Read more about the article Exhausting efforts and interventions
My thoughts

Exhausting efforts and interventions

It's been a really frustrating day. Gavin's been struggling behaviorally and I honestly don't have the patience to deal with the outbursts. In fairness, Gavin is doing so much better overall and he's come such a long way. I'm incredibly proud of him. At the same time, there are things we need to work on. Gavin has a really short fuse and it doesn't take a whole lot to set him off. Today I was watching Bob's Burgers, and Gavin sat down to eat lunch. He's got this weird thing with shows like this and I'm not sure I understand where he's coming from. Usually, he will get up and leave the room if something he doesn't like comes on. Today he was eating lunch, so he didn't really have…

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October 26, 2020
Read more about the article Update: It’s been 234 days of #COVID lockdown so far
COVID19 / Lockdown / My thoughts

Update: It’s been 234 days of #COVID lockdown so far

Life is getting a bit more challenging. For those who don't know, COVID is significantly worsening in Ohio. As of writing, we're a stone's throw away from 3,000 cases a day. There's a nursing home about a mile or so from my house with over 80 confirmed cases. It's really getting scary. My cars still in the shop and will be for a couple of weeks. That's a bit stressful because we truly are trapped at home. It's not like we would be going anywhere, especially since COVID is so bad locally, but looking out the window and seeing the car missing is an emotional blow. Maybe that doesn't make sense.. I've been insanely busy with work related things lately.  I'm trying to get season 3 of the podcast finished…

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October 25, 2020
Read more about the article A Protective Parent’s Guide to Planning Your Nursery
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A Protective Parent’s Guide to Planning Your Nursery

Do you have a baby on the way? What an exciting time. Your life is about to change permanently - and for the better. There is nothing that compares to raising kids in terms of excitement, joy and fulfilment. Sure, there are some headaches too, but all of that fades away when you see their smile and hear their giggles. Naturally, your baby will eventually need a room to call their own. Today, we’re going to explore how a protective parent should plan their nursery because after all, they are your most precious thing in life. Get a Quality Baby Monitor Any nursery should have baby monitors installed so you can check on your baby throughout the day when they nap and at night as they sleep. Make sure you…

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October 24, 2020
Read more about the article You may not know this but I adopted my oldest
Gavin / Gotcha Day / My thoughts

You may not know this but I adopted my oldest

You may not know this but I adopted my oldest. I don't talk about this a whole lot because frankly, I never really think about it anymore. The only time it's at the forefront of my mind in on October 22 of each year. As it's October 22, or will be by the time you read this, it's been on my mind. I'm not going into the whole back story because frankly, you can read that yourself. Just search the archives, it's there. ☺ On October 22, 2008, shortly after Emmett was born, I adopted Gavin. Gavin is Lizze's son from her first marriage. He was 8 years old at the time and I'd already been raising him as my own since he was about 15 months old. In a…

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October 21, 2020
Read more about the article I’m trying to give my kids a better me and it’s not easy
My thoughts

I’m trying to give my kids a better me and it’s not easy

It's been somewhat of a stressful day for me personally. I'm feeling very isolated, which is by design at the moment and that's important. The point is, I feel very much alone. It is what it is and I'm doing what is necessary to protect my kids, especially Gavin. I'll continue to do the same as long as is needed, but it's not easy and the longer this drags on, the harder it gets. I'm trying to find a better balance in my life because my kids deserve a better me. I've been working out with some regularity and back to using Myfitnesspal. It feels good to move in the right direction once again. I've not gained any of the weight back that I'd already lost and that's a good…

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October 20, 2020
Read more about the article Great gift ideas for children on the autism spectrum
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Great gift ideas for children on the autism spectrum

It’s not always easy finding the right gift for a child, and when your child is on the autistic spectrum it can be even more challenging. There's a lot of contradicting advice out there for parents of autistic children, however, when it comes to something special like a birthday or Christmas present, it really comes down to the people who know them the best – you, their guardians! Often autistic children have strong feelings and interests in a particular subject, topic or hobby. So, choosing a gift that reflects those hobbies will probably be a hit. But if that’s not an option, or you have friends and family asking what they might like as a gift, you may want to look a little further.   If your son has a birthday…

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October 20, 2020
Read more about the article We’ve had some struggles with remote learning but we’re going to do better
My thoughts

We’ve had some struggles with remote learning but we’re going to do better

I've been getting some really positive feedback for the first Parent to Parent episode. If you've not listened, you can do so by clicking here or stream it where you get your podcasts. Waking up to tons of positive feedback and parents wanting to take part is pretty amazing. It feels good to have a positive impact on peoples lives. Thank you everyone for all the support. Moving on.... The second quarter started today and I'm hoping that it will be better than the first quarter. Remote learning is a huge change from being in the classroom and the boys are struggling with it. It's not just them, it's pretty much most, if not all of the kids are having similar struggles. There's been homework that never got turned in…

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October 20, 2020