Why it’s so challenging when #Autistic kids get sick

I'm really hoping that Emmett will be returning to school in the morning. We have had our routine out of whack for over two weeks now and we're all paying a price for it. I haven't been able to workout regularly in weeks and the things I can do at home, don't give me the same emotional boost that walking outside does. I think that's part of why my depression is kicking my ass right now. Before I get into this a bit more, I feel like this can be a teaching moment and I'm hoping that by sharing this, I can provide some insight and additional context about some of the struggles that parents like myself face. It can be really hard to manage Autistic kids on a good…

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If only I didn’t need to sleep

It was a rough night. A couple days ago, I pinched a nerve under my right shoulder blade. It's making finding a comfortable position to sleep in, next to impossible. It hurts to breath and cough and even move my head. Not sure what I did but it sucks. I had the mattress cranked up to 118°F and layed flat on my back. I was hoping the heat would help and it sorta did. Unfortunately, Emmett woke up with a nightmare, just about the time I finally fell asleep. He was so shook by whatever he'd experienced that he glued himself to me. The poor kid was shaking uncontrollably and that was the end of me sleeping. I'm exhausted and in pain but otherwise in a good mood. Last night…

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Gavin did the most amazing thing today

It's been a little while since I haven't really talked a great deal about Gavin lately. I suppose the reason for that is that there isn't a great deal that's new. Gavin isn't struggling with everything that the boys and I are. He carries his world with him and his mom moving out has no real impact on him because his life moves on just the same. Having said that, Gavin has made some decisions today and I'm sorta beside myself with amazement. I felt it was important to share this because it's really cool. Gavin spent some time working with my Dad today and when he came home, he proclaimed that he wants to get a job. This isn't something I've ignored but it's just not been something that…

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Can I squeeze any more stress into my life? Don’t answer that.

I haven't written in a day or so because I'm feeling buried alive at the moment. I'm wrapping up season 2 of the podcast and finalizing the last few scheduled interviews, while planning season 3. This is actually very time consuming but every episode is a profit and it helps feed the kids, I keep doing them. I'm also trying to finish up Christmas preparations. Not all of the kids are excited about Christmas this year. The events that have transpired are weighing heavy on us and Christmas without their mom living with us is very difficult. While this is going on, I'm also trying to plan for our trip to Florida early next year. It's a huge opportunity for us and it's important to the kids. All else aside,…

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A fun little project my kids and I are doing over the winter

Something I haven't talked much about is the fact the boys and I are growing plants in the house this winter. I've not been avoiding it. I just keep forgetting. I was thinking about it tonight and thought I'd close the day off with a quick update. We aren't super gifted in the art of botany or gardening for that matter but we're growing some simple things like fresh mint and some other herbs that A) smell good and B) I can use in cooking. I use the mint in my smoothies because I like mint and it's really good for you. We wanted to start growing edible plants and figured it would be a cool little project for over the winter. The boys really want to grow a lemon…

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Creative ways my kids avoid talking during therapy

The boys had an emotional therapy session last night. Gavin didn't participate outside of briefing us on his rather bizarre missions he's been going on lately. Frankly, it was weird and kind of uncomfortable to listen to. Elliott and Emmett had some things that were upsetting them. These were things that I couldn't help with because I don't have any control over other people's actions. They didn't want to talk about it but they eventually did and I'm very proud of them for doing so. Mr. Emmett went and found a blue bucket, cut out facial expressions, and taped them to the outside of the bucket before putting it over his head in an attempt to avoid talking about these things. He evertually opened up but it took some time.…

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Being a single parent to 3 #Autistic kids is NOT easy but it IS worth it

I've spent the day trying to get a million things done and accomplishing very little. When you're a single parent to 3 kids, life doesn't leave you much wiggle room. When you're a single parent to 3 Autistic kids, there's even less wiggle room. When you're a single parent to 3 Autistic kids and 2 of them are sick at the same time, you begin to question if there's even a God. Anyway, I've been planning for a couple of podcast interviews and closing out the season. I'm hoping 2020 is a year of growth for the pod. I'm getting more and more work as an influencer and it's helping to pay the bills. I'm apparently listed in a bunch of databases like https://findyourinfluence.com/the-platform/ and brands find me and reach…

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