I received some bad news about Gavin and school

I spoke with the IEP coordinator at Gavin's high school about what we were going to be doing for Gavin this year.  She informed me that they terminated the online program that Gavin used last year for school.  She explained their reasons and while the reasons make sense, this will a problem for Gavin.  Gavin really isn't capable of learning in the capacity that he will be required to if we do a more traditional home education.  I'm a bit worried about how this will play out.  Physically attending school is an impossibility for him for a million physical and emotional health reasons.  I'm seriously concerned about what our options are going to be. At this point, Gavin turns 16 in a few months and if I'm not mistaken, I…

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I don’t usually make this kind of mistake

Yesterday was a rough one. Emmett wasn't feeling well last night and neither was I. Emmett's dealing with an upper respiratory thing and mine may just be allergies.  Anyway, turns out we don't have an appointment for Gavin today because the doctors office is closed for Labor Day.  This is a bit weird because I definitely have it on the calendar for today and I don't normally make that kind of mistake.  This leaves us with a whole lot of nothing to do and that fits just right. Emmett seems to be feeling a little better right now but you can tell that he's still under the weather and I'm nursing a sinus headache. Nothing on the schedule has worked out well.    

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If this week doesn’t kill me 

If the next week or so doesn't kill me, it's gonna definitely make me stronger. Gavin's supposed to be at the immunologist in the morning but I need to reschedule because both Emmett and I are now sick. This works out for the best because it well over an hour and twenty minutes away and Gavin can't make it five minutes in the car without stopping to pee. Emmett's absolutely miserable and that makes life even harder for him.. This isn't a good week to be sick because I have 3 IEP meetings, at least half a dozen appointments and a trip to Akron Children's Hospital for Emmett.  I'll finish this post up tomorrow because my head is pounding and the boys are sleeping. I'm gonna crash...   

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What it’s like to take my 3 kids with #Autism to the store

I'm hoping this gives some insight into the everyday challenges of being a special needs parent. Everyone's experience will be different but many of you will be able to relate, while others will learn what it's like for the first time. We had to run a few errands this morning and quite frankly, the boys did really well. That being said, really well for me is likely very different from really well for many other families.     I feel my kids did really well because I know the challenges they are coping with and what a sensory nightmare it is for them to be in large, crowded stores. The lights, smells, sounds and just about everything else can prove very overwhelming for kids like mine, especially when sensory processing disorder…

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The Lighter Side of #Autism: Snuggles

While Autism parenting is the really challenging, difficult, frustrating, overwhelming and throughly exhausting, there is a lighter side to Autism as well.  Sometimes there are moments that are truly peaceful. They make having to go through everything to get there worth it.  ❤️❤️❤️   

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How is the morning going after a night of little sleep?

While I'm running on fumes, we are off to a great start this morning. Emmett finally fell asleep around 2 am and I was out soon after. Despite the general lack of sleep in the house, everyone is in a good mood and getting along.  Sometimes when the boys don't get enough sleep, the can become more easily overwhelmed by the world around them. Sensory issues become more prominent and the meltdowns are abundant. This morning however, the boys are holding their own and that's pretty awesome.....  ❤️❤️❤️❤️   

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My life is hard but I wouldn’t change it for anything

It's no secret that raising a child with Autism is not an easy task. It's even less of a secret that raising three kids with Autism is just plain hard. It should go without saying that raising three kids with Autism as a single parent is probably one of the toughest jobs in the world.  I've been doing this for a really long time and I still find myself wanting to scream on occasion. As with most people in a similar situation, I often feel completely overwhelmed by life and sometimes I just wish it would slow down... Despite all the challenge, heartache, stress, frustration and lack of sleep, I would change my life for anything in the world. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️   

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I desperately want to go to sleep but my youngest with #Autism can’t sleep tonight 

Gavin's the only one of the three boys who was able to fall asleep tonight. Elliott finally crashed about 11:00 pm and was really frustrated because he was tired but couldn't sleep. Then of course there's Emmett. It's currently about 1:00 am and he's still not able to sleep.    It's looking like it's going to be a really long night.  These kids have had a really challenging week because there's been a great deal of change and kids on the Autism Spectrum tend to not do so well with change.  I'm laying in bed trying to help Emmett fall asleep and he's currently climbing the headboard like a little spidermonkey... We do a lot with music in this house and so I'm playing this song on repeat right now,…

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