I have been saying for a while now that we have to seize every opportunity to teach our kids the lessons that will help them to not only survive life but succeed in life. I refer to them as "Everyday Lessons". We have been dealing with some issues with the boys, namely Gavin and Elliott. They have been saving their money for a while and I thought it would be interesting to take them to the Dollar Tree and let them each spend $3.00 however they see fit. I explained that they have a $3.00 budget and because the Dollar Tree has everything for only a $1.00 I was able to explain to them that they can pick out 3 things each. Gavin actually did the best and choose his…

I thought I would update everyone as to how I'm doing. Last Wednesday I went to see my family doctor for a cholesterol follow up. The good news was that I managed to lower my LDL (bad cholesterol) by almost 40 pts. The bad news is that my HDL (good cholesterol) is WAY to low so I have to intensify my workouts a bit more. I also lost 10 lbs in 30 days. So that was kind of a shocker and it felt really good to hear that. Now for the honesty part. I had the uncomfortable conversation with my doctor about where I was mentally and emotionally. I felt that I was struggling and needed to get some help. I already talk to someone but that wasn't enough. I ask about being put back on anti-depressants…

Yesterday, Lizze's 2 year old netbook crapped out on her. The screen went bad and she was quite devastated at the thought of being without lifeline to the outside world. So I decided to tear it down and rebuild it. I figured it was already broken so what's the worst that could happen. Happily the repair was a success and she is once again up and running. It will need replaced come tax return but it was survive till then. - Lost and Tired Post by Wordpress for Android via Nexus S 4G with out the use of proper editing tools and auto-correct. Please Vote for Lost and Tired (just click the link) and help me spread Autism Awareness. Everyone can Vote once a day :)

I wanted to take a second and share a bit more insight into special needs parenting. One of these suckers Emmett will eat and the other he won't. Can you tell which one is which? - Lost and Tired Post by Wordpress for Android via Nexus S 4G with out the use of proper editing tools and auto-correct. Please Vote for Lost and Tired (just click the link) and help me spread Autism Awareness. Everyone can Vote once a day :)

I'm not sure I would call this hoarding but it's pretty close. I was cleaning out the registers today when I came upon this in Gavin's room. He has apparently been.....collecting....trinkets and trash for a while now. If you think that was the big surprise, you'd be sorely mistaken. The biggest surprise was discovering that Gavin had been using the register as a urinal. He says it has been a long time since he has peed in the register.....whatever that means.  I made him scrub it and then scrub it again.  We couldn't figure out where the smell had been coming from....now we know. The challenges never seem to end... Anyone see anything similar? - Lost and Tired Post by Wordpress for Android via Nexus S 4G with out the…

This is the triumphant return to my "Nope....No Aspergers here" posts.  In this picture, you will see what I found upon walking in to Gavin room this afternoon. Aspergers? I ha be no idea what you're talking about... ;-) - Lost and Tired Post by Wordpress for Android via Nexus S 4G with out the use of proper editing tools and auto-correct. Please Vote for Lost and Tired (just click the link) and help me spread Autism Awareness. Everyone can Vote once a day :)

I want to help people have a better understanding of what it's like to raise an Autistic child. Not every Autistic child is the same and not every Autistic child will meltdown the same way. However, for many of us, this is a reality we face every single day. Many times this happen several times though out the day. This can and will happen at home and in public. A lot of the time there is no rhyme or reason for these meltdowns but they will "usually" be tired to over-stimulation, stress or anxiety. My goal here is NOT to paint Autism in a negative light but instead be realistic and honest. These meltdowns are just one small piece of the puzzle that makes up an Autistic child. In this…

Emmett and I went to Home Depot this afternoon to get the replacement parts for the sink. I took Emmett cause he really wanted to go and I thought I could take advantage of the time together and teach him a few things. I always try to incorporate learning in our everyday activities. Even the little things can make the difference in the life and future of an ASD child. Well it turned out not to be to educational for him but it was a good time none-the-less. Emmett seems to have a taste for shopping....as long as he doesn't have to pay for anything himself. :-) Enjoy. Part 1 [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckHHx4oAN5A[/youtube]   Part 2 [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn-MpXY3yoU[/youtube]