Precerpt from Raising God's Rainbow Makers: Shane and US History

 


Much of Shane's education came from home schooling. On the one hand, it was a way to cope that schools had already skipped him four grades and could just not keep up with him; skipping more grades seemed insane. At home, he could work at a suitable academic level and not worry about being in class with kids much older and desks too big. On the second hand, he could get a more thorough and insightful education than he could at school, for a number of reasons.

So, when Shane was ten and had completed 8th grade social studies at school and, for various reasons, including a recent move, found himself in homeschool once again, the next obvious was US History. But what textbook? Which viewpoint? Southerners and Northerners have differing understandings of Civil War history. American and Brits have different understandings of the War of Independence. And so on and so forth. 

Since Shane was a quick reader -- he could easily finish a textbook in a month, an obvious solution was multiple textbooks: one publisher in the South, one publisher in the North, and one published in the UK. Shane carefully studied each historical event as describes as "truth" in each of the textbooks. The "truths" did not always match. 

"Which one is right?" he would ask.

"I do not know; I was not alive then," I would respond for any pre-1960 event. "What do you think?"

Well, what he thought is that he could not belief any printed version of anything without further research. Now approaching 50, that conviction -- and approach -- remain.


Book Description:

Raising God's Rainbow Makers: 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

 



For more posts about Elizabeth and her books, click HERE. 

Read more stories -- and photos -- about the Mahlou family in the blog (no longer maintained), Clan of Mahlou.






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