As April 26th rolls around each year, I never quite know what I'm supposed to do, how I am supposed to reflect on probably the most difficult day I have ever lived on this earth. 12 years ago I gave birth to our first born child, a son, Billy. But God's plan for Billy was different than mine. Billy was born still. He never experienced the tragedies and disappointments of this life, but rather went straight to the arms of Jesus.
12 years ago I felt as though my life would never be the same - and I was right.It wouldn't. What happened that day has changed my life forever. Although it took much time for me to see what those changes would be, God used that tragic day to help define who I am today. I was taught the fragileness and value of life. I was taught not to take anything or anyone for granted. I learned, over time, that God can get me through any situation, no matter how difficult. I learned that God loves me and that He needed to teach me some things before I could be the mother that he wanted me to be. He was teaching me to love and appreciate the future children I would have, in a way deeper and more complete than I ever could have if I had not experienced the loss of my son.
He was preparing me to love a special child, one with a disability. Not that I couldn't have loved Katie without losing a child before her, but because of my loss, my love for her has come without question. As I often say, I am thankful that God gave her to me so that I could love her and try to be the best mother I can be to her.
He was also preparing me for Miss Mary, the child that I believe God allowed to heal my broken heart. She continues to be a reminder to me of God's love and faithfulness to us, even 10 years later.
I write this mainly for myself, to look at and reflect on. Maybe that is the best thing I can do, look back and be thankful for all that God has given me. I can hardly believe that my precious baby would have been 12 tomorrow. I am thankful that he is in heaven and is enjoying God's presence where I know that one day I will join him for eternity. Happy birthday, Billy.
Showing posts with label Autism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Autism. Show all posts
Monday, April 25, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
A Sunny Afternoon
Well, living in Michigan, March can be an unpredictable month for weather. Thankfully, the sun is shining today...but it's just a little cold for my liking. I can't complain though. It's a pretty quiet afternoon here. We have been struggling with sickness (strep, bronchitis, ear infections, etc.) all month. Most everyone is feeling better, except Miss Katie whose cough is keeping the house at a moderate noise level even though she and I are the only ones home.
Katie is doing really well. We were finally able to slowly take her off all of her medications, and she is definitely a new girl. Believe me when I say that removing the meds hasn't changed her autism....but it has definitely given us back the "real" Katie. She is "talking" more (I use the term talking loosely...she is babbling a lot...like a one year old would.), she has a range of emotions back....happy, sad, excited....she didn't have any emotional range when she was medicated. She is also sleeping better and has lost almost 10lbs. since stopping the meds. Those are all great things for her. My hope is that we will be able to keep her off medications indefinitely...which would be great.
Not too much else happening in our world. Just taking it a day at a time. Spring Break is now less than a week away....maybe we'll try to do something exciting! Hopefully the weather will cooperate!
Katie is doing really well. We were finally able to slowly take her off all of her medications, and she is definitely a new girl. Believe me when I say that removing the meds hasn't changed her autism....but it has definitely given us back the "real" Katie. She is "talking" more (I use the term talking loosely...she is babbling a lot...like a one year old would.), she has a range of emotions back....happy, sad, excited....she didn't have any emotional range when she was medicated. She is also sleeping better and has lost almost 10lbs. since stopping the meds. Those are all great things for her. My hope is that we will be able to keep her off medications indefinitely...which would be great.
Not too much else happening in our world. Just taking it a day at a time. Spring Break is now less than a week away....maybe we'll try to do something exciting! Hopefully the weather will cooperate!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Back Again
Well, eight months have passed since my last post. Thanks to a new laptop and wireless in the house (finally) I may be able to get back into the habit of blogging more often. One good thing about blogging for me is that it allows me to keep a record of how Katie is doing. It was good for me to read my post from last summer and see where she has come from that point.
We actually did go ahead and buy her a protective helmet to help prevent injury to her head when she has a self-injurous behavior episode. Unfortunately, self-injury is very common in children with autism and in some cases can be quite severe. Thankfully, we believe Katie is making good progress in this area. We recently went through the process of getting her weaned off of all of her meds and she is now a med-free (and much happier) girl. Her "speech" is returning, her smile and laugh have returned, and now we only see the self-injury when she becomes frustrated and unable to communicate her needs effectively. I am thrilled to see the progress she is making after making these changes.
She also needed to have extensive dental work done last month. This included removing 2 abcessed teeth along with many fillings. Unfortunately, her dental work had to be done under general anesthesia at the hospital, but Katie has a wonderful dentist who was extremely patient with her. I am just glad that her tooth pain has been relieved and as a result of the dental work and changes in her meds she is back to sleeping through the night on a regular basis.
That about sums it up for Miss Katie. I hope that when I post next time (with wishful thinking that it will be sooner than later) I will see the continued progress that she is making. I am also hoping that warm weather decides to show up soon so that we can get the pool open and let Katie return to her happy place of swimming and the sandbox.
We actually did go ahead and buy her a protective helmet to help prevent injury to her head when she has a self-injurous behavior episode. Unfortunately, self-injury is very common in children with autism and in some cases can be quite severe. Thankfully, we believe Katie is making good progress in this area. We recently went through the process of getting her weaned off of all of her meds and she is now a med-free (and much happier) girl. Her "speech" is returning, her smile and laugh have returned, and now we only see the self-injury when she becomes frustrated and unable to communicate her needs effectively. I am thrilled to see the progress she is making after making these changes.
She also needed to have extensive dental work done last month. This included removing 2 abcessed teeth along with many fillings. Unfortunately, her dental work had to be done under general anesthesia at the hospital, but Katie has a wonderful dentist who was extremely patient with her. I am just glad that her tooth pain has been relieved and as a result of the dental work and changes in her meds she is back to sleeping through the night on a regular basis.
That about sums it up for Miss Katie. I hope that when I post next time (with wishful thinking that it will be sooner than later) I will see the continued progress that she is making. I am also hoping that warm weather decides to show up soon so that we can get the pool open and let Katie return to her happy place of swimming and the sandbox.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Crazy Week
Well, what a week. That's all I can say. I have oodles of pictures that I need to upload...I'll try to get to that later today. Mary has a soccer game this morning, but it looks as though we are in for a major storm...so I'm not sure the game will happen. A bunch of 7 & 8 year olds running around in a rain-storm is not my idea of a splendid Saturday morning :)
Mary had a field trip to the Nature Center on Monday. We did the Spring wildflower tour which was actually very cool. I got some great pics. One flower we saw was called the blue-eyed Mary..and everyone in her class thought it was very cool that Mary has blue eyes - so it was kind of "her" flower. That was the highlight of the field trip for her.
I also toured a new classroom for Katie this week. If all goes as planned she will be starting at a new school mid-July. They are on a year-round modified schedule where the kids never have more than 2 weeks off during the school-year. It helps for autistic kids not to have long gaps in their routine, so this schedule will be very nice for Katie. It will be kids who are her age, and no-longer in a preschool type setting. They also have a pool in their building which will be great for her to have access to each week. They also have a great sensory room that she will love. I'm praying for a smooth transition, but expecting a few bumps along the way. New things are always difficult for her, so we will do everything we can to help ease her into it. We also finally had our visit to the ENT for Katie's ongoing sinus infections, and for now, no surgery. We are going to a mega-dose (literally -- 6 tsp a day) of an antibiotic for 6 weeks.. He feels confident that this will clear her up. The next step if that doesn't work would be taking her to the OR to have her sinuses flushed. That doesn't sound too exciting, so we will pray that the antibiotics do the trick!
My foot pain is also back which had added to my crazy week. My last cortizone shot didn't seem to provide any relief at all, and actually the pain is worse than it has been in the past 6 months. We feel kind of lost on how to proceed. I really don't want to have surgery, but unfortunately if they can't find a way to help with the pain, I may have to consider it. The pain has gotten to the point where it interferes with my ability to work, walk, and even take care of the girls - especially Katie. You should have seen my trying to "run" after her as she tried to escape the hospital yesterday. Running in birkenstocks (which my Dr. says are the best things I can wear for my feet) after a 6 year old with athletic speed while wanting to scream with each footstep - yep, hilarious for spectators, I'm sure :)
Well -- I'll try to get those pictures up as soon as I can - maybe this morning if we don't have soccer. :) Happy weekend!
Mary had a field trip to the Nature Center on Monday. We did the Spring wildflower tour which was actually very cool. I got some great pics. One flower we saw was called the blue-eyed Mary..and everyone in her class thought it was very cool that Mary has blue eyes - so it was kind of "her" flower. That was the highlight of the field trip for her.
I also toured a new classroom for Katie this week. If all goes as planned she will be starting at a new school mid-July. They are on a year-round modified schedule where the kids never have more than 2 weeks off during the school-year. It helps for autistic kids not to have long gaps in their routine, so this schedule will be very nice for Katie. It will be kids who are her age, and no-longer in a preschool type setting. They also have a pool in their building which will be great for her to have access to each week. They also have a great sensory room that she will love. I'm praying for a smooth transition, but expecting a few bumps along the way. New things are always difficult for her, so we will do everything we can to help ease her into it. We also finally had our visit to the ENT for Katie's ongoing sinus infections, and for now, no surgery. We are going to a mega-dose (literally -- 6 tsp a day) of an antibiotic for 6 weeks.. He feels confident that this will clear her up. The next step if that doesn't work would be taking her to the OR to have her sinuses flushed. That doesn't sound too exciting, so we will pray that the antibiotics do the trick!
My foot pain is also back which had added to my crazy week. My last cortizone shot didn't seem to provide any relief at all, and actually the pain is worse than it has been in the past 6 months. We feel kind of lost on how to proceed. I really don't want to have surgery, but unfortunately if they can't find a way to help with the pain, I may have to consider it. The pain has gotten to the point where it interferes with my ability to work, walk, and even take care of the girls - especially Katie. You should have seen my trying to "run" after her as she tried to escape the hospital yesterday. Running in birkenstocks (which my Dr. says are the best things I can wear for my feet) after a 6 year old with athletic speed while wanting to scream with each footstep - yep, hilarious for spectators, I'm sure :)
Well -- I'll try to get those pictures up as soon as I can - maybe this morning if we don't have soccer. :) Happy weekend!
Friday, May 01, 2009
Sickos...but no, not the swine flu :)
Yes, I live with sickos. Bill has come down with this icky Spring cold thanks to his friends at work that like to share their germs with each other. He took Nyquil 30 minutes ago and is completely crashed out.
Down the hall I can hear Katie hacking away. Her story of sickness is one that may truly be the end of me...I'm serious. Her ENT appointment is still a full week away. I called our pediatrician today (and thankfully, because he is our friend) and talked to him for about 15 minutes about if we have any other treatment options for her until she sees the ENT. Basically, the answer is NO...unless she starts running a really high fever or something of that nature. I'm pretty sure both of her ears are infected..one moreso than the other as she is tugging it constantly. Her nose is disgusting, as it basically has been for the past 3 months. We get a brief reprieve each time she starts antibiotics (which, yes, she is on as I type this) but after awhile they stop working. She has a lovely "allergy" cough as I call it ...as a result of all the post-nasal drip that she is suffering from. There is truly nothing I can do for her. She is already taking so much medication. (risperdal for the autism, claritin/xyrtec/singular for allergies, omnicef -antibiotic and ibuprofen for pain. It's getting a little ridiculous at this point. I'm definitely pro-medication if it works, but now nothing is working. I am bracing myself for the fact that Katie is most likely going to need surgery. I'm guessing tubes/tonsils and probably some kind of sinus surgery as we are probably looking at some sort of sinus blockage. I can't really worry about it until it happens, but as I said, I'm tring to brace myself.
We also are considering some different options for Katie's schooling next year, even though 2 months ago I would have told you that we were locked in for next year. I'll give more details on that as it develops. Here's praying for a healthy Saturday.
Down the hall I can hear Katie hacking away. Her story of sickness is one that may truly be the end of me...I'm serious. Her ENT appointment is still a full week away. I called our pediatrician today (and thankfully, because he is our friend) and talked to him for about 15 minutes about if we have any other treatment options for her until she sees the ENT. Basically, the answer is NO...unless she starts running a really high fever or something of that nature. I'm pretty sure both of her ears are infected..one moreso than the other as she is tugging it constantly. Her nose is disgusting, as it basically has been for the past 3 months. We get a brief reprieve each time she starts antibiotics (which, yes, she is on as I type this) but after awhile they stop working. She has a lovely "allergy" cough as I call it ...as a result of all the post-nasal drip that she is suffering from. There is truly nothing I can do for her. She is already taking so much medication. (risperdal for the autism, claritin/xyrtec/singular for allergies, omnicef -antibiotic and ibuprofen for pain. It's getting a little ridiculous at this point. I'm definitely pro-medication if it works, but now nothing is working. I am bracing myself for the fact that Katie is most likely going to need surgery. I'm guessing tubes/tonsils and probably some kind of sinus surgery as we are probably looking at some sort of sinus blockage. I can't really worry about it until it happens, but as I said, I'm tring to brace myself.
We also are considering some different options for Katie's schooling next year, even though 2 months ago I would have told you that we were locked in for next year. I'll give more details on that as it develops. Here's praying for a healthy Saturday.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Busy Saturday
I shouldn't be posting...too much to do this morning. But sometimes I think it is almost therapeutic for me to write about the crazy-ness in my life :) We have basketball and soccer this morning....and Katie would prefer to be outside already. 70 degrees at 8 am - pretty good for Michigan in the Spring! Katie's week continued to be frustrating, so I'm not really sure where we are at with that...praying for a better week next week, but as the weather improves her desire to be in school continues to diminish. Thankfully she has a great teacher who works with her daily to help her maintain her focus.
Speaking of maintaining focus, if you remember back to October, Mary had to get glasses. Here she is back then, proud of her new specs :
In our county the kids get an eye exam in the Spring of 3rd grade. Well, only 5 months after getting her glasses, she failed the eye exam. Seriously? I was floored. We took her back to the eye doctor and her prescription has changed 3 full prescriptions in 6 months. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? No wonder she is having so much trouble with her handwriting, she can't see what she is writing. I about flipped out. We don't know if they messed up the original exam, or what happened, but after some persuasive conversation, they agreed to give her new lenses (and the re-check exam) at no-cost. The downside is that she is completely without her glasses for a few days while they swap out the lenses, but hopefully with the warm weather, she'll be outside a lot and won't miss them too much :)
Happy Saturday....(I hope!)
Speaking of maintaining focus, if you remember back to October, Mary had to get glasses. Here she is back then, proud of her new specs :
In our county the kids get an eye exam in the Spring of 3rd grade. Well, only 5 months after getting her glasses, she failed the eye exam. Seriously? I was floored. We took her back to the eye doctor and her prescription has changed 3 full prescriptions in 6 months. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? No wonder she is having so much trouble with her handwriting, she can't see what she is writing. I about flipped out. We don't know if they messed up the original exam, or what happened, but after some persuasive conversation, they agreed to give her new lenses (and the re-check exam) at no-cost. The downside is that she is completely without her glasses for a few days while they swap out the lenses, but hopefully with the warm weather, she'll be outside a lot and won't miss them too much :)
Happy Saturday....(I hope!)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Kind of a Blur...
Yep, my life, a bit of a blur right now. It's been a crazy few days. Katie has been having some trouble in school because of her stimming activity. It is very common in autistic children, but right now it is interfering with her ability to function in school. She stimms to the point that she is not willing to participate in classroom activities. She doesn't want to be directed. She isn't sleeping (she woke up at 3 am today and 4 am yesterday) and basically - I'm spent. She came home from school early yesterday because they weren't able to get her to "engage" with the class - she just wanted to stim. But then she comes home and she is "fine". She only wants to be outside (and that will increase as the temperature rises into the 80's over the next few days) and while she is outside all she wants to do is stim. She picks grass and watches it fall to the ground over and over again...when you call her name she screams, as if we are "interfering" with her agenda. Not sure where we are going to go from here. We may be able to change some of her meds...she has a neurology appointment in May - but that's not a guaranteed fix, either. So until then, maybe I can learn to nap in between work and the girls getting home from school......
Sunday, February 01, 2009
A little life lesson....
My college friend Jennifer wrote an amazing post on her blog today, and I wanted to share it with all of you. She, too, is a parent of a child with autism, but a few things that she said really hit home for me. God knows what He is doing, even though when you are dealing with a situation like infertility, or a special needs child, or whatever the problem may be, we don't always remember that God is truly in control. Thanks, Jen, for sharing this great reminder with all of us.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Another week gone by...
I really need to try and blog more than once a week - so I will work on improving that. But honestly, between work and trying to spend time with the kids & Bill ( whose birthday is today:) ) I often don't feel awake enough by the end of the day to sit down and write... So here I am, before 10 am, trying to get myself up and going with a blog entry.
Lots has happened this week. After pulling Katie out of kindergarten last week, we have been very pleased with her progress. She is spending about an hour a day in an early childhood classroom with non-autistic children - and it has been great. She spent 2 years in that classroom with that teacher before she was moved to the AI classroom - so she is very familiar with it. We think this was definitely the right move - at least until the end of this school year - and then we will have to wait and see what next year brings.
We went skiing on Tuesday - and Katie is really starting to get the hang of it. She can do almost the entire bunny hill now, but stopping is a fine art she has yet to learn. We were going to go again on Thursday, but the girls (especially Mary) have been fighting ear infections and colds..so we opted out on that this week!
Mary's adjustment to third grade continues to go well. She is keeping good pace academically - so as soon as work through a few social adjustments we think she will be just fine. She is working on multiplication tables and just finished a unit in Earth science (which she absolutely loved). She has always had a thing for rocks -- it's kind of funny. Who knows, maybe she will grow up to be a geologist !
Well - I think that is it. We are just going to spend a leisurely day at home enjoying Bill's birthday. There is about 3 feet of snow on the ground now - with more to come...so staying nice and warm inside is a great option! Hope you have a great weekend!
Lots has happened this week. After pulling Katie out of kindergarten last week, we have been very pleased with her progress. She is spending about an hour a day in an early childhood classroom with non-autistic children - and it has been great. She spent 2 years in that classroom with that teacher before she was moved to the AI classroom - so she is very familiar with it. We think this was definitely the right move - at least until the end of this school year - and then we will have to wait and see what next year brings.
We went skiing on Tuesday - and Katie is really starting to get the hang of it. She can do almost the entire bunny hill now, but stopping is a fine art she has yet to learn. We were going to go again on Thursday, but the girls (especially Mary) have been fighting ear infections and colds..so we opted out on that this week!
Mary's adjustment to third grade continues to go well. She is keeping good pace academically - so as soon as work through a few social adjustments we think she will be just fine. She is working on multiplication tables and just finished a unit in Earth science (which she absolutely loved). She has always had a thing for rocks -- it's kind of funny. Who knows, maybe she will grow up to be a geologist !
Well - I think that is it. We are just going to spend a leisurely day at home enjoying Bill's birthday. There is about 3 feet of snow on the ground now - with more to come...so staying nice and warm inside is a great option! Hope you have a great weekend!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
What a week...
Well, it has been a week alright. 5 days of work for me (which is a little much when I'm trying to balance everything else.) Trying to make adjustments to Katie's school schedule and deal with Mary's transition to 3rd grade - basically, I'm spent. Seriously...a mini-hibernation sounds ideal right now - but that's not in the plans anytime soon.
Bill is gone today - slot-car racing. He loves it....and once you have purchased the cars for each class that you race, it's really not that expensive...so he's gone and I'm here --- doing my favorite hobby (just kidding) laundry. It seems like with work and all I end up spending either one of my days off or Saturday just trying to get caught up on laundry. I also did our taxes today - and e-filed them, so I guess I should be proud of myself for accomplishing that. And no, we don't usually have our taxes finished and filed before the end of January - but I guess I was just feeling motivated - and so while Bill was away, I did them. There is so much good software out there now that basically if you can fill in the blanks you can do your own taxes and e-file them too -- so that is one more thing I can mark off of my 'to-do' list!
If you are wondering about Katie's continued progress, well, all I know right now is that she is officially not going to Kindergarten (probably for the rest of the year) and that her teacher (whom I adore) is trying to find some other options for her. I have been invited to the AI (Autism Impaired) monthly staff meeting for February where they are going to discuss the plan for Katie for next year - so hopefully after that meeting I will have a better idea of where things are headed. To be honest, I'm just glad that she is happy and enjoying school - and that she has a teacher who is all about helping these kids be the best they can be. I couldn't ask for much more than that :)
Well, I should get back to that laundry and probably think about something yummy to make for dinner.....but at least I did get some big things accomplished today ! Yee-hah~
Bill is gone today - slot-car racing. He loves it....and once you have purchased the cars for each class that you race, it's really not that expensive...so he's gone and I'm here --- doing my favorite hobby (just kidding) laundry. It seems like with work and all I end up spending either one of my days off or Saturday just trying to get caught up on laundry. I also did our taxes today - and e-filed them, so I guess I should be proud of myself for accomplishing that. And no, we don't usually have our taxes finished and filed before the end of January - but I guess I was just feeling motivated - and so while Bill was away, I did them. There is so much good software out there now that basically if you can fill in the blanks you can do your own taxes and e-file them too -- so that is one more thing I can mark off of my 'to-do' list!
If you are wondering about Katie's continued progress, well, all I know right now is that she is officially not going to Kindergarten (probably for the rest of the year) and that her teacher (whom I adore) is trying to find some other options for her. I have been invited to the AI (Autism Impaired) monthly staff meeting for February where they are going to discuss the plan for Katie for next year - so hopefully after that meeting I will have a better idea of where things are headed. To be honest, I'm just glad that she is happy and enjoying school - and that she has a teacher who is all about helping these kids be the best they can be. I couldn't ask for much more than that :)
Well, I should get back to that laundry and probably think about something yummy to make for dinner.....but at least I did get some big things accomplished today ! Yee-hah~
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A Step in a Different Direction
So today we decided to take a new step in Katie's educational plan. For the past year and a half Katie has been spending time in a kindergarten classroom for a period of time each day. Today I had a really candid conversation with Katie's teacher about the fact that Kindergarten is just not relevant for Katie - and as difficult a decision as this is, she needs to stop going. It is only frustrating to her - and we certainly don't want school to be an unpleasant thing for her.
A few examples of the frustration would be last week when they were working on money concepts during circle time. Each child had a bowl of pennies. Money has no meaning to Katie so she chose to play with and throw the pennies - b/c she didn't know what else to do with them. Today they were talking about the inaguration during circle time. Okay, seriously, what does a non-verbal 6 year old child care about the inaguration? So of course, she was bored, frustrated and started being a distraction. Basically - kindergarten isn't working for her. She is making excellent progress in her Autism Impaired classroom - but the mainstreaming attempts just aren't working right now. And the good thing is - I'm okay with it. For the first time in this long journey with autism, I'm okay with where she is - and it's okay that it's not where I wish she could be.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
The World in Which We Live...
Well it's been another week in our world....Gas is "cheap" 1.63 here. I can't even remember the last time gas was that price. That has definitely been the highlight of the news lately. It is nice to be able to drive around town without feeling guilty about "wasting" expensive gas.
We are getting ready to start Katie on a new med. We are also increasing her risperdal, so we'll see how that goes. There are concerns whenever we adjust Katies' prescriptions, so we're hanging on for the ride to see how things go. The risperdal is the one that gives her such terrible constipation, so we are a little concerned about how the dosage increase will affect her. The new med is commonly used for ADHD - we are giving it to her to try and decrease her OCD which has become completely out of control. ADHD meds aren't commonly used in autistic kids - because it's a different part of the brain - but for OCD this one is supposed to be helpful. I'll keep you all posted on how it goes. We are hoping to start it on Monday. Bill has the week off, so if we have any issues/side effects with the medicine, Bill will be around to help.
Well..not much else happening here. I have a busy weekend of work in the world of retail.....More later.
We are getting ready to start Katie on a new med. We are also increasing her risperdal, so we'll see how that goes. There are concerns whenever we adjust Katies' prescriptions, so we're hanging on for the ride to see how things go. The risperdal is the one that gives her such terrible constipation, so we are a little concerned about how the dosage increase will affect her. The new med is commonly used for ADHD - we are giving it to her to try and decrease her OCD which has become completely out of control. ADHD meds aren't commonly used in autistic kids - because it's a different part of the brain - but for OCD this one is supposed to be helpful. I'll keep you all posted on how it goes. We are hoping to start it on Monday. Bill has the week off, so if we have any issues/side effects with the medicine, Bill will be around to help.
Well..not much else happening here. I have a busy weekend of work in the world of retail.....More later.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
A Blonde Snow White
The girls don't have school tomorrow - so they celebrated Halloween today. (By the way, Halloween was the bonus spelling word in Mary's class this week :) Anyway, I hardly recognized my own child once we got the wig & make-up on...she was one interesting Snow White -- not exactly meek and mild - she's a little too outgoing for that. Katie did not "do" Halloween at school this year - after last year's disaster - when I determined that autism and Halloween don't mix very well - we decided to let her party with the kids in her room, but to not dress her up and not have her walk in the 30 minute parade around town. Yes, the whole school parades around town in their costumes -- it's a treat :)More later - need to go nighty night. ..but as a quick note, Mary and I went to see High School Musical 3: Senior Year tonight. It was cheesy - but that's another post. I know Mary will be trying out the new dance moves soon....if you have young girls it is definitely a must see, but I'm prediciting "Beyond High School Musical : the Wedding" in about a year or so :)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Wow...lots to update...
Well, first I must apologize for my absence from blogging -- or only brief blogs - the past two weeks have flown by. I'm now sitting at the computer as Mary lies in our bed reading "Judy Moody Gets Famous" to me. I am amazed that I am old enough to have a child who lies in bed and reads to me. It's funny. When she's done I will read this to her. A chapter a night and we are making good progress. I am so thankful that we took her to get glasses. It has helped her in so many ways. She has always been a good reader, but with her glasses she can read longer without headaches and it provides a good opportunity for she and I to spend time together each night. :)
If you are a facebook friend of mine, you are probably aware that we have had some issues with Katie's health --let's just summarize by saying that autism and toileting don't always go very well together -- and if something doesn't change we may end up with a child in the hospital at some point. We are praying for some long term solutions to her ongoing issues in hope that we will somehow be able to teach her the importance of being able to go "#2" :) So if you are a praying person, please pray for her that somehow, someway we would find a long term fix for this.
Bill & I are both very busy at work -- October is always crazy for us. We are hoping to take Mary to Cedar Point for a Halloweekend visit soon -- we bought buy one day get one free tickets earlier in the season and haven't used the second day yet. We're hoping the weather co-operates.
Much more to tell, but I'll save it for another post...Narnia is calling. Goodnight :)
If you are a facebook friend of mine, you are probably aware that we have had some issues with Katie's health --let's just summarize by saying that autism and toileting don't always go very well together -- and if something doesn't change we may end up with a child in the hospital at some point. We are praying for some long term solutions to her ongoing issues in hope that we will somehow be able to teach her the importance of being able to go "#2" :) So if you are a praying person, please pray for her that somehow, someway we would find a long term fix for this.
Bill & I are both very busy at work -- October is always crazy for us. We are hoping to take Mary to Cedar Point for a Halloweekend visit soon -- we bought buy one day get one free tickets earlier in the season and haven't used the second day yet. We're hoping the weather co-operates.
Much more to tell, but I'll save it for another post...Narnia is calling. Goodnight :)
Saturday, October 11, 2008
It's late and I'm tired. NASCAR is on in the background and I'm not happy because Dale Jr. crashed early...but that's typical as of late. Everyone (even the pets) is/are sleeping except me..but that is okay. I'm just wound up. I had to work tonight (that happens every now and then on a Saturday night) and I can 't just come hope and fall right asleep. My body doesn't work that way.
We did have a great day. The weather was beautiful (70 degrees) and Mary had a soccer game. Then we went to Katie's Special Olympics swimming for the first time. This is actually a new program that Special Olympics is working on where they partner a special child with a college graduate student who is working on a Masters Degree in some Special Education related area. The student partners with the child for 10 weeks. Katie was able to swim for an hour - with no cost to us - and Mary was also able to swim - so that was a big bonus. Bill & I can swim, too - but Bill wasn't there - and I took the "pass" option this week. Katie is a very good/strong swimmer for a soon to be 6 year old -- she really doesn't need someone "on" her - just someone to watch her. Her student partner was great with her. She is a gym teacher who is working on her Masters Degree. She was great with Katie -- and we got to talk a lot about autism - so that was great, too.
It's been a busy week and the next one looks to be just the same. I'm not sure what it is about October, but it always seems like such a crazy month. Monday is Katies' IEP (Individualized Education Plan) which is a legal requirement in the state of Michigan for all Special Education students. I am not anticipating any problems this year - which is new for us. We have always had issues - but the new teacher has made our life MUCH easier this year. We are thrilled. (Katie - with the help of a sentence strip - actually said "I - See - Bat" this week - on several occasions). In case you are wondering why she would say that she saw a bat - her teacher has a surprise box with halloween items in it - and the item Katie picked just happened to be a fuzzy little bat - which was actually kind of cute. Monday is also Bible Study Fellowship - which Mary and I both attend - and (of course) I have to work during the day - so that ought to be a nice full day.
Tuesday is Katie's 6th birthday -- words cannot express my feelings about that. I am hoping to get my brain together and do a special post for her birthday.
Wednesday is just another busy day with work, music makers and more miscellaneous activities .
Thursday - can I even think that far ahead. Soccer practice - work (both morning and night for me -- I don't want to talk about how I was "suckered" into doing that......)
Friday - my first day off after 9 days of work in around (or 10 shifts in a row if you count my double on Thursday) I should be in great shape by then ;)
I could go on, but I'll spare everyone the details! Have a great end to the weekend...
We did have a great day. The weather was beautiful (70 degrees) and Mary had a soccer game. Then we went to Katie's Special Olympics swimming for the first time. This is actually a new program that Special Olympics is working on where they partner a special child with a college graduate student who is working on a Masters Degree in some Special Education related area. The student partners with the child for 10 weeks. Katie was able to swim for an hour - with no cost to us - and Mary was also able to swim - so that was a big bonus. Bill & I can swim, too - but Bill wasn't there - and I took the "pass" option this week. Katie is a very good/strong swimmer for a soon to be 6 year old -- she really doesn't need someone "on" her - just someone to watch her. Her student partner was great with her. She is a gym teacher who is working on her Masters Degree. She was great with Katie -- and we got to talk a lot about autism - so that was great, too.
It's been a busy week and the next one looks to be just the same. I'm not sure what it is about October, but it always seems like such a crazy month. Monday is Katies' IEP (Individualized Education Plan) which is a legal requirement in the state of Michigan for all Special Education students. I am not anticipating any problems this year - which is new for us. We have always had issues - but the new teacher has made our life MUCH easier this year. We are thrilled. (Katie - with the help of a sentence strip - actually said "I - See - Bat" this week - on several occasions). In case you are wondering why she would say that she saw a bat - her teacher has a surprise box with halloween items in it - and the item Katie picked just happened to be a fuzzy little bat - which was actually kind of cute. Monday is also Bible Study Fellowship - which Mary and I both attend - and (of course) I have to work during the day - so that ought to be a nice full day.
Tuesday is Katie's 6th birthday -- words cannot express my feelings about that. I am hoping to get my brain together and do a special post for her birthday.
Wednesday is just another busy day with work, music makers and more miscellaneous activities .
Thursday - can I even think that far ahead. Soccer practice - work (both morning and night for me -- I don't want to talk about how I was "suckered" into doing that......)
Friday - my first day off after 9 days of work in around (or 10 shifts in a row if you count my double on Thursday) I should be in great shape by then ;)
I could go on, but I'll spare everyone the details! Have a great end to the weekend...
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Brrrrr..
Well with the beginning of October, cold weather has descended upon Michigan. That makes life a little more complicated for us. No more outdoor swimming for Katie -- she was still "swimming" as of last week -- it was still in the high 70's here - even though our pool has been down for several weeks now. It also means that Katie has to wear socks -- which is on her list of "dislikes" - but she is becoming more tolerant of them as she gets older. They fly off of her feet the second she gets in the house after school! Cold weather also means that these are not a good option for her - even though they are her favorite.. She likes to wear them all winter -- but we often get weird looks for that! (and no, I don't buy the brand name ones, Family Dollar has great ones for 2.99 -- and sometimes Meijer has them for 4.00 - so that is usually my preference -- HELLO! we're on a budget people! Although I must say that now that gas has come down under 3.50 a gallon here - our budget is much improved !!!
Not too much else to report. The girls have a big walk at school tomorrow - it's the fundraiser for the parents club, of which I am the Sr. Co-chair, so I'll probably be spending a few hours at school tomorrow. I'll try to take some new pics -- it's been awhile -- and I need a new profile pic for my facebook page, too!
Not too much else to report. The girls have a big walk at school tomorrow - it's the fundraiser for the parents club, of which I am the Sr. Co-chair, so I'll probably be spending a few hours at school tomorrow. I'll try to take some new pics -- it's been awhile -- and I need a new profile pic for my facebook page, too!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Excited....
Well, we got our "home" visit (it wasn't at home, it was at school) on Wednesday...and let me tell you what...I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS YEAR FOR KATIE.... We met the new teacher and she is awesome. I really think she is going to be a great fit for this classroom. She "gets" these kids - and if you know or love someone with autism, you realize that is the key -- you have to "get"them - understand how they operate. That was really missing last year.
Katie and I went to school on Wednesday afternoon (Mary went out with Grand-moo). We got to the school and all of the aides and therapists were "ooh-ing" and "aww-ing" all over her - and she loved it. They commented on her "newly blonde" hair -- and once again we got the "where did you take her to have her hair highlighted" questions, which still crack me up. She only "complained" once when we pulled into the school parking lot, but other than that there wasn't a whole lot of screaming or crying -- and we had anticipated a lot of opposition - considering that as of last week, she was still screaming every time we headed down the road that leads to their school.... So, YEA!!! I can't wait for Tuesday. I'm really excited to see what lies ahead for Katie this year.
Katie and I went to school on Wednesday afternoon (Mary went out with Grand-moo). We got to the school and all of the aides and therapists were "ooh-ing" and "aww-ing" all over her - and she loved it. They commented on her "newly blonde" hair -- and once again we got the "where did you take her to have her hair highlighted" questions, which still crack me up. She only "complained" once when we pulled into the school parking lot, but other than that there wasn't a whole lot of screaming or crying -- and we had anticipated a lot of opposition - considering that as of last week, she was still screaming every time we headed down the road that leads to their school.... So, YEA!!! I can't wait for Tuesday. I'm really excited to see what lies ahead for Katie this year.
Monday, August 25, 2008
How Time Flies
I can't believe a week has flown by since my last post. Bill was on vacation all week - so we stayed pretty busy. We spent a lot of time out at the lake where Bill's Dad lives...with Katie learning to swim and jump off the diving board we had a great time.
We went here on Wednesday. It was loads of fun as it always is. We try to go once in the summer and then back on a Saturday in the Fall for Halloweekends. We left Katie with my mom this time..and that seemed to work out better for everyone, Katie included.
School finally starts a week from tomorrow. I think that 13 weeks is far too long of a break...especially for kids like Katie. They lose so much in that time. I'm actually already in my "advocate"mode. There is a new teacher in her classroom this year. If you follow my blog or know me personally, you know that we had far too many problems last year with Katie's school situation. I'm hopeful that this year will be much better. We were promised that the kids would have the opportunity to either have a home-visit by the teacher prior to the start of school, or at least would have the chance to meet the teacher at school prior to the first day -- but it's not looking promising. Katie still cries everytime we drive down the road towards her school - so I'm trying to remain positive - but next week could be a little trying - so keep us in your prayers.
Well, I'm off to soccer practice for Mary and then work.... more later.
We went here on Wednesday. It was loads of fun as it always is. We try to go once in the summer and then back on a Saturday in the Fall for Halloweekends. We left Katie with my mom this time..and that seemed to work out better for everyone, Katie included.
School finally starts a week from tomorrow. I think that 13 weeks is far too long of a break...especially for kids like Katie. They lose so much in that time. I'm actually already in my "advocate"mode. There is a new teacher in her classroom this year. If you follow my blog or know me personally, you know that we had far too many problems last year with Katie's school situation. I'm hopeful that this year will be much better. We were promised that the kids would have the opportunity to either have a home-visit by the teacher prior to the start of school, or at least would have the chance to meet the teacher at school prior to the first day -- but it's not looking promising. Katie still cries everytime we drive down the road towards her school - so I'm trying to remain positive - but next week could be a little trying - so keep us in your prayers.
Well, I'm off to soccer practice for Mary and then work.... more later.
Monday, July 14, 2008
11 years and counting...
Well it was quite the weekend to say the least. I have yet to recover as I sit here with my eyes half open. Katie is at respite care today. She & Dorie went here today (which of course made big sister jealous...but we're working on that). Mary & I have plans to go to the park and do some fun things this afternoon. I just wanted to get some things done around the house first...then I can relax without feeling guilty.
Saturday was our 11th wedding anniversary. Hard to believe. We had a great time. We had been given a gift certificate, so we were able to go here for dinner (otherwise, even for an anniversary dinner, this place is way out of our price range...but it sure was delicious.) We had a sitter for the whole evening but called it a short night and came home to watch the race. I know, we're pathetic...but that's just how we are.
On Sunday we did "church" and then came home to tear down the swimming pool, re-level and re-surface the area and then put the pool back up again. It was a lot of work, but the pool looks much better. It was becoming very sloped -- so we should be good for the rest of the summer now :)
Overall, it was a great weekend..but actually a very emotional one for me. I did a lot of thinking, and a lot of talking with both Bill & my Mom about how Katie has changed our life so much, and how she will continue to change our life forever. I think it was part of the ongoing process of having a special needs child...you have to grieve the loss of certain things.. the loss of your hopes and dreams for them - or at least the loss of what you had thought your hopes and dreams were - we have new ones for Katie now... but it's all a process. Obviously when Bill & I were married 11 years ago we never dreamed or imagined the things that have happened over the past 11 years -- and I don't think any couple imagines that they will be parenting a special needs child. But one thing is for sure - we are a team, we are in this together. It is a process of learning and loving and figuring things out day by day. So, happy belated anniversary honey. I love you.
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