Spreading the word

If you have a chance, check out this website.  It's about the journey of one of JJ's friend's little sister.  She's the cutest thing.  I have never known more than today how important awareness is.
www.brooklynsbestball.com 

 

Bless our weird little home

While I was doing this:

 Tee was doing this:

 Always check when your kids are laughing during quiet time.

Let's get physical!

Sometimes it sucks being a girl.  Once a year finding yourself laying on your back with someone due south holding a silver instrument is not my idea of a romantic date.  Stripping down to that little white robe?   But don't worry they cover the important parts with a towel. It's not so much a privacy issue.  I gave that up awhile ago.  6 years come June to be exact.  Laying on my back with Matthew, Sarah, my midwife, a doctor, a nurse ... I'm pretty sure I saw the entire cast of the A team as well.  How come when I was labouring it was quiet with just the 3 of us most of the time and when the goods come out EVERYONE enters the room??  Although, being up for 2 nights and being told to "push with everything you've got" for 2 hours ... ya, I wouldn't have cared if Big Bird was in the room at that point.

Here we are again.  The annual visit.  Not something I look foward to.   It's uncomfortable and it hurts.   If we're going to have to be poked and prodded don't you think there should be some kind of compensation?  Maybe baskets at the door with chocolate.  I mean the kids get stickers when they finish their appointment.  And trust me what they do to us is a lot worse than having someone look in your ears.    If they get stickers, I say we get a nice box of chocolates or a new pair of shoes.  Something tells me that our health care system will never go for it.  So, if it's that time of year for you again then treat yourself to something special.  Or make your husband do it.  (Get your chocolate .. not take the physical.  They have their own problems to worry about)  Remember, even though it sucks, it's good for you.  Have your annual physical.  Early detection can save your life.

This random Monday

My favorite season is Fall.  I've always loved the crisp air and the excitement of routine.  I don't think I realized until recently why I really love fall so much.  I think it's because things usually start in the Fall.  School, programs, the beginning of festivities like Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Things will usually remain the same for the next 10 months.  I know I took a hiatus from "school" for a few years while my kids were babies, but that feeling never left me.  When the calendar turns to September I get that urge to buy a fresh book and new pencils.  A clean slate.  A new beginning.

I don't like change.  I love the feeling of spring coming, but with it comes change.  I know the summer will come and with that is a whole new season.  I don't just mean literally.  I mean a whole new experience comes.  I feel it already.  Change.  Day by day and very quickly, month by month the school year will come to a close.  Our safe little haven will have to change.  It seems like we were in JK like 10 mins ago and now JJ is talking about grade 1?

In a few short weeks we will get word about what school Tee will be going to.  Regardless of what program she is in, come next year she will be busy all day.  My little Dickey birdies will fly from the nest.  Okay, that's a bit dramatic, but having kids in school is such a visible marker of how fast they are growing up.  Know what comes after grade 1?  Grade *gulp* 2!  And after grade 2 ... well, you get the idea.

I can't help but feel like it's the count down to when my life will really change.  Is it really just a matter of time before I can't walk on my own?   I'm scared I'm going to be left behind as my girls experience life and start to explore their own worlds outside of mommy and daddy.  "Daddy, I love you.  Even when I get married and have kids I will always love you.  And Daddy, you'll be their grandpa".  Seriously?  Where has the time gone.  We are no longer talking about Dora and goldfish crackers.  We talk about which character on Full House we want to be and all the relationshp problems in room 19.

I know it's not the first day of school or the last day for that matter, but on this random Monday the tears came as I sent my little girls off on the bus and the "gold bus" (Holly's van).  I really do have the very best kids.  I don't always feel that way.  Especially when Tee has spent the better part of the last few weeks whining.  Being sick hasn't helped anyone much, but hopefully this bug will leave my little buggie alone.  I'd whine too if I wasn't feeling well and couldn't tell anyone about it.

Anyways, I continue on trying to capture some of the moments that will slip by so quickly.  JJ and I purchased a gift for Daddy.  Soon he will be back to work and our time together will be so much shorter.  I can't wait to give him his gift.  I picture lots of family time together.  Of course, that's fantasizing things.  In reality someone will end up crying, but still we try to create family moments.  I can't tell you what it is until JJ gives it to him tonight.  It's hiding in her room and it would be pretty disappointing if one of you got to tell him!  Especially after all the work of trying to get it in our house.  Thanks for getting it the last little bit Aunt Janine. 45 mins until the bus pulls up.  So looking forward to hearing all the happenings from the playground.  I'm sure there will be a little whining and perhaps head banging from Tee, but it all comes as a package and on this random monday, I welcome it.

If we were all alike

The world according to JJ ...

There would be a lot more pink in the world.  Schools, houses, stores and hospitals would be pink.  Of course,  they would all be made of paper and glitter.  One rainstorm and we'd be wiped out.  The military would be petitioned to stop what they are doing and focus on creating things like tooth fairies and unicorns.  It would be manditory to watch at least one episode of Full House before bed each night.  Although, we would all be making excuses to eachother as to why we are not tired yet.  All meals would consist of egg sandwiches and cucumbers.  Casseroles and stews would be outlawed.

Childbirth would be fast and painless, but would consequently result in the birth of a cabbage patch doll.  We would all be well aware of our "birthday party" status with everyone.  "I'm not inviting you to my birthday party!"  No more wondering if the invitation is in the mail.

We would never know who was in leadership because everyone would want to be the Princess.  We would probably end up with one princess from every Disney movie made.  World problems would be solved by using our kind words and doing a craft together.  Friendship bracelets would be a code of honour.

We would greet eachother with a hug and a drawing of our family.  Kisses would be manditory for a seperation longer than 3 hours.  Gum would be instituted in the classroom and everyone would be superstar of the week.  Spark nights would become statutory holidays and an outfit would be considered matching not on the basis of colour and style, but if each piece was pretty.  Everything would be spelled, "I, love, you, dear, dad and mom" and nothing would get cleaned because it's just too hard.

Days would be rated on a "little great" to "really great" standard.  Our healthcare system would be overflowed by invisible wounds that cause us to limp around until we get the appropriate amount of attention.  Anything could be considered a valuable treasure as long as it was given to them or someone else was playing with it at the time.  Jails would be filled with people crying and telling eachother they "thinks they were bad" and a pinky promise to be good would warrant an early parole.

All maps would lead to treasure and there would be a lot more giggling.

Yes ... the world would be an interesting place if we were all the same.

We doded it!

Dining out with ASD.

We have learned very quickly that eating out at restaurants with Tee can be somewhat of a nightmere.  Not knowing if she'll start screaming for no reason or if she'll want to pace up and down the isles.  We pretty much gave it up for awhile.

Last summer we decided to exercise our "autism parent muscles".  We wanted to try eating out.  We put on our thinking caps (mine is pink with darling little flowers on it).   We decided to try the early early bird dinner at Applebees with the hopes that the patio would be empty.  We let her wander around the empty patio until the food arrived and by this time she was settled enough to sit and enjoy a nice dinner.  Daddy paid and we slipped out the patio gate ... no harm ... very little foul.

Call me a wimp, but I don't want to sit on the patio in the snow.  Going out to a restaurant is not usually an option for us right now .... until ....


We got a nice giftcard for Applebees and found out kids eat free on Wednesday's.  Hmmm.  Pretty good deal.  What should we do?


For those of you who watch parenthood, although you may not like the character of Christina, I really relate to her.  Well, I can relate as a parent of ASD and all the planning and worrying she does.  I'm not quite as cryie or dramatic as her.  (My family may disagree on the dramatic comment).  It's hard to just enjoy stuff and go with the flow.  There is so much planning and foresight that goes into everything.   That's the strategy we took.  We decided to take Tee and JJ out for lunch.  Ohhhhhhhhh.  We are wild.  Guess what??  It went fantastic!  We asked for a seat off to the side and had Tee sit snuggled between JJ and Daddy.  We had our order ready for as soon as we saw the waitress.  We asked for the bill and take home containers right away so we'd be able to slip out if needed.  Tee sat like a lady as we presented her with a portable tickle trunk full of various shrine potential toys.  She sat snuggled with her Daddy and we handed her a lollipop for dessert as we transitioned out of the restaurant.  She was very calm ... only time she yelled out was when she started singing really loudly.  Although we thought it was cute it probably wasn't the type of dinner music the other guests were expecting.  Things couldn't have gone more smoothly! I still had butterflies in my tummy the whole time and barely remember eating.  It's hard not to watch every move to make sure she's not going to start screaming, but she did it.  

I'm so proud of my little dining out lady. 

Gung hay fat choy

Happy New Year guys!  Gung hay fat choy!  Sun nien fai lok! Xin nian yu kuai!  Okay, so I totally stole those from the internet.  I can't speak Chinese ... well, I can count from 1-10 and JJ taught me "gung hay fat choy" last year from school, but I'm pretty limited to that.  Anyways, although it's not until next week we thought we better celebrate it on the weekend.  Why are we celebrating it when we clearly aren't Chinese?  JJ and her friend D are very interested in China and other places so we thought we might as well make it a party.

The paper lanterns were easy to make, but getting that string to stay up was another story.  It did fall down before it's time.

Tada! We are Chinese!

We are not Chinese, but he's hot

In their outfits .. they were quite the pair

All our special treats

I.B.trying the chopsticks

Our version of fireworks ... Tee was happy