I've decided what I'm going to do as soon as the kids leave for their Grandparents. Considering that I've been up with both Elliott and Emmett all night long, sleep is on the menu for the rest of the day. I'm so exhausted that I can't see straight. As soon as the boys leave, I'll be collapsing on my bed. This is the second night in row that I've been up with the boys all night, and I desperately need to close my eyes.
Lizze and I will be getting a break this fine Sunday. The boys will be spending the day, and subsequent night with their Grandparents. It feels like we haven't had a night off in forever, but it's only been about two weeks. It's amazing how two weeks of raising three kids with Autism can take it out of a parent. I'm not sure what we're going to do with our time. Perhaps we'll catch up on some sleep. Maybe we'll go for a walk, or catch a dollar movie. The whole point is to have some time away from the boys and devoted to ourselves. We're so grateful for the time, regardless of how we end up using it. ☺
At 2 am this morning, I was unable to sleep. I've got many things on my mind and I couldn't shutdown. One of those things weighing heavy was this whole Make-A-Wish thing for Gavin. I began the process after Gavin's immunologist suggested we apply last year. The process halted for a variety of reasons, but two reasons created the most friction. The first of which was Gavin didn't want to do anything. If he was unwilling to participate, there's no point in continuing. The second reason was more emotional on my part. Knowing your child qualifies for Make-A-Wish is a doubled edged sword. On the one hand, it's such an amazing opportunity for Gavin. On the other hand, he qualified in the first place. To qualify, things have to be serious about…
It's becoming more and more difficult to pretend that Gavin's not getting worse. I know he's never going to get better, and that's something both my wife and me have come to accept over the years. While I've accepted that fact, it's not that cut and dry. Gavin's in an almost constant state of decompensation. Sometimes it's a slower process, and harder to pick up on, while other times, it's pretty rapid. One of the main issues revolves around his memory. I tend to want to rationalize it by saying something like, he's just having a bad day or everyone forgets things. The truth is, it's not normal to forget things like Gavin does. It's not normal and it's not a good. Here's the latest example of what I mean.…
If you haven't already heard about this story, you can read in on CNN by clicking here. After reading the article about John Haygood, a 10 year old little boy with Autism, being arrested for assaulting his teacher, I was at a loss for words. As a father of three boys with Autism, my gut reaction is one of anger. Based on the article, it seems that John had been experiencing behavioral problems of varying degrees, not all that uncommon for kids on the Autism Spectrum. The incident that apparently sparked this entire situation took place last October. John was being disruptive in class, throwing paper balls at classmates, and was asked to go to time out. He refused and it appears the teacher went to physically move him and that's…
It was a rough morning and Emmett was not easy to get off to school. He woke up in what's amounted to a horrible mood. He said he was tired and I'm not here to say he wasn't. The problem was all the fricking screaming. Lizze was making lunches and I was trying to get Emmett dressed. The operative word in the last sentence is trying. He was very anti-clothing, which usually means he's struggling with sensory issues. I eventually succeeded in getting Emmet dressed, but to be completely honest, I'm not sure how I survived this morning. Don't get me wrong, I'm incredibly grateful that he made it to school but no I'm completely drained.
I wanted to share some really amazing news. If you recall, I submitted my very first article to a company that hired me to write. This was basically a trial run and if all goes well, this could lead to more articles. This is a big deal because this is really good money and great exposure for my blog. I was really nervous because I really wasn't given much restriction and I wasn't sure what to expect. As luck would have it, they absolutely loved my article and after one round of editing, it appears to be good to go. This is a pretty big company and it seems that I'm a good fit thus far. When this article goes live, I'll be sharing the link and asking you all…
I've been working on this update for a little while but haven't been able to keep my thoughts together. If you take one thing away from this entry, let it be that I'm very worried about Gavin. Lizze and I both are very worried about Gavin. Let me begin with the fact that Gavin's heartbroken. His beloved Master Sword broke yesterday and it's like his entire world has crumbled around him. [videopress yBQWDnIr] Every single morning, Gavin trains with his visibly challenged, group of super best friends. This is one of the many teams he commands. These teams help to defend the Universe from evil villains like Eggman or Shredder. Just so we're on the same page, these are all Schizophrenic hallucinations and are only real to him. Anyway, every…