Last Week

Our last cat (Smokey) ran away about 2 years ago and Munchkin was devastated. So this week we gave in, and went to get her a kitten. Somehow we ended up getting a puppy (Allie), and a kitten (Honey). From what we hear pets are great for kids with Autism, because the Autistic kids are able to relate to animals better than people.



On Thursday we went to the Taylorsville carnival. Munchkin loved it. Buddy Boy was happy just watching Munchkin enjoy the rides. He was not to happy when the ride stopped. I was tempted to put him in a ride, but I was too worried about half way into the ride him having an anxiety attack. So maybe next year.



Saturday morning we went to the parade. I haven't been to the parade in years, and me and Buddy Boy were not impressed. A half hour into it we left, and an hour into it Mom and Munchkin left. But at least we got to see the Taylorsville football team!! Munchkin enjoyed taking most of the pictures.





Saturday night we stayed up and watched the fireworks from our front yard. There is one spot where we can get a pretty good view. Buddy Boy loved every minute of the firework show. I was worried that he wouldn't like the noise, but he didn't seem to mind it at all. ~Dad

Couponing discoveries

I usually post about this on my personal self-reliant/frugal blog, but I just wanted to share here quickly too, because I know these are tough economic times for everyone.

I have learned a few couponing "tricks", so to speak, and have been able to build up our shorter term food storage significantly this last month! I've been taking advantage of Albertson's offer to double a limited amount of coupons each week, and then combining the coupons and double coupons with sale items. Here are some things we've bought this last month to give you some ideas:

1st trip: 1 box Ritz crackers, 6 large packages jello/pudding mix, 2 bottles Hunts BBQ sauce. With the sales, the total was $10.50 before tax. After instant rebates and coupons, I paid $1.60 WITH tax!

2nd trip: 1 box Wheat Thins, 2 canisters Crystal Light, 1 pkg pre-shredded Kraft cheese. Regular total (at Albertson's) $18.26, my cost, $2.32 with tax.

3rd trip: 6 boxes General Mills cereal, 1 24-oz bottle ketchup, 1 Wishbone spritzer,
1 bottle Best Foods Mayo, 2 jars Ragu pasta, 2 boxes Suddenly Salad, 1 box brownie mix, 2 pkgs hot dogs. Regular price $52.27, my cost $18.09

4th trip: 11 boxes cereal (3 General Mills, 8 Kelloggs), 2 pkg Taco Bell taco shells, 1 candy bar. Regular cost $52.43, my cost $5.46

Total spent for the month on our short term food storage: $27.47. Pretty sweet huh! Anywho, you can check out my personal blog for specific details on it, but I wanted to share here too, like I said. (My personal blog is "Dedeland", you can find it on our bloglist to the right). Yay for saving $$$!

Buddy Boy the Organizer

Those who know Buddy Boy know that, well, he's a little organizer. He LOVES lining up my spices, and rather than actually rolling his balls or driving his cars, he lines them up and then admires then. So I really shouldn't have been surprised to see this the other day on the couch:



















Here he is admiring his handy work. Notice his diaper is still on. He just managed to get the little balls of poop out:



It's rare to get a picture of him when he's not screaming...I really think this made his day!



EEEEWWWW!!!Ha ha!

Projects

Memorial Day was supposed to be a fun filled family day. I got up early and planned on making Munchkin a climbing wall. I went to Home Depot and strapped a sheet of wood to the car, and we made Munchkin her climbing wall that I promised her I would do for months. She loved it. Before I could even finish it, Mom found our basement swimming in water. With the advice from a neighbor we thought the leak was from outside. I dug a big hole and found the leek in the main water pipe. I had to succumb to calling a plumber to get it fixed and it kind of ruined the whole Memorial Day, but Munchkin, and even the neighbor kids love the climbing wall. Now I just need to finish it. We need some more climbing pegs, and we are going to let the kids paint it. ~Dad

Happy Memorial Day

Freedom Is Not Free
By LCDR Kelly Strong, USCG - Copyright 1981

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Service man saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil
How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin.
Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

Happy Memorial Day to all....

Buddy Boy's Progress

With so much going on, I feel like we've neglected to update everybody on how Buddy Boy is doing. He's made some good progress, and I wanted to share!

First of all, he's now actually playing on the playground. I know that sounds silly, but here's the deal. Every day when I pick Munchkin up from school, if it's good weather, we stay for 10-15 minutes to play on the playground. Buddy Boy has always been content to be there, and he'd climb up the stairs to one spot and then sit there, watching the kids run around. He was content to watch, but never wanted to do more than that. It sure made it easy to watch him, but inside my heart broke because I wish he felt comfortable interacting. In fact, if any other child ever tried to interact with him, he'd get upset and we'd have to go home early. Now he's going down the slides, running around on the grass, and just plain having more fun!


He's also been more affectionate with us. Don't get me wrong, he always loved us and let us know, but lately he's grabbing my hands and putting them to his face, or putting his hands on my face and pulling me in for a kiss. I absolutely melt every time, and he's figured it out. If he wants something, he'll now pull me in for a kiss, or stroke my cheek, then sign "more" letting me know he wants something. Well, I'm butter by then, so he usually gets what he's after. So he's learned to manipulate his pathetic mother!:-)



Also, when he was first diagnosed, he was put on a waiting list for a "structured play therapy" one-on-one with an adult. The wait finally ended (thank heavens, since he won't qualify for services when he's three!), and he's begun. The first therapy was Wednesday and he screamed and cried the whole time. I wasn't surprised, since his mom wasn't there with him, and there were strangers touching him and holding him. However, Dad and I both feel really good about it, and we know he'll improve with time. This is a great chance for him to learn to socialize, and to get some more intense sensory therapy. Honestly, Munchkin and I wanted to kick him out and play in the room! It's really a huge, cool, indoor playground that he does the sensory therapy in.

And last but not least, he's really enjoying the warm weather and the outings provided. He's just happier in general being outside!