Rocky Parra
Wife to Brett, mom to BethAnne, Peyton, Walker and Matthew, retired CPA, career volunteer, avid sports fan, and adorer of old Catholic Churches. Rocky passionately advocates for her son, Matthew, and autism acceptance. In 2015, she began writing about her family’s experience with autism on Facebook. In 2020, she published her first book, "Embracing Mrs. Mommy – Learning from, Living with and Loving Someone with Autism." Always in the back of my mind is Luke 12:48, “to whom much is given, much is expected… ” You can find her on Instagram as @mrs__mommy.
As You Are: Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder
As I reflect on my son Matthew's upcoming 18th birthday, my mind floods with emotions and memories. Some of them are typical, just like the mother of any almost 18-year-old might experience, others not...
An Autism-Friendly Halloween
As soon as Halloween decorations hit our local Target and Wal-Mart shelves, my son Matthew begins planning his costume. For years, I looked forward to this time indulging his quirky costume choices and decorating...
Sometimes, Moms Get Sick
Somehow I escaped contracting COVID-19 over the past two years. I realize putting that fact out into the universe highly increases my odds of catching it soon, so I am knocking on wood, crossing...
What Autism Means to Me
Matthew's Story:
In December 2004, our youngest son, Matthew, was born after an uneventful pregnancy. In fact, he achieved typical developmental milestones until about fifteen-eighteen months of age. Then he began to regress, lost words...
Rediscover Reading on National Reading Day
"From an early age, books were my constant companions and my local library a place I could find a new friend on every shelf." --Sarah Jessica Parker
I cannot recall a time when I did...
The Best Laid Plans: Family Travel Edition
Successful travel for a family of six requires successful planning and a little bit of luck. Over the last twenty-something years, our family enjoyed some fantastic adventures primarily due to my husband, Brett's meticulous...
One Mom’s Perspective on College Football
I grew up a sports fan. My dad was a coach and I spent most of my formative years on some kind of sideline. I played basketball and ran track, but I loved watching...
The “Vanimal”
As a young mom, I swore I would NEVER drive a minivan.
Cool moms did not drive minivans. I wasn't a cool mom, never have been, but I felt like the minivan would seal my...
Are We Suffering from COVID Fatigue?
Disclaimer: This is NOT a discussion about post-COVID fatigue from a patient perspective. If that is what you are looking for, keep scrolling.
In case you spent the last eighteen months on a deserted island...
How I Fell in Love with Yellowstone and Other National Parks
No, not the Amazon Prime phenomenon, but Yellowstone National Park instead.
I feel like I should begin this with a disclaimer. No one would describe me as outdoorsy, my idea of "roughing it" means access...