#BPkids #tweetup Update

Hey Ragers!

Tomorrow’s the big day and I am so excited!

I will be hosting my very first Twitter Party on a topic near and dear to my heart; raising children with bipolar disorder.

I am proud to share with you these wonderful women who, like me, have been (and still are!) in the trenches. No one’s going to be preaching from a pedestal; we’re just real moms who know the reality of living this roller coaster life.

Hartley Steiner lives in the Seattle area with her husband and their three sons, two of which are on the Autism Spectrum, and in addition her oldest is Bipolar. Hartley is the award winning author of the SPD Children’s book This is Gabriel Making Sense of School, and is currently working on her second book due out Fall of 2011. Hartley chronicles the never ending chaos that is her life on the blog Hartley’s Life With 3 Boys and is the founder of the SPD Blogger Network.

Tracy (Dunham) Anglada was born and raised in southern Illinois. She graduated with honors from
Hillsboro High School. Her awards and recognition include: The Presidential Academic Fitness Award,
The National Science Olympiad Award, and induction into The National Honor Society. After high school,
she volunteered full time in a community service Bible educational work for three years. Later, Tracy
would study writing with the Institute of Children’s Literature. Her studies were halted with the birth of her
son. Ironically, it would be this child’s medical condition that prompted her to return to the field of literature.

Tracy currently resides in Florida with her husband and four children. She founded BPChildren in 2001 in
an effort to provide more resources for children who suffer with bipolar disorder. Tracy is the author of the
following books and booklets:

SWIVEL to Success – Bipolar Disorder in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Helping Students Succeed The Childhood Bipolar Disorder Answer Book (co-authored with Dr. Hakala) Intense Minds: Understanding Young People with Bipolar Disorder Brandon and the Bipolar Bear: A Story for Children With Bipolar Disorder Turbo Max: A Story for Siblings and Friends of Children With Bipolar Disorder The Student With Bipolar Disorder An Educator’s Guide I’ll Chart My Moods 31 Days

Chynna Laird is a writer and mother who is helping to raising awareness and understanding for SPD and bipolar disorder. She is also studying to obtain her B.A. in Psychology, specializing in Early Childhood Development.  She shares her story as the child of mother with untreated bipolar disorder.

As you all know my sweet girl, LeBella, has bipolar disorder. She was diagnosed right before kindergarten and we have been struggling ever since to find a treatment plan that works and lasts. It’s all trial and error.

We have good days and bad days. We have great days and horrible days.

Being home with her this past year has motivated and inspired me. I am back in school, working towards a degree in Psychology and I am learning to be a voice, an advocate for my daughter and families like ours everywhere. 

I would love for you all to join us on Twitter, tomorrow from 8-9pm eastern time, as we talk about our experiences, share resources, and answer questions.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Tracy, Hartley or Chynna’s books during the party please RSVP here or here.

I will also be giving away a copy of The Bipolar Child: The definitive and Reassuring Guide to Childhood’s Most Misunderstood Disorder by Demitri Papolos, M.D., and Janice Papolos to one reader who leaves a question here for our guests (chosen by Random.org).

The easiest way to following along is by using Tweetchat.

Remember to follow @mommylebron, @ParentingSPD, @BPChildrenBooks and @lilywolf.