While preparing dinner last night I placed a larger size steak knife on a plate of chicken on the table, then I covered the plate with a large wok cover to keep it warm. Usually I keep everything at the cooktop and prepare plates before putting them on the table but last night Caroline had a friend over and I cooked more food than normal so I figured it would be easiest to bring everything to the table.
Everyone else was going about their business as I prepped dinner and kept an eye on Mitchell. Of course this is usually the way it works around here. As of late he has become interested in spinning any kind of lid he can find. I saw him take the wok cover off the chicken and spin it then place it back on top. I did not pay too much attention to what he was doing because he was not causing any trouble. He was in and out of the kitchen and then I called everyone to dinner.
When I went to place chicken on the individual plates I asked where the knife went? The kids and Steve just looked at me as I looked around the kitchen. Hmmmm. It was a pretty big knife and now it is missing. Crap, Mitchell was playing around at the table. I checked the sink as Steve checked the family room, under the couch and the laundry room where I caught Mitchell trying to place the dryer lint trap in the slop sink. He got out the flashlight and looked down the vent in case he had dropped it in there. I thought he may have also gone to washroom after playing at table so maybe he flushed it? Oh well. Since it was not in view I figured we were pretty safe no one was going to get hurt with it so we all ate dinner and enjoyed the rest of the evening.
I had pretty much forgotten about the knife when it was getting close to bedtime. As I went to pick up the laundry basket that was in the kitchen I flashed back to Mitchell touching things in the basket while I cooked. Sure enough, wrapped in a pair of Grace pants was the knife safe and sound. He is such a good kid. The only thing I can think of is he saw it was sharp and put it somewhere safe. Of course when we asked him before where the knife was he just kept repeating the question. Such a silly boy. He clearly knows more than he is letting on to.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
I am so tired, why not you?
It is 9:00pm Tuesday night and it seems like any regular night at our house except I can barely keep my eyes open an nausea is setting in as I settle the girls in for bed. Steven is in the basement with a friend playing Xbox and Steve is on the couch watching Mitchell in amazement that he is still going strong after being awake for 18hrs.
At 2:30am Tuesday morning I hopped out of bed when I heard Mitchell open his bedroom door. He ran quickly down the stairs, turned on the iPad and squinted and rubbed his eyes at the shocking brightness of the screen in the dark room. When I spoke to him, he waved and settled into his seat. I thought if I gave him some time he become tired again and return to bed. He had only 4 hrs of sleep, he has to be tired.
An hour later I decided he was not going to bed on his own and thought I would try some melatonin in his juice. Of course he was not thirsty so the juice sat there and we watched his favorite DVDs with soothing music, prancing zoo animals, nursery rhymes and giant stuffed animals dancing and singing. At 4:30am I brought him upstairs to bed only to have him leave the room 3x before I laid with him dealing with constant requests to scratch his toes. The birds were starting to chirp and the sun was coming up and I thought if he did not fall asleep soon he was up for good.
I must have dozed off in between toe scratching and woke when he jabbered and jumped out of bed. I was hoping we had both been asleep for hours and it was like 8am or something close, it was pretty bright outside. Downstairs we go and the clock says 5:30am. I could not believe it had only been 3 hours since we first woke up. He asked me to play Mario Galaxy on wii but only Steven knows how so I explained we were not waking him up this early (good or bad mom?) and settled for more Muffin Man and No More Monkeys Jumping On The Bed.
Eventually 8:30am rolled around and it was time for him to go to camp, off we went bright eyed and bushy tailed. Grandpa had brought donuts and STRONG coffee for breakfast and I contemplated napping or grocery shopping while he stayed with the other kids. I was afraid if I laid down I might not get up so I shopped, showered, took Grace to kindergarten assessment, did some work on computer and then it was time to pick up Mitchell from camp.
After a full day of camp and 4 hours of therapy Mitchell does not show any signs of what I am feeling, he just keeps going and going like a machine. Ironically he had a great day at camp, and no adverse behaviors in therapy. Maybe he was just moving slow and did not have the energy to disagree. His vocabulary was outstanding today as well. Apparently he just did not need the sleep last night, there is plenty of time for that later I guess. Not sure when I get to catch up.
At 2:30am Tuesday morning I hopped out of bed when I heard Mitchell open his bedroom door. He ran quickly down the stairs, turned on the iPad and squinted and rubbed his eyes at the shocking brightness of the screen in the dark room. When I spoke to him, he waved and settled into his seat. I thought if I gave him some time he become tired again and return to bed. He had only 4 hrs of sleep, he has to be tired.
An hour later I decided he was not going to bed on his own and thought I would try some melatonin in his juice. Of course he was not thirsty so the juice sat there and we watched his favorite DVDs with soothing music, prancing zoo animals, nursery rhymes and giant stuffed animals dancing and singing. At 4:30am I brought him upstairs to bed only to have him leave the room 3x before I laid with him dealing with constant requests to scratch his toes. The birds were starting to chirp and the sun was coming up and I thought if he did not fall asleep soon he was up for good.
I must have dozed off in between toe scratching and woke when he jabbered and jumped out of bed. I was hoping we had both been asleep for hours and it was like 8am or something close, it was pretty bright outside. Downstairs we go and the clock says 5:30am. I could not believe it had only been 3 hours since we first woke up. He asked me to play Mario Galaxy on wii but only Steven knows how so I explained we were not waking him up this early (good or bad mom?) and settled for more Muffin Man and No More Monkeys Jumping On The Bed.
Eventually 8:30am rolled around and it was time for him to go to camp, off we went bright eyed and bushy tailed. Grandpa had brought donuts and STRONG coffee for breakfast and I contemplated napping or grocery shopping while he stayed with the other kids. I was afraid if I laid down I might not get up so I shopped, showered, took Grace to kindergarten assessment, did some work on computer and then it was time to pick up Mitchell from camp.
After a full day of camp and 4 hours of therapy Mitchell does not show any signs of what I am feeling, he just keeps going and going like a machine. Ironically he had a great day at camp, and no adverse behaviors in therapy. Maybe he was just moving slow and did not have the energy to disagree. His vocabulary was outstanding today as well. Apparently he just did not need the sleep last night, there is plenty of time for that later I guess. Not sure when I get to catch up.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Easy Peasy
Two weeks before school ended in the Spring we approached our school district about out of district placement for Mitchell. I had visited the Academy of Excellence in Learning a month prior and fell in love with it. To our surprise, our district agreed with our request but wanted us to observe a few other programs before making a final decision. Let the touring begin.
The Academy of Excellence in Learning or AEL is an ABA Therapy school whose goal is to teach the child to learn and give them skills needed to return to their home school within a few years requiring little to no support. It was unlike any program I had seen or heard of. The ABA approach is what we use at home and how our therapists get results from Mitchell. He has so much potential that our current school was not able to pull out of him but we see it at home. The director I met with and the staff were awesome to watch while they worked with the students. I felt at home there and it felt as if all our therapists would fit right in as well. It was a good match for our family and therapy program.
Over the past month I have looked at 3 schools and have another scheduled for tomorrow. I visited each school with an open mind but all the while collecting reasons why they did not compare to AEL. One school had a completely different philosophy of therapy then AB and required our commitment to their program to move forward - ya do not think so. Another just made me feel sad and uneasy and was not much different in structure than our program at Butler. The school I visited yesterday was the most promising of them but not as intensive as AEL.
So I emailed our Spec Ed director to tell her our observations will be done by Friday and we can set up meeting for next week. I assumed I would have to provide a case as to why I felt their options were not appropriate for Mitchell and wanted to get the fight started if there was going to be one. She called me almost immediately to say a meeting was not necessary. She did not fully agree with our choice of AEL but was willing to try it out. She would send an email to AEL and copy me in the correspondence to start his intake. WOW! This was all so easy and I was so relieved. So happy and relaxed knowing this new chapter was going to be a good one and the progress Mitchell makes is going to be phenomenal.
I anxiously waited for an email and at 6:45pm I got one, but was not prepared for what it said. AEL responded to our directors intake request advising that as of July 8 they have decided to close their school. @#$*%#$!!!!!! What the (BLEEP) are we going to do now??? UGH!!
Sighs, tears, giggles at the terrible humor in this, anger, disappointment and sadness. This program was going to change us, our family. It would be like having 30 hours of ABA therapy a week in addition to the 15 private sessions we have. Now we have to decided between the other schools that I really do not feel are going to change anything because they are not all that different from what our school has been doing. For whatever reason the AEL closed, I am happy we did not start there then have to switch and it is tragic they have to close but what about Mitchell? What the hell do we do about Mitchell now?
I cannot think of anything else today, I am sick about it. I guess the school from yesterday would be our plan B but I am hoping the school I visit tomorrow will really WOW me and it will all be OK. Things are never this easy, as I should have figured out when our out placement process was going to smoothly. We have little or 1 month to find a suitable fall option and I am very tired even thinking about it. I thought I could relax.
The Academy of Excellence in Learning or AEL is an ABA Therapy school whose goal is to teach the child to learn and give them skills needed to return to their home school within a few years requiring little to no support. It was unlike any program I had seen or heard of. The ABA approach is what we use at home and how our therapists get results from Mitchell. He has so much potential that our current school was not able to pull out of him but we see it at home. The director I met with and the staff were awesome to watch while they worked with the students. I felt at home there and it felt as if all our therapists would fit right in as well. It was a good match for our family and therapy program.
Over the past month I have looked at 3 schools and have another scheduled for tomorrow. I visited each school with an open mind but all the while collecting reasons why they did not compare to AEL. One school had a completely different philosophy of therapy then AB and required our commitment to their program to move forward - ya do not think so. Another just made me feel sad and uneasy and was not much different in structure than our program at Butler. The school I visited yesterday was the most promising of them but not as intensive as AEL.
So I emailed our Spec Ed director to tell her our observations will be done by Friday and we can set up meeting for next week. I assumed I would have to provide a case as to why I felt their options were not appropriate for Mitchell and wanted to get the fight started if there was going to be one. She called me almost immediately to say a meeting was not necessary. She did not fully agree with our choice of AEL but was willing to try it out. She would send an email to AEL and copy me in the correspondence to start his intake. WOW! This was all so easy and I was so relieved. So happy and relaxed knowing this new chapter was going to be a good one and the progress Mitchell makes is going to be phenomenal.
I anxiously waited for an email and at 6:45pm I got one, but was not prepared for what it said. AEL responded to our directors intake request advising that as of July 8 they have decided to close their school. @#$*%#$!!!!!! What the (BLEEP) are we going to do now??? UGH!!
Sighs, tears, giggles at the terrible humor in this, anger, disappointment and sadness. This program was going to change us, our family. It would be like having 30 hours of ABA therapy a week in addition to the 15 private sessions we have. Now we have to decided between the other schools that I really do not feel are going to change anything because they are not all that different from what our school has been doing. For whatever reason the AEL closed, I am happy we did not start there then have to switch and it is tragic they have to close but what about Mitchell? What the hell do we do about Mitchell now?
I cannot think of anything else today, I am sick about it. I guess the school from yesterday would be our plan B but I am hoping the school I visit tomorrow will really WOW me and it will all be OK. Things are never this easy, as I should have figured out when our out placement process was going to smoothly. We have little or 1 month to find a suitable fall option and I am very tired even thinking about it. I thought I could relax.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Sleepover Camp and Enchanted Castle
Caroline decided she was ready for sleepover camp this year and found a friend to go with her. We dropped her off at Camp Manitoqua this morning. She scored the top of a 3 level bunk and is rooming with her friend Claudia. To her, this whole adventure is no big deal and she is ready to take on the week!
*As I write this, a huge storm is rolling through but a friend close to the camp says they do not have much wind, only rain at this point.
So with Caroline at Camp Manitoqua and Mitchell at ESY (extended school year) and then camp with Tri-County SRA, I thought the other kids and I should do something they both enjoy - video gaming & exciting rides!
Steven has been asking to return to Enchanted Castle ever since we went there for a mother/son outing 2 years ago. And a bonus came my way when I looked up the phone number online an a Groupon offer popped up - BAMMO!
Grace says this is one of her Best Day Ever days.
Grace looks like a giant spinning in this teapot for really little kids.
Steven located his favorite game Animal Kaiser and met a kid who looked just like him playing the same game - weird.
Grace acted 15, not 5, as she rhode the Catapult with arms up and everything. That is her on the right.
And the play area had taken a few steroids since we were there last and Grace had a blast. She ended her day shooting giant spiders in Jungle Safari.
Monday, June 9, 2014
First Day of Summer Vacation
Summer is officially here at the Ivey house. We slept in until 7:45 - woohoo! The kids clearly have not adjusted to vacation weekday mode. It is 11:30am and I have just finished my 1st pot of coffee and contemplating making another.
So far we have eaten breakfast, played on PC and Grandma has come over so I can shower.
Mitchell built a fort.
I have watched Baby Genius Nursery Rhymes and Childrens Favorite Songs videos 4x, paid a bill and signed up the girls for VBS.
Mitchell has also played with water balloons - quickly going through the 1000 that arrived the other day, ran through the sprinkler and his current fitness training.
The other kids - plus one - have retired to the basement and Minecraft.
In 1 hr the sitter arrives so I can travel to Naperville to the 1st of our last three NeuroFeedback appointments. Mitchell starts ESY (extended school year) on Wednesday and then Summer Camp begins Friday. Everyone in our family should be as productive with their time as he is.
Happy Summer Vacation - it is not as scary this year as it has been in the past, everyone is growing up nicely. Considering I have been able to take pictures, upload and blog, the Summer break is starting out well. We will have to see what everything looks like mid-August. Maybe I should do before and after selfies.
So far we have eaten breakfast, played on PC and Grandma has come over so I can shower.
Mitchell built a fort.
I have watched Baby Genius Nursery Rhymes and Childrens Favorite Songs videos 4x, paid a bill and signed up the girls for VBS.
Mitchell has also played with water balloons - quickly going through the 1000 that arrived the other day, ran through the sprinkler and his current fitness training.
In 1 hr the sitter arrives so I can travel to Naperville to the 1st of our last three NeuroFeedback appointments. Mitchell starts ESY (extended school year) on Wednesday and then Summer Camp begins Friday. Everyone in our family should be as productive with their time as he is.
Happy Summer Vacation - it is not as scary this year as it has been in the past, everyone is growing up nicely. Considering I have been able to take pictures, upload and blog, the Summer break is starting out well. We will have to see what everything looks like mid-August. Maybe I should do before and after selfies.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
What's with the ear?
Just realized I haven't written since the summer. Youzer the time really flies. Some thoughts are short enough for a quick Facebook post but most of the time I have quite a bit to say but no time to type it up. I will try to focus more on my blogging than Facebook. It ends up on my page anyways!
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A few days ago Mitchell started pulling on his ears a little more than normal. He was banging his head at school and at home and crying. One time even holding the side of his head saying "pain". Huge steps obviously in the speech department but then he turns around quickly and we do not find the source of his frustration and pain.
About an hour ago he was trying to stick my finger in his ear and giggling once again with no other indication of the true problem. Steve suggests we get the flashlight and really look into his ears. Left ear looks alright but the right ear has what looks like popcorn in it! We eat popcorn all the time but I cannot pinpoint when we had it last.
Steve is at the urgent care with him right now. Just texted to say it was crumpled paper, not popcorn, and the ear is slightly infected so giving him antibiotics. AND he did awesome with the Dr. Always so exciting here.
Reminded me of the time Steven decided at the age of 6 or so that it was a good idea to pick up a piece of packaging styrofoam and jam it in his ear. When we asked why he said "I don't know just felt like it." Something with my boys and their ears.
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A few days ago Mitchell started pulling on his ears a little more than normal. He was banging his head at school and at home and crying. One time even holding the side of his head saying "pain". Huge steps obviously in the speech department but then he turns around quickly and we do not find the source of his frustration and pain.
About an hour ago he was trying to stick my finger in his ear and giggling once again with no other indication of the true problem. Steve suggests we get the flashlight and really look into his ears. Left ear looks alright but the right ear has what looks like popcorn in it! We eat popcorn all the time but I cannot pinpoint when we had it last.
Steve is at the urgent care with him right now. Just texted to say it was crumpled paper, not popcorn, and the ear is slightly infected so giving him antibiotics. AND he did awesome with the Dr. Always so exciting here.
Reminded me of the time Steven decided at the age of 6 or so that it was a good idea to pick up a piece of packaging styrofoam and jam it in his ear. When we asked why he said "I don't know just felt like it." Something with my boys and their ears.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Splash Station
It was Mitchell's last full day of Summer Camp so I decided to go out with a bang and bring the other 3 to Splash Station Waterpark in Joliet. We have been there before and it wa totally doable so I figured what the heck.
Well it turned out to be a typical Ivey outing. Grace and I hung out the whole time, Steven sat in the shade fully clothed including socks and gyms shoes and Caroline found a new BFF within 5 min of arriving. I really though Steven would change his tune once he realized how hot is was (95 degrees) but he didn't. He sat for 2 hrs just kinda stairing at the ground then he started to play with my phone. He really has been making the effort to get out more but I have been pushing him really hard so I figured 2 hrs was long enough to suffer.
Grace quickly learned that in order to go into the deep end she needed to wear her life jacket and off we went, having races and jumping contests and swimming all over the place. We attempted the lazy river " they called it lazy because it is really sloooow" Grace says as she moves her arms in front of her slowly in a waving motion, but it was quite crispy above water for too long so once around and we were done.
Caroline introduced us to her friend Megan (pronounced Maygen) then referred to her as Maggie and later discovered her name was Marilyn. Caroline has never been good with names. It is really a family joke. Caroline & Marilyn were hungry but I really didn't feel like starting to feed the whole water park so I told Caroline to play for a bit more and then we will eat. Sure enough she was still hungry a bit later and after hearing how Marilyn had a season pass while she is here visiting her mom and half sister and she lives 4 hrs away with her dad in the country but not sure of the town she lives in and comes to visit her mom during the school year some weekends when her mom is not busy yep I bought her a snack too. She seemed like a really sweet girl and fit the profile perfectly of the kind of people Caroline befriends all the time. She asked if we were coming back again tomorrow but I told her we couldn't and I was sad when we had to leave her at the Waterpark. Later tonight when we said our prayers I added Marilyn to our friends we prayed for and in perfect Caroline fashion she said "who's Marilyn"? That's my girl alright.
We had a good time all around I think. Steven didn't complain about the day so I think he took it matter of factly that he sat and watched everyone have fun in the water because that was absolutely not something he wanted to do. Caroline and I worked on our tans and Grace enjoyed having just me to herself and not having to share with anyone.
When I start to feel bad that Mitchell misses out on days like today I remind myself that he would not have had fun. He would have been on complete sensory overload and would have wanted to just run around the place and would have had no where to go to cool off or to have some well needed quiet time. He had a much better suited day at Tri-County SRA summer camp. It was swimming day for camp too.
Well it turned out to be a typical Ivey outing. Grace and I hung out the whole time, Steven sat in the shade fully clothed including socks and gyms shoes and Caroline found a new BFF within 5 min of arriving. I really though Steven would change his tune once he realized how hot is was (95 degrees) but he didn't. He sat for 2 hrs just kinda stairing at the ground then he started to play with my phone. He really has been making the effort to get out more but I have been pushing him really hard so I figured 2 hrs was long enough to suffer.
Grace quickly learned that in order to go into the deep end she needed to wear her life jacket and off we went, having races and jumping contests and swimming all over the place. We attempted the lazy river " they called it lazy because it is really sloooow" Grace says as she moves her arms in front of her slowly in a waving motion, but it was quite crispy above water for too long so once around and we were done.
Caroline introduced us to her friend Megan (pronounced Maygen) then referred to her as Maggie and later discovered her name was Marilyn. Caroline has never been good with names. It is really a family joke. Caroline & Marilyn were hungry but I really didn't feel like starting to feed the whole water park so I told Caroline to play for a bit more and then we will eat. Sure enough she was still hungry a bit later and after hearing how Marilyn had a season pass while she is here visiting her mom and half sister and she lives 4 hrs away with her dad in the country but not sure of the town she lives in and comes to visit her mom during the school year some weekends when her mom is not busy yep I bought her a snack too. She seemed like a really sweet girl and fit the profile perfectly of the kind of people Caroline befriends all the time. She asked if we were coming back again tomorrow but I told her we couldn't and I was sad when we had to leave her at the Waterpark. Later tonight when we said our prayers I added Marilyn to our friends we prayed for and in perfect Caroline fashion she said "who's Marilyn"? That's my girl alright.
We had a good time all around I think. Steven didn't complain about the day so I think he took it matter of factly that he sat and watched everyone have fun in the water because that was absolutely not something he wanted to do. Caroline and I worked on our tans and Grace enjoyed having just me to herself and not having to share with anyone.
When I start to feel bad that Mitchell misses out on days like today I remind myself that he would not have had fun. He would have been on complete sensory overload and would have wanted to just run around the place and would have had no where to go to cool off or to have some well needed quiet time. He had a much better suited day at Tri-County SRA summer camp. It was swimming day for camp too.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Fly On The Wall Friday
Fly On The Wall Friday is having a little trouble getting out on Fridays, sorry.
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| Bass Pro Shop Grizzly Bear |
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| Grace yells, Mitchell throws, and this what becomes of my Nook |
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| Who does not love giant quesadilla lips? |
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| Oh so funny when Mitchell climbs out of his seat in McDonalds drive-thru and bangs on back window at other customers |
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| Great fun! |
Fathers Day
We celebrated Fathers Day at our house as has been the custom for many years but it was even better since my dad was able to be here in between hospital stays. I have recently decided to give up control over parties at our house and welcome the help - this year I went a little over board by only supplying Taco Salad, Eclaire Cake and Ice Cream Novelties - and everyone bring an item. It turned out to be awesome!
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Fly On The Wall Friday
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| Chillin in body sock with iPad |
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| Mitchell decided this was a good safe place for his sucker while jumping on the trampoline |
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| Move it Sista |
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| Bottom side of the couch is a great place to store my things. |
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| It was only a matter of time. |
Monday, June 10, 2013
Super Funny Article that screams my name - not for the weak stomach
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kim-stagliano/the-crappy-life-of-the-au_b_37742.html
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Well, that title should set off alarm bells in the Neurodiverse (ND) autism world.
Autism is like a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (from the Harry Potter books.) Some autistics got the raspberry cream or root beer flavor. They can speak eloquently, write blogs, move out on their own, marry, have children and manage their autistic traits. Others with autism, like my three girls, got the ear wax/vomit/dog poop flavor. They need help 24/7 to navigate the world. When I talk about autism, I mean the version that my three girls got. I'm not talking about the sort of autism that encompasses quirky kids with some social deficits who are otherwise brilliant.
The ND community tells me and tens of thousands of other parents that we are disrespecting our kids by trying to help them. The ND blogs berate us as wanting to change our kids because we don't accept them. Here's a "taste" of what autism looks like in the Stagliano household. Would you want something better for your kids?
Twice last month, we had a "crapisode." What is a crapisode? (This is where you might want to stop eating and put down your beverage.) My 10 year old (#2, appropriately for the purposes of this entry) pooped in the toilet. That is reason to cheer, believe me. Toilet training is a major issue in my section of the autism community. Our kids can wear diapers into their teens and beyond. So Miss G pooped. Hooray! But Miss G forgets to flush. And she rarely closes the lid. Not hooray.
Miss Peanut, my 6 year old, seems to believe that being a Virgo means she simply MUST swim in any puddle larger than spit. The toilet is like an Olympic sized pool to her. So Peanut goes into the toilet after Miss G has had her, ah, success. Peanut flings kaka everywhere and gets it all over herself, the floor, the walls, the tub, the baseboards and the window. Wes Craven could not film anything scarier than what I saw that school morning, 35 minutes before the bus was due to arrive. That's a "crapisode." It happens in the blink of an eye while I'm washing dishes or doing laundry. I'm alerted by a splashing sound that drops a brick into my stomach. Miss G doesn't understand to flush and close the lid. Miss Peanut doesn't realize that a face full of feces is rarely considered a way to amuse oneself outside of the fetish community.
I will never stop trying to help my girls recover from their autism. I can not tell you what recovery means. It varies by kid and according to God's grace. If recovery means only that Peanut understands she should sit on the toilet, not play in the toilet, I'll take it.
Recovering your kids doesn't mean denying their value as people. To the contrary, it means we are willing to devote our lives, our savings, our sanity to their improved health, development and well being.
Maybe we need an expanded vocabulary. The ND's can keep the word autism and my kids get a new label. Fine by me. Just don't tell me to give up on my girls and accept their version of autism (remember the Bertie Bott's beans) as simply a different type of personality. Because THAT'S a load of crap.
Chef Mickeys
Sorry, when I use the laptop the apostrophe/quotation does not work. Bare with me.
My Disney World 2013 posts are going to be all the over the place because I will write when I find time.
I am feeling very sad that Mitchell and I need to sit out the special dinner at Chef Mickeys tonight. We tried breakfast at Ohana on Monday and lunch at 50s Prime Time Diner yesterday and they were both a bust so with a heavy heart I removed us from tonights reservation. :(
Mitchell is just chillin with the ipad, juice & freeze dried pineapple and Ive got the computer and Criminal Minds on the TV. Steve facetimed me so I could see the kids having a fantastic time and he reluctantly brought my camera to capture the magical moments. Here are the good times we missed but I know the fun would have been on the backburner if Mitchell melted down in the middle of it. I gave Steve a brief rundown of the camera before, his nighttime picture taking is a little rusty.
My Disney World 2013 posts are going to be all the over the place because I will write when I find time.
I am feeling very sad that Mitchell and I need to sit out the special dinner at Chef Mickeys tonight. We tried breakfast at Ohana on Monday and lunch at 50s Prime Time Diner yesterday and they were both a bust so with a heavy heart I removed us from tonights reservation. :(
Mitchell is just chillin with the ipad, juice & freeze dried pineapple and Ive got the computer and Criminal Minds on the TV. Steve facetimed me so I could see the kids having a fantastic time and he reluctantly brought my camera to capture the magical moments. Here are the good times we missed but I know the fun would have been on the backburner if Mitchell melted down in the middle of it. I gave Steve a brief rundown of the camera before, his nighttime picture taking is a little rusty.
Fresh Air
Today Mitchell started ESY (Extended School Year) in the morning then onto Tri-County SRA afterwards. It was such a good feeling to be able to walk around the house, remove the safety wedges from all the windows and open them wide.
In years past Mitchell would only pop out a screen on a window if it was open all the way and he REALLY wanted to get out but for the most part it was not an issue. Then he would try to get out more often but was not strong enough to lift the windows up further so as long as it was locked or only open a bit he could not get out. Starting last summer he began to raise the windows himself and even unlock them first if he was determined enough. He has popped out his bedroom window on the 2nd floor and sat watching the kids outside with his feet dangling down and even climbed out our bedroom window onto the new roof over the patio.
Starting this spring we installed wedges on all 20 windows and keep the windows open only far enough so Mitchell cannot get his head through. As you can imagine not much air comes through this tiny opening. If the wind is blowing right we get a little breeze but mostly we get hot, sticky air. At night we cannot leave the windows open at all so even if it has been nice all day the air conditioning comes on because there is no air circulating at all without it.
On a morning like today, when I know Mitchell will be gone for the majority, I can open the windows wide and get some nice fresh air and start to feel normally for a few hours.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Just Another Saturday
Today was a good day for stripping outside, popping out window screens, climbing fences, flipping couches, peeing down air vents and pooping on floors. Today was AWESOME as you can tell.
I was gone for the afternoon holding a 10 day old baby and you can bet by the time I got back Steve had made plans to go out. He was D-O-N-E.
The iPad volume is up as loud as it can go while Mitchell listens to a love song on some talking cat app Caroline installed. He is starting to sing along to some of the words so truthfully I do not mind hearing the song for the 100th time this week. It is just Grace, Mitchell and I tonight and I am trying to catch a TV show or 2 before all hell breaks loose again. The lights are all turned off and I am positioned on the couch waiting for Mitchell to pull me up and lead me out of the room as a distraction so he can tip the couch on its side again. SIGH.
Days like today feel like they are lasting forever and then all of a sudden it is time for bed. I can only smile about it and relax when I get the chance.
I was gone for the afternoon holding a 10 day old baby and you can bet by the time I got back Steve had made plans to go out. He was D-O-N-E.
The iPad volume is up as loud as it can go while Mitchell listens to a love song on some talking cat app Caroline installed. He is starting to sing along to some of the words so truthfully I do not mind hearing the song for the 100th time this week. It is just Grace, Mitchell and I tonight and I am trying to catch a TV show or 2 before all hell breaks loose again. The lights are all turned off and I am positioned on the couch waiting for Mitchell to pull me up and lead me out of the room as a distraction so he can tip the couch on its side again. SIGH.
Days like today feel like they are lasting forever and then all of a sudden it is time for bed. I can only smile about it and relax when I get the chance.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Being a Little Selfish
Forgive my typing today, my Quotation/Apostrophe key is not working.
Last night Steve tried to tell me about a race somewhere that a car, maybe a winner - I dont know, had Autism puzzle pieces covering it. I said something like Oh thats nice and then continued with really he supports Autism Awareness? I can put a bunch of stickers on my car and drive around supporting Autism Awareness too but its not going to help me, not going to help Mitchell. Its not going to help him get more therapy or pay for it and its not going to help me spend more time with the other kids instead of watching him 24/7 or pay to hire someone to do one or the other or even help me find a responsible person I feel is suited to watch him.
At this stage of the game I really dont care about supporting awareness on a grander level. My concern is Mitchell, here & now. It may be selfish but he is my cause, not Autism in general. I have always found it funny that there is a saying - If youve met 1 child with Autism, youve met 1 child with Autism. Meaning they are all different, no 2 children have the same traits all together. But yet we are lumped as a community of Autism and somehow supposed to support all things Autism and I have trouble with that.
For the last 5 1/2 yrs I have searched for a child like Mitchell. Through individual therapies, play groups, school and social outings I still havent found anyone who is the same. At first I was looking for support from someone who new exactly what we were going through and could relate on all levels. Then I wanted to find someone with maybe an older child who could provide us with hope for a bright future and tell us everything was going to be ok and get better, much better, so we could sleep easier because it would all be fine. Neither of those searches turned out very well. He is one of a kind, all children with Autism are one of a kind. Typical children are too, dont get me wrong, but their uniqueness usually helps them thrive and move ahead in life. The unique traits a child with Autism have usually hinders their ability to function in the world and limits their independence.
Lately I have become an Its Us Against the World type of person. Its what gets me through the day and helps me sleep at night. If I waited around for other people to advocate for my son, he would miss out on much needed intervention. What happens in our world - our city, home, therapy and school - is what impacts Mitchell the most - not people understanding differences better or deals being made in governments to swap out what they feel is best for people with disabilities. I understand that exposure and money is what makes things happen on a larger level but that is someone elses fight. My fight is for Mitchell and my family.
So......this is where my selfishness comes in. Since this is all about us, which I would have it no other way - I have noticed myself distancing from others who dont share my (our) views on what is best for our situation. All his lumping of people with Autism together seems to blur the lines of the extreme differences amongst them. The cause of Mitchells Autism, his symptoms and traits are his, no one elses, and too assume you would know what is best for him without being his parent, teacher, family member or therapist is close to like the saying goes ........makes an ass out of you (not me). I will be selfish and choose not to share or engage anymore and I will not continue to justify my words or actions to anyone else, I spend enough time trying doing that in my own head.
I believe all parents deserve to be a little selfish at times.
Last night Steve tried to tell me about a race somewhere that a car, maybe a winner - I dont know, had Autism puzzle pieces covering it. I said something like Oh thats nice and then continued with really he supports Autism Awareness? I can put a bunch of stickers on my car and drive around supporting Autism Awareness too but its not going to help me, not going to help Mitchell. Its not going to help him get more therapy or pay for it and its not going to help me spend more time with the other kids instead of watching him 24/7 or pay to hire someone to do one or the other or even help me find a responsible person I feel is suited to watch him.
At this stage of the game I really dont care about supporting awareness on a grander level. My concern is Mitchell, here & now. It may be selfish but he is my cause, not Autism in general. I have always found it funny that there is a saying - If youve met 1 child with Autism, youve met 1 child with Autism. Meaning they are all different, no 2 children have the same traits all together. But yet we are lumped as a community of Autism and somehow supposed to support all things Autism and I have trouble with that.
For the last 5 1/2 yrs I have searched for a child like Mitchell. Through individual therapies, play groups, school and social outings I still havent found anyone who is the same. At first I was looking for support from someone who new exactly what we were going through and could relate on all levels. Then I wanted to find someone with maybe an older child who could provide us with hope for a bright future and tell us everything was going to be ok and get better, much better, so we could sleep easier because it would all be fine. Neither of those searches turned out very well. He is one of a kind, all children with Autism are one of a kind. Typical children are too, dont get me wrong, but their uniqueness usually helps them thrive and move ahead in life. The unique traits a child with Autism have usually hinders their ability to function in the world and limits their independence.
Lately I have become an Its Us Against the World type of person. Its what gets me through the day and helps me sleep at night. If I waited around for other people to advocate for my son, he would miss out on much needed intervention. What happens in our world - our city, home, therapy and school - is what impacts Mitchell the most - not people understanding differences better or deals being made in governments to swap out what they feel is best for people with disabilities. I understand that exposure and money is what makes things happen on a larger level but that is someone elses fight. My fight is for Mitchell and my family.
So......this is where my selfishness comes in. Since this is all about us, which I would have it no other way - I have noticed myself distancing from others who dont share my (our) views on what is best for our situation. All his lumping of people with Autism together seems to blur the lines of the extreme differences amongst them. The cause of Mitchells Autism, his symptoms and traits are his, no one elses, and too assume you would know what is best for him without being his parent, teacher, family member or therapist is close to like the saying goes ........makes an ass out of you (not me). I will be selfish and choose not to share or engage anymore and I will not continue to justify my words or actions to anyone else, I spend enough time trying doing that in my own head.
I believe all parents deserve to be a little selfish at times.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Fly On The Wall Friday
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| Grace hasn't grasped the value of money yet and I have no idea where she got that 20. |
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| Cleaning day. Guess which pile is mine? |
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| It's a game of hidden pictures that fell out of Mitchell's chair. Yes from inside Mitchell's chair. Can you find: pink marble, sliver marble, clear marble, basketball ramp, starburst wrapper, Trio, crayons, french fry, booboo buddies, bacon, cheerios, fruit loops, goldfish, sucker sticks, cheez-its. Anything else? |
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| This is what happens when you slam your head into the wall, floor and sofa arm enough times. |
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| This is what happens to mommy when she tries to stop the slamming of the head. |
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Happy Birthday to Mitchell
Today Mitchell turns 7. The time just flies by these days, it feels like he just turned 6 last week. Last year at this time - right about the time I am writing this post - a DCFS agent was at our house talking to my other kids, Steve & I about things that go on around here. Things have really changed since then and yet it all seems to stay the same.
I have become more outspoken on my feelings of Autism, Mitchell, and how I feel about people who do or don't support us in general. I have chosen to remove people from our circle due to their lack of understanding and support they have shown and have gained friends and support of others at the same time. It's kind of a funny thing having one aspect of our lives dictate how we live and who we spend our time with but I think everyone does that in one way or another, it just may not be as concrete as how it is here. I don't struggle anymore with feelings of regret of wat could have been or cry for the future I hope Mitchell will have (or the rest of us for tat matter.) We do what we can to get through the days and feel confident with our choices we make that they are the best for Mitchell and our family.
In the last year we have changed up our therapy services to more home based and directed towards play skills, socializing and food. It has really made a difference with me being home after school now instead of running off the therapy with Mitchell 4 days/week, having a sitter here, and having to cram homework and dinner into the evening around Steven & Caroline's other activities in & out of the house. Feels like we actually have a handle on things and all the kids seem happier.
This morning we said "Mitchell it's your birthday" and he responded "Mitchell it's your birthday". Not quite what we were looking for but last year we would have been lucky to even get a nod in acknowledgement from him. Sometimes it appears things are happening so slowly but on days like today when we look back a year and see how far Mitchell has progressed it is an amazing feeling knowing he is continuing to grow and progress.
I have become more outspoken on my feelings of Autism, Mitchell, and how I feel about people who do or don't support us in general. I have chosen to remove people from our circle due to their lack of understanding and support they have shown and have gained friends and support of others at the same time. It's kind of a funny thing having one aspect of our lives dictate how we live and who we spend our time with but I think everyone does that in one way or another, it just may not be as concrete as how it is here. I don't struggle anymore with feelings of regret of wat could have been or cry for the future I hope Mitchell will have (or the rest of us for tat matter.) We do what we can to get through the days and feel confident with our choices we make that they are the best for Mitchell and our family.
In the last year we have changed up our therapy services to more home based and directed towards play skills, socializing and food. It has really made a difference with me being home after school now instead of running off the therapy with Mitchell 4 days/week, having a sitter here, and having to cram homework and dinner into the evening around Steven & Caroline's other activities in & out of the house. Feels like we actually have a handle on things and all the kids seem happier.
This morning we said "Mitchell it's your birthday" and he responded "Mitchell it's your birthday". Not quite what we were looking for but last year we would have been lucky to even get a nod in acknowledgement from him. Sometimes it appears things are happening so slowly but on days like today when we look back a year and see how far Mitchell has progressed it is an amazing feeling knowing he is continuing to grow and progress.
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| Mitchell March 2011 |
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| Mitchell March 2012 |
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Let's Go To The Movies
Earlier in the week we decided to take the while family to the movie theater to see "The Croods". Normally we would not have even entertained the thought but there was a screening for people with special needs and their family & friends so we thought we'd give it a try. It's Saturday and off we go to the movies, minus Steven but plus Abbey & Andrew. The ticket price included popcorn but we didn't think we needed 7 so we settled for 5 and took our seats, filling up the 2nd to top row.
Mitchell immediately started squirming and Steve brought him to the potty, returning as the movies started promptly at 10am. No previews is part of the "sensory considerate" screening - AWESOME!
Up, Down, spinning around. the time was not passing fast enough. The popcorn was not a good enough distraction and I guess the move just did not grab his attention. The boy in front of us was watching The Wiggles on his iPad and didn't seem to care Mitchell was kicking his seat as he was in turn kicking the seat in front of him. It was quite a sight to see (and hear) what was going on the movie theater this morning.
About 20 minutes into the movie Mitchell launched his juice cup about 5 rows up and wacked a lady in the back of the head. Steve went to see if she was OK and retrieve the cup and the lady said she was fine but it scared the S-H-I-T out of her. She was there with her own special needs person and was not judging us at all. It's so nice to be on equal footing at times and be OK with it all. Steve had Mitchell on his lap, then on the floor playing my phone> we caught a glimpse of something being tossed over the seat and we're like "What the heck?". His shoe, of course, lands on the floor in front of the kid with the iPad - he doesn't notice at all. I'm pretty much done by now so I decide to cut my losses and let Steve enjoy the rest of the move with the other kids.
As I grab Mitchell, my purse, his juice cup, his coat and 1 bag of popcorn and step into the aisle the bottom of the popcorn bag busts open and kernels spill all over the ground. I laugh (deliriously) and fold over the bag, heading for the exit. While we were stopped by the outside doors putting on Mitchell's coat a worker graciously offers me a refund and tells me to wait as he retrieves $13 from the register. I said it wasn't necessary but took it none the less.
I drove to McDonalds for fries but they weren't serving them until 11. We got drinks and went to a park to play until the movie was over. It ended up being just a fine morning for Mitchell, he was happy in the end. He was not put off by the frustration at the theater at all and we will out it down as one more thing we had to try to see that it wasn't going to work for us right now.
Mitchell immediately started squirming and Steve brought him to the potty, returning as the movies started promptly at 10am. No previews is part of the "sensory considerate" screening - AWESOME!
Up, Down, spinning around. the time was not passing fast enough. The popcorn was not a good enough distraction and I guess the move just did not grab his attention. The boy in front of us was watching The Wiggles on his iPad and didn't seem to care Mitchell was kicking his seat as he was in turn kicking the seat in front of him. It was quite a sight to see (and hear) what was going on the movie theater this morning.
About 20 minutes into the movie Mitchell launched his juice cup about 5 rows up and wacked a lady in the back of the head. Steve went to see if she was OK and retrieve the cup and the lady said she was fine but it scared the S-H-I-T out of her. She was there with her own special needs person and was not judging us at all. It's so nice to be on equal footing at times and be OK with it all. Steve had Mitchell on his lap, then on the floor playing my phone> we caught a glimpse of something being tossed over the seat and we're like "What the heck?". His shoe, of course, lands on the floor in front of the kid with the iPad - he doesn't notice at all. I'm pretty much done by now so I decide to cut my losses and let Steve enjoy the rest of the move with the other kids.
As I grab Mitchell, my purse, his juice cup, his coat and 1 bag of popcorn and step into the aisle the bottom of the popcorn bag busts open and kernels spill all over the ground. I laugh (deliriously) and fold over the bag, heading for the exit. While we were stopped by the outside doors putting on Mitchell's coat a worker graciously offers me a refund and tells me to wait as he retrieves $13 from the register. I said it wasn't necessary but took it none the less.
I drove to McDonalds for fries but they weren't serving them until 11. We got drinks and went to a park to play until the movie was over. It ended up being just a fine morning for Mitchell, he was happy in the end. He was not put off by the frustration at the theater at all and we will out it down as one more thing we had to try to see that it wasn't going to work for us right now.
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