Read more about the article Happy 13th Birthday Emmett
Emmett John / Happy Birthday / My thoughts

Happy 13th Birthday Emmett

I've been working on this one for a few days. I know that's really sad but life is good and I've been very present in it lately. Sometimes that takes me away from writing and that's okay. ☺ Mr. Emmett turned thirteen years old this weekend. He's had a really good birthday, albeit a bit untraditional, I believe he's happy and that's all that matters to me. We've been celebrating over the last couple of days. He opened his present two days early because he just couldn't wait and that's okay. We did a special birthday lunch and dinner. I mean, you only turn thirteen once. You only turn any age once but thirteen is the first big one. Anyway, we're holding off on the cake because he was concerned…

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June 28, 2021
Read more about the article Emmett kicked ass today!
Emmett John / My thoughts

Emmett kicked ass today!

Today is a pretty big day for the kids. They have a pretty important therapy session tonight and that will help to chart our path forward. I'm going to try and touch base with the therapist before the boys meet with her tonight because I have some thoughts that I don't want to bring up in front of the kids. Getting through tonight is the bulk of the weight I'm carrying today. I can't wait to put that down and move forward. Anyway, there are some very positive updates to share with you as well. I try very hard to focus on the positive and these things definitely qualify in my book. Emmett slept in his own bed for the entire night. I can't even remember the last time that's…

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May 18, 2021
Read more about the article Day 2 of being back in the classroom
Emmett John / School / Victories

Day 2 of being back in the classroom

I just picked up Emmett from school today and his second day back has been a resounding success. He's so excited and I feel so good right now because after focusing so long on his physical safety, I can finally doing something positive for his emotional health as well. Everything went well for him today and he's anxious to return. Tomorrow will be state testing again, as well as the last day of the school week. He'll return on Monday for regular in person learning. Assuming nothing changes dramatically with COVID, he should be able to finish out the school year. I'm so grateful for all the love and support as he ventures back into the classroom. Unfortunately, Elliott doesn't have the same opportunity but he will be back at…

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April 7, 2021
Read more about the article Emmett returned to the classroom today
COVID19 / Emmett John / My thoughts / Planning

Emmett returned to the classroom today

Today was such a big day, especially for Emmett. I haven't mentioned this in a little while because I wasn't sure what was going to happen. Today was the moment of truth and here's what happened. State testing is ridiculously mandatory this year, despite the pandemic. I have made my thoughts on that quite clear. It's flat out fucking stupid that we didn't skip testing this year. We know the scores are going to be lower but it's because our kids were surviving a fucking pandemic, not because they're incapable of learning or the teachers aren't doing their jobs. Sorry, I get pretty fired up about this but I digress. Anyway, Emmett was required to return to school for the testing process and he will be required in and off…

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April 6, 2021
Read more about the article My #autistic son is such an inspiration to me
Emmett John / My thoughts / Proud Daddy Moments

My #autistic son is such an inspiration to me

I know not everyone will get this and that's okay. I also know that many of you will celebrate with me because you understand the significance of what I'm about to say. For those who are unable to relate, I hope this provides a bit of insight into the challenges kids on the autism spectrum can deal with on the daily. Mr. Emmett is a character. There's no two ways about it. He's so full of personality and life that frankly, it can be a bit overwhelming for me at times. He has an infectious smile and a belly laugh that will melt your heart. At just 12 years old, he's one of the smartest people I've ever met in my life. We're talking scary smart. Like, as his Dad,…

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November 9, 2020
Read more about the article Do your kids do weird shit too? Please share..
Emmett John / My thoughts

Do your kids do weird shit too? Please share..

Let's face it, kids can often do weird things that as parents, we just sit back and think, what the fuck? This isn't about our kids being weird but rather some of the odd things they do. I jokingly tell my kids all the time that they're weird because in our house, weird is a good thing. Being different is celebrated and diversity is treasured. We feel the same way about nerds. Nerds are cool in this house. Full Stop That being said, my kids do some weird things that I'm so used to, it sometimes goes unnoticed. This weekend however, I found myself rather annoyed because of something one of my amazing kiddos has a habit of doing. Mr. Emmett has always had a thing with labels. For whatever…

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October 10, 2020
Read more about the article Have I said how much I hate 2020?
Emmett John / My thoughts

Have I said how much I hate 2020?

Emmett's not been having a good week in regards to school. He's been in a fever flare for going on a week now and that's likely contributing to his struggles. As crazy as it sounds, I hadn't put two and two together until this morning. He's been doing well since returning to his old school. This morning he woke up not feeling well and I tried to help him work through it but he's miserable, so I let him go back to sleep. The antivirals haven't really helped reduce this particular flare yet and he's still in a lot of pain. At least he can find some relief if he sleeps. I called the school and Emmett will do on today's work when he wakes up. There's a lesson learned…

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October 7, 2020
Read more about the article Emmett just hit a fever cycle
Emmett John / Fever Cycle

Emmett just hit a fever cycle

Recently, there was a delay in refilling Emmett's antivirals that he takes for his fever disorder. With all that had been going on with Gavin recently, I'd opted to use this opportunity to see how he did without them. He did really well for about 2 weeks but just in case, I addressed the issue that was preventing his script from getting refilled. He's got several of these in his mouth. They're very painful and related to his fever disorder. Unfortunately, Emmett hit a fever flare for what I think is the first time since lockdown. I can't remember the last time he had a flare up. It appears that he needs to stay on the Acyclovir going forward. It only took 2 weeks for the mouth sores to come…

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October 5, 2020