Monday, November 26, 2012

Mudslide

Sometimes I really wonder why people do the things they do ... seriously, I just don't get it somedays!

The other day, Austin was over at my in-laws place (they live next door).  Now, there is a path between our houses and it can get really muddy this time of year, so I always tell the kids to be careful so they do not fall.  While Austin was there, he decided to come back home to get his board game to play with Kaleigh and my mother in-law.  What does she send him back to the house wearing?  Not his running shoes, but her rubber boots, yes, HER rubber boots.  So an excited Austin went running through the path and BOOM!  He slipped in the rubber boots and fell down. He showed up at the door crying and screaming!

Austin HATES to get dirty ... seriously, he cannot stand it!  When he got in the house he was so upset it took a minute for me to understand what was wrong.  He turned around and he was covered in mud.  I asked why he was wearing rubber boots?  He had said my mother in-law told him to wear them ... sigh ... do not get me started.  I got Austin calmed down and sent him to the bathroom to get changed.  I got him all new clothes and told him not to worry, I would wash his coat right away so it would be ready by morning.  His mood turned around quickly and I put him in his other running shoes and sent him back to my mother in-law's with his board game.  I watched him through the windows (so I can see him to get to her door).  He ran, not fast but still he ran through the mud and he was fine.  I suppose the grips on those GEOX were well worth the money!

I do not understand why some people do what they do.  What would possess my mother in-law to put her rubber boots on Austin when he had perfectly good running shoes with him?  Don't get it but at least Austin realizes that Mama knows best!  This Mama that is! ;)

All the best!  *HUGS*

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Christmas Crazies!!!

Last year, a couple of weeks before Christmas, Austin's behaviour changed drastically and I do mean, d-r-a-s-t-i-c-a-l-l-y!  Initially I thought he was reacting to some kind of food or was regressing.  Neither of these were the issue.

Around the end of November, Austin really started to act differently.  He was very hyper, he screamed a lot, cried, could not calm down, was restless, did not sleep well, did not eat as he normally would, his focus was really off, he would throw things and kick on his wall or door, he also would meltdown at the drop of a hat over the smallest thing, it was SCARY!  I racked my brain trying to figure out what could be causing all of this commotion.  My husband and I were very concerned.  I contacted Tink and asked her, I figured she would have some insight.  What did she tell me?  It is because of Christmas.  I thought "No way!", it could not be that.  Christmas was weeks away.  I actually doubted Tink, that is rare.  So I tried all sorts of things, changing some foods, trying to get him to sleep at a different time, no iPad or videos to remove the stimulation factor.  I tried talking to him.  I tried timeouts for his behaviour ... I tried everything I could think of ... nothing worked ... nothing. :(  I thought, this is how he is changing and I am just going to have to cope and deal with it.  That seemed to be the only answer until he had a HUGE MELTDOWN and I started to suspect Tink was right.

The day we had decorated the house and put up the tree was the kicker.  Well, OMG!  The behaviours Austin was experiencing increased exponentially!  I am not kidding!  I was at a loss, I had no idea what to do because Christmas is everywhere, school, home, the stores, the streets ... everywhere!  I had contacted another friend of mine (she is such a lovable person I will call her "Annabelle") and told her what was happening.   She has a child on the spectrum too and she said something close to the following, "Oh yeah, my child went through that for weeks before Christmas.  They get so excited, just like typical kids but it is harder for them because they cannot deal with that kind of excitement the same way a typical child would."  Tink had said pretty much the same thing.  I got it.  (I was then, and still am, sorry for doubting you Tink!)  Once we knew that this was the reason Austin was so out of sorts, it was easier to talk to him and deal with the situation.  It did go on for weeks.

The thing that shocked me the most about the whole experience, was the day we took down the tree and decorations, Austin woke up the next day and all the behaviours seem to disappear overnight!  Unbelievable but true!

Thank you to Tink and Annabelle for all your help, advice, support and understanding! :) OX OX

All the best!  *HUGS*

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Upward and Onward

So, I asked for some feedback regarding Austin's privacy and this blog ... well, did I get it!  Thank you so much for all the people who gave me their input.  Now, I have decided to continue writing and have to say, that all my feedback was very supportive to do so.  No one thought that Austin's privacy was being compromised or anything was considered embarrassing.  I really do not normally care what people think, but this person is very close to me, so when they said it, it really hurt.  They know I would never do anything to hurt Austin.  When the feedback came back so negatively about this person, they wanted me to disclose who they were!  Can you imagine?  NO WAY!  Why?  Because they thought if people knew who it was, they would not be so harsh ... right ... it could very well go the other way ... anyways, I said "no".  This person's identity will remain undisclosed and if Austin asks me one day, I will tell him.

I am very happy to be continuing this blog.  I have a lot more stories to share that I think can give people insight and I am learning all the time too.  Austin is changing so much and there are always new challenges and new achievements as well.  I am so very PROUD of him.

Thank you once again for all your support and feedback!  I really appreciate all of you!

All the best!  *HUGS*!

To My Lovey

This post is for you, Austin, my lovey, my sweet boy! :)

Recently, I was questioned by someone very close to me about this blog.  I started it because I thought  it would help other people and also document your journey with autism.  I can assure you that my intentions are only good ones.  You know my heart and know that I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!  I would never embarrass or do anything to intentionally cause you any distress.

I am putting this post here so you may read and understand that I almost stopped writing because of something someone said to me.  I was being very foolish and have decided to continue on with the posts.  I can only say to you that I pray when you read this blog, when you are older, you do not feel anything negative and know that what I have documented are stories of how much I LOVE YOU and how PROUD I am of you!

You are the rainbow across my heart!  I ADORE and LOVE you more than anything!

LOTS N' LOTS N' LOTS OF LOVE,

Mommie OX

Monday, October 22, 2012

Privacy Predicament

My Father once told me, if you do not want to hear the answer, do not ask the question.  This is something that I always keep in mind when it comes to sensitive subjects.  I did not think asking a question about blogging when it comes to Austin and autism would have such an impact.  I questioned a friend of mine (I am going to let them remain anonymous as to protect their privacy) about reading my blog.  This person raised a concern about Austin's privacy and did I consider how he would feel about me disclosing his life experiences for all the world to read?  Well, I had a bit in the beginning but I felt that this blog was to help not hurt.  I did not feel that I was writing anything harmful about Austin.  I was very, very upset and devastated by this comment.

I would like to know, to the people that read this blog and have children they blog about, it does not have to be about autism, even just blogging in general, am I invading my son's privacy?  Should I stop blogging immediately and remove this blog, never to write another post again?  I am at a crossroads.  I do not know what to do since this person said this to me.  Part of me feels like if I dare post another of story about him, it would be exploiting Austin, not a feeling I like and certainly not what this blog is about ... I am very concerned about ever hurting my sweet boy, even unintentionally.

I do try to conceal Austin's identity.  His last name is never in any post.  I do not put pictures of him on here.  I do not blog about anything I think he would ever be embarrassed about later on in life.  I try to document his experiences so he can look back and see how far he has come, how PROUD I am of him, how much I LOVE HIM!  I pray, that if I do continue this blog, and I welcome all the feedback I can get, that Austin will see this blog was created to help.

Most of the people that follow this blog that know Austin's identity are family and friends who love and care about him very, very much.  I can only pray that if this blog does stay online and I continue to share this journey with everyone, he will understand, or if he is upset by it, I will remove it immediately and apologize profusely.

Thank you for reading, sharing and caring!

All the best!  *HUGS*

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Terrified to Tears

Today we went shopping for Austin's costume.  I always take him to the Halloween Spirit store and things usually go quite well ... not today!  OMG!!!

We walked into the store and there was a huge display in front of us (we usually go to the store in the west end of the city, today we shopped for shoes, so we went to the store close by in the east end) and Austin said he did not want to go near it.  That is not unusual, so I guided him away from the display by holding his hand, he let go and held onto the back of my sweater.  I thought, okay, no problem, there are a lot of people and this store is really lit up so you can see all the detail on the decorations and the other one is the complete opposite!  Anyway, Austin decided he wanted to be a vampire instead of a mummy.  Do you think we could find one vampire costume?  NOPE!  What did Austin set his heart on?  A hot dog costume.  Now, I did try over and over to talk him out of it and then some saleswomen came up and said it was "Totally Cool"!  Uhhhh, not for a boy who kids call "Wiener Boy"!  :(  He really wanted it so I thought, I can always get him something else but I was apprehensive ...

We got Kaleigh's costume and headed for the cashier.  Uhhhh, we tried to head towards the cashier.  Austin is terrified of spiders ... real or fake it does not matter and they were everywhere in this store on the displays.  I weaved my way around three different aisles until I thought it was safe (Austin is still holding on to my sweater this whole time) ... WRONG ONE!  We came around the corner and a two foot tarantula jumped out at Austin ... the shriek that came out of him ... he was TERRIFIED!!! Tears streamed down his face ... I cuddled him close to me and told him it was okay we were leaving.  I told him to close his eyes and it would be okay.  We get to the cash and there are huge spiders everywhere until we get to the farthest cash (there were no spiders at that one).  These spiders all had red lights for eyes and were about a foot long with cobwebs everywhere.  Austin was crying his heart out.  I explained to the girl that he is really frightened of spiders (now more than ever I learned).  I did not know if I should just leave the costumes and go or what.  I paid the girl as the other cashier unplugged the glowing spiders ... trying her hardest to calm Austin ... we all were.  Paid, and thank you ... out the door we went.  I hugged Austin and told him it was okay ... we are NEVER going back to that store ... promise!  Poor guy!  I felt so badly but I really had no idea he would react like that ... I know he does not like the decoration aisle in the store but this was very unusual for Austin, at this age anyway. :(

We got the costume home, Daddy had concerns about the costume too.  I talked to Austin and said it may be better as a dress up costume for home.  He said that would be okay and we went to another store, Canadian Tire, (this one is not cluttered with decorations or anything) and picked out a vampire costume and he was calm and happy.  I did not take him to the dollar store with Kaleigh and I after though because he gets upset at the amount of decorations there, so he stayed home with Daddy while we went.

It all turned out okay at the end of the day and Austin is very excited to be a vampire this Halloween, he even picked out make-up and black hair spray at the pharmacy.  I am so sorry that he experienced what he did today ... I really did not see it coming and it really had an impact.  His Daddy and I are going to see if there is something we can do to help him with this fear of spiders.  We do not want to see him like that ever again!

All the best!  *HUGS*

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Halloween Horror

Isn't it interesting how the more things change, somethings stay the same?  Austin has a lot of fear when it comes to Halloween decorations but he LOVES Halloween! The biggest challenge with him is in the store buying decorations.  We also have to make sure not to put too many scary ones up in the house.

Yesterday we went shopping for decorations.  At certain points in the aisle, he stopped and froze, he was that scared.  He asked me walk back up the aisle to come and get him, which I did.  I told him it was okay and we could just leave but he was bound and determined to get the decorations.  I let him pick what he wanted, Kaleigh too, but no spiders, Austin is terrified of spiders, real or fake.

We got through the shopping pretty quickly but we did encounter another boy in the aisle while Austin was upset.  The child looked at Austin like he could not believe that someone could be so disturbed by the decorations.  I took Austin's hand and told him it was okay and we were leaving and not to worry that he was safe.  He did not even notice the boy staring at him with a weird look on his face.  My only concern is to make sure he is safe and happy.

Austin came home and helped Kaleigh put up the decorations and is excited to go and buy his costume. He does not get upset shopping for costumes and usually stays away from the displays.  I believe that the small aisle with all the scary faces is what makes him so frightened.  Luckily, a small hug from me and taking him by the hand reassures him quickly.  He wants to be a mummy this year and is so excited for the Halloween dance!  Last year I took him to the dance and I did not get to sit down all night!  This time, I am bringing Kaleigh, she can dance it up with him while Momma takes a few breaks! :D

All the best!  *HUGS*

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Jersey's Jacqueline

I have a guilty pleasure, I love to watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey!  My favourite housewife has always been, and still is, Jacqueline Laurita, I ADORE her!  She is a total sweetie pie with a HUGE heart!  I am making an exception to blog about her because she touched my heart so much and she is facing her own journey with autism.

Yesterday, I was watching the reunion show (part 1).  Jacqueline had disclosed a few weeks back that her son (Nicholas age 3) has autism.  She was asked about it on the show yesterday.  As she told her story and watched the footage of her son, it brought me right back to my experiences with Austin.  I remember what a great baby he was, never thinking that was odd how quiet and content he was a lot of the time, very easy going and sweet!  Watching as her little boy struggled as she was trying to show him something, wiggling to get away, his lack of eye contact, his speech ... Austin ... all the same things I struggled with and really, there are always challenges but things change and do get better.  It just BROKE MY HEART when she said her son does not say "I love you" to her because he has regressed.  She sobbed and sobbed ... I burst into tears just hearing and watching her.  I felt like our hearts know the same pain ... it is DEVASTATING!  I was amazed at how fast it brought me back to the agony I felt sitting on a couch just a few years ago.

During the show, one of her cast mates was sitting next to her, Caroline Manzo (I like her too), she is Jacqueline's sister in-law, cried and tried to comfort Jacqueline and said that one day her little boy will say "I love you" again.  I believe that is true.  I thought that she was very brave to speak about her son having autism.  Jacqueline expressed that she believes awareness is very important, I couldn't agree more, and she stated that she does not know everything about autism but she is learning and wants to share as she learns.  Exactly why I started this blog.  I think she should be very proud of herself.  It takes a lot of strength and courage to stand up fight for your child.  Good for her!  

Parents of children with autism are connected in a special way (not only because we "get it") because our connection is through our hearts ...

All the best!  *HUGS*!

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Struggles, Streams and Smiles @ Seven

Austin turned 7 in July.  There are so many different challenges at this age than at 3 or 4.  I found that I cried more this summer than I have in a long time.  To watch Austin change and develop in some ways makes me smile but the struggles that he faces, causes streams of tears to flow out of control.

Austin has made such progress and he is very much like a typical 7 year old boy.  It is hard when he tells me he is rejected by other children or people call him names.  That is so HARD for me to take and I do understand that it happens.  Look, I endured a HUGE amount of bullying and name calling growing up, I have red hair, freckles and glasses (I praise the invention of contacts and laser surgery!), I was teased constantly!  I endured and by the time I was in my teens, a lot had changed ... the ugly duckling to the swan, it gave me a lot of confidence and I was happy to leave those bad memories behind.  I feel for my son when he says that people call him names and leave him out of games.  It just BREAKS MY HEART!  Some days I wish I could just go to school with him and protect him.  I know it bothers him to some degree but he cannot express that like you and I could.  I guess the strength that I gained, I want to use to protect him.  It is so painful to see someone treat your child that way.  When this happened at 3 or 4, he did not understand and I just chalked it up to kids will be kids and people did not know that he was on the spectrum, at 3, neither did we!  I guess I felt that it was easier to protect him at that age.  The older he gets, the more he spends time away from me and I cannot be there ... tough for Mama Grizzly!

A big thing about Austin is his comprehension and speech.  If you were to talk to Austin, you may not pick up right away that he is on the spectrum, but if you have kids, you would figure it out pretty fast.  He uses words that he does not understand the meaning of and it can cause confusion when he is telling me about a situation.  It has turned out that sometimes, it is very inaccurate.  I have gone into school to explain this to his aide.  She is wonderful and is watching to make sure no one is calling Austin names and that there is no bullying.  He had a terrible experience with bullying last year ... AWFUL!

The first week of school Austin came home and told me that he was not allowed to play soccer and just stood on the side of the field because there was only one ball allowed on the field.  Is that so?  Huh?  Well, let's just go and find out!  I talked to the aide and she had not heard of any such rule so I sent Austin with his own soccer ball.  He found two new friends and they all play together.  (Kaleigh's preschool is very close to Austin's school, so I get to sneak a peek at him during recess without him knowing, so if I see something I think it not acceptable, well, let's just say I am not shy to speak up!)  So far, everything is going better and he is having fun at school ... AWESOME!  :)

There are so many positive things about Austin at 7 too but the challenges he faces, well, it is tough for me, I would be lying if I said it wasn't.  It was hard at 3 and 4 too but the way people treat him or stare at him (he dances everywhere he hears music) I guess I don't really think about it too much because it is better than him dropping to the floor screaming like when he was younger.  He will follow behind me about 4 feet so that if a song comes on in a store he will start to dance.  I will turn around and check on him every few seconds and catch him freezing up and trying to stop dancing!  LOL!  This, makes me laugh because I am the one to blame for this, if he loves to dance, he certainly got it from me!  I think it is really neat that he has such a passion and love of music and dancing.  I am the type of person who does not care what people think, seriously and when it comes to Austin, it is about protecting him from hurt, that is my priority.  So what if he wants to dance in Walmart?  Have you seen those emails that go around?  Really?  These are the people that think my son is odd!  LOL!  Not a chance!!!

All the best!  *HUGS* to all!


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Dude & Sissy

Austin and Kaleigh have nicknames for each other, Kaleigh calls Austin "Dude" and he calls her "Sissy".  It is so cute!  I wanted to document this for them since you never know if this may change as they grow older.

Every time I hear Austin say "Sissy" it sounds so old fashioned but when I told him that, he said "I like to call her Sissy."  Fair enough. :)

A lighter post since the next is going to be a bit harder to write ...

All the best! *HUGS*

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Panic in Packing

I just finished packing Austin's bag of supplies for tomorrow.  I am sad that summer is over and he will be gone all day and I will miss him.  Don't get me wrong, I will enjoy the quiet too but will miss him very much.  (This summer, Kaleigh and Austin certainly did their share of bickering.  I came close to needing some help aka meds (LOL!) after a few weeks of their fighting, but they play well together too so, well, I made it! :))  While packing, it was the thought of bullying that entered my head just as I placed the last few things in his bag.  That dark cloud came over me, the one that makes me want to homeschool.  I know that people are thinking that I am being paranoid or overprotective but it BROKE MY HEART to watch what happened to him last year.  I am praying that this year will be different.

The older Austin gets, the harder it is for me to see someone pick on him.  He will retreat normally.  It is so sad for me to see his reaction.  I watched him at day camp one day this summer with Kaleigh as some boy (about 2 years older than Austin and much bigger) took the ball away that they were playing with together.  While Kaleigh, a 1/4 of this boy's size, got in his face and said "GIVE ME THE BALL BACK!!!", Austin retreated.  He stood back smiling at me like it was no big deal.  It is the contrast in the two that is sometimes the hardest to take.  It worries me for Austin.

Packing up his things today, it was that wave of fear that came over me for a few seconds.  My heart pounding, frightened and anxious.  It is horrible to feel helpless and scared when it comes to your child.  I just want to protect him from being hurt.  I pray, pray, he will be okay this year and the friends he has made will rally around him and his school year will be positive and wonderful.  LOVE YOU Austin!

All the best!  *HUGS*


School Dazed

All summer long we have been waiting to hear if Austin would be granted a cross boundary transfer for his elementary school.  We were denied the first year but we were lucky and granted one last year.  We filed again for this coming school year ... we waited and waited.  I finally called the school about a week and half ago because I could take no more ... my husband and I were going bonkers thinking of the possible scenarios that might happen if Austin was denied.  All that change would be very hard on Austin.  I was told the decisions were not being made until the next week and we would know within a few days from that time.  OH MY!  I could not pay fees or buy school supplies because they vary from school to school.

I started waiting for the postman like a girl for her date on prom night!  Seriously, I think I may have frightened the poor man!  Calling out to the kids "MAIL'S HERE!", every time I saw him coming down the street to our door.  Finally, last Friday, the letter arrived and the transfer, GRANTED!!!  WOO HOO!  I was teary eyed just reading it and emailed my husband with the good news right away.  We were so THRILLED!

I was so focussed on which school Austin might be attending, I got distracted and a bit anxious too.  I figured I could not put too much energy into preparing for school since we had no idea where he would be going.  Once we did get the news, I got the supply list and was off to shop with Austin and Kaleigh in tow!  That's is always good for entertainment, others entertainment that is.  For some reason, I had only seen or looked at Austin's school calendar once.  About two weeks ago, I had gone to the school, I saw a note on the door stating that there was a PD day on the 4th of September because we are having an election and the school is being used for voting.  Got it.  Right, so in my mind, I thought Austin would be starting on the 5th of September.  Now, there is good reasoning for this, distraction definitely, but I also grew up in another province, we started school after Labour Day.  My brain is just programmed for the start of school, always after Labour Day.  Just a wee bit confused, right?

I can't help but laugh about it now because my friends were saying to me that the kids start on Wednesday, yes, Wednesday, August 29th, not September 5th!  LOL!  I feel like people were talking to me and I was just so focussed on whether or not the transfer was granted or not, I wasn't paying close enough attention.  So much so, that I almost missed the beginning of school.  I was planning to take Austin and Kaleigh to the farmers market tomorrow morning!  LOL!  I guess it is a good thing that after I paid the fees yesterday, I saw the school calendar and called to confirm the starting date.  At least the school's secretary got a laugh!  She said she would have been calling looking for him come tomorrow morning.  We would have been berry shopping!  :O

Oh well, the great news is that Austin will be returning to the same school.  He will have a different aide this year and teacher but we know it will all be fine because they are all wonderful!

All the best!  *HUGS*

P.S.  I guess the postman can relax now ... ;)

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Reality Rouse

You know how sometimes you are just going through life and things seem like everything is wonderful?  Isn't interesting how a single moment in a day can open your eyes and you realize that your little vacation in la la land is over and you are given a return ticket home pronto?

Yesterday I took Austin to speech therapy for the first time in months.  He was tested a while back and the speech therapist thought it was a good time for a break.  Austin did really well in school and he reads above children his age.  He does quite well in all his subjects at school, and we are so PROUD of him.  He really does act like a 7 year old in a lot of ways and sometimes autism is less evident at 7, than it was at 3 or 4 years old, that is, depending on the situation.  Yesterday is a perfect example, it felt like autism was driving the car rather than being the passenger!  A few questions from the therapist and I could feel the tears starting to form!  I heard her ask questions that Kaleigh could analyze and respond to without hesitation.  I am not trying to compare Austin and Kaleigh, it is the concern that comes over me when he cannot analyze a picture and answer questions that at 4, would not be challenging for Kaleigh.  It is very, very tough to see.  I have been warned already that problem solving is going to be a challenge for him.  It breaks my heart to see him answer incorrectly and not be able to focus. :(

Over the summer, I watched Austin play, go to the park, enjoy summer camp, go to Birthday parties and dance to Just Dance 3 by Wii ... a lot!  We may have to refinish the hardwood floor!  It is just wonderful to see him so happy!  Being out of school and on vacation, we still read a bit, (he reads a lot on his own, especially books of facts) but it has been mostly play time.  Interestingly, he has been teaching Kaleigh the alphabet and we are teaching her how to write her name.  Big brother Austin is doing a great job helping her learn!  I see him growing and developing and then I am reminded, he is different, he struggles, he still needs me ... the thought of being in speech yesterday with him, played over and over in my mind as I sat eating dinner lastnight.  My eyes filled with tears and the emotions surfaced from the day that I promised him, I would fight with all my might to help him.  I will not stop, I will endure whatever I must to ensure he gets all the help he needs to succeed!  I LOVE him so much ... that reality is concrete.

 *HUGS* All the best!

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Fantastic Finale!

Coming to the end of Austin's school year was a bit like a recital to me ... the performance had been exceptional, way beyond what I thought possible, but how would it end?  Would the finale be spectacular or would there be a trip, a fall, an obstacle no one saw that would take away all the glory he had accomplished throughout the year?  I was nervous until the very end.  I just wanted him to finish with a big smile on his face, to be happy and proud of his accomplishments.

The last few weeks of school, I heard about tests, French tests, Math tests, English tests ... back to back.  Could Austin deal with all this pressure?  There were a few instances where he became a bit overwhelmed.  Some of this happened at school but mostly at home.  I wished I could do the tests for him, well, a part of me anyway.  I knew that he could do all the work but the end of the school year seemed to get him off track.  The excitement of the coming summer vacation and the thought of school ending really affected him.

I think about all the worrying I did, all that fear, tears, anxiety, loss of sleep and all of it unnecessary!  Austin did AWESOME!  We are so PROUD of him!!!  I was in tears every time I heard test went well.  I cannot express how relieved and how happy I was for Austin.  WAY TO GO BUDDY!  WELL DONE! :)

I want to say that it is not because I did not believe Austin was capable or smart enough, it was the other circumstances that worried me going into the final weeks of school.  He becomes more excited, loses focus, is less predicable and his sleep changes radically too.  All of these factors could contribute to his school performance, needless to say, thank goodness everything went well!  His report card was EXCELLENT!  He will be going into the second grade in the Fall.  I have to thank all of his wonderful teachers and aide for all their support, help, understanding and caring!  We were so grateful to all of you!  Thank you for making Austin's experience in Grade 1 OUTSTANDING! :)

*HUGS* to all!  :)

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Hide and Go ... Hide?

A day back in April ...

Today was a very scary day for us.  My husband and were outside stripping the paint off a kitchen window and the kids were outside with us, playing and running around.  They played in our yard and my in-laws place (they live right next door ... our lots are attached and the kids go back and forth safely).  Everyone was having a nice afternoon.

Kaleigh came up to me at one point and said she wanted to go inside and did not want to play with Austin anymore.  They had been playing Hide and Seek but she said she did not want to "chase him" because he was running around.  I took Kaleigh inside and got her settled (my husband and in-laws were still outside).  I decided to go back out to get Austin and bring him inside as well.  When I went out, I asked my husband if Austin was with him, he said "no".  We called for Austin but no reply.  My husband, my mother in-law, father in-law and people visiting all started to look ... no Austin ... my world stopped!  "Austin is gone!"  "Where is he?!"  "Did he run off?"  "Did someone grab him?"  All these things went through my head in what seemed a nanosecond.  My husband said my mother in-law was going to get in her car and look for him, I had put on my running shoes and was out the door headed to the pond down the road.  We walk down and feed the ducks and I thought Austin might be there in the trail.  My husband told me to take my truck.  So I jumped into my truck and as soon as I started to leave I heard loud crying and yelling ... it was Austin ... at first relief, than fear ... why was he so upset?  I ran from the truck over to my in-laws and picked up Austin and carried him to a chair.  He was screaming and crying.  He was frightened and upset.  He was crying, I was crying ... I was so relieved but the fear of what could have been, well, it was too much and I sobbed.  He explained that he was hiding and no one came to look for him.  We explained he has to tell us if he wants us to play, no one knew he was going to hide.  When he heard the truck, he came out because he wanted to go for a ride.  He says he could not hear us in his special hiding place.  He was in my in-laws snow shed.  He scared the living daylights out of us!

I carried him home.  I explained that it what he did was very scary and not to do it again.  Hide and Seek with Kaleigh and family is fine but hide just to hide and not come out, well, that is not a game I would like to revisit.  We are thankful that he is okay and just glad that all is well.

*HUGS* to all!

Posts Aplenty

Okay, so I have not blogged in a while ... I do feel very badly about this.  I have been a bit distracted but I promise I have many posts coming your way!

I hope that all is well with everyone and wishing you all the best!

:)  *HUGS*

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Concrete Calendar

Austin has the entire calendar memorized.  You name it ... Birthdays, Anniversaries, holidays, PD days, special events at school ... anything that is on the calendar, he knows.

The other day, Austin and I were working on a homework assignment together.  It was a small problem where you had to determine the date of Mother's Day.  The exercise gave you some information like Mother's Day takes place on the second Sunday in May and the teacher provided a calender with the first couple of days already included.  Okay ... all is well so far.  Austin writes in the numbers and goes past the second Sunday until he reaches the 13th (on this calendar it fell on a Wednesday, the Sunday on the 10th).  I ask him, "If Mother's Day falls on the second Sunday, what is the date?"  Austin replies "The 13th."  Uh, "no".  Let's try again, same response.  I tried over and over to explain, no luck.  I told Austin to take a break and go play in his room.  We went through this three times with the same result.  I could not get why it kept happening.  I called him out of his room again and explained that Mother's Day is the 10th on the calendar, he was adamant it was the 13th.  I decided to show him the calendar in the kitchen to prove my point ... LOL!  Mother's Day is on the 13th of May!  LOL!  I guess he showed me!

It took me a few minutes to explain that the calendar was merely an example and was not the same as the calendar of this year.  Oh my, he is strict when it comes to the calendar ... do not deviate from it!

Now I really have no excuse to forget anyone's Birthday or Anniversary!  :D

All the best!  *HUGS*

Friday, April 20, 2012

Flying High

The other day, the city came around to trim some trees.  Austin could not see what they were cutting on the other side of our hedge (it is really tall) so he got on his swing and started to move his legs back and forth to make it go.  This is HUGE for Austin!  We have been trying for a long time to get him to do this, it has been really, really tough for him to master that coordination.  I was so PROUD of him and I almost started to cry!  I know that sounds really silly but seriously, it really touched my heart.

I asked him later how he figured it out and he said he just wanted to see the men cut the trees and that was the only way he could.  It doesn't really matter why really, I was only curious to know why all of sudden he could swing by himself.  He LOVES to play on the swing and it is nice to see a big smile on his face.

*HUGS* to all! :)

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Promote the Positive

Tink contacted me after she read my blog post from yesterday.  She said to make a chart that would focus on the positive, and not to use xs because they are negative.  Instead, she suggested stickers for achieving a realistic goal.  Kaleigh LOVES stickers!  So today I am going to do up a chart that will have goals for the kids.  Nothing too complicated.  Thanks for the advice Tink!  Once again, I appreciate your input!  LOVE YA' TONS!

*HUGS*

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Titanic Tantrums!

I usually write about Austin, well this time it is about Kaleigh ... boy is she a handful!  You see, Austin never really had tantrums.  He did get over excited and stimulated but never, ever made a scene like my sweet little girl did yesterday at the doctor's office ... OH MY!  It was outrageous!  This is not the first time either. :(

When I got home, I called my dear friend Tink (I value her opinion and she always gives me great advice ... I just love her), she told me to take things away, rewards and things Kaleigh really wants.  This made sense to me, since nothing else is working and these tantrums always take place in public.  Yesterday, it was at the doctor's office and waiting room.  She spent more time on the floor than in a chair!  Needless to say, you cannot imagine the looks (well, you probably can) ... a couple with their first newborn ... they had that look like I used to "My child is never going to behave that way!"  "Yes, your child too!"  It is flu season here so seeing my daughter face down on the doctor's bare floor, well, let's just say she had a bath when she got home and I washed her clothes ... sigh ...

I decided to take Tink's advice and made Kaleigh a little chart, like I do for Austin.  It is the ü and x system.  For good behaviour, Austin earns a ü and for not so nice behaviour, an x.  These go towards rewards and if he accumulates more xs than üs he does not get his reward.  Now, there is one time that I gave in because I felt bad, big mistake!  So I decided, if they get too many xs, no reward.  Tink told me that she knows that it is tough, but I have no idea what else to do.  :(


Friday is a sliding trip with the little preschool that Kaleigh attends.  I told her yesterday if the tantrum did not stop, she would not be going.  Sure enough, that didn't faze her at all.  I have decided to keep her from the outing which I know will upset her but I feel like I need to do something to get her to understand that this type of behaviour is just not acceptable.  Even if I do feel really badly about it.

*HUGS*

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Party Pooper

Austin received an invitation to a party from a girl in his class.  The party is to take place March 3rd and the dreaded words "Lunch Will be Served" are written in the card.  Sigh ... what to do?  These parents do not know Austin and have no idea he is on the spectrum.  Do I tell them that Austin is on the spectrum and to expect maybe some behaviour if he gets bored or overstimulated?  He is such a picky eater, which is getting better but I cannot ask "What are you planning to serve?"  That is just not me ... I just don't want them to be taken of guard ... am I being a party pooper or what?

Austin was at a party last Saturday, I attended with him.  It was different though because these parents know Austin is on the spectrum and have known him a long time.  They are also very supportive and accept Austin for who he is and do not judge.  I am very grateful to have them as friends and Austin has a great friend in their son too!

Any suggestions?  I would really appreciate the input.  Thanks everyone!

All the best!  *HUGS*

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Super Successes!

So, it has been a while since my last post, I do apologize.  Lots of big changes for Austin and we are SO PROUD of him!

First, Austin's speech has improved so much that we were given the green light to stop therapy for a while and check in again some time in March!  His comprehension, social and communication skills are getting better and better!  :)  YAY!

Austin's report card was nothing less than WONDERFUL!  His marks were above the class average for most of his classes.  He is AWESOME in English!  He can read pretty much anything (I have been hiding my novels!  LOL!).  His lowest mark was in French but still quite good at 70!  I cannot express how PLEASED and PROUD we are of him ... I just cried and cried!  :)

Austin is doing very well at swimming.  He is getting better all the time.  He also tried skating.  He did pretty well ... he wants to do things on his own and has quite the determination (I think he gets it from me ... lol).  What a character!  Just LOVE him to bits!

Austin LOVES to dance!  I have taken him to two dances at school.  The first one he kept me on the dance floor for 2 1/2 hours!!!  LOL!  I could not participate in the second dance a few weeks ago since I broke some toes a while back ... sigh ... but Austin had a blast!!!  His favourite song is "Just the Way You Are" and loves to dance to the "Cha Cha Slide".  :)

PROUD Mama again ... he won another Principal's Award the other day for French for his "listening and good behaviour".  Cannot believe how far he has come and how many wonderful accomplishments he has achieved over the last few months!  YAY Austin! :)

Oh yes, Austin, is girl crazy!!!  LOL!

Hope all is well and HUGS to everyone!

To Victoria - thanks hon! ox