We may not live in a fancy neighborhood, or in an expensive one, but we really have some fantastic neighbors (with the exception of our next-door ones, ha ha!)
Me and my kids!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Happy Autism Awareness Month!
So, April is Autism Awareness Month. More specifically, April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. Blue has become the color associated with this day. I don't typically expect people outside of the Autism community to do much about/with that information, but of course, it's a big deal in our house.
So imagine my surprise to find this beautiful basket outside our door on the morning of April 2. I (incorrectly) assumed it was from another "Autism Mom", but it was not. What a sweet friend, huh? Turns out these do-gooders took baskets to at least 2 other families in the neighborhood as well!!
We may not live in a fancy neighborhood, or in an expensive one, but we really have some fantastic neighbors (with the exception of our next-door ones, ha ha!)
We may not live in a fancy neighborhood, or in an expensive one, but we really have some fantastic neighbors (with the exception of our next-door ones, ha ha!)
Friday, April 13, 2012
Blonde Haired, Blue Eyed, Broken Armed Buddy Boy
About a month ago, Buddy Boy was jumping on the trampoline (which does have a safety net, thank you very much!) with his dad and sister, and he landed funny on his arm. Not crazy funny, in fact, it was almost a completely normal loss of balance. It was even normal in that he started screaming bloody murder. (He always screams like his arm has fallen off when he gets bumped, even when it doesn't hurt. He's simply offended.)
Anyway, we brought him in the house and doctored him up to make him happy, and it worked, and we figured that was the end of it. And it was, until the next night when he complained that his arm still hurt. What??? We couldn't believe he was still offended a day later! So we wrapped it (I thought we were going overboard, but kids love that kind of stuff) and he was happy. Over the course of the next two days he took the wrap off then complained of the pain a few more times. We decided that being the over-protective parents that we were, we'd take him in to the doctor, simply because he was still complaining about it (a little, at least).
Yeah. We suck.
His arm was broken, and he was in a cast for 3 weeks. It was actually probably the best break he could have had, in that it was so remarkably fast to heal, and that it was a fairly common break. He's so happy to have his cast off!
Anyway, we brought him in the house and doctored him up to make him happy, and it worked, and we figured that was the end of it. And it was, until the next night when he complained that his arm still hurt. What??? We couldn't believe he was still offended a day later! So we wrapped it (I thought we were going overboard, but kids love that kind of stuff) and he was happy. Over the course of the next two days he took the wrap off then complained of the pain a few more times. We decided that being the over-protective parents that we were, we'd take him in to the doctor, simply because he was still complaining about it (a little, at least).
Yeah. We suck.
His arm was broken, and he was in a cast for 3 weeks. It was actually probably the best break he could have had, in that it was so remarkably fast to heal, and that it was a fairly common break. He's so happy to have his cast off!
In Our Own Words...
Recent quotes from Buddy Boy:
(frantically) "My hair is bleeding!!!" (said when his hair got wet in the tub)
"Mom, you loosed your mind or something?"
(frantically) "My hair is bleeding!!!" (said when his hair got wet in the tub)
"Mom, you loosed your mind or something?"
Monday, April 9, 2012
Ketchup (Catch Up)
Well, dang it, I've once again let time slip away without updating this thing. My apologies. I have so many thoughts running in my head all the time, and so I have a dozen things to write about, but for now I'll do a few catch up (ketchup) posts with pictures, and work on all the deep thought posts as I find the time. (Cause you know, I'm a really, really deep thought-type person, right?)
Anyway.... One thing that's been new is the program at the U of U that we've joined called U-FIT. It's a 7-week program that is for kids with disabilities and their siblings. I heard about it and the cost was amazingly reasonable for the services, especially compared to other programs for kids with autism and other conditions. So what the heck, I decided to try it out, and it's been one of the most positive experiences we've had, in my opinion! It was SO worth it!
Basically, the kids get to spend one-on-one time with a volunteer (college students) on Friday nights from 6-8 pm for the 7 weeks. One of the two hours each night is spent in the pool swimming and playing in the water. This is a BIG deal for my kids: while Munchkin loves the water, she isn't very confident in it and has had a hard time with swimming lessons because of her lack of confidence. Buddy Boy, on the other hand, is scared TO DEATH of the water, and HATES getting his head wet. Washing his hair in the bath is a battle every time, and it's miserable.
The other hour can be spent with the volunteer doing different things: playing games in the gym (like soccer, bowling, frisbee, parachutes, etc), playing XBox, arts/crafts, and dancing. They are free to do any or all of the different activities going on.
Meanwhile, parents get a break. There is a room specifically designated for reading/relaxing, and there are yoga, spin, and pilates classes provided. They are considering offering a Zumba class next time!
Over the last 6 weeks, I've seen both kids grow SO much more comfortable in the water, and that alone has made it worth it! The pool has definitely been the highlight for both kids, and it's awesome to watch.
The other thing that makes this program amazing is
the volunteers. We just happened to get paired up with two of the very best! Munchkin absolutely adores her new friend, and they have a blast with their games, girl talk, etc. Those of you who know Munchkin well, know how much she loves her girl talk.
Buddy Boy's volunteer has been so patient, so kind with him. Buddy Boy calls him his "Brother Buddy". A couple weeks ago, I was walking around with him and his volunteer, and we were talking about gender. I was asking him, "Is Mom a boy? Is Logan (a kid from school) a boy?" and such. I asked about the volunteer: "Is Chris a boy?" Buddy Boy replied, "NO!!! He's a brother!" It was awesome.
Anyway, there have been memories made that will last a lifetime, and I'd highly recommend the U-FIT program to anyone who might want a fun activity for their child(ren) to do! You can go here to learn more about the program. I'm gonna cry my eyes out when it ends this weekend, but we'll definitely be back next semester!!
Anyway.... One thing that's been new is the program at the U of U that we've joined called U-FIT. It's a 7-week program that is for kids with disabilities and their siblings. I heard about it and the cost was amazingly reasonable for the services, especially compared to other programs for kids with autism and other conditions. So what the heck, I decided to try it out, and it's been one of the most positive experiences we've had, in my opinion! It was SO worth it!
Basically, the kids get to spend one-on-one time with a volunteer (college students) on Friday nights from 6-8 pm for the 7 weeks. One of the two hours each night is spent in the pool swimming and playing in the water. This is a BIG deal for my kids: while Munchkin loves the water, she isn't very confident in it and has had a hard time with swimming lessons because of her lack of confidence. Buddy Boy, on the other hand, is scared TO DEATH of the water, and HATES getting his head wet. Washing his hair in the bath is a battle every time, and it's miserable.
The other hour can be spent with the volunteer doing different things: playing games in the gym (like soccer, bowling, frisbee, parachutes, etc), playing XBox, arts/crafts, and dancing. They are free to do any or all of the different activities going on.
Meanwhile, parents get a break. There is a room specifically designated for reading/relaxing, and there are yoga, spin, and pilates classes provided. They are considering offering a Zumba class next time!
The other thing that makes this program amazing is
the volunteers. We just happened to get paired up with two of the very best! Munchkin absolutely adores her new friend, and they have a blast with their games, girl talk, etc. Those of you who know Munchkin well, know how much she loves her girl talk.
Buddy Boy's volunteer has been so patient, so kind with him. Buddy Boy calls him his "Brother Buddy". A couple weeks ago, I was walking around with him and his volunteer, and we were talking about gender. I was asking him, "Is Mom a boy? Is Logan (a kid from school) a boy?" and such. I asked about the volunteer: "Is Chris a boy?" Buddy Boy replied, "NO!!! He's a brother!" It was awesome.
Anyway, there have been memories made that will last a lifetime, and I'd highly recommend the U-FIT program to anyone who might want a fun activity for their child(ren) to do! You can go here to learn more about the program. I'm gonna cry my eyes out when it ends this weekend, but we'll definitely be back next semester!!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)