Read more about the article Our pseudo service ferret family
This is Charlie. He's the youngest of our ferret family, but also the biggest as well. He loves snuggling and falling asleep in his humans. Our kids with #Autism, benefit tremendously from having the ferrets around. Do you have animals in your life that make an impact on your family?
Charlie / Family Pets / Ferrets / Photography

Our pseudo service ferret family

Something you may or may not know about me is that I'm a closet photographer... Taking pictures of the things or events going on in our life is something I truly enjoy doing.  This is a picture of Charlie. He the youngest, and yet largest of member of our ferret family.  The three of the boys absolutely adore our ferret family and the ferrets adore the kids as well. They love snuggling and helping the boys to feel better when they are overwhelmed or overstimulated. They're pseudo service animals and over the last two years, have been a hugely positive addition to our family. 

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May 22, 2017
Read more about the article Our disappointing trip to @ChuckECheeses 
My thoughts

Our disappointing trip to @ChuckECheeses 

If you've followed our story, you know that we are very clearly not made of money. Things are getting better every month, but it's still a struggle sometimes. Regardless of the financial challenges, I've decided to make a concerted effort to spend more one on one time with each of my kids. On May 16th, 2017, I took Elliott to Chuck E Cheeses for our one on one time. It's what he wanted to do and they had a pretty good deal going on. We went to the location at The Strip, in North Canton, Ohio. We were both pretty excited, and I was happy to be in a position to pull this off for him. The deal we took advantage of was $31.00. This deal included a large pizza, two…

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May 21, 2017
Read more about the article Please keep Elliott in your thoughts and prayers 
Elliott / My thoughts / Thoughts and Prayers

Please keep Elliott in your thoughts and prayers 

The boys came home for their Grandparents house, after a fun overnight visit. When Elliott walked in the door, I knew something was wrong when I say his face.  He looked pale and somewhat disoriented.  He kept saying he was okay, but it wasn't very convincing. I gave him a little bit to settle in and then I took his temperature. Unfortunately, my instincts we right and he was running a relatively high fever.  Both he and Emmett went to bed without a problem.  After a few hours, he woke up and came downstairs because he couldn't go back to sleep. He and I ended up camping out in the living room, because he was more comfortable in the couch.  The other benefit is that if he were to get…

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May 21, 2017
Read more about the article Emmett’s school year might be cut short
Emmett John / My thoughts / PFAPA

Emmett’s school year might be cut short

We received a call from Lizze's Mom because Emmett was complaining of a sore throat. I think he was possibly looking to come home, but they were able to redirect him and he decided to stay, from what I understand.  For the last few days, I've been monitoring his temperature. I have a bad feeling, and I think he may be hitting another fever cycle. His joints have been hot and he's been acting a little funny.  If he is entering into a new fever cycle, he will very likely miss the rest of the school year.  I'm concerned because if this does prove true, these cycles are very close together, and the sore throat is a new symptom.  I'm really hoping that he feels better in the morning... 

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May 20, 2017
Read more about the article How our “alone time” went tonight
Marriage Maintenance / My thoughts

How our “alone time” went tonight

The boys are at Lizze's parents for the night, and we were able to get out for a little while. Unfortunately, Lizze isn't feeling well because of the weather (it's a Fibromyalgia thing), and as a result, we called it an early night.  We went and saw the first movie I can remember her and I going to, in a long time. She was kind enough to entertain my wanting to see Alien Covenant.  I thought it was really good, but I'm guessing Lizze didn't because she fell asleep before the halfway point. lol In her defense, she was in a lot of pain and as a result, she was exhausted. It was nice simply being able to get out for a little while.  Hopefully, she'll feel better in the…

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May 20, 2017
Read more about the article We need some time away from the kids 
My thoughts

We need some time away from the kids 

I always feel the need to add this little disclaimer, when saying I need a break from my kids. Lizze and I both love them completely, but they're absolutely exhausting, and we need a break.  Lizze doesn't have class today and that meant she was here to help get the boys off to school.  I'm glad she's getting the help she needs, but at the same time, it creates so much more work for me. As it is, I'm already burnt out and in need of a break. Adding more to my plate makes everything more difficult.!  Anyway, it's awesome to have her home today. Class takes so much out of her, and when she gets home she crashes. I feel like I haven't seen her in awhile, and that…

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May 19, 2017
Read more about the article It’s a really big day for our #Autism family
Elliott / Emmett John / My thoughts / School / Victories

It’s a really big day for our #Autism family

I'm really looking forward to today. Not only is this the last day of the second to last day of school, but it's martial arts promotion. Both Elliott and Emmett have been anxiously awaiting today.  This is always a really cool experience, except it's unbearably hot in the dojo, and there are a lot of heavy, heavy smokers. Obviously, no one's smoking inside but you can still smell it, and it's horrible.  Aside from that, the only downside is that Elliott's promotion is first thing in the morning and Emmett's is towards the end of the day.  Typically, they have always been one after the other. This time however, there's roughly four hours between them. I guess we will have to go home and grab lunch or something. 😁  Anyway,…

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May 19, 2017
Read more about the article We are saying goodbye to an important #Autism therapy
Emmett John / My thoughts / Occupational Therapy

We are saying goodbye to an important #Autism therapy

I took Emmett to occupational therapy this past Tuesday, only to find out that this is his last session. I had no idea this is what was going to happen and frankly, I'm not sure what to think.  Having said that, it's not uncommon to take a break from things during the Summer and pick things back up in the Fall.  Unfortunately, that's not the plan, at least not at this point. They billed this whole thing as graduation. We can always re-evaluate in the future but they feel Emmett can use the skills he's learned to get through the Summer/rest of his life.  I didn't make a big deal out of this at the time because Emmett was upset enough, and I wanted to get him through this before…

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May 18, 2017