Lizze's parents have provided a much needed reprieve today. They have taken Elliott and Gavin for the and tonight. :-) Elliott has been driving everyone crazy with his anxiety. Gavin has been doing as well can realistically be expected. We needed this break because we have an unbelievable amount of appointments beginning this we and lasting through the end of the month. We will basically be moving into Akron Children's Hospital for the rest of the month, beginning with 5 appointments next week. Between Elliott, Emmett and Gavin, we have several appointments with the neurologist for seizure concerns. We're also hoping maybe we can get some more insight into Gavin's other neurological issues. We will also be seeing the Rheumatologist because of Emmett's rheumatological issues and Elliott's joints and tendons. Gavin…

Gavin wanted me to post a picture of his new Lego creation.  I was happy to oblige and help him share with you,  the fruits of his labor. This is Gavin's natural smile.  It always seems forced and a bit strange. This is Gavin's smile after I get him to relax and bit and just have fun with it.  Great job Gavin.....

I'm not overly religious but I do have faith.  I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school all the way through college. I believe in God and I pray from time to time. I know that many people don't like the idea of questioning God.  Having said that,  as a father of three special needs boys,  I been known to question God from time to time. As things get more and more difficult,  I'm finding myself wondering something.  It's a question that is burning and so I just have to ask it. Did God make a mistake? I guess what I mean is,  did God make a mistake when he decided I was strong enough to be a special needs parent?  I wonder sometimes,  well,  actually more than sometimes,…

One of the things I love the most about my boys is their endless curiosity,  especially Emmett. Emmett loves to investigate how things work. He is always carrying around this magnifying glass with him. One of his most favorite things to do is look at his fish through the magnifying glass,  as you can see in the pictures below. We had to replace one of his fish yesterday as it had died a little while ago.  I don't remember what this new one is called,  but it's orange and Emmett named him Nemo.  That just to precious,  right? We also picked up some Ghost Shrimp,  cause they were like $. 25 each.  He's just fascinated by these little guys....and girls.  Well,  at least one girl anyway.  We have a very,…

I think I know the answer to this but I'm gonna ask the question anyway. Do you ever get to the point with all that special needs parenting entails,  that you feel like you're going to lose your mind? I mean honestly,  with all the screaming,  overstimulation and meltdowns,  do you ever feel like you're going to just lose it? I sure as hell do,  especially on days like today. I think that it's pretty normal to feel this way. I also think it's important to share these feeling so that you and everyone else that is experiencing these feelings,  know that they aren't alone.  **Thanks for reading**        -Lost and Tired Please join our Community Autism Support Forum Posted from WordPress for Android

Emmett woke up front his nap and has done nothing but scream.  There is no consoling him. I was trying to let Lizze sleep because she had to increase her meds that control her tremors so she is really tired. Having said that,  I had to go wake her up.  I can't even leave the kids alone long enough to run to the bathroom or brush my teeth. When Emmett is in this darker place,  he is very aggressive,  especially towards Elliott. I was thinking that today was Saturday but then soon realized that it was only Friday.  That means I have to still deal with Saturday filled with screaming and yelling. I wish I knew how to help Emmett because right now his demeanor is a huge stressor for…

I'm not sure how many of you follow my wife's blog.  If you don't,  well,  you really should.  :-) Her blog can be found at DailyMommySurvival. Lizze does a lot of writing about her experience with Fibromyalgia. Aside from being totally proud of everything she does,  her blog is important because there are many special needs parents suffering from similar pain disorders. Things like Fibromyalgia are made much worse by stress.  As many of you are no doubt already aware of,  special needs parenting and stress go hand in hand. I have heard from so many people that are experiencing something similar to my wife. I think this really needs to be spotlighted.  Special needs parenting is challenging enough,  but when you add a chronic pain disorder to the mix, …