Read more about the article We just received the @nest PRO learning thermostat today
My thoughts

We just received the @nest PRO learning thermostat today

Vivint was out today and they installed the nest PRO thermostat in our house. Supposedly, this will help us save 10 - 15% on our heating and cooling bill. That savings can go right to our grocery budget.  I'm pretty excited because I just love new technology and I love saving money.  The nest integrates with the Vivint Smart Home system we have, as well as with our Amazon Echo. I can simply tell Alexa to set living room temp to whatever I want and she'll do it.   I can also control the nest from the nest app, as well as the Vivint app.  I haven't had a huge amount of time to work with it just yet but as I do, I'll share my experience. I had talked about this a…

2 Comments
January 10, 2017
Read more about the article OMG… He won’t stop talking O_o
Bipolar Disorder / Gavin / Manic / My thoughts

OMG… He won’t stop talking O_o

I'm so tired and Gavin just won't stop talking. Look, I'm so grateful that all my kids are verbal and I know how hard it can be when they aren't because Emmett was nonverbal until he was almost four or five years old. We were told he would never talk, so to at least some degree, I get it. Gavin is one of those bipolar kids that talk incessantly when they are manic. My God, this kid hasn't stopped talking today. He'll disappear to his room for a bit and I get a reprieve but when he comes back, and he always comes back, he's got all this stuff pinned up and then unleashes a flurry of scattered thoughts at me. He's in the kitchen right now making a sandwich.…

11 Comments
January 10, 2017
Read more about the article BIG UPDATE: You won’t believe what happened
My thoughts

BIG UPDATE: You won’t believe what happened

This will be quick and painless because I'm planning on taking full advantage of this. After the boys did awesome at the grocery store, Elliott did amazing with his homework. We had a relatively peaceful evening before sending the boys to bed. This is where it gets truly amazing..  They both fell asleep without a single issue and within 15 minutes of going to bed. This is the best night we've had in a long time and I'm going straight to bed.. ☺

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January 9, 2017
Read more about the article It’s easy to underestimate the impact a meltdown can have on a parent
Meltdowns / My thoughts

It’s easy to underestimate the impact a meltdown can have on a parent

This morning took so much out of me that for the first time in awhile, I crashed after dropping the boys off at school. I did get some writing done prior but I was just no longer able to function and needed sleep. I feel much better now, although I'm still tired. It's pretty easy to underestimate how much a morning full of meltdowns can impact a parent. The amount of emotional and physical energy expended is immeasurable. On the positive side of things, once Emmett works through the sensory issues in the morning, he seems to recover much faster than I do and has a good day at school. Truthfully, if given the choice, this is how I would want it to go. Experiencing a sensory issue like Emmett…

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January 9, 2017
Read more about the article It’s not his fault and yet he blames himself
Gavin / My thoughts

It’s not his fault and yet he blames himself

Yesterday was a rougher day for Gavin. I should clarify. He was well behaved as usual, but he was physically struggling a bit. Aside from the incessant talking, which only bothers those he's talking to, it was almost like his body was failing him. Let me explain.  There were several times where Gavin legs just sorta gave out on him and he either fell or almost fell.  Unfortunately, this seemed to only occur while he was walking up the stairs, which made this even more dangerous.  Gavin was very frustrated with himself but there wasn't anything he could do about it. It wasn't something he had any control over but he still felt like he was doing something wrong.  It really sucks because life is hard enough for him without blaming…

2 Comments
January 9, 2017
Read more about the article This morning was absolute Hell
My thoughts

This morning was absolute Hell

As I predicted last night, it was a hellous morning. The boys took turns being uncooperative. Elliott started off by not wanting to get out of bed but Emmett sealed the deal with a morning full of meltdowns. OMG.... Emmett was in rare form today. While he's culpable for his actions, he's certainly not responsible for the way his body take in stimulus. We had a really rough time getting Emmett dressed, especially when it came to shoes and socks. It's not his fault but my God, the meltdowns are horrible. We were thirty minutes late for school today as a result. It's so exhausting and there is no simple solution to this problem. For job, we made it through another morning..

5 Comments
January 9, 2017
Read more about the article Please tell me it’s bedtime 
Autism Parenting Woes

Please tell me it’s bedtime 

OMG.... I've had my hands full today with the boys. Gavin's been driving me nuts with his constant talking but he's also been a huge help today and I'm super grateful for that. Elliott and Emmett on the otherhand have been fighting all day long.. I've lost count of how many meltdowns Emmett's had today and I'm not looking forward to getting him ready for school in the morning. A day like today is not a good sign of what's to come. I'm really looking forward to bedtime because I need some quiet tonight. I'd love to be able to hear myself think.

4 Comments
January 8, 2017