Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Our Adjustment Period to Back to School



Coming to the end of the second week of driving our own form of a school bus. No really, we are driving our own mini bus to accommodate our large family as I am working on wrapping my mind around the different school schedules. This year having four different school schedule to contend with is no laughing matter. I know that the school district figures a staggering starting bell schedule is the key but not so sure they take into account the school traffic. Can you say Nightmare a hundred times over!

With that said parents are a whole different breed when it comes to driving their precious cargo to school. Believe me it does not matter how old their precious cargo is either. Especially for the first couple of weeks of the school year. This is when many posts can be found on social media reflecting a parent rant or vent of ones morning of being honked at, cursed at for waiting at the cross walk for the children to walk, one took too long to drop off their child in the school zone or the all please slow down, we all are going to the same place, leave earlier if you need to be somewhere our children need to be safe.

The past couple of years, I have been lucky enough to have our daughter be a driver, be involved in a carpool or had awesome neighbors driving one or two of my children when I needed help. If I cannot stress enough, GET INVOLVED IN A CARPOOL if you can. It is a complete lifesaver and you really do not realize how much it helps ALL AROUND!!!! If you find a great carpool group, you will not regret the jump. To the parents who can walk your children to school, this is where I am in envy of you right now, just a little.

Anyhow now with having six of my children in school (though two are off at college), we are all over the place and as much as I am thinking I have the schedules down pat, organization of lunches, breakfast completed for all, each day; I truly am so far from it. We are still adjusting. Sleep for everyone is off and napping for some has come back on the map. Just as a spike in meltdowns has brought my redirection skills to an all-time high. Therapy sessions and any and all other appointments are being worked in. Basically, we were in the Honeymoon Stage for the New School Year!

As we know, change is inevitable. It is the part of the roller coaster ride that we are riding daily. Change of the ride can be sometimes big, sometimes little but whatever the change or transition may be; there is always the choice to make it a great experience even if the change is not so great. Keep a smile on even if it may be hard, smiles are contagious and the energy that you are putting out reflects on the ones around you. The way you handle yourself is how others perceive you. Plus people tend to remember the negative more than the positive. Nevertheless, as we continue to learn everyday whether in school or not, we can take the outcome and inspire the ones around us! GOD BLESS

The mediocre teacher tells. 
The good teacher explains. 
The superior teacher demonstrates. 
The great teacher inspires.
William Arthur Ward
Until Next Time...Make It A Great Day!


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Friday, August 5, 2016

Reminisce In The Memories



We all have those memories from social media that pop up when you open up the app, good and not so good. Whatever the case these memories are flashbacks of our past allowing us to continue to move forward and remember. Yes, you are given the choice to re-share, post again, reminisce in the memory, seeing how things have transpired, seeing the growth of your little's or remembering a loved one who has moved on.

Today, my page reflected a memory from two years ago. Yes, two years ago, the day my mother was officially diagnosed with Cancer. My post was this.....




From that day, two years ago she fought for seven months and seventeen days to stay here in the world with all of us.

I post this as my Mother is part of the reason I am HERE! Without her I would not exist (and the other part my Father of course). She was and still is my Rock! I am unable to call her to talk, to vent, to hear the voice of reason when all the chaos of whatever is going on, so I write. I can still hear her tell me everything will be okay, just trust in HIM. She found the GOOD in everything no matter what and as hard as it is to not have her around physically; I know she is here in spirit. She is here in the Hummingbird that appears at our sliding glass window at the same time every day. As my children say, Grammy is here and she is!

So, today with the week of getting ready to go back to school, getting ready for summers end and the week full of therapy and appointments, today this memory was perfect. It was a clear reminder of why I am who I am, why I love my husband for who he is and why we have been blessed to be on this path with our children. I LOVE YOU MOM! GOD BLESS


Until Next Time...Make It A Great Day!

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Monday, August 1, 2016

Three Times a Charm, Well???

 
Is three times a charm, really? Well, let me say in a world of Autism I have to disagree. Yesterday, I was blessed with beautiful drawings by my little guy. Drawings he said were of triangles and circles. Yes, they were beautiful version as any drawings completed by any of my children would be.

Needless to say, upon him showing me the pictures he drew with such proud distinction, our walls showed something else. His pictures of art were displayed throughout the children's area of the hallway along with the wall of his sisters' room. His vision of triangles and circles, drawn to his perfection with a white board brown marker like he was the next Picasso. As I commented how great the drawings look though deep inside I wanted to yell (loudly might I add) with a bout of my inner voice of "you got to be kidding me" spewed out then to see the look on his face of how proud he was to have drawn his version of perfection. I just looked and was reminded that this has not been the first time this has happened and I am sure this will not be the last time. Thinking this is what cleaner and paint is for. As much as I try to keep markers, crayons, pencils and/or pens at bay, somehow one will find the way into a hand.

Then as I was trying to get to a meeting this morning, making sure all was taken care of before the caregiver arrived; in the mere few seconds to get something from upstairs to come back downstairs it happened. How fast one may climb when looking for whatever when they are on a mission. Maybe he was thinking the kitchen needed a makeover...the kitchen stove, counter and wall were splattered red. The red splatter was from a container made to flavor water. I know it is more fun to squirt things rather use in the proper manner. This is why the Clorox Company loves our household, I go through Lysol wipes like crazy, really by the dozen. Not only am I OCD about constantly cleaning the counter tops but truly I am always cleaning something.

Here is the charm of three, his goal to see how many rolls of toilet paper can be stacked in the toilet. For that reason I do not keep toilet paper in the bathroom, I keep it in one centralize area but my little guy loves to stack. Not surprised on this task or to find the brand new packs of toilet paper being used as building blocks. Yes, I missed an unopened pack which became stray from the pack (he took it and hid it). Thus, he decided he should see how rolls would go into the toilet by using them as building blocks all the while telling me he was going potty. Props to him. Multitasking!

With my inner voice speaking out loud along with my Little's wanting to be helpers during the cleanup sessions; I had to remember it is just another day here. Smiling as what wonders Huggies wipes will do for re-direction tactics as I with my Lysol wipes. These things happen when you have children, these things happen when you have toddlers and definitely these things happen when you have children with special needs. Things do happen in three's some great and some in brief moments of challenges. Whatever the case it is what it is, I reminded to tell my inner voice the same as I tell my children, "I can get happy in the same pants I can get mad in". It is a moment in time where I do wish I knew how their minds process these situations but as a mystery in itself for now I will just continue to cherish the makeshift Art Canvas, the new room makeovers or the new building blocks he thinks are necessary in his world. It is relevant to him and that is what matters! GOD BLESS

“I know of nobody who is purely autistic, or purely neurotypical. Even God has some autistic moments, which is why the planets spin.”  - Jerry Newport

Until Next Time...Make It A Great Day!

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