Read more about the article I plan for the worst and hope for the best 
Elliott / Emmett John / My thoughts

I plan for the worst and hope for the best 

Shortly before bed, Emmett began not feeling well. His tummy was upset, and he felt like he was going to puke. At the same time Elliott, who had been feeling the same for the second half of the day, was slowly beginning to feel better.  Emmett's currently sleeping right now, but I fully expect him to struggle throughout the night.  I'm not taking a negative approach to this, despite how my above statement sounds. I simply prefer to deal with reality, and the reality is that when Emmett doesn't feel well, he wants to be glued to me at night.  I have learned to plan for the worst-case scenario while hoping for the best. It's served us well over the years and limits life's ability to catch us off guard.…

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June 19, 2017
Read more about the article Please keep Elliott in your thoughts 
Elliott / My thoughts / Thoughts and Prayers

Please keep Elliott in your thoughts 

Elliott isn't feeling good. He's got a headache, stomachache, and is hugging a puke bucket. This began a few hours ago but has gotten worse in the last thirty minutes.  I don't know if he's actually sick or not.  Everything he's complaining about is also signs of dehydration as well. We have a really hard time getting Elliott to drink enough water. When one doesn't drink enough water, one can get headaches, nausea, and constipation.  We have been working with both him and Emmett, in an effort to get them consuming more water. It's proven to be difficult on a good day. I'll talk about what we are doing in a different post.  The last thing I want is for him to be sick. I'm hoping that sipping water will…

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June 18, 2017
Read more about the article Handling meals in an #Autism household
Feeding Problems / My thoughts / Sensory

Handling meals in an #Autism household

Keeping it simple for dinner tonight. While I was able to go shopping last week, I wasn't able to go extensive shopping.  I rarely actually cook anymore because no one ever eats the same thing.  We try to stock things we know the boys will usually eat. Things like Ramen Noodles, chicken nuggets, hardboiled eggs, cereal, fruit, and other things that can be quickly put together.  I wish we could do complete meals but the kids struggle too much with sensory processing issues and that's not easily accomplished, especially in a limited budget.  How do you handle mealtimes in your Autism household? 

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June 18, 2017
Read more about the article Father’s Day is more than just ties and cookouts
Inspirational Posts

Father’s Day is more than just ties and cookouts

First of all, Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there, pulling their weight and actively involved in their kids lives. I also want to say Happy Father's Day to all the single Mom's out there pulling double duty and filling the role of both parents. I have nothing but respect and admiration for you. :-) I know Father's Day is a day where we celebrate Dad's. There might be presents or cookouts, and those are awesome, but I ask that you keep something else in mind as well. Father's Day should also be a day that we as Dad's, remember how important of a role we play in the lives of our children. It's so important to be present. It's equally important that you be actively involved, a good leader,…

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June 18, 2017
Read more about the article Strange new symptoms 
Gavin / My thoughts

Strange new symptoms 

Gavin's been complaining of headaches almost every night after going to bed. Last night was no exception and I haven't a clue what's behind this.  None of his medications have changed in months, and I know he's plenty hydrated. Those are the first things we thought of when these headaches began occurring with more and more frequency.  We also looked at allergies as well but they appear to be managed.  Something else we have to consider is whether or not Gavin is experiencing a headache, or if something else is causing him discomfort and he's labeled it a headache.  Gavin is not a reliable source of information about his own body. He struggles with describing how he's feeling and often does so in ways that make no sense or can…

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June 18, 2017
Read more about the article Why I’m sticking close to home today
My thoughts

Why I’m sticking close to home today

I've given up on sleep for now. It's simply not going to happen, and that's okay. Emmett woke up about 5:30 AM, and we've been hanging out. We spent some time watching cartoons, and I helped him find something to eat because his mouth is getting sores again. 🙁  I doubt we're going to go anywhere today. Playing things close to home sounds like a good way to spend the day.  Before the internet went out, I recorded some on demand movies, and perhaps we can watch them today.  It's pretty crazy because everyone but Emmett and myself is still sleeping. Gavin's always up by now but he's still sound asleep On a completely unrelated note, I somehow messed up my left knee pretty bad. I've no idea what I…

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June 18, 2017
Read more about the article No sleep for the exhausted 
Autism Parenting Woes / My thoughts

No sleep for the exhausted 

I guess I'm not going to be sleeping tonight. It's almost 4:30 Am, and I'm still not able to fall asleep. I'm exhausted but my brain won't shut off so I can drift off.  This is what happens when I'm this stressed out.  It would be super awesome if I could get a nap at some point, but as for sleeping tonight, it's not in the cards. 🙁  There should be a universal rule that when you're this exhausted, sleep shouldn't be this elusive. 

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June 18, 2017
Read more about the article No one is harder on me than me
Autism Parenting Insight / My thoughts

No one is harder on me than me

There are a million and one things that could easily be considered one of the toughest parts about Autism Parenting. Occasionally, one of these toughest parts makes its way to the front of the line and weighs heavy. This is the kind of thing that keeps me awake at night because it's too abstract to really process and completely intangible. I thought I would share what I'm currently struggling with because I want something positive to come from my journey. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you can't. My hope is that if you can, you realize that you aren't alone. As a parent to three boys with Autism, I'm my own toughest critic. I hear people's thoughts and/or opinions of my abilities as a parent all the time. Some people…

6 Comments
June 18, 2017