I was wondering if any of you ever find yourself having to either raise your voice or actually yell at your autistic child? I realize that this may be a sensitive issue for some but I'll be the first to admit that I'm guilty of of both. Since Gavin's been gone and Elliott's been really struggling, I find myself having to raise my voice to him,  simply to get his attention.  Even worse, when he doesn't listen or flat out refuses to comply, I'm guilty of losing my cool and yelling at him just to get him to stop the whining and do what he's told.  I hate doing that and I'm trying really hard to find my reserve of patience but sometimes it just doesn't happen.  The reason I…

 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for XBOX 360

I just happened to have a little something that you might find enjoyable. It’s a FREE copy of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for XBOX 360.This is one of the best Role Playing Games ever made and received a rating of 9.5/10.

I personally love this game and have lost myself for dozens or hours exploring the enormous world of Skyrim. 

This prize is a digital download meaning you will not have a physical disc. You will have a choice of receiving the code needed to access the game from the XBOX Live Market or if you like instant gratification, I can simply email it to you. 🙂

Who likes to wait? Am I right?

Anyways, the game is rated “Mature” so it’s probably not something you will want to win for your small child. You can read the review in the above link to see why it’s rated the way it is.

This is a must have game for any gamer that’s into RPG’s.

Requirements for Downloading the game:

1) Your XBOX 360 MUST have access to an internet connection.

2) You will need at least 4GB of free space on your XBOX 360 Hard Drive.

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One of the most powerful weapons in a special needs parents arsenal is the brush.  When you are raising a child with sensory processing disorder, brushing your child's skin is a really good way to help calm them down and provide good sensory input.  It may seem silly but when you see how well it works, you'll be amazed.  Honestly,  I don't know if this works for everyone but I think it works more often than not.  When Emmett is really having a rough time, we can try to help him through it by brushing his skin.  Typically,  we use a baby hair brush but when your dog chews it up, you can use something similar.  Emmett likes to be brushed in a particular way.  Usually, he likes being given…

It's really friggin cold outside here.  Thank God we finally got the remote start fixed on the van yesterday.  It hasn't worked all winter and every time I was supposed to bring it in, something came up.  It took the guy 5 minutes to fix it and there was no charge for the repair.  Apparently, a relay was bad and he's seen a number of them going bad lately.  Anyway,  now we can remotely start the car again.  :-)

I wanted to share this, not only because it's friggin adorable but because it shows the unique bond that a child can have with a pet.  We've had Bella for about a year now and she was 8 yeeks old at the time.  For some reason,  Bella and Emmett bonded in a way that brought him out of his shell and into the world. I have no idea what has caused this bond to form,  but I'm certainly grateful that it has.  Emmett's made more progress in the last year,  since she's been at his side, then he has in previous years.  I'm not sure if Bella sensed something in Emmett but I know that Emmett sensed something in Bella.  As Emmett becomes more independent, they are as attached at…