Read more about the article #Depression sucks: I’m feeling alone right now and not particularly good about myself
Confessions / Depression Management / My thoughts

#Depression sucks: I’m feeling alone right now and not particularly good about myself

I'm feeling completely overwhelmed today. Emmett is sick and Gavin has started cursing every time he gets frustrated. It's becoming an issue because he already has no filter. Everytime he says something inappropriate, Elliott and Emmett jump all over it. They aren't fans of cursing and I don't generally use that language in front of them. I've got to tighten the reigns on what he's watching again. I haven't been able to walk in days and that's really frustrating for me. There are things I can do around the house but I don't get the same emotional benefits from that. The boys and I were invited to a private tour of the new Urban Air Aventure Park in Akron this Friday. It's a media thing and they'd like us to…

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November 14, 2019
Read more about the article Clothes shopping for my kids is very overwhelming for this single Dad
My thoughts / New Beginnings

Clothes shopping for my kids is very overwhelming for this single Dad

Being a single Mom or Dad is a tremendous amount of responsibility. Being a single parent to special needs children is even more responsibility. I'm learning to navigate those challenges as we speak. Both Elliott and Emmett have outgrown their winter coats. I mentioned that I had looked over the weekend because I knew we had cold weather coming in. As I'm not independently wealthy, I had planned on replacing them one at a time, starting with Emmett because he needed it the most. Next I planned on replacing Elliott's and then Gavin's. Gavin's jacket is relatively new and he hasn't grown in awhile. He's actually in pretty good shape but I feel like his sleeves are too short and want to replace his as well. It's just not urgent.…

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November 12, 2019
Read more about the article The boys aren’t doing well this morning
My thoughts

The boys aren’t doing well this morning

It's been a rough night and a very uncertain Monday morning. Elliott was up well past midnight, unable to sleep. I'm not sure what time he actually fell asleep but he's dragging more than usual today. Emmett had nightmares all night long and is dealing with sinus drainage that's making him nauseous. He's refusing to go to school because he feels like he's going to puke. He needs to get to school. I need to go walking and finish working on this week's episode. This is probably transition related for Elliott and Emmett. They had a great time with their mom and grandparents but it's still emotional and it's still a change. Gavin didnt sleep well either and I'll explain more about that later, because I need to figure out…

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November 11, 2019
Read more about the article I have some really positive news to share
My thoughts

I have some really positive news to share

It's been a long weekend but we survived it. The kids came home from their mom and grandparents about noon. They all seem to have had a very positive visit. That makes me happy for them and for her as well. Some parents might wish ill on the other parent and even hope that visits are a disaster for them. I can understand the anger or frustration but personally, I want everyone to be happy. I want my kids to be happy, healthy and well adjusted. I want them to have a meaningful relationship with their mother. I truly want nothing but the best for her. In my book, positive visits are really good news. It means that everyone is beginning to adjust and while it's a slow process, they're…

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November 10, 2019
Read more about the article I’ve been a single Dad to my 3 #Autistic kids for exactly 3 months now and here’s the truth
Confessions / My thoughts / New Beginnings

I’ve been a single Dad to my 3 #Autistic kids for exactly 3 months now and here’s the truth

It's been three months since I became a single Dad again and I'm still trying to find my footing. It's not easy to grieve, while being a full time Dad and caregiver to three amazing kids with special needs. This time around, I think I'm adjusting a bit quicker than I did before. Adjusting doesn't mean I'm happy or I'm okay with any of this. It simply means that I'm adapting to the change, nothing more and nothing less. I'm doing okay. I have my moments where I would give anything to change this and moments where I recognize that it's for the best. I also spend a lot of time in between those places as well. Being a single Dad and raising three amazing but challenging kids alone is…

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November 10, 2019
Read more about the article I’m not f*cking perfect and never claimed to be
My thoughts

I’m not f*cking perfect and never claimed to be

This started out as a reply to a supportive comment left on the previous post: A Massive, Overdue and Heartbreaking Update but took on a life of its own and is better suited as a dedicated post. This is basically in response to comments about my parenting and how I'm not doing enough for my kids. It's so easy to stand on the outside looking in and judge my parenting or assign blame but the reality is that there are very real limits as to what I can actually do because the system is broken. Gavin could potentially get into a day program and that's something on my to do list. The big problem is that funding is so limited. Where I live, DD has to be able to match…

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November 8, 2019
Read more about the article A massive overdue and heartbreaking update
General Update / My thoughts

A massive overdue and heartbreaking update

It's been a few days since I've written much and there's a few reasons for that. Firstly, the podcast is gaining traction and it's requiring a good bit of my time. Secondly, I'm having a hard time focusing on writing. Thirdly, and this ties in with difficulties in focusing, I'm struggling in general. With the holidays approaching, I'm beginning to face the reality that my family has been torn apart. It's not like I didn't already know that but the holidays are really important to me. It's like, no matter what else is going on around me, I had my wife and kids. At the end of the day, that's all that mattered. The holidays are all about family and now mine is broken. It's going to be hard for…

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November 8, 2019
Read more about the article Melissa Hruza on adoptaclassroom.org and funding teachers? (S2E5)
My thoughts / Podcast / Season 2

Melissa Hruza on adoptaclassroom.org and funding teachers? (S2E5)

This week Melissa Hruza, Director of Marketing and Corporate Sponsorships at adoptaclassroom.org stopped by to discuss how they are helping teachers and students all over the country, find the funding they need. So many teachers have to pay for classroom necessities out of their own pocket and that's simply unacceptable. Adoptaclassroom.org is a national, award-winning nonprofit that provides the most flexible and accountable funding for K-12 teachers and schools throughout the U.S. Their proprietary, easy-to-use education fundraising platform helps teachers, principals, and administrators give every child the tools they deserve to succeed in school. Since 1998, they have raised more than $36 million and supported 4.5 million students. As a 501(c)(3) organization, they hold a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.  In other words, they are doing amazing things for our…

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November 7, 2019