It's been a pretty good day here in The Autism Dad household. The boys first day of school went well, and there were zero complaints or concerns brought up about the new school year. Also, our homemade pepperoni rolls were a hit. 😊 They brought art class back this year and both boys are super excited, especially Elliott who's huge into expressing himself via artwork. He was really upset when they dropped art a couple of years ago due to funding. I'm so grateful they had a good day and that everything went smoothly for them. A rough first day can set the tone for the rest of the year. I have to take Gavin with me now to pick the boys up but he doesn't mind at all, but…

The boys got off to school without any issues. We even arrived a few minutes early. We'll see how long the excitement lasts but for right now, things are looking good. I came home and crashed. Gavin was playing the Xbox for a bit before he took his morning nap. I feel so much better after getting some sleep. I think I was too stressed out to fall asleep last night, but until last night, I'd been sleeping really well. The lack of sleep hit me harder because I wasn't used to it. Maybe? Either way, I didn't get much accomplished aside from getting the kids to school and righting myself before they get home. Oh, I did discover that Ruby peed all over the couch and I only found…

The problem was that I hadn't planned on doing this alone and I realized in those moments that alone is exactly how I'm having to do it now.

As with any family, we have to learn to adapt. Today is no exception. In fact, today is proof of that. The boys are on edge for a number of reasons, one of which is that school starts in the morning. They're excited but also nervous. Poor Emmett is afraid that he's going to have to tell his class that he's from a broken home. His words, not mine. I've assured him that's not the case. He's doesn't have to tell anyone about anything. One of the reasons we prioritized the trip to Cook Forest was because we wanted them to have a major event that was positive and could be something they could talk about if they wanted to.. I've already talked to the school about everything and they…

Divorce is never easy and there are always unforeseen consequences. The goal is to limit those consequences, and shield the kids from as many grownup issues as humanly possible. It's only been a week since my wife left and I'm already facing challenges that are very limiting by nature. One of the biggest things that have come up that impacts me directly is that I can never go anywhere alone. Until about two weeks ago, I was walking every single day. I was able to sneak away for an hour and exercise, because the kids were at home with their Mom. I never was gone for extended periods of time because that can be very challenging for anyone to deal with, especially someone with all the health issues she is…