the little things that come with Autism

Okay well, here is the story. My daughter and I love these Pepperidge Farm cakes chocolate with chocolate that you keep in the fridge. Oh just writing it I wish we had some. Anyway, my daughter wanted to know if she could serve us the last piece of it. The boys were still out of town so I told her yea, just get it out. So then she shows me this huge piece that is left over and asks if she can have it. I giggle at her and tell her to cut it in half. So my wonderful daughter does, and she shows me that she didn't do a good job and I just assure her that it is fine. Of course if anyone has ever had these cakes the best is the icing when it is cold. Oh man, I am gonna have to go to the store. Anyway, the piece she showed me was missing the icing, but I said nothing. She apparently placed it on the table and went to eat her piece. I hear her yelling no to the do and telling her to get down...our dog likes to wander in the kitchen and clean up what the kids might have dropped. She brings me the cake and I tell her I will be right there. I stop folding laundry and go grab my piece of cake which is now on the kitchen counter. lol I'm sorry I am laughing so hard I can't type. So I see my piece of cake and yea it is missing the icing, but hey it is chocolate cake. So I am in the kitchen eating my cake and we are talking when,... she tells me that she gave me some of her icing on her cake. Well, um I didn't have any icing on my cake. So I ask her what, but there wasn't any. She says well Sadie got it. lol At this point I have just finished the last bite of my cake. She says I took some of my icing and put it on your cake, but Sadie got it. So I am like she ate it off my cake. Her answer, "yea, but she didn't eat all the cake." I couldn't help it I went to laugh and spit cake all over the kitchen. I was like Allison, if she ate the icing she got ahold of my cake. You should have told me I was so irritated. I mean she stood there and let me eat the whole cake, but the child honestly didn't see anything with it. OMG. She ran off to the bathroom and I was just standing in the kitchen. I went to go talk to her and I could hear her in the bathroom - laughing hysterically. She inside and on the outside of the door I am laughing so hard trying not to let her hear me I am crying. I explained to her that if the dog got part of the cake I should not have eaten it. That was like the dog getting all of it. We laughed so hard and swore me to secrecy. She did allow me to tell her brothers when they came home and they laughed so hard in the car. Ah the little moments.
Who cares that it was at my expense? so I ate after the dog *laughing hysterically* it is a page in our story. The shock to my best friend was that she actually just let me eat it. Oh well, I guess I won't want her serving me the cake or make sure I hold the dog. lol
**Good thing she isn't gonna read this**

quality time

So I was working on my computer and my husband was doing an online class. My boys have been waiting for school to end so they could go to my Uncle's in San Antonio. They will be staying for a week and I have been asked about the trip repeatedly since 2 months before school was even going to be out. Tomorrow is the day he is coming to pick them up. Anyhoo, my oldest son looks at me and says can you please get off the computer so we can play a family game. OMG how could any parent resist? So I saved my drafts, shut off the computer and we sat to play a game of UNO!! UNO - a classic, still to this day. I used to love that game when I was a kid, of course it was the new UNO, ummm oh yea UNO ATTACK. lol We just love the fear when we have to hit the button and cards may or may not spew out at us. We got so loud playing, but we were having so much fun. My husband who was still working on his class got annoyed 'cuz we were so loud, but oh well. He just got up and locked himself in the bedroom. We continued to play, switching cards with another player or making them press the darn button until cards shot out at them. The best part of the game is when my daughter used a switch cards with someone and she chose me. I only had three...ugh so close. So my son starts laughing and he says I can't believe you did that I only have two. He precedes to show us all his TWO cards, but fails to realize he is showing us his cards. We are all dying laughing and when he realizes what exactly happened he is oh lets say not as thrilled as he had only a moment ago been. We told him thank you so much for making us laugh. So I get lucky and win round one. We go again and my youngest son says that we are playing this game until he gets to win. Well, this round is lasting at least 25 minutes and my oldest(Chris) apparently changes the color of the cards continuously and we don't know why. So my daughter asking me what she should do has a card where everyone has to push the button until cards spit out. I tell her play it and Chris hears. He looks at me and is so upset because he says he has been trying to put the colors that "Benny" has so he can win. I look at my daughter and she puts down the color requested for him to win - yellow. It was just a game and I believe kids should learn that they won't always win and there are disappointments, but that letting him win wasn't the only reason she decided to play her yellow card. How could we ruin what Chris had been working at for his brother? So unconditionally wanting him to be happy. Guess there are other lessons you learn and teach when playing a game. Sometimes you just want to do something nice to boost someone's confidence & lol then you could just want the game to end already.
I am glad my kids and I got to spend this time together. My daughter is upset they are leaving. She is worried as is in her nature, she is my worrier. Come to think of it I am sick about them leaving too. I have never sent them away in the summer before. I know my boys will look out for eachother they are eachothers best friend I'm just gonna miss them something awful. It will be an experience on all of us. I am praying for a good one!!

Talking autism

Oh the world of autism. I used to feel so alone and limited as to who I could talk to about autism. I wanted ideas, other peoples stories just to know that this is how it goes. That it will be better. Little did I know I would find something called twitter and see advocates @thebucknation,@tannersdad, parents @autismfamily, children with autism @CarlysVoice and even a few celebrities @JennyfromMtv in one common place anytime, anywhere sharing or taking a stand. Encouraging me in their own twitter way that I am not alone as a parent or advocate of awareness for my children. Using the power of technology in the best possible way. All our opinions might not be the same, but that is what leads to other ideas or knowledge. There are many other twitterer parents, advocates, celebrities and even people with autism I'm sure I've left out, but you all have helped me just as much. Thank you!

End of school & Summer

Ah the joys of summer, with no school for a while. As a parent I am truly excited. To spend more time with my kiddos, as they are growing faster than I would like. I would like to say that I have so many things planned for our summer, but well life happens. My transmission on my truck is out so while I am still car shopping we will be homebound for awhile. That doesn't mean we won't have plenty to do. I figure I'll get them to "spring" clean their rooms to start off our summer. Ah, they will be so angry excited. (You do hear the sarcasm right?) But I look at it that if we get that over and done with then we all just got to do upkeep. Oh I'll sell it to them somehow just to make it not seem so awful. We have loads of board games they still like to play as long as I sit down with them. I love that. That still, with one going off to high school & both boys in Jr. high, they would like to spend time with me. I am a lucky, lucky parent. Then we have trips to the pool, tennis matches on Wii, $1 movies on Wednesday(if we can get there) and well, crow that is only the first week. lol My boys are going to my uncles for a week. They are going to go help get the lease ready and shoot their rifles or gun or well I never call them by the correct name. My daughter, my oldest will be staying with me so we can bond a little more before the big jump to high school. She has PDD, and has just started showing different interests, wanting to know about things she didn't care about before and it may be delayed, but I am so thrilled. I haven't picked them up from school yet, but I am sure by later I will be an emotional wreck. I just don't know where all the time has gone. I do know that I promise to try and enjoy every moment of our summer together. :)M

common sense

Okay as a mom with two autistic children, high functioning which is well a way to chop up Autism in several different layers of layers. Any hoo, I am blessed that I am like most parents and relish in the little things, but even I have my limits. lol I laugh because I see why God has led my daughter specifically to me. She is my own reminder of enjoying every moment and to not assume everyone always GETS IT. I tend to always say how stupid people annoy me. Who am I to think that everyone gets something simply because I do (on that particular thing)?. My daughter has finally grasped the idea that if I tell her or ask her a question not to simply repeat the exact same thing because she doesn't know the answer or understand. It is simpler just tell me I don't understand what you are asking or saying. Something so simple reminding me that she doesn't get it. She can't help it. I have always known to rephrase things just so - so she would understand or get the look that lets me know she isn't getting a word I am saying. But then what about other folks that don't know her like I do or get her look of worry. So in a quest to help her father grasp that just because he thinks she should understand she doesn't. All she has to say is "I don't understand what you are asking me." Now tell her chores to do or anything else she gets it hey that's great, but we forget there are just some things that are day to day that she isn't gonna quite understand. I live with Amelia Bedelia she takes things literally and we have gotten her up to "speed" on a lot of things which now she finds amusing. We have moments still, but aren't we all "Still Learning".
PATIENCE is so rewarding. I was helping my parents with their yard work, my dad is going blind due to macular degeneration, so I was on the riding lawn mower. I was doing my thing, while my daughter was swinging (the child could swing from dawn to dusk if I let her) anyway I came to a spot where the dog had pulled her running lead and was blocking me from going straight. So here I am on the lawn mower trying to inch up & see if I can move the rope slowly to get myself (and mower) underneath. When what is this??? My daughter runs up and smiles at me and lifts up the rope so I could go under. I was flabbergasted. I didn't have to ask her or explain to her what needed to happen here. She just saw me from her swing and came over to help me. These are the moments I live for. When love, understanding and a parent willing to still learn and be patient can have such rewards. To some this may seem small, but to me it was a yell from a mountain top. I hope that all parents learn to revel in the little things and please don't take anything for granted. (and to me don't assume people are just going to get it) Common sense can be overrated!! Who said it was common anyway?!

Life changes so quickly

It is with a heavy heart that I share the loss of two Houston firemen this past Easter Sunday. They were battling a "routine" house fire. As a fireman's wife, I know there is no such thing as a routine fire. There are just to many variables. What I can tell you is that I was upset to learn when I woke up Easter Sunday to hear that just after midnight two firemen were unaccounted for at a roll call after they pulled out from the house. The winds were not helping their battle and they decided to go defensive instead. One man had been with the department 30 years, a veteran whose family was probably still sleeping before their Easter was underway. The other a probie, he had just finished training in March. We also had the privilege of having him serve our country before he took this on. He had already been to Iraq, I believe twice. I know that danger is part of the job. Their loved ones sacrifice their loved ones to help other people because they love their job and helping people is an extra to them. Sunday started off rainy and gloomy, but turned into the most beautiful day ever. Maybe them shining down on us and trying to lighten the day on their families left behind. I would like to think so. The funeral for them is Thursday, and if you have never been to a fireman's funeral let me tell you they can be rough. Not because you may know them directly, but because it is like family, an extended family. You may not see them all the time, but if you need something they are there in a heartbeat. Please keep their families in your thoughts and prayers. Keep in mind when a fireman shows up to a fire, no matter how routine you think it is - anything can happen. Thank a fireman the next time you see one. Let them know they are appreciated and recognized for the dangers they face everday!!!

Birthdays

As we get older, people tend to want to forget their birthday. I haven't really ever gotten that, well I did when I turned 30 and realized it is just a number. The saying, "you are only as old as you feel" is so true. Anyway, I just had my 23 36th birthday with pride. lol I mean I don't feel anything different. I look almost the same and hell, I still get carded when I buy an alcoholic drink. All kidding aside it isn't the fact I get carded and am old older, but the fact that I have been living for 36 years and I was given a chance to choose the way my life goes. It is up to me to make it count!!
It started off a great weekend, Friday night with friends. Saturday was my day to recover from Friday and I felt bad. I realized my kids, much like others I'm sure, pay attention to the littlest of things we do when they don't feel good. They brought me aspirin, covered me with blankets and wanted to be sure I didn't need a trash can. I was having a migraine and hangover headache in one. So, while I was feeling miserable, my children were amazing me. I do get pretty bad headaches so they know how bad I feel when I have one. **Something to remember - what does just a headache even feel like? Be glad if you are lucky enough to have those.** So I made myself get up because I wasn't gonna waste my day. The weather was gorgeous I couldn't have asked God for better. So we all wash up, they made me soup and were waiting with a movie when I came out. We opened up the windows so the breeze could come in and all piled in my king size bed. We did that most of the day and went to the park for a while too. Our mistake was wearing shorts in April. That's right I said April. We got cold because we were getting in some type of cool front that apparently doesn't know it is freakin' April. So we stayed as long as we could stand it and then went home. Now I love fishing and they really wanted to go, but we were so cold. So we said we could do it another time. Sunday was a day planned of going to my parents. They were going to bbq and I had been looking forward to it. I had also allowed my daughter to go to my parents the night before so she could help make the cake(which was chocolate). We came over in time to eat lots of food, lots of cake and open presents. Then we went outside to play games and guess what?? It was still cool outside. lol We stayed out for a bit and then came in and the kids all spread out doing there own thing. We were going to rent a movie to all watch together, but it ended up just my dad and I. There are few things my dad and I do together anymore so it was nice. When we got home, I guess it bothered the kids that they didn't get to go shopping for me. So they all made me their own cards and handed me prized possessions of their own for my birthday presents. lol I was touched, but told them the best presents I had were them themselves. I thanked them and told them to keep "my presents" back in their rooms. I will say the day was no different than others. We did things we would normally do, but I sure did appreciate everything I had so much more. "if you want to see how rich you are, count all the things you have that money can't buy"