Read more about the article This doesn’t happen nearly as often as it used to
Gavin / My thoughts

This doesn’t happen nearly as often as it used to

Gavin's having a pretty good day so far. He seems to be functioning on all cylinders, at least for him. He woke up this morning, took his meds, cleaned his room, did the dishes and is just chilling out in his room now. He doesn't appear to be struggling as much as he was the other day. Dr. Pattie calls this the Swiss Cheese effect because sometimes, all the holes line up and Gavin shines through. Other times, the holes don't line up and we see him struggle more. Days like today are few and far between anymore. They don't come around nearly as often as they used to and so were extremely grateful when they do. ☺

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December 10, 2017
Read more about the article A long overdue update on me
General Update / My thoughts

A long overdue update on me

The boys and I are going to have the day to ourselves. We'll be dropping Lizze off somewhere in North Canton, because she has a Christmas thing with her Mom. I imagine she'll be gone for most of the day. Both Elliott and Emmett have lost their respective tablets until lunchtime because of choices they made before bedtime tonight. I'm hoping to finish working on the first floor while Lizze is gone. I'd love to surprise her when she walks into the house from spending the day with her Mom. I made some decent progress today and I feel pretty good about that. Our Christmas tree is decorated and looking pretty snazzy. It's simple but we like and that's what matters. ☺ The weather has taken a turn towards the…

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December 9, 2017
Read more about the article It’s heartbreaking to see him like this
Autism Parenting Woes / Gavin / Heartbreak / My thoughts

It’s heartbreaking to see him like this

When you're a parent to a child with fragile physical health, a degenerative condition and severe mental health issues, it seems like there's no end to the heartache. Gavin is the child in our family who the above paragraph describes and it's true, there's no end to the heartache we feel as his parents. Helplessly watching him lose skills, abilities, memories and independence is a gut-wrenching experience I wouldn't wish on anyone. Poor Gavin is having such a hard time today. He's been walking into people and things all day long. He's stepping on things he shouldn't because he's not paying attention or isn't focusing on his surroundings. It's not his fault but he doesn't get that and frankly, it doesn't make it any less disruptive either. We're decorating the…

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December 9, 2017
Read more about the article Massive update on my wife
Lizze / Major Update / My thoughts

Massive update on my wife

It's been a really long time since I published an update on Lizze. There really isn't a reason I haven't written much about her specifically, I just don't like to step on her toes cause she has her own blog to share her story. Every once in awhile, I think it's important to shine the light on her because she's a big part of our family. Lizze lives every single day of her life in pain. Sometimes the pain is manageable and other times, like the last week or so, it's agonizing. Lizze was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a long time ago. She's dealing with a particularly aggressive form of fibromyalgia. Aggressive isn't the right word. Severe is a better, more accurate choice. Like all things, fibromyalgia hits everyone differently. Some…

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December 9, 2017
Read more about the article I made a new rule this week
My Personal Victory / My thoughts

I made a new rule this week

The boys have been having a pretty good afternoon. I made a new rule and it goes like this. If the boys fight in the car, either to or from school, they forfeit the time on the Xbox or Playstation. So far, I've only had to follow through once and the rest of the time, a simple reminder if things start going the wrong way. The trick is to find something they like more than fighting with each other. It's working right now and I'm happy with that because even if it only works a few times, that's a few more pleasant car rides than it would have been otherwise. ☺

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December 8, 2017
Read more about the article Whatcha gonna do, they’re brothers
My thoughts

Whatcha gonna do, they’re brothers

It's thankfully been a relatively quiet day here. The boys got off to school with only a few hiccups along the way. There was a bit of the usual fighting and button pushing but whacha gonna do, they're brothers. ☺ I didn't sleep real well last night, so I grabbed a power nap and feel infinitely better now. All we have outside of getting the boys to and from school, is getting Lizze to and from her doctors appointment at noon. That shouldn't be a very long appointment but depending on how long it takes, will definitely dictate what happens next. I'll probably drop Lizze and Gavin off at home and head off to the school if the appointment runs late. Overall I can't complain. The day has been pretty…

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December 8, 2017
Read more about the article It’s so hard to feed my kids
Autism Parenting Struggles / Feeding Problems / My thoughts / Sensory

It’s so hard to feed my kids

One of the hardest, most frustrating challenges my wife and I face on a daily basis, is struggling to feed our kids. The struggle is probably not for the reasons you think either. It's not because we don't have food or have a hard time getting food. Working from home hasn't always been easy but it's finally beginning to pay off and we have been paying for 99% of our groceries out of pocket for awhile now. That's something that feels amazing but it doesn't make feeding our kids any easier. Trying to feed two of our three kids with major sensory processing issues has proven to be one of the most challenging things about being an Autism parent to three kids on the spectrum. My two youngest have such…

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December 8, 2017
Read more about the article What the hell just happened?
Autism Parenting Struggles / Emmett John / Meltdowns / My thoughts

What the hell just happened?

This morning was a nightmare with Mr. Emmett. He was beside himself all fricking morning long. He screamed, screamed and screamed a whole lot more. You would be shocked by just how draining this is for us as parents. The issue seemed to revolve around his mouth hurting. He has a tooth coming in and as a result, he's refusing to eat. He melted down because he didn't want anything for lunch but then he did. It was very clear that he was frustrated and simply wasn't able to process anything. He did eventually make it to school but not before setting a tone for the day that is quite unpleasant. I suspect that he's in a fever cycle because it's unusual for him to go this far off the…

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December 7, 2017