Something that being a special needs parent has taught me,  is to always appreciate the little things.  I embrace that lesson every single. If I didn't,  I'd go crazy or crazier..... Snuggles are so awesome for me.  It's one of the few times that I truly feel like a good parent and at peace with everything. I love snuggling Emmett and Elliott because it reminds me of when they were little and I would sing them to sleep while they snuggled on my chest. Those moments are among my most treasured memories.  :-)

Elliott and Emmett are so excited to have their own library cards.  Lizze took them to the today and they picked out a ton of books and had a great time. They wanted to show you all their new library cards.  They are so cute. 

I know that I sound like I'm beating a dead horse but this is an ongoing issue and we are trying to work through it. Gavin was so close to a clean slate tonight.  In the morning he would have earned his TV back and he could once again have regular breakfast etc.  However,  he was caught sneaking TV. When Lizze simply questioned him as to what he was doing,  he lost it. I was upstairs at the time,  getting ready to go walking.  Lizze somehow,  managed to get him upstairs and into his bedroom before I was able to intervene. She left him in his room freaking out and went to be with the boys downstairs. As she left the room and went downstairs,  Gavin began screaming "you're dead…

The best way to get my kids to eat healthy is to lead by example.  This is my dinner tonight. 1 Cup of frozen,  mixed berries 1 Cup of fresh strawberries 1 Banana 1/2 Cup of low fat yogurt (plain) 1/2 Cup Kashi granola/oatmeal 1/4 Cup Raisins I think this is pretty healthy.  The boys see me eating Fruits and want to do the same.  Leading by example is always the best way to teach your kids something important.  :-)

I want to express my pride in Emmett's both trying something new and discovering he actually likes it. Jiff has put out a new peanut butter.  It's actually chocolate hazelnut.  They were on sale for $1 each at Walmart.  I figured that if the kids liked it great,  if not,  it was only $1. Anyway, I made little sandwiches with graham crackers and the chocolate hazelnut peanut butter and Emmett loves it.  This is a victory because we can add a new food to his diet. How much did he like it?  Judge for yourself.

My kids are very picky eaters,  with the exception of Gavin.  Gavin used to be horribly picky but has really made progress over the years and is by far the easiest to feed. I have to give mad props to Gavin for that.  :-) Elliott and Emmett are a different story all together. They are extremely picky and getting them to eat fruits or veggies is quite often impossible. I have been doing something lately that has really helped.  I mentioned before about banana ice cream but I wanted to update you all as to how this is going. Basically,  I freeze bananas and strawberries,  blueberries etc. Then I take them and stick them into the blender and let'er rip. Frozen bananas taste like ice cream and when you add…

I hate this zero tolerance policy for touching.  It's a necessary evil but at the same time it's a huge pain in the ass. We have to do zero tolerance because Gavin simply doesn't respect a broader boundary. We've tried it for years and he always tries to take things,  just one step further. He was supposed to get his privileges back this morning,  and honestly,  I was excited about that. However,  not only did he touch Elliott this morning but he was also sneaking TV as well. The touching was not inappropriate,  aside from the fact that he's not supposed to be touching his friggin brothers. It was however,  totally avoidable but instead he choose to touch Elliott. Before that,  he came downstairs and wanted to help clean the…

Today's Friday Forum topic is once again, something I think is important to discuss. Respite care is something that so many of us desperately needs and so few of us actually get. I actually just posted about this and I discussed my concerns with respite and I have heard from a few of you expressing the very same concerns. I decided that this would warrant further discussion and a sharing of experience. While this Friday's topic is the main discussion for the week, please feel free to jump in on the previous discussions as well. The discussion will take place in the #Autism Help Forums. Registration is simple, fast and free. You will need to confirm your email before being allowed to actually post anything. Can’t be at your computer today?…