Communicating with my adult #autistic son

I've mentioned this a few times before but Gavin and I have a unique relationship. We're very very close and direct with each other. I've learned over 20 years that Gavin needs people to be very direct with him. If you give him any room to interpret the meaning in your words, he will often struggle to understand. That's just part of who he is and that's okay. From the outside, it can seem like I'm being mean but in reality, I'm not. If I used this approach with someone else, I might agree but sometimes we have to cater our approach to the needs of the person we're trying to approach. Here's an example of what I'm talking about. If Gavin is talking too much, which he's known to…

0 Comments

T-minus 30 Days

We're just beginning to wade into 2021 and there are already some major changes coming our way. Perhaps the most important is the finalization of my divorce. Lizze and I learned that exactly 30 days from today, our divorce will be final. That's a good deal faster than either one of us had planned on. We had projected that we would be looking at the second or third week in February at the earliest. This really doesn't change anything but it just pushes the date forward a bit. Nothing aside from that has changed. I guess I was knocked back a little because I had prepared myself for a later date but I supposed sooner is better than later. The kids are aware of this and while they aren't aware…

2 Comments

Check out @NoNetzSuits sensory friendly clothing

It's no secret that sensory issues have impacted my kids for years. Clothing has been one of the most challenging for Emmett in particular. Socks have been difficult for him but we can more easily work around him not wearing socks. Unfortunately, there are some items of clothing that we really can't easily go without. Shirts are currently a struggle. We've been on lockdown for well over 300 days and aside from school, shirts aren't absolutely necessary when we never leave home. The problem with him just not wearing one is that it makes it much harder for to wear them when he needs to. That brings me to my reason fo writing this post. I was recently introduced to a clothing company called NoNetz. They sent some sample clothing…

0 Comments

My kids had to learn about Trumps attempted coup in school today

We've made it through the first week back at school and we're doing pretty awesome. Emmett is completely current as is Elliott. This has been a challenge for autistic kids in regards to remote learning. I've spoken with tons of parents dealing with the same or worse. Lots of kids don't even show up to class every day. I I feel pretty good at this moment in time because the boys are adjusting to the change, finally. It's only taken half a school year but we have made progress. That's a positive thing and I'm crazy proud. We had a rough day yesterday because you know, an army of stupid Trump supports literally laid siege on the Capitol Building, in a attempted coup. The goal being to ensure a second…

3 Comments

Our first day back after Christmas break

The boys had a great first day back at school, at least as far as remote learning is concerned. Emmett is feeling very motivated this quarter and that's a very positive thing. He brought his grades up two letter grades in the second quarter and I'm so proud of him. I even brought him a cup of hot chocolate cause the house was a little cold this morning. We try to keep the house a little cooler cause it's easier on the gas bill. He apparently has started drinking hot chocolate with a straw. Elliott had a great first day back as well. He's not super motivated but he's got a good attitude and I'm happy for that. All things considered, that's all I can ask for. It's a short…

0 Comments

A quick little update

The kids start back to school in the morning and we had a quiet last day of Christmas break. There wasn't a great deal of anything going on today and I'm totally okay with that. As the kids settle back into their school routine or as close to a routine as possible, I'll get back into my work schedule. Interviews start on the 14th and I need to get some things done before I launch season 4. I'm excited to get started though. Anyway, I wanted to share a couple of things from today. Neither are huge deals but it will round out this little update and close things out on a positive note. I didn't sleep well last night so I was up really early this morning. When I…

0 Comments

We need to have a talk

So apparently I was on TV again over the last few days. I didn't know anything about it. My brother messaged me last night to say that he was going through the guide on his TV and he heard my voice in the background. He clicked over and BAM there I was. I guess is was a supercut from several of the interviews I'd given ABC News in 2020. I don't know because I haven't seen it. I had been hearing from people over the last few days that they'd seen me on TV as well. These are people I've never met before and they felt compelled to reach out after hearing me speak. Everyone was very nice and I love hearing from my readers/followers/listeners. What was a bit worrisome…

5 Comments

The ups and downs of 2020

We're going to have a quiet evening tonight as we ring in the new year. We have no plans for anything other than maybe watching some movies and spending time together. I ordered dinner for us and it should be dropped off shortly. It's one of those days that I'm really struggling to keep my head above water. I'm frustrated. I'm overwhelmed. I'm spent. I feel like this is quite possibly the loneliest I've ever been in my life. I've mentioned before that I'm a sentimental person and this is one of those times where I feel the loss of my marriage. It's just one of those things and I struggle a bit on these days. As time passes these moments won't be so impactful and I'll make new memories.…

3 Comments