Read more about the article The exhaustion is real
Autism Parenting Insight / My thoughts

The exhaustion is real

I'm not sure I go a day without mentioning the word exhaustion, somewhere in this blog. The reason for that is because exhaustion plays an enormous role in my life.  One of the reasons I talk about it so much is because it's one of the many things that people don't quite understand when it comes to Autism parenting. The level of exhaustion I feel right now is rather extreme.  It always feels like I'm chasing sleep for one reason or another.  Sometimes I'm too stressed out to sleep. Other times, I'm dealing with one or more of my kids being unable to sleep. There are even times when I'm simply too tired to fall asleep. I know how that sounds but it's what happens.  Most Autism parents probably couldn't…

0 Comments
June 16, 2017
Read more about the article That’s a BIG if
Family Fun / My thoughts

That’s a BIG if

The boys are having a pretty decent day today. Emmett seems to be feeling better but is as indecisive as ever. Gavin's been chilling out in his room, maybe on a mission or just playing his tablet.  Elliott's been really quiet. He wants to do something, but everything he wants to do costs money we don't have at the moment.  I plan on taking them to the park, and if Emmett will wear socks, perhaps we can go hiking. That's a big if. lol Even if we don't go, I did thirty minutes on the treadmill, to ensure I got my walk in, so go me. ☺  Assuming Lizze is feeling better, perhaps she will join us. I meant to share this yesterday but was distracted. Lizze has Ehlers Danlos, and…

0 Comments
June 16, 2017
Read more about the article Taking turns sleeping
Autism Parenting Insight / My thoughts

Taking turns sleeping

One of the things that Lizze and I had to accept, very early in in our Autism parenting careers, was lack of sleep. It was probably one of the hardest to deal with as well. Over the years, my wife and I figured out that the only way to ensure that either one of us gets enough sleep, or any sleep for that matter, was to take turns.  The idea of taking turns sleeping, is a concept that can be difficult to accept, but essential to practice.  Taking turns sleeping is tough because it requires you to change the family dynamic in a way that can also make things more difficult. Rather than being a team, one person is sleeping, while the other is holding down the fort.  Lizze and I…

0 Comments
June 16, 2017
Read more about the article Beautiful flower in a fire fighters boot is amazing
Beautiful flower in a fire fighters boot is amazing One of the last times I was taking pictures at the park, we noticed something new. Someone had placed a fire fighter boot into the garden. Inside the fire fighter boot was this beautiful flower. As someone who was a fire medic for a long time, I thought this was really cool.
Photography

Beautiful flower in a fire fighters boot is amazing

Beautiful flower in a fire fighters boot is amazing One of the last times I was taking pictures at the park, we noticed something new. Someone had placed a fire fighter boot into the garden. Inside the fire fighter boot was this beautiful flower. As someone who was a fire medic for a long time, I thought this was really cool.

0 Comments
June 16, 2017
Read more about the article Why I’m so proud of my wife
Lizze / My thoughts

Why I’m so proud of my wife

Lizze finished her first round of classes this week and immediately began the second round. Rather than going to class four days a week, she's down to two days a week. This is nice for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's easier on her. These classes are very intensive and both physically and emotionally depleting. They serve a very real purpose but it called intensive outpatient therapy for a reason. The second reason it's nice that she's down to twice a week is that we get to have her home more often. I know these classes are really important for her overall emotional health, but we miss her when she's gone. She typically comes home exhausted and in need of a break, which sorta takes her away from us again.…

0 Comments
June 16, 2017
Read more about the article There’s a good chance I’ll be going offline for awhile and here’s why
Bad News / My thoughts

There’s a good chance I’ll be going offline for awhile and here’s why

Before we move on completely from this week of problems related to our A/C going down, I did forget to mention one thing that may affect this blog for the immediate future. The only bill I wasn't able to get caught up on was our internet bill. It's about a hundred bucks, which hasn't been a problem lately.  Unfortunately, we had to choose between fixing the A/C and providing relief for the kids or saving the money and paying the internet bill. We chose the to fix the A/C because it would have the most positive impact on the kids. The point is this, I'm probably going to lose the internet until the beginning of July. This will significantly limit my ability to write. We could easily tether from our…

2 Comments
June 16, 2017
Read more about the article My pit bull viciously attacking my leg proves stereotype
My pit bull viciously attacking my leg proves stereotype Maggie is our ten-year-old English Staffy. She's more commonly referred to as a pit bull. This breed gets an absolutely horrible rap because some of these dogs have assholes for owners. Any dog with an asshole for an owner can end up violent. Maggie is the absolute most gentle dog I've ever met in my life. She shares her kennel with one of our cats, cause she feels safe with Maggie. Our ferrets love Maggie as well. She's so gentle with them, as they pounce on her from all directions. Maggie proves the stereotype people apply to pit bulls, wrong.
Maggie / Photography

My pit bull viciously attacking my leg proves stereotype

Maggie is our ten-year-old English Staffy. She's more commonly referred to as a pit bull. This breed gets an absolutely horrible rap because some of these dogs have assholes for owners. Any dog with an asshole for an owner can end up violent. Maggie is the absolute most gentle dog I've ever met in my life. She shares her kennel with one of our cats, cause she feels safe with Maggie. Our ferrets love Maggie as well. She's so gentle with them, as they pounce on her from all directions. Maggie proves the stereotype people apply to pit bulls, wrong.

1 Comment
June 16, 2017
Read more about the article Here’s the good news
Akron Children's Hospital / Gavin / My thoughts

Here’s the good news

I wanted to let you all know how Gavin's eye appointment went today. The reason he was going, aside from needing his glasses prescription stronger, is that he's having vision problems that can't be fixed with glasses. Before he went, I had him write down all the problems he's experiencing, so he can make sure to tell the doctor.  Check out the list he made.  Lizze and my Mom took him today because I was dealing with the A/C repair guy.  Gavin shared this list of concerns with the doctor, but she didn't seem concerned. That makes me a little concerned because he losing his vision seems like a pretty big deal. Physically his eyes checked out, although he needs stronger glasses.  He does have an appointment at Akron Children's…

4 Comments
June 16, 2017