Read more about the article Awesome news
Announcements / My thoughts

Awesome news

I've spent the last 15 hours rebuilding the server from the ground up. The main reason for doing this was because with theautismdad.com permanently banned On Facebook, there too many things broken as a result. For example, logging into the site with Facebook was impossible, as was a few other behind the scenes things tied to my Facebook app. It was necessary to reimage the server in order to make the changes necessary to overcome this particular obstacle. I had planned on making this particular change at some point anyway, the events of the last few months simply forced me to move up my timeline a bit. You may or may not know but my ultimate goal is to create a non-profit foundation that does what I'm already doing and…

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May 8, 2018
Read more about the article I was not in a good place when I wrote this
Confessions / My thoughts

I was not in a good place when I wrote this

Disclaimer: This post is meant to provide insight into my state of mind in this very moment. I'm writing this in an attempt to process these feelings and deal with them in a positive way. I'm far from perfect but I get up each morning and do my very best to be what everyone needs me to be. Unfortunately, on days like today, I don't just fall short, I straight up crash and burn. These are the thoughts and feelings of an overwhelmed husband and father. I understand that my logic might not make sense but I'm writing this in real time and it's how I'm feeling in this very moment. Tomorrow is a new day and things will be better, but for right now, they aren't. I'll also add…

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May 6, 2018
Read more about the article The plan for today
My thoughts

The plan for today

The plan for today is to work on the house for a little while before going to the park and enjoying the weather. Maybe we'll go for hike in the woods. We haven't done that is a while. The only problem with that Is that Emmett only wears crocs and those aren't conducive for hiking. We'll have to stop every 30 seconds for Emmett to fix them. I heard a rumor that the boys might be spending the night with their Grandparents but I'm not sure if that's actually happening or not. The only other two things on the agenda today is to get the water jugs filled and watch the Cavs destroy the Raptors in game 3..☺  

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May 5, 2018
Read more about the article This is what #Schizophrenia looks like to my family
Gavin / My thoughts / YouTube Video

This is what #Schizophrenia looks like to my family

Over the years, I've tried to document the many things we deal with as a special needs family. It's important to me that I help to educate the public because there will come a time where I will no longer be here and I take a small comfort in the knowledge that my efforts today might make the world a more forgiving, understanding and compassionate place for my kids. That being said, I wanted to share this video I shot a few years ago. It shows Gavin, who's living with Schizophrenia, talking on an imaginary phone. This video is approaching 1,000,000 views and one of the more frustrating comments I see in regards to this particular video is that he doesn't have Schizophrenia, he just has an active imagination.  The reality…

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May 5, 2018
Read more about the article I broke down and bought a new carpet scrubber
My thoughts

I broke down and bought a new carpet scrubber

My claim to fame for today has been scrubbing the carpet. That's my major contribution to society, at least the members of society that use our upstairs, carpeted bathroom. :-) There are many things I hate about our house. I hate the squirrels that keep breaking into our attic. I hate that there are so few power outlets in the bedrooms. I hate that there are no shutoffs for most of the waterlines throughout the house. I even hate that it's so hard to fix things because the house is so old and hasn't been repaired properly in the past, making it incredibly expensive, as well as challenging to make repairs today. Having said all that, one of the biggest gripes I have about this house is that there is carpet…

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May 4, 2018
Read more about the article A little routine I have with my kids on the #Autism Spectrum
Elliott / Emmett John / My thoughts / The Little Things

A little routine I have with my kids on the #Autism Spectrum

Everyday, I arrive at the school about an hour early, start the parent pickup line and enjoy the quiet. I've been doing this for years. During the before (what we call the 2 year separation), this was really important because the kids were struggling and they felt reassured to see me there early each day. It was important to me that always know I was there for them, especially in those darker times. That was a long time ago and I continue doing this today. It's become something of a routine for me and one that it's beneficial to my sanity. It's part of my self-care routine. I enjoy parking in the shade, basking in the quiet and either reading or writing for an hour until the boys are released…

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May 4, 2018
Read more about the article I wasn’t doing so well this morning
My thoughts

I wasn’t doing so well this morning

I had a rough night trying to sleep. It's all allergy related but it still makes sleeping very difficult for me. Lizze was kind enough to get the kids to school this morning. Actually, it was only Emmett because Elliott is quite clearly not feeling well. Anyway, I'm feeling much better after getting some sleep. There's not really anything on the agenda for today. I might try and work out in the yard if I can. As crazy as this is going to sound, we've not heard gunshots during the day in awhile. We hear them at night quite frequently but it's been relatively quiet during the day. This helps me feel a bit safer, should I decide to try and get some yard work done this afternoon. Gavin's doing…

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May 4, 2018
Read more about the article This almost never happens
My thoughts

This almost never happens

All in all, it's been a pretty good evening. I made a decent dinner and since Elliott and Emmett were still at my parents, I only had to cook one time instead of multiple times. Not only that, but everyone left in the house ate it. ☺ This almost never happens but I'm grateful when it does. I grilled some chicken breast and baked a couple sweet potatoes, along with steaming some green beans. It was pretty darn good if I do say so myself. The one problem we did have occurred after the boys came home, and that was bedtime. Emmett flat out refused to go to sleep because he's afraid of having another nightmare. It took quite a bit of effort and patience to get him down for…

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May 4, 2018