It's been a really long day. I was up with a sick Emmett last night and now I'm up with a sick Elliott tonight. I promise I'll get some writing done soon but until then, I thought I would at least share some pictures from our day. These pictures span across most of the day and aside from Elliott being sick, everything was positive. I'll work on getting caught up after I get some sleep.
The boys are off of school for the next four days. There's teachers conferences on Friday, and of course, Monday's a holiday. I'm not entirely sure what we're going to do with all this extra family time but we'll figure something out. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a part of me a little worried about how this is gonna go because we're not off to a good start... A few minutes ago, Mr. Emmett came walking into our room, scared the shit out of me and proceeded to attach himself to my person because he wasn't feeling good. He's miserable and so we moved to the living room. Doing this provides him with some comfort, as well as the best chance of sleep.. ☺ Four days of…
My wife and I face many challenges in our life. At the moment, one of those challenges centers around our youngest, Emmett. Emmett is eight years old and absolutely loves going to school. He loves learning and excels academically. Unfortunately, Emmett faces challenges that interfere with his ability to attend school sometimes. Between Autism, Anxiety, Sensory Processing issues and a rare fever disorder called PFAPA, we never know of what's going to happen. The sensory issues alone are more than a handful at times. Sensory issues impact people in different ways, and in Emmett's case, eating and wearing clothes present a multitude of challenges. The one that will keep him home from school the most often has to do with not tolerating anything on his feet. The other most common…
While it may seem boring at times, I feel sharing how our day has gone is important because it shows how different things can go on different days. Today turned out to be a pretty awesome day for everyone. The boys got to school on time and immediately after, Gavin and I braved the weather and went for a 1.6 mile walk. It was cold but worth it. He wants to do this once or twice a week and I think that's great. Lizze rested for the first part of the day (while the boys were in school) and was up and moving before they got home. Tonight was a little special because I thought it would be nice to have a movie night. I took Elliott and Emmett to…
As an Autism parent for almost sixteen years, I can say that it's a stressful job. I've often said that it's 25/8/366 because of the nature of Autism. I want to take a minute and share why it's so important for me to take time to myself. For starters, I know that it's not always easy to physically remove myself from the equation because life has a way of making it so I'm always putting out fires. Plus, finding a sitter for three kids with Autism isn't an easy task. None of the challenges associated with taking time for myself, negate the importance of it. As someone who lives in a constant state of hypervigilance, I often feel like I'm on the brink of insanity. There's so much that goes…
Gavin and I challenged ourselves to walk the track on the way home from taking the boys to school. It was in the high twenties or low thirties and quite snowy but Gavin really wanted to walk. We ended up doing really well and it was great way to start the day..
It's been a really long day and I'm not in the best place right now. Either than force anything tonight, I thought I would share a picture I've been promising but haven't yet delivered on. The main reason for the picture is to show what Elliott looks like after his haircut from a week or so ago. They took off at least four or five inches and it took him a little bit to adjust before he was willing to pose for a picture. The last picture here is of Gavin. He actually got a haircut today because it was far to long and if we don't keep in short, we run into hygiene issues. I happen to think he looks really good and I'm not just saying that because…
If you're new to the neighborhood, you might be interested to know that I like to speak very openly about mental health. I'm a firm believer in the there's nothing to be ashamed of approach. Over the years I've spoken very candidly about our Autism journey and every other thing that we've found in our life path. When it comes to myself, I'm no exception. I've been warring with depression since my early teens and I'm not ashamed to speak to my experience. Now that we've been introduced, let's get down to business. Depression is kicking my ass right now. I'm taking my meds, speaking to a psychologist and I'm generally a positive person but right now it just doesn't matter. My relationship with depression, and it is a relationship,…