Last night sucked but I feel pretty good today

I slept well last night, and while I got off to a late start, I went walking before 9 AM. I wanted to get this done before the dangerously hot weather kicked in. Self-care is so important for a caregiver to focus on, and I want to not only be there for my family, but I also want to be a good example to my readers as well. In other news, it's Lizze's birthday today. She's not feeling well but is in an excellent mood, and that's awesome. ☺ Last night we had her special dinner because she was feeling good and we wanted her to be able to enjoy her birthday dinner. Tonight, it's going to be cake and ice cream. We're still working on the birthday present front…

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His explosive temper is a major problem

We're becoming more and more concerned about Gavin's explosive temper. It doesn't take much to light his very, very short fuse. The end result is loud, aggressive, and violent. He had another blowout at therapy tonight, and it took considerable effort to get him calmed down. We spent some time listening to Gavin, tell us about his missions. It was confusing and difficult to follow. Afterward is when the trouble began. Essentially what happened was that everyone was joking around. Lizze and I were talking with Dr. Pattie, while the kids were playing. There was a disagreement over what they were going to play, and Gavin lost it. Emmett was upset because Gavin didn't want to play monkey in the middle like they have been recent. He made up a…

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One on one time with my kids is always a priority

This morning I was able to convince Emmett to go walking with me. It's really nice to be able to do that because it's quality time, without the distractions of everything going on at home. I like to get as much one on one time with my kids as possible. I think it's really important. Emmett and I went one lap around the track, and he did great. He has so much energy and can be difficult to contain, but it was fun. I was able to show him the new ducks, and he got to visit his old friend, the lonely duck. I know my walk was shorter today but I gained way more than I lost. 😊❤

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I’m hoping Emmett will go with me

We're supposed to get hit with major weather today and then the heat index is supposed to be very dangerous the rest of the week. At the moment, things are pretty comfortable, and I'm going to try sneaking in my morning walk before the weather hits. The boys have therapy again tonight, but that's pretty much the extent of scheduled activity for the day. I'm hoping to get some things done today and be able to check them off my ever-growing list of stuff I need to get done. I might try and get Emmett to walk with me. It'll do him some good and it'll nice to hang out.

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He gets very angry and looks for something to hit

I wanted to briefly talk about therapy tonight because we spent it trying to address some problems we are experiencing with Gavin. We spent time talking with Elliott first, but then an issue arose with Gavin that sorta derailed things. Gavin is an amazing young man, who's come a very long way over the years. Unfortunately, Gavin also has a temper and very little ability to manage it. Roughly 80% of the time that Gavin makes a mistake or needs to be corrected, he loses his temper. This is usually because he can't accept ever making a mistake. When this happens, he gets very, very angry and will look for something to hit. Usually, that something is himself. He punches himself in the face or hits his legs. He also…

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The stress is unbearable

We're waist-deep in teenage and special needs growing pains. One of the more typical problems right now is that our house is way too small. No one besides Gavin really has their own space. Lizze and I do okay, but Elliott and Emmett are very much struggling right now. Elliott needs his space and Emmett isn't adjusting to the change. Wars are waged on the daily, and it's just getting worse. Their room is way too small for them, and the only actual personal space they have is their beds, and that's only if the boundaries are respected. Elliott and Emmett need their own space, and in our current situation, they just don't have it. Emmett needs the light on at night, and Elliott needs it off. Portable lighting doesn't…

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Quick update

I feel like I slept pretty well last night. I'm really trying to focus on sleep quality and I'm currently reviewing the OOLER by Chili Technology. Stay tuned for that. I was up at 6:30 AM to go walking, and it's the perfect time to do so. It's cool and not very crowded. Plus I'm done with it before everyone is even awake and anything I do above or beyond that is just a bonus. Lizze had an appointment this morning, and I'm taking my Mom to physical therapy around noon. I want to get the boys room under control today, and that's going to take a shitload of patience because it's pretty bad. I'm not looking for perfection but rather progress. I want to make progress today. The only…

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This might be something only another #Autism parent can truly appreciate

After my walk this morning, I had to take Gavin to get his blood work done. He needs this weekly due to one of his medications. Frequent blood work has been required for many, many years. When Gavin was much younger, his blood draws were an absolute nightmare. It was so bad that it had to be planned ahead of time, and extra staff needed to be on hand. At times, it took upwards of six to eight people to safely and successfully draw his blood. Gavin's always been very strong. No one could believe how violent and aggressive he could get until they witnessed it first hand. Gavin was a very small, unassuming kid but packed a wallop. Anyway, he's come a long way over the years. I now…

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