Thankful Thursday

I'm so thankful for Kylee Kay. Today, in preparation for the baby shower on Saturday, we went and got pedicures. I feel like I do a lot of stuff for/with Kael but I really wanted today to be a special Kylee day. We hadn't been in since last September and the girls there all remembered Kylee. She was chatting with them the whole time they worked on her toes and they were just cracking up. "She's so talkative!" they said. They asked me how old she was but she replied, "Well, I'm 3 but my mom is 27.". Thanks Kylee. I'm not going to love how willingly she shares that information quite as much once that number climbs much higher. She also made sure they were aware of the correct spelling of her name. "It's K-Y-L-E-E," she explained matter-of-factly.

"Mom, can you make my chair wiggle?" she asked. Pedicures with massages? Yes, please. Kylee I like your style.

Kylee asked the girl for a butterfly and the girl admitted she was better at dragonflies. "Ooooh yes, I want that!!!" Kylee exclaimed. The girl said, "Is silver ok? It'll give you a little bling bling." Kylee was fascinated by this term. "Bling?" she asked. I was curious how the girl would explain this to a three year old. "Yeah, kind of like sparkly." Like Kylee would say no to that!

The finished product. Kylee picked both her color and mine.

Trying out the close up setting on my camera. Yeah, that looks like bling to me.

Here is a picture I dug up from last time we were there. I'm afraid I've started her a little young on the pedicure habit. Really, she's only gone twice and I know it's a bit of a splurge, but I figure once in awhile it's totally worth it. I love spending time with my best gal.

Happiness Project: Organization

No one loves organization as much as I do! Well, actually, that's not entirely true. My two sisters and my mom totally have me beat in this category. But I do love it. I have a little saying that is helpful, especially for Kael, "A place for everything, and everything in its place". That is, to say that if everything has a place, it's much easier for the kids to be able to pick up after themselves! Especially now that Kael can read, labels make it easy to find exactly where things go.

Inspired by my Gretchen Rubin to do my own mini-happiness project, I enlisted my mom's help last week to get some of the clutter in this house under control! I couldn't be happier with the results. So far we've done mostly the kitchen, but I am anxious to tackle our laundry/storage room then garage....

I realize now that I should have taken some "before" pictures so you could fully appreciate the difference.

Craft tub. I still need to label all the drawers, which is why there's not a picture of that.

I had no place for all of Kent's grilling "stuff"- all those tools are huge and we don't have a lot of extra space in our kitchen. I squeezed in a little room next to our silverware. Tools, grill spices and koozies- we're ready for summer!

I love these daffodils so much!

While I'm still getting used to reaching for my cereal in a different spot in the kitchen, I can't tell you how happy I am to have some much needed organization around here. Thanks, Mom for all your help!

Happiness

*sorry this post appears as a total run-on with no spaces! Blogger wasn't cooperating with me for some reason tonight... I recently got an e-mail from a friend who I hadn't talked with in far too long and at the end of the message she wrote this: "I hope you are doing as well as it seems." (She had recently read my blog.) I stared at her words, thoughtfully. Had I not just finished reading "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin, I might have not paid extra attention to what she had said. At first I was thrilled, "How wonderful that I come across as though everything is going so well!". Then I was sort of challenged: Am I doing as well as I seem? This idea of happiness really struck a chord with me, and the fact my friend commented on how "happy I seemed" the same week I was reading a book about happiness struck me as far too coincidental to ignore it. Was I? Was I as happy as I seemed? Is it too easy to post fun, cute stories on the blog and not write about any of the tough times? On the outside, my job seemes easy and, well, ideal. How many people get to stay home with their kids during the school year (and get paid to do so!) and have their summers off? But, truth be told, there are few people who could do what I do every day and enjoy it. Childcare is not for everyone, but it is a perfect fit for me. However, I often find myself thinking, "If I had a different job, maybe we'd buy a bigger house, have a nicer vehicle, go on fancy vacations...." and things like this. Last night I was having dinner with some highly successful friends (a dentist and a lawyer- one of my other best friends from high school is well on her way to becoming a doctor- how did I get mixed in with all these incredibly smart and successful women?) and I was honestly shocked to find out they are less than happy with the careers they worked so hard for. One friend commented as we were leaving, "You're so lucky you get to go home to your husband and I really should go back to work, then probably lay awake in bed all night thinking about my upcoming trial..." Hmm. I liked that. Lucky? I sure am. Happy and grateful? I could be more so. In the book, Gretchen has all sorts of lists and charts to monitor her happiness. I'm not an author, nor do I plan on doing a year-long project, but I really like the idea of doing small things daily to boost your happiness. I won't be charting or journaling or anything, but I hope to share with you some of the things I've done. If you're interested, she has a website for all thing happiness-related: http://www.happinessprojecttoolbox.com/. I do hope to post some things (maybe once a week) that I've been doing to be, well, happier. :)

Oh Kylee

After storytime at the library this morning we headed to the checkout desk, where a lady with very short hair checked our books out. Very matter-of-factly and plenty loudly, Kylee asks, "So, are you a boy or a girl?". Oh Kylee.

We continued our errand fun with a stop at the bank. I had to drop something in the safe deposit box and Kylee was closely following and watching the banker who was helping us and said, "So is that the place where you keep the keys to the vault?". That girl does not miss a thing! Oh Kylee.

Next up was the grocery store. We just needed a few things, but the Starbucks gal was passing out free samples (peppermint again!) so I let Kylee have some. I asked her if she liked it, and with her mouth full, she replied, "Yes!". Naturally the peppermint mocha came running out of her mouth and all over her jacket because she forgot to swallow the drink before speaking. Oh Kylee.

On this snowy (ugh!) day, I decided we needed some flowers to brighten our house up. I absolutely LOVE daffodils- such a pretty sign of spring. Kylee hopped out of the shopping cart and went to pick out flowers (I had told her to choose whichever ones she wanted). She headed straight for the daffodils and very carefully picked out the prettiest ones. I said, "Oh, Kylee how did you know those were my favorites?" and she smiled a very proud smile. At home she helped me pick out some vases and thoughtfully arranged each daffodil and now every time I look at them I think of Kylee. I have always associated daffodils with happiness, but now I will forever associate them with my Kylee. I love that little girl so much.

Project, Thankful Thursday

As promised, here are some pictures from the project I mentioned....

Kael had been reading a book about a boy who had a treehouse and on Saturday, he asked Kent if we could have a treehouse. Kent and I decided that we do, in fact, have the perfect tree in our backyard for a treehouse! So, we enlisted the help of my dad,who has some treehouse building experience, and the project was underway. I was a skeptic from the beginning: "It has to be VERY safe! And I want it to look nice! Did I mention that it needs to be really, REALLY safe?" and I couldn't be more pleased with the end result.

Kael's best neighborhood buddy caught sight of the project early on and couldn't wait to lend a helping hand. :) Kael's pretty excited and to be honest, the rest of us were, too! Who doesn't love a fun spring project, especially when it was totally Kael's idea!

Here's a view of the unfinished treehouse from our deck. I'm so thankful I have such a handy husband. It's hard to see it in the picture, but one of the coolest features is the little "secret door" in the floor of the treehouse. The kids love climbing up the ladder and popping up through the bottom of the treehouse. Once the kids are up in the treehouse and shut the door, you can't even tell it's there! Kids love anything that involves the word "secret".

Such good helpers.

Here's a picture of the finished product. What a cold, rainy night but they were determined to get it completed!

Even though it's technically "finished", there has already been talk of some additions. We're thinking about getting rid of the swingset in the background of the picture and hooking up a swing to the beam that you can see sticking out on the right side there. Some other ideas have been to add a slide or a zipline to expedite the "getting down" process.

I'll try to post some better pictures of the finished product (and the secret door) once the sun comes out again!

Kael 101

I should have called my last post about Kael's diagnosis something other than Autism 101 because in re-reading it I realized I didn't actually write that much about autism. But it did open a few eyes I think, as far as helping people understand Kael a little bit better. The most current statistic I found was that 1 in 90 kids in America are diagnosed with some form of autism- so even if you don't know Kael, chances are pretty good that you know a child with autism.

People kept saying to me, "I read your post about Kael and I had no idea!" To that I reply, "Great!" Not because I want to hide Kael's autism but rather I think it's so wonderful that all of the work he's done has paid off. As I mentioned, we have had people (AEA, doctors, teachers) working with Kael since he was just over a year and a half old. There were times I wondered if he would ever talk, make eye contact, or thrive in a general eduaction classroom. To see how far he's come, and for the general public to think he's totally "normal" (the autism community would probably rather I use the term "neurotypical") is truly a testament to how hard Kael has worked. What matters to me is not that people think Kael is "normal", but rather that he receives the same treatment and opportunities as a "normal" child would. So for those of you out there who had no idea about Kael- wonderful! I hope these blog posts continue to keep you updated about Kael and his amazing progress!


Here is the more appropriately titled Kael 101. Just a few tidbits- I would do a Kael Top 10 but I fear it would get pretty lengthy...


He has an AMAZING memory. The other day he said, "Mom, Monday is purple, Tuesday is green, Wednesday is red, Thursday is blue and Friday is orange." I know his brain well enough to assume he was talking about a calendar of some sort that he had seen but I inquired about which calendar he might be referring to. He looked at me as if it couldn't be more obvious, "Mom, those were the colors of our days on the calendar at Triad." Triad is where he went to preschool when he was 2. Wow.

Conversely, he has trouble remembering directions. Especially if multiple steps are involved. If I were to say, "Kael, go to your room, put your shoes on and don't forget to grab your backpack", chances are he would make it to his room, then forget what he was supposed to be doing there. I've been lucky enough to devise a simple solution- I say, "Kael, go to your room. When you get there I need you to do 2 things (hold up two fingers). First, (touch one finger) put your shoes on. Second (touch second finger) grab your backpack." And as he starts to walk away I say, "Kael, remember 2 things." This works wonders. The simple act of him seeing me physically hold up and touch two fingers reminds him that he needs to do two things and helps his brain break it down a little bit.

Kael's ears are a constant source of discomfort for him. Poor guy. He had tubes put in his ears when he was 3 but he continues to battle ear infections well past an age where many kids have outgrown them. If there is any sort of fluid on his ear, he is irritable.

Kael's sense of balance is unbelievable. He almost never slips, trips, falls, missteps or anything like that. There's a park close by that has a big climbing structure and ever since Kael was little, I don't worry about him at all when he's climbing that high. Kael is somehow subconciously aware of his position at all times. (Oh, if Kylee only got some of that balance- or if we could have somehow split it 50/50 between the kids. We jokingly call her Kylee Grace because she sure could use some gracefulness...)

It is not uncommon for Kael to throw up. It's just not a big deal to him. Half way into his kindergarten year he had thrown up 3 times at school alone. His teacher said one time it was his turn in a math game, he just went to the front of the room, threw up in the trash can then went about his turn. Kids on the autism spectrum tend to have tummy troubles of some sort and Kael's is his tendency to throw up.

Sensory issues are very real to him. Example: right now as I'm writing this, I can see Kylee giving Kent a kiss, hear Kael playing Wii, feel the warmth of our fireplace, smell the conditioner in my hair...but yet I can focus on the writing I'm doing. Kael's brain cannot prioritize all the things he is sensing. For example, at school he might hear his teacher talk but can't recognize that as more important than the noise of the air conditioner humming, or the girls next to him whispering or the smell of the school cafeteria.

There are a lot of scary statistics out there about autism. One is that currently costs assciated with raising an autistic child are approximately 3.2 million. Of course, Kael falls on the much more high-functioning end of the spectrum, so he doesn't require as many therapies and aids as some other children might. But, if you're looking for a fun way to get involved, here is an event that's coming up:

http://www.holesforhopefoundation.org/.


I can honestly say that not a day goes by that I wish Kael was "normal". Do I wish his life was a little easier? Sure, but just like every other mom in the world wishes for her children, the only wish that I have for my Kael is that he is truly happy. I love that little guy so very much.

Cookies

I like to cook. I read cooking magazines and watch cooking shows all the time (btw, can you imagine how happy I was when Kylee was taking a (very) rare nap one day and I happened to turn on the TV and caught Rachael Ray's new "Week in a Day"? Love it!).

Well, the other day Kent commented on some oatmeal cookies I made and he said, "These are the best cookies you've ever made!" I should have said, "Thank you honey" but I didn't. I kind of glared at him and said, "No, no there's no way those can be the best cookies I've ever made because those cookies happen to be from a bag mix." I frequently make homemade cookies- Kylee loves to help me do it- but the day I made those cookies I didn't have lots of time so I used a bag mix. And Kent declared them to be better than my usual homemade ones! Grrr.



Kid to the rescue: The other day a girlfriend told me, "My son told me you are quite the baker!" She said she had asked him what kinds of things I bake and he replied, "All kinds of things! Any type of cookies or anything you want! Miss Laura is the best baker in the whole world!" My heart smiled. And when Kent heard about it, he laughed. :) As a general rule, anything that has to be put in the oven by me gets burned. Even if I set the timer. I can't even make those crescent rolls from a tube without burning the bottoms of them. Evidently, my kiddos still think I'm wonderful which is all that matters to me.

Spring Break I

On Wednesday, I spent the day here with the kids and my mom. We had such a fun day! We kind of decided last minute to go- why is it that sometimes last minute trips work out better than if you had been planning them for weeks? Kael and Kylee have always been good riders in the van so the trip to Iowa City went quickly. A quick stop at the Olive Garden right outside the mall and everyone was happy.

I was really impressed at how much there was for the kids to do. Kael loved the ambulance that he could "drive" and spent a lot of time in there. Kylee split her time between the nursery section (she is such a little mommy) of the hospital and the grocery store, complete with mini carts. We also spent a lot of time on the slide, the golf ball room (these are not the official names for these rooms, just what the kids called them), the rocket launch and the dress-up area.

We also watched the ice skaters, enjoyed some Whitey's ice cream (chocolate chip cookie dough for Kael, strawberry cheesecake for Kylee & me) rode the carousel and played in the mall playplace.

What a great Spring Break!! Also, we've got a little project we're working on around here...I'm not going to tell or show pictures but it's definitely in the works! Stay tuned!

Happy Spring!

Spring Break II

I apologize that this preempts Spring Break I! I haven' t uploaded those pictures yet.

Yesterday, we headed here with the kids. I usually think that planning and packing can be half the fun of a vacation (even a mini-"vacation" like this one), but Kent had a great idea to completely surprise the kids. He kept the kids busy most of the morning while I packed up our stuff and made a few snacks (Crispix mix and my aunt Connie's White Chocolate Party Mix that is as delicious as it is addicting- LOVE it). We all loaded up in the van and told them, "We're just going for a drive." We had never been to this particular waterpark hotel before so even when we pulled in, they didn't realize what exactly the surprise was. As I was sitting in the lobby with them while Kent checked in, Kael had put the pieces together.

"Mom, do we get to stay here?"

"We sure do."

(a long pause, followed by a seriously worried look)

"But, did you pack my swim trunks?"

"Yes Kael, I've got them."

This was the look that followed. Oh, how I love surprises.

Can you believe how grown up he looks in that last picture? I don't have any good pictures of Kylee, mostly because she was too busy having fun to sit still for a picture! The kids are at really good ages to be going to waterparks- they're getting to be pretty good swimmers! Kael must have gone down those big slides a hundred times. Kylee had a lot of fun in the "pirate pool" going down all the smaller slides.

St. Patrick's Day

Confession: I've never really cared much for St. Patrick's Day. The very idea of those crafy leprechauns kind of creep Kylee out and I can't say I disagree. Add to that, Kael was up all night with an earache the night before St. Patty's- poor guy :( This also means I was up all night so I wasn't really in stealth leprechaun mode. I usually try to do something fun for the kids- hide a few gold chocolate coins, leave leprechaun footprints around the house, but today I had no "luck of the Irish" motivation to do anything really creative and was feeling kinda guilty about it.

In an effort to boost everyone's spirits, I busted out a bottle of green food coloring and got to work. Kent got home and I served him a green beer (yes, that's a frosty Beake mug). I decided Kylee needed some green lemonade and she was THRILLED with it.

Kael had been inside resting but perked up at the mention of waffles for supper. So, we had breakfast for supper: green waffles, some sausage and green milk.

High in the sky

Kylee loved this so much. Kent must have done it a hundred times for her this afternoon.

Thankful Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday :)

(I really did start writing this on Thursday....)

I am so thankful Spring Break begins today! No school tomorrow, and no school all of next week. We don't have any big plans but I am looking forward to spending some time with the kids! And with the time change happening this weekend I am looking forward to some long, lazy days around home with the kids- maybe they'll even start sleeping in a little!

I am also thankful that when Kylee was napping I turned on the TV while I was doing some work and happened to find Giada making baby shower food on the Cooking Channel. Naturally (even though my work is long since completed) I'm going to continue watching it. I'm considering this to be research for the baby shower I'm throwing Mandy next month. I could also consider it to be an excuse to not go fold laundry or do dishes, but I prefer to call it research. It sounds much more productive.

I'm very thankful that wasn't my Christmas tree (yes, a real one- not fake) I spotted out on a curb this morning. Honestly people, it's MARCH! Are you really just getting around to taking that Christmas tree down?!

I'm thankful I have such wonderful in-laws. We had so much fun bowling with you guys! Kent bowled a career high 192 and the kids both got strikes. Does it get much better than that?!

Too cute.

Kylee can bowl all by herself (bumpers-yes, ramp- no).

Rear view.

Front view.

Kael loves bowling so very much. Add to that, his favorite song (he calls it "Secrets" from Sorcerer's Apprentice) was playing in the background. He was such a happy boy.

I'm thankful that my friend didn't mind that I invited myself along to pick up her wedding dress (with Kael and Kylee!). Since I can't post pictures of her in her dress yet (the big day isn't until July) I'll post a picture of her with my kids. Andrea- your dress is so perfect for you. I love it! We had so much fun hanging out with you all day!

I had told the kids they could each pick something fun to do over break- anything they wanted within reason and going to the dress shop was Kylee's pick and she loved it there! (Since we were going to do that anyways, I'm going to let her re-pick.) :)

I'm thankful we finally fit in our winter tradition of early morning pancakes and sausage ($1.25!) at McDonald's with my parents. This started a couple years ago when I was talking to my Dad about how the kids were waking up early and he said, "Well, the next time they're up early- call me and I'll meet you guys for breakfast!" So we did. What a fun thing to look forward to in the middle of winter! This year we probably didn't make it there until at least 7:30 but I'm pretty sure we've been there as early as 6:00 in past years.

This is a week where I just want time to stand still. I am so blessed to be able to stay home with my kids- I wouldn't trade these moments for anything in the world. Sometimes the days when you have nothing planned are the days that end up being the most memorable. I hope time stands still in your world today- even if just for a moment.

Sunday Night Dates

***I actually wrote this a couple weeks ago and just didn't hit the post button.

For about the last year and a half or so, Kent and I have a standing date every Sunday night. And I look forward to it all week long. Usually we tuck the kids in early and have a late dinner- just us two. It is almost always Mexican-type food. Quesadillas, nachos, fajitas...yum. During football season it kind of morphed into Date Night/Sunday Night Football. Currently it's Date Night/Iowa wrestles Minnesota. And yes, I looked forward to Date Night this week even though I knew we'd be watching wrestling. When you're a parent it's sometimes tough to find time for just the two of you and although things come up- I can't think of a time in the last year and a half that we haven't spent Sunday night together- just us two. I'm already looking forward to next week. :)

My best friend just e-mailed me some pictures of when we studied in Spain together during college. She and I became friends in middle school which says a lot about us. If you're still best friends with someone you met in middle school, chances are that one of you is a saint. In this case, it's her. It's absolutely her. I'd love to post some pictures of us in Spain, or France, or England, or Portugal, or Italy....but in the interest of saving face I'm going to refrain. People who I haven't seen for awhile are always saying things like, "Wow you look good!" and I assumed they meant, "Wow you look good for having two kids". But now, looking back on college pics, I realize I must have gained much more than the standard Freshman Fifteen. Thanks Andrea for sticking with me all these years! Skinny, chubby, Spain, Mexico, single, married and in between....you have been there for it all!

Ok, fine....I'll post just one....

Here we are sitting on the streets of Granada. How very European of me to be sitting there in my long sleeved t-shirt and tennis shoes. Oh brother Laura......

Half Birthday

I have been sick for the last few days (Moms should not be allowed to be sick!!) which has left Kent to be in charge of meals. Such a trooper. The kids aren't complaining because it's been mostly pizza, burgers, and stuff like that. I'm finally starting to feel a tiny bit better so I resumed my cooking duties last night.

Kael notified me about a week ago that today would be Kent's half birthday. Honestly, I had no idea. But half birthdays are important for kindergarteners, and anyone who has a summer birthday I think. Well, it's a cold Tuesday in March and quite honestly, we all needed something to look forward to. So, Kent's half birthday was a good excuse! Happy 28 and a half birthday Kent!!!

In celebration, we grilled steaks. I also made Kent's favorites: frozen bread (the kind that just comes in a loaf and you let it rise, then bake it), bacon-topped baked beans, fresh strawberries and blueberries, baked potatoes, and these beautiful chocolate peanut butter parfaits. And yes, they do taste better out of fancy goblets.

Autism 101

I've mentioned this only briefly before but thought it might be helpful for me to elaborate a little on Kael's diagnosis. Mostly because when Kael was dianosed, I would have loved to have known then what I know now. I do not pretend to be an expert on Autism but I am an expert on Kael. :)

Kael's official diagnosis from the University of Iowa in June 2009 is Pervasive Development Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified. If you're anything like I was when I first heard them, you hear those words and they mean nothing. If you want to know and understand Kael, they will come to mean everything. When Kael was very little and we started working with the local AEA, people kept telling us, "Yes, he's a late talker and yes he has some quirks but he's just not that bad." In other words, we can't help you. People didn't really start helping us with him until we got an official diagnosis. That said, Kael's diagnosis does not define him- he is first and foremost one of the most fun-loving, kind hearted little boys you'll ever meet. His dianosis is not an excuse but rather an explanation for some of his behaviors.


What I'm doing:

I write a "Kael's Daily Report" every day when he gets home from school. Sometime it's just a sentence, sometimes a paragraph. I write anything that seems important for that day: what color he landed on, who he played with at recess, anything that bothered him, if he forgot anything at school, stuff like that. It really helps me keep track of how he's doing and I can see if patterns emerge (example- if he always forget things at school on Fridays, or if he's more agitated on Guidance days, etc.).

We have our family calendar, but recently I've also started Kael a calendar of his own in his room. He can write anything that is important for him. For example, last week Kael needed a haircut. He needs time to get used to the idea (he has always been slightly startled by the sound of hair dryers) so I give him control by telling him, "Kael, this week you need a haircut. Please pick which night you'd like to go and write it on your calendar." He picked Wednesday which gave him two or three days to prepare himself, then when Wednesday came he confidently went to his haircut without any argument.

I also use this calendar to write out our menus for the week (assuming I have them planned). Food is important to Kael (he's such a boy!) and if he knows his favorite meal is coming up, it gives him something to look forward to. On the flipside, if I'm making something that's not his favorite, he can prepare for that too.

(My) Kael's notebook. A friend told me she was doing something similar for her son and I find it to be incredibly helpful for myself and for Kael's teachers (he has 3 teachers he sees frequently: general ed, special ed, and speech) It's just a quick snapshot of Kael and his diagnosis for someone to be able to look at if they are not familiar with Kael. It's also very helpful for those who aren't at all familiar with ASD kids. They say if you've met one kid on the autism spectrum, you have met only that kid. That is to say that while they share some characteristics, no two ASD kids are exactly alike. Here's what it includes: a "Top Ten" list of things to know about Kael (I will try to post this list sometime- currently his book is at school and I can't remember all the things off the top of my head), his report cards, his IEP, copies of (highlited) literature that pertain to his diagnosis, his official diagnosis report from the University of Iowa, and a few blank pages for teacher comments/concerns.

Reading. A lot. Here are my favorites:

Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew by Ellen Notbohm. This is a must-read for anyone who knows someone with Autism. In other words, everyone should read this book! It's an easy read and gives such a great summary of what kids on the autism spectrum go through every day.


It's So Much Work To Be Your Friend by Richard Lavoie. Chapter 14 on Aspberger's touches on a lot of the difficulties Kael has, and how to best deal with them. The chapter on anxiety is also pertinent.




How To Make School Make Sense by Clare Lawrence. This is one of the first books I read and I still recall several of the ideas. We just recently put one in place- a list for Kael (now that he can read- woo hoo!!) to check at the end of every day to make sure he is bringing all necessary items home from school. Instead of his teacher saying, "Kael did you get your backpack? lunchbox? coat?" we can boost his independence by letting him read his list and gather all of his items. Independence boost= ego boost.




What I'm not doing (I feel this is equally important as what I am doing):


Altering his diet. A GFCF (Gluten-free, Casein-free) diet is just not necessary for him at this time. That's not to say I haven't thought about it. It would absolutely be life-altering for us as a family and I'm not sure it would alter Kael's behavior that much.




Worrying about meds. There has been quite a bit of media coverage lately about using Namenda (Alzheimer's perscription medicine) for kids on the autism spectrum with mostly positive results. Again, we're just not there yet. I'm not 100% against it if we ever get to that point but overall Kael is doing so well with the modifications we've made that medicating him is not necessary.

Talking to Kael about his Autism. They say kids on the spectrum start to "realize" they are different around age 7. I suspect Kael will know sooner but I truly feel now is not the time to talk about it with him. I sure hope I know when the time is right and pray I handle it well. There was a very powerful episode of Parenthood on recently that showed how the parents told (the boy actually found out accidentally) and explained Aspberger's to their son. I think it's really cool how topics so very real like Autism are starting to work their ways into our TV lineups. Knowledge is power and I can't help thinking that the more people who know about and understand Autism will in turn lead to a much less harsh world for Kael to grow up in.

What you can do:


Show him love, patience, understanding and kindness. They say that everyone you meet might be fighting a bigger battle than you are and that couldn't be more true for Kael. Everything he does is more difficult for him than it is for the neurotypical 5 year old boy. It's hard for him to make eye contact. It's hard for him to carry on a conversation. It's hard for him to wear blue jeans because he hates the material. It's hard for him to read social cues. It's hard for him to make and keep friends. It's hard for him to filter all the sensory input he's dealing with. He works hard at everything we consider second nature.


Kael, I love you for your sense of humor, your no-strings-attached love, your determination, your honesty, your protectiveness, your caring nature and everything else about you. God gave you to me to teach me a little patience, a little restraint and a lot of hope. Kael, you are so loved!

Thankful Thursday

So many things to be thankful for this week.

I'm thankful for Wendy's Night (PTO fundraiser for Kael's school) last night. As far as I'm concerned it's the perfect excuse to get a round of Frosties, with 10% of all sales supporting Kael's school!

What I'm most thankful for this week: Not only is my grandma home from the hospital, she is doing very well! We went in for a short visit this week and Kylee was convinced Mamo would look great in these glasses, and she also crafted the bracelet Mamo is wearing. Thanks to everyone for all the kind thoughts and prayers.

I just got on the library website to renew something and realized I currently have 53 (!) items checked out. All children's materials. I am so thankful my kids love to read. I always keep big stacks of books in our living room and that's usually what the kids choose to do when I'm getting dinner ready. I rotate the books frequently so there are almost always new books to choose from. Some current favorites are: The Franklin series, anything by Mo Willems (Kael thinks Piggie and Gerald are hilarious and he can read these books front to back all by himself!), Junie B. Jones, Fancy Nancy and Arthur.

*In case you're wondering, that is the most books I've ever had checked out but I often have close to that many- and if you can believe it, I never lose or forget to return a book. Need proof? Without looking I can tell you that right now there's an Arthur book under my seat in the van, a Gerald and Piggie book in Kael's top drawer by his bed along with two Junie B. Jones books, one book in the toyroom and a few on Kylee's dresser (even though they are all supposed to be stacked nicely in our living room!)

I am really thankful I recently came across......Dunkaroos!!!! Maybe you're not familiar but I took them in my lunch all the time when I was in school. I have actually looked for them in the stores in the past with no luck. I hadn't heard that cute little "Dunkaroos, Dunkaroos, how do you dunk your Dunkaroos?" jingle on TV for about fifteen years so I assumed they had stopped making them. They're those cute little kangaroo shaped graham cookies that you "dunk" in chocolate. Kylee Kay is pretty darn thankful I found them too. She has such a sweet tooth! You better believe she and I shared a pack of them as soon as I got home from the store. :)

Game

Two things I've mentioned in the blog before: I spend a lot of time in my van and my kids LOVE their uncle Rob. Totally unrelated comments, right? Wrong.


Here's the commentary on the way to preschool one day.


Kylee: "Mom, Rob is tall."


Me: "Yes, he is."


Kylee: "I bet he's not taller than that house."


Me: "Right, Kylee. Rob is tall, but he is not taller than a house."


She ponders this for a few minutes.


Kylee: "I bet he's taller than that tree."


Me: "I bet not." (It was a pretty tall tree.)


Kylee: "Well, he is taller than some trees."


Me: "You're probably right."


She keeps her eyes peeled, just waiting to prove her point...


(Finally) Kylee: "See that tree over there? He's way taller than that."


Me: "Yes, he is taller than that tree."

She looks quite content with herself, having successfully proven that Rob is, in fact, taller than a tree. She comes from a long line of gals who love being right. :)

So, this is our current favorite game to play on the way to and from anywhere. Kylee calls it, "What's taller than Rob?" There are some obvious yes/no's. Fire hydrant, no. Fire station, yes. Kylee won't give in on the stop sign though. I say Rob is NOT taller than a stop sign. Kylee says he absolutely is. Get ready to be measured against a stop sign next time you visit us, Rob. :)

What's up now?

My kids. At 5:45 again. What's a girl gotta do to get some sleep around here??? (Although I secretely love that pitter patter of little feet sneaking in my room and their warm, snuggly bodies cuddling up next to me in the morning.)

The good news: It's only 9:30 and I have washed all the sheets from all 3 beds in our house, made dinner, balanced the checkbook, paid a few bills and have made plans to spend the afternoon at the mall with my best gal. (Kylee, obviously :). Turns out you really can get a lot done if you get up early.

Speaking of my Kylee...this morning, as she was eating her electric purple grape Pop-tart, she looks at me with sleepy eyes and says,

"Mommy, does God have a magic wand?".

I try hard to think of the best teachable moment response, but my curiousity got the best of me. "Why do you think He needs a magic wand honey?"

"For when He made me."

"Yes, Kylee. I'm quite certain He has a magic wand."

"I thought He did."

She smiled, clearly pleased with my answer. I smiled too, pleased she is thinking about God and really please she is comfortable talking with me about things like this.

And hopefully you're smiling now too- trying to picture God with a magic wand. :)