Spotlight Sibling for January

  So I decided to start something new. I read an article claiming that "siblings of autistic children feel like victims," and this angered me so!!!! To read more of that article, CLICK HERE.
  I thought about this a lot, and then it came to me. Why not spotlight a sibling each month, and ask them the same questions, and see how they feel. Good or bad. I wanted to know if this is true. I wanted to hear it from the mouths of siblings.
  I came up with some questions, and reached out to my step son. Now, he doesn't live here full time, so his answers may vary from a sibling who lives full time with their autistic sibling. His answers matter just the same, and I was so proud of what he had to say.
            So, without further ado, I present to you, Branden, age 16 and January's Spotlight Sibling.

Q: I read an article that stated that sibling of autistic kiddos feel like “victims.” Do you feel like a victim of a brother with Autism?

A: "At times I do. Sometimes it's hard because I don't know what to say or do with him."

Q: In your eyes, what is the HARDEST part of being a sibling to an autistic brother?

A: "I'd have to say the hardest part is watching what and how I say things. He is very sensitive."

Q: What is the BEST part?

A: "He is special, one of a kind and I love him."

Q: Do you resent Autism? If so, Why?

A: "No, because I feel it makes people more special and gives them more personality."

Q: How has having a brother with Autism changed your life?

A:" It makes it so I can't play certain video games or watch certain movies or shows because it either scared him or makes him think bad." (Liam ruminates a lot when something upsets him.)

Q: Has Autism taught you anything?

A: "Autism has taught me to stand up for others when they are being teased for being different."

Q: Do you think educating other kids about Autism is important? If so, Why?

A: "Yes. Some people just think someone with Autism is "stupid" or "bad" and they aren't."

Q: If you were given the opportunity to speak to your school as a whole about Autism, what would you tell them?

A: "That kid's with Autism are cool. Most of them are smarter than us. Lots of them are also very good at video games."

Q: Kids with Autism are 4x more likely to be victims of bullying. If you saw someone bullying a child with Autism, what would you do?

A: "I would tell the bully that it's not right to tease someone because they are different. My brother has Autism too and it's NOT right."

Q: If you had to write an essay about Autism, tell me, in a few words what it might say?

A: "Autism is a neurological disorder, and 1 in 88 people have Autism. Autistic people are special."

Q: Here is your chance. If I left anything out, and there is something you want to add about Autism (it can be positive or negative) feel free to write it here.

A: "When you're in a store and a kid is acting "bad," you shouldn't judge them. That kid may have Autism like my brother."

There you have it. From the mouth of an Autistic sibling. I have to say I am very proud of his answers, and I think I am doing a pretty good job of teaching him about Autism. (yep, tooting my own horn a bit, beep beep beep!) :)

Meet "B" 

This is his "Breakthrough the Stigma" pic I took of him. This is the one thing he chose to say to others :)

Stay tuned, next Spotlight Sibling will be in February.

<3<3<3<3

Halloween Social Story

With 22 Days until Halloween, and about 2 weeks until our kiddos are Trick or Treating, I thought now would be a good time for a Social Story. Here it is, feel free to share.

DIY Halloween Sensory Bags

Instead of the curriculum art, today we did something more festive for Halloween. We made Halloween Sensory Bags. Very easy to do. I can't however take ALL the credit. I got the idea from Hands On: As We Grow while scrolling through my Pinterest. We made one like hers, but Liam wanted to green. Then we did our own using bugs we got in the Halloween section at the Dollar Tree.
Ours look like this:

Ready for the how to???? It's super simple

NEED:

Hair Gel (can be found at Dollar Tree. One bottle made 2 bags)

Ziploc Bags Sandwich Size (we used one regular, and one Halloween bag

which we purchased at the Dollar Tree.)

Googly Eyes (you guessed it! Can be bought at the Dollar Tree)

Various Bugs (again, thank you Dollar Tree, you ROCK my world!!)

Food Coloring (Dollar Tree, you're the bomb!)

DIRECTIONS:

Open bag, squeeze in about half of the hair gel. Add a few drops of you coloring choice. Close bag, smoosh around to mix color. Add in googly eyes, bugs, what ever you choose. (we even added some sequins) Now, close, all but a small bit and carefully squeeze air out without letting gel out. Seal and VOILA! Home made sensory bag! Great for tactile input and cool to look at as well. (NOTE: my son gets into everything, I add duct tape to the top of ALL his bags so he doesn't get into them!)

Hope you enjoy making this with your kiddo (s). I know I sure did :)

<3<3<3<3

We Will Not Be Silent!!!

It's up!!!!! Please head over to this link where you can purchase a "WE WILL NOT BE SILENT" Autism Awareness Tee! A portion of every purchase goes to Liam to help him reach his goal of an ipad and other therapy items ♥ Please share this with as many people as you can, and help Liam get the word out!

We Will Not Be Silent

here is what it looks like

Get yours today and show your support for Autism Awareness <3

Invasion of the Sleep Snatchers

What a fitting title for the first of October, and night of hellish sleep!!! To start, Liam was a motor mouth until 1 am. I repeatedly shushed him, and he still kept jabbering away. I feel bad, he was trying to talk to me and tell me stuff, but gees kid, there are better times than when momma is tired! He told me about what he wants for Christmas. Then we moved on to him wanting more friends. I tried to explain to him quality vs quantity, he didn't care. He wants 50 friends to play with, so every day there is someone to play with!! Then we talked about his friend yesterday telling him he was weird. This bothered him, he brought it up a few times in the evening, and hubs and I reassured him, he is fine the way he is. We are all a little weird. I think I finally got that thru to him, and the rest of the time, he laid there humming.
Great, now cue the fur kids. Between them playing at 1 am, then trouncing across my bed, I was ready to freak. When Josie decided it was time for her to go to bed, she rooted thru my blankets like a pig rooting for truffles! She uncovered me, ran he cold nose into me, and really irritated the hell out of me. I fell back to sleep. Kottie decided now that I was sleeping again, she would sharpen her claws on the rug in the doorway. I wake up, quietly yell at her. She leaves, goes into the bathroom and does it in there. I get up, chase her out.  Now Josie is uncomfortable, she waits til I get back in bed, then re-roots herself under the covers. This went back and forth til about 4 am. At which time, I was FINALLY sleeping soundly, and Liam wakes up. He is sweaty and needs to pee. Okay. Now he needs to change his undies because they are damp (sweat). We get back in bed, get comfy, Josie gets comfy and we're off to sleep. Now Kottie decides she must sleep on my head. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? After 5 failed attempts, she decides by my head is ok. It is now 530, and they are all sound asleep. Momma is laying there stewing and secretly wanting to wake them all up! But I settle for going back to sleep myself. That was my night with the "Sleep Snatchers!"

I get up this morning at 730. Hubs made coffee last nite for me. I go to get a cup, no coffee. He forgot to set the timer!!!! UGH!!!! IT IS DEFINITELY MONDAY!!!!!! Here's to a better day!!!!

And with that, I leave you with the Mamas and The Papas :)

<3<3<3<3

We are Ausome

Yesterday I finished my video. I am so thankful to all the families who shared with me pics of their ASD loved ones. Without them, this video would not have been possible. My goal now is to share, share, share the video, and spark some awareness for our kiddos <3

I have gotten replies from a few people that missed the pic deadline for this one. I will make another video, I am just not sure when I will do that. I will let everyone know though, in case they missed being in this one.

ENJOY <3<3<3<3

Warning: this video induces crying :)

I'm flappy and you know it....

 Yesterday, LJ's buddy came over to play. For the first time, I saw my boy flap. His usual stims are spinning, chewing, and vocal. He was so excited his buddy came in to play, he was flapping all over the living room. It was cute, he looked like a lil duck or penguin.
 The older kids don't play with LJ much. He is a very in your face child. He is a non stop talker. He likes to dominate play and direct everyone on how he thinks they should play. He also has a great imagination, and it seems many kids lack this??? Now younger kids, he's great with them, and they love him. He is a bit emotionally immature for 6, but thats ok with me. I am in no hurry for my baby to grow up.
 So his buddy came in to play. It lasted about 30-45 minutes. LJ was a motormouth from Hell. He talked non stop, was in his friend's face, and just off the wall hyper. I wondered how long it would last. Not long, as usual. His friend said he would be back, but hubs and I knew better. Lj is catching on though. He only looked out the front door 3 times, before he said, "He's not coming back is he momma?" I told him no, and quickly diverted his attention with a jello sensory bin.
 Meltdown avoided, go momma!!!! I was very happy that "A" took the time to play with Lj as they have been buds since he was born (only 10 months apart) but "A" is maturing emotionally faster than my boy, so its hard for them to play together now. Being a special needs mom, we learn to find happiness in the little things. For its the little things, that make our days!

Digging in! This is LJ's favorite sensory bin!

Creepy crawlies!!!

LJ loved his blue green "hulk" hands :)

Well, its Friday! It wouldn't be Friday without some Special Need Ryan Gosling pics. Without further ado, here they are :) Enjoy!

Now, as we all know, the Special Needs Ryan Friday was Sunday's idea. She has been under the weather, as is her hubby, so she hasn't been able to take part. Please stop by her blog and show her some love, so she knows we are thinking of her! As for me, I made this Ryan, just for her!!!! <3

I love summer!!!! Swimming, cookouts, "schmaws" (smores in LJ speak) The best part, swimming tires my boy right out!!!

As always Ryan, you have the best ideas!!!!!!! 

Have a great weekend all. Stay cool and enjoy summer!

<3<3<3<3

Autistic Pride and Q & A

Yesterday (June 18th) was Autistic Pride Day. What a great day to celebrate! Too bad I was sick. I still explained to Liam what it was and he sported his Autism Hearts shirt in honor of the day. Good enough for now. Some days I have to take a day off from advocacy :) I did however make this pic for my facebook page:

For more info on Autistic Pride day, CLICK HERE

I am also very excited to report that after speaking with a wonderful woman named Margalit, and sharing with her some pics, and answering questions, she has posted my interview. Margalit is the admin of Autistic Globetrotting on Facebook. I had submitted a pic of Liam in a state park, and she emailed me and asked if I would like to participate in an interview. I was stoked!!!! Being of a low income, we have to be so careful of what we do for fun. Yet, we always make sure we have something to do. When Liam grows up, he may say, "we didn't have a lot of money when I was a kid..." but I do believe he will also say, "mom and dad always spent time with me, and we did fun things anyway." You don't have to be rich, or even well off to find fun things to do with your kiddos. Some of our best fun is free! To read more of my interview CLICK HERE

The Good, The Bad, and Uglier Than Me....

  Sheesh! Where to start! The last week has been full of ups and downs. I guess I will start at the beginning, since thats the most logical place to begin....
Our neighbors and friends lost their lives tragically in a car accident  a few days ago. They would be celebrating their 50th anniversary in Sept, but God called them home to celebrate with him. I know blessings come in disguise, and please don't think ill of me, but the husband was just diagnosed with brain cancer, and was told he may not survive past 2 more weeks. My comfort is knowing they are still together. Yesterday was their viewing, it was very hard. The Mr. had his candies and his tea bag with him. Lj gave him a stuffed kitty since the Mr. gave LJ a kitty for his birthday. He also made them both a "love picture." They will be laid to rest with them. LJ bought the Mrs. a beautiful pink rose too, and gave the Mr. some candy. He loved when LJ would take him candy!  Hubs took it rather hard. The Mr. had become like a grandfather to hubs. Boy was he a pisser! We would be walking by and he would call out, "hey! Uglier than me!!!!!" To which hubs would respond, "hey to you uglier than me!" The Mr. always said, "don't you talk about my wife like that!" It was their thing.... LJ was a trooper thru it all. He was commenting on the Mr.'s nice sweater, and was so happy to see he had his candy with him. The Mrs. was laid to rest with her pack of smokes, and her bowling pin. Lj also thought that was awesome. Funny how well a 6 year old can handle death, compared to his two blubbering parents....They will be missed....Rest in Peace Mr. and Mrs. <3

In Loving Memory...

Here is what LJ wanted to give his friends to say goodbye. The family was gracious and kind in letting LJ put this  with their parents.

  Ok, enough tears on the computer, moving on....The good of our week started with getting LJ a pair of noise reduction ear muffs at Kmart. I took him grocery shopping with them, and he was WONDERFUL!!!!!! He has NEVER behaved that well in the store! HALLELUJAH!!! The next test was town. They worked great!!!! He crossed the street with only minimal fear the first time. On our way back across, he did great! No crying, no screaming, no covering his ears, and no throwing himself down in the street! Score one for momma!!!!!
  More good news this week. I received a letter from the Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights. Seems they WILL be pursuing the school for NOT testing Liam appropriately due to his diagnosis. Even if the school now backs down, and does do the testing, its still a score for us. LJ deserves the proper testing, and at least they know, this momma will NOT back down when it comes to the rights of her baby. Score 2 for momma :)
  We also got a call the LJ was chosen as a match to participate in the Genetic/Social Study at CAR in Philly.  I finished the interview and all the questionnaires, and we are awaiting a call back form a clinician. Hubs and I think its great that we can possibly help others by taking part in this study. Also, we get all the info and data they collect, which could be beneficial in our war with the school. The only invasive part will be LJ has to donate a tsp of blood. At first he was NOT happy. Then they told him he will receive a Toys R Us gift card, and he was all in!!
  And last but not least.....After 6 years of fighting with the courts and 2 different lawyers. After 6 years of different doctors and surgeons. After one reconstructive neck surgery, and the latest reconstructive spine surgery, we FINALLY have DISABLED in writing!!!! After being told by all these Dr's that he can't work, being given restrictions, and then going to court and being told he can work in a sewing factory (good luck finding one of those in our area). Well, hubs went for another recheck yesterday. He was told he is doing great despite how invasive the surgery was. He was also told, he CAN NOT work. Not only told, but they filled out the form from his caseworker. Marked him as DISABLED and eligible for SSI/SSD. Please keep us in your prayers as we forward all of this onto the courts. It has been a LONG 6 years, and dammit, we deserve this break!!!!
  Today is also Ryan Friday!!! Sunday took a well deserved break this week :) I still made a few because Ryan has become an integral part of my week. Hey, we all need a vice :D So here they are:

nothing wrong with that :)

never thought I'd utter these words, but BACK OFF MISTER!!!

We are taking LJ and his cousin to the sensory friendly version of Madagascar 3 tomorrow~Circus Afro, Circus Afro, Polka Dot, Polka Dot, AFRO!!!!! I can't wait!!! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

<3<3<3<3

Just my humble opinion....

So, yesterday as I was skimming my news feed, I came across this comment: ''I was just recently informed my son may have asperger's. I don't see him being autistic because he's very intelligent & functions properly for the most part aside from his behavioral & anger issues.. I'm so confused. What are the symptoms that stand out the most?''
My jaw dropped! I had to re-read it a few times to make sure my eyes were not deceiving me. I posted it on my page, and I think some may have felt I was a bit harsh about.
First of all, it made me angry because the way this was stated is like saying autistics are not intelligent. Thats a slam on my son, and many other wonderfully intelligent kiddos! When Liam was first diagnosed, I didn't know much about autism, but I sure as heck didn't think the doctor was wrong because he was smart! This is why I started my Legion page. There is not enough Awareness and Autism Education out there, if people still think this way! 

Now, there was a comment made that this momma is seeking more info. I totally get that. I used facebook to reach out to other parents and educate myself as well, BUT I didn't start by saying, "I don't see him being autistic because he's very intelligent & functions properly..." Thats like reaching out to someone, and slapping them in the face. This is JMHO, and I know not everyone will agree with me. I am ok with that. I just have no tolerance for ignorance, and in my opinion, to think your child can't be autistic because he/she is "smart" is just ignorance.

Now that I got that all off my chest, and my panties unbunched :) Let me move on to my Ryan's :D

*Gush* Ryan always has such great ideas :D

Like I said, great ideas! And he can read my mind!!!

What a guy!!

Woo hoo! Good thing, bc if I had to take him, I could not be held responsible for what I may do to that freaky clown!

My boxing gloves are ready Ryan :D

As always, don't forget to head over to Sunday's blog Adventures in Extreme Parenthood and check out her Ryan's and the other link ups for Ryan Friday.

Make it a great weekend all. 

<3<3<3<3

Eval, Sensory Overload and The Legion

Well, yesterday was Liam's 6 month Eval. Guess what????? He STILL has autism!!! Can you believe that Jenny McCarthy???? The diet change, the trial meds, the herbal meds, the therapy, and he's not CURED. WTH!!!!! (sorry, thats my slam against Miss perdy playboy bunny) All kidding aside, the eval went well. Liam spun in the chair most of the time, SHOCKER!!!! Really the only change we have seen is he is more social, as long as its small groups or one on one, and less meltdowns. He still has them, but I am not the wounded soldier I once was, from battling my son.
 After his eval, we headed back home with a few stops to make. In town we had to drop off some papers, and then I needed to stop at the craft store. They are pretty close, and since it was nice out, I decided he and I would walk. (Trust me, I can use the exercise :D) So we start walking down the side walk. Liam is pulling away from me, telling me to stop. I have to tighten my grip because he has been known to run into traffic. (of course I didn't have his restraint with me, wth was I thinking????) We get to the cross walk and he begins to fight me. "Please momma, don't make me go." He had no choice, traffic was stopped, waiting for us to move our keisters outta the way! He got behind me, latched on, and we started to make our way across the street. About 2/3 of the way there, he lets go. I panic and turn. Down he goes, hands over his ears, screaming and crying. I bend to scoop him up. Baring my butt crack for half of the town to see, I get him in my arms and rush him to the side walk. I set him down, wrap my arms around him and SQUEEZE!!!!! It all happened in slow motion, and I was so unaware of anything but the two of us. I kneeled there, face burried in his chest and sobbed. Thankful no one jumped the gun and hit us, thankful he was okay, and thankful he didn't take off. I dried my eyes, and told him he scared momma, and can't do that. His reply, "it hurt so bad momma, I had too!" Ugh!!! I felt like crap. He has small DJ head phones for things like this, but he refuses to wear them. They fall off his head, and are more of a hinder than a help. He hates the ear bud headphones, so he won't use them. Guess hubs and I need to buy him a different pair of DJ style because I do NOT want this to happen again.
Now that I vented, want to hear some good news??? I am having my first Give Away. The 500th person to LIKE A Legion for Liam will win a hand made Autism Awareness Paracord key chain. As well as the person who sent them my way. How to win???? SHARE my page, tell your family and friends to give me a LIKE, and TELL ME YOU SENT THEM. You could be the lucky winner!!!!! (I am sorry, but this contest is only open to individuals because Facebook does NOT count other page Likes, so I have no way of knowing if a group is LIKE number 500) So SHARE, SHARE, SHARE, and LIKE, LIKE, LIKE, and you could be the lucky winner.
                                            <3<3<3<3

Autism Screams at Dollar General!

It sure does, I found that out yesterday! Let me back track a bit before I get to my point.
In April, we stopped at DG and Liam started yelling. "Momma, momma, I see autism puzzles!!!" He was right. There in the window was a sign with the Autism Speaks logo on it. They were taking donations for them. Of course, they didn't ask me if I wanted to donate. I had to ask them, and then the cashier had no idea what I was talking about. Pfffttt, I was irritated. Anyway, Liam donated 2$ of his own money, he insisted. He is becoming such a wonderful lil humanitarian and advocate :)
Yesterday after his SSP, I had to make a quick pit stop at DG. Of course, he wanted to come with me. He was on a mission for chocolate chip pop tarts. Once inside, half the food aisles were packed from various vendors. Needless to say, we couldn't find pop tarts. He was NOT happy. I got what we needed and took the closest aisle to the register. WHAT WAS I THINKING??????? It was the freakin' toy aisle. Liam spied some fake money, and the downward spiral began.
"Momma!!!! I want this money." "No Liam." "But momma!!! You stole mine and I want more." "Liam, the last time I bought that crap for you, it was ALL over the living room. I got tired of picking it up and made a game out of it." This conversation would have went on and on, but we had to go. I started to walk away.
Autism started screaming!!!!!! Down on the floor Liam went. Tears, fists, and feet were flying! All over some damn fake money!!!!!
I dodged his limbs and got him to his feet. Sticking to my guns, we got to the register, and of course had to wait. The guy in front of me was chuckling. Liam was still screaming and crying. The cashier looked at me with such compassion and smiled. She said to the guy, "oh I know how that feels, I have 2 children." Whether they have ASD or not, at least she was caring, and not upset by the whirlwind of a child standing before her. He still had the damn money clenched in his sweaty little hands. I managed to pry it free, and she graciously took it from me so I could get the hell out of there!
Once outside, Liam started to vomit in the parking lot. Oh how I love puke~NOT!!!!!! I can do poop, but puke, not so much!!!! After the gagging, I calmly tell Liam we have to leave, please get in the car. Yeah right, like that was gonna happen. More shrieking, tears, stomping. I had to pick him up, get him in his booster seat, and get his seat belt on. I did it with so much finesse, I amazed myself. Autism surely is making this momma stronger and more graceful :D (I joke because that is how I deal with life)
He continued to scream and repeat "money" about 200 times before he finally calmed down. Thank God his special blanky "stripey" was in the car. He did what he often does, and covered his head and was able to calm down.
So yesterday, Autism not only "spoke" at Dollar General. It kicked, shrieked, punched and cried. Liam gave the customers, the cashier, the pepsi guy, the coca cola guy, and the tater chip dude a quick lesson on Autism and meltdowns. See, he advocates even when he doesn't realize he is doing so.......Okay not really, but thats how I am choosing to see it. :D

Liam after the "fun" at DG...

I guess you mostly came here to see my Ryan's. Okay, I will give them up now. I had a hard time with these last nite, my brain was mush after the days events.......

Woo hoo! Someone other than a stranger is staring at me :)

He sure does. Can't turn your back on the lil booger for a sec!!!

Oh Ryan, you read my mind!!!!!!

Don't forget to head over to Adventures in Extreme Parenthood to check out Sunday's blog and the other Ryan link ups today!!! 

Have a great weekend!! 

<3<3<3<3

Doctors and Nurses and EMT's, OH MY!!!!

When they say it gets worse before it gets better, they weren't kidding!!!! Our week started off with a bang, literally! Sunday was the Valley Walk for Autism, and it was beastly hot! So when we got home, I got Hubs in bed, and took LJ to the creek for a swim. A friend was "on call" a few houses away in case he needed anything, so I left feeling confident. When we returned, she told me hubs had called, and he wasn't feeling right. I rush home to check. Apparently he decided to get out of bed, and 3 times he started to collapse. He caught himself twice, but the third time he went down, bending the handle on my oven and cutting his nose.UGH!!!!!!!!!!!! It goes without saying that at 1130 that nite, the ambulance was at our house. His blood pressure was all over the place that evening, of course when the EMT's get here, its normal. So, hubs refuses treatment. Next am, calls his doc, and since he has an appt Tues am, he decides he can wait to be seen. Monday nite at 11 pm, the ambulance is once again at our house. This time was MUCH worse, it happened like this: Our dog was whining, hubs gets up to see why. He tells me he doesn't feel right. Before I could get up, (I was sleeping on the floor next to him) he was down like a tons of bricks. It was one of  the scariest things I have seen (other than when LJ had his febrile seizure)! It was over in 15 seconds, but felt like a lifetime! Thankfully LJ did NOT see his dad convulsing. I screamed the most God awful scream, I couldn't help it, it just flew out of my mouth! LJ got me the phone, and the EMT's were on their way. In the meantime, LJ puked in the living room, the kitchen and the bathroom because he was so upset! The EMT took hubs' BP and it was 90/54! There was NO way hubs was getting out of going to the hospital this time! They ran a CT scan and some labs, and all looked fine. So home he comes. Back to the docs in the am. Now, the good news is his blood clot in his leg dissolved, WHEW!!!!!!!!!!! One less thing to worry about! However his BP is still all over the place. His doc did an EKG, that looked fine too. UGH!!!!!!!!!! Their conclusion: Orthostatic Hypotension. In other words, hubs BP is plummeting when he sits up. Their fix, keep an eye on him, don't let him get right out of bed, take his bp often. I am not done with this! This is NOT a good enough answer! Even laying down his BP is often VERY low. I will insist on another EKG at the next visit. I am pushy like that :)
I will say, that the week started off super crazy and so far (knocking on some wood) seems to be calming down. Thank the Lord!!!!!!!!!
Oh, I forgot!!!! Last nite I got a call from an educational advocate! Seems NEB will be sorry they messed with this family :) More to come on that at a later time......
Soooooooooo, I guess now that I rambled on about the crappy start of our week, I will now share my Ryan's for the week. Again, I must thank Sunday for the opportunity of this meme so I can have a break from  my stressed out mind for a bit, and concentrate on something as lovely as Ryan :)

YES PLEASE RYAN!!!!

Ha! Take that NEB!!!! 

As always please head over to Adventures in Extreme Parenthood, and check out Sunday's Ryans' and all the other link ups for the week. They are sure to put a smile on your face. Have a great holiday weekend all! <3

"I've got designer bags~under my eyes!"

I saw this title on a pic and I LOVE it!!!! Its perfect for me this past week, as I don't think I could get any more tired. Hubs is home from the hospital, yay!!!! However, playing nurse is quite the job, and doesn't stop when it gets dark. I am setting an alarm to take his BP and give him meds every few hours. On top of that, LJ spiked a fever nite before last (103.3) He has always been my fever boy, spiking real high in the wee morning hours. Then yesterday am was very upset because his ear hurt. He wouldn't let me touch him or comfort him (not happy about it!!) His ped said it was a nasty ear infection and cleaned a lot of yucky pus out of his ear. So after 5 (when the office is closed) I notice blood and pus draining from my baby's ear. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Google, to the rescue. Looks as if his ear drum ruptured/perforated. Also glad I spent a few years working in a ped office, bc I can remember other kiddos having the same problem. No ER visit since hubs can't be here alone, and doc said to call in am if there was discharge. Part of me is glad its Friday, the other part, not so much!!!!! LJ's party is tomorrow afternoon, and with all that has been going on, I AM NOT READY!!!!!!!!!!!!! The wookie cookies are done, and the yard is mowed and trimmed. I still have to pick it up, rearrange the furniture out there, make the lego cakes, make the cone cupcakes, clean the house, and care for 2 ill men, UGH, BLAH, POO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want nothing more than to crawl in my bed, close my eyes and sleep for a few days. Since that is NOT going to happen, I smile, suck it up, and do the best I can :D

Ok, done ranting now, here are my Ryan's.

Seriously, who wouldn't????????

Oh Ryan, you read my mind!!!!

Maybe I should try this pose??? 

I have to thank Sunday, for yet another Ryan Friday!!!!! I LOVE Ryan Fridays!!! Most importantly I love the little escape from reality when I am making my pics. So a BIG THANK YOU TO SUNDAY :D

Now don't forget to head over to Adventures in Extreme Parenthood to check out Sunday's and the other Ryan link ups :) Have a great weekend all. May the force be with you!!! ( sorry, Star wars themed party, so Star wars on the brain, lol)

Happy Momma's Day~It BETTER be!!! :)

Happy Momma's Day to all you AUSOME momma's out there! I am hoping for a nice, relaxing day. I did say hoping right???? We are off to visit hubs this afternoon. I am NOT looking forward to 4 hours in a car, but I am eager to see him and see that he is well. I am still exhausted with a minor headache from yesterday, and I hope to feel better soon. (Allergies are NOT helping the situation.) On the bright side, CYS and or the cops were not called after Liam's meltdown outside last nite. See, miracles do happen :D Day 5 without his daddy home was really starting to get to him. He was very aggressive yesterday, and becoming more combatant as the  day progressed. After playing all day, and spending time with friends, at 730 last nite, I told him we had to go home for the nite. That was the straw that broke that damn proverbial camel's back. All hell broke loose. I had to pull him from the car. (yes, I said pull him. If I left him in there he would have taken off, and then the authorities would def have been called.) I hoisted him (all 60 heavy pounds) over my shoulder, kicking and screaming (him, not me :)) and managed to get him inside. All the while he was screaming, "SPIN, SPIN, SPIN." So I put him on the recliner to drag his spinny chair over, and off he went. Out the door, across the yard. He wrapped himself around the shepard's hook his bird feeders are on. I counted to 3, bent to untangle him, and instead, he threw himself backward, slamming his head off the ground. NICE!!!! Hope the neighbors saw that, and didn't think I shoved him. (Never know, small town, and they all THINK they know your story, and how it happened, yet somehow its NEVER how you KNOW it happened!) I managed to get him up, back over my shoulder, and into the house. I took many punches, a few kicks, almost lost some teeth (guess I could have used the extra money from the tooth fairy)but he was in the house once again. I locked BOTH doors, put him on his spinny chair, and spun him for 30 minutes til he calmed down. I was WHOOPED!!!!! He was too, as he was asleep not 10 minutes later. I wish I had been. Meltdowns just leave me feeling so, I don't know, emotionally pissed, I guess is how I want to say it. Pissed because he can't help it. Pissed because I can't help him. Pissed because it hurts us both. Pissed because Autism ultimately rules our lives. Now, I am not trying to be a downer here. I am a very positive person. However I would be lying if I didn't admit some aspects of Autism totally suck. You'd be lying too if you didn't admit it.....

Never the less, today is a new day! A sunny day. And come hell or high water, it will be a happy day!!!! :D
I hope you all have a WONDERFUL, tantrum/meltdown free Momma's day. Much love to you all <3

Is it Friday yet???

Another LONG week!!!! Hubs had his surgery on Tuesday, that went well, but his recovery not so much. He spiked a fever last nite, and they are worried it may be pneumonia, poor guy!!! My parents and I are taking LJ to see him today. 6 years ago today we welcomed our miracle man into the world! (I love you LJ, happy birthday!!) He was very upset daddy won't be here for his big day, so we will take the big day to daddy! Found out yesterday they are pulling LJ's TSS and BSC for the summer, I am not happy about that. (more to come on that in another post) This week has been another, long and aggravating week, and I for one am glad it's RYAN FRIDAY!!!!!! With out further ado, here are my Ryan's :)

Can you tell LJ has been bugging to play with daddy? Ryan, where are ya when we need ya??? Ha ha ha :D

So don't forget to head over the Adventures in Extreme Parenthood, and check out Sunday's Ryan's and all the other link ups for Ryan Friday. Have a great weekend all~Hugs!

I Need Some R & R

I am so glad its Friday! It seems the weeks just keep getting longer! Lj had his tonsils and adenoids out on Wednesday and has been quite the handful ever since. I really hate having to restrain my child, but he refuses the meds they gave him, and then cries because his throat hurts so bad. Then they tell me, day 4 or 5 will be worse when the membranes (a nice way to say gross scabs) break free! Oh yay, you mean it gets better?!?!?! To top it off, hubby is getting his major surgery next Tuesday, so it will only get better, NOT!!!! I thought I was tired before, now I am literally a zombie! I am up every 3 hours to give LJ his meds, and will have to do the same with hubby in a few days. I hate to say it, but I am a little thankful for the 3-5 day hospital stay for hubs, by then LJ should be good to go. Just hope they release hubs on Lj's birthday, or I will have one mad lil man. 
Well enough about this, onto the good part, RYAN!!!! I wish I was able to make more, but computer time this week has been slim to nil, so only one Ryan pic this week :( Here it is...

Don't forget to visit Sunday at Adventures in Extreme Parenthood  to see her Ryan's and the others that link up. Have a great weekend all!!

Thank you Ryan!!!

Oh am I glad its Friday!!!!! Tomorrow we are off to Langhorne Pa to take Liam to Variety's Autism day at Sesame Place. We all need this break something fierce as this week has been another week from hell! I suspect there will be many more to come as we are now fighting with the school. I should say I have declared war on this school, because I am tired of their lies. They can't even keep them straight, and when I call them out on it, they tell me, "I don't know where you got that info." Why from your mouth, thats where!!! Wish it were legal to record their conversations with me!!!!! ANYWAY, I was so glad to make my Ryan's for today. It was great therapy for me :) So without further ado, here they are, ENJOY!!!

This one is by far my favorite :D

Oh how I wish Ryan would come to the school and kick some butt!!!

I would love some help in the kitchen from him, lol

Hope you all have a great Friday, and don't forget to head over to Sunday's blog and check out her Ryan's and all the other link ups!

Oh I'm sorry, did I offend you????

So, yesterday I blogged the Some Ecards pics I had made. I had also posted them to Pinterest they day before yesterday. I noticed last night while I was on Pinterest that someone had commented on this one.... 

This was her comment, " I teach student with Autism. I genuinely appreciate parents who advocate for their children. But I must say, this kind of hurt my feelings."  Now, I am  the type of person that hates to hurt other people, but its like this, I have talked to so many parents that have the same complaint, IEP meetings are hell! Also, let me not fail to mention, that everyone has their story, and unless you know, it don't be too quick to judge. I understand she may be a teacher, so she sees it from the educational stand point, well see it from a mother's stand point. Have an autistic child that tried to attend kindergarten for the LRE, then watch as that child shuts down completely. Then sit and listen to your child tell you he was placed in a hallway for 4 days due to sensory overload and crying. Have meetings with the school and be told, "a clinical dx is NOT the same as an educational dx. Your son doesn't qualify for an IEP or 504 because he is NOT in need of special ed. The Autistic support class is full, you'll never get in." My list goes on. My point is, if she were in my shoes, I think she would feel this picture was actually humorous. I will not apologize for my stab at making this hectic and terrible ordeal funny in order for me to cope better. Bottom line, put your big girl panties on and suck it up. If you don't like what someone posts, mind your business and move on.....

I am going to link the Pinterest photo this post regards, feel free to leave your own comments. :)

CLICK HERE

Fun with Some Ecards...

So now I am addicted to making those ecards that float around facebook. Its much more fun when u can make your own. Of course mine are autism based, because lets face it, thats our lives now, lol. What's really cool is one in particular I posted on my community page, and now I see it popping up everywhere! I figured many other parents would be able to relate to it. It kind of sucks that so many of us can relate to it because in my opinion, we should not have to fight so hard to get our special kiddos the proper education in a proper environment. I really thought one of the perks of living in the US was the right to an education, but for our kids that doesn't seem so :( 
On a happier note, here are my pics, with the most popular first...

I forgot this one....

I really enjoyed making these, and when I make some more I will post them. Maybe I should start my own meme?? :)

For those interested, I have started a community facebook page to create awareness and share. You can check it out at  https://www.facebook.com/ALegionForLiam