Family Christmas Letter (written by Munchkin)

Dear family and friends,

We hope you have a Merry Christmas.  Here are some things good about this year:

Because of Buddy Boy's autism, we were given an Ipad from a very special person!  We have found some educational apps to help him read and write new words.  He's very special to everyone, and he's the best little brother ever!

I (Munchkin) started the year by getting baptized.  I got on the honor roll this first trimester at school by getting 98% and above on ALL my subjects!  I have been kind to my wonderful and crazy cats.

Evelyn (mom) has gotten a wonderful new job at my school.  She found out about a carnival held at Wheeler Farm for families with autism, and we all went and had a blast!  She's gotten to be in the Mormon Messages for the church.

Clayton (dad) is still working at Verizon Wireless.  He took us on a weekend trip to Bear Lake over the summer.  He taught me to swim a lot better that trip!  He's the best dad...give all the cheers to our wonderful and great dad!

Hope you guys have a Merry Christmas!

Love, Cox Family and our two wonderful cats

Men's Hearts Shall Fail Them

St. Luke 21:25
"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth..."

Elder Nelson shares his thoughts on this scripture in an eloquent and heartfelt way:



To see other inspirational videos, along with many "good reminders", you can go to LDS.org, or you can subscribe to the Youtube channel, Mormon Messages.

Setting Up Christmas Stuff

Getting out Christmas decor,and Parker sees a plate that says, "Dear Santa, Here is a treat for you and carrots for your reindeer." The first "for" is missing the O and R. So he sounds it out and reads " Dear Santa, here is a treat. F You and carrots for your reindeer." Gotta find some replacement lettering!

 

Also, Akaila put on Christmas music and the song "Noel" came on. She listened for awhile, then came to me in clear distress and upset. "Mom, you know that Noel song? I don't think we should listen to it anymore. You know, cause of how it says 'Born is the kingdom of h**l'" I explained it's "born is the king of Israel", EL, not with an H.:-)

My Gratitude List

Throughout this month I've read hundreds of gratitude lists from friends.  I chose not to participate, because I didn't trust myself to remember every day, and quite honestly, because I didn't want to simply 'follow the crowd'.  I have, however, truly enjoyed reading so many thoughtful statuses, so many kind words, and feeling the feelings that were meant to accompany them.  I thank all of my FB friends and family who posted every day, because you really lifted my heart.




I'm not gifted in the way of words like some are (Yes you, Andrea Aquin and you, Kambree Miller).  I read the words of others; they are harmonious and melodious, they paint a picture, they tell a story, they speak to the heart.  You will not see that from me today, because that isn't something I'm good at, and that's okay.  You're just going to get a simple bullet-pointed list, because making lists, well, that's something I know how to do:

• I'm thankful for my kids.  There is no greater gift in my life than the gift those kids are to me.  With every breath they take, they take my breath away.  Their thoughtfulness, their humility, their eagerness to learn, everything about them sets me in awe.
• I am thankful for those around me who love my kids.  When aunts and uncles and cousins and friends treat my children with respect and admiration, I see it and my heart soars.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, for loving my kids. 
• Last Sunday I was (and still am) thankful for a positive strep throat culture.  Oh, the relief of knowing I was not going to be sent home without antibiotics!  It was a big deal.
• I am thankful to see Buddy Boy learning to read.  We were still working on him writing letters correctly, but he decided it was time to move on and just started.  It's so exciting to see his progress.
• I am thankful that Munchkin is such an amazing student.  I certainly never had all 98% and above in every school subject.  She's not only smart, but she's well behaved, and I've only heard RAVES about her as a student.
• I am thankful for good, kind, loving, and dedicated teachers (Ahem, Shelly Prettyman).  The difference in my children when they have a teacher who cares vs. a teacher who is simply working for a paycheck is HUGE.  We've been so blessed to have good teachers 80% of the time.
• I am grateful for the opportunities I've had in the last few months to be involved with a couple of church productions.  No big parts, mind you, but no matter the role, the spirit is there, and it's very uplifting.
• I am thankful for so many good people surrounding us.  From the neighbor who always leaves goodies on my porch when I'm down to the neighbor who invites Munchkin over to play to the friend who gave Buddy Boy an iPad....how can we NOT be grateful?
• I am thankful for good music.  For the Jack Johnson's out there to provide me music when I need to just enjoy the mellow, relaxing waves of life.  For the many Christian artists whose music uplifts me when I need it.  For the APPROPRIATE teeny bop music I can feel okay with my daughter listening to.  For the stuff that makes me wanna move, for the sounds that motivate and challenge me, and for those that soothe and inspire me.  I'm grateful to be a lover of music.
• I am thankful to have discovered how wonderfully soothing herbal chamomile tea is on a sore throat.
• I am thankful that Buddy Boy's trip and stay at the hospital did not lead to surgery as initially thought, and that he's already completely recovered.
• I am thankful for family in general.  I am thankful to have a home to live in.  I am thankful that my husband has a stable job with good insurance.  I am thankful for the gospel.  I am thankful for my Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ.

And many, many more, but I'll leave it at that.  Happy Thanksgiving.

Temple Grandin and Autism

Thursday I took a day off work and went to Buddy Boy's school to meet a very special someone...named Temple Grandin.

Before you say "Who's Temple Grandin?" (because that just might tick me off), let me tell you a little about her.

Temple Grandin has Autism.

She is the author of at least half a dozen books, her most recent one being "The Way I See It"

(Photo)

She is the subject of a recent movie, Temple Grandin - The HBO Movie, 

which just happened to win a bunch of  Emmy awards.

She has achieved what many didn't believe someone on the Autism Spectrum could achieve.  She leads the way for thousands of families, bringing hope to so many. 

THAT is who was at Buddy Boy's school on Thursday.  And it was fantastic meeting her and being able to talk with her.  She had a lot of very blunt, but incredibly helpful advice for all parents there, and I've already made changes to how we do some things with Buddy Boy as a result. 

These are a couple of pictures of her before the meeting actually began.  I also made video, but it was with my little phone and unfortunately, you can't really hear anything she's saying.  SOO, I'm going to borrow this video that the gal sitting next to me made.  It just happens to be the same thing that I had recorded, only The Autie Project made it MUCH better than I ever could have.

The Last Few Weeks

I hate that I can't seem to keep up on this blog. I'm gonna do it again...give some quick run downs from the last few weeks:

• At work I've been "assigned" to work with a student who moved from Mexico just a week or so ago.  He doesn't speak a word of English, and I just happen to not speak a word of Spanish, so it's been interesting.  I REALLY like working with him though!  It's fun to work one on one with the students...something I didn't know I would like, but have found that I LOVE.

• Clay has been working his butt off trying to not take a day off work for the rest of the year.  If he doesn't, he'll get a free phone from Verizon....and of course, there's a new phone coming out, so he's hoping!  He's been sick though and had to come home early last night, but he's planning to make up the 4 hours so he'll still be on track.  The things that motivate us!

• Buddy Boy has had his FIRST THREE successes going POOP in the toilet!!  It's definitely not consistent, but it's something.  He's very excited when he has a success and he yells to the world (seriously, outside while other adults stare, chuckle, and yes, even glare), "MOM, I went POOP in the TOILET!!!"

• Munchkin got her first "report card"/progress report from school, and her overall grade is 98%.  We're so proud of her!  She got 100% in all areas except reading comprehension, and she got 97% in that, so we're thrilled with how well she's doing.

• I did a 2-hour filming project with the church a couple of weeks back...it was a segment for the Mormon Messages.  It was a lot of fun, but I learned something about myself: I'm a terrible actor when it comes to lovey dovey scenes. :-)

• Our family received an Ipad2 from a friend!!!  This gal, our Autism Angel, wanted Buddy Boy to have another tool to help him, and because she's had so much success with her child, she knew it would bless Buddy Boy as well.  I bawled for a full day!  We are still in shock over the generosity and love of this Angel, and it's awesome to see how loved that Ipad is, and how much use we're already getting from it.

• Our ward did the Primary Presentation, and both kids did a great job.  It still amazes me to think that last year it was a miracle that Buddy Boy could even talk, and now he's rattling off primary parts without hesitation.  I can't believe how far he's come.  My verbal baby!!

• Munchkin has been very hard at work on her Craft Blog. She's done probably a dozen or so crafts, but we got behind on posting them.  We'll be working hard to catch up before Halloween!

Until next time,

Top Five Reasons You Should NEVER Piss Off An Autism Mom

I came across this list of the Top 5 Reasons You Should Never Piss Off an Autism Mom.  I see a lot of fun write ups like this all the time, but I’ve NEVER found one that I could relate to so completely!  It’s hilarious and sadly, so, so true!  I’ve edited out some of the cussing just because I don’t want to offend anyone, but if you’d like to read the original post, you can do so HERE. (The words that are italicized are the only edits I made)

Enjoy!

Top Five Reasons You Should Never Piss Off An Autism Mom

We’ve all been there.  Every autism mom has had at least one encounter with some insensitive punk who insulted our children or criticized our parenting.  It might have been the perfectly groomed soccer mom who said your child was merely spoiled, or maybe the old biddy that told you to take your screaming kid outside even though you were already dragging him out the door in a Fireman Carry, or maybe just some random mean guy who muttered, “This is why I hate kids” under his breath while your child happily flapped past him.
Usually we just have to mention “autism” and the critics slink away, embarrassed and with their tails between their legs, but every now and then you meet somebody who is such a huge butthole they don’t care if your kid is autistic, they just care that your child’s noise/stim/existence is annoying to them, and they don’t hesitate to tell you about how obnoxious your child is and what a terrible job you’re doing raising him.
Sometimes their callousness shocks us silent, and we sit in the car afterward, thinking of all the retorts we could have made.  Sometimes we take the higher ground and walk away, and sometimes we dig in and defend ourselves. (And sometimes we defend ourselves loudly and with many obscenities, but that witch in the bookstore deserved it!)
These people who attack us are horrible because they have no empathy.  They’re shallow people who probably lead miserable lives devoid of depth and meaning.  They need to learn compassion and respect, but mostly they need to learn to fear us, because autism moms are not to be trifled with.
Top Five Reasons You Should Never Piss Off an Autism Mom
Five.  We’re Already on the Defensive
What?  You think you’re the first person to think I’m a bad mother? Get in line.  People have been assuming I’m a bad mother for the last five years.  I chew up people who think I’m a bad parent for breakfast. You think there’s something wrong with my kid?  No kidding, Sherlock – this panel of physicians and psychologists agrees with you.  Tell us something we don’t know.  Have something new and clever to add?  No? NO?  I didn’t think so…
In other words, we have experience with buttholes like you.
Four.  We Are Not Socially Well-Adjusted
We were real people once, and we will be real people again someday, but right now we’re living on the fringe of polite society.  We have cut ties and discarded the family and friends who couldn’t handle our situation.  We all suffer from severe PTSD. Our houses are messy, our surfaces are sticky, and we know the words to way too many Wiggles songs. We clean up disasters that you couldn’t even begin to contemplate.  We live in semi-isolation, trying to have philosophical conversations with children who only know 18 words.  We wear yoga pants all day. Our lives are not like other people’s lives. Do you really want to make us angry? Or do you want to give us a really really wide berth and back away slowly because you’re scared of what we might do if we snap?  Yes.  Good choice.
Three. We Know How to Fight
Autism moms know how to fight because we practice. We fight all day long.  We fight with doctors about treatment, and then we fight with insurance companies to get it paid for.  We fight with the state over services and we fight with schools about our IEPs.  We fight with our families who won’t come to visit us anymore and we fight with our husbands to let off steam from all the other fighting we’re constantly doing.  We fight with our children to make them keep their pants on in public.   Do you think for a second that we would hesitate to fight with a complete stranger who was totally asking for it?
Two.  We’re Already Angry
Autism moms carry huge amounts of unprocessed rage just below the surface.  We’re mad at god or the universe or fate or whatever it is out there that gave our children autism.  We are furious at the cards we were dealt and indignant that such a horrible thing had to happen to our children.  We are angry about the loss of the child we were supposed to have, and we never truly stop mourning.  We’re angry at the doctors who didn’t catch it early enough and also at the doctors who did.  We hold a grudge against anybody who ever failed us as we tried to make sense of this chaos, and we’re also furious at ourselves, because we constantly feel like we’re not doing enough to help and we’re secretly afraid that it might somehow be our fault in the first place.  We are already walking bundles of resentment…do you want to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back?
One. We’re Sleep Deprived
Some of us haven’t had a good night’s sleep in years. Between the stress, depression, anxiety, and the kid who wakes up screaming for popsicles at 3 a.m., we’re all beyond exhausted.  We’re muddled and short-tempered and irrational and crazy.  Like ax murderer crazy. Like Mel Gibson crazy. There are all sorts of studies linking sleep deprivation to psychosis and that would probably hold up in court if I decided to assault you.  Keep that in mind the next time you fail to keep your opinions to yourself, and beware the autism mom.

September's Transitioning

September was a month of transition.  I don't think we've successfully transitioned yet, but hopefully soon. 

Of course, September tends to be a transition for most families, as kids start school, so I know we're not unique in that.  I'm still gonna share our new schedule, cause hey, it's a big deal to me!

I got a new job in September, and that has been an ADJUSTMENT.  Munchkin started school, joined the after school program for 3 days, and is also enjoying a SIBS of Autism program on Fridays.  Buddy Boy started school and is adjusting well to riding the bus.  We've had two fundraisers so far, one Walk to School Day complete with news interviews, a few PTA and Community Council meetings, one carnival to attend, a lunch date for the grown ups (talk about an adjustment...I don't know the last time we did a date!), etc, etc.  Life as we know it.  September was also the first full month of me eating gluten-free, and although I can feel the difference, it still sucks! 

Okay, so...new job:
     - I started a part-time job working as a Para Educator for 6th grade students at a local elementary school.  Wish is was the school Munchkin was at, but alas, it's not.  My very first day involved saving a student from another student attacking them with a chair, a wrestling match with a substitute teacher and a student, the police being called in, the substitute being hauled off for touching the student, and me being put in charge of the entire class while we waited for a new sub.  I won't lie, I was tempted to quit right then.  Thankfully, the 8 days since then have been much more calm, although there were also incidents involving students trying to stab each other, graphic pictures drawn by students being confiscated, and lots of cussing by kids.  One highlight of the new job is running into a teacher who I recognized...because she was MY teacher from FIRST GRADE!!!  That was pretty flippin' cool!

Munchkin stuff:

     - Munchkin signed up for a "Glee for Me" after school class, a class introducing kids to the performing arts.  The after school staff kept putting her in different classes, and so it took awhile to get it straightened out, and there were tears for the first two weeks.  It eventually was fixed, and now she loves going to after school class!  Last Friday she started attending a Sibs of Autism group, held at Buddy Boy's school.  She has made a lot of friends, and we hope she'll enjoy the social time, the fun, and the opportunity to finally not be the only kid who has a brother with a disability.  She's loving 3rd grade and her teacher is AWESOME.

Buddy Boy stuff:  

     - Buddy Boy has been working on being potty trained for a year now.  He pees in the toilet, but has refused to sit on the toilet and poop  We couldn't figure out why, since he had started potty training sitting.  Turns out the school stopped having him sit, cause it was faster for them to have him stand.  We expressed concern and asked for their help in having him sit on the toilet at school, to reinforce what he was doing at home.  Because he never had a poopy accident at school, they weren't willing.  So we were very, very proud of him when he had two huge poopy accidents at school, ha ha!!!  And what a shocker, the next day his teachers contacted me letting me know that they agreed with me and that they would be helping to reinforce sitting on the toilet and trying to poop in it.  Go Buddy Boy!!  He's loving school and while playing he'll suddenly burst out into song, singing stuff from High School Musical, Justin Bieber, Plain White T's and Bruno Mars.  I'm constantly hearing how cute it is.  He has started saying "I'm so glad to see you!" every time time he gets off the bus.

Other stuff:

     - I was put in charge of decorations for a Walk to School Day happening at Munchkin's school.  Two local news stations came and the kids were all pretty excited about it.   I've been involved with the PTA and Community Council.  We went to the Sahara Cares Carnival for Autism on the 17th, and they did such a great job!  Buddy Boy started having meltdowns about 2 hours into it though, so we had to leave early.  It was fun while it lasted.

Gluten free:  
     - I thought that once I ate gluten free, I'd feel better.  It's crazy, because although there is definite improvement in some areas, there are other issues that have not gotten one bit better.  All the digestive troubles I've had for years are still here, except for the bloating.  I'm SO glad to have that gone!  My migraines have disappeared too. My stomach cramping has not gone away, but it's definitely a LOT less severe.  Going out to eat is practically non existent for me now, but that's probably a good thing anyway.:-)

Clay stuff:
     - So as to not leave Clay out, I'll be sure to share with you that there has not been much new going on with him. :-)  He's been helping his mom "move", but that isn't even news, since it's been going on for a year!  He's really excited for the new year to start so that he'll get an extra week of vacation at work. That'll be nice!

Our Summer in Pictures

I feel like I need to update on how our summer went, but honestly, I am so busy I haven't found the time.  Since I managed to find the time to write a huge ole' post about filming, I think I owe it to my family to spend some time on our summer as well.

Here's a summary of our summer in pictures:

Lots of trampoline jumping.

We went to our cousin's wedding,

sneaked onto our Stake's parade float...

had a lemonade stand, 

and did some hiking.

The girls enjoyed a Girls Night Out at Spaghetti Factory, all dressed up....

while the boys did their first annual Father's/Son's campout.

Munchkin had a great time doing the annual Daddy Daughter Backyard campout.

We took an overnight trip to Bear Lake.

The kids spent a lot of time playing in the water.

We grew a garden that had quite pathetic results as well.  (Better than nothing, though, I guess)

There you have it!  The gist of our summer. :-)

Filming The New Testament

So, I signed up to be an extra for the church's filming of the New Testament.  A long time ago. Turns out that another 10,000+ other people did too. So, I was quite surprised (pleasantly!) to get a phone call last Monday night from LDS  Casting, asking me if I'd be willing to come in and film on Thursday.  I was able to work out Clay's work and babysitters so that I could go.  I later got a call asking me to come Wednesday as well, but was unable to rearrange things for two days.

Anyway, I received an email at 9:30 Wednesday night informing me of the call time.  I was to be in Goshen, UT by 7:00 am Thursday morning.  I won't lie, I was worried about the early morning, since Tuesday night I started feeling sick. And get this:  I felt good the entire day of filming, until driving home.  The cold has taken hold since.  I just somehow managed to skip a day. Just try and tell me that's not a miracle!

I was up at 5:00 am and on the road at 5:20. Upon arrival, I was ushered into a tent that I would be sharing with 250 others.  I was among the first of the extras called to wardrobe, and so I didn't really know what to expect.  What I found was incredible.  I was assigned at "African Temple Background", and was given sandals, and outfit, hair, makeup, and jewelry.  The outfit I was given was not exactly modest...but I suppose it fit the time period!  How ironic that I had to show my temple recommend to be in the film, and almost immediately afterward was given clothing that I couldn't even wear my garments with!  Heck, I couldn't even wear my bra completely. My dress was sleeveless on one side and it came down under my arm on the other side, leaving me a nice, bare shoulder.  It also came above my knees.  I tried bargaining for something different (Are you sure you want me in this?  My arms are pretty flabby!).  Didn't work.  :-)

Anyway, I received my clothing and went to change, after which I was sent to hair and makeup.  I was given a plain turban-style wrap over my head, covering my hair completely.  At makeup, I was told that I was way too light and would be washed out, so they darkened me up.  That was definitely a first in Utah!  Although seeing everyone else that was African background, I can see why.  I didn't exactly look the part until they darkened me.  They covered me in a dark stain from head to toe.  It was nice having an instant tan, but it was a shock looking at my face!

Walking back into the extras tent was pretty cool.  Being one of the first ones put in costume, I got a lot of stares.  And yes, I loved it. I felt like a star!  (It doesn't take much to make me feel special.)  As time went by, we started seeing more and more costumes, and it was incredible.  The Roman soldiers walking around were my favorite, but there were also pharisees, temple guards, Jewish men and women, Africans, and Persians. The Persians received really fancy bright clothing, and they got makeup. I got a lot of pictures, but can't post them...contract!:-)

After a while, we were taken to the set, and my gosh, it was incredible.  I mean, how many people can say they've visited Jerusalem? How many can say they've seen ANCIENT Jerusalem? It was just like being there.  The man playing Jesus was on set also, and people were so excited to see him!  Initially, I thought it seemed a little silly, these hundreds of starstruck people. But as the day went on, I began to see him differently.  Not as an actor who was playing an amazing part, but as a representative of the Savior.  I mean, you have to understand.  Standing on set with hundreds of others, ALL of whom are dressed and playing parts just like me, it began to feel as if I was REALLY there...as if the Savior was truly walking among us, cleansing the temple!  And so, when we wrapped and left the set for the day, I was so thrilled to have the chance to exchange a few words with this man (his real name is John). One of the other extras waved at him, and later said he could cross "meet Jesus" off his bucket list....ha ha!

But before the wrap, we filmed two scenes.  Yes, two scenes total, and it was a 12.5 hour day!  If that isn't testament to the detail that has to go into filming, I don't know what is.  For the first scene, we were walking through the temple where the money changers were, the animals, and everyone else, when suddenly we heard a crash and ran off, scared.  The crew members didn't tell us that anything was going to crash, so when it happened, my response was not acted. In fact, I jumped and looked back, and then panicked, thinking I'd screwed up.  But no, that was exactly what they wanted!

The second scene was an extension of the first, but just from a different angle, and a little further into the cleansing of the temple.  They were filming people running and scattering out of the temple while the Pharisees challenged Jesus.  They sent me off at the end of the scene, as one of the stragglers still running around.  They then ended the scene with the sheep scattered, tables overturned, the temple empty of people and everything, except for Christ and one perfect little lamb. The poor lamb was scared to death...all of his sheep friends had taken off running and he had to stay!

Speaking of the lamb, it was awesome working with animals on scene!  I loved it.  On set were donkeys, pigeons, sheep, and doves. There were two camels there too, but they weren't on set.

Anyway, that's the gist of my day.  I won't lie, it was hot in the sun, and physically I was not comfortable in the outfit I had.  But the day was about so much more!  Too see the camaraderie among people was inspirational. People from all over the world (literally, there were people from as far away as Ghana!!), all walks of life, all ages, coming together.  I shared friendships with so many people.  At the end, some gals asked me how old I was, and were shocked to hear how old I am (31 if anyone is interested). As we took turns guessing each others' ages, it struck me that these were people who I may not necessarily be friends with in the real world.  We are different ages, have different interests, different styles, and so much more.  Yet that day, we were simply humans, all grateful for the opportunity to celebrate our Savior's love and life.  Friends. Brothers and sisters.

I'll never forget that feeling of unity.  I'll never forget the feeling of walking the streets of Jerusalem, as the Savior walked among us. It was...I can't even think of an accurate word for it. Amazing?  Awesome? Awe inspiring? All I know is, I want to carry the feeling with me.  Forever.

More Munchkin-isms

I may have the cutest girl in the world...I really might.  She's certainly among the silliest.  Here are some of her quotes from the summer:

One day I was lying in bed sick (shocker, right?).  She came in and asked what was wrong.  I told her I was sick and she got really worried.  She felt my forehead and said, "You don't have a fever.  Oh no!  What if you're getting the Weasles??"

In July we drove by a Texas Roadhouse.  Munchkin mentioned that she'd gotten a coupon from school for a place like that...but couldn't remember the name of the place.  I gave her some ideas:  "Spaghetti Factory?  Outback Steakhouse?"  She replied, "No, it was, um, let me think.  It was Obama-Rama, that's right!"  I nearly wrecked the car I was laughing so hard.  When we were safely parked, I asked if she had meant "ChuckaRama.  Yes, yes she had.

During my gluten binge (which a whole other story in itself), we went to Arctic Circle and I got some halibut.  I explained to Munchkin that it was fish.  As we were eating and enjoying our meal, she very politely tried stirring up some conversation:  "So Mom, how are you enjoying your Malibut?"

You know, given my own history with word mix-ups, I'm hardly able to judge.  Some of you may remember my Fahu Tahi song from The Grinch. 

At least we know where she got it from.

For past Munchkin-isms, go here!

Buddy Boy and Home Depot

I love, LOVE the free kids workshops that Home Depot and Lowe's do!  Both of the kids enjoy them, but Buddy Boy in particular looks forward to it.  To see the sense of pride and accomplishment in his face after making something is something I'll never tire of:






(I personally prefer the Home Depot ones, simply because you don't have to sign up nearly 4 weeks in advance to reserve a spot...but that's just me!)

Autism and more

June 30th,  me and Eve had our 11th anniversary.   To celebrate we went as a family to Trafalga, and for lunch at KFC.   Whenever we go anywhere we try to take precaution about what to do if Buddy Boy has a meltdown.  It was 30 min away from home.  A lot of times one of us takes Buddy Boy in the car until he calms down, but it was a very hot day, and couldn't sit in the car.  We packed food and juice and an extra diaper, and headed out early to avoid the crowd.  By the time we arrived it was already hot, and crowded.  Buddy Boy started with a good attitude and was okay waiting for a little in line without causing a scene.  He was so excited to go on the rides and while on the rides was having the time of his life.  After one hour it was more crowded, and very hot and Buddy Boy wanted to still have fun but with no one there to interrupt, or make him have to wait in line.  After the first hour he started to have meltdowns, so we went to lunch.  Whenever we take him out to eat we try to go somewhere that is not very crowded,  unfortunately this time KFC was crowded, and a kid sat down at a table next to ours and this caused another meltdown.   We decided to go back for some more torture, and meltdowns persisted.   One time I turned my eye on him for only a second and he ran up to a toddler and shoved him down to the ground.  It was embarrassing explaining it to the tot's mother. We were all exhausted and came home and took a nap.   Buddy boy is a generally happy boy.  While he is home he finds things to entertain him, and very seldom has a meltdown while we are home.  Whenever there is the time to go somewhere, library, gas station, grocery store, park, or any place in general with people, I think, "should I take Buddy Boy, he will probably be miserable, and there is a 50% chance he will cause some sort of a scene."  But then the thought comes to my mind that he needs to experience the world and so most of the time I take him.  Sometimes he does great, and others not so great.  When taking him places he gets very excited to go and wants to explore the world.  The only problem is it has to be under guide lines, and conditions.  At the store he used to want to run up and down and touch everything, and play with everything.  He has since learned he cannot do that.  As Buddy Boy continues to grow, hopefully he will learn some more social rules of how society works, and hopefully I will continue to take him with me to "experience the world."   ~Clay

This one he is at a park and there was some animals to pet.

Wii Redbox Rental

Yesterday I decided to take advantage of Redbox's summer $0.50 discount on Wednesdays and get a wii game.  Munchkin really wanted to get Michael Jackson:  The Experience.  As you can see, the kids had a good time with it.  So did I, although I made absolutely sure that NO videos were made of me butchering the poor dance moves.



PS. In the meantime, I've posted a ton of new family videos on Youtube if you want to check them out. Here are a few links:

http://youtu.be/IOilKUzfDlg

http://youtu.be/qsi5PX9djvk

http://youtu.be/aCAJUKw9no4

http://youtu.be/oLumlWWAU3g

http://youtu.be/Tw_nhsjwePk

Family Gets Together

Nate and Mae moved back, and Reggie came to visit so we wasted no time and laid sod in Janice's backyard.  The kids had a blast playing with each other, and catching up on missed time.  It took three full days of hard work.  Everyone pitched in including the kids (even though they got paid for their effort).  A tractor was rented to clear out the weeds, Eve and Mae were the experts running it.   Nate had a tiller that had its work cut out for it.   There were about 8 stumps that were all removed except for the biggest one, it will have to wait.   Even though it was a lot of work it was great seeing the family back together.

Before we started. 

  The finished product.

Family Fun Fair

We had the chance to go to the Family Fun Fair in Salt Lake, put together by Westminster College students for children with autism and their families.  It was one of the only sunny days we had in May, so the timing was perfect.  Clay was asked to do an interview for the local channel 2 news, and we all got a kick out of watching him talk and seeing ourselves on tv. 

The kids had SO much fun!

Can you tell how much Buddy Boy hates looking in the direction of the sun? 

These guys had all sorts of great stuff.  The kids made superhero masks, made huge bubbles, did sensory-integration activities like shaving cream and a dark glow room, and decorated t-shirts.  Buddy Boy saw a bunch of classmates and that made him pretty darn happy.  Afterwards, Clay was exhausted.  He hasn't been out in the sun for 9 months after all, and it's probably what drained him completely! :-)

More Trampoline Pics

Oh my gosh, my kids love the trampoline.  It was seriously one of the best investments we've ever made.  The only problem is that they don't like bouncing without Clay or I, and frankly, we're not as "bouncy" as we used to be. 

Thankfully there are many neighborhood kids who are extremely happy to jump with them.

Silly kids.

And then, of course, we love the spring flowers.  Why did we think we could take artistic and I don't know, NICE pictures of the family with our PHONE cameras?? Lazy little leeches that we are.  We couldn't possibly walk into the house to get the REAL camera.

Ah well, it's the thought that counts, right?  Sadly, in this case, probably not.