Read more about the article My frustration level is through the roof today
Gavin

My frustration level is through the roof today

I'm frustrated with Gavin today, but it's not really his fault. He was cleaning out the ferrets litter box, and didn't pay attention to what I had told him, and he ended up breaking the cage.  It's possible I'll be able to fix it, but that's not really the point.  If he'd simply listened to my words, this could have been avoided. While I'm frustrated, I'm not angry. This is one of the many challenges I face as an Autism parent/special needs parent.  The reality is that Gavin my not have heard me. He could have heard but then forgot. He may have also simply been impuslive.  All I know is that this isn't fun, and after five nights of major sleep loss. My patience is wearing thin, and I'm…

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July 5, 2017
Read more about the article He crashed about an hour ago
Autism Parenting Struggles / Elliott / My thoughts

He crashed about an hour ago

Elliott never fell asleep last night. That means he's been awake for roughly four of the last five days. Thays obviously not a good thing. Something has to give, if for no other reason than this is killing me.  It's especially tough on days Lizze is in class because I don't get any sleep. Thankfully, Elliott is currently sawing zzz's in his bed. He was so grouchy this morning, we sent him to his room to chill out for a bit.  He ended up dozing off while he was there. He's been out for about an hour or so.  I can't let him sleep for too long because I don't want this to impact his ability to sleep tonight. This whole thing sucks and it's really taking a toll.. 

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July 5, 2017
Read more about the article It sounds like a war zone outside our house
My Crazy Neighborhood / My thoughts

It sounds like a war zone outside our house

As I figured, there would be no sleep happening tonight. Where we live, people begin celebrating the fourth of July early, and carry on doing so a day or two beyond the fourth.  It sounds like war zone at night, and into the wee hours of the morning.  I wouldn't care so much if they did this during the day but when this goes on all night, it's excessive. I suspect the reason it's done at night is because the explosives they're lighting off, are very illegal in Ohio.  Anyway, with loud explosions going off all around us, there's no way the boys can fall asleep.  It's currently 3:45 am and I just got Emmett to fall asleep. The poor kid was so tired and overstimulated from all the noise,…

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July 5, 2017
Read more about the article The amazing ways @VivintGivesBack can help special needs families
My thoughts / Vivint Gives Back

The amazing ways @VivintGivesBack can help special needs families

As you probably already know, I've been working with the Vivint Gives Back Foundation for the better part of two years. If you've been following our story from the Lost and Tired days, you know that I don't work with many companies, and that's by choice. What makes Vivint Gives Back different, is that they are actually doing things to help special needs families, particularly those who have wandering children. Vivint Home is a company that specializes in both Smart Home and Security technologies. They have created technology that can help you monitor your kids, and limit their ability to exit the house on their own. You will be notified immediately should your child let themselves out of the house. Smart cameras can notify you if your child gets up in the…

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July 4, 2017
Read more about the article I’ve been so worried about Elliott not sleeping
Elliott / My thoughts

I’ve been so worried about Elliott not sleeping

We've had a pretty good morning. Elliott slept until about lunchtime, and that was awesome. We don't have any immediate plans for today, but maybe we'll get the kids to the playground again. I'm feeling much better after a brief power nap, and ready to take on the rest of the day. I've been so worried about Elliott not sleeping, and it's taken its toll. Hopefully, we're through this period of disturbed sleep and can return to a better, more healthy sleep cycle. :-)

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July 4, 2017
Read more about the article I’m so grateful he’s sleeping
Elliott / My thoughts

I’m so grateful he’s sleeping

It's pushing 9 am and Elliott is still fast asleep. We've decided to put all of our plans on hold today, and let Elliott sleep as much as he possibly can. He's gone so long without sleeping, we want to give him every opportunity to do so today.  I'm so grateful that he's found sleep once again.. 

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July 4, 2017
Read more about the article This is absolutely a blessing 
Blessings / Elliott / My thoughts

This is absolutely a blessing 

I have some really good news tonight. Elliott is peacefully sleeping, and has been all night. This is the first time in over three days that he's done that. The neighborhood noise was really bad, and he slept right through it.  My hope is that he will sleep in and feel much better when he wakes up.  Like I said before, we aren't sure what's behind this, but at this point, we're just grateful that it seems to be over for now. 

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July 4, 2017
Read more about the article He now appears to be in a mini-crisis
Elliott / My thoughts

He now appears to be in a mini-crisis

We're currently working through a mini-crisis of sorts. Mr. Elliott has been awake for the better part of three days. He's taken a few short (as in one or two hours at a time) naps, but nothing significant.  This is on Melatonin and his nightly Benadryl for allergies.  There are likely a couple of pieces to this problem, but I'm not sure what the root cause is. One issue is possibly related to being manic. We aren't really putting much into that at this point, but as I've said before, it's on our radar.  The second part is very likely to be anxiety related. He's been experiencing a significant amount of anxiety lately, and that's just part of his severe anxiety disorder. He's anxious for seemingly no reason, and it…

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July 3, 2017