Read more about the article Are you looking for fun things to distract your kids with?
My thoughts / Reviews / Sponsored Post

Are you looking for fun things to distract your kids with?

I mentioned recently that I wanted the kids to get involved in things that weren't battery powered or attached to a screen. Well, wish granted. Zen Laboratory reached out and wanted to sponsor a review of their Jumbo Slime Kit. They retail for about $30 and they sent one for each of the kids. While I don't personally like playing with slime anymore, it turns out my kids do. I did a quick unboxing to show you guys what comes in the box before the kids tore into it. Check that out below. https://youtu.be/MWdYz9VuAWI Honestly, there isn't much you can say about slime other than I used to love playing with it as a kid. Gavin isn't into it but Elliott and Emmett love it. They've been playing with it…

1 Comment
May 13, 2020
Read more about the article My #specialneeds #immunocompromised son is terrified by #COVID19 and afraid of dying alone
COVID19 / Gavin / IVIG Infusion / Lockdown / My thoughts

My #specialneeds #immunocompromised son is terrified by #COVID19 and afraid of dying alone

I just spent a good chunk of time trying to convince Gavin that he does not have COVID19. This is heartbreaking and becoming an ongoing struggle that's proving difficult to navigate. In case you're one of my many new readers, here's a little background on Gavin so you can put this into perspective. Gavin is 20 years old but emotionally and cognitively, he's somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 or 6 years of age. That's the best guess as to where he is developmentally. Gavin also has many health issues that render his health fragile. While they all matter, the biggest concern in regards to COVID19 is that he's significantly immunocompromised. This means his immune system doesn't function properly and in order to stay healthy, he needs to infuse a…

0 Comments
May 7, 2020
Read more about the article Breaking the monotony of lockdown with some backyard fun
COVID19 / Family Fun / Lockdown / My thoughts

Breaking the monotony of lockdown with some backyard fun

The boys and I have been working on setting up a fire pit in our yard. We're cleaning out the back half, and building an area were we can spend time together and sorta feel like we're escaping all this insanity. Our first planned fire is this Friday. We have to register with the city and wait 48 hours before using it. We have some food to cook over the fire and the kids are really looking forward to seeing all their hard work pay off. It's still bittersweet because there are four seats instead of five but that's okay. We decided this would our guys spot. Maybe we'll add a fifth seat for when the pandemic is over and their friends come to visit again. I'm looking forward to…

2 Comments
May 7, 2020
Read more about the article Focusing on the positive
COVID19 / Elliott / Emmett John / Lockdown / My thoughts

Focusing on the positive

There's so much going on right now and our lives are on hold in many ways. The stress is getting to all of us and it's quite common for me to hear the kids fighting throughout the day. They are so overwhemled by everything and I just don't know how to help them purge some of that stress and anxiety. Anyway, I wanted to share this because it made me so happy to see. I was working and when I realized how quiet the house was, I went to check. I wanted to make sure everything and everyone was okay. It's not a common occurance for the house to be quiet during the day. When I walked into the living room, this is what I found. Elliott and Emmett were…

0 Comments
May 6, 2020
Read more about the article Safe and Healthy Is The Goal
COVID19 / Lockdown / My thoughts

Safe and Healthy Is The Goal

I kinda exhausted my writing resources today working on a new project that I'll tell you more about when I can. That being said, I committed to writing at least once a day and I'm trying to live up to that commitment. I thought I would drop a quick little update on how we're doing. Big picture, we're doing pretty good. There are many things that are major challenges right now. Those challenges don't undon the fact that we're all safe and healthy. At the end of the day, safe and healthy is the primary goal. One of the things that I wanted to acknowledge is how difficult it's been for Lizze. I don't know what goes on in her life anymore, as my contact is limited and only in…

1 Comment
May 3, 2020
Read more about the article It took 56 days but it finally happened
COVID19 / Lockdown / My thoughts

It took 56 days but it finally happened

I really wish I had the energy to write more but the reality is, I don't. It's not even a close call either. I'm really trying to push myself because writing is so important to me for a million reasons but one of the biggest is that it's a form of therapy. Without writing, I tend to carry a ton of shit around that isn't healthy. My goal is to write at least once a day. I feel like that's very realistic. It's a far cry from what I used to do but it's better than giving up. I'm starting tonight, even though I'm exhausted and wanting to crash, I want to get some writing done, because I'm hoping it will help me to sleep. There were many challenges today,…

4 Comments
May 2, 2020
Read more about the article Effective Parenting Under Lockdown
Sponsored Post

Effective Parenting Under Lockdown

Being a parent is incredibly rewarding… but also extraordinarily hard. Being a parent to a child with a condition like Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) brings with it its own unique set of challenges. Whatever the stresses and strains of your parenting journey, it’s likely that they’ve been exacerbated by the current pandemic and lockdown. Here we’ll look at some of the greatest enemies of effective parenting while on lockdown, as well as what you can do about them. Image by DDimitrova via Pixabay Unrealistic expectationsThis is something that most parents struggle with anyway. However, it’s safe to say that we’re all especially stern self-critics while under lockdown. We might see images of harmonious households on social media or parenting blogs. But while others are baking banana bread, you’re trying to…

0 Comments
April 28, 2020
Read more about the article What I’ve learned after 50 days of #COVID19 lockdown
COVID19 / Lockdown / My thoughts

What I’ve learned after 50 days of #COVID19 lockdown

The boys and I have been on lockdown for a total of 50 days today. When you think about that, it's crazy. 50 days of not going anywhere and not having contact with anyone outside of ourselves. I feel Ike this is a pretty big milestone and we should recognize that. It's not uncommon for me to beat myself up for my shortcomings, of which I feel there are many. Things are challenging and I believe I should be doing better. I can't tell you how many times I feel like I'm failing my kids. Those feeling will probably always be there, at least to some degree. The truth is, my job is difficult and the reality is, all things considered, I'm sorta kicking ass. It's not perfect because I'm…

2 Comments
April 25, 2020