What it’s like to take 3 kids with #Autism grocery shopping

You may or may not be aware of this little tidbit of information but taking three kids with Autism to the grocery store is one hell of a challenging task. I try to avoid taking all three kids with me whenever it's possible because I'm trying to preserve what little sanity I have left. LOL As far as this challenge goes, it could be much more difficult and I'm lucky in that department. For the most part, my kids are pretty well behaved in public. There are of course, situations that are outside of their control and the dreaded meltdown will make a very public appearance. The boys all have their quirks and things that can present challenges but it's just part of who they are. Here are a few…

0 Comments

Holy Shit! Can you say overstimulation?

Lizze and the boys came home well after bedtime and my God were the boys wound up. Elliott and Emmett were bouncing off of everything, while Gavin was like a walking zombie, desperately wanting to go to bed. Elliott was somewhat manageable but Emmett went from hyper to raging. It was painfully obvious that while they had an amazing time, they were also completely overstimulated. Poor Emmett ended up having a massive meltdown a little bit after 10 PM and it was a doozy. I don't think he even understood why he was so upset. Mr. Elliott will usually try to help cheer him up, only to make things infinitely worse. Thankfully, Elliott stayed out of it for the most part and I give him credit for that. Emmett was…

0 Comments

Once a year my kids are super motivated to clean, and I’m taking full advantage

We have absolutely nothing going in today. Scratch that, Lizze has an early morning appointment but that's it. Our main goal for the day is to make some final preparations for Santa. We want to make sure Santa has a pleasant, safe experience when visiting our house on Christmas Eve. This is the one time of year the boys are super motivated to help me straighten up the house. Call me whatever, but I take full advantage of it. ☺ Hopefully, I'll be feeling better as well. I need some energy and I'd really love the nausea to go away... ☺

0 Comments

Have you ever been so stressed out it makes you sick?

Between last night and this morning, my stress level reached a point where I ended up sick. After I took the boys to school this morning, I started not feeling well. I thought that maybe I was just hungry or something but after eating breakfast (the same yogurt medley I have almost every morning) I felt worse. As life has become more challenging and stressful, I've started dealing with acid reflux. It doesn't always happen often but it tends to show up when I'm really upset or stressed out. It's fair to say that I have a lot on my plate and there are times when it just becomes too much. Between the worries about now needing a new car, dealing with the mortgage company, not sleeping last night, worrying…

30 Comments

Sometimes I feel like a dick for raising my voice

Gavin had his IVIG infusion this morning and he did it on his own. This was probably the most successful one that he's done on his own. The infusion went relatively well and there were no physical hang ups after it was started. Gavin did get upset while he was putting the needles in place though. He doesn't deal with frustration very well and has a tendency to want to quit or get help before he's really tried. Today was one of those times. There was an issue with the tape the holds the needles in place getting all bunched up. His first reaction is to panic. Lizze and I were right there but we didn't rush to his aide because we wanted him to work through it. All he…

0 Comments

Here’s what’s stressing me out today

No one's life is perfect and I'm certainly claiming mine is worse than yours. I'm simply sharing what is causing me a great deal of stress. Being an Autism parent is stressful enough on the best of days and unfortunately, there aren't too many the best of days. Between lack of sleep and the demands of three special needs children, life can feel unfairly challenging. Ironically though, what tends to stress me out the most are the things that could be considered everyday problems. Things like dealing with my mortgage company selling the mortgage to another mortgage company how is a nightmare to work with. I've been trying to make a payment for two months now and they keep screwing it up. I've authorized payment 4 different times in November…

9 Comments

It’s easy to forget about the emotional delays

We had a morning full of preteen drama and little brother button pushing. This isn't uncommon when it comes to brothers. Brothers were created to get on each other's nerves. That's where the normalcy stops and the Autism/anxiety/emotional delays complicate things. While these guys pick on each other like typical brothers, their reactions to being picked on are rather extreme. The boys are brilliant kids and for the most part, not very socially awkward. At the same time however, they are some significant emotional delays that make dealing with stressful or emotionally charged situations, very difficult for them. They tend to take things very personally and don't get sarcasm, even though they can be sarcastic themselves. Emmett might be trying to pay Elliott a compliment but Elliott takes it wrong…

10 Comments

Looks like we’re getting a break

The boys will be spending the day with their Grandparents. We really appreciate the break as Lizze and I are both exhausted. The boys, especially Elliott, have been very challenging as of late. Smaller breaks like this do everyone some good. If you're reading this and you have a special needs family in your life, one of the best ways you can help is by giving them a break. It's not always possible but if it is, you could make a big difference in their lives while gaining valuable insights at the same time.. Think about it... ☺

0 Comments