Home Again....

I am home again after another trip. This time I went to St. Louis for a 4-day class to learn a new computer program we are using at work. I got home around 8pm last night, and Mike had ordered a pizza. YAY!! After spending a week in the "flatlands", I was happy when we flew right by my Mt. Rainier. It stands majestically above all the clouds showing her snowy white top. It is beautiful to fly by,even in the dark. To me, when I see that volcano, it means that I am HOME. Back to my three guys, and back to a routine. It's funny how we think that people like Nick are the weird ones who are stuck on their routines. Doesn't your routine during the day provide you a little comfort? Are we not a little anxious when we are forced out of our "comfort zone"? I know I am. I am simply a nervous wreck on the inside until whatever it is passes. When I go somewhere on a trip, I like to get everything settled and put away in my room so it feels like I belong there. Nick, although a little more severe than most, likes to feel the same way. His routine is comforting and he likes knowing what to expect. One of the reasons we have a camper is so that he feels comfortable. Nick hated going to a different hotel room everynight when we traveled. He did not know what was where, or even where he would sleep. Seems silly to most of us, but for him this caused him great stress. He likes to know "the lay of the land". He LOVES our camper. He knows where he sleeps in there, where he eats all his meals, and where his toys are. So even though his routine may be interrupted by a camping trip, he is not stressing over a "new" place. Don't we all like the feel of a familiar place like our own homes? I know I do. For me, there is really no place like home.

Back to Normal.....Almost.

After 4 chaotic days of Thanksgiving break, we were looking forward to getting back to a normal schedule on Monday. But, as luck would have it, that did not happen. Mike had gotten Nick all dressed and groomed for school and they were waiting outside for the school bus. As I have said before, this is the absolute highlight of Nick's day. He LOVES the bus. So, when it did not arrive on Monday he was completely upset. Mike called the transportation people and inquired about the whereabouts of the bus. They said that it was a substitute driver and that they were here to pick up Nick around 10:45-10:50. Mike said that was not true because they had been waiting outside since 10:40. They said that they would send another bus to come get him, but by that time Mike was like "What's the point? He would only be in school for just over an hour." That threw off Nick's whole day. As he has gotten older, he is getting more rigid in his schedules. He likes them. It takes him a long time to recover from a schedule change. And until he does, he makes our lives a lot harder.

Tuesday was a little better. Nick went to school as planned. But, before he went to school, he managed to peel off part of the baseboard in the kids' bathroom. He also managed to peel off a layer of paint and more damage to the drywall underneath. Another door had also been taken off it's hinges. So, we called the housing office to have them repair our house. They came and fixed up the bathroom, and a couple of doors and screens. We still have several closet doors that are in dire need of repair. He just can't stop. We watch him constantly, and even his therapists are having a hard time keeping him away from doors. We are at our wits end with this. Then, just after we called the housing office for the repairs, we get a call asking if we want to move into another house on base. This *new* house is completely remodeled, and has a garage! YES! It is one-story, so we would not need to be worried about anyone falling down stairs, and it also has central heating. I remember central heating...how nice it was not to have to worry about anything burning up or melting if it is too close! We have had baseboard heating for 10 years now, and always have to check in the boys' room to make sure no toys, clothes, bed spreads, or anything touch the heater in the winter. Nick also won't have them to stand on. YAY us! We are scheduled to move in sometime in Jan.

This week-Nick ate bananas! What is even better is that he is now picking up his food with his hands! We are talking broccoli, chicken, bananas, pot roast, etc. He is eating all of it. He is also using a fork. It is just so good to see him picking up these things with his hands and feeding himself. He has really come a long way! Even better yet is he is now curious about what we are eating! Michael had a banana yesterday and Nick saw it. He proceeded to come into the kitchen screaming. We asked him if he wanted a banana, and if he wanted to eat. He went right to his chair and waited for it. I cut up half a banana and gave it to him. He dived right in and was happy. He is doing that more and more. He is getting frustrated at not having the words to express himself. We are working with him on this, and so are his therapists. One day we will hear what Nick wants.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving. Hope you are enjoying your holiday with your families. The turkey is in the oven, I am baking a Gluten Free cake with Dairy Free frosting for dessert, and we are just relaxing as a family and enjoying each others' company. Have a wonderful day and safe travels.

Challenging Days....

After a week off milk, I was happy to report that Nick had improved in just about everything. His poops were finally normal--been waiting almost 6 yrs for that little gem. Then Saturday hit like a ton of bricks. Started out just like any other day and Nick was happy. We ate breakfast and got dressed. We went over to the neighbors house. We came home. That is where Happy Nick ended. He was replaced by pissed off Nick. In one instant while I was cooking his lunch, he got upset and launched his sippy cup. The cup flew in the direction of our espresso pot. The next thing I heard is glass shattering all over the floor and the counter. Nick just laughed at the commotion. I had had enough. I sent him to his room, although I don't think he understood why. The grocery store was no better. He threw a tantrum and started knocking things off the shelf and hitting me. I told him no the first two times. The third time I said no and pinched him on his cheek. It got his attention and he began to soothe himself by chomping/sucking on his thumb. By the time I got home, I was done. Needless to say I had about 2-3 servings of cookie dough ice cream that night. He has a fixation on doors again. He has broken the door on our laundry closet-it is completely off track and has a chunk of wood missing at the top. He has cracked one of our kitchen cabinets almost clean off. It is now held together with two nails. He has damaged a few other cabinets, but not as bad. Somedays I really feel that I just cannot take it anymore. The constant stimming, and just everything else that goes along with him. Then there are days like today...when he greets me at the door with a big smile on his face.

I bought some Pedia Sure at the store so that maybe Nick could get in some extra calories. The day after he had some, he was back to mushy stools. I looked at the package and it was lactose free and gluten free, but still contained some milk based ingredients. Guess I won't be buying that anymore. One day Nick, mommy will get it right!

Fall is here...

You know how I can tell? Not from the thousands of red,brown, and yellow leaves that have taken over our neighborhood; oh no. I can tell from the cold viruses that have taken up residence in our house. We have gone through 3/4 of a bottle of Children's Tylenol. Nick gets green goop everywhere. He gets the concept of blowing his nose, just not when there is a tissue in front of it. You can imagine what we end up with. It's not a pretty sight. Michael has made it through this week and I am glad to report that he has been headache free. Nick's nose is as red as a firetruck, and the area around his mouth and chin are raw from his constant rubbing. At least he is eating still.

Moving on to better news. We got a call from Maxim a couple of days ago. They are the company that provide us with all of Nick's services. Including respite care. For those who are not familiar with respite care, it is a system that provides parents of disabled children qualified people to watch their special needs children while the parents can go out and get a break. Our respite provider called this week offering us a chance to go out Saturday!! Holy Sh*T I am so excited!!! To go out with hubby to a movie and possibly even dinner! Do such things even exist anymore?? Going to cut this post short for now. Have to get Nick ready for school and run some errands myself.

I'm Home!!

Ok, so I finally got home last Tuesday afternoon from New Zealand. I had Wednesday off so that I could adjust back to the time difference(afterall, we were 20 hours ahead in New Zealand)and be with the boys. It has been a crazy week at work. I was working 12 hours through the weekend, and coming home just drained. Today is the first day that I have had off, so I thought I would update on Nick.

He is continuing to make huge progress with his ABA home programs. He has mastered gross motor imitation. Which was and still is, thrilling to see. It is exciting to witness him copy everything we do. Mike will pat his head, Nick pats his head, I wave, Nick waves, etc. It is spontaneous imitation-with no prompts, and appearing very natural. He can now answer some questions. For example, if I point to a shoe and say "What's that?" he can answer "Shoe". The same with car,nose,mouth,eyes,ears,hair,etc. He is grasping the whole Touch Math program seemingly easily.It seems like he can come out of his world easier now and join in ours when the time comes. We have much less "hand over hand" instruction, and he is often better at following directions than Michael LOL! The potty is a work in progress still, but we will get there. He likes to help with the laundry. So much so; that last week he took a closet full of clothes and dunked them in the toilet and sink. He has a thing for water and loves to play with the faucets. Bathtime however is still somewhat tricky. I can't tell if it is the louder noise of the running water, or the process itself that scares him. Maybe some others who read this can help shed some light? He used to love bathtime!

Another thing now is that his school is requiring him to get updated on his shots. I honestly cannot remember the last time he got a shot. I think his last one was right around two years old. I know it seems silly, but I am conflicted. I think I will get him his shots, but not all at once. That would be quite an assault on him. He needs DTP, Hep B, HiB, MMR,Polio, and Varicella. We will see what the day brings. Right now Nick is dressed and waiting for the school bus. He has helped me with the laundry this morning, and had two waffles for breakfast. He is my little "Bubby".

Almost Home....

I have been away on another 3 week trip for work; and am due to be home this Sunday. I have kept in touch with the guys back home via Skype, and it has been wonderful. Not as great as being there, but wonderful to say the least. I got to hear Nick hummm contently, sing a little song, and jump like a Mexican Jumping Bean in front of the tv. On one day I even got to talk to Tracy-one of his therapists who was there to work with Nick. The whole time I was talking to her, Nick was using her as a jungle gym. Don't let him fool you--he knows exactly what he is doing and when we are talking about him--he flashes that "knowing" glance, or looks right into your eyes and gives a huge grin. This time, as we were talking, Nick was standing against the door looking right at Tracy as she talked to me. One of these days, Nick will tell us what is in that grand mind of his.

You would think I relish being away from the whole world of autism. But, I miss it. I miss seeing the new things Nick has learned. I miss reading about his days in therapy, but most of all, I miss HIM. I miss my baby boy's smiles, humms, the occasional word, and his laughter. I miss seeing Michael and knowing how his day went, what homework he is doing, and all those other little things. I know this was not a long trip, but I hated leaving again so soon after I got home from Turkey. I miss you Michael and Nick!!! I miss you all terribly!! Mom will be home soon! Be good boys for Daddy!

Another week down....

Hey we made it through another week!! It is another typical Monday here in the Weger household. Yesterday I decided to venture into unknown territory. I have been thinking about this for a few weeks now, but decided to go for it yesterday. I have been slowly trying to reduce the amount of chemicals we use in our household. Our steam mop works wonders, and our floor gets clean without using harsh chemicals. We also save $$ by not buying floor cleaner. Now I am wanting to go even further and try to make our own laundry detergent. It is really very simple. All you need is some soap(any kind you like really), something to shave the soap into small pieces (like a cheese grater), Borax, water, and washing soda. 1 bar of soap can make 5 GALLONS of detergent! Later on, as we go through all of our store bought cleaners, I am just going to make my own instead of buying more.

So, Sunday I took both the boys with me on my quest to find all the ingredients. It ended up being a fiasco (really? That is Normal for us) because we had to go to multiple stores. The first was the BX. A certain aroma was emanating from a certain 5yr olds backside and apparently it smelled so bad that he himself was gagging. At first I thought "great, another phase of something he is doing to stim himself". Then I thought maybe something in the store was setting him off...because he did not do this in the car. And to be honest, he can smell up his room, and all it will be is gas. I thought this could be one of those times. Not so. I caught a good whif as I lifted him into the car after going to Target. We came home and promptly changed him.

Today, after everyone was at school, I went and found some Washing Soda by Arm & Hammer and went about detergent making. It was not hard at all. We grated some Irish Spring soap(it can be any type, we just had that lying around), and put that into 4 cups boiling water. I stirred in the little soap pieces until they were melted. In a 10 Gallon Rubbermaid Container, I mixed in 3 gallons of warm tap water, 1 cup of Washing Soda, and 1/2 cup of Borax. I stirred it around until it was all mixed together. Then I added our soap solution from the stove. You have to let it sit for 24 hours, then stir and use. We have it sitting in the container with the top on off to the side of our dining room. So far, it is still smelling like Irish Spring and it is starting to get a little more solid. If this goes well, we just made 3 GALLONS of detergent for an extremely low price! And as our store bought cleaners run out, we will be making all of those ourselves as well.

Cost of Having Autism...

This is a breakdown of our insurance bill for Nick from August 3rd-August 13th. That is ten days of therapy:

8/3: Consult with BCBA(Head tutor) $250.00
8/3: Tutor for 3 hours $150.00
8/3: Tutor for 2.5 hours $125.00
8/4: Tutor for 3 hours $150.00
8/4: Tutor for 2 hours $100.00
8/5: Tutor for 2.5 hours $125.00
8/5: Tutor for 2.5 hours $125.00
8/6: Tutor for 3 hours $150.00
8/6: Tutor for 2 hours $100.00
8/7: Tutor for 2.5 hours $125.00 (So far, we are up to $1,400.00)
8/10: Rehabilitative Services(another word for Tutor) $262.50
8/11: Rehabilitative Services $225.00
8/12: Rehabilitative Services $100.00
8/13: Rehabilitative Services $250.00 (that is another $837.50 for those four days)
That is a grand total of.........
$2,237.50 FOR TEN DAYS OF THERAPY Most insurances DO NOT cover AUTISM, so this is what would have to be paid by the FAMILIES. THIS is what it takes to raise a child with Autism.

Our New Routine....

School has been going for almost a week now, and both Michael and Nick are settling in to the routine. This morning I have a few minutes of peace before I wake up little man again. I say again because he was already up earlier; around 6:30. He was playing in the curtains hung on the window by Michael's bed. I told him frankly to get back to HIS bed and go Night Night. Michael wanted me to drive him to school today, and for some reason he was already up as well. And dressed. In the same clothes as he wore yesterday. I told him to go change clothes, and that he cannot wear the same stuff again. He looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. Of course I was. Mommy is not speaking "Male", which unfortunately is the predominate language in our house. I come from planet "Female" and there we change clothes every day without thinking about it. Apparently, those from "Male" have to be reminded. They also have to be reminded to brush their teeth. After he got ready I went ahead and did some dishes and I took Michael to school. There he gets a free breakfast. Great. Another meal that I don't have to feed him. Saves on our cereal budget.

Little Man loves riding the school bus. He is getting to be such a big boy. He gets on the bus by himself, all I do is fasten him in. Yesterday he was so excited he could not contain himself. We were waiting outside for the bus and he was a stimmy mess. These were happy stims though. Lots of humming,flapping, hand twirling, and doing a modified happy dance on the lawn. I am so happy that he is in the right school now. They know how to handle him. It is a smaller class, so I know he is getting what he needs. Makes me mad though to think that we lost an entire year due to the stupid move that people who don't even know Nick made for him.

We had another meeting with all of Nick's home tutors yesterday as well. They are adding more programs as he is mastering the old ones pretty quickly. Diane told me that they just started on identifying numbers like 13,14,and 15, and that Nick was already able to ID them! We are now going to start him on the Touch Math as Ana now has all the materials, and also work on spelling some simple words and learning to recognize those words have meaning. He will also have a tutor come in the mornings to help him with basic skills like dressing himself and going through his morning routine. It helps to add in new stuff to keep him from getting bored. It is hard to describe how much he actually likes this. When his tutors first started coming here, he would run and hide in his room. They would have to carry him to his "work room". Yesterday, he went in there ahead of Diane and was ready to do stuff. Ms Tracy not only got a "hi Twacy", but a hug as well. He gets cheeky with them and now goes into their goody bags to see what they brought. For Nick, these are all the more people to play and interact with. He is progressing much faster than I ever thought he would. The daily sessions of ABA are much more helpful than just once a week. Nick is already doing more stuff now than he was at UW.

Back to School..

Today is the last day of summer vacation. It is back to school tomorrow morning for both our boys. We went and met with Nick's teacher this afternoon and he got to meet some of his other classmates. One of Nick's old speech teachers came in at the end and she was happy to see Nicholas again! To find people like her is a blessing. She was disheartened as we informed her of what happened the past school year. His teacher is really nice, although I am a little scared at the idea of Nick having "homework". They will be learning to write, numbers, shapes, and all the other things in kindergarten. Except that this will be more at their own pace and the program is tailored to SN(Special Needs) kids. Nick's therapists will also be working on the same material. There seemed to be a good mixture of kids, and he was not the lowest functioning one there. I can't help but get depressed when all the other kids are higher functioning, and then there is Nick-staring out of the window.

As far as preparing him for tomorrow... I have told him that he will ride on the school bus tomorrow and go to school. "Bus tomorrow" he replied. We took him with us to meet his teacher and play with all the new toys. Kindergarten. It does not seem like he is five years old. This is just a reminder that time is passing by. It seemed that as long as he was in 'pre-school' everything was ok. So, he still is not potty trained...he is just in pre-school. Now, he is in SCHOOL. By the end of kindergarten; Michael was able to read. We just hope Nick will be able to write his name by the end of the year. Things are different. Somedays it is almost like hearing his diagnosis all over again. The uncertainty of it all is almost too much to bear. Give up? No. Never. One day at a time. One small step at a time. One word at a time.

The Blanket

This blanket has been in our family for nearly 25 years. It was made by my grandmother for my brother in 1985. My brother then passed it on to Michael when he was born in 1999. Michael LOVED this blanket, and it has accompanied him on many trips to visit relatives(this blanket is WELL traveled!). He referred to it as "deedee". Well, "deedee" was passed on to Nicholas when Michael did not need it anymore. "Deedee" is still going strong. My grandmother would be surprised that a simple blanket she made in 1985 for my brother, is now providing comfort for her great-grandsons that she never got to meet. Nick does not sleep with this blanket very often, but on this particular night, he was needing comfort from a gentle and loving soul while he slept. Maybe it is her way of "knowing" them. I do know that our boys know her from those hand sewn stitches that made that blanket.

Can Nicholas "See" Numbers??

We are learning more and more of what Nick may actually know. It is astounding to say the least. Yesterday we were playing with one of his new placemats. It has colorful shapes on it, and I was asking him what shapes there were. I was flipping the mat over to the other side when he blurted out "eight". So, I counted the shapes on there. Sure enough, there are EIGHT of them. Yet, when I took his finger to count them individually, he had some trouble. Mike thinks it could be coincidental, but then again, this is a kid who is already saying phrases in Spanish and Chinese. Every day we are discovering some sort of hidden talent or knowledge he has. Today he told his tutor that "W is for Wagon!" I had never heard him say the word Wagon before. That is the funny thing about autism. Sometimes stuff just flows out without any effort,other times he can't get his words out for anything.

School supplies, cleaning, redecorating..Oh my!!

You know we have been busy when I do not update the blog for over a week!!LOL! We have been busy with doing a little end-of-summer cleaning. It is amazing how much stuff you accumulate in closets. Last weekend our project was to clean out our bedroom closets. They desperately needed it. I must say, it felt good to get rid of all that "extra" stuff, and now be able to actually see what is in the closets..LOL! We also did a little redecorating around the house. The boys got new bedding and a curtain for their room, and we put curtains in our room, the living room, and the kitchen. For their bedding, Nick picked out SpongeBob. In other words, he looked at the package and let out a huge giggle at SpongeBobs face! Michael went with the camouflage motif.

Also on tap for last weekend was getting school supplies. I feel that we basically gave my paycheck to Wal-Mart with all the $$$ we spent in there. It was insane, but all for a good cause.

Nicholas is progressing very well in his therapy! I can't believe all the stuff he can identify now! Last week he brought us a picture book and identified every picture-with a point! We were freaking amazed!! We have been waiting YEARS for a simple "cat!, duck!, car!" and last Wednesday we got it! He can also name shirt, pants, Jingles, shoes, among others.

I am very tired, so I think I will cut this post short. Just wanted to give an update. More to follow later.

Touch Math....

We spoke with Nick's tutors yesterday and discussed adding some new programs. He is doing well with recognizing letters and numbers, identifying clothing, and is also engaging in more social behaviors. We have found out that Nick likes to be challenged. His tutors will be doing letters with him and then all of a sudden switch to numbers. He doesn't get them right every time, but he recognizes that those are numbers and not letters. In the interest of teaching him that numbers have meaning, and also to keep him from getting bored, we discussed adding a relatively new program called Touch Math. You can go to their website HERE and check them out. It is pretty neat and we are excited to start it with Nick.

Today was a good day for him. His fave tutor came to see him. I think he has a little crush on "Tefanie". He likes to run his hand over her long blonde hair and just loves to say her name over and over. It is really quite cute. He likes all of them, but she seems to be his favorite. He always says her name very softly. Right now he is having a blast blowing raspberries,silly talking, and gathering all his flashcards together.

Escape Artist

This week was just plain crazy. It all started on Tuesday evening when I came home around 7pm. I pulled up the driveway and found a shoe propped in the front door. I came in and immediately asked Mike where Nick was. He said that he was in our bedroom with Michael. I said "Well, there is a shoe outside" and Mike answered "We were outside for a little bit today". He made his way back to the bedroom and I heard those dreaded words "Michael, where's Nicholas?!" and then "I don't know." We immediately began our search through the house. Bedrooms...Nope. Bathrooms....Nope. Livingroom & Kitchen....Nope. Backyard....Nope. No Nicholas. Now panic sets in. Where is he??!!Our only clue brings us back to the shoe propped in the doorway; he is somewhere out front. Wandering the neighborhood. He sees no danger in that; he just wants to be outside. Michael goes outside while I am still trying to fathom where Nick could be by now, and I hear the glorious words "There he is!" Nick was wandering around across the street in some other peoples yard. In just a diaper and t-shirt of course. And surely baffling the two ladies talking just a few feet from him. With Nick now safely home, our minds wander to all of the horrendous outcomes that could have happened. The main one being hit by a car. Nick has become very stealthy in escaping. He opens the door slowly, props it open with a shoe, and then closes it slowly. When I leave the house in the morning, I put up a baby gate in the hallway, so he only has his room and our room to go into. Nick has also tried to climb out his window. Yesterday our neighbor saw him getting his leg out his window and told her hubby (she was in her car, getting ready to leave) to tell Mike that Nick was escaping. Last night she came to me and expressed her concerns over otherwise well meaning people who don't know his condition, calling the cops. She knows we do everything we can, and that you can't possibly watch him every second. But she was afraid of CPS getting involved if that happened. It is becoming more difficult as he gets older and is more curious about things. Nick was never this adventurous before. We put the gate at the front door to prevent him from going out, but have not found a deterrent for his window yet. Fortunately he prefers to take the easy way out, so the door is preferred method.

He is also going through another hoarding phase. He will hoard food in his mouth for hours. Chewing it so much that it is nearly liquified. We are really baffled by this. It is very frustrating and takes an hour or more just to get a few bites in. Just one of those things that is very difficult to understand. Needless to say, our week has been challenging. We are finding out more and more of what Nick can do; and it is amazing to say the least. He apparently is learning spanish from his toys and even some chinese from TV. No kidding he has said words in both languages. One time at the store a chinese woman turned and said "He knows Chinese??!!" If she understood him, then apparently he can speak a little of it. My jaw hit the floor. He is also understanding some basic math. Iam talking very basic here, but shocking finding out what he really does know. He had four plastic toys strung together, he grabbed another one attached it, and said "Five!" It truly is amazing that with all his difficulties, he can pick up some of the hardest things easily. If there is a pattern to it, Nick will get it almost instantly. It definitely explains his love of letters, numbers, music, and there is even a pattern in foreign languages-and they have an added bonus of being sing-song like. He is even amazing his therapists. Of course I have to give them credit for his progress as well. He is constantly getting pulled from stimming and retreating while they are here. His tutors have done wonders. He has learned more this summer and made more progress in a few weeks than he did in his whole last year at school.

In other news, we are considering buying a house here while the market is so low. We have a few houses in mind and we are going to look at them today. In fact, I need to go so I can get myself and the boys ready. Have a great day everyone!!

E is for EVERGREEN!

We found out today that Nick will be going back to Evergreen Elementary School for kindergarten next year! I was so happy that I did my own Happy Dance!! He was much happier at Evergreen and they knew him so well. He will be in afternoon kindergarten this year. My mind is at ease right now knowing that he will be getting exactly what he needs and will not be completely separated from the other kids in the school. He can go out to play, and they will likely only have a few kids in the class, it should also be easier for him to have his aide in the classroom with him. I wish Michael could go there, but he only has one more year until middle school anyway unless we decide to hold him back for grades.

Nicholas did pretty good today in his afternoon therapy. The 1st session was a little difficult, but the screaming has definitely slowed down a bit. He is breezing through his programs and showing everyone just how smart he really is.

The oldest boys are watching a movie tonight-so right now the house is just kinda quiet with me and Nick here. Nick has had dinner already, and I am going to relax and watch tv tonight.

Potty Training

This week we kinda just sprung it on Nick that he is DONE with diapers during the day. I went out and bought a whole bunch of those training underwear at Target; not Pull-Ups, those are just like another diaper and I want to be rid of diapers during the daytime; but actual underwear with a little more padding in the front for accidents. I put those on him after his morning diaper change, and we are going to the potty all day. I have to remind him every so often, and so far, we have only had about three true accidents. Most of those were my fault as I did not remind him for a while. But today was his first day wearing actual shorts over his undies. We went for a walk, and talked with the neighbors for a while. I told him "Nick it's time to go potty, let's go." And he gets right up, heads to the bathroom, turns on the light, takes his pants down(sometimes I have to remind him) and sits his little bony bum on the toilet. Sometimes he pees, sometimes not, but we are getting there. He is ready. He understands what we say to him, and he likes the feel of the undies vs. the diaper. He still wears a diaper at night for obvious reasons, but I don't care so much about that right now.

Tomorrow is my first day back at work and I am already dreading it. I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my boys. They are both so very wonderful in their own ways. Sure, they have their moments, but for the most part they are good boys. Wish Mike luck tomorrow morning when Nick realizes I am not here. He is going to need it.

It's Official....

My kids are weird. Michael is actually HOPING to have bloodwork done tomorrow at his growth checkup. When I asked him WHY? he said he wanted to see what his hormone levels are right now. Ok, me thinks he has been privvy to too many medical discussions..LOL! He explains it quite matter of factly to any new person he meets. He has even gotten injections right in front of his friends like it is no big deal. To him, it really is not a big deal. It has just been a part of his life for the past four years now. I am amazed at how "routine" things in his life have become.

I am actually shocked that I got an appointment so soon. Normally when I call them, Dr. M is so booked up that it takes a month or more to get in. That is what I was expecting, but in my mind I was thinking how nice it would be if we got in tomorrow. A few seconds later, I was asked "Is tomorrow ok?". My jaw dropped! "YES! Tomorrow IS GREAT!" Not sure how long it will take. We might have to do another bone-age X-ray "I LOVE X-rays" Michael told me, and they might need to draw blood. I know for a fact that we will need to renew his meds-and that could take a while. Dr M is always happy to see Michael and see how well he is doing. He has been seeing him since he was 18mos old. I trust him more than any other Dr-and Michael has seen him more than his primary Dr(whom I can't even tell you the name of-cause we always see Dr M!)

Nick is also having a good day today with Stephanie. I hear lots of "YAYS" and "GOOD JOBS!" I also hear Nick laughing. He has gone quite a while without a break now-which is wonderful. We changed up his program yesterday to incorporate more items at a time so he won't get bored. It seems to be working! We have Stephanie until 3pm, an hour break in which he gets lunch, and then Tracy comes from 4pm-7pm. A packed day for Nick-but it is doing him a world of good. He stays connected with us for most of the day, and that is necessary. He is getting a tremendous amount of help and it is making a difference. Why is it that the kids who need help so much have a hard time getting it?? Why is there such a huge amount of "red tape" that has to be gone through before we can get ONE aide for him in class? Why is it such a fight?? It is not just us who have to fight. EVERY parent who has a child with autism must put up an enormous fight for services. What about when that autistic child becomes an Adult? Eventually, Nick will grow up. He will still most likely need help. We HOPE that he doesn't; but he likely will need some sort of help. I can only hope that the future brings more services for autistic adults-as they are the forgotten ones right now.

Before Kids...

It was much easier to keep track of things. Let me explain a little bit. We have a little monster who shall remain nameless; who likes to swipe items from all over the house in which to toss up to the ceiling fan. That usually throws the item behind the TV..which is sort of a "No Mans Land". No one goes behind there. You could go back there and discover items that you have not seen in months. For example, hubby was looking for his sandals a few minutes ago. Nick was in his chair eating yogurt and just laughing. He was not saying a word. Mike went all over the house looking for his shoes. One of my questions actually was "Did you check the toilet?" Yes, that happens when you have a child who likes to flush things. His answer was "He has not thrown anything in the toilet for a while now."

As the search continued, "After all, I JUST saw them earlier today! Where could they have gone...MISTER?!", Nick continued to laugh as he ate his yogurt. After checking the entire house, Mike moved the TV. There we found Michael's shirt, one of my CROCS, Mike's sandals, his hat, and a pillow. Today we also found one of Nick's pajama shirts in the trash. Sometimes when he cleans up, he really cleans up! We have found socks, dish towels, pants, and several pairs of shoes behind that TV. Little Mister is quick, and takes full advantage if you are busy and not watching him every second. Don't let his autism fool you. Somedays I am convinced it is just a farse and he has duped all of us!!