Precerpt from Raising God's Rainbowmakers: Skipping Grades and Lizzie's Perception of Sarcasm
When Lizzie was offered the chance to skip first grade, I sought counsel from a professor of gifted and talented education. My concern wasn’t academics—it was social development. He reassured me, citing both research and experience, that if she was intellectually ready, she’d be socially resilient enough to manage the transition.
So, she skipped. And he was right.
The only social friction she encountered came from her classmates not quite understanding her academic passions. Still, they humored her—letting her lead them into scientific explorations that were far beyond the curriculum. Her delight at receiving a college-level genetics textbook for Christmas in fourth grade confirmed her oddness, but her enthusiasm for building a rocket launcher in the backyard was contagious. That is, until I shut it down. Maybe some mothers wouldn’t mind a backyard rocket launcher. I just wasn’t sure I wanted one in mine.
Years later, Lizzie had the opportunity to skip seventh grade. Again, she did—and again, no social fallout. Her closest friends were class officers, and no one seemed to notice the age gap. Well, almost no one.
A 19-year-old in her sophomore biology class—Lizzie was 12 at the time—confided, “You make me feel stupid. This is my second time taking this course, and you’re just a freshman breezing through it.” He didn’t know her actual age. If he had, he might have felt worse.
Her biology teacher, however, suspected something. At a parent-teacher conference, he pulled me aside.
“How old is your daughter?” he asked.
“Twelve,” I replied.
“I knew it!” he said, triumphant.
“Is she having any problems?” I asked.
“Not with biology,” he said. “But she doesn’t understand sarcasm—and that told me she had to be younger.”
Curious, I asked what had happened.
He explained that during a unit on neural tube defects, Lizzie kept correcting him. Finally, in exasperation, he tried to put her in her place: “Lizzie, do you want to teach this class?”
To his surprise, she said, “Sure,” walked to the front of the room, and turned to the class: “What do you want to know?”
He took her seat.
“She has a sibling with a neural tube defect,” he asserted.
I nodded. “Did she share that with you?”
“No,” he said. “She just knew too much—even I learned from her.”
A good teacher. And a good lesson. Some social skills do come with age. Understanding sarcasm is one of them.
Book Description:
A Family Memoir of Grace, Grit, and Growing Up Different
What happens when a military family welcomes four children—each with wildly different needs—into a world not always built to support them?
In Raising God’s Rainbow Makers, one mother shares the remarkable journey of raising two children with complex disabilities—one with spina bifida, one with CHARGE Syndrome—and two intellectually gifted children, all born in different states during years of military life. Through medical crises, educational challenges, and societal roadblocks (both intentional and unintentional), this honest and inspiring memoir tells the story of how one family built a life of strength, compassion, and resilience.
With warmth and unflinching honesty, the author reflects on emergency surgeries, IEP battles, unexpected victories, and the fierce sibling bonds that formed in the face of it all. The children—now grown—bear witness to the power of support, faith, and never giving up.
This is not just a story of survival. It is a celebration of difference, a chronicle of hope, and a powerful testament to what love and determination can build when the world says "impossible."
Keywords:
Parenting memoir; Special needs parenting; Raising children with disabilities; Military family life; Family resilience; Inspirational family story; Faith-based memoir; Coping with medical challenges; Sibling support stories; Gifted children; Spina bifida; CHARGE Syndrome; Hydrocephalus; Congenital disabilities; Complex medical needs; Pediatric neurosurgery; IEP and special education; Gifted education; Educational advocacy; Inclusive education; Hope and healing; Courage and strength; Love and perseverance; Raising different children; Disability acceptance; Parenting through adversity; Overcoming barriers; Finding joy in hardship; Special needs journey; Family unity and support; For parents of disabled children; For parents of gifted children; For educators and therapists; Christian parenting memoir; For families facing rare diagnoses; Real-life parenting stories; Memoirs about raising children; Stories of medical miracles
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