I wanted to take a quick minute, and remind you of something important. Please remember that you are only human, and recognize your limits. We all feel like we need to keep going and going, but give yourself a break. Taking a break can help to make you a better parent. ☺
After a long night, Elliott appears to be feeling much better. Emmett on the other hand, is still not feeling well. He's got a large mouth sore, and is running a minor fever. All signs point to a fever cycle. Emmett is not in the best mood, and I can't exactly blame him. I'm hoping that he feels better as the day goes on.
I'm getting ready to welcome week of change. This will mark the first full week of Lizze's new class. She finished up her first of three consecutive intensive outpatient therapy (IOP) classes last week, and begins the second today. This will be a significant change in schedule because she only has class twice a week now, and only in the afternoon. She really likes this particular class because it's art based therapy, and that's right up her alley. Lizze loves everything about art, making this type of therapy, a perfect fit for her. I'm so proud of her because I know this isn't easy, but these classes have such a positive impact on her, and subsequently on the rest of us. No matter how difficult these classes get, she doesn't…
Shortly before bed, Emmett began not feeling well. His tummy was upset, and he felt like he was going to puke. At the same time Elliott, who had been feeling the same for the second half of the day, was slowly beginning to feel better. Emmett's currently sleeping right now, but I fully expect him to struggle throughout the night. I'm not taking a negative approach to this, despite how my above statement sounds. I simply prefer to deal with reality, and the reality is that when Emmett doesn't feel well, he wants to be glued to me at night. I have learned to plan for the worst-case scenario while hoping for the best. It's served us well over the years and limits life's ability to catch us off guard.…
Elliott isn't feeling good. He's got a headache, stomachache, and is hugging a puke bucket. This began a few hours ago but has gotten worse in the last thirty minutes. I don't know if he's actually sick or not. Everything he's complaining about is also signs of dehydration as well. We have a really hard time getting Elliott to drink enough water. When one doesn't drink enough water, one can get headaches, nausea, and constipation. We have been working with both him and Emmett, in an effort to get them consuming more water. It's proven to be difficult on a good day. I'll talk about what we are doing in a different post. The last thing I want is for him to be sick. I'm hoping that sipping water will…
Keeping it simple for dinner tonight. While I was able to go shopping last week, I wasn't able to go extensive shopping. I rarely actually cook anymore because no one ever eats the same thing. We try to stock things we know the boys will usually eat. Things like Ramen Noodles, chicken nuggets, hardboiled eggs, cereal, fruit, and other things that can be quickly put together. I wish we could do complete meals but the kids struggle too much with sensory processing issues and that's not easily accomplished, especially in a limited budget. How do you handle mealtimes in your Autism household?
First of all, Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there, pulling their weight and actively involved in their kids lives. I also want to say Happy Father's Day to all the single Mom's out there pulling double duty and filling the role of both parents. I have nothing but respect and admiration for you. :-) I know Father's Day is a day where we celebrate Dad's. There might be presents or cookouts, and those are awesome, but I ask that you keep something else in mind as well. Father's Day should also be a day that we as Dad's, remember how important of a role we play in the lives of our children. It's so important to be present. It's equally important that you be actively involved, a good leader,…
Gavin's been complaining of headaches almost every night after going to bed. Last night was no exception and I haven't a clue what's behind this. None of his medications have changed in months, and I know he's plenty hydrated. Those are the first things we thought of when these headaches began occurring with more and more frequency. We also looked at allergies as well but they appear to be managed. Something else we have to consider is whether or not Gavin is experiencing a headache, or if something else is causing him discomfort and he's labeled it a headache. Gavin is not a reliable source of information about his own body. He struggles with describing how he's feeling and often does so in ways that make no sense or can…