New Milestone

Of course after my previous post, Nolan had to prove me wrong. On Thanksgiving he put his own shoes on, and has done it everyday since. Also, we took the risk and took him to Home Depot.:) To his delight, we purchased a new ceiling fan for our bedroom. He made one small comment about the vacuums and spent the rest of the time obsessing over their selection of automatic musical snow globes. He hounded my husband about installing the ceiling fan all day. When it was finally up, every time I 'd walk upstairs the fan would be going. I'd turn it off because IT'S TOO COLD. And then it'd be on again. I wonder who the little elf is in our house who keeps turning the fan on???

You Know You Have a Child With Autism....

....when you have to drive a certain way home to see the car up on jacks for the umpteenth time!

....when every light in the house has to be on because this is part of his routine and how things should be in his mind.

....when you constantly hear doors opening and closing upstairs in your house, aahhhhhh!

....when your Kindergartner isn't even close to writing his own name or putting his own shoes on.

....when you avoid Home Depot because all of his favorite things are there..vacuums, ceiling fans, dryers, brooms...and he wants to tell everyone about them...and he has a really loud voice.:)

....when you have to pretend to sweep him up in a dustpan just like on "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" which is currently one of the only movies he'll watch....and he's been watching it for about 3 months now.:)

....when he pushes his freckly face right up in yours to tell you something because he has little concept of personal space.:)

....when he wears the same hat 24 hours a day for 2 months straight....excluding bathtime but including bedtime. We had to "wean" him off of the hat.:)

....when he has to watch "Different Strokes" every morning because for some reason he can relate to Arnold.:)

....when you walk on eggshells around him because you never know how he's going to react to or handle certain situations and changes.

....when he says whatever is on his mind...whenever he feels like it....honestly and sincerely whether it's appropriate or not.

....when at home he CONSTANTLY needs to be by your side or know where you are in the house...which is why he is snuggling up next to me right now while I write this post.

....when something really upsets him and he has a huge meltdown....and you don't find out what upset him until a few months later because he can't communicate his feelings like a typical child can.

....when you cry over the littlest accomplishments because you know how hard he has worked to get them.

....and finally, when you feel so proud of him you can actually feel your heart swell.

She Already Has Style

After having two boys, it still amazes me how Alaina really enjoys dressing up. She's not quite 3 and she has really been into shoes, dresses, purses, and jewelry for a long time now. Where do they get this from? And how do I keep this from escalating into the teenage years! I have a 14 year old niece and she is already high-maintenance. I mentally tell myself, "My daughter will not be getting these things when she is this age." I was a pretty low-maintenance teenager and still consider myself pretty low-key when it comes to fashion. I just recently purchased mascara for the first time in several years after deciding to live on "The Wild Side." Just two days ago, before we left for school Alaina had changed her shoes 4 different times. Yes, she does have 4+ pairs of shoes, a couple of which were found at a garage sale. Last Sunday at church she was admiring another little girl's red fir coat. And her favorite colors happen to be pink and red! If I am wearing my red shoes and using my red purse, she has to wear her red shoes and use her red purse. It is so sweet how she already wants to be like me. However, she won't be looking to me for fashion sense! I love having a daughter and watching her grow. She's got such a personality and she's has a nice sweetness mixed with sassiness about her! I wonder what shoes she'll choose today?

Walk Now for Autism

On October 18th, 29 of my friends and family gathered to do the Walk Now for Autism event in honor of my son Nolan and brother Will. Thanks to everyone, we raised over $800! I was so touched looking around at everyone who came out to walk with us and support us. Over 10,000 people showed up for the event, and I couldn't help but think of the families that couldn't physically come due to their child being severely affected by autism. It just felt so good doing something positive. Putting my efforts into something that will hopefully make a difference in my son and brother's lives replaced all of the frustrations we've been feeling. I am so incredibly proud of the both of them for living with this disorder everyday and overcoming challenges that we couldn't even imagine. Thank you to all of my family and friends who have been so supportive!

It Wasn't Just the Setting...

It's hard to believe Gary and I have been back from our vacation for exactly 2 weeks. It seems like a dream. Actually it was my dream vacation, in the United States that is. Going to visit the east coast during "leaf peeping" season has always been a dream of mine. We flew in on a Saturday morning to Manchester, New Hampshire and drove up the coast of Maine from there. From the beginning we felt so adventurous. We just had two destinations for the trip and the rest was up to us. Our first stop along the road was Old Orchard Beach, Maine which was the scene of the robbery. A seagull stole my huge fresh piece of pizza right out of my hand as we were gazing at the Atlantic ocean.
After driving on up the coast of Maine through unbelievably beautiful picturesque little villages, we arrived at our first destination, The Trinity B&B on the Ocean in Owl's Head, Maine. We enjoyed our stay here including our breakfast the next morning with a New York City cab driver and his wife who were also guests at the inn. I just loved meeting and visiting with people from this area of our country. So interesting!

Right down the road from our B&B was our first lighthouse excursion. We hiked up to Owl's Head lighthouse and we were the only ones up there, and it was really secluded. If we would have known then what we know now,we would have been nervous. The other day we just saw this exact lighthouse on the travel channel for haunted lighthouses. Too bad we don't believe in that stuff!
One thing that stood out to me like a beacon in the light, was all of the New England church steeples jutting elegantly up towards the sky. They rose above everything else in the little villages we drove through. They were so symbolic and peaceful to me.



After one more night in Maine in Bar Harbor, near Acadia National Park, we headed back down the coast of Maine to explore a little bit of New Hampshire. While visiting some covered bridges there, I just kept thinking, "I miss my children, but I'm not ready to leave this beautiful place!" But, not only did I not want to leave New England, I was more sad about leaving this time alone that I had with Gary. It wasn't just the setting of our trip that was wonderful, it was also the time I had with him. We had so much fun, and pretty much joked and laughed the whole trip. I told him just today, that one of my favorite memories of our vacation was when we were driving up the coast and out of the blue he just looked over at me and said, "You're so beautiful." He still finds me beautiful after 13 years of marriage! Or maybe the glaring sun blurred his vision.:) I just have to say this vacation was worth every penny, because an investment in our marriage is priceless.

The Power of Scent

It's been awhile since I posted. Things have calmed down with Nolan. I am now refreshed from a wonderful vacation with my husband to New England. Stay tuned for vacation highlights....

I have been wanting to share another poem of mine that accompanies a piece of artwork I did for an assignment. Yes, I did say an assignment. I co-founded an art club 9 years ago where we get together and present our art. Usually we have an "assignment" or inspiration. The inspiration for this work was creating a piece having to do with our favorite scent. One of my favorite scents is the smell of coffee. Ooh, how comforting. I also wrote a poem on the power of scent.





You're all wrapped up
In a bowl of something
From your past,
Where a cup overflowing
With the scent
Of a better tomorrow,
Envelops your inner-being with promises.
An open window beckons
Your soul for a piece
Of life,
And your mind and body
Are overcome with the
Feeling of calmness and joy:
You are surrounded by love.

A Difficult Week

Ugh, this week has been especially difficult with Nolan. After a couple of days of repeated meltdowns, I found myself starting to have a meltdown. With my hubby working nights, I was dealing with this solo. At one point I started crying and silently muttered to myself, "I can't take this anymore." I found myself even wondering, "Why can't he be a typical child? Why does he have to have autism?" I just don't usually go there and ask those questions very often. I love, adore, and appreciate Nolan for who he is, just as he is. God made him this way for a reason. And I am so proud of him, so proud of his uniqueness. But there are those dark times when I question the difficulties. On Friday at the end of this LONG week, Nolan had his first art therapy class with a small group of children who all have autism. Seeing these beautiful children was just what I needed! Being around other special children like Nolan and their mothers felt so comforting. Nolan even made a strong connection with another child! As I go into this next week with a little uncertainty of how it's going to go, I am trying to remain strong and positive. I am hopeful he will snap out of it. If he doesn't.....well I might need another girl's night out this weekend!:)