Walk to the Park

Once a week we take Munchkin to gymnastics, and then Buddy Boy and I sit in the car waiting.  It gets crowded in the building, which is anxiety causing, and so we avoid going in.  Now that the weather is improving, however, we can start spending our time outdoors nearby.  Buddy Boy suggested we head to a nearby park to explore last time.  It was a great idea, and we really enjoyed ourselves:

Summer's Ending - And We're Crying

This summer has been so boring for the poor kids - or probably mostly for poor Clay.  In years past we've gone on a hike a week, played at playgrounds and other stuff multiple times a week, and just spent a lot of time outdoors.  

This year the kids have decided they are DONE with the hikes, ha ha.  Works out for me since I can't do it anyway, but Clay's about losing his mind with envy when he hears about his friends' outdoor adventures.  

And yet, I'm still completely and utterly depressed that school is starting again.  Why?  Because I have to go back to work, of course!  I used to look forward to school time, but that was before I worked at a school.  I suppose it serves me right, that one year of me being unsympathetic to the kids as they began their time of learning.  

We did have a FEW outdoor adventures, though:

 Zion National Park, 

 Soccer clinics and birthday parties.

Buddy Boy went horseback riding this year, Munchkin started gymnastics (not pictured cause we can't take pictures while they're practicing - bummer), we caught a bunny in our backyard (as did our neighbor!), the kids enjoyed sampling chocolate during the chocolate factory tour, and we had fun trying out new pinterest ideas (the noodles on the trampoline springs fall off a lot.  Put these on when you're first setting up the trampoline so you don't have to slice it down the middle).

 We also went to the Enchanted Fairy Forest for the first time.  We'll definitely be making a trip back there again next summer!  The kids loved it. 

I guess it's also good for us to get back into a routine, eh?  It'll be good to be organized again!

Oh Happy May

I'm singing Oh Happy Day over here, and hoping and praying that it'll be an Oh Happy May.  What a great start to the month!

The day actually started off on a rough note.  Yesterday, April 30, was a no good, bad, rotten day for me.  Painful and frustrating, and ugh, I was glad to see it end.  I woke up early this morning after having a dream that Buddy Boy had gone missing from his school and was found in a field.  To then find an email from my mom sharing the very real news that a local young man with a mild form of autism had gone missing was shocking and sad.   

When these kinds of things happen, I want SO badly to do something.  To help somehow.  However, I have a job, and I have kids and well, responsibilities, and I'm never able to go and volunteer.  I made the choice to put this situation in the priority seat however, and went up to help search.  I'm SO glad I did.

Shortly after 10 am, he was found!  What a great thing to hear! 

The day continued on, warm and sunny.  People, I WASN'T COLD for more than an hour the ENTIRE DAY!  It's been over 6 months ago since I could claim that.  It is a big deal.  (of course, I'm cold now, but hey, it's bedtime, it doesn't count.)

While Munchkin was at gymnastics (which we were ON TIME to for the first time in forever - name the song), Buddy Boy and I decided to explore a section of the Jordan River walkway that we hadn't before.  It was a blast!  He was so agreeable and sweet and cute.  He found a tree and asked me to take a picture of him swinging in it:

After getting back, we had a simple meal of leftovers and guess what?  Not one complaint.  NOT ONE!  Kids both ate their dinners and Munchkin went in her room to do her homework.  I didn't even have to remind her.  I know, twilight zone, right?  In a very, very good way.

In the midst of all this, I was receiving news of very dear friends on my ItWorks team receiving promotions, some for the first time!  I received my first promotion last month, and it is a big deal!  I can't express how excited I am for everyone, including myself.  We're changing lives, people!  New sales, new customers - check.  Great business start to the month.  

To top off the day, my kiddos worked out with me and helped me as they showed me their moves for workouts.  Then we went outside and cut some lilacs off the bushes and they are now sitting on my dresser and my room smells a little like Heaven. 

Another fun photo...Buddy was drawing a hot dog on his ipad, and then decided to draw someone holding it, but alas, the hot dog was already so big and front and center...so he improvised:

Sigh...this was a good day. :)

Spring Break and U-Fit

So...we've got spring fever.

Which is why we were incredibly excited for spring break.  I personally had so many awesome plans:  clean out the garage, rip out the old garden boxes, build in some new, hand-til the garden (since we don't actually own a tiller), clean and vacuum out the car, go on a few walks, have a few picnics, enjoy a few playgrounds, etc.

And then the cold front came in. 

It snowed the first day of our spring break.  Bummer, but you know, it's cool.  Spring in Utah.  It's what happens.  But then it stayed cold.  It stayed rainy/snowy.  It stayed windy and cloudy.  Wait a minute, if there's one thing that's constant about Utah spring, it's that it's always changing.  But oh no, not spring break week.  We had consistent, steady cold.  It was so sad.  :( 

Sad, sad, sad. 

Ah, well.  We still managed to do some stuff.  We watched a lot of movies too.

The weekend just before spring break, we took a walk.  It was so cold and windy, but hey, it was sunny! 

The kids love Red Robin!

We used our two free kids' passes and went to the Utah Natural History Museum.  (And no, the kids aren't standing in a meadow of flowers.  They're standing next to a painted wall of flowers.  I had someone ask about that.)

On the 2nd, Autism Awareness Day, Munchkin and I went to a play up at Weber State, Mockingbird.  It was great!  Buddy Boy and Dad went out to eat for their "playdate".



The kiddos have been doing U-Fit again this semester, and loving it as usual.  The other night was the end of the program for the semester, but we're definitely planning to do it again in the fall.  Thank goodness for generous college volunteers!

Many of you know this, but one of the struggles with autism (at least in Buddy Boy) is a struggle with coordination.  He gets so frustrated when he can't do the physical things that so many other kids can do, but he tries so hard!  He'd never been able to successfully jump rope, for example, and whenever he tried, the moment would eventually end in tears.  So to see this on the last night of U-Fit made my heart SING:

That's What He Said

Saturday I was hanging with Buddy Boy, and we were chatting.  He was asking me if I had liked one of his iPad games as a child.  I told him the cold, hard truth:  I didn't have an iPad as a kid.  I didn't have a computer growing up, or a cell phone.  With eyes as wide as saucers he replied, "Did you even have clothes???" 

Because, you know, iPads are as essential to our survival as are clothes. 

Not even 5 minutes later, we had this conversation:

Buddy Boy:  Mom, I'm feeling sad.
Me:  Why are you feeling sad, Buddy?
Buddy Boy:  I'm just so sorry that you don't have a penis.

We're not done yet!

I did my best to keep my face impassive, and I said:
"Buddy, you make me happy and you make me laugh."

He replied:
"Oh mama...and you make me cry."

Wordless Wednesday - Florida Pictures

Buddy Boy loved seeing the pictures I took while I was in Florida, and took it upon himself to edit them:

I think he did a pretty good job on some of them! :)

Pictures of...us!

Because I've been awful at keeping up, here's what's been going on the last few weeks with us:

Celebrated at Jungle Jim's.

Munchkin started soccer.

Buddy Boy started baseball.

We toured a local news station and enjoyed free food afterwards.

Other stuff:

• We're all anxious for summer to start, and wish that Dad worked at a school so he could get a summer break like the rest of us!  
• Buddy Boy lost his 2nd tooth, thank goodness, because he's got four other loose ones!
• We did 2 news interviews with another local station (those kids were stars and did great!)
• We did a lot of autism awareness spreading (does that even make sense?).
• 2 trips to Home Depot to do kids' workshops
• Prepped a lot of the garden...the peas are looking great and the tomatoes are currently being hardened to get ready for transplant.  Yeah, we've got spring fever!

United States of Autism Premiere

The documentary, The United States of Autism, has been premiering all over the nation, and has received great reviews all over as well.  How awesome that we've had a chance to be a part of it!!

The first night it premiered was at the beginning of April in NYC.  The theater sold out!

It came to our area last Thursday, April 18, and it was so fun to get to see it.

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Our family's sweet friend Margie took the above pictures for us.  She also bought tickets to support us.  She promoted the event like crazy to help as well.  Oh yeah, and she's the ENTIRE reason we were even given the opportunity to be in the film.  She was the one who told me about the applications being accepted for families.  So you know, we pretty much owe all of this to her.  Thank you Margie!!! :-)

Here she is posing with us.  

I feel like I owe thanks to so many, and I'm not sure the best way to do it.  I am planning to send personal thank-you notes, but there were so many who were supportive who I don't personally know and cannot properly thank.  So...I'll say THANK YOU here.  Thank you for supporting our family on this special night; THANK YOU for supporting The Tommy Foundation and those who were involved in making the film.  THANK YOU for caring about autism and about the amazing, wonderful individuals all around us who deal with autism on a daily basis.

I've had a lot of people ask...YES, the film will be out on DVD/Blu Ray in the fall.  Can't wait!!