Autism Speaks has partnered with HBO to make a movie about a woman with Autism, her name is Temple Grandin. The movie premieres on HBO on Feb. 6th.
http://blog.autismspeaks.org/2010/01/25/tune-in-temple-grandin-on-hbo-2/
(BTW, check out my autism blog: http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/ )
This is my "Get it out of my head before I explode!" blog. I write about anything and everything, including all the details in between. Read about my struggles with Fibromyalgia, chronic migraines, my two kids with Autism, and my husband with ADD. See how interesting my life is? ;-)
Monday, January 25, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Serious Venting!
So, there's this woman in my ward who is in charge of taking care of the kids in nursery for a couple of hours during church. She's a little weird; a little off, but she's nice enough. Anyway, in the past, she has made a couple of remarks about how difficult it is taking care of Beauty during those two hours. She's never flat-out complained about it, but Hubby and I could tell that she felt it was a burden. Since Macho turned 18 mo. old six months ago, Hubby or I have made it a point to stay in the nursery because Macho gets very upset if one of us isn't in there with him. Which means that for the last 6 months, one of us is always in there watching over BOTH kids. Surely, the nursery teacher shouldn't feel so "burdened" anymore, right? Well....
A few weeks ago, I believe it was the first Sunday of the month, someone came in to find out the new number of kids in the nursery. The nursery teacher said the number, and then she said, "Though, Beauty really should be in Primary, but, you know...." This remark bothered me, and mind you, both Hubby and I were standing right there. I spoke up and said, "Well, Beauty just can't be in Primary. She doesn't sit for very long and she wouldn't be able to understand the lessons and be quiet for long periods of time."
There is another boy in the nursery class who is also a special needs child (he's really sweet, btw, and his dad always stays in nursery with him too). I bring him up because the nursery teacher had the nerve to look at that boy's father (and mind you, this little boy is a whole year younger than Beauty) and she said, "So, when is he
going to Primary?"
What the heck???? I mean, is her calling as teacher so terrible, so unbelievably more difficult by having these two special kids in the nursery? I mean, it's not like she's really even teaching a lesson anyway. The nursery has little kids in it and all they do is play with toys for two hours and eat snacks in the middle. That's it! Why is it so terrible for this woman to have to "put up" with my little girl? And on top of that, the parents are always in the class with their kids, so it's not like she's really watching them anyway!
Oh, and she even had the audacity to make a remark straight to Hubby's face a little later that same day. Hubby and I have been trying to gently ease Macho into staying in the nursery by himself, without one of us in the room with him. This particular Sunday, Hubby stepped out the room, but he continued watching the kids through the little window in the door. A little while later, Macho started crying, so Hubby went back inside immediately. The nursery teacher said, "He's crying because Beauty won't put the toys away. Something's gotta change." She was almost implying that we, Beauty's parents, were not doing a sufficient job with our daughter. RUDE!!!!
Even Hubby got upset about it, but he didn't say anything. I, on the other hand, would LOVE to lay into this woman and set her straight: "You think it's hard dealing with her for two hours? You have NO IDEA what we go through with her day in and day out, 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. Let's see YOU do any better!" But no, I'm refraining because I know that if I did talk to her, even if I was polite about it, the message wouldn't get across. She's just one of those people who would shrug it off, or she'd say, "Oh, I didn't mean anything by it," but then she'd continue to make remarks anyway. She just doesn't get it.
So the question I face: What do I do about it? What can I do about it? Would anything I try work? People like her just make me so angry because they're so IGNORANT! And even more than that, they are completely unsympathetic and uncaring when it comes to children like Beauty. I just want to hit this woman over the head with a "CLUE BAT," you know - you hit them on the head and then all of a sudden, they get it? Yeah, someone needs to invent the Clue Bat.
(BTW, check out my autism blog: http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/ )
A few weeks ago, I believe it was the first Sunday of the month, someone came in to find out the new number of kids in the nursery. The nursery teacher said the number, and then she said, "Though, Beauty really should be in Primary, but, you know...." This remark bothered me, and mind you, both Hubby and I were standing right there. I spoke up and said, "Well, Beauty just can't be in Primary. She doesn't sit for very long and she wouldn't be able to understand the lessons and be quiet for long periods of time."
There is another boy in the nursery class who is also a special needs child (he's really sweet, btw, and his dad always stays in nursery with him too). I bring him up because the nursery teacher had the nerve to look at that boy's father (and mind you, this little boy is a whole year younger than Beauty) and she said, "So, when is he
going to Primary?"
What the heck???? I mean, is her calling as teacher so terrible, so unbelievably more difficult by having these two special kids in the nursery? I mean, it's not like she's really even teaching a lesson anyway. The nursery has little kids in it and all they do is play with toys for two hours and eat snacks in the middle. That's it! Why is it so terrible for this woman to have to "put up" with my little girl? And on top of that, the parents are always in the class with their kids, so it's not like she's really watching them anyway!
Oh, and she even had the audacity to make a remark straight to Hubby's face a little later that same day. Hubby and I have been trying to gently ease Macho into staying in the nursery by himself, without one of us in the room with him. This particular Sunday, Hubby stepped out the room, but he continued watching the kids through the little window in the door. A little while later, Macho started crying, so Hubby went back inside immediately. The nursery teacher said, "He's crying because Beauty won't put the toys away. Something's gotta change." She was almost implying that we, Beauty's parents, were not doing a sufficient job with our daughter. RUDE!!!!
Even Hubby got upset about it, but he didn't say anything. I, on the other hand, would LOVE to lay into this woman and set her straight: "You think it's hard dealing with her for two hours? You have NO IDEA what we go through with her day in and day out, 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. Let's see YOU do any better!" But no, I'm refraining because I know that if I did talk to her, even if I was polite about it, the message wouldn't get across. She's just one of those people who would shrug it off, or she'd say, "Oh, I didn't mean anything by it," but then she'd continue to make remarks anyway. She just doesn't get it.
So the question I face: What do I do about it? What can I do about it? Would anything I try work? People like her just make me so angry because they're so IGNORANT! And even more than that, they are completely unsympathetic and uncaring when it comes to children like Beauty. I just want to hit this woman over the head with a "CLUE BAT," you know - you hit them on the head and then all of a sudden, they get it? Yeah, someone needs to invent the Clue Bat.
(BTW, check out my autism blog: http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/ )
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
I found this a while ago...
This was so funny I had to share it. Those of you with special kids will TOTALLY get it!
http://blog.autismspeaks.org/2009/12/23/the-12-days-of-autism-christmas/
(BTW, check out my autism blog: http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/ )
http://blog.autismspeaks.org/2009/12/23/the-12-days-of-autism-christmas/
(BTW, check out my autism blog: http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/ )
Thursday, January 14, 2010
What a week!
Things have been kinda crazy (and scary) the last few days. Since it's late though, I don't have the energy to lay out all the details, so here's a quick recap:
Macho got sick, then Beauty got sick, now they're both on antibiotics. They each have diarrhea now, since antibiotics cause diarrhea. I feel so bad for Beauty too, 'cause she's missed out on preschool this whole week. I can tell she's been restless.
Beauty's EEG bill came in. After insurance paid their part, we still had to pay nearly $550!!! Insurance coverage just isn't what it used to be.
We finally called an electrician to check out the wiring in our house. We've had a lot of lights flickering ever since we moved in, but we procrastinated and waited until yesterday to finally have someone come check things out. Also, fyi, we've never needed to change any of the light bulbs 'cause none of them have gone out. I bring this up because.....
Every single light bulb in the house was 100 watts, and every single wire in our house was burned and/or melted!!!! Even the screws or bolts that held the base of the light to the ceiling had gotten so hot that they welded together! The electrician looked at me and said, "I'm surprised there hasn't been a fire in this house yet." Thank you, Heavenly Father, for keeping us safe!
We now have new wires , a new outlet in our room (the wires for the outlet were completed melted too), and all the light bulbs in the house are no more than 60 watts. Do yourself a favor - CHECK YOUR LIGHTBULBS! The electric guy said that no bulbs inside a home should be more than 60 (except lights outside the door or in a garage).
After he spent 4 hours checking and replacing everything, we had to pay the nice man for his services. It was well worth the $300 bucks to prevent our home from going up in flames!
So, after the kids being sick, paying hospital bills, paying the electrician and buying a bunch of new light bulbs, we're a little poorer, but we're all safe and regaining our health again.
Like I said - What a week!
The one brightspot - I've lost another pound! =) Just 5 more pounds to go!
Macho got sick, then Beauty got sick, now they're both on antibiotics. They each have diarrhea now, since antibiotics cause diarrhea. I feel so bad for Beauty too, 'cause she's missed out on preschool this whole week. I can tell she's been restless.
Beauty's EEG bill came in. After insurance paid their part, we still had to pay nearly $550!!! Insurance coverage just isn't what it used to be.
We finally called an electrician to check out the wiring in our house. We've had a lot of lights flickering ever since we moved in, but we procrastinated and waited until yesterday to finally have someone come check things out. Also, fyi, we've never needed to change any of the light bulbs 'cause none of them have gone out. I bring this up because.....
Every single light bulb in the house was 100 watts, and every single wire in our house was burned and/or melted!!!! Even the screws or bolts that held the base of the light to the ceiling had gotten so hot that they welded together! The electrician looked at me and said, "I'm surprised there hasn't been a fire in this house yet." Thank you, Heavenly Father, for keeping us safe!
We now have new wires , a new outlet in our room (the wires for the outlet were completed melted too), and all the light bulbs in the house are no more than 60 watts. Do yourself a favor - CHECK YOUR LIGHTBULBS! The electric guy said that no bulbs inside a home should be more than 60 (except lights outside the door or in a garage).
After he spent 4 hours checking and replacing everything, we had to pay the nice man for his services. It was well worth the $300 bucks to prevent our home from going up in flames!
So, after the kids being sick, paying hospital bills, paying the electrician and buying a bunch of new light bulbs, we're a little poorer, but we're all safe and regaining our health again.
Like I said - What a week!
The one brightspot - I've lost another pound! =) Just 5 more pounds to go!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
New Jewelry from Zales for Autism
http://www.zales.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=3573997&fbc=0&sr=1&origkw=shared%20heart
Zales has a new line of jewelry called "The Shared Heart." A portion of the sales goes to Autism Speaks for continued research. Their campaign ends in May. No matter how much they're able to sell, Zales is giving a minimum of $200,000 (which is so cool of them!). If you'd be interested in participating, go to the link above and have a look around.
It's crazy to hear the latest study that it's no longer 1 in 150 children will be born with Autism, but now it's 1 in 110!!! That is just insane!
(BTW, check out my autism blog: http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/ )
Zales has a new line of jewelry called "The Shared Heart." A portion of the sales goes to Autism Speaks for continued research. Their campaign ends in May. No matter how much they're able to sell, Zales is giving a minimum of $200,000 (which is so cool of them!). If you'd be interested in participating, go to the link above and have a look around.
It's crazy to hear the latest study that it's no longer 1 in 150 children will be born with Autism, but now it's 1 in 110!!! That is just insane!
(BTW, check out my autism blog: http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/ )
Monday, January 4, 2010
The New Year is starting well...mostly
One New Year's resolution a lot of people make is to take better care of themselves by losing weight and eating better, but I got a head start this year. I'm very happy to report that after watching what I eat the last 4 months (and not being on that horrible medication anymore), I've lost 24 lbs! I am now only 6 lbs away from reaching my normal weight. This also means that I'm finally back down to a size 12! YAY!!! Now all that's left is for me to continue doing what I'm doing so I can reach my ideal weight and be able to wear a size 10 again. I hope to reach this goal sometime in the next 4-5 months.
I mentioned this in a previous post, but it's worth mentioning again: Beauty is beginning to form her own sentences! Thank you, Heavenly Father! Beauty really has come a long way this past year. She's speaking more, having less tantrums, screaming less (although she still screams quite a bit) and she's much more social than she used to be. Husband and I are quite impressed with how well she's doing and how quickly she's achieving new goals. Mostly, we're just grateful that our daughter is making such huge strides in such a short time period. We really are very lucky that her autism is mild.
BTW, Beauty had another playdate Dec. 30th with her "boyfriend." When they drove up, she dashed up to the window to wave hello. When he and his mom came inside, she said, "When he saw Beauty, he said "Beauty! I love you!'" Ah, the romance continues! =)
Recently, Macho has not been sleeping very well. He hasn't been sick, he's not teething, and his diaper is always clean, so basically there's no obvious reason why he's not sleeping. During the last 2-3 months, Macho usually falls asleep around 8 pm, wakes up around 5 and then just stays awake. Somtimes he wakes up at 2 am and stays awake for the next 2 hrs. Some of you might say, "Hey, that's not bad!" Compared to how he used to sleep, however, it's not good at all. He used to fall asleep at 7 pm and wake up at 7 am the next day, without waking up once! I'd really like for him to sleep like that again! Now most people would tell me, "Well, don't let him take a nap during the day anymore" or "Put him to bed later." However, during Husband's research, he found that the most common reason why toddlers wake up during the night is because they need more sleep, not less. So, I'm not quite sure what to do to help him sleep better. Macho eats well before bed and he always has something to drink about an hour before bed so he's not thirsty. The only thing left to do is ask the pediatrician what he thinks.
I'm really hoping the New Year is kind to us. I'd like my kids to sleep better and be healthier. I'd like my husband to work less and be home more with his family. And for me, I'd really like to sleep 8 hrs a night! I'd also like my fibromyalgia to go away, but I just have to face reality and accept the fact that I'm stuck with this the rest of my life. Hopefully I can manage it better with my new medication. We'll see how it turns out.
Oh, I almost forgot...I've recently been released from my calling as Relief Society Secretary. The bishop released the entire presidency, which is good 'cause the RS President has had that calling for nearly 8 years! For me, I'm kinda bummed about it because I was only in my position for a little over a year. I'm really going to miss working with the sisters, but I'm sure I won't have time to miss it for long. Surely, the bishop will find something else for me to do!
I mentioned this in a previous post, but it's worth mentioning again: Beauty is beginning to form her own sentences! Thank you, Heavenly Father! Beauty really has come a long way this past year. She's speaking more, having less tantrums, screaming less (although she still screams quite a bit) and she's much more social than she used to be. Husband and I are quite impressed with how well she's doing and how quickly she's achieving new goals. Mostly, we're just grateful that our daughter is making such huge strides in such a short time period. We really are very lucky that her autism is mild.
BTW, Beauty had another playdate Dec. 30th with her "boyfriend." When they drove up, she dashed up to the window to wave hello. When he and his mom came inside, she said, "When he saw Beauty, he said "Beauty! I love you!'" Ah, the romance continues! =)
Recently, Macho has not been sleeping very well. He hasn't been sick, he's not teething, and his diaper is always clean, so basically there's no obvious reason why he's not sleeping. During the last 2-3 months, Macho usually falls asleep around 8 pm, wakes up around 5 and then just stays awake. Somtimes he wakes up at 2 am and stays awake for the next 2 hrs. Some of you might say, "Hey, that's not bad!" Compared to how he used to sleep, however, it's not good at all. He used to fall asleep at 7 pm and wake up at 7 am the next day, without waking up once! I'd really like for him to sleep like that again! Now most people would tell me, "Well, don't let him take a nap during the day anymore" or "Put him to bed later." However, during Husband's research, he found that the most common reason why toddlers wake up during the night is because they need more sleep, not less. So, I'm not quite sure what to do to help him sleep better. Macho eats well before bed and he always has something to drink about an hour before bed so he's not thirsty. The only thing left to do is ask the pediatrician what he thinks.
I'm really hoping the New Year is kind to us. I'd like my kids to sleep better and be healthier. I'd like my husband to work less and be home more with his family. And for me, I'd really like to sleep 8 hrs a night! I'd also like my fibromyalgia to go away, but I just have to face reality and accept the fact that I'm stuck with this the rest of my life. Hopefully I can manage it better with my new medication. We'll see how it turns out.
Oh, I almost forgot...I've recently been released from my calling as Relief Society Secretary. The bishop released the entire presidency, which is good 'cause the RS President has had that calling for nearly 8 years! For me, I'm kinda bummed about it because I was only in my position for a little over a year. I'm really going to miss working with the sisters, but I'm sure I won't have time to miss it for long. Surely, the bishop will find something else for me to do!
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