Easter is a Precious Moment to be Treasured

    Easter is one of my favorite holidays, for many reasons. For me, it's welcoming in the spring and summer. It's also when I can gorge on what I gave up for Lent. Then there's family, and a beautiful Easter dinner, at which time we remember the resurrection. Surely a precious moment to be treasured. Since Jesus is the reason, you're going to love this

Easter is a Precious Moment to be Treasured

     I have always loved Precious Moments collectibles. (Liam's baby book is Precious Moments themed!) They are so dear, adorable, and represent what it means to be a good person. When I first saw "Be Ye As Little Children," their newest bisque porcelain sculpture, I fell in love.

    Sweet Jesus sits with a precious little girl in his lap, while an adorable little boy leans in. Both soaking up His love, and His goodness. In the scripture, Jesus expresses the blessed innocence of our children. 

Mark 10:13

13"And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them."

Remind Kids it's Not All About the Bunny 

    This sculpture, while breathtakingly beautiful, is also a great reminder for your children. It will serve as a discussion point on why we actually celebrate Easter every year. The bunny and baskets are just for fun. The real reason for this day is Jesus Christ. Gather around your sculpture with your scriptures and your children, and lovingly pass down the words of God. 

A Cherished Piece That is Limited

    "Be Ye As Little Children" is website exclusive that will only be available for a limited time. Only one thousand sculptures have been created. It has been expertly sculpted and meticulously hand painted. Surely a piece of beauty that your family will cherish for years to come. To get yours, click here. 

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Coordinates of the Heart From Danique

    I've long been searching for just the right piece of jewelry to hold the coordinates of my heart. While I love all jewelry, I'm particularly fond of rings. So I was ecstatic when I found Danique Jewelry and saw her Custom Coordinates Jewelry. With Mother's Day coming, you have to check out her shop!

Coordinates of the Heart from Danique

    I found the ring that was perfect for me at Danique Jewelry. It's a small silver band (but you can choose gold too) and she engraves it with your chosen coordinates. The coordinates of my heart lay on Chincoteague Island in Virginia. It's where my grandparents always vacationed, took us girls, and eventually retired. It's also where my papa was called home. We visit yearly and create more memories with our children, and we know that he's watching from above. (He's probably also pacing because he was always nervous when my boys were in the ocean.)

    Danique Jewelry took my breath away when I opened my ring. My eyes leaked a little, and my heart soared. This dainty and stackable ring is absolutely gorgeous. Each time I look down I am reminded of the beautiful island, and of my sweet papa. I can't thank you enough Irina!

Mother's Day Wouldn't Be a Day Without Mom's

    Show her your love and appreciation with a personalized Mother's Necklace. Whether she's mom to one or many, Danique Jewelry can create her a one of a kind piece. These Engraved Name with Teardrop Birthstone Necklaces are gorgeous. Irina will engrave each child's name, and add each child's birthstone as well.

    You can choose from 925 Sterling Silver, or 18K Vermeil Gold. I normally prefer silver, but I have to say, the gold necklaces are just as breathtaking. I love the flow of the teardrop gemstones. They are so beautiful. 

So Much More From Danique Jewelry

    These are just two examples of the custom, one of kind pieces that you will find at Danique Jewelry. There are so many more necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings to choose from. You can find her shop here, and on Etsy as well. So get shopping for the special mama in your life! I guarantee you she will love any piece you choose for her.

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Send Them Some Love and a Wish

Okay, so Valentine's Day is tomorrow, but my son wanted to open his wish early. Which is good, because I want to share it with all of you.

Send Them Some Love and a Wish

    I recently connected with A Wish for You and fell in love with their ideas and the gifts they offer. Basically, you chose an item and a beautiful hand quilled card, tell them what you want it to say, and they send it to someone you love! How awesome is that? Since I firmly believe that we should celebrate our loved ones every day, these gifts aren't just perfect for Valentine's Day, but for every day!

How it Works

     It's super easy to let someone know you're thinking of them. All you do is head to A Wish for You, select the memento you want to send. There are quite a few to choose from, and all of them will let that special someone know you love them, each and every day. Next, choose your card, and what you want it to say. Then sit back and relax as A Wish for You sends your love across the miles, or even right next door!

Liam Adores His Heart

    I chose the Crystal Heart Dangle for Liam. First and foremost, I chose it because his worry crystal has seen better days, and after years of rubbing and worry, it broke. (It wasn't very thick.) So I chose the Crystal Heart for him to replace his worry crystal. The other reason I picked this memento was because I knew he'd enjoy looking through it and watching light refract from it. For him, this crystal fulfills a mental health need, as well as two forms of sensory input (tactile, and visual.)

    Liam loves it! He's been carrying it with him since he received it, and showing everyone he has seen. The card it came with is beautiful, and he keeps rubbing his fingers over the quilling. So to say his wish was a huge hit is an understatement. I'd say it was the best gift he's gotten in awhile!

Learn More

    I know by now, you're ready to check out all of the mementos A Wish for You has to offer, (if you haven't already.) So head to their website, and start browsing. I promise you won't be disappointed!

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Because He Cries

Last night was a rough one here at the House of AuSome. Liam got upset with me because he wanted to watch a certain movie and I told him it was inappropriate for him. He got mad. So mad, that he shut himself up in his room to pout. For AN HOUR!

Liam is never too far from me. He won't stay anywhere. He follows me around the house. You get the idea. So I was shocked. I let him pout. He even wrote me a letter on strips of paper.

It came time for melatonin and he still wasn't speaking to me. I waited half an hour for his gummy to kick in, and I told him I was going to bed. He wrote me a note saying he wasn't talking to me, and he was going to sleep in the living room.

Again, I was flabbergasted because we share a room. He can't sleep by himself, and for any of us to get any sleep at all, this was our only course of action. I told him I understood. I bent and kissed his forehead, and told him I loved him. Tears were streaming down his cheeks.

I walked back to our room. As I was standing in the bathroom brushing my teeth, I heard the pitter patter of little feet. Then 2 little arms embraced me with such force, I staggered for a moment.

I looked down to see his face. All red, tears flowing down his cheeks. He started to heave with heavy sobs. I quickly rinsed my mouth and managed to walk him, still grasping me with all his might, over to my bed. We sat, and he immediately climbed into my lap. 

My heart sank. He hasn't cried this hard since his last severe depressive cycle. That was last year. It could come at any time, since the severe cycle always comes around the same time. We are on pins and needles, fearing it could come everyday.

I started softly asking him questions. "Are you okay? Are you still angry with me? Do you understand why I said no? Do you know how much I love you?" He wouldn't speak, only answering with nods.

You see, if he were having a meltdown, I wouldn't be barraging him with questions. I know that would only make it worse. With a dual diagnosis such as Autism, and Bipolar, it's usually one or the other, or one making the other worse. (Example, if he has a meltdown and screams nasty things at us, he sometimes then goes into a depressive cycle because he feels bad for his behavior. Or, if he's in a manic cycle, he is so high energy and stimming off the walls. If that makes sense)

He started pushing against my body to rock him. And so, we rocked like that for a good 40 minutes. The crying became softer, and then stopped all together. I took a moment and I silently thanked God. Seeing your child in a major depressive cycle literally sucks all the life force out of you. I pray everyday that it will skip this season, and we won't have to watch our son in mental agony.

He asked for the Kindle, and we sat and played a few games together. We laughed. We giggled. I kissed his gorgeous forehead. He told me he was sorry. He told me he was sad because he was afraid he hurt my feelings, and he doesn't like to do that. I smiled and assured him that I too, (believe it or not) was a kid once. And I too, had been in a similar place with my parents. 

He handed me the Kindle, snuggled into my arms, and fell asleep. I left him like that for a bit. Staring at his peaceful face. Silently wondering, how I got so lucky as to be his mom. With all the struggles, the good days and the awful ones, I wouldn't trade this child, or my life with him, for anything in this world!

When Liam is going through a depressive cycle, this song always comes to mind.

Individualized Educational Plan Laughs and Tears

AKA, IEP laughs and tears....

Anyone here ever look at IEP drafts and laugh at the goals?

No? Just me????

Now before you rip my head off, keep reading.....

I don't laugh because I think my son can't pull this off. I laugh because half of these goals are on MY shoulders, and I think HOW THE HELL AM I GOING TO PULL THIS OFF?







I HAVE to get my son to do these things. I home/cyber school. So half the goals are geared towards his therapists. The other half are geared towards what I have to work on with him.

No more than TWO verbal prompts? Do they KNOW my child?

On task behavior for 30 minutes at a time???? 80% of the time???? With ADHD????

Also, I laugh over the ones about licking food, or even eating it. I laugh because I have been trying that for years. I have been puked on. I have had my dinner puked on. All over trying to get him to eat something new.

Food aversions aren't this easily over come! I pray the new OT has a tarp or a parka to keep the puke off her nice work clothes!

Next up we have the self care goals. These don't make me laugh. They kind of make me sad. Liam will be 9 in May. He has tied his shoes ONCE. It took a lot of tears to get there. Now he refuses because "it's too hard, and I just can't do it mama!" He can't button. Snapping is a struggle. Zippers? He can't zip his coat either. If you start it, he can. But he can't put his coat on and zip and snap it. These goals I PRAY the OT can pull off. I PRAY he will do his best for her and learn these tasks. I know it will make him feel so much better about himself!

You can do it baby! Mama knows you can! <3

You know what Liam hates MORE than tying or zipping? WRITING! His cyber school sent me the "Hand Writing Without Tears" curriculum in kindy. That name is SUPER deceiving. He had tears. I had tears. I think the dog lying next to his desk even had tears, hearing her boy so distraught.

They have instituted  Scribe for him. (we are still waiting on the program) But in the mean time, my baby needs to learn to write more legibly. The reversals and the mix of capitol and lowercase is quite bad. Thankfully the OT will be working with him on this. I don't know how much more my heart can take. Watching your baby struggle day in and day out is hard. Home schooling is DEFINITELY NOT for the faint of heart.

There were a lot of other things in his IEP that broke my heart. For his privacy, I am keeping that to ourselves. It's hard to see where your child falls short in writing. It's hard to swallow.

So I guess, part of the reason I choose to laugh at some of these goals, is because other things in the IEP are hard for me to handle.

Then I step back. I look up from my writing, and I see a happy, handsome, and fairly healthy little boy. Busy lining up his comic books and humming to himself. In that moment, I know that no matter where he falls short, no matter where he lacks, he is happy, and he is mine, and I love him more than life itself!