Tackling the next hurdle in our crazy life...autism

Now I know Autism isn't a condition that can necessarily be "cured" or "tackled" in a way that you get over it and move on to the next chapter in life. I do know that there can be a lot of fear in that diagnosis and I don't want that for my family. I want us to be as prepared as we can be and equipped to help our sweet guy navigate this insane world that doesn't always make allowances for special kids.

Early on in one of the twins' life (Joshua) we started noticing some development delays and noticeable differences from his twin and where the older two were at his age.. At around 2 3/4 yrs old we filled out the ages and stages questionnaire from our pediatrician and contacted San Andreas Regional Center to have him evaluated. We were told they don't assess kids past 2 yrs 9 mths old and they directed us to get help through our school district. (We've now found out that they shouldn't have turned us away and I'm fighting to get him on with them.) We were able to have him tested through our school district which resulted in an academic diagnosis of Expressive Language Disorder and he began attending Special Day Preschool as a result. I have to say that has been a fantastic experience where we have seen a lot of growth. He also receives group speech and OT through the district and we are grateful for that! 

At the end of September he had an extensive evaluation at Kaiser through their Autism Spectrum Disorder Dept and has been given a diagnosis of Autistic Disorder. He met 6-7 out of 12 requirements for autism which puts him right in the middle of the spectrum. We are not surprised by this, rather relieved to have some answers as to why the past 4 1/2 years have been so challenging. He recently was approved for individual speech therapy through Kaiser and now is approved for ABA (behavioral) therapy. We are really excited for this type of therapy for him. He has also been accepted into an autism study at a local therapeutic horse ranch. We've heard great things about the ranch and look forward to seeing how this type of therapy helps him.

So, where do we go from here? Good question. I feel like we have direction for now while still processing what his diagnosis means. A good friend of mine recently sent me a link to a blog of a mom with an autistic son and it really captured a lot of how I'm feeling. If you have a few minutes, give it a read:

http://glasshalffulldotme.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/you-dont-know/

Thanks for stopping by and being on this journey with us!

Happy Mother's Day!

Since it's been a long time since I've blogged, I thought it would be fitting to start up again on Mother's Day. Thankfully, I have a funny, short story (at least it was around here!) to tell.

This past Monday Caleb brought home the Mother's Day gift he made for me at preschool wrapped up with specific instructions that I could not open it until today. I put it away for the week and this morning brought it out to open. He clearly forgot that it was a gift he made me because he was mad that I was opening it, exclaiming it was his and demanded that I give it back. No matter how many times I tried to remind him it was something he made for me it didn't matter. He kept saying he made it and his name was on it so it was his! I couldn't stop laughing. In my 9 years of being a mom, this was a first. I put the cute potholder with his handprint on it away and thank goodness, he forgot all about it! His stubbornness reminds me of my own and I really just have to laugh.

Jack's surgery went really well and he is in the healing process. Tuesday we go in for the fitting for his helmet and I will breathe a small sigh of relief. I am so worried about him injuring himself and he keeps turning over onto his stomach to sleep meaning he is putting pressure on whichever side his head is facing. Everything is still a bit soft and can be adjusted just like when you break a bone and it needs to set in a cast. The helmet will not only protect it, but keep the right form while he heals. I feel so sad for him to have to wear it. I know he will fight it at first and I'm doing my best to prepare him.

Happy Mother's Day to all! I am so blessed with a mom who sacrificed a lot to raise my sister and I on her own and she still sacrifices to help our little tribe. I love you so much, Mom!

Trying to keep it all together

Not a very clever title for my post, but it's very appropriate for my season of life right now.

Since I last blogged P&J have switched schools, my oldest boy has been diagnosed with a skull deformity which means he needs to have a major surgery on his skull within the next 6 months, I am having to fight for my other son to have the services he qualifies for at school (which is also forcing me to come to terms with the fact that I have a special needs child) and everything that isn't getting done is piling up around me. I also found out a week ago that a friend of mine's 6 year old daughter has been diagnosed with an aggressive, inoperable brain tumor and am broken for that precious family. (exhale…that feels good to get off my chest!)

I'm not blogging about this for sympathy or an "Awe, poor T…" moment. What prompted it was in the midst of my overwhelmed state, my sweet "special needs" son came up to me and proceeded to blow numerous raspberries on my arm to make me laugh. He melts my heart with his sweetness and disarms my frustrated spirit.

Time to "man up" and make a to do list of all that needs to be done. Promise the next post (whenever that is…) will be more cheery. ;)

And how is it already November???

Womb to Tomb

And birth to earth!

Had that in my head all day and needed to use it for a blog post title. Not sure if this means I'll be blogging regularly, but you never know! ;)

What prompted this line from West Side Story is preschool starting for my littlest twin boys. The "elder" of the pair has communication issues and therefore qualifies for Special Day Preschool Classes through our district. These are smaller, specialized classes with extra staff to work specifically with speech delay. He started this week and will go everyday for 2 1/2 hours. His "younger" counterpart is in private preschool 2 days a week for 3 hours at a time and their schedules do not coincide (I have to say I was a little sad to have a glimmer of a couple of hours to myself 2x a week taken away...hopefully next school year!). While C has been going to preschool for a couple of weeks with no problem being away from J, he does not like dropping J off and coming home solo with me. He is sad and wants me to hold him a whole lot. It's pretty cute. Tonight he told me that we are not taking J to school tomorrow because he doesn't want to miss him. Melted this mama's heart. :)

"When you're a Zuk, you're a Zuk all the way..."

Is that water I hear????

That's the thought running through my head as I'm in the middle of sweeping up all the disgusting bits that have accumulated under my stove. I was retrieving a fork and noticed the field of Cheerios that could feed small village under there and decided to pull out the stove and quickly sweep it up. As this is going on I kept thinking that I was hearing water running through our pipes at a good velocity. After pushing the stove back I decided to investigate. I make my way to my bedroom (It seems I foolishly left my room wide open during lunch...) and hear the tub running full blast. Who is in there??? Then I recall I'm unsure of the whereabouts of Twin #1. As I attempt to open the door, it is blocked by an open drawer. I start to slowly try to close it using the inch and half of space the door it open and call to my son. He happily slams the drawer shut and I discover an exuberant, soaking wet, three year old who has managed to fill the tub halfway without closing the drain, filled the commode with toilet paper and drenched my floor. Whenever I wonder why it feels difficult to get even small household chores done during the day (like I was moments before this), I just need to think back on this moment and many other "wildfires" that pop up during my day.

I wish I could've snapped a pic of that wet, happy boy (who kept declaring, "Water! Water!") before changing his clothes, but he was too cold from his adventure.

Surprise!

When it's been forever since I last blogged I like to pick right back up as if no time has passed. I have a couple of lifelong friends who are like that. They are a huge blessing in my life. 

The main reason I haven't blogged yet in 2013 is that it has been a rough year so far. We got hit hard in January with the dreaded flu (not stomach) and then it seems like every cold virus out there has been preying on our weakened immune systems. Other various accidents and such have happened as well, but the weather is warming up and I am looking forward to a great Spring! 

I'm going to start this story by saying that we have an old-ish and funky house that has been added on to or re-modeled a lot before and since we bought it 12 1/2 years ago. Probably around 35-40 years ago the owners at that time added on a family room. We affectionately called it "The Cave" because the only windows are the sliding glass door to the backyard and it's always at least 5 degrees colder than the rest of the house in the winter. After the twins came along we needed to convert The Cave to a master bedroom since we only had 2 bedrooms at the time and there are six of us and we were tired of sharing with the littlest boys. 

Now on to the surprise. Since we sleep in The Cave it can be quite dark, but we leave our bedroom door open which helps to indicate how long (or not) the sun has been up. This morning we woke up to the cries of two 3 years olds who were clearly awake in their room and starting to pick on each other. I glanced at the clock which read 8:09. Did I read that right??? It was much too dark in our room to be that "late". I woke up Hubby saying we needed to get up, it's already 8, but maybe my clock was wrong since it was so dim in our room. Nope, that was the correct time. Our eldest two had shut our door because they were concocting a "surprise" and didn't want to disturb us. I love it when they are in cahoots together! We emerged from The Cave to a series of arrows leading us to the kitchen where they had prepared a "feast" complete with Fireplace for Your Home playing on Netflix on our TV. The table was set, there was an assortment of treats and drinks and my Cuties were donning aprons and huge grins on their faces. It was too precious and made my heart swell. Mind you they've done little stuff similar to this many times, but this has been the most elaborate to date. Here is what our feast looked like:

They were very proud of themselves. My favorite part was when my girl told her brother she loved him. He's been a bit of a nuisance to her for a while and she doesn't say that to him often. 

That's how our Sunday started, hope yours is going great!

Word Verification

I got sent an odd "spam-ish" e-mail posing as a comment on my last post so I reimplemented word verification on comments. Just wanted to give the heads up for the few times a year I seem to be blogging. ;o)

Happy New Year!!

Encouragement and Challenge

"...that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith." Romans 1:12

This past weekend I had dinner with 2 of my closest friends to celebrate our birthdays. We had an amazing meal at a local restaurant, but the company was even better. There is something special about people who you have known and walked with for a really long time (and in this case I mean a decade or two). The conversation is easy, the laughs are big and without even realizing it, challenging encouragement happens too. As were discussing which shows we are watching these days and also a little politics I mentioned I like to watch a certain news program every day. One of my friends asked when do I have the time? The other swiftly replied in a teasing tone, "When she should be in bed reading her bible. That would help her sleep!" This is the where the greatness of long time friendship comes into play. While giving me a good natured hard time, she also gave me a much needed challenge about how I'm spending my time (which is very precious these days). Later on in the evening my other friend was talking about the reminding voice she hears (e.g. her mom) when things we don't like to do need to be done and asking whose voice we hear at those moments. The rebel in me chooses to ignore that voice and probably too often. Once again, a great challenge to reflect on my time spent without the sting of rebuke. I dearly love these two ladies and am very grateful for the role they take in my life!

Between my dinner conversation, a little one getting mildly injured and a really good sermon on Sunday, I've had a lot to reflect on which is never a bad thing. :)

Pause Button

Waiting, waiting, waiting...I feel like life is in limbo while I wait. I'm not sure how to proceed or what to do.

2 Corinthians 10:5
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. "

Her little black ballet flats

They look so precious on her feet for school. The way she poses and admires herself in the mirror. I just want to eat her up! And then the cute tomboy comes out in her and they return home all scuffed up.

And then I'm grateful I got them on clearance and have black shoe polish.

As I was saying...

I *really* love sweet tiny gherkin pickles. ;) And why are recipes containing condensed soup so ridiculously good while being so bad for you?

(this is me pretending that I didn't ignore my blog for the past two months)

 Hope you (whoever you are) had a great summer! I will hopefully be more consistent again!

Tantrum

You know it's been a rough day when your almost five year old says, "Mommy, I'm glad you are over your temper tantrum and being mad." :o/ Me too, buddy. Me too... That statement was followed by the best hugs and kisses though and an apology from Mommy.

My Little Mommy

That was and is my name for her. She was my mentor and second mom for the past 19ish years and she lost her battle with cancer last Sunday night. I got to spend time at my bestie's house tonight (who is my little mommy's actual daughter). My little mommy's husband and twin sister are staying there and they were working on the eulogy and picking out songs for the slide show. I got to be there, be a part of the process of remembering and honoring her. It was good and where I was supposed to be. I miss her. She made a tremendous impact on my life and the lives of countless others. I am weary and cannot find the words at this time to express how much I love her. Miss you so much Little Mommy and can't wait until I get to see you again!!

Vocabulary

Driving home from preschool the other day, my four year old is talking about when we get home and specifically says, "Mommy, when Caleb gets into mischief..." Not trouble, mind you, but mischief. I thought it was so cute I just about died laughing.

Hoping your day is mischief free!

I wonder if the neighbors caught that?

Wow! It's been *weeks* since I last blogged. I was a little worried I might have forgotten my password! ;o) Here's a quick update of the past six-ish weeks:

1. My toes were very sad and took a long time to heal.
2. 5 out of 6 of us had a bad stomach flu (I miraculously came out of it unscathed minus getting puked on by my oldest).
3. All of us then had a really, really bad head cold.
4. One of our dearest "couple" friends moved out of state and I tried my best to get every moment we could in with them.
5. The 49ers didn't make it to the Superbowl.
6. My husband switched careers.
7. I've felt like a basket case on many occasions.
8. My toes finally healed and I got to enjoy flip flops yesterday (I felt that gorgeous day was just for me.).

Now on to what got me back to blogging. Let me set the scene for you. It's late morning here at the house. My girl is at school and my first born boy is at his grandparents' house. I am in my kitchen talking on the phone to my sis and looking out the window while the littlest guys play. I suddenly see this blur run by and I realize it's Twin #2. The phone is quickly hung up mid conversation and flung onto the couch as I sprint for the door which is wide open. I would like to interject that we have a safety cover over the door knob which was locked and I'm pretty sure the door was bolted as well. Twin #1 is on the porch playing with a truck and Twin #2 is running across the lawn, with one rain boot on, squealing with delight that I have discovered him in the midst of his mischief. *There truly is never a dull moment around here*. After depositing the lil' stinkers back in the house I went to investigate how in the world they managed to escape. Twin #2 (who I'm convinced will be a spy someday...) apparently squeezed the cover until it popped off, unlocked both locks and released himself and his counterpart.

Later on as I'm looking out the very same window the thought crosses my mind, "I wonder how that looked to the neighbors?"

Tonight's project will be purchasing and installing a lock way up high on the door where little fingers can't reach.

I survived.

Stitches came out at 10:30 this morning and only one of the six hurt (and it wasn't that painful)! I'm laughing at what a huge ordeal I made it out to be. ;o) A little more healing needs to take place so the nurse steri-stripped my wounds and recommended I keep wearing my boot for a few more days.

Hooray for modern medicine!

My New Year's Resolution: Not to walk through broken glass barefoot again.

Big Fat Baby!

December was a rough month. The holidays were busy, I was stressed and I just didn't feel like I was doing the best job at being a wife and mom. I'm planning on working on that in 2012. My rough month ended with me slicing 2 of my toes on broken glass (the broken glass courtesy of one or both of the twins) on Christmas Eve and getting 3 stitches in each toe. To say I hate pain is a major understatement and tomorrow is the "big" day I get the stitches removed (which I'm assuming will be painful). Tonight I was lamenting to my hubby about how much I'm not looking forward it and reminding him how horribly wimpy I was when the stitches were done. His reply to this was, "Is this why your labors lasted so long?"

Why, yes, it is. :)

Happy New Year!!

I wanted to start off 2012 blogging and hope that it inspires me to keep going. Since I currently don't have anything inspiring to write, I thought I would post an e-mail I sent to a couple of friends this morning with meal ideas.

Crock Pot

Salsa Chicken: I use this for chicken taco night. Place 3-4 split chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with Pace Picante Sauce. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Take meat out, remove the skin and bones, shred chicken and place back in crock pot to keep warm and incorporate the juices while you prepare tortillas and the fixings.

Italian Beef: Place a 3-ish lb rump roast in the crock and cover with 1 packet of Zesty Italian dressing, 1 packet of Au Jus and 3 cups of water. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Take out roast and shred meat. Place meat on sandwich rolls with bbq sauce or put some of the Au Jus in a bowl and dip like french dip.

Beef Stroganoff: Place the following 5 ingredients in crock: 2 lbs stew meat (cut into 1-2 in cubes), 1 can cream of mushroom or chicken, 1 can cream of celery, 1 packet onion soup mix and 1 cup burgundy (or red) wine. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Serve with cooked egg noodles and sour cream. Peas are a very yummy compliment to this meal.

Pot Roast: Brown a chuck roast (3-4 lbs in size) on the stove. In the meantime cut an onion or 2 into slices and chunk up 2-3 stalks of celery and place them in crock. Place the roast on top of the veggies and cover with a can of cream of celery and a packet of onion soup mix. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove roast to platter to cut and serve. Discard veggies and spoon out gravy to serve with the roast.

Hirino Psito: This is a shredded pork for sandwiches recipe. http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2009/03/crockpot-hirino-psito-slow-roasted-pork.html

Chili is also an easy thing to cook in the crockpot.


Make Ahead and Cook Later…(you can make these earlier in the day and keep covered in the fridge until you are ready to bake them)

Three Cheese Baked Rigatoni: I like to think of this as "fake" lasagna.

1 lb of ground beef
4 1/2 cups rigatoni (or 12-13 oz)
One 25 oz jar of marinara sauce
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 tsp olive oil
3/4 c ricotta cheese
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 c (or 3 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Prepare rigatoni according to pkg directions and return to pot after draining. In the meantime, brown ground beef in a lg skillet. Drain fat and return to skillet. Add the marinara sauce, garlic and olive oil; bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for ten minutes. Stir the sauce into the rigatoni. Place half the rigatoni into a 3-qt casserole dish. Top with combined ricotta and Parmesan cheese. Add remaining rigatoni and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover; bake 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 5 minutes more.

Lemon Greek Chicken: This is *so* yummy! I omit the mushrooms because I don't like them. ;o) http://www.pamperedchef.com/recipe_search/recipe.jsp?id=49756

Braised Beef Chuck Roast: This slow cooks in the oven for 4 hours and is a great Sunday meal. :) http://bakeoff-flunkie.blogspot.com/2009/12/braised-beef-chuck-roast.html

Meatballs: Make them in the morning and store them in the fridge until you get home and can prepare them.

Here is a great "article" from The Sister's Cafe on making freezer meals. The "author" just bakes her stuff frozen. http://www.thesisterscafe.com/2010/08/freezer-meals-2


Enjoy and Happy New Year!!!

You're Fired (said in Donald Trump style...)

In all honesty, *I* would have fired me by now...

A Dying Art?

It's been much longer than I planned in between my blog posts. The days seem to just run into each other and the next thing I know another week has gone by and I'm not quite sure where it went. I've also been experiencing the doldrums lately and am trying to pull myself up by the bootstraps.

On to what I've been wanting to post about. Sometime in the past month-ish I went to put my favorite classical music station on the radio (K-Bach) and low and behold, it's been changed to adult contemporary! I went to the website and the following was posted:

"We thank the Loyal K-Bach audience for all of their support over the years. It is with great regret that we must tell you the station's format has been changed. We are now playing "all the songs you remember" in a new AC format."

It went on to say that the reason it had to change was that not enough businesses wanted to advertise on a classical music format station. This is the second classical music station in my area to cease to exist which makes my heart sad. While my musical tastes range from Bach to Metallica (and almost everything in between!) I've always derived comfort and peace from hearing a beautiful flute concerto or french horn solo. My kids also enjoy listening to classical music and would ask me to put the radio on "quiet music". I had to tell them that we no longer have "quiet music" on the radio. Of course, I have classical music downloaded on my iPod which we can listen to whenever we want, but it lacks the spontaneity of hearing what's on the radio and listening to the sometimes quirky ads.

Time for this classical music "geek" to sign off...good night!