aVERY BRIGHT LIFE

"What's the deal with the cat?" In this episode I attempt to explain the origin of the aVERY bright life cat logo and discuss what our website is about. This should've been easy, but my insomniac brain had other ideas. Also, Avery fell off her bike on recording day. She broke her fall with her face, so she wasn't able to talk, hence her absence from this episode. She's fine though. She'll be back next week. :) 

Here's the link to the resource page mentioned in this episode: ABL Adaptive Resources

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This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited by Lisa 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 (formerly Forever In Mom Genes)

Twitter: @LisaThornbury

Questions or Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

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. 💜

Just because somebody has a medical degree or has been practicing medicine for decades, it doesn’t mean they know everything. It also doesn’t mean they understand your child. You know your child best. You instinctively know if there’s some thing off. Don’t ever dismiss that. In this episode I share a few examples of when medical professionals either didn't take our concerns about Avery seriously, or when they gave us horrible advice... that we disregarded, thankfully, and instead we trusted our gut!

Content Warning: I talk a bit about Avery’s seizures which could be upsetting for some people. Also,

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This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited by Lisa Thornbury.

Read more, check out pics, and find the transcript for this episode at averybrightlife.com.

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)

Twitter: @LisaThornbury

Questions or Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

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, get all techie and leave us an AUDIO message via the Anchor messaging button! We might even use your voice message in an upcoming episode!

I hope this episode doesn’t put you to sleep. Actually, I hope it does. Because this one's all about sleep. Or in my case, the disgusting lack of it. These are the reasons we don’t sleep, the reasons we need to sleep (sleep well and sleep enough) and strategies for making that happen.

We've been sleeping since we were babies and have had lots of practise so... why is this so hard???

When I don't sleep, I'm not a great parent or a very good human in general. I'm trying to get a handle on this because... EXHAUSTED.

Listen in and I'll share what is working and what is not.

PS Adult-ish content warning for the story at the end of this episode.

(For some reason Avery introduced this episode as Good Night, Tighty Whities. I don't know where she got that, but it made me laugh.)

Linky Links:

- Natural Sleep Aids and home Remedies that can help You Sleep better

- Experts warn of risks of taking melatonin to help you sleep 

- Possible side effects of tryptophan

- CanPrev Magnesium

- The Hardwick Life Podcast | Episode 3 - Andrew Huberman, PhD

- goodnightsleepsite.com

- COVID Re-Entry Anxiety and Its Affect on Our Sleep

- How Your Sleep Changes As You Age

- The Good Night Sleep Cleanse™

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This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited by Lisa Thornbury.

Read more, check out pics, and find the transcript for this episode at averybrightlife.com.

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)

Twitter: @LisaThornbury

Questions or Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

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, get all techie and leave us an AUDIO message via the Anchor messaging button! We might even use your voice message in an upcoming episode!

This episode is about friends. Not the 1990s TV show, but actual real life friends—making them and keeping them. It can be so difficult for kids with disabilities or who are different to fit in. Especially when they're faced with the "Bad Behaviour Bubble." 

Lisa shares a few examples of when Avery was ignored or teased in the playground and tells the story of a friendship that changed dramatically as Avery's former best friend enter the BBB (that's just me trying to start a trend by abbreviating the Bad Behaviour Bubble). She also reads the unexpected and beautiful message she received from Avery's former classmate. 

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This podcast was recorded in Garageband (sometimes in a blanket fort) and edited by Lisa Thornbury.

Read more, check out pics, and find the transcript for this episode at averybrightlife.com.

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)

Twitter: @LisaThornbury

Questions or Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

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, get all techie and leave us an AUDIO message via the Anchor messaging button! We might even use your voice message in an upcoming episode!

This is our 14th episode! That's right, for 14 weeks in a row we've been talking into a microphone and hoping you're listening. And it turns out, you are! And we couldn't be more thrilled. To celebrate Avery's "Champagne Episode" (the 14th broadcast in her 14th year) we decided to make this one ALL ABOUT AVERY—a sweet subject indeed. We put a call out on Instagram, asking for listeners to send in questions for Avery. We got some great ones! 

If you think answering questions on the fly, for a person with a speech and language disorder is difficult, you'd be correct. It's definitely not easy. But, have a listen to how Avery thoughtfully and enthusiastically approached each question. I'm so proud. 

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This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited (to the best of her limited tech ability...this episode was a disaster, technically speaking. The audio was a mess. I swear to god, this has to get easier at some point, right?!) by Lisa Thornbury.

Read more, check out some pics and find the transcript for this episode at averybrightlife.com

And please come chat with us on social! No seriously, c'mon over! We'd love to hear from you. 

Instagram: @LisaThornbury

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

Twitter: @LisaThornbury

Questions or Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

Anxiety, worry, stress... we're all feeling it. Especially now because... pandemic. Even the most Even Stevens and Chill Bills I know are feeling it. My husband, the chillest most zen dude I know, is feeling it. So, when he's stressed, I get all "Chicken Little" and start to catastrophize and fret until I wear myself right out.

This episode is about the anxiety we're feeling as adult humans, as parents, and in particular, parents who are caring for kiddos with complex medical and developmental needs. It's a stressful gig on a good day. Throw in a deadly virus and it's grind your teeth, clench your shoulders, knot your fists, sleep with one eye open level anxiety. 

Avery sat this episode out because this gal doesn't have a worry in the world. It's her mama who's the worry wart. 

Listen in for some strategies (that really work!) for coping with stress and getting the worry under control. 

Linky Links:

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This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited (to the best of her limited tech ability) by Lisa Thornbury.

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

Come chat with us on social!

Instagram: @LisaThornbury

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

Twitter: @LisaThornbury

Questions or Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

Making judgments about our environment and the people around us is normal. But, I feel like our level of judgment in this cancel culture, internet troll world, has crossed a line. Every day seems to be judgment day in the world as a whole, in the parenting world, and in the disability parenting community.

That’s the topic of this episode—this escalating judgey free-for-all. I offer my take on it, with two examples of when I've felt judged for my parenting. I wanted to call this episode, "Judgey Judgers and That Time Mummy Lost Her Pants" but Avery didn't approve. She named it, "Please Don't Judge." Fine. But my pants really did fall down. LOL! 

Transcript For This Episode

‘Guys’ is not gender-neutral—let’s stop using it like it is

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This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited (to the best of her limited tech ability) by Lisa Thornbury.

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

Come chat with us on social!

Instagram: @LisaThornbury

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

Twitter: @LisaThornbury

Questions or Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

My Twitter bio used to say, "I have two kids—one has special needs, but both are special." I wrote that before I knew to replace special needs with disabled and my bio has since been appropriately updated. However, there are a lot of special and endearing things about both of my children. In this episode, Sebastian joined his sister and I on the show to share a bit about his experience with having a sibling with disabilities. 

He had his second Covid shot this week and isn't feeling the greatest. So, we kept the chat short and rather "introductory." But don't worry...he'll back another time to go deeper into a few key topics. 

This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited (to the best of her limited tech ability) by Lisa Thornbury.

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

Come chat with us on social!

Instagram: @LisaThornbury

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

Twitter: @LisaThornbury

Questions or Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

Why "Pandemic Potpourri?" Well because it made me laugh. And alliteration, obviously. Plus, this episode is a bit of a mishmash. 

I talk to my daughter Avery about her experience with her first Covid Vaccine. And then I talk (to myself and the dog) about what it was like giving birth during a pandemic... my son was born in 2003, during the SARS pandemic. I also share a bit about Avery's birth story.

This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited (to the best of her limited tech ability) by Lisa Thornbury.

Read more at averybrightlife.com

Come chat with us on social!

Instagram: @LisaThornbury

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

Twitter: @LisaThornbury

Questions or Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

In this episode I’m tackling the uncomfortable subject of perverts, stranger danger and sexual predators, with a specific focus on a very vulnerable population—the disabled community. (Avery doesn't participate in this episode, but she'll be back next week.)

Protective Behaviours Program (Circles)

Factsheet: Women with Disabilities and Violence

Violent victimization of women with disabilities, 2014: Statistics Canada

Abuse of People with Disabilities; Disability Credit Canada

Violence against adults and children with disabilities: World Health Organization 

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This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited (to the best of her limited tech ability) by Lisa Thornbury.

Read more at averybrightlife.com.

Come chat with us on social!

Instagram: @LisaThornbury

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

Twitter: @LisaThornbury

Questions or Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]