Read more about the article I feel like I’m just f*cking everything up
My thoughts

I feel like I’m just f*cking everything up

It's been a stressful afternoon and evening. The kids came home after what seems to have been a very positive visit with their mom, and just fell apart. Holy shit has it been a rough day. The kids have been fighting and bouncing off the walls. Gavin has been overwhelmed most of the evening and had a meltdown after dinner. He actually did very well and got through it without hurting himself or breaking something but he was over the edge for sure. I write this off to fallout from the visit and that's probably right on the mark. Something people seem to misunderstand is that fallout isn't always the result of a negative experience. My kids love seeing their mom but it's very emotionally charged and they struggle with…

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December 8, 2019
Read more about the article Why do breaks always make me feel guilty?
My thoughts

Why do breaks always make me feel guilty?

The boys have been at their mom and grandparents house since lunchtime yesterday. They'll be home any minute and I wanted to get a quick post done before they got here. I didn't do much while the kids were gone and I feel like I should have. I don't get many breaks and when I do, I'm usually too tired to do much. It's really the only time I can have some actual downtime without any guilt, even though I feel guilty that I didn't get anything done anyway. Breaks always make me feel guilty. Emmett isn't feeling well this morning and I foresee school being an issue tomorrow. I'm not sure what's going on but they seem to have it managed cause I offered to pick him up this…

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December 8, 2019
Read more about the article This looks to be an AMAZING opportunity but it’s going to be challenging
My thoughts / Trip

This looks to be an AMAZING opportunity but it’s going to be challenging

I wanted to drop a quick update about this Florida trip. I have some more information to share and it's pretty exciting. If you missed the last post, please see The Amazing Reason My Kids and I Were Just Invited to Orlando, Florida for details. So the trip would take place in early 2020 and the purpose would be to experience the accommodations that DoubleTree has put into place for Autistic people and their families. We would be able to provide honest feedback and show other families what they can expect from these inclusive accommodations. This is a really exciting opportunity and I'm feeling very positive about this right now. While I'm still putting more specific details together, I believe part of the experience will involve SeaWorld as well. There…

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December 7, 2019
Read more about the article The Autism Healthcare Collaborative (S2E9)
My thoughts / Podcast / Season 2

The Autism Healthcare Collaborative (S2E9)

I had the opportunity to speak with Sheri A. Marino, MA, CCC-SLP this past week. She's the Executive Director of the Autism Healthcare Collaborative. The only way I can think to describe this organization is Dr. House meets Autism. The AHC basically provides families of medically complicated Autistic children with access to the top doctors from various specialities via teleconferencing.

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December 6, 2019
Read more about the article I tell people I’m okay but I’m really not
Confessions / My thoughts

I tell people I’m okay but I’m really not

Twice today, I've been called out for not being honest about how I'm doing. My amazing Mother was the first one, and a few hours later, my therapist became the second. I wanted to talk about this briefly and ask you to take a second, do a self-inventory and see if maybe this applies to you as well. Basically, I was called out for not being honest about how I'm doing. People ask me all the time how I'm doing and with the exception of a very few people, on rare occasions, I generally politely reply that I'm doing good. I get away with that because most people don't look beneath the surface. They don't really see that sometimes when I say I'm okay, I'm only saying that to make…

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December 5, 2019
Read more about the article I’m overwhelmed, frustrated and exhausted but still kicking
My thoughts

I’m overwhelmed, frustrated and exhausted but still kicking

It's been a crazy long day. The kids have been driving me absolutely bonkers and I'm so grateful to at least have hope that they will be returning to school in the morning. I'm still really worried about Elliott but his pediatrician says he's okay and it sounds much worse than it actually is. I absolutely love my kids but I need a break. I haven't been able to walk in well over a week and I haven't been able to walk regularly in months. It's taking its toll on me. Anyway, everyone is sleeping and I've been up fighting with the audio for Friday's podcast. I'm frustrated because I want to do better audio but I'm limited by my environment and equipment. I'm just overwhelmed with life in general…

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December 5, 2019
Read more about the article I got the kids into the pediatrician last night
Akron Children's Hospital / Elliott / Emmett John / My thoughts / Pediatrics

I got the kids into the pediatrician last night

The boys were at the doctor's last night and the verdict is in, they're absolutely sick. Emmett has a respiratory infection but no signs of strep throat. He's dealing with a virus and can return to school on Thursday, assuming he doesn't get worse. Elliott has a combo sinus infection and respiratory infection, with some asthma related complications. Because he's not made any improvement in the last week or so, she changed his meds and he should be able to return to school on Thursday, assuming the new antibiotics work. I'm supposed to have the boys to Akron Children's Behavioral Health today. I asked if I should reschedule it but she said no. There's no reason I can't take them. Everyone is moving slowly this morning but in good spirits.…

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December 4, 2019
Read more about the article The Amazing Reason My Kids and I Were Just Invited to Orlando, Florida
My thoughts / Special Announcements

The Amazing Reason My Kids and I Were Just Invited to Orlando, Florida

This is really exciting and frankly, I'm still processing it. DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld has invited me and my kids to visit and experience their hotel, as well as their new, Autism-friendly accommodations. Apparently they reached out because of who I am and the work I've been doing in the Autism community. Frankly, I was caught off guard by this and it's taking some time to wrap my head around. As I'm thinking about this though, I'm realizing that it's an amazing opportunity to experience and evaluate, first hand, the accommodations made for Autistic people and their families. It would also be an opportunity to show my readers, followers, and listeners, that while it doesn't always feel like it, the world is becoming more inclusive. There are places…

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December 4, 2019