My Top 10 Blog Posts of 2012

There are a few days left of 2012. It's been quite a year. I've had some pretty spectacular moments. And I've had some not so spectacular moments. But I don't want to focus on the negative. So I thought I'd share AutismWonderland's Best of 2012.

Most Popular Posts

• Mother's Day in The Bronx:This is the most viewed post of 2012 and it was part of  the Sundays in my City meme by  The Unknown Mami.
• 10 Awesome Things About An Autism Mom: I really loved writing this list - it helps others understand just how much we do and it reminds me of how much I do. As a mom, I always tell The Boy how awesome he is. Every once in a while, I need to tell myself that I'm kind of awesome too.    
• I do not speak Spanish and apparently that makes me an embarrassment to my culture.  During BlogHer, I had a run in with a fairly popular Blogger. When I told her I didn't know how to speak Spanish, she replied that I was an embarrassment to my culture. At the time I wrote this, I was still feeling hurt and I wasn't sure who people would react to this post. I was pleasantly surprised with all the support. In addition to it being in one of my most popular posts of the year, it's also the one with the most comments.

My Favorite Posts

• Do I Have The Right To Blog About My Special Needs Kid: A few weeks ago, someone asked me if my son knows I blog about him. I've often wondered if I have a right to blog about our lives. I know not everyone chooses to share their lives so publicly. Hopefully this post will help you understand why I do.
• A Walk In My Shoes: One of the toughest things I've written about is dealing with loss. I started this blog, shortly after having a miscarriage. It was one of the darkest moments of my life and it's a loss I still mourn. And there are two times of the year when dealing with my loss is especially difficult. The first week of August is one of those times.
• How I Do It: If you've read this blog before, you know that I work full time and I go to graduate school part time, I am raising a son with autism and I write about our lives here. People often ask me how I do it. As if I have words of wisdom to offer. I really don't. So if you're wondering how I do it - this is the post you should read.

My Favorite/Most Popular Posts on Parents.com To The Max  

• No Need To Be Sorry and Other Things You Shouldn't Say To An Autism Parents: This post sparked some controversy - especially the photo on the Parents.com FB page - you can see the photo HERE. Parents of kids with autism understand why the words "I'm sorry" hurt, parents of kids without autism don't. This is definitely something I will revisit in 2013.   
• An Open Letter to Celebrities on Twitter Who Use the R-Word: Having a child with special needs has made me really sensitive to the r-word. It's not a word that I use and I wrote this in response to a 'celebrity journalist.'
• He Doesn't Look Autistic and Other Autism Misconceptions: Part of the reason why I write is to dispel myths about raising a child with autism. While there is a great deal of awareness about autism, there are still so many who do not know what it is. 
• 5 Things You Don't Know About an Autism Parent: If you've never had the pleasure of meeting an autism parent before, be sure to check out this post.  

2012 has been my best blog year, looking back I cannot believe how much has happened. In the spring of 2012, AutismWonderland was ranked #10 on the Babble 2012 Top 30 Autism Blogs for Parents. By the summer I started writing for Parents.com on Ellen's To The Max blog. In the fall I was nominated for a Yahoo Women Who Shine award. At the 2012 LATISM National Conference, I was given the award for Best Latin@ Health Blogger.  And this winter, I joined forces with an amazing group of women to start the Latinas for Latino Literature campaign.

I am extremely grateful for every opportunity and thankful for all of your support.

I have no idea what 2013 has in store but I cannot wait!