Read more about the article Behind the Scenes – Downtime with my youngest
Emmett John / My thoughts / Photography

Behind the Scenes – Downtime with my youngest

There are times where the only thing I can do to help Emmett is to simply stop everything and snuggle. Emmett hasn't been feeling well and on the edge of a meltdown for the last couple of days. Many kids with Autism don't like to be touched but Emmett is someone who responds positively to affection. No matter how upset he is, I've always been able to call him over and hug or snuggle him. It usually helps him, at least to some extent. This is from the other day when Emmett was really struggling.

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January 21, 2018
Read more about the article Sadly, he’s hearing voices again
Gavin / My thoughts / Schizophrenia

Sadly, he’s hearing voices again

Gavin had a pretty good day, at least physically. On his first full day of being an adult, he spent a large part of it hearing voices. Gavin's was officially diagnosed with Schizophrenia a few years ago. This is far from the first time Gavin's heard voices. In fact, he sorta lives in a perpetual hallucination. He has friends that only he can see and he goes on dangerous missions with them on a daily basis. These are the typical voices he hears. Unfortunately, what we're seeing now is that he hears us talking to him when we aren't. He's constantly keeps finding us because the says we called for him. I'm not sure what's going on with this but it's not something that's been very common over the years.…

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January 20, 2018
Read more about the article Trying to get exercise while doing chores around the house
My thoughts

Trying to get exercise while doing chores around the house

I'm pretty proud of myself. Our dryer has been broken for a couple of weeks now. I tore it apart a week ago and discovered that it was simply the belt that was broken. I was able to order one on Amazon and it finally showed up today. Emmett, Gavin and I went into the basement and replaced the belt. It literally took less than five minutes. Gavin and Emmett each held a part in place for me while I put the new belt on. Emmett even used his little tool kit to secure all the screws again. They were both a big help and we are finally able to use our dryer again. ☺ I hate doing laundry but I'm excited to get the floors in as I take…

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January 20, 2018
Read more about the article I’m making progress
Fit4Autism / My thoughts

I’m making progress

Today is my second full day with the Fitbit Ionic. I'm really pumped to be using this to help me with my weight-loss journey. I'm very motivated to make the changes in my life that I need to, in order to improve my health, both mentally and physically. I'm setting reasonable goals and achieving them. Once I feel I've mastered a certain goal, I'll set a new one for myself. The Fitbit app helps me set, monitor and achieve my goals. Check out the screenshot from the Fitbit app, detailing my efforts for today. I still have a long way to go but every step forward gets me one step closer to my goal. If you have a Fitbit account and want to friend me, that'd be awesome. We can…

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January 19, 2018
Read more about the article Review: Does your child with #Autism benefit from art? (@artezacolors)
My thoughts / Reviews

Review: Does your child with #Autism benefit from art? (@artezacolors)

I want to thank Arteza for sponsoring this brief review to help raise awareness for Autism. The views and opinions expressed here are solely my own and were not influenced in any way or by anyone. Shortly before the holiday, I received a package from a company called Arteza. They make just about every art supply you can imagine. While I'm not personally into drawing or other forms of art, I recognize the enormous benefit that art can have on a child with Autism or Special Needs. Check out all the cool art supplies that we shipped to me. [foogallery id="68903"] The boys love the sketchbooks and use the colored pencils to create their own unique masterpieces. All the supplies are top notch and I know that because my wife…

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January 19, 2018
Read more about the article I’m back on track
My thoughts

I’m back on track

It's been a quiet morning so far. The boys are resting, Lizze is doing research, Gavin's getting ready for his Friday IVIG infusion and I'm working on a bunch of things. One of my main priorities today is making sure I meet my activity goals. I'm currently using the Fitbit Ionic and it's actually quite motivating. I've used the Nokia Steel HR and the Samsung Gear S3 but so far, the Fitbit is topping them both. I'm back on track and losing weight once again. Yay!!! There's nothing on the agenda for today and I'm okay with that. It's been a busy week and I'm on day five of my further reduced Paxil dose. It's actually going better than expected and there's a reason for that but I'll share more…

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January 19, 2018