Being an #Autism parent is very rewarding but it’s also kicking my ass lately

The boys went to bed tonight without a problem. I'm going to be visiting my bed in just a little bit but I'm not quite ready yet.  While I was putting him to bed tonight, Emmett said he doesn't want to go to school in the morning. I'm truly praying that we aren't already going down the I don't want to go to school today because my tummy hurts road already..    It's so hard to figure out what's going on with him because it's not easy for him to share how's he's feeling and if I ask him, he gets really upset. Absolutely nothing comes easy and I'm just trying to get my kids through the day, so we can end up doing it all over again the next. …

2 Comments

#Autism Parenting Woes: My mission to get the boys haircut failed miserably

Both Elliott and Emmett need to get their hair cut. I can trim them up a bit because it's not too bad but they definitely need a haircut.  Generally speaking, I've always had pretty good luck when it comes to getting their cooperation for things like this but the key is that they have to be willing participants.     Everything about a haircut is unpleasant for a child with Autism and sensory issues.  Their hair gets wet, they're being touched by strangers, the scissors are scary and they have to sit still. Let's not forget all the hair that falls into their face as its being cut.  It's truly a sensory nightmare. Truthfully, I don't always have the $32 to get their hair cut but when I do, I try…

4 Comments

Gavin and I just rescued two beautiful baby squirrels :)

I was walking out the door to get the boys from school and I noticed a very young baby squirrel crawling around in my front garden.  It's eyes were still closed and I soon noticed another tiny baby as well.  They were not going to survive because they were barely able to walk and one was still blind, not to mention they fell about 50 ft from their nest.  Gavin and I scooped them up and ran them to the Wildlife Center in my area before picking up the boys from school.  These things were adorable and I couldn't let them die and I definitely couldn't let Elliott see them because he would want to rescue them by raising them himself.  Not gonna happen.  They will be fine now and…

0 Comments

I was able to squeeze my walk in this morning 

The boys got off to school and I was able to squeeze in my walk this morning..     The walk was amazing but it totally wore me out because I was already at a deficit due to Emmett getting up so early. I ended up taking a nap afterwards and woke up feeling completely recharged. 😀 I need to really keep pushing myself to be as active as I can because I can sorta feel that my depression is creeping it's way back into my daily life and exercise is the only that has every truly helped me battle it.  That simply can't be allowed to take over and I don't plan on letting that happen. 

0 Comments

We had a rough start this morning but finished strong 

Emmett began refusing to go to school at the ungodly hour of 4am. He said he wasn't feeling good.     Here's the thing with Emmett. He struggles with expressive language still and that makes it more challenging to figure out what he has going on. I have to rely heavily on behavioral changes that I notice for information on how he's doing.  This probably goes without saying but we got off to a rough start this morning.  On the positive side, he ended up willingly going to school and even did so in a good mood. I truly hope that he continues to have a better day. ❤️😀👍

0 Comments

Here’s what happened at the boys immunologist appointment yesterday

I was so distracted by the events of yesterday that I failed to share how the actual appointment went for both Elliott and Gavin.  The good news is that both boys are doing really well.  Elliott was there for a food allergy and asthma follow up. His asthma is very much under control and he did quite well in his peak flow testing. There's not really much to be done with his food allergy because we avoid almonds all together and so there really isn't any point in blood work.     Elliott was so anxious that our Doctor simply said that when he's ready to find out if he's still allergic to almonds, we can do blood work. Until that time, we just stay the course.  She's very good with the…

0 Comments

Why can’t I just call it an obsession because that’s what it is for my kids with #Autism?

This past week, Elliott decided that it's a really good idea for him to practice taking care of a child. I have no idea where this came from but Dr. Pattie suggests it might be about gaining some control. He wants to practice taking care of a doll but is really embarrassed by that idea.  I have spent the last few days trying to instill in him that it's perfectly okay for him to want to practice caring for a child by using a surrogate like a doll. There's nothing wrong with boys playing with dolls or girls playing with trucks.     Now this isn't as cut and dry as it sounds because he's become extremely obsessed with this idea and it's interfering with his daily life. This isn't really any…

6 Comments

My day began with a massive meltdown and ended with another flat tire

There's really no sugar coating things because today just plain sucked. I've had worse days by far but today just wouldn't quit. I was on a very tight schedule this morning and of course, Emmett picked today to refuse to go to school. He said he wasn't feeling well and long story short, I ended up taking Emmett with us.  Perhaps it wasn't the right decision but in the moment, there wasn't much else I could do because I was already running late and it's close to a 3 hour round trip (depending on traffic).    Elliott was nervous cause he feared the possibility of blood work and Gavin kept bouncing around the front seat cause he needed the use the bathroom. Emmett was fine until the drive home when…

4 Comments