Claire M. Caterer

Those few moments, days, and weeks after receiving a special-needs diagnosis are among the most bewildering in a parent’s life. In this month’s Kansas City Parent, I explore options available to those whose children are diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Now that my manuscript has been edited and is heading for production, I can officially announce the impending publication of The Key & the Flame, which was signed by the very talented and wonderful Ruta Rimas of Margaret K. McElderry Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster). Esteemed agent Chris Richman of Upstart Crow Literary Agency made the deal (and suggested much-needed edits before sending the manuscript out). His listing in Publisher’s Marketplace described the book this way:

Whisked to a world where magic has been outlawed, three children must wield magic wands, joust against royal knights, and determine who to trust if they hope to make it home.

In other words, there’s magic, adventure, strange creatures, odd adults, quirky kids, and plenty of old-fashioned girl power. This fantasy for ages 9 and up is due to be published in spring 2013. For more news, and a blog/site still in progress, visit www.cmcaterer.com.

When a family has one or more children with disabilities, it’s tough to ensure that everyone gets equal treatment. In fact, say experts bluntly, everyone won’t get equal treatment. A child with special needs will always dictate where and how the family spends its time, at least to some degree. But that doesn’t mean that the “other” kids in the family don’t merit consideration. In this month’s Kansas City Parent, I examine some ways to help families tend to the siblings of their “special” children–and help them feel special, too.

A foster parent has one of the toughest jobs around: She has to provide a loving, calm environment to a child who has been taken from a chaotic home; and then, she has to be ready to give that child up just as cheerfully. How do you form a bond and then let it go? I let these amazing foster moms speak for themselves in my Kansas City Parent article this month. Their stories will touch your heart–and maybe show you how you too can give back to a troubled child.

If you’ve ever spent time in Italy, it’s likely that you (a) never wanted to leave and (b) wished you could take some of it home with you. At least, that’s how it was for me. Sadly, it’s been ten years since I came home, dreamy-eyed, from my last trip to the boot, but thanks to Mary Lies of Mercato Antiques, I can at least have a little piece of Italy to look at every day. Read my article in the fall 2011 issue of Shawnee Magazine about Mary’s amazing antiques shop in De Soto, one of the very few places in the country to find exclusively Italian wonders.

Powell Gardens, Kansas City’s very own more or less local botanical gardens, makes a great day trip anytime of year. But this summer, the dinos descended, along with the butterflies–and that makes it even better. Have a read in this month’s Leawood Lifestyle magazine.

Leavenworth, Kansas, is more than just the onetime home of Al Capone and the Birdman of Alcatraz. I was honored to tour its vibrant downtown and write it up for this month’s issue of  Johnson County Lifestyle magazine. Read the travelogue here.

If you think chiropractors are all about cracking your back, you haven’t met Dr. Michelle Robin, a local practitioner here in Shawnee who puts a whole team to work for her patients. She’ll adjust your spine, sure, but she’s also going to look for the root of the problem in mental and spiritual issues as well as full body health. Read all about her and her new book, Wellness on a Shoestring, in the current edition of Shawnee Magazine.

If you, like most of us, suffered through what seemed to be the endless winter of 2010-11, you’ll be embracing spring as enthusiastically as I am. To really get your spring on, I advise a trip to the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, which is ablaze with spring bulbs and flowering trees this time of year. Read more about the arboretum in my article featured in this month’s Johnson County Lifestyle magazine.