My husband posted this on his blog. It's of a presentation he recently did, which centered around our daughter. I felt it was very well done and worth sharing.
http://robert.walkertribe.com/2010/03/secrets-of-success.html
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? ;-)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Utah Child Protection Registry
I was given this information at a recent parent/teacher conference at my daughter's school. Utah has a registry, similar to the Do-Not-Call registry, that protects our children from inadvertently seeing things they shouldn't see. This is a free, state administered program that allows families to protect their households from adult-oriented messages that are sent to email address, cell phones, instant messenger ID's, and fax numbers.
If you'd like to sign up, please visit http://donotcontact.utah.gov
If you'd like to sign up, please visit http://donotcontact.utah.gov
I have a NEW blog!!! Spread the word!!!
I decided to create a new blog completely dedicated to sharing information I find regarding Autism. I don't know why, but I'm actually pretty excited about it. I guess, for me, it's my way of trying to help others affected by Autism and their families. I never really considered myself a passionate person, but my little girl changed all that for me. Beauty has changed my life completely.
Anyway, here's the link to my new blog. Please consider following my blog and telling your friends and family about it. Thank you all SO MUCH for all your support!
http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/
Anyway, here's the link to my new blog. Please consider following my blog and telling your friends and family about it. Thank you all SO MUCH for all your support!
http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/
Sunday, March 21, 2010
It's D Day and the callings are in!
Well, we're back from church and it's official: Hubby is now the 2nd Counselor in the Young Men's Presidency, which means he's also the new main Deacon's Quorum Advisor and the new Scout Master. Can someone say "holy crap!"?
In case you are unfamiliar with the enormity of these callings, let's put it this way: The most difficult job in the ward is Bishop. The second most difficult job - being 2nd counselor in the Young Men's Presidency.
Anyone who is familiar with us knows our family situation (and schedule) is already pretty crazy. Beauty has autism, Hubby has ADD, I have fibromyalgia, and we're a one car family, which means I take Hubby to and from work every day. Plus, I have to take Beauty to preschool every day and run all the errands and chores during the week. Hubby also works a lot of late nights depending on how many projects are assigned to him at the office.
Despite knowing all this, the Bishop still came over anyway. We could tell he was pretty apprehensive about selecting Hubby to these callings, but he made clear that while he tried very hard to pick someone else - anyone else - Hubby's name kept popping in his mind. The Bishop went over the ward directory several times before finally "giving in" and choosing us. This morning, as we sat in sacrament meeting and the Bishop made it official, he got a little emotional. The Bishop actually had to pause for a few seconds, clear his throat, and then continue.
So, for those of you not familiar with these callings, what exactly does this all mean?
As the 2nd counselor:
-He attends all the presidency meetings (usually twice a month).
-He keeps a list of the lesson plans and who's teaching the lesson.
-He assists with setting up activities for the young men (and has to attend them).
-He assists the 1st counselor and President as needed in other areas.
As the Deacon's Quorum Advisor:
-He teaches a lesson at least once a month.
-He sets up the Deacon's Quorum meetings to meet when necessary (He is considered the main advisor because he's in the presidency).
-He comes up with ideas for activities for the deacons and helps set them up (he also attends them).
-He must also attend mutuals and firesides that are setup specifically for the youth. Basically, if there's a youth activity, he needs to be there.
As Scout Master:
-He oversees the boy scouts, ages 12-14, or until they enter the varsity scout program.
-He sets up meetings so he and his scouting advisors can discuss progress or problems with the boys and how to help them.
-His main goal is to help each boy obtain their eagle scout award.
-He comes up with ideas for the young men to earn merit badges.
-He attends ALL camping events and is responsibile for keeping everyone safe.
There's the quick run-down. Anyone tired yet, 'cause I'm tired just writing everything! I'm sure my Awesome Husband will perform well in his new callings, because he always does his best. Is it bad, though, that I'm a bit more concerned about me? lol
If we think about it, with all these meetings/activities/trips, I'm going to be by myself with the kids - A LOT. I'm also a little concerned with our financial situation now. We were originally saving for some projects around the house and now, those plans are kind of out the window (btw, we need new windows). With these callings and all the running around Hubby needs to do, it's pretty much obvious that we need another car. I don't know how we're going to afford it, but we gotta figure something out 'cause there's no way I'll be able to take him everywhere he needs to go and pick him up, especially with the kids.
Plus, remember how I mentioned in previous posts how I'd gotten rid of all our old baby stuff? Well, I guess I'll be filling that space back up again, but this time it'll be with camping equipment. We are not campers AT ALL, so we own nothing camping related. This means we're gonna need to buy all the camping gear Hubby is going to need, and we need to do it soon. The first camp-out takes place sometime this summer and lasts for one week.
OH - I forgot to mention - the Bishop gave me a new calling today too. I'm now a Visiting Teaching Supervisor. It seems like Heavenly Father really likes our family! Let the blessings begin! lol So, what do YOU think of all this news?
In case you are unfamiliar with the enormity of these callings, let's put it this way: The most difficult job in the ward is Bishop. The second most difficult job - being 2nd counselor in the Young Men's Presidency.
Anyone who is familiar with us knows our family situation (and schedule) is already pretty crazy. Beauty has autism, Hubby has ADD, I have fibromyalgia, and we're a one car family, which means I take Hubby to and from work every day. Plus, I have to take Beauty to preschool every day and run all the errands and chores during the week. Hubby also works a lot of late nights depending on how many projects are assigned to him at the office.
Despite knowing all this, the Bishop still came over anyway. We could tell he was pretty apprehensive about selecting Hubby to these callings, but he made clear that while he tried very hard to pick someone else - anyone else - Hubby's name kept popping in his mind. The Bishop went over the ward directory several times before finally "giving in" and choosing us. This morning, as we sat in sacrament meeting and the Bishop made it official, he got a little emotional. The Bishop actually had to pause for a few seconds, clear his throat, and then continue.
So, for those of you not familiar with these callings, what exactly does this all mean?
As the 2nd counselor:
-He attends all the presidency meetings (usually twice a month).
-He keeps a list of the lesson plans and who's teaching the lesson.
-He assists with setting up activities for the young men (and has to attend them).
-He assists the 1st counselor and President as needed in other areas.
As the Deacon's Quorum Advisor:
-He teaches a lesson at least once a month.
-He sets up the Deacon's Quorum meetings to meet when necessary (He is considered the main advisor because he's in the presidency).
-He comes up with ideas for activities for the deacons and helps set them up (he also attends them).
-He must also attend mutuals and firesides that are setup specifically for the youth. Basically, if there's a youth activity, he needs to be there.
As Scout Master:
-He oversees the boy scouts, ages 12-14, or until they enter the varsity scout program.
-He sets up meetings so he and his scouting advisors can discuss progress or problems with the boys and how to help them.
-His main goal is to help each boy obtain their eagle scout award.
-He comes up with ideas for the young men to earn merit badges.
-He attends ALL camping events and is responsibile for keeping everyone safe.
There's the quick run-down. Anyone tired yet, 'cause I'm tired just writing everything! I'm sure my Awesome Husband will perform well in his new callings, because he always does his best. Is it bad, though, that I'm a bit more concerned about me? lol
If we think about it, with all these meetings/activities/trips, I'm going to be by myself with the kids - A LOT. I'm also a little concerned with our financial situation now. We were originally saving for some projects around the house and now, those plans are kind of out the window (btw, we need new windows). With these callings and all the running around Hubby needs to do, it's pretty much obvious that we need another car. I don't know how we're going to afford it, but we gotta figure something out 'cause there's no way I'll be able to take him everywhere he needs to go and pick him up, especially with the kids.
Plus, remember how I mentioned in previous posts how I'd gotten rid of all our old baby stuff? Well, I guess I'll be filling that space back up again, but this time it'll be with camping equipment. We are not campers AT ALL, so we own nothing camping related. This means we're gonna need to buy all the camping gear Hubby is going to need, and we need to do it soon. The first camp-out takes place sometime this summer and lasts for one week.
OH - I forgot to mention - the Bishop gave me a new calling today too. I'm now a Visiting Teaching Supervisor. It seems like Heavenly Father really likes our family! Let the blessings begin! lol So, what do YOU think of all this news?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Leaps and Bounds!
(I'm sorry this is so long, but please read to the end!)
Wow! I've been wanting to blog for a while but I've been so busy/tired/sore/or lazy to do it! Between the kids demanding so much energy from me, not to mention the little energy I start out with due to my Fibromyalgia, and all the chores I need to do, I'm surprised I'm still standing at the end of the day. But all in all, I really can't complain because the last few days have been filled with great things to talk about.
First off, I'll mention one thing that's really been bugging me. Macho is extremely loud and annoying! He's really been testing my patience because he insists on talking at the top of his lungs all the time, as if I were a block away. On top of that, he mimicks every little thing Beauty does. I know it's normal for the younger sibling to want to do what the older sibling does, but I can't explain to him that some things Beauty does are not "normal." This means I hear a lot of words being repeated over and over again, which just drives me bonkers! It also means he throws himself on the floor a lot, so they end up with matching bruises! lol I hope I'll be able to teach him soon that this is unnecessary behavior.
One other thing that's slightly annoying - my kids grow like weeds! I'm not kidding; Beauty is still wearing size 5T pants, but now she's in 6T shirts and dresses (and mind you, she's only 4 yrs old). She just keeps getting taller! Macho is also taller in the torso area; he's still in 2T pants, but now he's in 3T shirts. It's getting really difficult, financially speaking, to keep up with these kids!
Both Beauty and Macho are finishing up another round of antibiotics, but I think this time we've got it licked! I think I figured out what's been going on the last 3 months, and we got the correct antibiotic for the correct ailment. Rather than go into all the details here, if you want to know what's going on, just leave me a comment and I'll email you. So yeah, I think this will be the last time they're on antibiotics for a while (keep your fingers crossed).
Now for a quick run-down of all the AWESOMENESS going on around here!!! lol
1- I'm now only 1 pound away from my pre-pregnancy weight. YES!! Now, my next goal will be to reach my ideal weight, which is ten pounds away. I hope to reach this goal by the summer.
2- I got rid of more baby stuff! My house is becoming less cluttered all the time. I guess giving away all these baby items has been my way of Spring cleaning. I'm just so happy all those things are out of my house! lol
3- Beauty had a playdate last Friday with her boyfriend from preschool. It's been a while since he's been over because of sickness, so when he showed up she was SO HAPPY! She kept babbling, giggling, smiling, and she kept sneaking kisses to him! lol She'd give him a kiss on his back or his shoulder and one time, she was able to get his forehead. She's really missed playing with other kids. Now that she's feeling better, I'll be setting up more playdates for her.
4- Beauty's teachers have mentioned to me that she is becoming more social. During PE, even though an activity does not require a partner, she will take another child's hand to do the activity with, and she picks a different kid each time. I'm so happy she's learning to reach out and make friends!
5- Beauty SAT ON THE POTTY! WHOOT!! It has been such an ordeal to even get her near the potty. She's scared of the flushing noise, so I've been working with her aggressively the last 5 months just to sit on the portable toilet seat on the floor. She got used to that, so one night Husband took Beauty in the bathroom, put the seat on the toilet, and asked her to sit. Voila! She did it, although it was only for a few seconds, but it's better than nothing!
6- In my blog on Feb 28th, I mentioned how Beauty was learning to read. She's been doing really great and she surprised us with another unbelievable accomplishment! It was husband's idea to try this, so thank you Awesome Husband! =) He decided to see if Beauty could hear the spelling of a word and figure out which word it is. He spelled F-I-S-H and she said, "Fish." Boom, just like that! Isn't that amazing?! We tried it with other words too, and she identified with them ease. She can now read/spell/identify between 20-25 words. It's unbelievable the progress she's been making. We are so blessed!
7- Hubby gave a presentation at work and he talked a little about Beauty (I'll let Hubby go into detail about the presentation on his blog). After the presentation, the main boss' wife asked more specific questions about Beauty (she used to work with autistic children). He told her how Beauty's been reading and doing well in school and this woman's mouth just fell wide open. She was stunned to hear of Beauty's progress and replied, "That's amazing! Of all the kids I used to work with, NONE of them ever learned to read." Her comment has made me so hopeful that one day, Beauty will beat her autism!
With all the progress Beauty has made, I can't help but think about her future. I'm very cautiously optimistic that she will grow up to live a normal life, but I can't get my hopes up too high. We still have miles and miles to go. We just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and take one tiny baby step at a time. Hubby, through his research for the presentation, learned that only 4% of kids with Autism grow up to hold a job, live on their own, and have a relationship. Hearing statements like that is why I don't let myself get my hopes up too high, but I'm not letting them keep me down either. I'll keep doing the best I can and with the Lord's help, Beauty will reach her fullest potential.
OH HOLY CRAP! The Bishop was here. He was here for an hour and a half. A calling has been extended and accepted. Our lives are TOTALLY gonna change!!!
(BTW, check out my autism blog: http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/ )
Wow! I've been wanting to blog for a while but I've been so busy/tired/sore/or lazy to do it! Between the kids demanding so much energy from me, not to mention the little energy I start out with due to my Fibromyalgia, and all the chores I need to do, I'm surprised I'm still standing at the end of the day. But all in all, I really can't complain because the last few days have been filled with great things to talk about.
First off, I'll mention one thing that's really been bugging me. Macho is extremely loud and annoying! He's really been testing my patience because he insists on talking at the top of his lungs all the time, as if I were a block away. On top of that, he mimicks every little thing Beauty does. I know it's normal for the younger sibling to want to do what the older sibling does, but I can't explain to him that some things Beauty does are not "normal." This means I hear a lot of words being repeated over and over again, which just drives me bonkers! It also means he throws himself on the floor a lot, so they end up with matching bruises! lol I hope I'll be able to teach him soon that this is unnecessary behavior.
One other thing that's slightly annoying - my kids grow like weeds! I'm not kidding; Beauty is still wearing size 5T pants, but now she's in 6T shirts and dresses (and mind you, she's only 4 yrs old). She just keeps getting taller! Macho is also taller in the torso area; he's still in 2T pants, but now he's in 3T shirts. It's getting really difficult, financially speaking, to keep up with these kids!
Both Beauty and Macho are finishing up another round of antibiotics, but I think this time we've got it licked! I think I figured out what's been going on the last 3 months, and we got the correct antibiotic for the correct ailment. Rather than go into all the details here, if you want to know what's going on, just leave me a comment and I'll email you. So yeah, I think this will be the last time they're on antibiotics for a while (keep your fingers crossed).
Now for a quick run-down of all the AWESOMENESS going on around here!!! lol
1- I'm now only 1 pound away from my pre-pregnancy weight. YES!! Now, my next goal will be to reach my ideal weight, which is ten pounds away. I hope to reach this goal by the summer.
2- I got rid of more baby stuff! My house is becoming less cluttered all the time. I guess giving away all these baby items has been my way of Spring cleaning. I'm just so happy all those things are out of my house! lol
3- Beauty had a playdate last Friday with her boyfriend from preschool. It's been a while since he's been over because of sickness, so when he showed up she was SO HAPPY! She kept babbling, giggling, smiling, and she kept sneaking kisses to him! lol She'd give him a kiss on his back or his shoulder and one time, she was able to get his forehead. She's really missed playing with other kids. Now that she's feeling better, I'll be setting up more playdates for her.
4- Beauty's teachers have mentioned to me that she is becoming more social. During PE, even though an activity does not require a partner, she will take another child's hand to do the activity with, and she picks a different kid each time. I'm so happy she's learning to reach out and make friends!
5- Beauty SAT ON THE POTTY! WHOOT!! It has been such an ordeal to even get her near the potty. She's scared of the flushing noise, so I've been working with her aggressively the last 5 months just to sit on the portable toilet seat on the floor. She got used to that, so one night Husband took Beauty in the bathroom, put the seat on the toilet, and asked her to sit. Voila! She did it, although it was only for a few seconds, but it's better than nothing!
6- In my blog on Feb 28th, I mentioned how Beauty was learning to read. She's been doing really great and she surprised us with another unbelievable accomplishment! It was husband's idea to try this, so thank you Awesome Husband! =) He decided to see if Beauty could hear the spelling of a word and figure out which word it is. He spelled F-I-S-H and she said, "Fish." Boom, just like that! Isn't that amazing?! We tried it with other words too, and she identified with them ease. She can now read/spell/identify between 20-25 words. It's unbelievable the progress she's been making. We are so blessed!
7- Hubby gave a presentation at work and he talked a little about Beauty (I'll let Hubby go into detail about the presentation on his blog). After the presentation, the main boss' wife asked more specific questions about Beauty (she used to work with autistic children). He told her how Beauty's been reading and doing well in school and this woman's mouth just fell wide open. She was stunned to hear of Beauty's progress and replied, "That's amazing! Of all the kids I used to work with, NONE of them ever learned to read." Her comment has made me so hopeful that one day, Beauty will beat her autism!
With all the progress Beauty has made, I can't help but think about her future. I'm very cautiously optimistic that she will grow up to live a normal life, but I can't get my hopes up too high. We still have miles and miles to go. We just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and take one tiny baby step at a time. Hubby, through his research for the presentation, learned that only 4% of kids with Autism grow up to hold a job, live on their own, and have a relationship. Hearing statements like that is why I don't let myself get my hopes up too high, but I'm not letting them keep me down either. I'll keep doing the best I can and with the Lord's help, Beauty will reach her fullest potential.
OH HOLY CRAP! The Bishop was here. He was here for an hour and a half. A calling has been extended and accepted. Our lives are TOTALLY gonna change!!!
(BTW, check out my autism blog: http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/ )
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New York's Empire State Building turns Blue!
On the night of April 1st, the Empire State Building will be lit up blue to raise awareness for Autism and to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day on Friday, April 2nd. You can show your support for this special day by wearing blue and telling all your friends! You can also go to the website below to find out more information about upcoming events and other ways you can help raise awareness for Autism.
http://www.lightitupblue.org/
(BTW, check out my autism blog: http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/ )
http://www.lightitupblue.org/
(BTW, check out my autism blog: http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/ )
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
May 1st is a BIG Day!
May 1st is the Walk Now for Autism Speaks event. The walk takes place in Heritage Park here in Utah and my sister and I have registered to join in on the action! Our goal, as a team, is to raise $500 towards the cause and we're hoping we can meet (or beat) that goal. If any of you would be willing/able to donate, that would be EXTREMELY appreciated! If you're not able to donate and you live in the area, please consider joining us during the walk! Thank you all!
Here is the general info page regarding the walk:
http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=331507
Here is the link to our team page. There's a spot on the left where you can make a donation:
http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=331507&lis=1&kntae331507=B6CF9DF8FA7C464A9B689D3C4E616F1C&supId=0&team=3674337&cj=Y
Also, the Pepsi Refresh Project has been extended another month! That means that the Tommy Foundation (aka The United States of Autism), which is an organization trying to raise money and awareness for Autism therapies, gets another chance! They're currently ranked 4th (the top 10 foundations get funding). You're allowed to vote on a daily basis, so please take a second to vote for this AMAZING organization!
http://www.refresheverything.com/usofautism
(BTW, check out my autism blog: http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/ )
Here is the general info page regarding the walk:
http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=331507
Here is the link to our team page. There's a spot on the left where you can make a donation:
http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=331507&lis=1&kntae331507=B6CF9DF8FA7C464A9B689D3C4E616F1C&supId=0&team=3674337&cj=Y
Also, the Pepsi Refresh Project has been extended another month! That means that the Tommy Foundation (aka The United States of Autism), which is an organization trying to raise money and awareness for Autism therapies, gets another chance! They're currently ranked 4th (the top 10 foundations get funding). You're allowed to vote on a daily basis, so please take a second to vote for this AMAZING organization!
http://www.refresheverything.com/usofautism
(BTW, check out my autism blog: http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/ )
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