Family Archives - Page 205 of 553

An “OMG…. Are you serious?” #Autism Parenting Moment

I've been very open and honest about how Gavin drives me crazy with his constant talking or repetitive questions. I share that not to make Gavin look bad but to provide insight into just some of the challenges I face as a special needs parent. Maybe some of you can relate and find comfort in not being alone. Anyway, it occurred to me this morning, while taking Gavin for his weekly bloodwork, that I should share another thing he does. It's funny but at the same time, it can also be extremely frustrating as well. I've been working with Gavin every day in regards to remembering that he doesn't need to tell me everything he's thinking. There are many times that Gavin will walk into the room, with a big…

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April 25, 2018

Finding the Humor / Glimmers / My thoughts

Yes, it sucked but I feel like I came out on top

The exhaust has been fixed and the car drives silently once again, except for the squealing on the front end.. What I should say is the car no longer rumbles. ☺ They did a great job fixing the exhaust and even welded a new hook in place so if it breaks again it doesn't drag on the ground. That would have been really nice to have yesterday but it all worked out. The entire repair was only $50 and I was able to pull that off. Look, it sucks that the the repairs were needed in the first place. It sucks even more that someone broke into the car last night but rather than dwelling on the obvious negatives, I'm going to focus on something else instead. At the end…

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April 24, 2018

My Crazy Neighborhood / My thoughts

We had a break-in last night

I was getting ready to load the car up and take the exhaust to get repaired this morning when I notice that someone had broken into our car...again. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time it's happened and I doubt it will be the last. You'd think the obvious security cameras would make people think twice but apparently not. I'm pulling video this morning but it might not have picked anything up. Thankfully, there wasn't any significant damage but they absolutely trashed the car. I'm not sure how they got in because I had locked the doors yesterday afternoon and hadn't been back in the car until this morning. Not only did they trash the car but they left things in the car that weren't in there to start with. Whoever…

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April 24, 2018

Family Pets / Maggie / My thoughts / Ruby

An important update on Ruby, our cute little Chorkie

This is a short but interesting update, dealing with how Ruby is doing since Maggie passed. We've had animals pass away before and there's almost always a change in those that remain. When Cleo died last year, Blue (our only remaining cat) became much more outgoing than he'd been previously. When Maggie died a little over a week ago, Ruby didn't seem too impacted, at least in a negative way. She refused to eat at first because we had her trained that Maggie went first. It took some doing to undo that. That was really biggest thing we noticed at first. As time has passed, Ruby seems to be coming into her own. She's more relaxed and confident since she's been the only dog. When we come home, she quietly…

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April 24, 2018

Managing Everyday Life / My thoughts

Here’s how I’m dealing with our broken down car

With any luck, the exhaust on the car should be fized before lunchtime. That's of course, assuming everything goes off without a hitch. My Mom is taking the boys to school in the AM. I'll load the exhaust into the car and make my way to the repair shop, where I have an early morning appointment to drop it off. My Mom is going to pick me up at the shop and we're going to go walking. I've no idea when the car will be done but they made it sound like it wouldn't be too long and the repair should be relatively inexpensive. I'm hoping it remains that way and there aren't any surprises. I want to say a big thank you to my Mom for helping us navigate…

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April 23, 2018

Glimmers / My thoughts

I’m trying to remain positive

Today's been a challenge for me on a few levels. We finally were ready to remove Maggie's kennel from the house and that sucked. Noone wanted to remove it before today and we respected that because we thought it might help them work through things. It seems to have helped and that's a positive thing. Lizze, Gavin and myself went for a walk this afternoon and it was gorgeous out. We got to see all the newly hatched baby geese, the first painted turtle of the year and a bunch of freshly bloomed flowers. It was invigorating to witness Mother Nature at her best and it put all of us in a great mood. Shortly there after, I was scheduled to meet with the principal to work on some fundraising…

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April 23, 2018

Contributed / Sponsored Post

Solutions For Parents Whose Children Spend Too Much Time In Front Of A Screen

Image For parents that don't have a child with special needs, whether it's autism or Asperger's, there can be a lack of empathy. This is especially true when it comes to the idea of negotiating boundaries. For any child on the spectrum, it's never a case of black or white when it comes to a type of boundary or rule. And for those parents out there that have concerns with regards to the amount of screen time their autistic child is having, the temptation can be to let them have as much screen time as possible. However, this doesn't benefit them, nor does it benefit you, as you are, essentially, making a rod for your own back, causing further problems down the line. So, what are the concerns for every…

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April 23, 2018

5 Things / Inspirational Posts / My thoughts

My 5 biggest #Autism Parenting worries and how I’m addressing them

If being an Autism parent was a video game, the difficulty setting would the three or four notches above the highest setting. That's not meant to be a joke. Autism Parenting requires more from a human being than most human beings are capable of. My wife and I are no exceptions to this. Over the last seventeen years, we've had to constantly triage our life, shifting our priorities on a daily basis, in order to meet the needs of our kids. It's an exhausting way of life because there's always so much to worry about. I wanted to address some things that my wife and I worry about as Autism parents, as well as, how we're addressing them in a positive and productive manner. I'm focusing on things that I…

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April 23, 2018