For some reason,  Emmett has been getting up at like 4:30 am and not going back to bed. Not sure what's going on but this is not going to work.  I'm typing this so I can stay awake long enough for him to hopefully go back to sleep.  :-( **Thanks for reading**        -Lost and Tired Please join our Community Autism Support Forum Posted from WordPress for Android so please forgive the typos. Auto-correct and I don't get along very well.

Elliott and Gavin are at their grandparents house until tomorrow. Emmett,  while still a handful,  is a bit more manageable when he's alone. Emmett is in the middle, or rather the beginning of a flare up so he is a real pleasure to be around. Right now,  all the boys together is a really bad combination.  Emmett has become a bully and focuses his energy on Elliott.  It doesn't take a lot to send Elliott into an emotional spiral. Emmett can be such a sweet little boy but he can also be a helluva little tyrant,  especially when he's not feeling well. Anyway,  with a break in the constant drama, we were able to get some things done today that have been on the to-do list for way to long.…

At age 3 and approaching age 4, Emmett still doesn't tolerate clothes most of the time.  OT has been working hard to help with this and we have seen some improvement.  For example,  shoes and socks aren't as difficult for him anymore.  He'll take them off the second he gets the chance but he tolerates them much better now. Clothes on the other hand are a different story. He has started wearing pajamas more often and that's a rather big accomplishment.  You may not even recognize him in the picture below because he's actually wearing pants.  He's wearing pants and some hat thingy that Elliott made at school.  While some people may think,  whoopy he's wearing pants,  big deal.  Well,  it's a pretty freaking big deal,  because he never wears…

Sweet merciful Mary are my kids loud. We have had their hearing tested and that's not the problem.  I guess it's like a regulatory thing. I'm constantly saying,  "inside voices please".  It doesn't seem to make any lasting impression.  Right now,  Emmett is probably the loudest,  followed by Elliott in second and Gavin a close third. Emmett will stand right in front of you and screaming what he's trying to say. I'll literally be 2 or 3 feet away when he does this. It's not like we don't respond to them when they talk.  Sometimes why they need to speak in such a loud manner is a bit of a mystery.  Having said that,  it's a mystery that I need to solve because all the noise is driving me a…

As I'm sure you can imagine,  Lizze and I don't get out much. What I mean by that is we don't get out by ourselves very often. It's tough not to be able to spend some alone time with your spouse or partner because you're always wrapped up in the kids. Last year we had decided that even if we can't get away,  at least we can dedicate some time to each other,  at least every once in awhile. More often than not,  these plans fall through for one reason or another. However,  tonight Lizze and I hung out and had some ice cream and watched our new obsession on Netflix. Last year,  Lizze and I watched the entire series of Lost. We don't have cable or anything so we…

I have no idea what is going on with my kids but they are literally bouncing off the walls.  Sometimes when people say that they are speaking figuratively. However,  when I say that tonight I assure you,  I'm speaking literally.  They are running around,  jumping and screaming and have been doing this since they got home from school. I'm not sure if there's a full moon tonight or if they just know I not in the best place to deal with the chaos but they are driving me all kinds of crazy and are exceptionally good at it. My kids are the go big or go home type.  So I think I'm in trouble....... **Thanks for reading**        -Lost and Tired Please join our Community Autism Support Forum…

The title of this post may sound a bit strange but let me explain. I have shared many time that I try to incorporate beneficial life lessons in otherwise routine things.  I call them Everyday Lessons.  Today I want to share something about Autism and Water Jugs. You might be asking yourself,  what in the heck does Autism and Water Jugs have to do with anything. Well,  there are quite a few lessons that can be taught using those water jugs. Every two weeks or so,  we make our way to the water store and fill up our three,  five gallon water jugs. We have one of those water coolers in our kitchen so the boys always have access for fresh water. I often take Gavin with me to fill…

Emmett is in a full on flare up.  He was running a fever this morning and the tiny cold sores from a few days ago are now giant. Understandably,  he is in a horrible mood.  Lizze isn't feeling much better herself and is dealing with a migraine from hell. During these times with Emmett,  we are lucky if we can get him to anything so we pretty much get him whatever he's willing to eat.  This afternoon,  for lunch,  it was hot dogs. I mentioned before how picky Emmett has become. We have to peel the skin off the hot dogs or he won't touch it. So I peeled the skin off and cut the rest of the hot dog up for him to eat.  Apparently,  Mommy does a better…