From 1916 Room Service to the 2026 IEP Table 🍽️

I’m writing to you today from a very cluttered desk! Between final preparations for the Disability & the Church conference next week and a stack of tarnished silver waiting for the "Touch of Tartar" workshop, my hands (and my schedule) are quite full.

I have to share a quick "restoration win" with you. I’ve been researching a $5 estate sale find—a piece of hotel silver by Reed & Barton. It was so heavily tarnished that the logo was completely invisible, but I finally decoded it today: it dates all the way back to 1916! I can just imagine a room service cart rolling down the hall of a grand hotel to serve steaming stew in this very dish over a century ago.

There is something so rewarding about taking something that looks "finished" or forgotten and polishing it back to its original glory. It’s a lot like how we look at our children’s potential, isn’t it?

🎙️ This Week on the Podcast: Navigating the "Big" Transitions

While I’m deep in restoration work, I’m also thinking about the parents in our community who are facing a different kind of "new beginning."

This week is a solo episode dedicated to End-of-Year IEP Transitions. If your child is moving to middle school or high school next year, the steps you take right now will determine how smooth that first day in August will be.

​Listen to Episode #152: Preparing for the IEP Transition​

🎁 A Gift for You: The End-of-Year Transition Checklist

Transitions are stressful, but they don't have to be overwhelming. I’ve created a free End-of-Year IEP Transition Checklist to help you organize your thoughts, your documents, and your questions for the school team before the summer break begins.

​Download Your Free IEP Transition Checklist (PDF)​

Will I see you next week? ⛪

If you are attending the Disability & the Church conference, please stop by the Water Prairie table! I’ll be there with:

• The official launch of the Inclusion Lab Card Deck.
• New Spring designs in the Etsy Shop.
• Emily’s original watercolor card sets.

I’d love to meet you in person and hear about your advocacy journey. Until then, I’ll be back at my polishing cloth!

Have a great week!

Tonya