Exhausted from parenting/ASD children/Welcome to Schmolland!

[iwrbnd]

I have always loved being a parent and have given my all to my family. I've known for years that I have to work harder because 2 of my kids are on the autism spectrum. However, for the past year I'm just so tired. I constantly think "I can't wait until I don't have to do______anymore" (insert cooking, cleaning, homework help, whatever). I feel so bad because I don't want to wish these years away.

My oldest is 17 and a good kid but he has mild aspergers, ADHD and severe executive functioning skills! He's never had assigned chores because just getting him through daily life is exhausting enough! (Shower, deoderant, teeth and dressed is enough to about drive me to drink!) He doesn't show appreciation and gets irritated quickly. The teen years have about done me in.

My 2nd son is easy in every way. He helps me so much that I feel bad for him. He's taken on the "I'm mom's rescuer" role which isn't probably healthy for him.

My 3rd son has mild autism but his challenges haven't been too hard yet. I panic about going through the teen years with another ASD kid, though.

My daughter is sweet but quite the drama queen. I just don't have the energy for her anymore. I feel so bad.

I have a wonderful husband that is supportive and loving and everything I could ask for. He's a physician that works long hours so the majority of daily life falls on my shoulders. He's a huge help when he's home, though. I work part-time, financially it's necessary.

Has anyone else just gotten so tired of parenting that they dream about when their children are grown and gone? Or am I just awful to even think that? I still am doing everything I need to for my family it's just that my heart isn't in it anymore.

If you've gone through this season of parenting how did you handle it? How long did it last? Do parents with "typical" children go through this? Maybe it's because I've been doing this for so many years and have many more to go! Whose bright idea was it to space our kids out so far? Mine! And we didn't know our kids were on the spectrum until we had 4 already. They really are mild but affected enough to make life hard!

Does anybody have any insight for me? Am I alone in this? Thanks and sorry this is so long!

[steph124ny]

I have days, and months like that too...I'll admit it. My son is turning 14 in June and there are often days that I count down the months to graduation.
(((Hugs)))

[iwrbnd]

I have days, and months like that too...I'll admit it. My son is turning 14 in June and there are often days that I count down the months to graduation.
(((Hugs)))

Oh, good! I was starting to think I was the only one! (Is that bad I'm happy you feel the same way?:confused3;))

[jt'smom]

:hug: you are completely normal!!! i have only 1 child, a 13yo son aspie with what i would consider VERY MILD tendencies but whether it's the teen thing or the "extra" challenges, there are some days when i would love to send him back, lol. don't worry, i think all parents go through this at some point. even the ones who wouldn't admit it if their lives depended on it :rotfl:

it sounds like you need a "calgon, take me away moment" (or maybe 100), and then i would bet that if you were honest, you could think of some positive things about being a parent ;)

[AJKMOM]

Thanks to the economy, all 3 of my kids live at home, unable to find good paying jobs. Youngest is 21 with severe autism and OCD. If I had a nickel for every time I wished he didn't live here, I could have bought him his own group home.

From what I've heard about group homes, I don't think I could ever send him to one, but.... It is very tiring to watch out for any special needs kids, and no matter the age, they will always be your kid. In this world, not only do you watch out for them, you have to make sure people don't take advantege of them, or hurt them. It is all tiring, emotionally and physically.

[steph124ny]

If I wasn't suffering from gestational diabetes (a weird form that actually makes my blood sugar plummet when I eat too many carbs...) I would totally recommend a bottle of Merlot and an entire Entemann's Cheese Danish with a fork! :thumbsup2 Or maybe a pint of Ben and Jerrys....

I've found it makes my son much more tolerable on his bad days! LOL!

Just keep your chin up and keep a good sense of humor.

[iwrbnd]

Reading your stories and support has gotten me all teary-eyed! It's so nice to be able to share struggles without being judged! When I mention to my friends how tired I am they say my kids should help out more. And they are right but they don't know what it's like to get children with issues to do more than just regular life! Just getting my kids to do their homework and turn it in on time is overwhelming enough! And like the mom who has her children living at home I do fear that at least 2 of mine will be doing the same thing! It's nice to know I'm not alone and others have felt "less than joy" about parenting!

[iwrbnd]

:hug: you are completely normal!!! i have only 1 child, a 13yo son aspie with what i would consider VERY MILD tendencies but whether it's the teen thing or the "extra" challenges, there are some days when i would love to send him back, lol. don't worry, i think all parents go through this at some point. even the ones who wouldn't admit it if their lives depended on it :rotfl:

it sounds like you need a "calgon, take me away moment" (or maybe 100), and then i would bet that if you were honest, you could think of some positive things about being a parent ;)

Your right. I just need to get away...Disney trip is in July...can I make it that long? And I do need to remember all the wonderful things about my children, too. I've just been forgetting them as I'm drowning in the teen years!

[It'sWDW4me]

OMG - I'm literally in tears here. My DS is an aspie with ADHD and just. last. night. I was fantasizing on what my life would be like - both the potentially good and the potentially bad - if I would have divorced my jerk ex before we got pregnant (I finally admitted to myself that I couldn't stay married to him when I was 6 months preggo - I can still remember the exact moment that I "woke up"). I do love my son and he can be sooooo sweet and thoughtful but those moments are so overshadowed with the hours of stress and aggravation we both go through. Maybe if I would have dumped my ex sooner and found someone else my DS wouldn't have had such an unfortunate genetic makeup? I feel so guilty even thinking those things...

5 years until HS graduation..... if he (and/or I) makes it through.

[iwrbnd]

OMG - I'm literally in tears here. My DS is an aspie with ADHD and just. last. night. I was fantasizing on what my life would be like - both the potentially good and the potentially bad - if I would have divorced my jerk ex before we got pregnant (I finally admitted to myself that I couldn't stay married to him when I was 6 months preggo - I can still remember the exact moment that I "woke up"). I do love my son and he can be sooooo sweet and thoughtful but those moments are so overshadowed with the hours of stress and aggravation we both go through. Maybe if I would have dumped my ex sooner and found someone else my DS wouldn't have had such an unfortunate genetic makeup? I feel so guilty even thinking those things...

5 years until HS graduation..... if he (and/or I) makes it through.

I'm so sorry to hear life is hard for you, too with your son! I completely understand your frustration! Raising kids is hard enough but when you throw in the ADHD/aspie stuff it gets overwhelming! I'm sorry you're doing it on your own, too! I can't imagine that! At least you don't have 2 like me!;)

I'm glad yours can be sweet and thoughtful. Mine, not so much. He's sees life from his viewpoint only so comes across as selfish and almost narcisist (sp?) It's like teenage behavior times 100! I know it could be worse because he's mildly affected (most people don't even know) but sometimes that makes it even harder!

My son graduates next year and my friends are all talking about how sad they are to have seniors. I feel guilty because I'm relieved! But, then I'm also terrified because I don't know if he'll make it in college! I'll go insane if he lives in our basement the rest of our lives! What kind of mother am I to say that anyway?

[BillSears]

There's an old saying I've heard and it's so true...

You don't know what real freedom is until the last child moves out and the dog dies.

Kids are great but they're one heck of a lot of work. :hug::hug:

[steph124ny]

There's an old saying I've heard and it's so true...

You don't know what real freedom is until the last child moves out and the dog dies.

Kids are great but they're one heck of a lot of work. :hug::hug:

AMEN!! :lmao:

[iwrbnd]

There's an old saying I've heard and it's so true...

You don't know what real freedom is until the last child moves out and the dog dies.

Kids are great but they're one heck of a lot of work. :hug::hug:

:lmao:That quote is making me laugh!:lmao:Especially since lately I've been seeing my own dogs as just another mouth to feed! I was actually thinking I wouldn't get another dog after these guys which is so weird because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE dogs! I'm so tired of taking care of other people/things! This must be why 40+year olds should be on their last leg of parenting with the end in sight! (Which I'm not!)

[steph124ny]

:lmao:That quote is making me laugh!:lmao:Especially since lately I've been seeing my own dogs as just another mouth to feed! I was actually thinking I wouldn't get another dog after these guys which is so weird because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE dogs! I'm so tired of taking care of other people/things! This must be why 40+year olds should be on their last leg of parenting with the end in sight! (Which I'm not!)


Could be worse...you could be 7 months pregnant like me!! :rotfl::scared1: However...the appointment has already been set for my lovely husband about 2 months after my delivery. The baby factory is going out of business for good! LMAO!!

[iwrbnd]

Could be worse...you could be 7 months pregnant like me!! :rotfl::scared1: However...the appointment has already been set for my lovely husband about 2 months after my delivery. The baby factory is going out of business for good! LMAO!!

Congratulations! The baby/toddler years are so sweet! How many do you have already?

[Ctsplaysinrain]

Oh, I feel your pain.. I have a 14 yr old DS with Asperger's and an almost 13 yr old son with ADHHHHHHHHHHHHHD and mild Asperger's. Neither has any executive functioning..LOL.. I, too, am married to a physician who works long hours ( he's working nights now, changed about 8 months ago, he loves it, I hate it) who honestly is proabably the link to the Asperger's and the ADHD and he doesn't help much at home.. In fact, it seems like he is constantly in a power struggle these days with the kids...

I, too, am exhausted after just getting them to school.. Showers, homework, getting dressed are mostly nightmares most days.. The younger one has sleeping and eating issues as well. I feel like I'm on "guard duty" all night as well. He tends to not sleep, wander around, and get into all sorts of mischeif at night. Also, he has battled some anorexia so just getting him to eat is a challenge as well.

We have EXTREME sibling rivalry and the non-stop fighting gets very old. The oldest one has extreme meltdowns and many more sensory issues.


Yup, I understand..... Although I must say that I do not fantasize of when they will leave.. Actually, I'm starting to realize that I'm not sure my older one will be able to live on his own until maybe late 20's since he is still so dependent.. He still cant even seem to find his own socks in the morning.. Both boys are brilliant but day to day living skills are not there yet.
But, I do think about those "pre-kid" days and why did we have children???? It took a long time to conceive and there are days, I wonder why I did this.. I miss the days of traveling , eating in a restaurant with husband, being able to get a sentence out with out being interupted.

One of my solutions: run away for a few days.. In fact, I am running away to WDW ALONE next week for 3 days.. I'm hoping it will be enough to get me through to tyheend of the school year..LOL I can remember when they were in preschool,early grades- I hated school breaks.. NOW, I actually look forward to them- NO HOMEWORK, I don't have to care if they want to dress inappropriately, younger one can sleep in etc....

So, you are not alone.. You can PM me if you like....
Debbie

[iwrbnd]

Oh, I feel your pain.. I have a 14 yr old DS with Asperger's and an almost 13 yr old son with ADHHHHHHHHHHHHHD and mild Asperger's. Neither has any executive functioning..LOL.. I, too, am married to a physician who works long hours ( he's working nights now, changed about 8 months ago, he loves it, I hate it) who honestly is proabably the link to the Asperger's and the ADHD and he doesn't help much at home.. In fact, it seems like he is constantly in a power struggle these days with the kids...

I, too, am exhausted after just getting them to school.. Showers, homework, getting dressed are mostly nightmares most days.. The younger one has sleeping and eating issues as well. I feel like I'm on "guard duty" all night as well. He tends to not sleep, wander around, and get into all sorts of mischeif at night. Also, he has battled some anorexia so just getting him to eat is a challenge as well.

We have EXTREME sibling rivalry and the non-stop fighting gets very old. The oldest one has extreme meltdowns and many more sensory issues.


Yup, I understand..... Although I must say that I do not fantasize of when they will leave.. Actually, I'm starting to realize that I'm not sure my older one will be able to live on his own until maybe late 20's since he is still so dependent.. He still cant even seem to find his own socks in the morning.. Both boys are brilliant but day to day living skills are not there yet.
But, I do think about those "pre-kid" days and why did we have children???? It took a long time to conceive and there are days, I wonder why I did this.. I miss the days of traveling , eating in a restaurant with husband, being able to get a sentence out with out being interupted.

One of my solutions: run away for a few days.. In fact, I am running away to WDW ALONE next week for 3 days.. I'm hoping it will be enough to get me through to tyheend of the school year..LOL I can remember when they were in preschool,early grades- I hated school breaks.. NOW, I actually look forward to them- NO HOMEWORK, I don't have to care if they want to dress inappropriately, younger one can sleep in etc....

So, you are not alone.. You can PM me if you like....
Debbie

Debbie! Are you sure we aren't living each other's lives in a parallel universe? :confused3 It's exhausting, isn't it? And are you sure your boys don't have executive functioning problems? I thought that pretty much was the inability to plan and organize your day...which is why dressing, homework, daily skills are so hard for mine. Maybe I'm wrong. Add me to the list of sensory/food/sleep issues! My oldest is over 6 ft and only 115 lbs! The other one mostly just drinks ensure. We give them Melatonin to sleep...works wonders! I also look forward to school breaks! My oldest and his homework is just about killing me! My boys are also extremely intelligent but it doesn't show on my oldest ones grades! How can a kid be so smart and yet so lost is beyond me! Maybe I should pm you! Can I meet you at WDW?;) We have way too much in common!

I'm with you and daydream about the days when it will just be me and my husband. But, in reality, I think it will be me, my husband and at least 2 of our kids forever!:sad1:

[Ctsplaysinrain]

? And are you sure your boys don't have executive functioning problems? I

Oh they do!!!!! When I said in my post that they didnt have.. I meant they have NO exec . funct skills at all..


Sure, you can come meet me if you like.....

[brergnat]

Ugh, your post is what I'm dreading. I have two boys, oldest one has HFA and probably ADHD too (he's only 5, so not diagnosed yet...). My youngest is 4 and has severe apraxia of speech as well as SPD.

I have NEVER really, truly enjoyed being a mom. I know it sounds awful, but I routinely find myself saying in my head "I hate my life". And, the truth of the matter is, I don't REALLY hate it, but I hate the FACT that my life is SO HARD. DH is military, and is getting ready to leave for his THIRD deployment, leaving me home with the boys alone for the next 7 months (last deployment was for 11 months...). I am dreading it. While I am thankful that they are older this time, I just don't want to do it anymore. I've been SO tired for the past 5 years, and I wonder how I'll be able to do it for another 15+. Seems so daunting because my kids are still SO young, yet it's already so hard. I am a bit hopeful, because they seem to get better as they get older. My HOPE is that they'll both be significantly better in the coming years, but it's just such a murky future.

Some days are good; some days I just want to crawl into bed and stay there. I often wish we'd not had children, but I know in my heart that I really, really wanted kids. I do sort of feel cheated that I got special needs kids instead of "normal" kids, and I'm still trying to work through acceptance and all that. I get mad and jealous of parents of "typical" kids, mostly because I feel like they take their lives for granted. There are so many things my kids will never do, and they're little things, but still... And, NOTHING is ever carefree for us. Everything requires careful planning ahead, scheduling out, etc. The few times I've tried to be spontaneous have blown up in my face, and I know better now.

OP, you are not a horrible person (or else, I am too!). I actually use WDW as my escape too. DH has been so good to let me go THREE times since the kids were born either solo or with my friends. It truly helps to "get away from it all". Maybe you can do that too...you need a break!

[tabithakp]

Thank you for this thread! I too feel tired some days/months etc...... to know im not alone is helpful

my ds is only 5 and i think some days how will i ever survive these years.

I feel bad for dd because shes always complaining that we have 2 sets of rule in the house.................and shes right!

i have a very supportive hubby but some evenings beer is the only friend! :drinking1 :rotfl2:

[iwrbnd]

? And are you sure your boys don't have executive functioning problems? I

Oh they do!!!!! When I said in my post that they didnt have.. I meant they have NO exec . funct skills at all..


Sure, you can come meet me if you like.....

Oh, I get it now!:lmao:

And if you're in WDW and see a frazzled looking mom...that might be me!

[ratlenhum]

Honestly, i think you should be grateful that your kids are mild enough where the ASD went unnoticed or undiagnosed until they were a little older. I'd also be grateful that my kids are high functioning enough where they can potentially grow up enough to move out and be on their own.

I'd also be happy that I have more than one child, so should one of the ASD kids not be able to take care of themselves later in life, there will be siblings there to look after the well being of that child.


Sorry to sound unsupportive, but I think sometimes instead of an "oh..it's okay...don't feel bad" what people really need is a slap to the back of the head and made to realize it could be a hell of a lot worse.

I have been at my wits end with my son for a while now. We went to a local autism event where there was a boy a few years older than my son. He was wearing a helmet, was skin and bones, had no speech, no eye contact and banged his head on every thing he walked by. If he couldn't find anything close by he'd throw himself on the floor and bang on the floor. His arms were scratched and bruised. You could tell his teeth and hair probably haven't been brushed in a while, probably not for lack of trying.

Think your day has been rough, imagine that mother's life.

[iwrbnd]

Ugh, your post is what I'm dreading. I have two boys, oldest one has HFA and probably ADHD too (he's only 5, so not diagnosed yet...). My youngest is 4 and has severe apraxia of speech as well as SPD.

I have NEVER really, truly enjoyed being a mom. I know it sounds awful, but I routinely find myself saying in my head "I hate my life". And, the truth of the matter is, I don't REALLY hate it, but I hate the FACT that my life is SO HARD. DH is military, and is getting ready to leave for his THIRD deployment, leaving me home with the boys alone for the next 7 months (last deployment was for 11 months...). I am dreading it. While I am thankful that they are older this time, I just don't want to do it anymore. I've been SO tired for the past 5 years, and I wonder how I'll be able to do it for another 15+. Seems so daunting because my kids are still SO young, yet it's already so hard. I am a bit hopeful, because they seem to get better as they get older. My HOPE is that they'll both be significantly better in the coming years, but it's just such a murky future.

Some days are good; some days I just want to crawl into bed and stay there. I often wish we'd not had children, but I know in my heart that I really, really wanted kids. I do sort of feel cheated that I got special needs kids instead of "normal" kids, and I'm still trying to work through acceptance and all that. I get mad and jealous of parents of "typical" kids, mostly because I feel like they take their lives for granted. There are so many things my kids will never do, and they're little things, but still... And, NOTHING is ever carefree for us. Everything requires careful planning ahead, scheduling out, etc. The few times I've tried to be spontaneous have blown up in my face, and I know better now.

OP, you are not a horrible person (or else, I am too!). I actually use WDW as my escape too. DH has been so good to let me go THREE times since the kids were born either solo or with my friends. It truly helps to "get away from it all". Maybe you can do that too...you need a break!

Ditto for me and all your feelings! The "I hate my life" is something I say in my head all the time! And like you, I don't really hate my life I just hate dealing with my kid's issues day after day! I have one "typical" child and I often think how easy my life would be if they were all like that! So, count me in on the being jealous of other moms with typical kids, too. And wanting to stay in bed...been there, too! Last year I would have visions of driving past my house and just keep on going!!!

I'm so sorry your husband is being deployed! He's doing such a wonderful service for our country! Thank you to both of you for your sacrifice!:hug:

I'm not familiar with HFA. What is that?

I hope life gets easier for you when your boys get older. For me, some things are easier and others are harder. I didn't expect to be dealing with some of the same problems, though. Another thing that's hard is watching my friend's kids in high school do things mine won't do. Going to a hometown basketball game is torture for me!

It's nice to know I'm not alone! I wish we could all get together and share our support and misery!:grouphug:

[iwrbnd]

Honestly, i think you should be grateful that your kids are mild enough where the ASD went unnoticed or undiagnosed until they were a little older. I'd also be grateful that my kids are high functioning enough where they can potentially grow up enough to move out and be on their own.

I'd also be happy that I have more than one child, so should one of the ASD kids not be able to take care of themselves later in life, there will be siblings there to look after the well being of that child.


Sorry to sound unsupportive, but I think sometimes instead of an "oh..it's okay...don't feel bad" what people really need is a slap to the back of the head and made to realize it could be a hell of a lot worse.

I have been at my wits end with my son for a while now. We went to a local autism event where there was a boy a few years older than my son. He was wearing a helmet, was skin and bones, had no speech, no eye contact and banged his head on every thing he walked by. If he couldn't find anything close by he'd throw himself on the floor and bang on the floor. His arms were scratched and bruised. You could tell his teeth and hair probably haven't been brushed in a while, probably not for lack of trying.

Think your day has been rough, imagine that mother's life.

That's so true. Mine are mild and I know it could be much worse. I keep telling myself that!!! I still get run down, though.

You know, I read a study where they found mothers of mild ASD were more depressed than the extrememly affected. The results were confusing but they decided it was because moms of mildly affected kids have to make them fit in and perform in everyday life unlike children who are severe. They are living in 2 worlds, the ASD world and the normal world. Moms of more severe children are only in the autim world. Nobody expects them to perform like the other children. Even though this study says this I'm still extrememly grateful that my boys are on the mild side! My sister's son is extrememly autistic and I see how hard it is. She doesn't, however, have to help him fit in with his peers, get his homework done, teach him to drive, deal with frustrated teachers who don't see the disability, etc.

But, I do agree with you. I'm very lucky in many ways and probably need a good slap across the face! Sometimes I just get so tired and fall into a pity party.

It is nice to know I'm not alone, though! I appreciate everyone's stories so much!

(Mine weren't diagnosed until later...signs were there but first he got speech delay, then ADD, and finally in junior high it became apparant he wasn't outgrowing his social issues. The second was diagnosed at 3 yrs when I was pregnant with last baby.)

[iwrbnd]

Thank you for this thread! I too feel tired some days/months etc...... to know im not alone is helpful

my ds is only 5 and i think some days how will i ever survive these years.

I feel bad for dd because shes always complaining that we have 2 sets of rule in the house.................and shes right!

i have a very supportive hubby but some evenings beer is the only friend! :drinking1 :rotfl2:

I hear ya!:thumbsup2

[linnell]

I understand you too. This wasn't what I signed on for. My oldest has PDDNOS and he's only 3 1/2 - we're already battling the school about his IEP and he isn't even old enough for Kindergarten yet! I know the long road that is ahead of us and it worries me!

I also know that it could worse - A LOT worse. A year ago we were worried that he wouldn't speak and now the kid won't shut up :rotfl: He has come so far but some days and moments are just so hard.

I'm lucky that I have a wonderful husband that even though he works a lot understands I need adult time. I went to Disney for a weekend with a friend last fall and now I'm planning a trip to Harry Potter World next January. In between he is very supportive of giving me "time off" - there have been a few times that he comes home from work and says "I got it from here, go to the mall and walk around for awhile." Even an hour out the house makes all the difference! :cloud9::cloud9:

[iwrbnd]

I understand you too. This wasn't what I signed on for. My oldest has PDDNOS and he's only 3 1/2 - we're already battling the school about his IEP and he isn't even old enough for Kindergarten yet! I know the long road that is ahead of us and it worries me!

I also know that it could worse - A LOT worse. A year ago we were worried that he wouldn't speak and now the kid won't shut up :rotfl: He has come so far but some days and moments are just so hard.

I'm lucky that I have a wonderful husband that even though he works a lot understands I need adult time. I went to Disney for a weekend with a friend last fall and now I'm planning a trip to Harry Potter World next January. In between he is very supportive of giving me "time off" - there have been a few times that he comes home from work and says "I got it from here, go to the mall and walk around for awhile." Even an hour out the house makes all the difference! :cloud9::cloud9:

My son got PDDNOS too. That was when he was 2 yrs and then at 3 they gave us the big "A" word! He also didn't talk and then wouldn't stop once he started!:laughing: I cried through my very first IEP mtg when he was 3 so I know what you're talking about! The rest have been a breeze though so maybe you've just got the hard part done!:thumbsup2

Thank goodness for wonderful husbands, right?:lovestruc

I'm so glad to "meet" you and all the other moms on this thread that I feel a kindred spirit to!

[dogodisney]

WOW! I love you guys! You don't know how l much better I feel knowing I'm not alone! You've all said what I feel quite often. Thank you!!!!!

I wonder if I will ever have a life of my own again. Every decade of my adult life I have have had a child to raise. Had my eldedst in my 20's, (who is now 26), my 2 younger in my 30s ( they are 17 &15), and now in my 40s I am raising my DGD (6), who we've had since she was 15 months. Since she has been with us we found out she has epilepsy (mild and controlled with meds), she had to have a cyst removed by her eye, was tested and found to be developmentally delayed so she was put in SPEd Pre-K, broke her leg and had to have surgery to put in rods and then a year later another surgery to remove the rods, and a bunch of other little things. I have gone through more with her then I have with all 3 of my kids. We just took her for an evaluation with a neuropychologist last week and we have an appointment on the 3rd to get the results. I believe she is somewhere on the spectrum, if not something else is going on with her. Like the rest of you, I feel like she will be with us for a very long time. I also love school breaks just so I can have a break from the routine. She is only in kindergarten and homework can be such a hassle. Sad thing is we had her retained so she has done this stuff before, she even has the same teacher, but it is still a struggle. There have been many days that I've told my DH that I can't do this anymore and I'd like to send her back to her parents (although that won't happen), so I will continue to deal with it all. I'm hoping we can gets some answers and incite from the evaluation.

brergnat, we are retired Navy so I feel for you! :hug:

[iwrbnd]

WOW! I love you guys! You don't know how l much better I feel knowing I'm not alone! You've all said what I feel quite often. Thank you!!!!!

I wonder if I will ever have a life of my own again. Every decade of my adult life I have have had a child to raise. Had my eldedst in my 20's, (who is now 26), my 2 younger in my 30s ( they are 17 &15), and now in my 40s I am raising my DGD (6), who we've had since she was 15 months. Since she has been with us we found out she has epilepsy (mild and controlled with meds), she had to have a cyst removed by her eye, was tested and found to be developmentally delayed so she was put in SPEd kindergarten, broke her leg and had to have surgery to put in rods and then a year later another surgery to remove the rods, and a bunch of other little things. I have gone through more with her then I have with all 3 of my kids. We just took her for an evaluation with a neuropychologist last week and we have an appointment on the 3rd to get the results. I believe she is somewhere on the spectrum, if not something else is going on with her. Like the rest of you, I feel like she will be with us for a very long time. I also love school breaks just so I can have a break from the routine. She is only in kindergarten and homework can be such a hassle. Sad thing is we had her retained so she has done this stuff before, she even has the same teacher, but it is still a struggle. There have been many days that I've told my DH that I can't do this anymore and I'd like to send her back to her parents (although that won't happen), so I will continue to deal with it all. I'm hoping we can gets some answers and incite from the evaluation.

brergnat, we are retired Navy so I feel for you! :hug:

:hug::hug::hug:from me! You are definately not alone! I was parenting in my 20's, 30's and now 40's too! I often wonder if I'll be doing it in my 50's too since I can see myself raising any children my 2 on the spectrum might have!

Keep us posted on your dgd results! I'm hoping for good news! The school struggle is probably the most exhausting thing I deal with! Mine is "Why didn't you do the work?", "Why didn't you turn it in?" "How do you not know if you have homework/test/project due?" Ahhhh!!! I definately feel your pain with school. Hopefully being older in her class will help!

[Ctsplaysinrain]

I think we all know it could be much worse but It is still nice to know that we are not alone..
Actually, I'm not sure I would want NT kids especially not now when I'm looking at these middle-schoolers...LOL I believe that I would be very bored with "typical" kids at this point... My kids are smart, creative, think outside of the box thinkers. one is a nationally ranked chess player ( the older one with more serious AS0, one is a budding musician and was picked over a class of high schoolers ( he's 12) to be the sound engineer for his jazz institute... But, it is still tiring.. It is frustrating when they can't even find socks in the morning. Tiring when you are on the "alert" all night for mischief and escapes.. Tiring when all they do is fight. Tiring to be constantly nagging to get homework done, to explain that they STINK and must shower, trying to explain why you shouldnt wear a parka over short-shorts, too-tight t-shirt and the forecast is 90 degreess ( and the child is in 7th grade). Tiring all the IEP meetings etc....


I think we all understand that it could be worse but it's nice to vent too...

[Ctsplaysinrain]

Ok- I'm sure most of you have seen this BUT I felt this is in order right now....




WELCOME TO HOLLAND
by Emily Perl Kingsley.


c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved



I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......



When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.



After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."



"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."



But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.



The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.



So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.



It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.



But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."



And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.



But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

[Ctsplaysinrain]

Celebrating Holland- I'm Home
By Cathy Anthony

(my follow-up to the original \Welcome to Holland\ by Emily Perl Kingsley)


I have been in Holland for over a decade now. It has become home. I have had time to catch my breath, to settle and adjust, to accept something different than I'd planned.I reflect back on those years of past when I had first landed in Holland. I remember clearly my shock, my fear, my anger, the pain and uncertainty. Inthose first few years, I tried to get back to Italy as planned, but Holland was where I was to stay. Today, I can say how far I have come on this unexpected journey. I have learned so much more. But, this too has been a journey of time.

I worked hard. I bought new guidebooks. I learned a new language and I slowly found my way around this new land. I have met others whose plans had changed like mine, and who could share my experience. We supported one another and some have become very special friends.

Some of these fellow travelers had been in Holland longer than I and were seasoned guides, assisting me along the way. Many have encouraged me. Many have taught me to open my eyes to the wonder and gifts to behold in this new land. I have discovered a community of caring. Holland wasn't so bad.

I think that Holland is used to wayward travelers like me and grew to become a land of hospitality, reaching out to welcome, to assist and to support newcomers like me in this new land. Over the years, I've wondered what life would have been like if I'd landed in Italy as planned. Would life have been easier? Would it have been as rewarding? Would I have learned some of the important lessons I hold today?

Sure, this journey has been more challenging and at times I would (and still do) stomp my feet and cry out in frustration and protest. And, yes, Holland is slower paced than Italy and less flashy than Italy, but this too has been an unexpected gift. I have learned to slow down in ways too and look closer at things, with a new appreciation for the remarkable beauty of Holland with its tulips, windmills and Rembrandts.

I have come to love Holland and call it Home.

I have become a world traveler and discovered that it doesn't matter where you land. What's more important is what you make of your journey and how you see and enjoy the very special, the very lovely, things that Holland, or any land, has to offer.

Yes, over a decade ago I landed in a place I hadn't planned. Yet I am thankful, for this destination has been richer than I could have imagined!

[ratlenhum]

Holland Schmolland
by Laura Kreuger Crawford

If you have a special needs child, which I do, and if you troll the
Internet for information, which I have done, you will come across a
certain inspirational analogy. It goes like this:

Imagine that you are planning a trip to Italy. You read all the
latest travel books, you consult with friends about what to pack, and
you develop an elaborate itinerary for your glorious trip. The day
arrives.

You board the plane and settle in with your in-flight magazine,
dreaming of trattorias, gondola rides, and gelato. However when the
plane lands you discover, much to your surprise, you are not in
Italy -- you are in Holland. You are greatly dismayed at this abrupt
and unexpected change in plans.

You rant and rave to the travel agency, but it does no good. You are
stuck. After awhile, you tire of fighting and begin to look at what
Holland has to offer. You notice the beautiful tulips, the kindly
people in the wooden shoes, the french fries with mayonnaise, and you
think, "This isn't exactly what I had planned, but it's not so bad.
It's just different."

Having a child with special needs is supposed to be like this -- not
any worse than having a typical child -- just different.

When I read this my son was almost 3, completely non-verbal and was
hitting me over 100 times a day. While I appreciated the intention of
the story, I couldn't help but think, "Are they kidding? We're not in
some peaceful country dotted with windmills. We are in a country
under siege -- dodging bombs, boarding overloaded helicopters,
bribing officials -- all the while thinking, "What happened to our
beautiful life?"

That was five years ago.

My son is now 8 and though we have come to accept that he will always
have autism, we no longer feel like citizens of a battle-torn nation.
With the help of countless dedicated therapists and teachers,
biological interventions, and an enormously supportive family, my son
has become a fun-loving, affectionate boy with many endearing
qualities and skills. In the process we've created . . . well . . .
our own country, with its own unique traditions and customs.

It's not a war zone, but it's still not Holland. Let's call it
Schmolland. In Schmolland, it's perfectly customary to lick walls,
rub cold pieces of metal across your mouth and line up all your toys
end-to-end. You can show affection by giving a "pointy chin."
A "pointy chin" is when you act like you are going to hug someone and
just when you are really close, you jam your chin into the other
person's shoulder. For the person giving the "pointy chin" this feels
really good, for the receiver, not so much -- but you get used to it.

For citizens of Schmolland, it is quite normal to repeat lines from
videos to express emotion. If you are sad, you can look downcast and
say, "Oh, Pongo." When mad or anxious, you might shout, "Snow can't
stop me!" or "Duchess, kittens, come on!" Sometimes, "And now our
feature presentation" says it all.

In Schmolland, there's not a lot to do, so our citizens find
amusement wherever they can. Bouncing on the couch for hours,
methodically pulling feathers out of down pillows, and laughing
hysterically in bed at 4:00 a.m. are all traditional Schmutch
pastimes.

The hard part of living in our country is dealing with people from
other countries. We try to assimilate ourselves and mimic their
customs, but we aren't always successful. It's perfectly
understandable that an 8 year-old from Schmolland would steal a train
from a toddler at the Thomas the Tank Engine Train Table at Barnes
and Noble. But this is clearly not understandable or acceptable in
other countries, and so we must drag our 8 year-old out of the store
kicking and screaming, all the customers looking on with stark,
pitying stares. But we ignore these looks and focus on the exit sign
because we are a proud people.

Where we live it is not surprising when an 8 year-old boy reaches for
the fleshy part of a woman's upper torso and says, "Do we touch
boodoo?" We simply say, "No, we do not touch boodoo," and go on about
our business. It's a bit more startling in other countries, however,
and can cause all sorts of cross-cultural misunderstandings.

And, though most foreigners can get a drop of water on their pants
and still carry on, this is intolerable to certain citizens in
Schmolland, who insist that the pants must come off no matter where
they are and regardless of whether another pair of pants is present.

Other families who have special needs children are familiar and
comforting to us, yet are still separate entities. Together we make
up a federation of countries, kind of like Scandinavia. Like a person
from Denmark talking to a person from Norway (or in our case, someone
from Schmenmark talking to someone from Schmorway.), we share enough
similarities in our language and customs to understand each other,
but conversations inevitably highlight the diversity of our
traditions. "My child eats paper. Yesterday he ate a whole video
box." "My daughter only eats four foods, all of them white." "We
finally had to lock up the VCR because my child was obsessed with the
rewind button." "My son wants to blow on everyone."

There is one thing we all agree on. We are a growing population. Ten
years ago, 1 in 10,000 children had autism. Today the rate is
approximately 1 in 250. Something is dreadfully wrong. Though the
causes of the increase are still being hotly debated, a number of
parents and professionals believe genetic predisposition has collided
with too many environmental insults -- toxins, chemicals,
antibiotics, vaccines -- to create immunological chaos in the nervous
system of developing children. One medical journalist speculated
these children are the proverbial "canary in the coal mine", here to
alert us to the growing dangers in our environment.

While this is certainly not a view shared by all in the autism
community, it feels true to me.

I hope that researchers discover the magic bullet we all so
desperately crave. And I will never stop investigating new treatments
and therapies that might help my son. But more and more my priorities
are shifting from what "could be" to "what is." I look around this
country my family has created, with all its unique customs, and it
feels like home. For us, any time spent "nation building" is time
well spent.

[iwrbnd]

I think we all know it could be much worse but It is still nice to know that we are not alone..
Actually, I'm not sure I would want NT kids especially not now when I'm looking at these middle-schoolers...LOL I believe that I would be very bored with "typical" kids at this point... My kids are smart, creative, think outside of the box thinkers. one is a nationally ranked chess player ( the older one with more serious AS0, one is a budding musician and was picked over a class of high schoolers ( he's 12) to be the sound engineer for his jazz institute... But, it is still tiring.. It is frustrating when they can't even find socks in the morning. Tiring when you are on the "alert" all night for mischief and escapes.. Tiring when all they do is fight. Tiring to be constantly nagging to get homework done, to explain that they STINK and must shower, trying to explain why you shouldnt wear a parka over short-shorts, too-tight t-shirt and the forecast is 90 degreess ( and the child is in 7th grade). Tiring all the IEP meetings etc....



I think we all understand that it could be worse but it's nice to vent too...

Very well said!!!:thumbsup2

Congrats on your boy's talents, too! I should be more proud of my math and piano whiz! (But, sometimes the tiring outweighs the triumphs!)

[iwrbnd]

Holland Schmolland
by Laura Kreuger Crawford

If you have a special needs child, which I do, and if you troll the
Internet for information, which I have done, you will come across a
certain inspirational analogy. It goes like this:

Imagine that you are planning a trip to Italy. You read all the
latest travel books, you consult with friends about what to pack, and
you develop an elaborate itinerary for your glorious trip. The day
arrives.

You board the plane and settle in with your in-flight magazine,
dreaming of trattorias, gondola rides, and gelato. However when the
plane lands you discover, much to your surprise, you are not in
Italy -- you are in Holland. You are greatly dismayed at this abrupt
and unexpected change in plans.

You rant and rave to the travel agency, but it does no good. You are
stuck. After awhile, you tire of fighting and begin to look at what
Holland has to offer. You notice the beautiful tulips, the kindly
people in the wooden shoes, the french fries with mayonnaise, and you
think, "This isn't exactly what I had planned, but it's not so bad.
It's just different."

Having a child with special needs is supposed to be like this -- not
any worse than having a typical child -- just different.

When I read this my son was almost 3, completely non-verbal and was
hitting me over 100 times a day. While I appreciated the intention of
the story, I couldn't help but think, "Are they kidding? We're not in
some peaceful country dotted with windmills. We are in a country
under siege -- dodging bombs, boarding overloaded helicopters,
bribing officials -- all the while thinking, "What happened to our
beautiful life?"

That was five years ago.

My son is now 8 and though we have come to accept that he will always
have autism, we no longer feel like citizens of a battle-torn nation.
With the help of countless dedicated therapists and teachers,
biological interventions, and an enormously supportive family, my son
has become a fun-loving, affectionate boy with many endearing
qualities and skills. In the process we've created . . . well . . .
our own country, with its own unique traditions and customs.

It's not a war zone, but it's still not Holland. Let's call it
Schmolland. In Schmolland, it's perfectly customary to lick walls,
rub cold pieces of metal across your mouth and line up all your toys
end-to-end. You can show affection by giving a "pointy chin."
A "pointy chin" is when you act like you are going to hug someone and
just when you are really close, you jam your chin into the other
person's shoulder. For the person giving the "pointy chin" this feels
really good, for the receiver, not so much -- but you get used to it.

For citizens of Schmolland, it is quite normal to repeat lines from
videos to express emotion. If you are sad, you can look downcast and
say, "Oh, Pongo." When mad or anxious, you might shout, "Snow can't
stop me!" or "Duchess, kittens, come on!" Sometimes, "And now our
feature presentation" says it all.

In Schmolland, there's not a lot to do, so our citizens find
amusement wherever they can. Bouncing on the couch for hours,
methodically pulling feathers out of down pillows, and laughing
hysterically in bed at 4:00 a.m. are all traditional Schmutch
pastimes.

The hard part of living in our country is dealing with people from
other countries. We try to assimilate ourselves and mimic their
customs, but we aren't always successful. It's perfectly
understandable that an 8 year-old from Schmolland would steal a train
from a toddler at the Thomas the Tank Engine Train Table at Barnes
and Noble. But this is clearly not understandable or acceptable in
other countries, and so we must drag our 8 year-old out of the store
kicking and screaming, all the customers looking on with stark,
pitying stares. But we ignore these looks and focus on the exit sign
because we are a proud people.

Where we live it is not surprising when an 8 year-old boy reaches for
the fleshy part of a woman's upper torso and says, "Do we touch
boodoo?" We simply say, "No, we do not touch boodoo," and go on about
our business. It's a bit more startling in other countries, however,
and can cause all sorts of cross-cultural misunderstandings.

And, though most foreigners can get a drop of water on their pants
and still carry on, this is intolerable to certain citizens in
Schmolland, who insist that the pants must come off no matter where
they are and regardless of whether another pair of pants is present.

Other families who have special needs children are familiar and
comforting to us, yet are still separate entities. Together we make
up a federation of countries, kind of like Scandinavia. Like a person
from Denmark talking to a person from Norway (or in our case, someone
from Schmenmark talking to someone from Schmorway.), we share enough
similarities in our language and customs to understand each other,
but conversations inevitably highlight the diversity of our
traditions. "My child eats paper. Yesterday he ate a whole video
box." "My daughter only eats four foods, all of them white." "We
finally had to lock up the VCR because my child was obsessed with the
rewind button." "My son wants to blow on everyone."

There is one thing we all agree on. We are a growing population. Ten
years ago, 1 in 10,000 children had autism. Today the rate is
approximately 1 in 250. Something is dreadfully wrong. Though the
causes of the increase are still being hotly debated, a number of
parents and professionals believe genetic predisposition has collided
with too many environmental insults -- toxins, chemicals,
antibiotics, vaccines -- to create immunological chaos in the nervous
system of developing children. One medical journalist speculated
these children are the proverbial "canary in the coal mine", here to
alert us to the growing dangers in our environment.

While this is certainly not a view shared by all in the autism
community, it feels true to me.

I hope that researchers discover the magic bullet we all so
desperately crave. And I will never stop investigating new treatments
and therapies that might help my son. But more and more my priorities
are shifting from what "could be" to "what is." I look around this
country my family has created, with all its unique customs, and it
feels like home. For us, any time spent "nation building" is time
well spent.

Wow! I've never heard this version of the Holland story! I LOVE IT! The land of Schmolland makes perfect sense to me! Thank you for sharing that story! You put it so well about how in the beginning it felt like a war zone and not a peaceful land of windmills! I used to think that when I first heard the Holland analogy. The rest of your story is so well put! Thank you so much for sharing it!

I'm feeling better tonight than I have in the past year! Thank you everyone for giving me support, stories and a good kick in the head! I needed all three!

[steph124ny]

Congratulations! The baby/toddler years are so sweet! How many do you have already?


This baby will be #4. I have:

DS Aaron (14)
DD Casey (12)
DD Allison (4)

This last one is another girl. She will be Bailey Lauren and is due 7/22.

[iwrbnd]

This baby will be #4. I have:

DS Aaron (14)
DD Casey (12)
DD Allison (4)

This last one is another girl. She will be Bailey Lauren and is due 7/22.

Congratulations! You'll get to experience all stages of parenting at the same time like I did!

I remember when I had a preschooler, grade-schooler, middle-schooler and high-schooler all the same year! If there was a school function then I was there!:faint:

[steph124ny]

Congratulations! You'll get to experience all stages of parenting at the same time like I did!

I remember when I had a preschooler, grade-schooler, middle-schooler and high-schooler all the same year! If there was a school function then I was there!:faint:


Yup...Aaron is starting high school, Casey is in middle school, Allie is starting kindy in the fall, and I'll have a newborn! Everyone thinks we are absolutely crazy, but I know that when I'm old, I will never be alone at Christmas!! :rotfl: Plus, my DH is one of 6, and his parents are one of 10 and one of 13 respectively, so we are used to large families around here!! It's like a Duggar family reunion! LMAO!!

[ratlenhum]

I didn't write Holland Schmolland, wish I could take credit. I just love it!

[dogodisney]

:hug::hug::hug:from me! You are definately not alone! I was parenting in my 20's, 30's and now 40's too! I often wonder if I'll be doing it in my 50's too since I can see myself raising any children my 2 on the spectrum might have!

Keep us posted on your dgd results! I'm hoping for good news! The school struggle is probably the most exhausting thing I deal with! Mine is "Why didn't you do the work?", "Why didn't you turn it in?" "How do you not know if you have homework/test/project due?" Ahhhh!!! I definately feel your pain with school. Hopefully being older in her class will help!

Thank you!

The other day she had to write the numbers 1-100 on a chart. It took her 3 hours to do it. :eek: There are days at scholl that she refuses to work. This is only kindergarten. What is she going to be like in higher grades?! :confused:

[iwrbnd]

I didn't write Holland Schmolland, wish I could take credit. I just love it!

Well, I'm so glad you shared it!

I haven't felt this positive in a long time. I don't feel so defeated. Just knowing others out there are dealing with similiar situations and making it even though they have some of the same feelings as I do is so empowering. I've never known how "therapy" would help but I see it now. Thank you my disfriends! I'm sure I'll have some more days "in the pit" as I call it but I know I can do this! (Even if I secretly have a countdown to graduation in my head!;))

[SueM in MN]

moving this to the disABILITIES Community Board where it will be more on topic.

[iwrbnd]

moving this to the disABILITIES Community Board where it will be more on topic.

Oops, I thought that's where I posted it. :confused3 Sorry!

[momejay]

I want you to know you are not alone. I think about 5-7 years ago I would have said I was tired of parenting ASD. I have 2 children on opposite ends of the spectrum, but my daughter despite being high functioning has serious social querks that are very annoying to parent. (My X-took off when my children were ages 1 & 3.)
My DD, now 16, is on the high school bowling team & is going to the junior prom. She has a job as a "mother's helper" for the summer. DS, now 14, has learned to shave & dress himself, but always puts his underwear on backwards & shoes on wrong feet. He is 6 foot tall & eats non-stop.
I realized watching tv one night, that if I could press a magic button & not have children with ASD I am not sure I would push it. Even if I could select or mold exactly who they would be, would I want that? I like my memories...My 4 year old DD's first words "Have fun, Go bus? See da castle?" My wonderful 8 year old son at a water park, trying to figure out if a woman in a sexy brown bathing suit had poo in her pants...(I am so sorry lady!!!)
I looked back at all the amazing puzzles they have given me to solve & started tp see it as I was given a special gift. I know as much as everyone that it takes patience to survive the day to day. You need to learn to laugh instead of cry. Turn it into a positive. My son has been potty trained since that day & my daughter was on a debate team last year.
I wish you luck & patience!

[kampfirekim]

Hi! I just finished reading this thread and I feel like someone has been peeking through my curtains! This is my life. Thanks, ratlenhum, for sharing the Holland Schmolland piece. I laughed and cried all at once. I have a neurtotypical DS6 and autistic DS5 so I feel like I have one foot in Italy and the other foot in Schmolland. Does that make me a Itali-Schmolland-American? :laughing: Seriously, from one Schmollandite to another, do you mind if I join you?

I agree with the poster that said people 40+ should see an end in sight...I am 41 and DH is 51. :scared1: There is no end in sight, but we are blessed.
Yes, momejay, you do have to learn to laugh and find the positive. Both, my neurtotypical and my neurochallenged, give me plenty to laugh about and plenty to be grateful for. Finding the humor has gotten me through a lot of hard knocks in life, not just parenthood.

[iwrbnd]

Hi! I just finished reading this thread and I feel like someone has been peeking through my curtains! This is my life. Thanks, ratlenhum, for sharing the Holland Schmolland piece. I laughed and cried all at once. I have a neurtotypical DS6 and autistic DS5 so I feel like I have one foot in Italy and the other foot in Schmolland. Does that make me a Itali-Schmolland-American? :laughing: Seriously, from one Schmollandite to another, do you mind if I join you?

I agree with the poster that said people 40+ should see an end in sight...I am 41 and DH is 51. :scared1: There is no end in sight, but we are blessed.
Yes, momejay, you do have to learn to laugh and find the positive. Both, my neurtotypical and my neurochallenged, give me plenty to laugh about and plenty to be grateful for. Finding the humor has gotten me through a lot of hard knocks in life, not just parenthood.

We should have a Schmolland support group! I knew our country of Schmolland was getting big but when you actually meet the citizens you realize there are neighbors just down the road!

[kaffinito]

Holland Schmolland
by Laura Kreuger Crawford

... Having a child with special needs is supposed to be like this -- not
any worse than having a typical child -- just different.

When I read this my son was almost 3, completely non-verbal and was
hitting me over 100 times a day. While I appreciated the intention of
the story, I couldn't help but think, "Are they kidding? We're not in
some peaceful country dotted with windmills. We are in a country
under siege -- dodging bombs, boarding overloaded helicopters,
bribing officials -- all the while thinking, "What happened to our
beautiful life?"

That was five years ago.

hard part of living in our country is dealing with people from
other countries. We try to assimilate ourselves and mimic their
customs, but we aren't always successful. It's perfectly
understandable that an 8 year-old from Schmolland would steal a train
from a toddler at the Thomas the Tank Engine Train Table at Barnes
and Noble. But this is clearly not understandable or acceptable in
other countries, and so we must drag our 8 year-old out of the store
kicking and screaming, all the customers looking on with stark,
pitying stares. But we ignore these looks and focus on the exit sign
because we are a proud people.

Where we live it is not surprising when an 8 year-old boy reaches for
the fleshy part of a woman's upper torso and says, "Do we touch
boodoo?" We simply say, "No, we do not touch boodoo," and go on about
our business. It's a bit more startling in other countries, however,
and can cause all sorts of cross-cultural misunderstandings.

And, though most foreigners can get a drop of water on their pants
and still carry on, this is intolerable to certain citizens in
Schmolland, who insist that the pants must come off no matter where
they are and regardless of whether another pair of pants is present.

Other families who have special needs children are familiar and
comforting to us, yet are still separate entities. Together we make
up a federation of countries, kind of like Scandinavia. Like a person
from Denmark talking to a person from Norway (or in our case, someone
from Schmenmark talking to someone from Schmorway.), we share enough
similarities in our language and customs to understand each other,
but conversations inevitably highlight the diversity of our
traditions. "My child eats paper. Yesterday he ate a whole video
box." "My daughter only eats four foods, all of them white." "We
finally had to lock up the VCR because my child was obsessed with the
rewind button." "My son wants to blow on everyone."

There is one thing we all agree on. We are a growing population. Ten
years ago, 1 in 10,000 children had autism. Today the rate is
approximately 1 in 250. Something is dreadfully wrong. Though the
causes of the increase are still being hotly debated, a number of
parents and professionals believe genetic predisposition has collided
with too many environmental insults -- toxins, chemicals,
antibiotics, vaccines -- to create immunological chaos in the nervous
system of developing children. One medical journalist speculated
these children are the proverbial "canary in the coal mine", here to
alert us to the growing dangers in our environment.

While this is certainly not a view shared by all in the autism
community, it feels true to me.

I hope that researchers discover the magic bullet we all so
desperately crave. And I will never stop investigating new treatments
and therapies that might help my son. But more and more my priorities
are shifting from what "could be" to "what is." I look around this
country my family has created, with all its unique customs, and it
feels like home. For us, any time spent "nation building" is time
well spent.

I might have posted sooner, but am still crying from everyone's stories. then this article did me in.

DS17 (ASD) is a senior in high school but will not graduate this year. His projected date of graduation is 2012.

He will not shower unless forced to.
He will not shave unless I refuse to feed him dinner.
He eats everything in sight.

He wears blue jeans and black shirts. Long sleeve shirts in winter and short sleeve shirts in summer. I still have to take his winter clothes away and hide his coat until the next fall and to make sure they have been replaced with jean shorts and black summer shirts. He has been known to wear his winter coat with the hood up in the middle of summer.

I can - if lucky - get him to do maybe one homework assignment every week. Not surprisingly, he's flunking all of his classes. Again.

His high school wanted me to send him to a school for incorrigible children. The kind of school where most kids are court ordered.

He still touches other people inappropriately, and doesn't understand that some people might not want a hug. He also does not understand that not everyone wants or needs his "help"

Thank God DS9 is more mild on the spectrum than DS17. But he is going to be a teenager soon. And he still wears his shoes on the wrong feet and has "accidents".

And then I have DN5 (CP) who is wearing diapers and always will, and who can't walk up or down a set of stairs by himself. He's wrecked 2 tv's, one dvd player since January, and now our house looks like Fort Knox with locked gates everywhere and a cage over the tv. I was coping quite well until he came to live with us - and now I am drowning.

I hate my job (Mom) and I want to quit. I'm just glad I had no illusions going in that mother hood was going to be a picnic. I don't quit though - I don't have another job lined up. So I go through each day trying very hard not to think about tomorrow, because thinking about tomorrow means that I will realize how many tomorrows there might actually be.

I'm so glad to read that I'm not alone. :hug: to all of you and thank you so much for sharing.

[persimmondeb]

The Schmolland piece made me laugh and cry at the same time.

DS14 actually isn't that hard to deal with most of the time, since he's easygoing and fairly competent, if very childlike, but there are moments. Like when I know he's got Lego (staples, rubberbands, little magnets, etc.) in his mouth and I can hear it clicking against his teeth as he denies it. He eats paper (although I'm not sure if he ever ate a whole video box) and I know he's licked walls. He used to eat carpet fuzz as a baby, which made putting him down on the floor exciting.

On Easter we went to the beach, where we watched our ninth grade honor student build himself a sandcastle with the bucket and shovel that he put in the car "just in case". We get some funny looks, but as an activity it beats smoking pot in the garage like the neighbor's kid.

I don't worry too much about his being able to keep house for himself, although I do sometimes worry about his ability to produce income. He does chores, even occasionally without being asked, and stays home alone for an hour or two in the afternoon, although he is not allowed to use the stove without supervision since the incident of the flaming lunchmeat.

I can't imagine what he would be like if he were "normal", which is probably just as well. But hang in there, we all have days when we wish we were anywhere else, doing anything else.

[iwrbnd]

I might have posted sooner, but am still crying from everyone's stories. then this article did me in.

DS17 (ASD) is a senior in high school but will not graduate this year. His projected date of graduation is 2012.

He will not shower unless forced to.
He will not shave unless I refuse to feed him dinner.
He eats everything in sight.

He wears blue jeans and black shirts. Long sleeve shirts in winter and short sleeve shirts in summer. I still have to take his winter clothes away and hide his coat until the next fall and to make sure they have been replaced with jean shorts and black summer shirts. He has been known to wear his winter coat with the hood up in the middle of summer.

I can - if lucky - get him to do maybe one homework assignment every week. Not surprisingly, he's flunking all of his classes. Again.

His high school wanted me to send him to a school for incorrigible children. The kind of school where most kids are court ordered.

He still touches other people inappropriately, and doesn't understand that some people might not want a hug. He also does not understand that not everyone wants or needs his "help"

Thank God DS9 is more mild on the spectrum than DS17. But he is going to be a teenager soon. And he still wears his shoes on the wrong feet and has "accidents".

And then I have DN5 (CP) who is wearing diapers and always will, and who can't walk up or down a set of stairs by himself. He's wrecked 2 tv's, one dvd player since January, and now our house looks like Fort Knox with locked gates everywhere and a cage over the tv. I was coping quite well until he came to live with us - and now I am drowning.

I hate my job (Mom) and I want to quit. I'm just glad I had no illusions going in that mother hood was going to be a picnic. I don't quit though - I don't have another job lined up. So I go through each day trying very hard not to think about tomorrow, because thinking about tomorrow means that I will realize how many tomorrows there might actually be.

I'm so glad to read that I'm not alone. :hug: to all of you and thank you so much for sharing.

:hug::hug::hug:You are a brave woman to want to quit but staying in the situation to be the mother your sons and nephew need!:hug::hug::hug:

God bless you and remember you aren't alone!!! I've bookmarked this thread for when I have an especially hard day. It makes me feel like I can make it when other moms are doing the same thing!

[kaffinito]

The Schmolland piece made me laugh and cry at the same time.

DS14 actually isn't that hard to deal with most of the time, since he's easygoing and fairly competent, if very childlike, but there are moments. Like when I know he's got Lego (staples, rubberbands, little magnets, etc.) in his mouth and I can hear it clicking against his teeth as he denies it. He eats paper (although I'm not sure if he ever ate a whole video box) and I know he's licked walls. He used to eat carpet fuzz as a baby, which made putting him down on the floor exciting.

On Easter we went to the beach, where we watched our ninth grade honor student build himself a sandcastle with the bucket and shovel that he put in the car "just in case". We get some funny looks, but as an activity it beats smoking pot in the garage like the neighbor's kid.

I don't worry too much about his being able to keep house for himself, although I do sometimes worry about his ability to produce income. He does chores, even occasionally without being asked, and stays home alone for an hour or two in the afternoon, although he is not allowed to use the stove without supervision since the incident of the flaming lunchmeat.

I can't imagine what he would be like if he were "normal", which is probably just as well. But hang in there, we all have days when we wish we were anywhere else, doing anything else.

:rotfl2::rotfl2:

Too funny - I needed that! :lmao:

[kaffinito]

:hug::hug::hug:You are a brave woman to want to quit but staying in the situation to be the mother your sons and nephew need!:hug::hug::hug:

God bless you and remember you aren't alone!!! I've bookmarked this thread for when I have an especially hard day. It makes me feel like I can make it when other moms are doing the same thing!

I did too. :goodvibes Thank you so much for starting this - it's going to help me through a lot of tough days. :hug:

[iwrbnd]

The Schmolland piece made me laugh and cry at the same time.

DS14 actually isn't that hard to deal with most of the time, since he's easygoing and fairly competent, if very childlike, but there are moments. Like when I know he's got Lego (staples, rubberbands, little magnets, etc.) in his mouth and I can hear it clicking against his teeth as he denies it. He eats paper (although I'm not sure if he ever ate a whole video box) and I know he's licked walls. He used to eat carpet fuzz as a baby, which made putting him down on the floor exciting.

On Easter we went to the beach, where we watched our ninth grade honor student build himself a sandcastle with the bucket and shovel that he put in the car "just in case". We get some funny looks, but as an activity it beats smoking pot in the garage like the neighbor's kid.

I don't worry too much about his being able to keep house for himself, although I do sometimes worry about his ability to produce income. He does chores, even occasionally without being asked, and stays home alone for an hour or two in the afternoon, although he is not allowed to use the stove without supervision since the incident of the flaming lunchmeat.

I can't imagine what he would be like if he were "normal", which is probably just as well. But hang in there, we all have days when we wish we were anywhere else, doing anything else.

:hug::hug::hug:Hugs to you too! I've thought the same thing about some of the social immaturity we deal with. I think "It beats drugs!" We've got to find the positive where we can!:thumbsup2

[kampfirekim]

We should have a Schmolland support group! I knew our country of Schmolland was getting big but when you actually meet the citizens you realize there are neighbors just down the road!
How true that is. Today at Wal-Mart, I met a mom with an aspie son. When my DS began to bang and kick the shopping cart. She totally got it!. It's nice to be understood without explanation.


I'm so glad to read that I'm not alone. :hug: to all of you and thank you so much for sharing.

No, you're not alone at all. As the newest citizen of Schmolland, welcome sweetheart. Hope you find a little love and support here. :hug: :flower3:

The Schmolland piece made me laugh and cry at the same time.

DS14 actually isn't that hard to deal with most of the time, since he's easygoing and fairly competent, if very childlike, but there are moments. Like when I know he's got Lego (staples, rubberbands, little magnets, etc.) in his mouth and I can hear it clicking against his teeth as he denies it. He eats paper (although I'm not sure if he ever ate a whole video box) and I know he's licked walls. He used to eat carpet fuzz as a baby, which made putting him down on the floor exciting.

On Easter we went to the beach, where we watched our ninth grade honor student build himself a sandcastle with the bucket and shovel that he put in the car "just in case". We get some funny looks, but as an activity it beats smoking pot in the garage like the neighbor's kid.

I don't worry too much about his being able to keep house for himself, although I do sometimes worry about his ability to produce income. He does chores, even occasionally without being asked, and stays home alone for an hour or two in the afternoon, although he is not allowed to use the stove without supervision since the incident of the flaming lunchmeat.

I can't imagine what he would be like if he were "normal", which is probably just as well. But hang in there, we all have days when we wish we were anywhere else, doing anything else.

:rotfl2: At my parents house on Sunday, DS peed in the yard and then ran naked through said yard with me chasing behind (unable to catch him). Of course everyone was there looking on...aunts, uncles, cousins....:rotfl: The incident of the flaming lunchmeat sounds intriguing. We have the incident of the brown, funny smelling fingerpaint. :rolleyes1 (no further comment will ever be made on that subject.)

[persimmondeb]

Prosciutto on a fork, toasted over the burner of a gas stove. Apparently he didn't expect it to actually catch on fire. Singed hair, a mysterious burn mark in the linoleum, and a slightly melted fan blade, which he paid to replace.

It IS funny, but could have been dangerous. We really read him the riot act, and he hasn't done anything like that since. Keeping him in microwave snacks seems to have lessened the temptation to use the stove, too.

[iwrbnd]

You know, I just wanted to tell all the moms with children on the spectrum that they can analyze DNA farther down the strand now. (Brand new) Some children diagnosed with autism have found to have a deletion in "Shank 3" (where language and social skills come from) My sister just had this test done on her son and it was positive. They are calling it Phelan-McDermid Syndrome or PMS. The exciting thing is they are already in the labratory for drug intervention. (They have the rat and everything!) I just thought I would share this info. We are all surprised in our family because my nephew is 12 yrs. old and has seen many doctors and always got the "autism" diagnosis and now we find out he has this.

Has anyone heard of this syndrome? What do you think?

I copied this from a website...

Autism Spectrum Disorder & Phelan McDermid Syndrome Q&A

In the course of raising your child and learning more about his or her disorder, you may have developed an awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and its connection to Phelan McDermid Syndrome (PMS).

What does that definition mean for our families? There are five recognized forms of “Autism”. All of them produce at least these two adverse effects: (1) social interaction and social communications are impaired, and (2) behavior is either restricted (fewer than normal behaviors) or is highly repetitive (too focused on one behavior or topic of interest). Because these critical features of autism frequently occur in children who have been diagnosed with PMS (and for other scientific reasons), it has become apparent that PMS and ASDs are closely related. Further research is needed to determine whether or not PMS will eventually be classified as another form of ASD.

3) What causes autism spectrum disorder? ASD is a disorder of prenatal or postnatal brain development. Although ASD can result from genetic or non-genetic causes, it is primarily a genetic disorder involving multiple genes. Most causes of ASD have not yet been identified. Many chromosome abnormalities and single gene mutations can result in ASD. PMS is one of the genetic disorders that is strongly associated with ASD.

4) If my child has PMS, does that mean he or she has ASD? It is quite possible. At present, ASD is a clinical diagnosis made by the observation and identification of key neurodevelopmental features listed in the DSM IV (see criteria below). Not all of the children with PMS have been diagnosed with ASD. There has been a reluctance by some clinicians to diagnose ASD when there is already another prior genetic diagnosis (like PMS), but the DSM-IV specifically permits dual diagnosis.

5) Is ASD common in individuals with PMS? Yes, many individuals with PMS have a diagnosis of ASD.

6) What is the science behind the relationship between PMS and ASD? PMS is highly associated (99%) with the loss of SHANK3 (a gene crucial for learning and memory). The exact same gene is affected in certain groups of people with ASD, including some individuals with Asperger’s Disorder and others with PDD-NOS. Further, SHANK3 is highly associated with a large group of neuronal adhesion and structure proteins also implicated in ASD.

7) Does the ASD diagnosis replace my child’s diagnosis of PMS? No. About 10% of individuals with ASD have a known cause (such as a chromosome deletion) for their diagnosis of ASD. The genetic diagnosis of 22q13 deletion, or PMS, describes your child’s genetic condition which may include neurodevelopmental features of ASD. The ASD diagnosis describes the behavioral, social, and communication characteristics of your child and is not excluded by a diagnosis of PMS.

8) What does it mean if my child does not have the characteristics of ASD? There is still a lot of debate when to diagnose ASD. Your child may have characteristics of ASD, but not be diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. Diagnosis by behaviors is often difficult and inexact; clinicians unfamiliar with PMS may be reluctant to make the ASD diagnosis. There is an amazing range of behavioral differences among individuals with PMS, and some do not show significant signs of ASD. Scientists are still trying to determine how people with such similar genetics can be so different. The phenotype of PMS is very heterogeneous (variable from person to person), but what unites our families is a shared genetic diagnosis.

9) Why does autism matter to our Foundation? ASD has become important to our foundation because of the overlap in many of the associated neurological symptoms it shares with PMS. ASD has been diagnosed in many children with PMS, and understanding PMS is now widely recognized as a potential step toward understanding more about ASD. Most of our families are struggling with daily challenges which are commonly seen in ASD, such as limited communication skills, problem behaviors, restricted interests, toilet training difficulty, sleep problems, and other challenges. The Foundation encourages exchange of information among families and strives to keep families informed of medical, genetic, and behavioral advances that could help families address the challenges of ASD.


10) What does the Research Support Committee (RSC) think about the connection between PMS and ASD? There is definitive scientific evidence that loss or mutation of the SHANK3 gene is a genetic cause of ASD. SHANK3 resides on chromosome 22 within the region that is almost always deleted in PMS. In other words, the missing gene that causes the features of PMS is also a recognized cause of ASD. Understanding SHANK3 in the context of its molecular pathway and its relationship to related conditions, including other causes of ASD, could someday lead to treatments for PMS and other forms of ASD. The RSC also wants to see that professionals better understand the standards for diagnosing ASD in individuals with PMS.

[NotUrsula]

In our house it was the Incident of the Exploding Pyrex Bowl. (He was cooking pasta, and the directions on the box said to boil 6 quarts of water. He had never had to use a stock pot before and did not know where I kept it, so instead of calling my office to ask, he tried to use a large pyrex salad bowl that was on the counter, and he put it on the 14000 BTU burner. The result wasn't pretty, but thankfully he wasn't in the room when it blew up, spraying boiling water and glass shards all over the kitchen.)

Lately DH and I are feeling very stressed, and quite frankly, if our marriage survives DS' high school career, it will probably be a miracle. If anything will get us through, it will be that neither of us would voluntarily agree to solo responsibility for DS for more than 24 hours, because puberty has made him utterly exhausting to deal with.

BTW, I had to LOL at the sand castle thing. I honestly never thought twice about how odd it is that he still makes them. However, he does have a preschool-aged little sister who can serve as his cover. (Though it isn't really effective when they constantly bicker about whose castle is better. :lmao:)

[cm8]

:hug:, :rotfl:so who settles the castle dispute? or do you just say they both belong to both of you and look great?:grouphug::flower3:

[steph124ny]

Just need to vent a little....DS just came home from his dad's house. Dad denies that anything is wrong with him, and that he is just a product of my bad parenting...so you can tell how well we get along. Dad also owes me close to 45K in back support, and recently stopped paying support again because his unemployment was cut off. He works under the table so I can't garnish him. He lives in a much nicer house than I do too....life is SO not fair. Plus, he only has to deal with DS for a day or two once in awhile...I get the lifelong subscription.

Anyway...Aaron was scrounging through our cupboards looking for a snack. Things are extremely tight right now. We have food...but not much in the way of snacks. And he doesn't eat pasta at all...so not much going on here for him!!! He proceeds to tell me that they had steak and lobster for dinner last night at Dad's and that it sucks to go from a house where there is tons of food to a house where there is none. :( Tonight we're having hot dogs and my husband is working late to try and make ends meet.

I know he doens't mean anything by it, but Aaron's comment made me so sad I wanted to cry. I hate to be bitter and envious...but there are days when I just want to drive to his Dad's house and beat him with a shovel. (His father...not him! LOL!!!)

[kampfirekim]

Prosciutto on a fork, toasted over the burner of a gas stove.

In our house it was the Incident of the Exploding Pyrex Bowl.
BTW, I had to LOL at the sand castle thing.


:lmao: Prosciutto on a fork...exploding pyrex bowls...sand castles...so this is what Schmolland will have to offer when DS reaches puberty. Bet it's not this exciting in Italy! (Although the sandcastles seemed normal to me. I still do that at 41! :rotfl:

Just need to vent a little.... I hate to be bitter and envious...but there are days when I just want to drive to his Dad's house and beat him with a shovel. (His father...not him! LOL!!!)

We all need to vent every now and then. Sounds like you've got quite a situation. From the looks of it maybe all the inhabitants of Schmolland need to light torches, grab the pitchforks and storm the castle! :laughing:

[cccdisney]

:rotfl2: At my parents house on Sunday, DS peed in the yard and then ran naked through said yard with me chasing behind (unable to catch him). Of course everyone was there looking on...aunts, uncles, cousins....:rotfl: The incident of the flaming lunchmeat sounds intriguing. We have the incident of the brown, funny smelling fingerpaint. :rolleyes1 (no further comment will ever be made on that subject.)

This sounds like my son! He hates clothes and enjoys smelly "fingerpainting".:sad2:

I'm SO GLAD I found this thread! All of you have expressed so many feelings I have. I have four children. DD12, DS10, DS6, and DS4. My 6 yr old has moderate to severe autism. I often get so frustrated with my life. :sad2: I LOVED that Schmolland poem and just might pass it along.
Our house also looks like Fort Knox! Alarms and locks EVERYWHERE. He has absolutely no sense of danger or fear and will take off at any opportunity. And not wander off - SPRINT off! (He runs faster than I do - which really isn't saying much! :rotfl: )

Thankfully I have support. My dh is good with him and I get "breaks" often. My mom is also local and can handle him for a few hours. My sister lives close by and is the only person we can leave him with overnight.

I've also bookmarked this thread. Hugs all around! :grouphug:

[steph124ny]

:lmao: Prosciutto on a fork...exploding pyrex bowls...sand castles...so this is what Schmolland will have to offer when DS reaches puberty. Bet it's not this exciting in Italy! (Although the sandcastles seemed normal to me. I still do that at 41! :rotfl:



We all need to vent every now and then. Sounds like you've got quite a situation. From the looks of it maybe all the inhabitants of Schmolland need to light torches, grab the pitchforks and storm the castle! :laughing:


I would be thrilled to provide you with an address and detailed driving directions!!:laughing::rolleyes1

[kampfirekim]

I would be thrilled to provide you with an address and detailed driving directions!!:laughing::rolleyes1

:lmao: If I still can't find him, DH has GPS! I'm on my way! :car:

BTW, :welcome: to our world.

[kampfirekim]

This sounds like my son! He hates clothes and enjoys smelly "fingerpainting".:sad2:

I'm SO GLAD I found this thread! All of you have expressed so many feelings I have. He has absolutely no sense of danger or fear and will take off at any opportunity. And not wander off - SPRINT off! (He runs faster than I do - which really isn't saying much! :rotfl: )

Thankfully I have support. My dh is good with him and I get "breaks" often. My mom is also local and can handle him for a few hours. My sister lives close by and is the only person we can leave him with overnight.

I've also bookmarked this thread. Hugs all around! :grouphug:

My DS5 is a BOLTER too! I call it the Kentucky Derby that never ends! If he can find any sliver of hope for an escape...he's OUTTA THERE! He's escaped church nursery twice (when he was still young enough), he escaped the school playground, unnoticed by his vigilant teacher and 2 aids. (I'm not being sarcastic, they really were fantastic!) Luckily, I was just driving up to pick him up and witnessed the whole scene. He escaped the shopping cart at Target with the 3 point harness system even though I was still hanging onto the cart and only turned for a sec to look down an aisle. I heard a noise, turned around and only saw the back of his head flying through ladieswear. I couldn't find him anywhere and thought he was hiding in the clothing racks. He was already outside the building in the parking lot when he was spotted by a very tall young man who worked there. :scared1: Almost gave me heart failure (no exaggeration). Hopefully we will have an adaptive stroller before our upcoming WDW trip. If not I guess I'd better have a child locator and running shoes.:goodvibes There may not be much rest in the land of Schmolland, but life's never dull!


I have a great DH and local parents as well. It sure is a blessing to have the love and support you need. I wish I had a sister. I've always wanted one. After reading your post I'm wondering.....could we have been separated at birth? :laughing: I'm glad I found this thread too. It kinda feels like home.

[tabithakp]

i had a really bad day yesterday, or i should say we had a very bad day yesterday! after dropping ds(5) off at school i let myself cry for 30 minutes straight. thankfully by the end of the day i started to feel better and found my humor again! and i needed it!

i should clarify Evan was recently diagnosed with sensory processing disorder and our OT told us today that the new stats were in and for someone like Evan it is recommended that he get 4 to 5 hours of physical activity a day :rotfl2: i cant even find an extra 15 minutes a day! :rotfl2:

i also need help with socks! were do i get seamless ones! i cant handle putting 10 pair on a day to find a pair that dont feel weird!

sorry one more thing, when evan gets upset he screams looonnnng and loooouuuuud, i can deal with the stares but i would llike to help him, any ideas? im thinking the alert program might help????

thanks :grouphug:

[leebee]

I just want to give :hug::hug:{{{BIG HUGS}}}:hug::hug: to all the parents here, who work so endlessly, so hard, for their kids. I get some of what you are saying, for I work in Schmolland. I am an ed tech, and every day is a new experience. Some days Schmolland seems a lot like Italy (which is where my own trip took me), but some days Schmolland is a far more swinging place than Italy, or even Holland, could ever dream of being! I know about runners, painters, and those who express themselves at full volume. When I return to Italy each afternoon, I am oh, so tired from my day in Schmolland, and often think of those who live there. To be honest (as I can see you are all being), I can't imagine what it must be like to face these challenges day in and day out, with your own child, knowing this is what life will offer for years to come. But I have to ask, do you not have any agencies in your area that offer respite support? I would encourage you to talk with your child's case manager at school (here in ME it's the special ed teacher) to see if there is any kind of community based support available. I am not talking long-term, or even for a weekend, but rather someone who comes in to take on the responsibilities for a couple of hours every day. Working in Schmolland is as fulfilling as it is challenging, but EVERYONE needs a break occasionally. I get mine when the bus leaves in the afternoon... you should have a break too. (I will add that I find the "Holland" analogy far too trite; Schmolland is SO much more realistic!)

[Ctsplaysinrain]

i also need help with socks! were do i get seamless ones! i cant handle putting 10 pair on a day to find a pair that dont feel weird!


Try the blue-bottom ones from Target...


Debbie

[Ctsplaysinrain]

HI all- I have been busy since this started.. But, Oh how cool!!

I'll have some more to add and I need to read everyone's post.. BUT, I too, have a 14 yr old who spends all the time at the beach building castles and collecting sea creatures... Oh and he still likes to lecture the "surfers" about the dangers of surfing late in the day and statistics about sharks etc....


Oh, but we do call him the "bird whisperer." He really does seem to be able to make seagulls take orders from him.. It's the darndest thing.

[Ctsplaysinrain]

I'm wondering- who has WDW trips planned????

[iwrbnd]

I'm wondering- who has WDW trips planned????

We're going the last week of July!

[Ctsplaysinrain]

We will be there July 26-aug 6 or so... Taking a few days in middle to do space launch perhaps and visit Aunt. maybe a meet up?

[cccdisney]

I just want to give :hug::hug:{{{BIG HUGS}}}:hug::hug: to all the parents here, who work so endlessly, so hard, for their kids. I get some of what you are saying, for I work in Schmolland. I am an ed tech, and every day is a new experience. Some days Schmolland seems a lot like Italy (which is where my own trip took me), but some days Schmolland is a far more swinging place than Italy, or even Holland, could ever dream of being! I know about runners, painters, and those who express themselves at full volume. When I return to Italy each afternoon, I am oh, so tired from my day in Schmolland, and often think of those who live there. To be honest (as I can see you are all being), I can't imagine what it must be like to face these challenges day in and day out, with your own child, knowing this is what life will offer for years to come. But I have to ask, do you not have any agencies in your area that offer respite support? I would encourage you to talk with your child's case manager at school (here in ME it's the special ed teacher) to see if there is any kind of community based support available. I am not talking long-term, or even for a weekend, but rather someone who comes in to take on the responsibilities for a couple of hours every day. Working in Schmolland is as fulfilling as it is challenging, but EVERYONE needs a break occasionally. I get mine when the bus leaves in the afternoon... you should have a break too. (I will add that I find the "Holland" analogy far too trite; Schmolland is SO much more realistic!)

Thank you for your support!:thumbsup2 My son's teacher and all the aides in his class are amazing and I thank them all the time. I am so very very thankful we are in a district that provides an awesome program for him. His Autism Service Dog even goes to school with him! :thumbsup2 They welcomed her with open arms, something alot of districts would have fought!

As far as respite, we get 68 hours a quarter. It was 25 hours a month, but with the CA budget cuts they re-organized our respite to quarterly and cut it a tad. But quite honestly I'm thankful they didn't cut it all! :eek: We use ALL our respite - mostly for weekend nights out or to do things with the other kids. He also qualifies for Protective Supervision under IHSS which has been a HUGE financial help.


We've had an interesting week. We took him off his morning med (vyvanse) because it seemed to make him more stressed and we were having lots of meltdowns. However now he is continually bouncing off the walls - non stop movement!:sad2: The good news is he is sleeping better again. :banana:

[iwrbnd]

In our house it was the Incident of the Exploding Pyrex Bowl. (He was cooking pasta, and the directions on the box said to boil 6 quarts of water. He had never had to use a stock pot before and did not know where I kept it, so instead of calling my office to ask, he tried to use a large pyrex salad bowl that was on the counter, and he put it on the 14000 BTU burner. The result wasn't pretty, but thankfully he wasn't in the room when it blew up, spraying boiling water and glass shards all over the kitchen.)

Lately DH and I are feeling very stressed, and quite frankly, if our marriage survives DS' high school career, it will probably be a miracle. If anything will get us through, it will be that neither of us would voluntarily agree to solo responsibility for DS for more than 24 hours, because puberty has made him utterly exhausting to deal with.

BTW, I had to LOL at the sand castle thing. I honestly never thought twice about how odd it is that he still makes them. However, he does have a preschool-aged little sister who can serve as his cover. (Though it isn't really effective when they constantly bicker about whose castle is better. :lmao:)

I completely agree with you when you say neither one of you would voluntarilly take on solo parenting! When I'm super frustrated I'll tell my husband "If we ever divorce YOU GET THE KIDS!":lmao:

I'm feeling guilty that I get so tired parenting my two ASD kids when I read what others are going through. Mine are mild and I need to stop comparing them to what my friend's kids are like! I need to start focusing on all their positive traits! You all are helping me do that and I'm soooo grateful! I'm humbled by what wonderful parents everyone is and what great examples you are for me! Thank you for that and for showing me that comedy is alive and well in Schmolland! Many of your stories make me laugh!

My sister told me a great story about her friend's child who is on the spectrum. They went to their local aquarium and she couldn't fiqure out why his backpack was all wet. There was a penguin in there! Just trying to picture that kid putting a penguin in his backpack makes me laugh! Yes, Schmolland is a funny place to live!

[iwrbnd]

We will be there July 26-aug 6 or so... Taking a few days in middle to do space launch perhaps and visit Aunt. maybe a meet up?

That's exactly when we're going to be there! We're trying to see a launch, too! A meet up would be fun!

[kirstenb1]

I just want to give :hug::hug:{{{BIG HUGS}}}:hug::hug: to all the parents here, who work so endlessly, so hard, for their kids. I get some of what you are saying, for I work in Schmolland. I am an ed tech, and every day is a new experience. Some days Schmolland seems a lot like Italy (which is where my own trip took me), but some days Schmolland is a far more swinging place than Italy, or even Holland, could ever dream of being! I know about runners, painters, and those who express themselves at full volume. When I return to Italy each afternoon, I am oh, so tired from my day in Schmolland, and often think of those who live there. To be honest (as I can see you are all being), I can't imagine what it must be like to face these challenges day in and day out, with your own child, knowing this is what life will offer for years to come. But I have to ask, do you not have any agencies in your area that offer respite support? I would encourage you to talk with your child's case manager at school (here in ME it's the special ed teacher) to see if there is any kind of community based support available. I am not talking long-term, or even for a weekend, but rather someone who comes in to take on the responsibilities for a couple of hours every day. Working in Schmolland is as fulfilling as it is challenging, but EVERYONE needs a break occasionally. I get mine when the bus leaves in the afternoon... you should have a break too. (I will add that I find the "Holland" analogy far too trite; Schmolland is SO much more realistic!)

Thanks for all you do!!! We don't have respite here, but believe me, every morning when dd gets on her bus, that is respite!

[persimmondeb]

We'll be at WDW from 5/31 to 6/5. We will likely be easy to spot, since here in Schmolland we are as fond of balloons as we are of sandcastles. We do have to buy balloons with OUR OWN money, however, which keeps it to a dull roar. So does having to drive 1100 miles home with one (or more), or at least that's how DH thinks it should work.

[kampfirekim]

I just want to give :hug::hug:{{{BIG HUGS}}}:hug::hug: to all the parents here, who work so endlessly, so hard, for their kids. I get some of what you are saying, for I work in Schmolland....(I will add that I find the "Holland" analogy far too trite; Schmolland is SO much more realistic!)

Thanks for the understanding and support! I agree. Schmolland IS closer to the truth.

We will be there July 26-aug 6 or so... Taking a few days in middle to do space launch perhaps and visit Aunt. maybe a meet up?

Us too! July 22-Aug 6 at Disney's Fort Wilderness.

We'll be at WDW from 5/31 to 6/5. We will likely be easy to spot, since here in Schmolland we are as fond of balloons as we are of sandcastles. We do have to buy balloons with OUR OWN money, however, which keeps it to a dull roar. So does having to drive 1100 miles home with one (or more), or at least that's how DH thinks it should work.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: Roger that! We dropped $20.00 on 2 balloons on our last night last year. :scared1: (Only because I'd already promised BEFORE I knew the price.) I will add that they lasted for a couple of weeks AFTER we got home. :scared1: Luckily we were towing a camper, so the balloons rode home in there. :thumbsup2

[iwrbnd]

Does anybody watch "The Big Bang Theory?" Sheldon reminds me of my 3rd son! (Exagerated, of course) And my oldest son is most like Dr. House on "House". He's smart but not very "other-oriented"! We are constantly saying "THINK OF OTHERS!"

After reading everyone's posts I realize how mild mine are. Their disabilities are mostly hidden. If I compare them to a neuro-typical child they seem different but if I compare them to a typical ASD child they seem normal. I told their doctor in the pool of Autism they got splashed! He completely agreed with my analysis. I think I have a lake house in Schmolland! Some days I visit my lake house more than my regular house and other times I close up my lake house for a while because things are going so well. Last week I was definately visiting my lake house!

[kampfirekim]

A lake house sounds nice. My DS swims underwater like a dolphin in the "pool". We live in the heart of the Capitol City of Schmolland, yes irwbnd, a lake house sounds nice. Although I'm sure you'd rather skip the lake house and just stay home. ;)

BTW, I love your anaysis as well. :thumbsup2

[kaffinito]

i also need help with socks! were do i get seamless ones! i cant handle putting 10 pair on a day to find a pair that dont feel weird!

I just try not to let the seams bother me. :goodvibes Target does have some good ones though - I get mine from the mens section since the material is usually thicker and the seams don't seem as bothersome.

I just want to give :hug::hug:{{{BIG HUGS}}}:hug::hug: to all the parents here, who work so endlessly, so hard, for their kids. I get some of what you are saying, for I work in Schmolland. I am an ed tech, and every day is a new experience.

I get mine when the bus leaves in the afternoon... you should have a break too. (I will add that I find the "Holland" analogy far too trite; Schmolland is SO much more realistic!)

Kudos for all of the hard work you do! :hug: I totally agree with Schmolland being a lot more realistic - the Holland essay did nothing for me, but the Schmolland one had me in tears.

Thanks for all you do!!! We don't have respite here, but believe me, every morning when dd gets on her bus, that is respite!

I too get my respite when the bus leaves in the mornings. :goodvibes

[tabithakp]

thanks for the sock advice we actually dont have targets in canada but im going to buffalo in 2 weeks so i will look for them then!

we are planning our next disney vacation for september 13th to the 24th cant decide if we should stay at the poly or beach club?

[kampfirekim]

thanks for the sock advice we actually dont have targets in canada but im going to buffalo in 2 weeks so i will look for them then!

we are planning our next disney vacation for september 13th to the 24th cant decide if we should stay at the poly or beach club?

Both are fantastic, but if forced into a choice, the Poly would be my pick. The Poly is on Bay Lake, is closer to Magic Kingdom (our fave park) and has a monorail to MK, Contemporary, Grand Floridian and to the TTC for Epcot (you'll have to transfer to another monorail at TTC, but i't no biggie.) and is only a boat right away from Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness Campground (lots of fun there for kids.) The BC is adjacent to the Yacht Club, has a huge pool area, is within walking distance to the Boardwalk and the Swan and Dolphin. (All these resorts are in a circle around a large lake. Very nice.) and is only a boatride away from Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. Lots to do over there. Stunning atmosphere in either place. I could go on forever, but I won''t. You can't go wrong either way. Hope you have a fantastic trip! :thumbsup2

Edit/add: Good luck with the socks.

[clori]

A disser told me about Tootsie's stride rite for seamless socks. www.http://www.tootsiesstriderite.com/ I'm not sure if they ship to Canada but may be worth looking at.

[kampfirekim]

Ignore. I thought my reply didn't post, but I see it now. Sorry.

[kampfirekim]

Calling all Schmollandites! (Or is it Schmutch)? Does anyone else have a prob getting their little darling to take medicine? ....at 5 am? :scared1: I woke around 5 ish to a giant foot repeatedly kicking me in the back, snatching the covers off, holding my eyelids open with his hands, snatching my fingers...etc. You get the idea. "I want an apple". So in favor of more sleep I give hiim the apple. 2 min later...same routine. "I want an apple." I find the previous apple and say, "Finish this apple, you've only taken three bites." No. He needed a NEW apple. One with the peeling unmarred. In the interest of more sleep...you know the drill. Around 2 min later.....yes, same routine, kicking, pulling, eyelids etc. Now he's whining, grunting, anything but talking so I ask, "Do you need to potty?" "NOOOOOOOO!!!" he yells and slaps me. Mind you I have a serious sinus headache and allergies are killing me. I am not in the mood. He's doing the pee pee dance so I know I'm on the right track. He needs to go. But will he just simply go? NO! He will not. The chase is on. Kentucky Derby style. Around the sofa, toward the front door then a dart towards the laundry room. That's when I got him! He had no way out. Off to the potty we go. Now, back to bed, which at this point is an inflatable air mattress in the living room since he can not be trusted roaming the house in the early morning hours. I lay down, get cozy and yep..you guessed it. Same routine...kicking, pulling covers and eyelids etc. Now I can tell he doesn't feel good. It's time for the cold medicine. This is where it got rough...

Have you ever gone to a swamp, chased down an alligator with a cough and congestion. He's quick and doesn't want to be caught so you must hunt, track and capture the grumpy alligator. Finally, you have him cornered. He tries to escape, but you've firmly got hold. Now you're in the full throws of a death roll. All over the swamp. Back and forth. To and fro. It will never end. He repeately hits you with his enormous tail. He even tries to take a bite out of you. But you, knowing he doesn't feel well, MUST give hiim the cold medicine. You finally did it , with both legs around the alligator's middle, one arm arround the back of his head, pinning one of his arms behind your back and the other arm you hold firmly in your hand. With the dropper in the other hand, you successfully accomplish the mission. It is done. He'll feel better soon. I finally doze off for a few minutes...and then...DH is coming through the door, home from working mids. No rest for the weary today.

That was my morning in the Merry Ole Land of Schmolland and the rest of the day wasn't much better. But maybe we'll all feel better tomorrow and things will be brighter. He's just been a little extra, ok, a lot extra, challenging the past few days. Sorry this was so long. Just working it out. Much cheaper than therapy.

[iwrbnd]

Calling all Schmollandites! (Or is it Schmutch)? Does anyone else have a prob getting their little darling to take medicine? ....at 5 am? :scared1: I woke around 5 ish to a giant foot repeatedly kicking me in the back, snatching the covers off, holding my eyelids open with his hands, snatching my fingers...etc. You get the idea. "I want an apple". So in favor of more sleep I give hiim the apple. 2 min later...same routine. "I want an apple." I find the previous apple and say, "Finish this apple, you've only taken three bites." No. He needed a NEW apple. One with the peeling unmarred. In the interest of more sleep...you know the drill. Around 2 min later.....yes, same routine, kicking, pulling, eyelids etc. Now he's whining, grunting, anything but talking so I ask, "Do you need to potty?" "NOOOOOOOO!!!" he yells and slaps me. Mind you I have a serious sinus headache and allergies are killing me. I am not in the mood. He's doing the pee pee dance so I know I'm on the right track. He needs to go. But will he just simply go? NO! He will not. The chase is on. Kentucky Derby style. Around the sofa, toward the front door then a dart towards the laundry room. That's when I got him! He had no way out. Off to the potty we go. Now, back to bed, which at this point is an inflatable air mattress in the living room since he can not be trusted roaming the house in the early morning hours. I lay down, get cozy and yep..you guessed it. Same routine...kicking, pulling covers and eyelids etc. Now I can tell he doesn't feel good. It's time for the cold medicine. This is where it got rough...

Have you ever gone to a swamp, chased down an alligator with a cough and congestion. He's quick and doesn't want to be caught so you must hunt, track and capture the grumpy alligator. Finally, you have him cornered. He tries to escape, but you've firmly got hold. Now you're in the full throws of a death roll. All over the swamp. Back and forth. To and fro. It will never end. He repeately hits you with his enormous tail. He even tries to take a bite out of you. But you, knowing he doesn't feel well, MUST give hiim the cold medicine. You finally did it , with both legs around the alligator's middle, one arm arround the back of his head, pinning one of his arms behind your back and the other arm you hold firmly in your hand. With the dropper in the other hand, you successfully accomplish the mission. It is done. He'll feel better soon. I finally doze off for a few minutes...and then...DH is coming through the door, home from working mids. No rest for the weary today.

That was my morning in the Merry Ole Land of Schmolland and the rest of the day wasn't much better. But maybe we'll all feel better tomorrow and things will be brighter. He's just been a little extra, ok, a lot extra, challenging the past few days. Sorry this was so long. Just working it out. Much cheaper than therapy.

Sorry you didn't get much sleep but I'm glad you shared your story! It made me smile trying to picture you wresting your alligator/son! Medicine hasn't been tough for us but I've had a similiar scene with medicine and my cat!!!You have a way with words and really should write a book! Maybe a book about living in this country of Schmolland! I hope your son's cold is better!

[iwrbnd]

A lake house sounds nice. My DS swims underwater like a dolphin in the "pool". We live in the heart of the Capitol City of Schmolland, yes irwbnd, a lake house sounds nice. Although I'm sure you'd rather skip the lake house and just stay home. ;)

BTW, I love your anaysis as well. :thumbsup2

You're funny about the dolphin analogy! I think the mom's in Schmolland have the best sense of humor, don't you? When we've been living at our lake house longer than normal I'll say to my DH "I don't think DS got splashed anymore, I think he took an olympic dive right in!" :lmao:

And you're right, as much as I like the residents of Schmolland I would gladly sell my lake house for a permanent residence across the border!

[Brightsy]

Calling all Schmollandites! (Or is it Schmutch)? Does anyone else have a prob getting their little darling to take medicine? (snip)

Have you ever gone to a swamp, chased down an alligator with a cough and congestion. He's quick and doesn't want to be caught so you must hunt, track and capture the grumpy alligator. Finally, you have him cornered. He tries to escape, but you've firmly got hold. Now you're in the full throws of a death roll. All over the swamp. Back and forth. To and fro. It will never end. He repeately hits you with his enormous tail. He even tries to take a bite out of you. But you, knowing he doesn't feel well, MUST give hiim the cold medicine. You finally did it , with both legs around the alligator's middle, one arm arround the back of his head, pinning one of his arms behind your back and the other arm you hold firmly in your hand. With the dropper in the other hand, you successfully accomplish the mission. It is done. (Snip)
.

This is my DS! He refuses to take any form of oral medication! He'll even choose a shot for antibiotics over oral meds, and he knows those shots hurt! (Luckily it's been over a year since the last time he needed antibiotics.) We've pretty much given up on oral meds. If he needs a fever reducer we use a supposity form. Sadly they don't make cold meds in that form so if he has a cold he has to suffer through whatever symptoms the Feverall doesn't cover.
One time, a few years ago, my DS had the flu (regular flu, this was before H1N1) and he ended up in the hospital because he wouldn't eat or drink, he wouldn't take any meds that would make him feel better so he'd want to eat or drink. *sigh*
If we pin him down and manage to get the meds into him he's so distraught by the ordeal he throws it all up shortly after... it's pretty awful. When the kids start getting icky feeling I find myself hoping that my older DS gets the worst of it, only because I know he'll take the meds! (Not that I'd want either of my kids to get sick...)
Half the Dr.s I've spoken to about the issue treat me like I'm a clueless idiot for not making him take the meds...the other half have tried to work w/ us on it. Ugh...,
Thanks for venting, it makes me feel better knowing I'm not alone!

[Earstou]

Calling all Schmollandites! (Or is it Schmutch)? Does anyone else have a prob getting their little darling to take medicine? .........
But you, knowing he doesn't feel well, MUST give hiim the cold medicine. You finally did it , with both legs around the alligator's middle, one arm arround the back of his head, pinning one of his arms behind your back and the other arm you hold firmly in your hand. With the dropper in the other hand, you successfully accomplish the mission. It is done. He'll feel better soon.


Liquids were always spewed all over, so even after all the wrestling, I would accomplish nothing!
But ds is an older teen now, and will occasionally ASK for medicine!

[iwrbnd]

This is my DS! He refuses to take any form of oral medication! He'll even choose a shot for antibiotics over oral meds, and he knows those shots hurt! (Luckily it's been over a year since the last time he needed antibiotics.) We've pretty much given up on oral meds. If he needs a fever reducer we use a supposity form. Sadly they don't make cold meds in that form so if he has a cold he has to suffer through whatever symptoms the Feverall doesn't cover.
One time, a few years ago, my DS had the flu (regular flu, this was before H1N1) and he ended up in the hospital because he wouldn't eat or drink, he wouldn't take any meds that would make him feel better so he'd want to eat or drink. *sigh*
If we pin him down and manage to get the meds into him he's so distraught by the ordeal he throws it all up shortly after... it's pretty awful. When the kids start getting icky feeling I find myself hoping that my older DS gets the worst of it, only because I know he'll take the meds! (Not that I'd want either of my kids to get sick...)
Half the Dr.s I've spoken to about the issue treat me like I'm a clueless idiot for not making him take the meds...the other half have tried to work w/ us on it. Ugh...,
Thanks for venting, it makes me feel better knowing I'm not alone!

Sorry your DS had to be hospitalized for the flu! In Schmolland the medical community has to treat illnesses a little differently. My husband's partner at work had his son put under anesthesia to get his teeth cleaned! Definately not your typical treatment plan!

[kampfirekim]

Sorry you didn't get much sleep but I'm glad you shared your story! It made me smile trying to picture you wresting your alligator/son! Medicine hasn't been tough for us but I've had a similiar scene with medicine and my cat!!!You have a way with words and really should write a book! Maybe a book about living in this country of Schmolland! I hope your son's cold is better!

Thanks! Humor is my coping mechanism. There's always a funny story if you're willing to see it. Especially in Schmolland. Thankfully DS's cold is better. In fact he slept through the night and so did I. In fact, I slept soooo soundly that I slept THROUGH the alarm and it turned off automatically unheard by me. :rotfl: Obviously the kids were late for school.

You're funny about the dolphin analogy! I think the mom's in Schmolland have the best sense of humor, don't you? When we've been living at our lake house longer than normal I'll say to my DH "I don't think DS got splashed anymore, I think he took an olympic dive right in!" :lmao:
And you're right, as much as I like the residents of Schmolland I would gladly sell my lake house for a permanent residence across the border!

I totally agree. Schmolland mom's DO have the best sense of humor. I think it's God given to keep us sane! I like the olympic dive. Funny. Very ironic for me because DS is a fantastic swimmer in any nation. He really does swim like a dolphin. :lmao: I've actually considered finding a program. I'd gladly sell my Schmolland home and move across the border too. :flower3:

This is my DS! He refuses to take any form of oral medication! He'll even choose a shot for antibiotics over oral meds, and he knows those shots hurt! (Luckily it's been over a year since the last time he needed antibiotics.) We've pretty much given up on oral meds. If he needs a fever reducer we use a supposity form. Sadly they don't make cold meds in that form so if he has a cold he has to suffer through whatever symptoms the Feverall doesn't cover.
One time, a few years ago, my DS had the flu (regular flu, this was before H1N1) and he ended up in the hospital because he wouldn't eat or drink, he wouldn't take any meds that would make him feel better so he'd want to eat or drink. *sigh*
If we pin him down and manage to get the meds into him he's so distraught by the ordeal he throws it all up shortly after... it's pretty awful. When the kids start getting icky feeling I find myself hoping that my older DS gets the worst of it, only because I know he'll take the meds! (Not that I'd want either of my kids to get sick...)
Half the Dr.s I've spoken to about the issue treat me like I'm a clueless idiot for not making him take the meds...the other half have tried to work w/ us on it. Ugh...,
Thanks for venting, it makes me feel better knowing I'm not alone!

In this merry old land, you're never alone. We get it and share your pain. I haven't had a problem w/Docs treating me badly, but I did have a run in with the school nurse that resulted in a 7 page handwritten letter to the principal stating that DS was never to see the school nurse again without his teacher/aids or my mom (she works at his school) present. Included was also a subtle threat of going to the area superintendent if EVER there was another incident. Sidenote: Nurse was unprofessional, rude, lied, spread rumors and clearly violated HIPPA. She should consider herself lucky. Don't mess with mama bear's cubs! I haven't found the humor in that one yet, but I'm still looking. :flower3:

[kampfirekim]

Sorry your DS had to be hospitalized for the flu! In Schmolland the medical community has to treat illnesses a little differently. My husband's partner at work had his son put under anesthesia to get his teeth cleaned! Definately not your typical treatment plan!
Yes, Brightsy, I'm sorry too that it took a hospital visit for you DS to get better.
iwrbnd, that's our dental treatment plan too. DS had to be put under gen. anesthesia for the exam! Enough time was scheduled for any necessary work to be done. Life in Schmolland can be complicated, but it's never dull.

Liquids were always spewed all over, so even after all the wrestling, I would accomplish nothing!
But ds is an older teen now, and will occasionally ASK for medicine!

That's progress! :thumbsup2

[cccdisney]

Calling all Schmollandites! (Or is it Schmutch)? Does anyone else have a prob getting their little darling to take medicine? ....at 5 am? :scared1: I woke around 5 ish to a giant foot repeatedly kicking me in the back, snatching the covers off, holding my eyelids open with his hands, snatching my fingers...etc. You get the idea. "I want an apple". So in favor of more sleep I give hiim the apple. 2 min later...same routine. "I want an apple." I find the previous apple and say, "Finish this apple, you've only taken three bites." No. He needed a NEW apple. One with the peeling unmarred. In the interest of more sleep...you know the drill. Around 2 min later.....yes, same routine, kicking, pulling, eyelids etc. Now he's whining, grunting, anything but talking so I ask, "Do you need to potty?" "NOOOOOOOO!!!" he yells and slaps me. Mind you I have a serious sinus headache and allergies are killing me. I am not in the mood. He's doing the pee pee dance so I know I'm on the right track. He needs to go. But will he just simply go? NO! He will not. The chase is on. Kentucky Derby style. Around the sofa, toward the front door then a dart towards the laundry room. That's when I got him! He had no way out. Off to the potty we go. Now, back to bed, which at this point is an inflatable air mattress in the living room since he can not be trusted roaming the house in the early morning hours. I lay down, get cozy and yep..you guessed it. Same routine...kicking, pulling covers and eyelids etc. Now I can tell he doesn't feel good. It's time for the cold medicine. This is where it got rough...

Have you ever gone to a swamp, chased down an alligator with a cough and congestion. He's quick and doesn't want to be caught so you must hunt, track and capture the grumpy alligator. Finally, you have him cornered. He tries to escape, but you've firmly got hold. Now you're in the full throws of a death roll. All over the swamp. Back and forth. To and fro. It will never end. He repeately hits you with his enormous tail. He even tries to take a bite out of you. But you, knowing he doesn't feel well, MUST give hiim the cold medicine. You finally did it , with both legs around the alligator's middle, one arm arround the back of his head, pinning one of his arms behind your back and the other arm you hold firmly in your hand. With the dropper in the other hand, you successfully accomplish the mission. It is done. He'll feel better soon. I finally doze off for a few minutes...and then...DH is coming through the door, home from working mids. No rest for the weary today.

That was my morning in the Merry Ole Land of Schmolland and the rest of the day wasn't much better. But maybe we'll all feel better tomorrow and things will be brighter. He's just been a little extra, ok, a lot extra, challenging the past few days. Sorry this was so long. Just working it out. Much cheaper than therapy.

:rotfl: Can I just say I LOVE readying your posts! :love: You are a great writer!

Anyway - been there, done that. Except if I do ever manage to get any type of liquid medicine in him he just spits it back out! :confused3 He just take those chewable tylenol though so that helps if he has a fever.

[kampfirekim]

:rotfl: Can I just say I LOVE readying your posts! :love: You are a great writer!

Anyway - been there, done that. Except if I do ever manage to get any type of liquid medicine in him he just spits it back out! :confused3 He just take those chewable tylenol though so that helps if he has a fever.

Thanks, that's sweet of you. I wish mine would just take a pill, you're lucky (at least on that point). That's proof positive that no two Schmollandites are the same....
Mine will spit out the chewables, but if I can get him trapped, pinned, caged...whatever...then I can dispense 1-2 drops at a time, too little to spit. However, just tonight at older DS's T-Ball game, he took a pill and chewed it right up AND swallowed. I was floored! I had the water and cup in hand to dissove the pill and work my trickery/magic. But he just took it! Just like that! No fight, no screams, no kicks, not even a slap. Wonders never cease in this great land. Sidenote: I will add that he rolled around in the dirt like a 3 yr old, threw sand in the air (the wind was whipping) so no further explanation needed there! He tried to run away once, but I got him. Best of all he enjoyed a nice snack of popcorn...from off the ground! :sad2:

I think I've come to the conclusion that this place called Schmolland is not simply another country...it's a parallel universe.

[iwrbnd]

Thanks, that's sweet of you. I wish mine would just take a pill, you're lucky (at least on that point). That's proof positive that no two Schmollandites are the same....
Mine will spit out the chewables, but if I can get him trapped, pinned, caged...whatever...then I can dispense 1-2 drops at a time, too little to spit. However, just tonight at older DS's T-Ball game, he took a pill and chewed it right up AND swallowed. I was floored! I had the water and cup in hand to dissove the pill and work my trickery/magic. But he just took it! Just like that! No fight, no screams, no kicks, not even a slap. Wonders never cease in this great land. Sidenote: I will add that he rolled around in the dirt like a 3 yr old, threw sand in the air (the wind was whipping) so no further explanation needed there! He tried to run away once, but I got him. Best of all he enjoyed a nice snack of popcorn...from off the ground! :sad2:

I think I've come to the conclusion that this place called Schmolland is not simply another country...it's a parallel universe.

Oh, kampfirekim, the tag fairy should just follow your every post!:lmao: You could have 10 tags from just one of your stories!!!:rotfl2: Thanks for sharing your struggles and helping us learn and smile from them!:lovestruc

[kampfirekim]

Oh, kampfirekim, the tag fairy should just follow your every post!:lmao: You could have 10 tags from just one of your stories!!!:rotfl2: Thanks for sharing your struggles and helping us learn and smile from them!:lovestruc

Thanks! I've heard of the tag fairy, but I don't know where to find her. I'm not even sure I know what a tag is. :rotfl: I'ts one of those things I know I SHOULD know, but I'm just not sure. :laughing: I'm glad I could make you smile. Life gets tough for all of us. Believe me, I have moments where my head could burst into flames at any given moment, or as someone else said, keep driving past my house and never look back ...but I don't because I know that even though life is tough sometimes, I love my family and I wouldn't trade them for anything in this world. :love: They were a gift to me from God and I embrace that gift with all the love I have to give.

Hey! On your next post you should try to put a funny twist on something! It'll make you laugh even if no one else does! Yes, sometimes I laugh alone. Go ahead, I dare you. :hug:

Edit/add: BTW, if I forgot to mention it....I love this thread!

[cccdisney]

Oh, kampfirekim, the tag fairy should just follow your every post!:lmao: You could have 10 tags from just one of your stories!!!:rotfl2: Thanks for sharing your struggles and helping us learn and smile from them!:lovestruc

I agree! :thumbsup2 Where is that tag fairy? :wizard:



Edit/add: BTW, if I forgot to mention it....I love this thread!

I love this thread also! :yay: Support (and venting) is so important. Sometimes I vent on FB and then feel guilty afterward. :sad2:


My son will also eat off the ground. Another big problem we have is that he will take food/drinks from people. To him the world is a buffet.:eek: I can't tell you how many times I've had to apologize to people when he walks up and takes food out of their hands and eats it. Most people are so shocked they don't know what to say :scared1: However, some people can be downright mean about it.:mad:

[BreTyPres87]

My son is 3 with autism spectrum disorder and I have those feelings of frustration all of the time and it makes me sad to feel this way but it's like I never get a moment to think with him, besides when he's at school. He is always up to something and I can't even send him to bed without being in the room with him because he will destroy everything which just means more work for me,i've been trying to dry the carpet in my basement for the last month because he ran the bathroom sink and caused the entire basement to flood (while he was supposed to be down for a nap), he has severe sleeping problems so a 9 pm bedtime means he'll be up and jumping around at 3 am if not earlier and I get 4 hours of sleep a night at the most. its frustrating and You're not alone!!:grouphug:

[cccdisney]

My son is 3 with autism spectrum disorder and I have those feelings of frustration all of the time and it makes me sad to feel this way but it's like I never get a moment to think with him, besides when he's at school. He is always up to something and I can't even send him to bed without being in the room with him because he will destroy everything which just means more work for me,i've been trying to dry the carpet in my basement for the last month because he ran the bathroom sink and caused the entire basement to flood (while he was supposed to be down for a nap), he has severe sleeping problems so a 9 pm bedtime means he'll be up and jumping around at 3 am if not earlier and I get 4 hours of sleep a night at the most. its frustrating and You're not alone!!:grouphug:

:hug: Don't you just hate the sleep issues?? And it is so hard to deal with things when you only are sleeping 4 hours a night - believe me, I know also!:sad2:
My son only sleeps because he is on meds. W/out them he would stay up all night. Have you tried time release Melatonin? It's over the counter. Or maybe even a prescription? My son is on a combo of clonidine and trazadone.

Hope you get some sleep tonight! :hug:

[kampfirekim]

I agree! :thumbsup2 Where is that tag fairy? :wizard:

I love this thread also! :yay: Support (and venting) is so important. Sometimes I vent on FB and then feel guilty afterward. :sad2:

My son will also eat off the ground. Another big problem we have is that he will take food/drinks from people. To him the world is a buffet.:eek: I can't tell you how many times I've had to apologize to people when he walks up and takes food out of their hands and eats it. Most people are so shocked they don't know what to say :scared1: However, some people can be downright mean about it.:mad:

Someone PLEEEAASSEE tell me what a tag is and where I can find one! I'm serious this time...I REALLY don't know! :laughing:

You're right CCC! Friends on FB may sympathize, but they don't necessarily understand. I reserve my venting/therapy process for my sistas on the Dis. I know you'll get me! {{{{BIG GROUP HUG}}}}

:lmao::lmao::lmao: I understand about the food theft and eating off the ground. Life's a smorgasboard to my DS as well. I just thought this morning about the parallel universe thing. I don't know if any of you ever saw the episode of Seinfeld where Elaine was in Bizzzaro world. Everything was the same....but NOT! That's how I feel sometimes. Like we're just the same as every other family...but NOT! Living side by side, but not necessarily connected to the OTHERS. Just my odd mind at work again!

My son is 3 with autism spectrum disorder and I have those feelings of frustration all of the time and it makes me sad to feel this way but it's like I never get a moment to think with him, besides when he's at school. He is always up to something and I can't even send him to bed without being in the room with him because he will destroy everything which just means more work for me,i've been trying to dry the carpet in my basement for the last month because he ran the bathroom sink and caused the entire basement to flood (while he was supposed to be down for a nap), he has severe sleeping problems so a 9 pm bedtime means he'll be up and jumping around at 3 am if not earlier and I get 4 hours of sleep a night at the most. its frustrating and You're not alone!!:grouphug:

Aw sweetie, we understand. Yours sounds a lot like mine! (Only what I have to clean out of the carpet isn't water. :rolleyes:) Hang around with us awhile. We're a great group to share stories with. So far no judging only love and support. :love: Hope it stays that way!

:hug: Don't you just hate the sleep issues?? And it is so hard to deal with things when you only are sleeping 4 hours a night - believe me, I know also!:sad2:
My son only sleeps because he is on meds. W/out them he would stay up all night. Have you tried time release Melatonin? It's over the counter. Or maybe even a prescription? My son is on a combo of clonidine and trazadone.

Hope you get some sleep tonight! :hug:

4 hours is about my average too. My DS takes clonidine for sleep as well. If not he would only sleep a few hours a night. KFK would go insane!!!! He's on Risperidone for behavioral issues. Good success with that. I've heard that the Melatonin works well, but I haven't tried it yet.

I had a serious BFF issue yesterday. No, I didn't have an argument with my best friend. In my world a BFF is a double BRAIN FLUFF! :rotfl: I picked up DS from school and decided I would take him to the park for awhile, so DH could get a little extra sleep after working all night. (As I said before...no rest for the weary when DS is on the loose!) So I make a u turn to go back to the park. Then I drive completely past the park without even noticing. When I realize what I've done, I was almost back to the school. :sad2: Another u turn is in order. Later around 1pm I decided today was the day to clean the car. So I get the bucket, rag, soap and get started. (The only reason I was even washing the car is because it was so filthy I was too ashamed to pick up my oldest son from school in it for even one more day!) I quickly decide that I'm really not feeling it. So...I washed the side that faces the school! :rotfl: (I did go back and finish the job later...that was even strange in Schmolland.) :love: Love you gals!

[persimmondeb]

DS still thinks the 5-second rule should apply too! Lord only knows what he eats when I'm not watching. We are, at least, approaching the time of life when these things are becoming his responsibility, and not mine! Enforcing the "no eating if it falls on the ground rule" does make him a little more careful with plates and glasses, though.

He once grabbed some shredded daikon of the plate of the woman next to him at a sushi bar (she was finished, and thought it was funny, fortunately, and he was still pretty little), but he was never bad about respecting other people's food.

I'm not sure if he always sleeps through the night or not, but early on he discovered that if you turn the TV on low, it will not wake your parents up, and you can watch TV in peace for hours with no-one being the wiser. Apparently at one point the Cartoon Network was running Scooby-Doo episodes at 3 am for the benefit of insomniac kindergartners.

This sounds counter-intuitive, but we have always found that a little coffee early in the day makes his circadian rythyms more like most people's. He loves the taste of it, and was always crazy to get some, even when he was very small. We started letting him have a little in milk shortly after the discovery of his nocturnal Scooby-Doo marathons (particularily since he kept falling asleep in class and it was making his first-grade teacher wild) and it made a big difference.

[iwrbnd]

I love this thread, too and all the my new neighbor friends I've met that live in Scmolland with me! :lovestruc

I have to second the Melatonin for sleep issues! It is a life-saver for us!

My two ASD boys don't eat food off the floor...they just don't eat! There are a few foods on their accepted list but it's slim pickings!

I have to add myself to the BFF problems! I get "brain fluff" all the time I just didn't know the offical Scmolland name for it!

And kampfirekim, the tag fairy is somebody that finds something funny you've posted (usually out of context) and puts it above your avatar picture. They are funny to read! You know it's the tag fairy that did it and not the OP because it will be in color. I love reading them but sadly I don't have one.:sad1:

:hug: and :lovestruc to everybody today!

[BreTyPres87]

:hug: Don't you just hate the sleep issues?? And it is so hard to deal with things when you only are sleeping 4 hours a night - believe me, I know also!:sad2:
My son only sleeps because he is on meds. W/out them he would stay up all night. Have you tried time release Melatonin? It's over the counter. Or maybe even a prescription? My son is on a combo of clonidine and trazadone.

Hope you get some sleep tonight! :hug:

I got 4 hours last night! Tea has become my best friend...
My mom ordered some liquid melatonin for me and I am going to try it over the weekend, *crossed fingers* The doctors don't want to give him meds yet -he's 3- but I will continue to ask ,the next worry would be how to get him to take that stuff.. I was on trazadone when I was younger.. that stuff is STRONG!





Aw sweetie, we understand. Yours sounds a lot like mine! (Only what I have to clean out of the carpet isn't water. :rolleyes:) Hang around with us awhile. We're a great group to share stories with. So far no judging only love and support. :love: Hope it stays that way!



4 hours is about my average too. My DS takes clonidine for sleep as well. If not he would only sleep a few hours a night. KFK would go insane!!!! He's on Risperidone for behavioral issues. Good success with that. I've heard that the Melatonin works well, but I haven't tried it yet.

I had a serious BFF issue yesterday. No, I didn't have an argument with my best friend. In my world a BFF is a double BRAIN FLUFF! :rotfl: I picked up DS from school and decided I would take him to the park for awhile, so DH could get a little extra sleep after working all night. (As I said before...no rest for the weary when DS is on the loose!) So I make a u turn to go back to the park. Then I drive completely past the park without even noticing. When I realize what I've done, I was almost back to the school. :sad2: Another u turn is in order. Later around 1pm I decided today was the day to clean the car. So I get the bucket, rag, soap and get started. (The only reason I was even washing the car is because it was so filthy I was too ashamed to pick up my oldest son from school in it for even one more day!) I quickly decide that I'm really not feeling it. So...I washed the side that faces the school! :rotfl: (I did go back and finish the job later...that was even strange in Schmolland.) :love: Love you gals!
Thank you very much! :)
I had a short period of poop smearing and peeing on the floor with him, I hope that never comes back :scared1:

:laughing: @ washing the side that faces the school
I have those brain fluff moments on a daily basis the kids took our brains!!
DS still thinks the 5-second rule should apply too! Lord only knows what he eats when I'm not watching. We are, at least, approaching the time of life when these things are becoming his responsibility, and not mine! Enforcing the "no eating if it falls on the ground rule" does make him a little more careful with plates and glasses, though.

He once grabbed some shredded daikon of the plate of the woman next to him at a sushi bar (she was finished, and thought it was funny, fortunately, and he was still pretty little), but he was never bad about respecting other people's food.

I'm not sure if he always sleeps through the night or not, but early on he discovered that if you turn the TV on low, it will not wake your parents up, and you can watch TV in peace for hours with no-one being the wiser. Apparently at one point the Cartoon Network was running Scooby-Doo episodes at 3 am for the benefit of insomniac kindergartners.

This sounds counter-intuitive, but we have always found that a little coffee early in the day makes his circadian rythyms more like most people's. He loves the taste of it, and was always crazy to get some, even when he was very small. We started letting him have a little in milk shortly after the discovery of his nocturnal Scooby-Doo marathons (particularily since he kept falling asleep in class and it was making his first-grade teacher wild) and it made a big difference.
My son does this too!! he will drink and eat anything that is sitting not being eaten especially when he sees something in a Mcdonalds package its like he's found gold! I guess they figure "why waste it?!" lol

[persimmondeb]

He was absolutely fascinated by that daikon. It had been shredded very finely, and looked like little transparent strings. He had been staring at it as she ate, and I think he was just waiting until she finished to get some for himself!

We uusally try not to sit him next to strangers at a counter, for a number of reasons to do with the quality of said stranger's dining experience, but it was just me and him that time, and the only seats were in the middle of the counter, and she seemed much friendlier than the guy on the other side.

She was very nice, actually, and quite taken by the sight of him happily munching on raw fish (he was only about 4, I think).

[kampfirekim]

Lord only knows what he eats when I'm not watching.

I'm not sure if he always sleeps through the night or not, but early on he discovered that if you turn the TV on low, it will not wake your parents up, and you can watch TV in peace for hours with no-one being the wiser. Apparently at one point the Cartoon Network was running Scooby-Doo episodes at 3 am for the benefit of insomniac kindergartners.

This sounds counter-intuitive, but we have always found that a little coffee early in the day makes his circadian rythyms more like most people's. He loves the taste of it, and was always crazy to get some, even when he was very small. We started letting him have a little in milk shortly after the discovery of his nocturnal Scooby-Doo marathons (particularily since he kept falling asleep in class and it was making his first-grade teacher wild) and it made a big difference.

:rotfl2: :lmao: There's no telling what mine eats either! :scared:

I get it about the coffee. If you leave your cup unattended for a millisecond, he will suck it dry! I don't know what circadian rythms are, but it always seemed to calm him down a little. :laughing:

I love this thread, too and all the my new neighbor friends I've met that live in Scmolland with me! :lovestruc

I have to add myself to the BFF problems! I get "brain fluff" all the time I just didn't know the offical Scmolland name for it!

And kampfirekim, the tag fairy is somebody that finds something funny you've posted (usually out of context) and puts it above your avatar picture. They are funny to read! You know it's the tag fairy that did it and not the OP because it will be in color. I love reading them but sadly I don't have one.:sad1:

:hug: and :lovestruc to everybody today!

I don't know if it was actually the official name, but I make a motion. From henceforth and forevermore in the Land of Schmolland, BFF shall officially be known as a double brain fluff. :lmao: (I think we need a national flag.)

OOOHHHHH!!!! Now I get it. I was wondering how people got the different colored sayings on there! It was the tag fairy! (BFF):sad2:

I got 4 hours last night! Tea has become my best friend...
My mom ordered some liquid melatonin for me and I am going to try it over the weekend, *crossed fingers* The doctors don't want to give him meds yet -he's 3- but I will continue to ask ,the next worry would be how to get him to take that stuff.. I was on trazadone when I was younger.. that stuff is STRONG!


Thank you very much! :)
I had a short period of poop smearing and peeing on the floor with him, I hope that never comes back :scared1:

:laughing: @ washing the side that faces the school
I have those brain fluff moments on a daily basis the kids took our brains!!

My son does this too!! he will drink and eat anything that is sitting not being eaten especially when he sees something in a Mcdonalds package its like he's found gold! I guess they figure "why waste it?!" lol

Looks like 4 hours is the national average in our great land. Hope the melatonin works for your little darling. I've heard it's great! When in doubt on how to administer meds...refer to the alligator story. :laughing:

The fingerpainting issue seems to be BEHIND us now. But peeing on the floor is still an issue for me...oh wait...I meant DS. It's a prob for DS!

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love::l ove::love::love: Does anyone else here get giddy while reading these posts?

Also, have you ever thought about what the lurkers must be thinking when they read this stuff?:rotfl2:

[persimmondeb]

Circadian rythms are your wake/sleep cycle. They vary from individual to individual, but most people have some version of awake in the day/asleep at night. If let, DS would take a mid-day nap and a very early morning one, and otherwise be up, up, up!

Coffee in the morning seems to let him skip or delay the mid-afternoon nap, and sleep at something resembling a normal bedtime (midnight or a little before) and usually sleep through until he's awakened for school. It does also seem to make him calmer, and certainly less cranky if he's tired. I ran it past his neurologist, who felt that he was trying to tell us something, and should have it if he wanted it.

[iwrbnd]

I also love this thread!:lovestruc I smile and laugh as I read all the stories while feeling empowered to do better with my own little Schmollandites!

I second the motion to add BFF to the official Schmolland dictionary!:thumbsup2 You could add my picture to it for an illlustration!:laughing:

[cccdisney]

I got 4 hours last night! Tea has become my best friend...
My mom ordered some liquid melatonin for me and I am going to try it over the weekend, *crossed fingers* The doctors don't want to give him meds yet -he's 3- but I will continue to ask ,the next worry would be how to get him to take that stuff.. I was on trazadone when I was younger.. that stuff is STRONG!

My son does this too!! he will drink and eat anything that is sitting not being eaten especially when he sees something in a Mcdonalds package its like he's found gold! I guess they figure "why waste it?!" lol

Melatonin worked great for my son at that age. But by four he needed something stronger. He started taking Clonidine - and later added Trazadone to the mix. He STILL wakes up every night - but now most nights he goes right back to sleep. :thumbsup2

Fast food places is the worst. In fact one of the hardest places to take him is a McDonald's Playplace (or similar). All the food and drinks laying around the tables - just asking for trouble.:sad2: If he sees it and wants it, he takes it! Even if the other child is holding it. :eek:

[kampfirekim]

Circadian rythms are your wake/sleep cycle. They vary from individual to individual, but most people have some version of awake in the day/asleep at night. If let, DS would take a mid-day nap and a very early morning one, and otherwise be up, up, up!

Coffee in the morning seems to let him skip or delay the mid-afternoon nap, and sleep at something resembling a normal bedtime (midnight or a little before) and usually sleep through until he's awakened for school. It does also seem to make him calmer, and certainly less cranky if he's tired. I ran it past his neurologist, who felt that he was trying to tell us something, and should have it if he wanted it.

Thanks for the info! We too know about the coffee thing. You can't leave your cup unattended for a second or it will mysteriously vanish. Then DS will have a mysterious coffee moustache appear! :confused3 The caffeine helps calm him as well.
I also love this thread!:lovestruc I smile and laugh as I read all the stories while feeling empowered to do better with my own little Schmollandites!

I second the motion to add BFF to the official Schmolland dictionary!:thumbsup2 You could add my picture to it for an illlustration!:laughing:

:thumbsup2 I feel the same!

We have a motion, a second to the motion, the motion carries. BFF (double brain fluff) shall be added to the official Schmolland dictionary. Should we start a dictionary page devoted to Schmolland translations? The lurkers may become confused and disoriented after a while. :rotfl:

[Kat77]

My sister told me a great story about her friend's child who is on the spectrum. They went to their local aquarium and she couldn't fiqure out why his backpack was all wet. There was a penguin in there! Just trying to picture that kid putting a penguin in his backpack makes me laugh! Yes, Schmolland is a funny place to live!
I tried to post about this earlier but nothing was working for me.
This really made me laugh!!! Can you imagine if the penguin had actually made it home?! I have this mental image of some poor mom walking into her kids bathroom and discovering a freaking penguin! :lmao: Then, she would have to decide whether or not to smuggle it back into the aquarium or call animal control....:rotfl2:

[BreTyPres87]

Circadian rythms are your wake/sleep cycle. They vary from individual to individual, but most people have some version of awake in the day/asleep at night. If let, DS would take a mid-day nap and a very early morning one, and otherwise be up, up, up!

Coffee in the morning seems to let him skip or delay the mid-afternoon nap, and sleep at something resembling a normal bedtime (midnight or a little before) and usually sleep through until he's awakened for school. It does also seem to make him calmer, and certainly less cranky if he's tired. I ran it past his neurologist, who felt that he was trying to tell us something, and should have it if he wanted it.

I wish I could try coffee or tea with my son! He is very picky about his liquids though , we just got him drinking milk again after almost 2 hours of refusing :banana:
Warm drinks are the only ones I know I can drink alone lol which is why I have started heating up my own apple juice :laughing: my mom asked me if I was a baby..


Does anyone deal with a super picky ASD child? My son is now eating pb&j, ham sandwiches, hamburgers but ONLY the burger,and french fries, oh and the top off of pizza, and of course all of the JUNK he shouldn't be... If someone saw how much food is wasted they would :sad1: any tips on that one?

[iwrbnd]

I wish I could try coffee or tea with my son! He is very picky about his liquids though , we just got him drinking milk again after almost 2 hours of refusing :banana:
Warm drinks are the only ones I know I can drink alone lol which is why I have started heating up my own apple juice :laughing: my mom asked me if I was a baby..


Does anyone deal with a super picky ASD child? My son is now eating pb&j, ham sandwiches, hamburgers but ONLY the burger,and french fries, oh and the top off of pizza, and of course all of the JUNK he shouldn't be... If someone saw how much food is wasted they would :sad1: any tips on that one?

My ASD boys have bad food issues. DS11 will gag if he even sees a food that he doesn't like! He mostly lives on Ensure (well, Walmart's version called Equate) and is developing great on it. He is rarely sick, gets straight A's and is on the math team. I fiqure his brain must be doing okay on that stuff! My DS17 has improved his eating sooo much since he turned 16 so there's still hope!

Eating is hard because they have complete control over what goes into their body. I would try not to fight it too much. I had a friend that said "I count a tortilla and a vitamin a complete meal!" (Her child would only eat the tortilla and nothing in it)

It's frustrating, isn't it!

[persimmondeb]

I'm no help with that, unfortunately, since DS is one of those Aspies for whom there are only "interesting" tastes. We asked him the other day to think of five foods he didn't like and he just sat there, obviously thinking very hard, and unable to come up with any.

My DH, on the other hand, is terribly, terribly picky, although he is not on the spectrum. Sometimes if it appears on the table often enough, he'll take a bite. Sometimes he'll even eat it again.

[kampfirekim]

Warm drinks are the only ones I know I can drink alone lol which is why I have started heating up my own apple juice :laughing: my mom asked me if I was a baby..


Does anyone deal with a super picky ASD child? My son is now eating pb&j, ham sandwiches, hamburgers but ONLY the burger,and french fries, oh and the top off of pizza, and of course all of the JUNK he shouldn't be... If someone saw how much food is wasted they would :sad1: any tips on that one?

:lmao: Love the warm juice! That's so funny! My DS is picky too. That menu looks very familiar. :sad2: (Luckily he does like fruit!)

He mostly lives on Ensure (well, Walmart's version called Equate) and is developing great on it. He is rarely sick, gets straight A's and is on the math team. I fiqure his brain must be doing okay on that stuff! My DS17 has improved his eating sooo much since he turned 16 so there's still hope!

Eating is hard because they have complete control over what goes into their body. I would try not to fight it too much. I had a friend that said "I count a tortilla and a vitamin a complete meal!" (Her child would only eat the tortilla and nothing in it)

It's frustrating, isn't it!

The Ensure (Wal-Mart version) is a GREAT idea! Thanks for sharing. I'm gonna try that one!

I agree sometimes the tortilla and a vitamina ARE the whole meal. :laughing:

Had quite a morning! DS could not focus for one second to get ready for school. All he could do was wander through the house in something that resembled the flight pattern of a bumble bee while shaking a rubber bunny in his hand......and that was my neurotypical child! What? Did we all trip and fall and land on the spectrum today? DS, the little Schmutch one, had to be dragged from the house by the legs :sad2: After being hit repeatedly over and over and over and over....., just to make myself feel better, I decided to call them lovelicks. Yes, they are lovelicks and with every lick he is only saying "I love you Mom!) Well that's my story.....it makes me feel better anyway.

[NotUrsula]

Just FYI if you have kids whose food issues are about textures -- an immersion blender is your friend. I'm very creative with "dip" of all kinds, especially salsa and marinara sauce that just happens to contain vegetables other than tomatoes. I just zap them all with my little red kitchenaid and they are SMMMMOOOOOTTHHHHH.

DS' list of things he will eat easily doubled when I started blending all sauces, gravies and dips so that they are velvet-smooth. (Just make sure that they don't see what it looks like before it is blended, though.)

Oh, and canned fruit: the Aspies that I know tend to like canned fruit better than fresh; it's because they usually don't like dealing with peels and seeds.

[iwrbnd]

:lmao: Love the warm juice! That's so funny! My DS is picky too. That menu looks very familiar. :sad2: (Luckily he does like fruit!)



The Ensure (Wal-Mart version) is a GREAT idea! Thanks for sharing. I'm gonna try that one!

I agree sometimes the tortilla and a vitamina ARE the whole meal. :laughing:

Had quite a morning! DS could not focus for one second to get ready for school. All he could do was wander through the house in something that resembled the flight pattern of a bumble bee while shaking a rubber bunny in his hand......and that was my neurotypical child! What? Did we all trip and fall and land on the spectrum today? DS, the little Schmutch one, had to be dragged from the house by the legs :sad2: After being hit repeatedly over and over and over and over....., just to make myself feel better, I decided to call them lovelicks. Yes, they are lovelicks and with every lick he is only saying "I love you Mom!) Well that's my story.....it makes me feel better anyway.

Seriously, kampfirekim, you crack me up and make my day!:rotfl2:The flight pattern of the bumble bee about made me die laughing! I've seen that flight pattern waaaay too much here! Your sense of humor is priceless..."lovelicks"...I'm sure that's what your little Schmutch was doing, too!:laughing::laughing:

This is me reading your posts!:laughing::rotfl2::lmao::rotfl:

[iwrbnd]

Just FYI if you have kids whose food issues are about textures -- an immersion blender is your friend. I'm very creative with "dip" of all kinds, especially salsa and marinara sauce that just happens to contain vegetables other than tomatoes. I just zap them all with my little red kitchenaid and they are SMMMMOOOOOTTHHHHH.

DS' list of things he will eat easily doubled when I started blending all sauces, gravies and dips so that they are velvet-smooth. (Just make sure that they don't see what it looks like before it is blended, though.)

Oh, and canned fruit: the Aspies that I know tend to like canned fruit better than fresh; it's because they usually don't like dealing with peels and seeds.

Great idea!:thumbsup2 Mine will only eat crunchy food, though!:headache:

[iwrbnd]

I tried to post about this earlier but nothing was working for me.
This really made me laugh!!! Can you imagine if the penguin had actually made it home?! I have this mental image of some poor mom walking into her kids bathroom and discovering a freaking penguin! :lmao: Then, she would have to decide whether or not to smuggle it back into the aquarium or call animal control....:rotfl2:

I remembered my sister telling me that story a couple of years ago so I just called her to get the full story and details. It turns out it wasn't her friend but something someone had heard. Now I'm doubting it. Oh well, it's still a funny image!

[Kat77]

I remembered my sister telling me that story a couple of years ago so I just called her to get the full story and details. It turns out it wasn't her friend but something someone had heard. Now I'm doubting it. Oh well, it's still a funny image!

It was a hilarious mental image! I was not going to say anything but I googled it last night after my kids told me it was unlikely and it's an urban legend! We were discussing the logistics of how you would get a penguin in a backpack at dinner and DS12 was adamant you would have to knock it out to enclose it. DD12 asked me if I remembered how fast penguins swim? Why do my kids know so much about penguins? Club Penguin, ofcourse, duh mom! Oh well, moms are sooo gullable. ;)
Only our kids would research a species just because they are playing an online game ...

[iwrbnd]

It was a hilarious mental image! I was not going to say anything but I googled it last night after my kids told me it was unlikely and it's an urban legend! We were discussing the logistics of how you would get a penguin in a backpack at dinner and DS12 was adamant you would have to knock it out to enclose it. DD12 asked me if I remembered how fast penguins swim? Why do my kids know so much about penguins? Club Penguin, ofcourse, duh mom! Oh well, moms are sooo gullable. ;)

I guess I was right to doubt it after I heard it wasn't my sister's friend but something someone else told her! Now I know the truth! It did sound unlikely but I've learned that nothing shocks me anymore with kids on the spectrum!:laughing: (When did our kids get smarter than us anyway? I guess it's all those brain cells that died while we were pregnant!)

[kampfirekim]

Seriously, kampfirekim, you crack me up and make my day!:rotfl2:The flight pattern of the bumble bee about made me die laughing! I've seen that flight pattern waaaay too much here! Your sense of humor is priceless..."lovelicks"...I'm sure that's what your little Schmutch was doing, too!:laughing::laughing:

This is me reading your posts!:laughing::rotfl2::lmao::rotfl:

Did ya catch the fact that was my NORMAL kid? :sad2: :rotfl2:

Should we enter LL into the dictionary of Schmolland? Little Schmutch boy was in the kitchen just a bit ago doing the spin jump flap thing...so I decided to join in. It was kind of fun actually. Maybe this Schmolland ritual should be dubbed the Official Dance of Schmolland. Try it sometime, you'll feel liberated. :goodvibes

Got a facebook today from an inlaw/outlaw once removed. She'd just read Holland Schmolland and gave me her location....Schmengland. (She's a Brit!) :rotfl2:

In case you haven't noticed....I get worse with encouragement. I really can't stop!

Great idea!:thumbsup2 Mine will only eat crunchy food, though!:headache:

We're all the same but different. Didn't I tell you....Bizarro world!

[iwrbnd]

Did ya catch the fact that was my NORMAL kid? :sad2: :rotfl2:

Should we enter LL into the dictionary of Schmolland? Little Schmutch boy was in the kitchen just a bit ago doing the spin jump flap thing...so I decided to join in. It was kind of fun actually. Maybe this Schmolland ritual should be dubbed the Official Dance of Schmolland. Try it sometime, you'll feel liberated. :goodvibes

Got a facebook today from an inlaw/outlaw once removed. She'd just read Holland Schmolland and gave me her location....Schmengland. (She's a Brit!) :rotfl2:

In case you haven't noticed....I get worse with encouragement. I really can't stop!


We're all the same but different. Didn't I tell you....Bizarro world!

I'm going to keep encouraging you because you're too funny!:lmao:
Yes, LL needs to be in the dictionary and our official dance will now be the "spin jump flap thing"! Now, we need a song....hmmm...need ideas!

Funny you say "Bizarro" because that's what my DH says about our oldest when he's making no sense (partly due to ASD/partly teenage brain). For example, after our DS says he forgot his homework because it was our fault my DH will later say to me "According to the bizarro world of (DS's name) maybe that makes sense!":rotfl:

[Kat77]

Yes, LL needs to be in the dictionary and our official dance will now be the "spin jump flap thing"! Now, we need a song....hmmm...need ideas!

Ok, I know it's obvious but I nominate Van Halen's Jump. You can't go wrong with classic rock. Plus we all know the words... right? :rotfl:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swzh0ngMNJo

[jimmiej]

Our youngest daughter (24) just moved back home. :eek: She has lots of "issues". Our empty nest was wonderful, for a while. We hope to experience it again! ;)

[iwrbnd]

I think "Jump" sounds great!:thumbsup2

And to the post about the empty nest being great...I'm glad you said that because as much as I love my kids I do dream of those days! Although, like you, I very well may have 20 year old baby birds in my nest!:rolleyes: Good luck with yours!

Also, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone's support on this thread! I realize now that when I posted my parenting frustrations I could have really been flamed by all the "perfect" parents out there! I think the citizens of Schmolland are the nicest most non-judgemental people I know!:lovestruc:lovestruc:lovestruc

[kampfirekim]

I'm going to keep encouraging you because you're too funny!:lmao:
Yes, LL needs to be in the dictionary and our official dance will now be the "spin jump flap thing"! Now, we need a song....hmmm...need ideas!

Funny you say "Bizarro world" because that's what my DH says about our oldest when he's making no sense (partly due to ASD/partly teenage brain). For example, after our DS says he forgot his homework because it was our fault my DH will later say to me "According to the bizarro world of (DS's name) maybe that makes sense!":rotfl:

Ok! But don't say I didn't warn you! ;)
LL is now added to the OSD (lovelicks-when ASD child hits you repeatedly for no apparent reason) Official dance: SJFT-Spin Jump Flap Thing. Great nation building!
You're version of Bizzaro world is FUNNY!

Ok, I know it's obvious but I nominate Van Halen's Jump. You can't go wrong with classic rock. Plus we all know the words... right? :rotfl:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swzh0ngMNJo

Great choice! I think I can remember most of the words! (If there are any who can't remember...we'll probably end up making up our own anyway!) :rotfl:

Our youngest daughter (24) just moved back home. :eek: She has lots of "issues". Our empty nest was wonderful, for a while. We hope to experience it again! ;)

Welcome. This is a great bunch with a WILD sense of humor. We also like to help with serious stuff too!

I think "Jump" sounds great!:thumbsup2

And to the post about the empty nest being great...I'm glad you said that because as much as I love my kids I do dream of those days! Although, like you, I very well may have 20 year old baby birds in my nest!:rolleyes: Good luck with yours!

Also, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone's support on this thread! I realize now that when I posted my parenting frustrations I could have really been flamed by all the "perfect" parents out there! I think the citizens of Schmolland are the nicest most non-judgemental people I know!:lovestruc:lovestruc:lovestruc

That's 2 votes for JUMP + my vote = 3. Jump it is! (if there are no objections of course)
I completely understand about the flaming. I've been in a couple of threads that got pretty rough! I believe there should be no flaming in Schmolland....unless it's the flaming lunch meat! :rotfl:

BTW: We may need to add pencil erasers to the menu. No explanation necessary...right?

BTW again: None of us are perfect parents, and the ones who believe they are, have just proven they aren't. (Meaning anyone who really believes they're perfect is delusional! Or at least judgemental...further proving the point!) We here in Schmolland KNOW we're not perfect. The proof is in the posts! But we are trying with all hearts to do what is good and right for our families. I JUST LOVE YOU ALL!!:lovestruc:lovestruc:lovestruc

[mommatomase]

for being here!! I needed to read all this BTDT stuff today... we had a stimmy, bazaro, absent minded professor day today and I needed to escape!

Hi, I'm Lisa and I have a 9 year old Aspie who is the greatest kid on the planet... what planet I am not sure... but I love him to infinity and beyond but some days... some days....

I like your no flaming law and I like the openness of this board... I would love to join...

BTW.. we cyber school also... am I nuts???

[kampfirekim]

:welcome:for being here!! I needed to read all this BTDT stuff today... we had a stimmy, bazaro, absent minded professor day today and I needed to escape!

Hi, I'm Lisa and I have a 9 year old Aspie who is the greatest kid on the planet... what planet I am not sure... but I love him to infinity and beyond but some days... some days....

I like your no flaming law and I like the openness of this board... I would love to join...

BTW.. we cyber school also... am I nuts???

:welcome: Consider yourself joined! Who would have thought the funnest place on the Disboards would be a disabilities thread? :laughing: I love the Buzz Lightyear reference. We talk that way too! Any flaming could result in banishment! ....except the flaming lunch meat (you know who you are)! :lmao: No secrets here...we just keep it real. That's the only way to truly help each other. Seeing the flaws of others has helped me laugh at my own. And it has been obviously stated Visa Versa! (Back at me...the most flawed of them all...or the most flawed in all the land.....) Again, welcome aboard! Don't forget your seatbelt....this is a WILD ride! :thumbsup2

BTW: Yes, you ARE nuts. That's why you'll fit right in! (What is BTDT?)

[mommatomase]

is Been There Done That...

Every night we say, "I love you to infinity and beyond." and then we have a competition to see who says, "and back" last...

[iwrbnd]

for being here!! I needed to read all this BTDT stuff today... we had a stimmy, bazaro, absent minded professor day today and I needed to escape!

Hi, I'm Lisa and I have a 9 year old Aspie who is the greatest kid on the planet... what planet I am not sure... but I love him to infinity and beyond but some days... some days....

I like your no flaming law and I like the openness of this board... I would love to join...

BTW.. we cyber school also... am I nuts???

Welcome, welcome, welcome!!!:cheer2::cheer2::cheer2: You'll fit in perfect with us!:grouphug:

[iwrbnd]

We will be there July 26-aug 6 or so... Taking a few days in middle to do space launch perhaps and visit Aunt. maybe a meet up?

The space launch was moved to November. :sad1: We've decided to try for the September launch now. So, I'm changing all my plans and taking my kids out of school! That very well may be a bad idea since they aren't the best at making up the work but...for a shuttle we're doing it! I am scared about the work, though, since 3 of them are in middle or high school!:scared: But, I'm excited for the shuttle :yay: and going to WDW during the fall! :yay:

[leebee]

BFF (double brain fluff) shall be added to the official Schmolland dictionary. Should we start a dictionary page devoted to Schmolland translations? The lurkers may become confused and disoriented after a while. :rotfl:

Then they will know how you feel on a daily basis! Just dropping by to say HI :hippie:

iwrbnd- We took DD to see a shuttle launch when she was in 4th grade. Easily one of the BEST things we have ever done! (DD is neurotypical, btw, just commenting on the activity.) I know the make-up work can be a drag, but I think you will be glad you did this once you see how incredible it is!

Life in the resource room was interesting today. We have a climber; apparently someone left an upper level cabinet in kitchen area unlocked. Turns out he likes to eat flour... and paint with it. The tech swears he was never alone, but she was on the phone (legit school-stuff) briefly, and, well, you know! He's such a little Schmutz, and so cute, and so fast.....

[kampfirekim]

is Been There Done That...

Every night we say, "I love you to infinity and beyond." and then we have a competition to see who says, "and back" last...

Thanks! Shoulda recognized that from FB.

"and back"....I love it. It that a reference from the book "I love you this much"? I love that one little nutbrown hare!


The space launch was moved to November. :sad1: We've decided to try for the September launch now. So, I'm changing all my plans and taking my kids out of school! That very well be a bad idea since they aren't the best at making up the work but...for a shuttle we're doing it! I am scared about the work, though, since 3 of them are in middle or high school!:scared: But, I'm excited for the shuttle :yay: and going to WDW during the fall! :yay:

shuttle launch....schoolwork....shuttle launch....schoolwork. NO CONTEST! Shuttle launch wins every time! Have fun!

Then they will know how you feel on a daily basis! Just dropping by to say HI :hippie:

Hi leebee. Don't be a stranger! Drop in anytime! :goodvibes

[Kaler131]

:grouphug: Oh, I'm right there with ya sister!! My DS13 has ASD and he is EXTREMELY moody:headache: and driving us crazy!! We LOVE :love: him very much, but it's getting to be a REAL challange!!

[Brightsy]

Ok, I know it's obvious but I nominate Van Halen's Jump. You can't go wrong with classic rock. Plus we all know the words... right? :rotfl:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swzh0ngMNJo

Here in our Schmolland suburb of Vinland our theme song is "We like to party." (the one from the Six Flags commercial) Our chief Vinnish resident will dance to that song no matter what. He was once having a minor meltdown and I played the song and WHAMMO! He was dancing, still crying, but dancing too.
Here in Vinland we speak Vinnese, only the Chief Resident does so fluently, the rest of us are learning as fast as we can.
All of our buildings are made of leggos.

[BreTyPres87]

:lmao: at that penguin story.. my son was looking at a turtle at the musuem we went to pretty hard last time good thing he had no access to bags!!

:headache: at the "Perfect" parents..most of the perfect parents I know are still pregnant with their first..When I talk to them months later after baby arrives they are singing a different song of what to do when parenting :rotfl:

[Kat77]

:headache: at the "Perfect" parents..most of the perfect parents I know are still pregnant with their first..When I talk to them months later after baby arrives they are singing a different song of what to do when parenting :rotfl:
:laughing: I have a very particular memory of one of "those" parents that I should probably get over 12 yrs later... :rolleyes1

[iwrbnd]

:grouphug: Oh, I'm right there with ya sister!! My DS13 has ASD and he is EXTREMELY moody:headache: and driving us crazy!! We LOVE :love: him very much, but it's getting to be a REAL challange!!

Me too! What's up with the mood and aspies anyway? Are they all moody? When mine hit the teen years I was like WTH?:scared1:

I think it's because (at least mine) is so black and white rigid that when things don't his way he breaks! My typical developing teen can go with the flow...he bends instead of breaking!

We are having a "please compromise with the family" issue tonight and I can already tell that the whole family is going to have to bend to my aspie son's schedule. :headache: Can anyone say "Sheldon" from the show Big Bang Theory?

[iwrbnd]

for being here!! I needed to read all this BTDT stuff today... we had a stimmy, bazaro, absent minded professor day today and I needed to escape!

Hi, I'm Lisa and I have a 9 year old Aspie who is the greatest kid on the planet... what planet I am not sure... but I love him to infinity and beyond but some days... some days....

I like your no flaming law and I like the openness of this board... I would love to join...

BTW.. we cyber school also... am I nuts???


Can you tell me more about cyber school? Things are going fine for us now but it's year by year around here!

[iwrbnd]

Then they will know how you feel on a daily basis! Just dropping by to say HI :hippie:

iwrbnd- We took DD to see a shuttle launch when she was in 4th grade. Easily one of the BEST things we have ever done! (DD is neurotypical, btw, just commenting on the activity.) I know the make-up work can be a drag, but I think you will be glad you did this once you see how incredible it is!

Life in the resource room was interesting today. We have a climber; apparently someone left an upper level cabinet in kitchen area unlocked. Turns out he likes to eat flour... and paint with it. The tech swears he was never alone, but she was on the phone (legit school-stuff) briefly, and, well, you know! He's such a little Schmutz, and so cute, and so fast.....

I'm so glad you liked the shuttle launch! It's making me feel better taking the out of school! It sounds like people on here don't think I'm completely insane to do it!:banana:

[Kat77]

Can you tell me more about cyber school? Things are going fine for us now but it's year by year around here!

Cyber school is online homeschooling. Some states even have programs that provide this service free of charge.
http://www.connectionsacademy.com/home.aspx

[iwrbnd]

Cyber school is online homeschooling. Some states even have programs that provide this service free of charge.
http://www.connectionsacademy.com/home.aspx

That's neat! How is it working for you?

[BBG-BLT]

We started having kids late (when our 2 yo was born I was 45!) and I'm right there with you. There are times I thank the Lord that they're here making my life richer etc. But there are times when I'm just so tired and worn out that I want to quit (but there's no one to resign to :confused3. I think everyone has days like that (or even weeks/ months/ years) even the perfect parents out there making canned organic food and crafts from recycled plants.

[persimmondeb]

DS is usually not terribly moody actually, although he was just in tears over one of his fishies passing away. Utterly disconsolate. Claiming he was a 'fishkiller' and they were all dying on him.

Cheered right up when it turned out one of the missing fishies was hiding behind something. I swear there are moments when I think he loves them more than he loves us!

[Kat77]

That's neat! How is it working for you?

LOL! I'm not cyberschooling anyone... yet....but needed to know our options jic we have to at some point. DS9 is currently homeschooled with support from our district.
I would love to hear from the cyberschoolers though. Is anyone here actually using Connections Academy? Our state has a pilot program.

[iwrbnd]

DS is usually not terribly moody actually, although he was just in tears over one of his fishies passing away. Utterly disconsolate. Claiming he was a 'fishkiller' and they were all dying on him.

Cheered right up when it turned out one of the missing fishies was hiding behind something. I swear there are moments when I think he loves them more than he loves us!

That's sweet about the fish! I didn't think my oldest would get attached to anything! That is until he turned 16 and got a girlfriend! I've found he's able to attach! Now I need to make sure he doesn't reproduce!:lmao:

[kampfirekim]

Here in our Schmolland suburb of Vinland our theme song is "We like to party." (the one from the Six Flags commercial) Our chief Vinnish resident will dance to that song no matter what. He was once having a minor meltdown and I played the song and WHAMMO! He was dancing, still crying, but dancing too.
Here in Vinland we speak Vinnese, only the Chief Resident does so fluently, the rest of us are learning as fast as we can.
All of our buildings are made of leggos.

:rotfl2: I love this post! Dancing and STILL crying? That's funny/sad/adorable/sweet all at the same time. Thanks for sharing.

We started having kids late (when our 2 yo was born I was 45!) and I'm right there with you. There are times I thank the Lord that they're here making my life richer etc. But there are times when I'm just so tired and worn out that I want to quit (but there's no one to resign to :confused3. I think everyone has days like that (or even weeks/ months/ years) even the perfect parents out there making canned organic food and crafts from recycled plants.

I thought we started late (at first birth, I was 34, second birth 36). I share your feelings. No one is willing to take my place either!? :confused3 I know one of those organic food only for the baby/recycled plant etc. types. Nothing wrong with that per se, but.....she was nursing at the time and would eat the unhealthiest food herself. Kind of defeated the purpose I thought. All of our family just laughed and laughed about it! (Yes, it was a relative). Go figure.
DS is usually not terribly moody actually, although he was just in tears over one of his fishies passing away. Utterly disconsolate. Claiming he was a 'fishkiller' and they were all dying on him.

Cheered right up when it turned out one of the missing fishies was hiding behind something. I swear there are moments when I think he loves them more than he loves us!

That is so precious! :goodvibes

BTW: I know that JUMP has already been established as our National Anthem. But how about we add "You Spin Me Right Round" to the playlist? :laughing:

BTW AGAIN: I have grown very accustomed to life in Schmolland. I can more easily navigate my way through the different villages without the use of Schmoogle Maps. I've made new friends. However, I don't think I'll ever get used to the food here. It appears my little Schmutch boy has discovered that peanut butter & chocolate flavored cereal is best served with lime juice instead of milk. I reeeaalllyy wish there were a vomiting smiley right now to express my disgust at the whole scene. And yes...he ate it all.

[Kat77]

BTW: I know that JUMP has already been established as our National Anthem. But how about we add "You Spin Me Right Round" to the playlist? :laughing:

:thumbsup2 Ooh, that's even better! It describes the national dance so perfectly!!!

O/T but interesting: Tonight I watched a BBC study of the Milgram Experiment on youtube. I'd heard of it but never watched it. If you do not know what it is you need to see this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcvSNg0HZwk&feature=related (Linking Part 1 of 3)

[BreTyPres87]

I thought we started late (at first birth, I was 34, second birth 36). I share your feelings. No one is willing to take my place either!? :confused3 I know one of those organic food only for the baby/recycled plant etc. types. Nothing wrong with that per se, but.....she was nursing at the time and would eat the unhealthiest food herself. Kind of defeated the purpose I thought. All of our family just laughed and laughed about it! (Yes, it was a relative). Go figure.


BTW AGAIN: I have grown very accustomed to life in Schmolland. I can more easily navigate my way through the different villages without the use of Schmoogle Maps. I've made new friends. However, I don't think I'll ever get used to the food here. It appears my little Schmutch boy has discovered that peanut butter & chocolate flavored cereal is best served with lime juice instead of milk. I reeeaalllyy wish there were a vomiting smiley right now to express my disgust at the whole scene. And yes...he ate it all.

I try to do the organic/healthy thing -to a degree- I mean just recently i've tried cutting out a lot of processed foods but if my choice is make homemade food he rejects or stuff with a ton of ingredients that I can't read but he'll gobble down I'll choose the second...even though i'm trying really hard to get him away from that crap... Tonight he ate Butternut squash ravioli I was :eek:.. I can't get this boy to eat Hot dogs, chicken nuggets, spaghetti..but he's eating butternut squash ravioli?! go figure!!

Your boy must have an iron stomach because just the thought has made my stomach do flips!! But the ASD parent's motto "Whatever works" we learn that one fast.. oh and "Pick your battles" lol

I love being able to talk to mothers with similar experiences by the way :lovestruc

[kampfirekim]

:thumbsup2 Ooh, that's even better! It describes the national dance so perfectly!!!

O/T but interesting: Tonight I watched a BBC study of the Milgram Experiment on youtube. I'd heard of it but never watched it. If you do not know what it is you need to see this!

The vote already carried on JUMP as the national anthem, but I think a playlist is in order. Currently taking requests. I officially submit "You Spin Me Right Round" to be added to the PL. Schmollandites may like a little variety, except for the OCD ones, or the ones who fixate on just one thing etc....it always depends on whether it's a jumping mood or a spinning mood we're in. We have to cover all of our bases. ;) Is there a link or can I just search Milgram Experiment? Sounds interesting. BTW: No such thing as O/T here. Dealing with out little Schmutch boys and girls, we have learned to change course at a seconds notice. :goodvibes Getting sleepy now... Sleep well all ye citizens of Schmolland. May the :littleangel::littleangel::littleangel: watch over you and yours tonight. :love::love::love:

[persimmondeb]

Oh, he's very attatched to the fishies. He's also fond of most of his relatives and my sister's cats.

He's actually pretty sunny and sociable much of the time. I can't imagine him with a girlfriend, though. He's still horrified by the idea of attending school dances. He's intellectually 14 (at least), and his executive functioning skills are pretty decent, all things considered, but his personality is more like that of a 9 or 10 year old's. We just told him this year that there is no actual Easter Bunny, since we didn't think he was ever going to figure it out on his own and he was getting to an age where he was going to get some very odd looks if he mentioned that.

I shouldn't complain though. Not only is he not smoking pot in the garage, instead of being too cool to appear in public with his parents, he's over the moon at going to Disney again with his mom and dad. He can't wait to go swimming, play in the playground at POR, eat all the snacks he wants, buy balloons, go on rides, and just walk around Disney and spend time with us.

He keeps talking about our trip, and it is so cute, and really gets me in the mood to go. He's angling for T-Rex for our arrival night though, and I don't think I'm up to it. We'll see about spending some time in the gift shop. He likes that sand pit thing too, but he's so big that I sometimes worry if he's making the parents of the pre-schoolers nervous.

[kampfirekim]

I try to do the organic/healthy thing -to a degree- I mean just recently i've tried cutting out a lot of processed foods but if my choice is make homemade food he rejects or stuff with a ton of ingredients that I can't read but he'll gobble down I'll choose the second...even though i'm trying really hard to get him away from that crap... Tonight he ate Butternut squash ravioli I was :eek:.. I can't get this boy to eat Hot dogs, chicken nuggets, spaghetti..but he's eating butternut squash ravioli?! go figure!!

Your boy must have an iron stomach because just the thought has made my stomach do flips!! But the ASD parent's motto "Whatever works" we learn that one fast.. oh and "Pick your battles" lol

I love being able to talk to mothers with similar experiences by the way :lovestruc

I think the organic healthy thing is great! We could all stand to do better I feel. Our laugh-o-meter pegged out b/c darling cousin was nursing at the time and eating HORRIBLE foods herself thereby feeding it to DS. :sad2: I don't think she got the concept. She is a great mom and intelligent to the extreme. Musta been having a BFF (double brain fluff). :laughing:

Wish my DS would eat butternut squash. He does actually eat a good variety of things.....it just doesn't include veggies except for the occasional butter bean. If you think the thought of pb &choc cereal doused in limejuice SOUNDS bad....you should have SEEN it. ICK! :scared:

We all love to share stories here. It just seems to help give you a little lift when you need it. Whether it's a funny story, a sad story or just a plea for help....we have come to love each other to pieces in this land of Schmolland. :love:


I shouldn't complain though. Not only is he not smoking pot in the garage, instead of being too cool to appear in public with his parents, he's over the moon at going to Disney again with his mom and dad. He can't wait to go swimming, play in the playground at POR, eat all the snacks he wants, buy balloons, go on rides, and just walk around Disney and spend time with us.

I'm glad to know there's no pot smoking in the garage, at least not by DS! No one else was mentioned. :laughing: Doesn't it make you feel good that he's sooooo excited about the trip? When will you be there? We'll be there July 22-Aug 6. Maybe our paths will cross.

[iwrbnd]

Oh, he's very attatched to the fishies. He's also fond of most of his relatives and my sister's cats.

He's actually pretty sunny and sociable much of the time. I can't imagine him with a girlfriend, though. He's still horrified by the idea of attending school dances. He's intellectually 14 (at least), and his executive functioning skills are pretty decent, all things considered, but his personality is more like that of a 9 or 10 year old's. We just told him this year that there is no actual Easter Bunny, since we didn't think he was ever going to figure it out on his own and he was getting to an age where he was going to get some very odd looks if he mentioned that.

I shouldn't complain though. Not only is he not smoking pot in the garage, instead of being too cool to appear in public with his parents, he's over the moon at going to Disney again with his mom and dad. He can't wait to go swimming, play in the playground at POR, eat all the snacks he wants, buy balloons, go on rides, and just walk around Disney and spend time with us.

He keeps talking about our trip, and it is so cute, and really gets me in the mood to go. He's angling for T-Rex for our arrival night though, and I don't think I'm up to it. We'll see about spending some time in the gift shop. He likes that sand pit thing too, but he's so big that I sometimes worry if he's making the parents of the pre-schoolers nervous.

You're son sounds sweet and reminds me of mine...before the age of 14 or 15! He was always so much socially younger than his peers and content to be with us. I don't know what happened around 14 or 15 but OMG:scared1:he became a teenager! And a teenager with issues is like a teen magnified by 1000! At least in our case! Mine is pretty mild ASD (we call him "splashed" by the pool of autism) so I think that's why we also get to experience the teen behavior! Lucky us!:rolleyes1 He's 17 now and much better but his executive functioning skills are still horrible! Last night he didn't eat a potato because nobody cut it and buttered it for him! I started noticing his poor self-help skills early. I remember when he was in preschool I got him some cereal and later noticed he was still sitting at the table staring at it. It turned out he couldn't reach it without scooting the bowl closer to him or the chair closer to the table. So, he just sat there and stared at the bowl for 30 minutes! :scared: I knew I was in trouble at that moment! I think the executive functioning skills are the hardest thing I deal with! Oh, and he doesn't show much affection. Never has. I say "I love you" and he says "K". So sweet.:rolleyes: (That might just be teen DNA, though)

I'm glad yours has entered his teen years well! He sounds like a lot of fun and you'll have a great time at WDW! Mine never got into it. Too much imagination and fluff for him.:sad2:He's only been once and he was 6 yrs. old. The moment we got into Magic Kingdom on the first day he said "Can we go back to the hotel now and get my Pokemon cards?":headache: He's going with us this summer because we're doing the shuttle. At least the rest of the family likes Disney!:thumbsup2 Right now I'm having a hard time knowing what is normal teenage behavior and what is ASD. Since he's our first we don't know typical real well. Many times I'll think something is normal kid behavior and then my 2nd one will reach that stage and I'll think "Now THIS is how it's supposed to be!"

But, we love him and he's maturing more every year! I say parenting him is like walking in the mud...a lot of work, you fall down a lot, go really slow but eventually you get there! Parenting my typical son is like riding a skateboard...a lot of fun, some work on the hills and you still fall down but mostly it's easy and you get there a lot quicker. At least that's how I've always pictured it in my mind!

Oh, and your Easter Bunny story was cute! We finally told my son about Santa when he was in junior high so he wouldn't get teased. Guess what? He didn't belive us!:laughing: We are sitting there saying we put the presents under the tree and he kept telling us all the facts on how we were wrong! We do love lots of our memories with our "splashed" son! Many of them make us :headache: at the time and then later make us :lmao:!

[steph124ny]

I've totally stolen the line about my son being "splashed" by autism. It describes him exactly! If you just met him, you might not know something was wrong until later. A lot of people say that they had no idea until I tell them....until they see him fussing with shoelaces for 45 minutes, or refusing to eat chicken because he is convinced it is raw.

[iwrbnd]

I've totally stolen the line about my son being "splashed" by autism. It describes him exactly! If you just met him, you might not know something was wrong until later. A lot of people say that they had no idea until I tell them....until they see him fussing with shoelaces for 45 minutes, or refusing to eat chicken because he is convinced it is raw.

It does work, doesn't it? Even his doctor said he's been using it with other patients!:thumbsup2 Nobody would know I have 2 kids on the spectrum either. Most of their issues are hidden but when they appear they are a pain in the %$#$!!!;)

Did you read one post where the mom said hers was swimming in the pool like a dolphin?:lmao: There are days I'll say mine took an olympic dive in and then other days where I'll say he just dipped his little toe in the pool! My DH knows what kind of day I've had by how wet I say my son got!:lmao: (But, his official diagnosis is really just "splashed"!)

[steph124ny]

It does work, doesn't it? Even his doctor said he's been using it with other patients!:thumbsup2 Nobody would know I have 2 kids on the spectrum either. Most of their issues are hidden but when they appear they are a pain in the %$#$!!!;)

Did you read one post where the mom said hers was swimming in the pool like a dolphin?:lmao: There are days I'll say mine took an olympic dive in and then other days where I'll say he just dipped his little toe in the pool! My DH knows what kind of day I've had by how wet I say my son got!:lmao: (But, his official diagnosis is really just "splashed"!)


I think the biggest problem with being splashed is that it is extremely difficult to tell what is a water stain and what is him just being rude! And most people outside the family just assume rude. :( Of course my ex reinforces that by telling everyone that my son acts the way he does because I'm a bad parent. :mad: Didn't see him stepping up to the plate to help out any....

[iwrbnd]

I think the biggest problem with being splashed is that it is extremely difficult to tell what is a water stain and what is him just being rude! And most people outside the family just assume rude. :( Of course my ex reinforces that by telling everyone that my son acts the way he does because I'm a bad parent. :mad: Didn't see him stepping up to the plate to help out any....

That is soooo true!!! I'm constantly wondering if a behavior is because of ASD or just a typical discipline problem!!! That is the hardest thing about having a child mildly affected! (And "water stain"...what a great analogy!:thumbsup2) I'm so sorry your ex doesn't help!:hug:

[BreTyPres87]

I think the biggest problem with being splashed is that it is extremely difficult to tell what is a water stain and what is him just being rude! And most people outside the family just assume rude. :( Of course my ex reinforces that by telling everyone that my son acts the way he does because I'm a bad parent. :mad: Didn't see him stepping up to the plate to help out any....

-insert long string of very bad words toward your ex- my ex has just totally erased my son from his life except for once a month when he asks if he's talking yet. He lives in Hawaii we live in Maryland so he never sees him BUT he insists on giving me periodical parenting advice on what I can do and laugh at the situations that I am venting about and the one time that I tried to get him to understand what its like he said "It can't be that bad" this coming from the same person who gave my son to his mother when I had him watch him for a week after the second day (he was 3 months old at the time)... so ugh to exes and their judgem judgmental ental but absent ways! :headache::mad:

[mommatomase]

WOW... three pages ago, someone asked me how cyber school works. We use www.k12.com and we use the specific acadamy in our state. It is free in our state because it is public school.

We no longer have to worry about sitting still, bright lights, air vent noises, hall noises, other kid noises, etc. We can sit on the floor, sit outside, school in the car, bed, bathtub... wherever we want to! :cool1:

Also, we no longer have to worry about a phone call that he was touched with peanut butter and on his way to the emergency room... the school served PBJ every day!

We are assigned a teacher and have a curriculum... I researched the eleven cyber schools on our state and I LOVE k12! Very challenging for an Aspie mind... We must get assignments done, but we can do them when we are focused enough to do them and we can take a break when we want to also.

Cyber school has been the BEST decision we have ever made for our sons education... the BEST!!! We have get togethers with other K12 Kiddos twice a month, at least and they do all kinds of fun stuff.

We are finishing up our second year... and last week for the first time (since being tramatizes in brick-and-mortar) in two years my son was asked by his teacher what he likes most about Agora (his cyber schools name) and he said, "What is there NOT to like about Agora?" That, ladies, is the icing on the cake... and lots of icing too!!!

I don't know how to do the quote thing yet... so I hope whoever it was that wanted to know this... finds me...

PS... Disclaimer... my spelling is terrible!!!

[kampfirekim]

It does work, doesn't it? Even his doctor said he's been using it with other patients!:thumbsup2 Nobody would know I have 2 kids on the spectrum either. Most of their issues are hidden but when they appear they are a pain in the %$#$!!!;)

Did you read one post where the mom said hers was swimming in the pool like a dolphin?:lmao: There are days I'll say mine took an olympic dive in and then other days where I'll say he just dipped his little toe in the pool! My DH knows what kind of day I've had by how wet I say my son got!:lmao: (But, his official diagnosis is really just "splashed"!)

You've discovered a medical mystery and have even affected the speech patterns of doctors...IMPRESSIVE! I love it. Don't be surprised if being "splashed" makes it into a medical lecture somewhere.....I'm serious! :thumbsup2

I think the biggest problem with being splashed is that it is extremely difficult to tell what is a water stain and what is him just being rude! And most people outside the family just assume rude. :( Of course my ex reinforces that by telling everyone that my son acts the way he does because I'm a bad parent. :mad: Didn't see him stepping up to the plate to help out any....

I have the same problem. My oldest is typical developing, but they are so different that I have a hard time determining what is autistic and what is normal. It seems like it all runs together after a while.

Good mom...BAD ex! I have my torch and pitchfork ready. ;)

-insert long string of very bad words toward your ex- my ex has just totally erased my son from his life except for once a month when he asks if he's talking yet. He lives in Hawaii we live in Maryland so he never sees him BUT he insists on giving me periodical parenting advice on what I can do and laugh at the situations that I am venting about and the one time that I tried to get him to understand what its like he said "It can't be that bad" this coming from the same person who gave my son to his mother when I had him watch him for a week after the second day (he was 3 months old at the time)... so ugh to exes and their judgem judgmental ental but absent ways! :headache::mad:

I have extra torches and pitchforks if needed! Since no flaming is allowed in Schmolland, I may have to sneak over the border for a moment to do any necessary flaming! :mad:

[persimmondeb]

He's very sweet! He's also quite affectionate. And his executive functioning skills are quite decent, except for a few little quirks. Like he's quite capable of organising himself to do his homework on the bus, except he's not allowed to any more, because he eats pencils, and the bus driver has gotten kind of tired of finding pieces of chewed-up pencil all over the bus.

[ireland_nicole]

Fellow Schmollandite mommy here:yay: I also have a dd who's more splashed than doused; although somedays it feels more like soaked LOL. She's also super duper ADHhhhhhhD, and has a seizure disorder an immune deficiency, kidney anomalies, etc. looks and acts like a 5 y/o which is fine- of course, she's 10- but who's counting? She loves Disney and the princesses( her life goal is to be a princess at Disney world)- and eating pencil erasers- anything rubber, actually. She "collects" mechanical pencils- including, apparently, those of her classmates. We're slowly trying to figure out how our quircky tinkerbelle ticks, but we miss the mark a lot. Her brother has a brain malformation and adhd and a growth deficiency, but is otherwise pretty good. As long as DD's on a trampoline, life is good- so I totally agree w/ Jump as our national anthem:goodvibes. I know this sounds crazy, but I am so grateful for this place. I feel a bit like the guy who's drunk too much at the party, with his arms draped around people he hardly knows, saying "I love you man"- but it is so validating, and so liberating to be able to say something- anything- about your day and realize that those reading/hearing it not only aren't immediately going to go look up the number of CPS or a psych ward, but are going to nod and say, yeah, me too!-


That's sweet about the fish! I didn't think my oldest would get attached to anything! That is until he turned 16 and got a girlfriend! I've found he's able to attach! Now I need to make sure he doesn't reproduce!:lmao:
hmm, I should probably be worried about the whole "reproduce" problem, but the thought that DD might eventually attatch to someone or something is awfully encouraging; although her endocrinologist and I have already discussed that DD will start bc as soon as she starts her period. I watch her like a hawk, but I can't be with her 24/7; and she's so super impulsive, that anything could happen.

:
BTW: I know that JUMP has already been established as our National Anthem. But how about we add "You Spin Me Right Round" to the playlist? :laughing:

BTW AGAIN: I have grown very accustomed to life in Schmolland. I can more easily navigate my way through the different villages without the use of Schmoogle Maps. I've made new friends. However, I don't think I'll ever get used to the food here. It appears my little Schmutch boy has discovered that peanut butter & chocolate flavored cereal is best served with lime juice instead of milk. I reeeaalllyy wish there were a vomiting smiley right now to express my disgust at the whole scene. And yes...he ate it all.

I wonder if it's a sensory thing? That they like the greater input of the sour? DD loves lemon juice straight, and pickle juice, and sour candy (when she can get it)... And I second the playlist.

[kampfirekim]

I feel a bit like the guy who's drunk too much at the party, with his arms draped around people he hardly knows, saying "I love you man"- but it is so validating, and so liberating to be able to say something- anything- about your day and realize that those reading/hearing it not only aren't immediately going to go look up the number of CPS or a psych ward, but are going to nod and say, yeah, me too!-


I wonder if it's a sensory thing? That they like the greater input of the sour? DD loves lemon juice straight, and pickle juice, and sour candy (when she can get it)... And I second the playlist.

Hi ireland nicole! Haven't "bumped" into you lately. Great to have you in this thread. I know you'll have a lot to offer. "We love you too man". :lmao: I so agree with your analogy! I don't know if it's truly possible to love people you've never actually met, but I feel like I've come darn close! I feel normal in this group (whatever that means). This is the most non-judgemental group in the entire forum I do believe. Don't you love the no flaming law? Only exception was the flaming lunch meat. (Still a classic!) ;) (Ladies, I did cross the border and flame on behalf of those of you with less than stellar ex's.)

I don't know what the deal was with the lime juice...very odd indeed. The LJ wasn't odd in and of itself it was the fact it was served over cereal. :eek: He also loves cough drops. I've been meaning to ask....can one OD on Hall's Menthylatum? The stronger the better. Maybe it's just the Schmolland palate. What say you? :confused3 BTW, he also loves pencil erasers. We have tons of pencils with empty metal thingies on the ends where he has chewed out the eraser.

We only have our anthem and one song in the playlist, but if you have any suggestions, we'd love to hear them. We do have an official dance, just in case you didn't see it. It's the SJFT (Spin Jump and Flap Thing) We have discussed a translation page for our Bizarro words. I think we may need a flag.

I hope your DD is doing better now. I know that you love her dearly. Look forward to sharing stories, advice, thoughts...whatever! GREAT to have you with us. :goodvibes :thumbsup2

[persimmondeb]

We do like lime juice, cough drops, etc, but since he eats every food known to man, in addition to some non-food items like pencils and toothpicks, I've never really thought about it. We also have a semi-food category that he consumes with gusto (coffee beans, lemon peels, etc.).

I think the worst the mentholatum can do is give you diarhhea, BTW.

[steph124ny]

I'm so excited! The weather is beautiful here today and we decided to go to the Drive In movies tonight!! We are going to see How to Train Your Dragon and Date Night! The best thing is that you can bring your own food and drinks, and contain your spectrum child's "personality quirks" within the confines and privacy of your own vehicle!!!

I love summer!!!!

[kampfirekim]

We do like lime juice, cough drops, etc, but since he eats every food known to man, in addition to some non-food items like pencils and toothpicks, I've never really thought about it. We also have a semi-food category that he consumes with gusto (coffee beans, lemon peels, etc.).

I think the worst the mentholatum can do is give you diarhhea, BTW.

Good to know we're not alone or in danger of OD-ing on the menthol! :thumbsup2

I'm so excited! The weather is beautiful here today and we decided to go to the Drive In movies tonight!! We are going to see How to Train Your Dragon and Date Night! The best thing is that you can bring your own food and drinks, and contain your spectrum child's "personality quirks" within the confines and privacy of your own vehicle!!!

I love summer!!!!

I'm excited for you. How fun! We no longer have a Drive In Movie in our area :sad1: That would be a great way of managing a little schmunchkin for a family night at the movies! :thumbsup2 Let me know how you like the movie. DS6 wants to see it.

We just came from Buddy Baseball...done in the spirit of special olympics. My friend got me to sign up DS. She said, "it'll be so much fun. He'll have a buddy, they will help him play, chase him....whatever he needs. We can
just sit a chat and it'll give us a break." Sounds good...I'm on board! A break for an hour or so, get to chat with a good friend, what could be better? You know what they say....if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So far I have helped buddies, encouraged buddies, consoled buddies, even been a buddy. But today, on the last game of the season...I say to myself..."Self, today is gonna be different." :rotfl2: It was different all right! It was Schmolland on speed!

DS' team is up to bat. So DS decides it's a great time to just run across the field to the other dug out. With buddy on his trail, DS darts, bolts, twists, turns...there's no stopping him now! He's got more skills than Peyton AND Eli Manning put together. Forget baseball, somebody give this kid a football! Finally 2 more buddies join in the chase. (remember there is a game still going on through all of this.) He's finally caught and corralled in the dugout. There is joy in the land.

Now it's DS' turn to bat. He hits the ball off the T with his hand and now is his chance to run as fast as he wants, but does he?.....NOOOOOOO! He appears to have lost all leg function and the buddies are dragging him to first base. R U KIDDING ME! REALLY!?! :sad2: Back to the dugout. What is this? Someone forgot to closse the gate? And weeeeerrrrreeee off. Yep, you guessed it. Elvis has left the field. There he goes.....boogity, boogity, boogity boys....Oh look! He's joined another game....in another field. Buddy looks panicked so I decide it's time to lend a hand. They run one way, I run another...I'll head 'em off at the pass. DS is once again caught and there is joy in the land.

Now there are 3 buddies plus me on the field assigned to my DS. Noone elses kid needs more than one buddy. :sad2: All over the field we go. You get the idea. Finally, it's all over. I look over at a buddy (25 ish, good shape etc.) and he is bent over, hat in hand wiping sweat from his forehead! Yes, I roared with laughter and could be heard by everyone there! What a day! :cheer2:

What an awesome program....but KFK is TIRED! Just another day in the life...

[cccdisney]

Fellow Schmollandite mommy here:yay: I also have a dd who's more splashed than doused; although somedays it feels more like soaked LOL. She's also super duper ADHhhhhhhD, and has a seizure disorder an immune deficiency, kidney anomalies, etc. looks and acts like a 5 y/o which is fine- of course, she's 10- but who's counting? She loves Disney and the princesses( her life goal is to be a princess at Disney world)- and eating pencil erasers- anything rubber, actually. She "collects" mechanical pencils- including, apparently, those of her classmates. We're slowly trying to figure out how our quircky tinkerbelle ticks, but we miss the mark a lot. Her brother has a brain malformation and adhd and a growth deficiency, but is otherwise pretty good. As long as DD's on a trampoline, life is good- so I totally agree w/ Jump as our national anthem:goodvibes. I know this sounds crazy, but I am so grateful for this place. I feel a bit like the guy who's drunk too much at the party, with his arms draped around people he hardly knows, saying "I love you man"- but it is so validating, and so liberating to be able to say something- anything- about your day and realize that those reading/hearing it not only aren't immediately going to go look up the number of CPS or a psych ward, but are going to nod and say, yeah, me too!-


Welcome Ireland Nicole! :wave2: I think you were the DIS'er that gave me the awesome info about the Baby Jogger stroller for my son, wasn't it?:confused3 We bought the BJ Classic and LOVE it. We've already used it for two trips to DLR.:thumbsup2



We just came from Buddy Baseball...done in the spirit of special olympics. My friend got me to sign up DS. She said, "it'll be so much fun. He'll have a buddy, they will help him play, chase him....whatever he needs. We can
just sit a chat and it'll give us a break." Sounds good...I'm on board! A break for an hour or so, get to chat with a good friend, what could be better? You know what they say....if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So far I have helped buddies, encouraged buddies, consoled buddies, even been a buddy. But today, on the last game of the season...I say to myself..."Self, today is gonna be different." :rotfl2: It was different all right! It was Schmolland on speed!

DS' team is up to bat. So DS decides it's a great time to just run across the field to the other dug out. With buddy on his trail, DS darts, bolts, twists, turns...there's no stopping him now! He's got more skills than Peyton AND Eli Manning put together. Forget baseball, somebody give this kid a football! Finally 2 more buddies join in the chase. (remember there is a game still going on through all of this.) He's finally caught and corralled in the dugout. There is joy in the land.

Now it's DS' turn to bat. He hits the ball off the T with his hand and now is his chance to run as fast as he wants, but does he?.....NOOOOOOO! He appears to have lost all leg function and the buddies are dragging him to first base. R U KIDDING ME! REALLY!?! :sad2: Back to the dugout. What is this? Someone forgot to closse the gate? And weeeeerrrrreeee off. Yep, you guessed it. Elvis has left the field. There he goes.....boogity, boogity, boogity boys....Oh look! He's joined another game....in another field. Buddy looks panicked so I decide it's time to lend a hand. They run one way, I run another...I'll head 'em off at the pass. DS is once again caught and there is joy in the land.

Now there are 3 buddies plus me on the field assigned to my DS. Noone elses kid needs more than one buddy. :sad2: All over the field we go. You get the idea. Finally, it's all over. I look over at a buddy (25 ish, good shape etc.) and he is bent over, hat in hand wiping sweat from his forehead! Yes, I roared with laughter and could be heard by everyone there! What a day! :cheer2:

What an awesome program....but KFK is TIRED! Just another day in the life...

:lmao: :rotfl: This is SO FUNNY! We ALSO just got home from Buddy Baseball. My son is the same way! He never stops moving and trying to pull away from his buddy (which just happens to be my 12 yr old daughter :) )
I was grinning to myself today because one of the father's was sitting behind me and kept stating to another parent that he wished his son would run! Apparently he is a slow mover and never runs or moves fast.:confused3 I'm thinking to myself "Be careful what you wish for . . . !" :rotfl: My son NEVER stops moving - and sprints in any direction at any time. I can't even imagine what it would be like for him to just walk beside me somewhere! :rotfl2:
We actually enjoy the buddy baseball (called Freedom League here). First - its free. :thumbsup2 And for the most part I can just sit and watch while other people wrangle him for an hour.

Hope everyone is having a great Saturday! :grouphug:

[BreTyPres87]

I'm so excited! The weather is beautiful here today and we decided to go to the Drive In movies tonight!! We are going to see How to Train Your Dragon and Date Night! The best thing is that you can bring your own food and drinks, and contain your spectrum child's "personality quirks" within the confines and privacy of your own vehicle!!!

I love summer!!!!

That's very cool!!
How to train your Dragon was a surprisingly good movie and I was dreading seeing it but went only because the local ASD group went --lights on,lower volume, and nobody staring at the children with "quirks" none of those things matter to my son but it will probably mean more in the future. Have fun!!!! I want to see Date night but I never get to see "adult movies" (:laughing:) in the theatres so let me know how it is and if its worth a netflix pick!

[BreTyPres87]

I try to take my boys out for weekend field trips now that their in school fulltime and I was having a problem with my youngest son with ASD getting frustrated with the stroller ,not to mention him being HUGE-45 lbs, and harder to push in the stroller we have.. he got so frustrated last month that during our trip to the Smithsonian he ran out of it and I could NOT find him (imagine my panic when my wandering child who doesn't answer to his name and cannot tell anyone he's lost is nowhere to be found) the Security guard found him just walking around an exhibit and he was fine but I was freaked out! So I decided to buy one of those child harnesses aka a kid leash even though I was one pre-ASD child who would say stuff like "Just keep track of your kid better".. well we've been on two trips with that thing and its such a relief to know that he is right there and he loves being able to explore and not be confined.. I get a few looks but oh well its better than losing my child forever..anyone else use them?! I highly reccomend it and to top it off 7 bucks on Amazon :banana:

[kaffinito]

WOW... three pages ago, someone asked me how cyber school works. We use www.k12.com and we use the specific acadamy in our state. It is free in our state because it is public school.

We no longer have to worry about sitting still, bright lights, air vent noises, hall noises, other kid noises, etc. We can sit on the floor, sit outside, school in the car, bed, bathtub... wherever we want to! :cool1:

We are assigned a teacher and have a curriculum... I researched the eleven cyber schools on our state and I LOVE k12! Very challenging for an Aspie mind... We must get assignments done, but we can do them when we are focused enough to do them and we can take a break when we want to also.

Cyber school has been the BEST decision we have ever made for our sons education... the BEST!!! We have get togethers with other K12 Kiddos twice a month, at least and they do all kinds of fun stuff.

We are finishing up our second year... and last week for the first time (since being tramatizes in brick-and-mortar) in two years my son was asked by his teacher what he likes most about Agora (his cyber schools name) and he said, "What is there NOT to like about Agora?" That, ladies, is the icing on the cake... and lots of icing too!!!

Thanks for the info! I wasn't the person who asked, but am glad to know about this program. DS17 is flunking out of High School, and I might be able to use this program to help him graduate. :)

Oh, he's very attatched to the fishies. He's also fond of most of his relatives and my sister's cats.

He's intellectually 14 (at least), and his executive functioning skills are pretty decent, all things considered, but his personality is more like that of a 9 or 10 year old's. We just told him this year that there is no actual Easter Bunny, since we didn't think he was ever going to figure it out on his own and he was getting to an age where he was going to get some very odd looks if he mentioned that.

My DS is also fond of his cat, his brother, and maybe me - although at times I'm not so sure. ;)

He's 17 but only functioning at an 10 or 11 year old level. The kids he plays with are all a lot younger than he is. He gets some weird looks, but oh well. The neighbors know about him, and the kids are nice enough to play with him. :)

I shouldn't complain though. Not only is he not smoking pot in the garage, instead of being too cool to appear in public with his parents, he's over the moon at going to Disney again with his mom and dad. He can't wait to go swimming, play in the playground at POR, eat all the snacks he wants, buy balloons, go on rides, and just walk around Disney and spend time with us.

He keeps talking about our trip, and it is so cute, and really gets me in the mood to go. He's angling for T-Rex for our arrival night though, and I don't think I'm up to it. We'll see about spending some time in the gift shop. He likes that sand pit thing too, but he's so big that I sometimes worry if he's making the parents of the pre-schoolers nervous.

My DS is like that too - he only wants to go to WDW for his birthday, and won't even consider going anywhere else. He has to have his birthday dinner at WCC, and has to physically be there ON his birthday. :rotfl2:

He cracks me up with the Disney thing. :) I don't have to worry about the pot smoking or wild parties either. DH and I are going away for a weekend for our 2 year anniversary, and I know I can leave him home alone. With a large supply of frozen dinners. And a lot of New England Clam Chowder. :upsidedow

The worse thing he will do when we're gone is feed the cats. That's it. The neighbors will keep an eye out for smoke, :eek: and DH and I are only going 20 minutes away. :)

Having teen is bad enough, but having an ASD teen is awful! :scared1: He's not so much "splashed" as standing in the pool up to his waist, and a few times a week he submerges. :headache:

[mommatomase]

Yesterday, my dear sweet literal Aspie comes to ask me (with a look of dread on his face) "What is Manwich?" Without thinking anything of it, I just said it was hamburger bar-b-q... a look of relief came across his face... then it dawned on me... my poor kiddo thought it was a sandwich made with human meat...:rotfl: who comes up with the names of this stuff anyway... :confused3

Have a great day ladies!

[persimmondeb]

We also play with much younger children, and all the neighbors pretty much all know him (and seem to like him, which is good). Two of these neurotypical little darlings have taken to throwing a ball against my windows to try to get him to come down and play, however.

If my husband and I are home and look fierce they'll stop, but they're still doing it when he's home alone (when he's not really supposed to go out, anyway). I have suggested that they will be paying for the broken window, but I think they are convinced that they will not put the darn ball through the window. DS does some odd things, but he knows that throwing a ball against a window is not a hot idea! What's up? These are 10 year olds, not really little kids.

[kampfirekim]

:lmao: :rotfl: This is SO FUNNY! We ALSO just got home from Buddy Baseball. My son is the same way! He never stops moving and trying to pull away from his buddy (which just happens to be my 12 yr old daughter :) )
I was grinning to myself today because one of the father's was sitting behind me and kept stating to another parent that he wished his son would run! Apparently he is a slow mover and never runs or moves fast.:confused3 I'm thinking to myself "Be careful what you wish for . . . !" :rotfl:

We actually enjoy the buddy baseball (called Freedom League here). First - its free. :thumbsup2 And for the most part I can just sit and watch while other people wrangle him for an hour.

It is a lot of fun, I just wish I could just once sit and watch! :rotfl:

On a serious note, the parent you overheard wishing his child would run got me reevaluating my DS. Thank God he CAN run. Thank God he doesn't also have physical or health probs on top of the Autism. Thanks for sharing that! :thumbsup2

I want to see Date night but I never get to see "adult movies" (:laughing:) in the theatres so let me know how it is and if its worth a netflix pick!

:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2: What kind of "date night" do you guys have in mind! Or should I even ask? :rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

I try to take my boys out for weekend field trips now that their in school fulltime and I was having a problem with my youngest son with ASD getting frustrated with the stroller ,not to mention him being HUGE-45 lbs, and harder to push in the stroller we have.. he got so frustrated last month that during our trip to the Smithsonian he ran out of it and I could NOT find him (imagine my panic when my wandering child who doesn't answer to his name and cannot tell anyone he's lost is nowhere to be found) the Security guard found him just walking around an exhibit and he was fine but I was freaked out! So I decided to buy one of those child harnesses aka a kid leash even though I was one pre-ASD child who would say stuff like "Just keep track of your kid better".. well we've been on two trips with that thing and its such a relief to know that he is right there and he loves being able to explore and not be confined.. I get a few looks but oh well its better than losing my child forever..anyone else use them?! I highly reccomend it and to top it off 7 bucks on Amazon :banana:

Been there, done that! Mine escaped a three point harness buggy at Target and was out of the building in the parking lot when found! I think my hear stopped for a while! He also could not be found in the house once. I could not find him anywhere. The doors were locked with a keyed deadbolt so I knew he HAD to be inside...until I looked over and saw the window was raised and the screen was pushed out. :scared1: We live on a street where many people think it is actually Ok to speed. I was terrified. Looking outside he still could not be found. I had no idea where to begin. I began yelling his name and then he peeked his precious little face around the other side of the car. He was only 3 at the time. Now he's much bigger, much stronger and much faster. Lord, give me strength! :scared:

Yesterday, my dear sweet literal Aspie comes to ask me (with a look of dread on his face) "What is Manwich?" Without thinking anything of it, I just said it was hamburger bar-b-q... a look of relief came across his face... then it dawned on me... my poor kiddo thought it was a sandwich made with human meat...:rotfl: who comes up with the names of this stuff anyway... :confused3

Have a great day ladies!

A MANwhich! :lmao: That's priceless! Now THERE'S one for the menu! :rotfl:

[bookwormde]

have been Lurking on this thread, but since the manwich story gave me a good 5 minute laugh (only a parnet of a child on the spectum would laugh that long), I had to say thanks.

bookwormde

[mommatomase]

I really should write them all down... he is sooooooooooo literal... although sometimes he will say.. "Mom, I just got the funniest picture in my head when I thought of what (somebody) said." So, sometimes he realizes that it just can't be...

Now I have a place to share and not be judged for laughing... I just love this kiddo... :rotfl:

thanks for laughing with me!!

[mommatomase]

I try to take my boys out for weekend field trips now that their in school fulltime and I was having a problem with my youngest son with ASD getting frustrated with the stroller ,not to mention him being HUGE-45 lbs, and harder to push in the stroller we have.. he got so frustrated last month that during our trip to the Smithsonian he ran out of it and I could NOT find him (imagine my panic when my wandering child who doesn't answer to his name and cannot tell anyone he's lost is nowhere to be found) the Security guard found him just walking around an exhibit and he was fine but I was freaked out! So I decided to buy one of those child harnesses aka a kid leash even though I was one pre-ASD child who would say stuff like "Just keep track of your kid better".. well we've been on two trips with that thing and its such a relief to know that he is right there and he loves being able to explore and not be confined.. I get a few looks but oh well its better than losing my child forever..anyone else use them?! I highly reccomend it and to top it off 7 bucks on Amazon :banana:

I bought a retractable dog leash for a 15 lb dog. I kept the handle end in my pocket and attached the other to DS's belt loop... very inconspicuous (sp) and it worked great. I used it until he was ... 7 or 8. The harness thing was a little much for his age... no bad looks with the leash though... no one knew who was attached to who and when he was close the leash retracted and even less noticable... DS is almost 10 now and won't let go of my hand when we go somewhere... he is afraid I will get lost... :hug:

[BreTyPres87]

I bought a retractable dog leash for a 15 lb dog. I kept the handle end in my pocket and attached the other to DS's belt loop... very inconspicuous (sp) and it worked great. I used it until he was ... 7 or 8. The harness thing was a little much for his age... no bad looks with the leash though... no one knew who was attached to who and when he was close the leash retracted and even less noticable... DS is almost 10 now and won't let go of my hand when we go somewhere... he is afraid I will get lost... :hug:
Thats a good idea!!And how sweet that he won't let go of your hand, a "normal" 10 year old would just be getting near the stage where they want nothing to do with you.



Been there, done that! Mine escaped a three point harness buggy at Target and was out of the building in the parking lot when found! I think my hear stopped for a while! He also could not be found in the house once. I could not find him anywhere. The doors were locked with a keyed deadbolt so I knew he HAD to be inside...until I looked over and saw the window was raised and the screen was pushed out. :scared1: We live on a street where many people think it is actually Ok to speed. I was terrified. Looking outside he still could not be found. I had no idea where to begin. I began yelling his name and then he peeked his precious little face around the other side of the car. He was only 3 at the time. Now he's much bigger, much stronger and much faster. Lord, give me strength! :scared:



Wow he broke out of the harness, how did it attach? My son is still kind of small even though he's a BIG boy so I guess I better not think problem solved with the harness... Oh so scary! I hope you figure out a way to keep peace of mind with your son when u go out

Yesterday, my dear sweet literal Aspie comes to ask me (with a look of dread on his face) "What is Manwich?" Without thinking anything of it, I just said it was hamburger bar-b-q... a look of relief came across his face... then it dawned on me... my poor kiddo thought it was a sandwich made with human meat...:rotfl: who comes up with the names of this stuff anyway... :confused3

Have a great day ladies!
:rotfl: that's so cute!!

[kampfirekim]

Sorry, I double posted.

[kampfirekim]

I really should write them all down... he is sooooooooooo literal... although sometimes he will say.. "Mom, I just got the funniest picture in my head when I thought of what (somebody) said." So, sometimes he realizes that it just can't be...

Now I have a place to share and not be judged for laughing... I just love this kiddo... :rotfl:

thanks for laughing with me!!

Just write them here and then print them out. Think that's what I'm gonna do. I may even print some of all you girls' stories too! I like that there's no judging here too. I used to feel a little guilty for laughing at certain things, but, to me they would seem sooooo funny! Glad to know I'm not the only to have a sense of humor about the spectrum. :goodvibes BTW, I was trying to tell my mom the Manwich story and she was already laughing before I could finish. She shadows an aspie at school and already knew where that story was headed. She totally got it! :rotfl:

Wow he broke out of the harness, how did it attach? My son is still kind of small even though he's a BIG boy so I guess I better not think problem solved with the harness... Oh so scary! I hope you figure out a way to keep peace of mind with your son when u go out

He didn't actually break it, he just escaped. I don't know how he did it...he just did! :confused3 Only thing I can figure is that he wiggled out somehow. I had it snug on him. I'm still scratching my head on that one. Your DS may do well with a harness. Mine won't put up w/the leash harness arrangement AT ALL! I may try attatching one to his belt loop or using a very large dog collar as a belt and attatching a leash to that. I am hoping to have an adaptive stroller before next WDW trip. We've applied but haven't heard back yet. I usually put him in the seat of the shopping cart. He's getting so big it does take quite a bit of maneuvering to get him in there...and it's even more interesting getting him out! :laughing: I have gotten some strange looks on that one in my time. I never fully have peace of mind. DH and I are in a perpetual state of "RED ALERT, RED ALERT!" :rotfl: This life in Schmolland....challenging, but never dull!

[kampfirekim]

have been Lurking on this thread, but since the manwich story gave me a good 5 minute laugh (only a parnet of a child on the spectum would laugh that long), I had to say thanks.

bookwormde

Lurk no more! Come on in and join us. We'd love to hear your stories! :thumbsup2

[ireland_nicole]

Speaking of the literal way of looking at things, I was reading the Amelia Bedelia books to DD a couple year ago. About halfway through, the family gets frustrated and fires her for getting everything "wrong" and taking it all so literally. Caitie just looked up at me and asked about it; she didn't understand why they were mad- Everything Amelia did made perfect sense to her;)

[iwrbnd]

Wow! I've been gone this weekend and have missed all the fun on here! I've been just cracking up at all the stories! They are priceless! And I've missed saying "hi" to a few new people! What a great group of friends we're all becoming! I love it!:lovestruc

[iwrbnd]

Wow! I've been gone this weekend and have missed all the fun on here! I've been just cracking up at all the stories! They are priceless! And I've missed saying "hi" to a few new people! What a great group of friends we're all becoming! I love it!:lovestruc

My child doesn't eat erasers but he chews his shirt sleeves and collars to pieces!

(Oops, I didn't mean to quote myself, I meant to edit and add last part! "Major BFF"!!!)

[BreTyPres87]

Speaking of the literal way of looking at things, I was reading the Amelia Bedelia books to DD a couple year ago. About halfway through, the family gets frustrated and fires her for getting everything "wrong" and taking it all so literally. Caitie just looked up at me and asked about it; she didn't understand why they were mad- Everything Amelia did made perfect sense to her;)

lol thats so cute!! and I used to love those books and forgot all about them until just now!

[bobbie68]

Hi everybody!!!!!!!!!

I am sort of new to this board I have posted once or twice. I am a mom to DD 8 who is an Aspie kid. I was reading the posts from early pages and it brought back how I use to feel. For the first 5 years I had mixed feelings of being a parent to this child. Through the years things have gotten easier. There is a little less autism behaviors and a little more typical. I think the biggest thing for me is that up till about 3 years ago my DD wouldn't let us show her any kind of affection. Now she wants hugs all the time, sits on my lap and snuggles. I noticed for myself this was key for me. Once, I was able to share affection with her I felt close to her and felt like I was a mom. I guess I should say what I thought a mom was going to be like. All those feelings I had a long time ago have pretty much gone.
There are days when she argues with me that I want to have 1,000 calgon baths.

I have to say I love the literal stories, this is so classic in our house. Our DD is very high functioning, so much academically she can do work 2 grades higher. I forget and I say things and she looks at me like I have 2 heads.

It feels good to share so many people I have in my life just don't get it.:goodvibes

[kampfirekim]

Speaking of the literal way of looking at things, I was reading the Amelia Bedelia books to DD a couple year ago. About halfway through, the family gets frustrated and fires her for getting everything "wrong" and taking it all so literally. Caitie just looked up at me and asked about it; she didn't understand why they were mad- Everything Amelia did made perfect sense to her;)

That is so cute....I love it! :goodvibes

Wow! I've been gone this weekend and have missed all the fun on here! I've been just cracking up at all the stories! They are priceless! And I've missed saying "hi" to a few new people! What a great group of friends we're all becoming! I love it!:lovestruc

Welcome back! I was wondering if you got lost in Schmerwood forest or something! :laughing: Good you see that's not the case. Hope you had a great weekend! :hug:

Hi everybody!!!!!!!!!

I am sort of new to this board I have posted once or twice. I am a mom to DD 8 who is an Aspie kid. I was reading the posts from early pages and it brought back how I use to feel. For the first 5 years I had mixed feelings of being a parent to this child. Through the years things have gotten easier. There is a little less autism behaviors and a little more typical. I think the biggest thing for me is that up till about 3 years ago my DD wouldn't let us show her any kind of affection. Now she wants hugs all the time, sits on my lap and snuggles. I noticed for myself this was key for me. Once, I was able to share affection with her I felt close to her and felt like I was a mom. I guess I should say what I thought a mom was going to be like. All those feelings I had a long time ago have pretty much gone.
There are days when she argues with me that I want to have 1,000 calgon baths.

I have to say I love the literal stories, this is so classic in our house. Our DD is very high functioning, so much academically she can do work 2 grades higher. I forget and I say things and she looks at me like I have 2 heads.

It feels good to share so many people I have in my life just don't get it.:goodvibes

First, I'd just like to say :welcome: I am hoping DS' autism traits continue to lessen and the more typical ones develop. We are seeing more speech and social deveolopment lately. :thumbsup2 Affection has never been an issue for us, but my heart sure does go out to those it is a prob for. It must be heartbreaking. That's been one thing I've been grateful for. I'm glad that issue has worked out for you. :) Your post is very encouraging to me. Thanks for sharing. BTW, I don't know if there's enough Calgon in the entire Land of Schmolland to completely take us away! :rotfl:

[mommatomase]

I can remember reading Amelia books and spending half my time explaining... it took FOREVER to read an Amelia book... NOW... he explains her actions to everyone like he is the expert... :rotfl:

Another one for you... Yesterday I asked DS if the milk he was drinking "hit the spot"... silly me... "NO, I don't know what that means... what spot, I'm drinking it." After explaining what "hit the spot" meant he said... "that's dumb... it just tasted good."

You would think that after dealing with this for nine years I would realize what I am saying... :confused3

I have a new motto... "Different Day... Different Stuff" I feel like I need to explain... :laughing:

[iwrbnd]

I can remember reading Amelia books and spending half my time explaining... it took FOREVER to read an Amelia book... NOW... he explains her actions to everyone like he is the expert... :rotfl:

Another one for you... Yesterday I asked DS if the milk he was drinking "hit the spot"... silly me... "NO, I don't know what that means... what spot, I'm drinking it." After explaining what "hit the spot" meant he said... "that's dumb... it just tasted good."

You would think that after dealing with this for nine years I would realize what I am saying... :confused3

I have a new motto... "Different Day... Different Stuff" I feel like I need to explain... :laughing:

"Hit the spot"! Love it!:rotfl:

I think "Different day different stuff" should be the Schmolland motto! We don't have one, do we?

[mommatomase]

"Hit the spot"! Love it!:rotfl:

I think "Different day different stuff" should be the Schmolland motto! We don't have one, do we?

I'll second that... I just love it... no one would understand unless they live in our world... my DH thinks it is a riot... :hug:

[kampfirekim]

I can remember reading Amelia books and spending half my time explaining... it took FOREVER to read an Amelia book... NOW... he explains her actions to everyone like he is the expert... :rotfl:

Another one for you... Yesterday I asked DS if the milk he was drinking "hit the spot"... silly me... "NO, I don't know what that means... what spot, I'm drinking it." After explaining what "hit the spot" meant he said... "that's dumb... it just tasted good."

You would think that after dealing with this for nine years I would realize what I am saying... :confused3

I have a new motto... "Different Day... Different Stuff" I feel like I need to explain... :laughing:

Hit the spot! That is sooooo funny! It actually sounded like my neurtotypical son! :rotfl: He can be literal sometimes.

I'll second that... I just love it... no one would understand unless they live in our world... my DH thinks it is a riot... :hug:

I'll third that! If there are no objections...the motion will carry!

Yesterday DS and I were alone on the softa together. I often pray for guidance and the strength to handle life with him, but I decided to pray for him on the spot. He looked up at me bright eyed and said "JESUS?" Excited about this response I repeated "Jesus" hoping to prompt him to say it a second time. To which he replied, "More Cheezits". He thought I was offering him CHEEZITS! :rotfl: Maybe that's why he melts down in church. All the references to Cheezits and no one ever gives him any! :lmao:

[kirstenb1]

Kampfire Kim, thanks for the chuckle. I swear everytime I pray now, I'll have to eat Cheez-Its!!!:lmao:

[steph124ny]

Cheeze-Its!!! That is just too funny!!!!

[kampfirekim]

Kampfire Kim, thanks for the chuckle. I swear everytime I pray now, I'll have to eat Cheez-Its!!!:lmao:

Cheeze-Its!!! That is just too funny!!!!

Better believe I'll have a stash of Cheezits in my bag next Sunday! ;)

Just got back from Target. It was pretty uneventful until he began yelling "Help me, help me, help me!" to the top of his lungs! I quickly realized he had an itch he couldn't get to, but I could only imagine what the sight looked like to an innocent bystander. A 45 lb+ 5 1/2 yr old stuffed in the seat of a shopping cart, yelling "Help me!" reapeatedly to top of his lungs. :sad2: I'll tell ya' , these little Schmutch kids are comic gold.

[mommatomase]

I love Cheez-its... and Jesus...

I LOVE IT!!!

Thanks for the snicker...

[mommatomase]

We are going to WDW in September... you can bet that I will have a t-shirt that says, "Different Day... Different Stuff".

Today... we are on alarm mode... everything is alarming today... not just, "hey Mom, look at this", it is "MOM, MOM, come quick..." like the house if burning down!

Sounds like it it Alarm Day in other parts of Schmolland too... :lmao:

[iwrbnd]

I love the Cheezits story, too!:laughing: Church can be an interesting place for ASD kids! I know we've had our moments! I remember when mine was in 1st grade and the pastor said "Raise your hand if you've never lied." My DS's hand shot up in the air and the pastor said "Congratulations, son, you just lied in church!" My DS looked so confused and me and my mom both said to each other "I don't think he ever has!" Seriously it took forever for my son to lie...did you know that's a developmental milestone? I was never so excited as when my next child lied at 3 years of age!!!:yay: I'm so warped from living in Schmolland!:lmao:

[kampfirekim]

I love the Cheezits story, too!:laughing: Church can be an interesting place for ASD kids! I know we've had our moments! I remember when mine was in 1st grade and the pastor said "Raise your hand if you've never lied." My DS's hand shot up in the air and the pastor said "Congratulations, son, you just lied in church!" My DS looked so confused and me and my mom both said to each other "I don't think he ever has!" Seriously it took forever for my son to lie...did you know that's a developmental milestone? I was never so excited as when my next child lied at 3 years of age!!!:yay: I'm so warped from living in Schmolland!:lmao:

I never thought of lying that way! Hilarious story! :rotfl: Don't feel too bad, I think I'm warped from time spent in Schmolland too! :lmao: Here is a story I cut and pasted from an old thread called Front of the line. Some may have already read it, but I don't mind repeating it for those who haven't. Since you seem to enjoy stories from the 1st Church of Schmolland , you'll love this one. It happened during winter. Just another day in the life of the KFK family in Schmolland:

Originally Posted by jt'smom
i don't know if this will make you feel better, but i have an aspie son (he's 13 now), who was a "naked kid". ... now that he has to change for gym in middle school, he does wear boxers, but only on school days. weekends are still commando!

Originally Posted by kampfirekim
YES! Someone who understands my plight! Good to know he may grow out of it. My DS stays in underwear at home. I let him go commando too. We don't have a prob at school, but at home... clothes?....forget it. Several months ago at church DS was getting irritable. Assuming he was warm, (wearing 2 shirts layered), I decided to remove the longsleeved one from underneath. That is when the mayhem ensued! Once I got the shirt off and tried to put the short sleeve back on it was a fight for survival. During the Wrestle Mania match he managed to get his shoes off and his pants were down around his knees! DH, who never finds much humor in these situations, completely lost it! He began to laugh out loud...in church....I thought we were going to have a Mississippi Squirrel moment! I had a half naked child and a hysterical husband on my hands. When DH decided to help clothe DS, DS bit him right on the nipple area causing DH to let out a YELP! Then I lost it! Then My DM lost it! At that point DH decided it was time to remove DS. After DH removed him from the service, the choir and half the congregation were still chuckling. The pastor never missed a beat! Lucky we have such an understanding church family, huh? I could write a book.
__________________

[mommatomase]

And I feel I need to introduce myself better...

I am a mom of a 9 year old Aspie who thinks he knows it all. He is a Brown Belt in Karate and an Honor Student. We cyber school, so I am with him 24/7. Well, with the exception of Karate on Tues. from 6 to 8. He is not only Aspie, he also has life threatening food allergies to peanuts and sesame (used to be 14 foods). He was diagnosed the SPD first, then Aspergers. He used to freak if his feet left the ground or if he moved faster than he could walk. An indoor trampoline was our saving grace. He can now ride a bike and he has a "big boy" trampoline in the backyard. His goal in life is to be a Lego Brickmaster, but first an actor so he can build a mansion. He loves to dance (of course) and his two favorite subjects are Legos and Star Wars. He knows all the Lilo and Stitch cousins by name and number.

I have ten years of training in Autism (1990 -2000) but NEVER thought my son was on the spectrum... my training is not in Aspergers so his vocabulary threw me the curve not to pursue diagnosis sooner.

He spoke at the age of 9 months but didn't walk until 15 months... both within "developmental milestones". So, why pursue anything when you have a happy kiddo that loves to be held and sits and plays with his toys quietly and for hours.... :confused3 And you waited 13 years for this precious little guy to arrive... then kindergarten starts and.... whammo... somebody says your sweet baby that is so well behaved at home is so bad a school... doesn't listen, walks around the room, doesn't color in the lines.... yadda, yadda, yadda... I put up with that for three years! No more... he is now an honor student and if he wants to walk around the room in the middle of a lesson... who cares???

I don't think I could live anywhere else other than Schmolland... I know nothing else... one child, one husband, two dogs (I think my corgi is also on the spectrum) and 19 chickens (DS says they are very interesting and will spend two hours a day in the woods with them... :hippie: Some days I am so exhausted I could sit and cry... other days I just sit and laugh because life is good through the eyes of an Aspie (I have a happy one)

I truly don't know how someone with more than one child does it... I sometimes get the "you only have one child?" And I think to myself... yup, that's all this Momma could handle... I wouldn't be the Mom I am with more than one...

OK, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!! :rolleyes1

[BreTyPres87]

And I feel I need to introduce myself better...



Welcome!!:grouphug:

[BreTyPres87]

:lmao: Cheez-Its

My son doesn't go to Church very often but when he does its always an interesting experience. Two Easters ago he made it halfway up the pulpit during the alter prayer, this year he was held by a very nice man who looked a lot like Walt Disney who kept him calm.. I wanted to ask him to come home with me but I didn't wanna creep him out!

[Tarheel girl 1975]

I just wanted to say I love this thread. My son is 6 and is on the upper end of the spectrum too. He also has ADHD. Some days are great and I feel like we might be able to relocate out of Schmolland. Other days are not so good and I feel like we should buy a place in Schmolland instead of wasting money on rent. He's become quite argumentative lately. I keep hoping that it's just a phase and try to remind myself that it's better than when he didn't have any preferences at all.

[iwrbnd]

I love the church stories! And Mommatomase, my DS sounds similiar to your story! I also was trained in child development and thought my son was so perfect the kindergarten might make a statue for him or something!:lmao:Was I in for a shock! My smart "perfect" rule-oriented kid couldn't follow instructions at school and pretty much drove his teacher insane! He wasn't a behavior problem he just would daze off and get nothing done! He had been speech delayed, had some sensory issues and other very mild things I noticed. (Like he would go over the rules of games for so long his friend's eyes would glazed over from boredom! Or he could name all the state capitals but not his classmate's names.) He then got diagnosed with ADD. Medication helped A LOT but the mild social issues continued. Then he got an executive function dysfunction diagnosis and went through a period of minor tics. Then in middle school we realized he wasn't growing out of his quirks and got a "Asperger probable" diagnosis from his psychiatrist and "educational autism" from the school. He definately falls between normal and not-normal....whatever that is! That's why I came up with the "splashed" diagnosis for him! He's 17 now and having his best year ever! He has a good group of friends and a girlfriend! (She's really nice and smart and has no idea he has anything else wrong with him than ADD!)

My 11 year old DS got PDD-NOS at 2 years and mild autism at 3 yrs. He's come so far he actually does better than my other one! He talks a little monotone and uses large vocabulary words which makes him stand out. He's more into nintendo/computer than running around with friends but he does have a nice group of friends! He's been in speech/language services since one years old and just graduated this month! He's come so far, too.

I have days where they seem so typical that I forget they are on the spectrum. Then we have days where their issues are much more obvious and I can't take it! (Like the day I started this thread!) Both of them have food/sleep issues, mild low-tone, are literal, rigid in their thinking and aren't real "huggy/lovey". They blend in pretty well, though. Most of their issues are hidden and only become obvious on a day to day basis. I always knew they were mild but after reading about my neighbors in Schmolland I realize how mild they are!

This made me think. I would love to hear everyone's diagnosis story. How and when did you find out you were moving to Schmolland? Anyone else want to share your story?

[persimmondeb]

We just had a very, very difficult dinner out. I don't know what got into him. Thank goodness we were outside on the patio and it wasn't crowded.

The piece de resistance was probably when DS (deliberately) squeezed his lemonade all over his piece of pizza and much of the table, but the whole meal was kind of like that. We should have known better, since he was complaining about going to that particular place, but we have been trying to get him to be considerate of other people's needs (like my need not to cook at 8:30 when I've gotten out of work late).

That waitress should be given a medal. Not only did she not refuse to have anything more to do with us, she actually offered to bring DS crayons and paper to distract him.

Usually he's good in restaurants, but this was AWFUL!!! I wanted to run away, and was too upset and aggravated to actually eat much.

[mommatomase]

We just had a very, very difficult dinner out. I don't know what got into him. Thank goodness we were outside on the patio and it wasn't crowded.

The piece de resistance was probably when DS (deliberately) squeezed his lemonade all over his piece of pizza and much of the table, but the whole meal was kind of like that. We should have known better, since he was complaining about going to that particular place, but we have been trying to get him to be considerate of other people's needs (like my need not to cook at 8:30 when I've gotten out of work late).

That waitress should be given a medal. Not only did she not refuse to have anything more to do with us, she actually offered to bring DS crayons and paper to distract him.

Usually he's good in restaurants, but this was AWFUL!!! I wanted to run away, and was too upset and aggravated to actually eat much.

All that at 8:30... Not going to Schmolland Restaurants can be dangerous... Hugs for a better evening tonight.

[kampfirekim]

:lmao: Cheez-Its

My son doesn't go to Church very often but when he does its always an interesting experience. Two Easters ago he made it halfway up the pulpit during the alter prayer, this year he was held by a very nice man who looked a lot like Walt Disney who kept him calm.. I wanted to ask him to come home with me but I didn't wanna creep him out!
I'll invite almost anyone home if they are up for the challenge.....creepy or not! :laughing: BTW,, he also escaped the nursery, got into the sanctuary, wove through any open pews with a nursery worker on his trail. All were laughing, including Pastor! On other occasions, he's made it all the way up to the pulpit during service. I am so blessed to have an understanding church family. They are able to laugh with me.
I just wanted to say I love this thread. My son is 6 and is on the upper end of the spectrum too. He also has ADHD. Some days are great and I feel like we might be able to relocate out of Schmolland. Other days are not so good and I feel like we should buy a place in Schmolland instead of wasting money on rent. He's become quite argumentative lately. I keep hoping that it's just a phase and try to remind myself that it's better than when he didn't have any preferences at all.
Welcome aboard. Go ahead and buy the Schmolland home, you're here to stay. Consider any visits to Italy a blessing. ;)

I would love to hear everyone's diagnosis story. How and when did you find out you were moving to Schmolland? Anyone else want to share your story?
Speech delay was our only flag (or so we thought, turns out there were plenty of flags). We had him screened and he was labeled as having a "developmental delay" which qualified him for pre-k special ed. We decided we needed something more official, so we had him evaluated by a prominent psychologist at Medical College of Georgia who dx him with PDD-Nos/ADHD. We already had an appointment scheduled with a Pediatric Developmental Specialist and since the waiting list to see her was nearly a year long, we held onto the appointment...just in case. After we began noticing behavior changes, we were glad we did. She was able to dx him with autism relatively quickly. (She's been an angel to us.) There you have it. That's our dx story. Besides the school provided OT, ST and ABT, we also have private OT, ST and equestrian therapy. He loves the horses! :thumbsup2
We just had a very, very difficult dinner out. I don't know what got into him. Thank goodness we were outside on the patio and it wasn't crowded.

The piece de resistance was probably when DS (deliberately) squeezed his lemonade all over his piece of pizza and much of the table, but the whole meal was kind of like that. We should have known better, since he was complaining about going to that particular place, but we have been trying to get him to be considerate of other people's needs (like my need not to cook at 8:30 when I've gotten out of work late).

That waitress should be given a medal. Not only did she not refuse to have anything more to do with us, she actually offered to bring DS crayons and paper to distract him.

Usually he's good in restaurants, but this was AWFUL!!! I wanted to run away, and was too upset and aggravated to actually eat much.

Just go ahead....throw your head back and have a good laugh about it. We should win the title "Most stared at". Restaurants are an adventure aren't they? ;)

[persimmondeb]

Thanks! This was horrible!!! Not usual though, thank goodness. And every time he did something awful he'd apologize, promise to be good, and then do something else a minute later.

He was tired, hungry, and not very enthusiastic about the place we were eating in (since he does not get that sometimes cheap and convenient outweigh other considerations), but I did think he could at least sit and be somewhat behaved for 45 minutes.

This is the same kid who sat through nearly 3 hours in a fine dining restaurant in a suit and tie less than two months ago, doing nothing but making polite (if slightly odd) conversation, and using his very best table manners. I'm sure the difference is that he WANTED to be in the fine dining restaurant, and didn't want to eat pizza last night, but I did feel he was old enough to hold it together on demand.

I threatened to cancel our ADR's for Disney if he can't be trusted to behave in restaurants, and I think that made an impression. He's also been told that he's not eating out again until we go to Disney, and that he's going to earn back the sushi dinner a family friend is supposed to take him out for.

He's sometimes been a little tricky in this particular place, since he doesn't like it all that much, but hopefully this was a one-time awful, since I would like to be able to go there again.

[iwrbnd]

Sorry persimmondeb that your dinner out wasn't fun! We stopped going to restaurants with ours because #1 we had 3 boys and that would be tough and expensive with NT kids but mostly because 2 of them wouldn't eat the food! They would eat Pizza Hut, though, so that became my treat! Maybe this was just a fluke and he'll be back to his polite self for the next dinner out!

I loved hearing the way you found yourself in Scmolland, Kampfirekim! It sounds similiar to our 2nd son's road.

Since you mentioned all the services you've gotten I'm wondering what everybody has tried? What therapy did you find helped you get out of Schmolland for maybe small trips?

Our oldest began speech therapy at 18 months but graduated from that by kindergarten. In 1st grade went on stimulant meds for his ADD until junior high. Then in junior high he saw a counselor (didn't help, our DS isn't much for touchy/feeling conversations and "how does that make you feel?" questions went by him like a jet plane!) then in high school he was given an IEP and a wonderful speech therapist that helps him stay organized and helps with writing assignments. Throughout this whole time he's been seeing a psychiatrist at a Children's hospital who says he has ADD and "Aspergers probable".

Our 2nd son began speech/language therapy at 14 months and then at 2 yrs was given (free by the state) OT, play therapy, speech and ABA...oh, and LOTS of prayer! We had people coming into our house all day long! The Children's Hospital that diagnosed him with Autism at 3 yrs said their goals for him would be regular school with an aide. Well, he's in 5th grade and makes straight A's without an IEP or aide and is in advanced math! (He had an IEP for writing for 2 years but not now) He's come soooo far from where he started! He got speech/language from the schools until this year where he finally graduated. I can't say enough about early intervention! (And prayer!) He's doing better than my other who has been put on the spectrum but not a full blown autism diagnosis like my youngest!

We tried the casseine/gluten free diet but didn't see any results and it was so hard with their eating issues I gave up.

So, that's about it for us. What has everyone else done for there Schmollandites?

[kampfirekim]

Thanks! This was horrible!!! Not usual though, thank goodness. And every time he did something awful he'd apologize, promise to be good, and then do something else a minute later.

He was tired, hungry, and not very enthusiastic about the place we were eating in (since he does not get that sometimes cheap and convenient outweigh other considerations), but I did think he could at least sit and be somewhat behaved for 45 minutes.

This is the same kid who sat through nearly 3 hours in a fine dining restaurant in a suit and tie less than two months ago, doing nothing but making polite (if slightly odd) conversation, and using his very best table manners. I'm sure the difference is that he WANTED to be in the fine dining restaurant, and didn't want to eat pizza last night, but I did feel he was old enough to hold it together on demand.


I threatened to cancel our ADR's for Disney if he can't be trusted to behave in restaurants, and I think that made an impression. He's also been told that he's not eating out again until we go to Disney, and that he's going to earn back the sushi dinner a family friend is supposed to take him out for.

He's sometimes been a little tricky in this particular place, since he doesn't like it all that much, but hopefully this was a one-time awful, since I would like to be able to go there again.

Yes, we try to discipline as well. The hard thing about Schmolland is finding that fine line between what is the disorder and what is a discipline prob. :confused3 I hope you don't have to cancel your ADR's. That's a great idea making him earn back the privelege of sushi w/a friend! :thumbsup2 We are not to the point yet where that sort of reasoning will work for us. Yep, the hard thing about Schmolland is that sometimes they can and sometimes they can't hold it together. I have nearly pulled my hair out trying to determine which is which. :sad2: Could there be a sensory trigger in this particular restaurant? Just a thought. :flower3: Hope it all works out for you! :hug:

[steph124ny]

My 14 year old still doesn't do restaurants well. He eats very quickly and then starts complaining that he wants to leave. He'll keep it up until you WANT to leave, whether you've finished eating or not!!!

The only restaurant we've found that he'll sit in quietly is a Japanese steakhouse where the chefs throw things and generally keep him entertained! too bad it's so expensive!

[kampfirekim]

I shouldn't complain though. Not only is he not smoking pot in the garage, .

If DS doesn't give me a break today I may be the one smoking pot in the garage! :laughing:

KFK needed to haul a little overflowing garbage to the dump (only around 5 miles from my house, one block from a friends church). Trying to be helpful, DH feels the need to show me how to get there using Google Maps. :sad2: Of course I subject him to my "Don't you think I at least have the brain power to get to the dump and back without Google Maps?" speech. Of course today, I load the extra bags of trash into the truck, and not only do I miss the entrance to the dump....I overlooked the church! :rotfl2: Have any of you ever sat at a stop sign waiting on the LIGHT to turn red? :rotfl2: DH may have been on the right track! :rotfl: (I know he'll probably read this by the time I see him tonight ...so I say to you sweetie...."Sorry, my bad!") I know this is a little OT, but not really, 'cause I think DS is draining my brain power. I used to be much sharper than this. Life in Schmolland is officially taking a toll! ;)

Question: Do any of your hubbies lurk and read your posts? Not only does mine lurk, he prints and shares with friends. :sad2:

[steph124ny]

I have not waited at a stop sign for the light to change, but I have caught myself signalling a turn when going around a bend recently...I blame it on pregnant brain! LOL!!! I can't seem to keep track of my cell phone anymore either!! very sad...I may have to staple it to my forehead...

[Kat77]

I have not waited at a stop sign for the light to change, but I have caught myself signalling a turn when going around a bend recently...I blame it on pregnant brain! LOL!!! I can't seem to keep track of my cell phone anymore either!! very sad...I may have to staple it to my forehead...

Sadly, I have done both of these things! Even worse, a few years back I was sick and driving to the doctor and caught myself waiting for three cars to line up so that they would disappear in front of me (cubis?). I should not have been driving... ugh!

:goodvibes All four of my kids LOVE Japanese food! We do "home habachi" nights once a week now since a new restaurant opened next door to Target and taunts us with it's deliciously, expensive presence almost daily. :eek:

The Cheese It story is funny! Listen for "Baby Cheese's" in the church nursery sometime though. You will be suprised how common it is... :laughing:

[persimmondeb]

He's not super fond of pizza, and they don't have desserts. He has also complained that it smells like "beer and pizza". We have tried to persuade him that this is a perfectly normal way for a pizza parlor to smell, but I think it, along with the noise level, probably does bother him, which is why we try to sit outside if at all possible. He apologised again today, repeatedly, so I think we may have made an impression.

[kampfirekim]

I have not waited at a stop sign for the light to change, but I have caught myself signalling a turn when going around a bend recently...I blame it on pregnant brain! LOL!!! I can't seem to keep track of my cell phone anymore either!! very sad...I may have to staple it to my forehead...
Prego in Schmolland!? You're entitled to have a BFF at any time! :laughing: I can't keep up w/my cell phone either! I find myself calling the cell # so I can track it! :sad2: Clipping it to a lanyard would be less painful than staples! :lmao:
..., a few years back I was sick and driving to the doctor and caught myself waiting for three cars to line up so that they would disappear in front of me (cubis?). I should not have been driving... ugh!

What can I say to that except......:rotfl2:


He's not super fond of pizza, and they don't have desserts. He has also complained that it smells like "beer and pizza". We have tried to persuade him that this is a perfectly normal way for a pizza parlor to smell, but I think it, along with the noise level, probably does bother him, which is why we try to sit outside if at all possible. He apologised again today, repeatedly, so I think we may have made an impression.

How wonderful that he has apologized! My DS isn't verbal enough yet to express sensory displeasure. Wish mine wasn't SO fond of pizza. I think he'd eat it every day if we allowed it! There's a spec/needs kid at DS' school that only eats Cheeto's....every meal! The ONLY exceptions are Saltines and cupcakes w/no frosting. Who does that? :confused3 Since no flaming is allowed....I'll refrain, but I was thinking it!

Looks like he may be earning back that Sushi trip, huh? Great news! :thumbsup2 I've always believed that whether on the spectrum or not, discipline is a must! Good work persimmondeb! :goodvibes

[steph124ny]

Prego in Schmolland!? You're entitled to have a BFF at any time! :laughing: I can't keep up w/my cell phone either! I find myself calling the cell # so I can track it! :sad2: Clipping it to a lanyard would be less painful than staples! :lmao:

I have to admit that I was very greatful to find out that this child is a girl. I fully realize that girls are affected by autism as well as boys, but my other 2 girls are typical and I am just praying that this one is too...sometimes I feel guilty for feeling that way. I love my son just as much as my daughters...but the girls are so much easier.

[persimmondeb]

Thanks, Kim! He's been pretty good since then. I think the sushi should wait until AFTER Disney, but he should be going unless he does something else horrendous.

After he had apologised he asked, in a very small voice, if I really had cancelled the ADR's, and thank me profusely when I told him that I hadn't, so I think the strategy worked.

Sometimes it's hard to know what will and won't work as discipline, but we do try.

[iwrbnd]

I have to admit that I was very greatful to find out that this child is a girl. I fully realize that girls are affected by autism as well as boys, but my other 2 girls are typical and I am just praying that this one is too...sometimes I feel guilty for feeling that way. I love my son just as much as my daughters...but the girls are so much easier.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! When I was pregnant with my last child I worried the whole time he/she (didn't know the gender) would have autism. Then when she was born I stressed over every developmental milestone and panicked over anything that looked quirky! I wish I hadn't done that and just enjoyed my pregnancy and the baby/toddler years! I felt guilty about the worries too because I love my ASD kids just as much but my typical ones are just so much easier!

[BreTyPres87]

BFF moment today after a little shopping I get in my car and put the key in the ignition.. I then proceeded to search for my keys for 5 minutes and I got really frustrated about it too :lmao:

[Tarheel girl 1975]

Moment in Schmolland: today after a little shopping I get in my car and put the key in the ignition.. I then proceeded to search for my keys for 5 minutes and I got really frustrated about it too :lmao:

I look for my keys all the time, only to realize that I am holding them.

[steph124ny]

I frequently search all over the house for my sunglasses just to discover them on top of my head.... that's like a once a week occurance here. Don't know why I don't just check there first!

[iwrbnd]

I get BFF everyday! Yes, I've looked for keys that were in my hand, passed buildings I was driving to and even left a kid or two at church!!!:eek:

[kaffinito]

Just got back from Target. It was pretty uneventful until he began yelling "Help me, help me, help me!" to the top of his lungs! I quickly realized he had an itch he couldn't get to, but I could only imagine what the sight looked like to an innocent bystander. A 45 lb+ 5 1/2 yr old stuffed in the seat of a shopping cart, yelling "Help me!" reapeatedly to top of his lungs. :sad2: I'll tell ya' , these little Schmutch kids are comic gold.

:rotfl2::rotfl::rotfl2:


This made me think. I would love to hear everyone's diagnosis story. How and when did you find out you were moving to Schmolland? Anyone else want to share your story?

Just getting caught up a bit here. :)

When DS17 was little he was definitely NOT a "normal" child. He babbled and talked, but not to me. He would talk at me or around me. He didn't know what my name was - as if "Mommy" was too difficult for him. I took him to the school to have him evaluated when he was three, and to see a shrink. The shrink diagnosed him with ADHD, and he was put on meds. He was in special behavioral schools until he was 11, and then his school therapist wanted him evaluated for BPD. He got on meds for that, and miracle of miracles, was functioning a LOT better after that.

Then came the kicker. Just a few months after he had started the BiPD meds, the therapist, teachers, his shrink, and crap, I think even the bus driver said that they thought he was autistic. :scared1: So I finally knuckled under, and agreed to have him evaluated for autism. I didn't really want to - since autism is not something you can control or fix with meds, but agreed anyway. At the same time, DS then 4 was getting evaluated for autism too. Not a happy two weeks, let me tell you! :scared1:

So he got his evaluation from a specialist, and it only took her 10 minutes to call me in the room to tell me that he was autistic. I was devastated. :scared: A week after that and they told me that youngest DS was also autistic.

I cried for a month. And that rather long winded story is how I began my adventures in Schmolland.

[elan]

Hi all, I've seen this thread and have finally decided to jump in. Life in our schmolland is not fun right now. Heck I didn't even know where we were living until 8 monthes ago. I knew we were living somewhere but didn't know the name. My DD was 12 when we learned she wasn't a problem child but a child with a problem.

After struggling for years we now have a BUFFET of diagnosises. (not sure if that is a word). But as everyone here knows we didn't get a serving of one thing (aspergers) we got a plate full. ocd, odd, anxiety to name a few.

Our problem of the day is her fat legs. Well she thinks they are, and if she doesn't get them fixed before our trip in June she isn't going and she thinks no one else should go too. Needless to say her legs are far from fat but until we can deduce what is really bothering her she'll complain about her legs.

[iwrbnd]

:rotfl2::rotfl::rotfl2:



Just getting caught up a bit here. :)

When DS17 was little he was definitely NOT a "normal" child. He babbled and talked, but not to me. He would talk at me or around me. He didn't know what my name was - as if "Mommy" was too difficult for him. I took him to the school to have him evaluated when he was three, and to see a shrink. The shrink diagnosed him with ADHD, and he was put on meds. He was in special behavioral schools until he was 11, and then his school therapist wanted him evaluated for BPD. He got on meds for that, and miracle of miracles, was functioning a LOT better after that.

Then came the kicker. Just a few months after he had started the BiPD meds, the therapist, teachers, his shrink, and crap, I think even the bus driver said that they thought he was autistic. :scared1: So I finally knuckled under, and agreed to have him evaluated for autism. I didn't really want to - since autism is not something you can control or fix with meds, but agreed anyway. At the same time, DS then 4 was getting evaluated for autism too. Not a happy two weeks, let me tell you! :scared1:

So he got his evaluation from a specialist, and it only took her 10 minutes to call me in the room to tell me that he was autistic. I was devastated. :scared: A week after that and they told me that youngest DS was also autistic.

I cried for a month. And that rather long winded story is how I began my adventures in Schmolland.

I'm sorry you had 2 diagnosis in a week! I don't know about you but the 2nd diagnosis was harder for me than the first! I also cried for weeks. It was a dark time in my life! When we were at the hospital and they said "autism" I literally couldn't breathe! I remember thinking I was going to have to get a paper bag or something so I wouldn't hyperventilate! As sorry as I am about your diagnosis day I have to say I LOVED your post! The part about the bus driver just put me over the edge! You have a great sense of humor! I know what you mean about being more scared about autism than the other diagnosis, though. The week my son was diagnosed with autism the doctor called because his blood work pointed to bone cancer! There were a few days before more tests revealed he was okay. I actually took the cancer news better than the autism one! Crazy but true!

[iwrbnd]

Hi all, I've seen this thread and have finally decided to jump in. Life in our schmolland is not fun right now. Heck I didn't even know where we were living until 8 monthes ago. I knew we were living somewhere but didn't know the name. My DD was 12 when we learned she wasn't a problem child but a child with a problem.

After struggling for years we now have a BUFFET of diagnosises. (not sure if that is a word). But as everyone here knows we didn't get a serving of one thing (aspergers) we got a plate full. ocd, odd, anxiety to name a few.

Our problem of the day is her fat legs. Well she thinks they are, and if she doesn't get them fixed before our trip in June she isn't going and she thinks no one else should go too. Needless to say her legs are far from fat but until we can deduce what is really bothering her she'll complain about her legs.

Hello and welcome!:hug: We also have a buffet to go with our diagnosis, too. My son has had some mild OCD, tics and anxiety. I think all that neurological stuff just clumps together after awhile!

Good luck with the fat legs thing! Self-evaluation is a tough one for these kids. My son is on the other end, though. He thinks he's the best at everything!:lmao: He wanted to get a soccer scholarship for college but he never made a goal in his life! He's gotten much better in high school and is starting to be more realistic! How old is your daughter now? You mentioned 12 at diagnosis.

[elan]

Thanks for the welcome. She's still 12.

She's a gifted swimmer who today doesn't want to wear a swimming suit. She couldn't make it into the pool today, didn't want anyone to see her in it. She LOVES the water and swimming (now we know why). Normally she's the first one in and one of the last ones out. It makes me sad.

[leebee]

BFF... double brain fluff... or best friends forever :hug:

[kampfirekim]

Wow! Leave home for a day and look what all I missed! No fair, it's taking me for ever to catch up with you girls! I don't like to miss a moment of the happenings in Schmolland with my Schmutch-Dis sistas! :cool1:

I have to admit that I was very greatful to find out that this child is a girl. I fully realize that girls are affected by autism as well as boys, but my other 2 girls are typical and I am just praying that this one is too...sometimes I feel guilty for feeling that way. I love my son just as much as my daughters...but the girls are so much easier.

Steph, there is absolutely no reason at all for you to feel guilty. We all know exactly what you mean by that statement. My typical is sooooo much easier than my neuro-challenged Schmollandite (BTW, my typical has ADHD as well). I could handle five of him easier than my autistic/ADHD son. Just like you said, I love them both the same, but my neuro-typical is a breeze by comparison. :goodvibes

Thanks, Kim! He's been pretty good since then. I think the sushi should wait until AFTER Disney, but he should be going unless he does something else horrendous.

After he had apologised he asked, in a very small voice, if I really had cancelled the ADR's, and thank me profusely when I told him that I hadn't, so I think the strategy worked.

Sometimes it's hard to know what will and won't work as discipline, but we do try.
You're probably right. The Sushi excursion may give you leverage at WDW in the discipline department. I'm glad he's doing better. My DS doesn't respond to reasoning, but I too withhold things he wants. Usually it's whichever toy he's attached to at the moment or something like that. Right now that's about the best we can do. We do use timeouts. Sometimes that works pretty well. I agree that it is hard to know what will work and what won't, and it can change from day to day. I know you try, that's evident. I do too. If I didn't I can't imagine what he'd be like! :goodvibes

BFF moment today after a little shopping I get in my car and put the key in the ignition.. I then proceeded to search for my keys for 5 minutes and I got really frustrated about it too :lmao:

:rotfl2::rotfl2: I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE! YEAH! :lmao::lmao: From some of the previous posts, we're not the only two either! Keys, glasses, driving.... soooo funny. I am so grateful for this thread. I can say anything, admit anything and no one flames me, mocks me or judges me. AWESOME! :thumbsup2

:
So he got his evaluation from a specialist, and it only took her 10 minutes to call me in the room to tell me that he was autistic. I was devastated. :scared: A week after that and they told me that youngest DS was also autistic.

I cried for a month. And that rather long winded story is how I began my adventures in Schmolland.

I only have one autistic, but I know what you mean. My DH and I both cried until I thought we'd never stop when we first placed DS in a special ed class. I don't want this to sound the wrong way, but when I looked around the room I kept thinking to myself, "My baby DOES NOT belong here." Then one week later we were faced with Special Olympics. I really didn't think I'd make it through that day without a breakdown. My eyes were bloodshot and swollen for at least a month straight. At that point we had no diagnosis only met criteria for "Developmental Delay". By the time he was officially diagnosed with autism, I was fully prepared to hear it. I already knew in my heart he was autistic. I cannot imagine what you must have felt to hear it twice back to back. That had to be almost unbearable. I nearly cried when I read your story because I have not forgotten what that moment feels like. It's much to big to wrap your head around all at once. It takes time to absorb what all of it means and "Where do I go from here...what do I do next?" As you will learn here, long posts are welcome. Whatever it takes to tell your story, get something off your chest, vent, seek advice, anything at all...we all care and want to help, listen...anything you need is OK with us. Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Hi all, I've seen this thread and have finally decided to jump in. Life in our schmolland is not fun right now. Heck I didn't even know where we were living until 8 monthes ago. I knew we were living somewhere but didn't know the name. My DD was 12 when we learned she wasn't a problem child but a child with a problem.

After struggling for years we now have a BUFFET of diagnosises. (not sure if that is a word). But as everyone here knows we didn't get a serving of one thing (aspergers) we got a plate full. ocd, odd, anxiety to name a few.

Our problem of the day is her fat legs. Well she thinks they are, and if she doesn't get them fixed before our trip in June she isn't going and she thinks no one else should go too. Needless to say her legs are far from fat but until we can deduce what is really bothering her she'll complain about her legs.
Welcome! Glad you decided to take the plunge and join us. Yes Buffet is a word. Smorgasboard is too....or in our case schmorgasboard! :laughing: Someone previously posted that they believe that all of these neurological oddities run together. I completely agree. DS definitely shows OCD behavior. He can be rather "Monk-ish" with his rituals and need to do things a certain way. I don't think I can offer anything on the perceived fat legs, but I do hope it works out soon! :flower3:

BFF... double brain fluff... or best friends forever :hug:

Either one is Ok with me! Both is OK too! :flower3::hug:

[BreTyPres87]

I look for my keys all the time, only to realize that I am holding them.

I frequently search all over the house for my sunglasses just to discover them on top of my head.... that's like a once a week occurance here. Don't know why I don't just check there first!

I get BFF everyday! Yes, I've looked for keys that were in my hand, passed buildings I was driving to and even left a kid or two at church!!!:eek:
lol i'm glad i'm not alone.. I'm 22 and I have the brain of an old woman, they've got to do a study to see what happens to the brain after kids!!! lol

I'm sorry you had 2 diagnosis in a week! I don't know about you but the 2nd diagnosis was harder for me than the first! I also cried for weeks. It was a dark time in my life! When we were at the hospital and they said "autism" I literally couldn't breathe! I remember thinking I was going to have to get a paper bag or something so I wouldn't hyperventilate! As sorry as I am about your diagnosis day I have to say I LOVED your post! The part about the bus driver just put me over the edge! You have a great sense of humor! I know what you mean about being more scared about autism than the other diagnosis, though. The week my son was diagnosed with autism the doctor called because his blood work pointed to bone cancer! There were a few days before more tests revealed he was okay. I actually took the cancer news better than the autism one! Crazy but true!
I took diagnosis 3 hard for my son something about it broke me down which was weird seeing as I was the one who originally noticed anything.. I can't imagine getting the news of cancer thank goodness it was false!

Hi all, I've seen this thread and have finally decided to jump in. Life in our schmolland is not fun right now. Heck I didn't even know where we were living until 8 monthes ago. I knew we were living somewhere but didn't know the name. My DD was 12 when we learned she wasn't a problem child but a child with a problem.

After struggling for years we now have a BUFFET of diagnosises. (not sure if that is a word). But as everyone here knows we didn't get a serving of one thing (aspergers) we got a plate full. ocd, odd, anxiety to name a few.

Our problem of the day is her fat legs. Well she thinks they are, and if she doesn't get them fixed before our trip in June she isn't going and she thinks no one else should go too. Needless to say her legs are far from fat but until we can deduce what is really bothering her she'll complain about her legs.:grouphug: welcome and i'm sorry you're having such a hard time, does she see a psychologist who could possibly get to the root of why she thinks her legs are fat? I hear about so many 12 year olds with body issues which makes me so sad, I hope she can understand that there's nothing wrong with the way she is!!

[persimmondeb]

As to the "fat leg" thing, have you had her look in a full-length mirror? It sounds silly, but I sell formal wear (bridal gowns, prom dresses, etc.) and have noticed that many young girls look down, which of course gives you a very odd perspective, rather than actually looking in the mirror.

We have no mirrors in our dressing rooms, and we will be trying to get them to come out and actually look, since they are convinced from their downward view that they look enormous and funny to boot. The view in the mirror is often somewhat reassuring.

[mommatomase]

kaffinito... I am sorry that both diagnosises were within 10 days... WOW... no time to breath... hugs!

I knew in my heart of hearts for a long time that DS had traits of Autism but he talked too much... in my opinion. At that point you really didn't "hear" about Aspergers... For us, it was somewhat a sigh of relief that we were not to blame for his quirkiness and sensory issues.

But, having only one child, I had no one to compare him too either...

Welcome.

[mommatomase]

needing a velcro wall seem minute. Those days of ripping my hair out to get one sentence written seem minute. Those days of non-stop wiggling, stimming and hopping when times call for calm seem minute.... these are the days I hang on too... and tuck away for the not-so-good days...

I had mouth surgery yesterday (nothing serious). Dh and Ds took me to the oral surgeon and both kissed me "see ya later". Ds grabbed my arm and said, "Should I hold your hand?" I assured him I would be alright. After surgery and anistecia (sp) I was a bit groggy and silly. Ds took my hand and said, "Come on Momma, time to go home and take a nap. I'll take good care of you... oh, and Dad will too." He thought he could push my wheelchair. When we got home, he couldn't do enough for me. In the afternoon, we went outside for some sunshine and he carried my lawn chair for me and even held my arm as I sat in it. (by this time I was fine, but was eating up his calmness) We sat outside for almost two hours and he never wandered more than 30 feet away, always making sure his Momma was OK...

"Different Day... Different Stuff" :cloud9:

Those little windows are wonderful to see through...

[kampfirekim]

For us, it was somewhat a sigh of relief that we were not to blame for his quirkiness and sensory issues.

Amen my friend! We got our tears out of the way long before the official Dx. The officialness of the autism was a relief for me too. There was a name for it. I really WASN'T a bad mom afterall. Now help will be available. I know exactly where you're coming from. :hug:

needing a velcro wall seem minute. Those days of ripping my hair out to get one sentence written seem minute. Those days of non-stop wiggling, stimming and hopping when times call for calm seem minute.... these are the days I hang on too... and tuck away for the not-so-good days...

I had mouth surgery yesterday (nothing serious). Dh and Ds took me to the oral surgeon and both kissed me "see ya later". Ds grabbed my arm and said, "Should I hold your hand?" I assured him I would be alright. After surgery and anistecia (sp) I was a bit groggy and silly. Ds took my hand and said, "Come on Momma, time to go home and take a nap. I'll take good care of you... oh, and Dad will too." He thought he could push my wheelchair. When we got home, he couldn't do enough for me. In the afternoon, we went outside for some sunshine and he carried my lawn chair for me and even held my arm as I sat in it. (by this time I was fine, but was eating up his calmness) We sat outside for almost two hours and he never wandered more than 30 feet away, always making sure his Momma was OK...

"Different Day... Different Stuff" :cloud9:

Those little windows are wonderful to see through...

Velcro Wall!? There's a thought! :rotfl: Seriously, that has to be the sweetest story I've ever heard. Moments like that make all the "schmollish" moments fade into the background don't they? Yes, I got a little tear in the corner of my eye. Thanks for sharing. You've made my day and further reinforced the hope and faith that I have for my own DS. Empathy...wow what a breakthrough! You must be on a cloud after such a show of love and affection. "DD...DS...def!" :goodvibes

I've been lurking a little today, but this just got me!

[iwrbnd]

needing a velcro wall seem minute. Those days of ripping my hair out to get one sentence written seem minute. Those days of non-stop wiggling, stimming and hopping when times call for calm seem minute.... these are the days I hang on too... and tuck away for the not-so-good days...

I had mouth surgery yesterday (nothing serious). Dh and Ds took me to the oral surgeon and both kissed me "see ya later". Ds grabbed my arm and said, "Should I hold your hand?" I assured him I would be alright. After surgery and anistecia (sp) I was a bit groggy and silly. Ds took my hand and said, "Come on Momma, time to go home and take a nap. I'll take good care of you... oh, and Dad will too." He thought he could push my wheelchair. When we got home, he couldn't do enough for me. In the afternoon, we went outside for some sunshine and he carried my lawn chair for me and even held my arm as I sat in it. (by this time I was fine, but was eating up his calmness) We sat outside for almost two hours and he never wandered more than 30 feet away, always making sure his Momma was OK...

"Different Day... Different Stuff" :cloud9:

Those little windows are wonderful to see through...

What a fantastic story! Your DS sounds so sweet and EMPATHETIC! WOW! That's such a breakthrough! Poor empathy skills and "connectiveness" is the hardest part of ASD for me.

[steph124ny]

Well, my son played in his very first lacrosse game with the school team today. He has played on leagues before but never made the team until this year. He only got to play a couple of minutes at the end when the coach threw the 2nd stringers on because we were down by 2 and would lose anyway, but at least he got to play! Unfortunately, it also rained about 2 inches during the hour of the game and we got absolutely soaked to to skin! LOL! It was so nice to be doing something that a "normal" parent would do though...

My older DD does gymnastics, but that is a different beast than watching a game. I felt like a typical parent for a few minutes....it was a little strange...but nice.

[mommatomase]

What a fantastic story! Your DS sounds so sweet and EMPATHETIC! WOW! That's such a breakthrough! Poor empathy skills and "connectiveness" is the hardest part of ASD for me.

Mase has always been very affectionate with me... I was his Teddy Bear (and still am for the most part). His compassion comes and goes... if I stub my toe he will laugh uncontrolably or if he thinks there is blood he will run the other way...

But... Momma is Momma.

Ironically, we practiced Attachment Parenting from birth and I truly think that Mase would be much less "functional" if we had not done that. Having only one child made that very easy.... if there would have been more than one, I'd be in the looney bin...

[kampfirekim]

Well, my son played in his very first lacrosse game with the school team today. He has played on leagues before but never made the team until this year. He only got to play a couple of minutes at the end when the coach threw the 2nd stringers on because we were down by 2 and would lose anyway, but at least he got to play! Unfortunately, it also rained about 2 inches during the hour of the game and we got absolutely soaked to to skin! LOL! It was so nice to be doing something that a "normal" parent would do though...

My older DD does gymnastics, but that is a different beast than watching a game. I felt like a typical parent for a few minutes....it was a little strange...but nice.

Yes! At least he got to play. At my DS6s' T-Ball game yesterday, I almost cried unexpectedly (it's rare for me to cry) when I looked at my autistic son. I couldn't help but think, and voice to my husband, that HE should be out there too. It nearly broke my heart. I don't usually allow myself to have those thoughts, but it just blindsighted me. I'm looking forward to the day he can play second or even third string. Heck, I'd be glad if he just calmly sat on the bench and enjoyed being with other boys. I really enjoyed your post. Thanks for sharing it. It's very encouraging to hear the progress of other spectrum kids. It helps keep the hope and faith alive! :goodvibes

. Having only one child made that very easy.... if there would have been more than one, I'd be in the looney bin...

Now you know what's wrong with the rest of us! :rotfl: Sometimes I feel loonier than a cheshire cat!

[iwrbnd]

Add me to that looney-bin, too!:laughing:

[kampfirekim]

Add me to that looney-bin, too!:laughing:

:rotfl: I think we ALL visit the bin every now and then don't you?

Just wanted to wish everyone in the Great Land of Schmolland the absolute best Mother's Day ever! :flower3:

P.S. Been peeking at a couple of your profiles to see who you are. ;) Hopefully I'll eventually get to read them all. You girls are terrific!
P.S.S. iwrbnd...glad to finally know what that means! Me too!

[iwrbnd]

Happy Mother's Day to the funniest most patient mom's I know!:grouphug:

Kampfirekim, I don't like my username! iwrbnd is so hard but I didn't know what I was doing when I made it! This is my first message board and I was a newbie, is it possible to change it?

[persimmondeb]

Happy Mother's Day, Everybody!

[mommatomase]

Happy Mother's Day from here too... Hope your day is just how you want it to be... :lovestruc

[BreTyPres87]

Happy Mothers day!!!!!

[elan]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. Momma I sat here smiling at my screen reading your surgery story. I love reading all the stories.

We seem to have moved past the leg thing. We've visited this a few times since jan. I like the looking into the mirror straight on, the next time I hear about this I'll try it. At least this time it only took a couple days instead of a couple weeks (which it normally does).

We are seeing a terrific therapist. I learned more from 1 hr with her than I did from all the dr visists we had prior. But my dd doesn't want to have a problem, doesn't think she does and certainly doesn't need any help. It sure makes life interesting and frustrating.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Mother's Day.

[Ctsplaysinrain]

Can I whine just a little bit???

My 14 yr old Aspie has yet to tell me Happy Mother's day. I had to prod him to tell his brother Happy Birthday.

This is not anything new- just one year I hope to hear it.

[kampfirekim]

Happy Mother's Day to the funniest most patient mom's I know!:grouphug:

Kampfirekim, I don't like my username! iwrbnd is so hard but I didn't know what I was doing when I made it! This is my first message board and I was a newbie, is it possible to change it?

I love it! Especially now that I know what it means. :laughing: DH tagged me with kampfirekim several years ago...when we were camping! So when I joined the Disboards I decided to use it as my user name. He loves taking the credit for that one. No telling what I would have come up with if left to my own devices.

My understanding is that you CAN change your username, but previous posts may still retain your old name and your post counts starts over at 0. I'm not completely sure about this info. Maybe someone will come along who knows for sure. :confused3 IDEA: You could put the meaning in place of Disney Vet below your username...that would clarify and you could avoid any confusion caused by changing the name.

Hope your Mother's Day was great! This morning my typical DS6 said, "Mama, I am going to do my very best to make sure this is the BEST Mother's Day ever...and even if it's not I'm still going to try my very best!" Of course that made my day right there! My little Schmutch boy has decided it's ok to potty in the floor. :sad2: Enough said.


Ctsplaysinrain: Whine to your hearts content. Just in case you didn't hear it from anyone else today....HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! (Maybe next year you'll hear it from the one who matters most.) xxxooo

[iwrbnd]

Can I whine just a little bit???

My 14 yr old Aspie has yet to tell me Happy Mother's day. I had to prod him to tell his brother Happy Birthday.

This is not anything new- just one year I hope to hear it.

I haven't heard it from my 17 yr old without being prompted either! So sad.:sad2: There's always next year!:worship:

[iwrbnd]

I love it! Especially now that I know what it means. :laughing: DH tagged me with kampfirekim several years ago...when we were camping! So when I joined the Disboards I decided to use it as my user name. He loves taking the credit for that one. No telling what I would have come up with if left to my own devices.

My understanding is that you CAN change your username, but previous posts may still retain your old name and your post counts starts over at 0. I'm not completely sure about this info. Maybe someone will come along who knows for sure. :confused3 IDEA: You could put the meaning in place of Disney Vet below your username...that would clarify and you could avoid any confusion caused by changing the name.

Hope your Mother's Day was great! This morning my typical DS6 said, "Mama, I am going to do my very best to make sure this is the BEST Mother's Day ever...and even if it's not I'm still going to try my very best!" Of course that made my day right there! My little Schmutch boy has decided it's ok to potty in the floor. :sad2: Enough said.


Ctsplaysinrain: Whine to your hearts content. Just in case you didn't hear it from anyone else today....HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! (Maybe next year you'll hear it from the one who matters most.) xxxooo

I put the meaning to iwrbnd in my signature. Can you see it okay there? I didn't put it under my username because I heard it tics off the tag fairy! I sure wouldn't want to do that!;)

[kampfirekim]

I put the meaning to iwrbnd in my signature. Can you see it okay there? I didn't put it under my username because I heard it tics off the tag fairy! I sure wouldn't want to do that!;)

I can see it pretty good. The font may need to be just a smidge bigger. Great idea! :thumbsup2 We would NEVER want to tick off the tag fairy. I heard she...or he will getcha!;)

[iwrbnd]

I can see it pretty good. The font may need to be just a smidge bigger. Great idea! :thumbsup2 We would NEVER want to tick off the tag fairy. I heard she...or he will getcha!;)

How's this?

[kampfirekim]

How's this?

In the words of the "Fonz" PERFECTAMUNDO! :thumbsup2

DS was soooooo...... sweet today. I walked him into school (often an aide or his teacher meet us out front) and after he had a chocolate milk in the cafeteria he spontaneously mauled me with kisses! I loved it!!! He just wouldn't stop with the kisses and puppy licks....yes I even like those! :love: He normally dismisses me when he gets to school so this public display of affection was AWESOME! Maybe he felt guilty about pottying on the floor on Mothers Day....I doubt it, but I can dream. :cloud9: