off your techie prowess and leave an AUDIO message via the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify for Podcasters Message Button⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We might even use your voice message in an upcoming episode!

Thanks for listening. 💜

Phone conversations and video calls, especially for folks with communication disorders and developmental disabilities, can feel awkward and frustrating. We have some strategies that have really helped us over here, so we’re sharing them here.

Plus, Avery pops in to share a bit about herself while demonstrating how to use "magic words." FYI... She recorded this segment completely independently!

Get your FREE and fully editable Chat Chart here

****

This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited by Lisa Thornbury (with assistance from Avery Thornbury).

Read more and find the transcript for this episode at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠averybrightlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

And, come chat with us on social! No seriously, c'mon over! It's fun there.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@LisaThornbury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠aVERY Bright life⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@LisaThornbury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Questions or Partnership Inquiries: averybrightlife@gmail.com

Have a comment, question, episode suggestion or just want to say hello? We’d love to hear from you! Message us on Instagram or send us an email. Or, show off your techie prowess and leave an AUDIO message via the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify for Podcasters Message Button⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We might even use your voice message in an upcoming episode!

Thanks for listening. 💜

What is my problem? Why do your word choices affect me? And why does it bug me? I think I know and it doesn’t exactly paint me in the best light. But, I’m going to tell it like it is because maybe you feel the same way as I do. Or maybe you've seen me go off about certain terms and you think, “What a total Karen McJudgey Pants.” I don’t blame you. But maybe if you hear why I react like this, it’ll make sense? Let’s talk about it and see where we all land on this.

*Adult Language

Mentioned in this episode:

I've Had It Podcast: Jan 4/24 (And agreed! "Brekkie" is the worst!)

ABL Episode 2-Not Special

ABL Episode 69-New (to us) Disability Language

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This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited by Lisa Thornbury (with assistance from Avery Thornbury).

Read more and find the transcript for this episode at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠averybrightlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

And, come chat with us on social! No seriously, c'mon over! It's fun there.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@LisaThornbury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠aVERY Bright life⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@LisaThornbury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Questions or Partnership Inquiries: averybrightlife@gmail.com

Have a comment, question, episode suggestion or just want to say hello? We’d love to hear from you! Message us on Instagram or send us an email. Or, show off your techie prowess and leave an AUDIO message via the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify for Podcasters Message Button⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We might even use your voice message in an upcoming episode!

Thanks for listening. 💜

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Keywords for searchiness: disability, disabled kids, developmental disabilities, intellectual disability, parenting, neurodivergent, special needs, epilepsy, seizures, hypotonia, chromosome disorder, speech delay, end ableism, disability family, parenting podcast, mother daughter podcast, kid podcaster, disability podcast, special needs podcast

Have you ever felt, not fake exactly, but maybe a little extra? I've felt like this about epilepsy over the years. But I'm not an imposter, especially after what happened last week.

This episode isn't particularly "sweary" but I still put an explicit rating on it because I talk about seizures, which can be upsetting for younger listeners (and 53 year old moms).

****

This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited by Lisa Thornbury (with assistance from Avery Thornbury).

Read more and find the transcript for this episode at ⁠⁠⁠⁠averybrightlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.

And, come chat with us on social! No seriously, c'mon over! It's fun there.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@LisaThornbury⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠aVERY Bright life⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@LisaThornbury⁠⁠⁠⁠

Questions or Partnership Inquiries: averybrightlife@gmail.com

Have a comment, question, episode suggestion or just want to say hello? We’d love to hear from you! Message us on Instagram or send us an email. Or, show off your techie prowess and leave an AUDIO message via the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify for Podcasters Message Button⁠⁠⁠⁠. We might even use your voice message in an upcoming episode!

Thanks for listening. 💜

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Keywords for searchiness: disability, disabled kids, developmental disabilities, intellectual disability, parenting, neurodivergent, special needs, epilepsy, seizures, hypotonia, chromosome disorder, speech delay, end ableism, disability family, parenting podcast, mother daughter podcast, kid podcaster, disability podcast, special needs podcast