Read more about the article What Are You So Scared Of?
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What Are You So Scared Of?

It sad to say but the harsh truth of living in the modern world is that most of us live our lives in fear. That might sound kind of dramatic but you can see it all of the time. You see people who get trapped in the kind of life that they  never wanted and doesn't make them happy but they put up with it because the idea of something else brings with it the fear of things going wrong and a lot of people really would rather put up with an unhappy life than take that risk.

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April 29, 2019
Read more about the article It’s unbelievable what sometimes goes into getting my kids to school in the morning
Autism Parenting Insight / Emmett John / My thoughts

It’s unbelievable what sometimes goes into getting my kids to school in the morning

It's already been an eventful morning, after a long night. When we last spoke, it was about 1 AM, and the boys were unable to sleep. Elliott fell asleep shortly after that but Emmett could not. His legs were hurting him too much, and he ended up sleeping in between Lizze and I. I don't know if he just needed the comfort, but he did fall asleep. Emmett was very concerned about going to school today because of his legs. He has to do multiple flights of stairs, numerous times a day. He also has martial arts as well. The poor kid is having to rough go at it, and he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to do these things because they would hurt too much. I walked…

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April 29, 2019
Read more about the article I hate chaos, but it’s an inevitable part of my life
Autism Parenting Insight / My thoughts

I hate chaos, but it’s an inevitable part of my life

I'm feeling a bit better today because I took some ZzzQuil last night, and slept like a baby. I think I actually got a solid 8 hours of sleep. That's both uncommon and awesome, all at the same time. There aren't any plans today outside of working in the house. I want to finish up the laundry and get it put away. Right now, my living room is drowning in laundry, and I desperately want out from underneath all that. I don't know if I've ever specifically spelled this out before, but I hate chaos. I hate it. Chaos is the absence of organization, and I love being organized. Unfortunately, chaos reigns supreme in my house because of the often unpredictable nature of the many Autism related challenges we face…

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April 28, 2019
Read more about the article I’m going to bed heartbroken
Autism Parenting Struggles / Gavin / My thoughts

I’m going to bed heartbroken

We had a great afternoon/evening at the movies. Avengers: Endgame was amazing. I'll leave it at that cause I don't want to ruin it for anyone. I'm so grateful that we had the opportunity to do this as a family. ☺ Unfortunately, that's where the awesome news ends and the bad news begins. After the boys went to bed tonight, Gavin came downstairs to take his bedtime meds, but before he did that, he needed to tell us something. I've grown to dread these moments because when he says things like this, it's seldom something I want to hear about. Gavin informed us that he wouldn't be able to help out around the house tomorrow because "I'm going to be needed at HQ a lot cause Sonic has a really…

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April 27, 2019
Read more about the article This made me smile today
Artwork / Autism Parenting Insight / Gavin / My thoughts

This made me smile today

It's been a rough day for a multitude of reasons. Rather than focus on the negatives, I wanted to share something a bit more uplifting and positive. I feel like it's important to focus on the positives as much as possible. I realize it's not always easy, especially for Autism parents but it's a good habit to get into. Admittedly, it's still a work in progress for me personally, but I'm making a concerted effort. That said... If you have been following for a while, you know that Gavin used to be quite fond of drawing. As his daily struggles increase and he loses touch with reality, he drifted away from his more artistic side. It was sad to see that part of him fade away because he was always…

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April 26, 2019
Read more about the article Review: Jaybird Run XT, Truly Wireless Earbuds by @jaybirdsport
My thoughts / Reviews

Review: Jaybird Run XT, Truly Wireless Earbuds by @jaybirdsport

Before we get started, I want to thank Jaybird/Logitech for sponsoring this review and in doing so, helping to support my Autism Awareness efforts. All opinions contained herein are my own. As a veteran Autism and Special Needs parent of nearly twenty years, I'm a huge proponent of self-care. I have made the conscious decision in my life, to take better care of myself because I need to be here as long as possible for my kids. I encourage all my parents to do the same because being an Autism parent isn't easy and stress management is crucial for both physical and emotional health. My big thing is walking. I love walking, and I go pretty much every single day, regardless of the weather. I'm very particular about this process…

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April 25, 2019
Read more about the article 24 hours of devastating meltdowns
Autism Parenting Struggles / Gavin / Meltdowns / My thoughts

24 hours of devastating meltdowns

Gavin is not having a good day. We've already survived several meltdowns, and that was before 9 AM. Yesterday was pretty rough for him as well, and I'm not sure what's going on. Yesterday, he lost it because I was paying him a compliment. I think it came down to semantics on his part. Here's what happened. When I picked him up yesterday morning so I could take him to get his blood work done, I noticed that he was wearing a hoodie. Gavin has this thing where he automatically defaults to wearing his winter coat, hat, and gloves, even in warmer weather. All I did was compliment him for dressing appropriately for the weather. I asked him if he'd checked the weather before heading out to the car and…

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April 25, 2019
Read more about the article I put myself in timeout this morning
Autism Parenting Insight / My thoughts

I put myself in timeout this morning

We're having a rough morning, and I'm taking a timeout, so I can not lose sight of what's going on. I figured I write a quick post and hopefully, I'll feel better afterward. I can't tell if I slept well or not. I'm in a good mood but feel run down, so I'm in sort of a weird place. Mr. Emmett is finally returning to school after a week of illness, and while he's excited, he's also freaking out. He incredibly anxious and not coping with the change to his current routine. Kids with Autism, generally are not fans of change. Emmett is no exception, and even small amounts of change can destabilize him. He gets anxious, and that leads to overstimulation. Meltdowns are very common as a result, and…

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April 25, 2019