Autism and Daily Living

Wolf booy

2012-02-10T04:18:00.000-08:00

Tc has a new obsession with wolves. I am partly to blame for that! I mentioned a baby (kidding with him) and he said, "Can I have a pet?" And teasing with him, I said, "Yes you can get a wolf."

Now he always talks about wolves. We have to read a story about wolves from the books I ordered for him about animals every night. He talks about being a wolf....he was playing wolves at school and bit another child. Woops!

Late shift; hubs and TC

2012-02-01T04:02:00.000-08:00

Since I am back working til 8 every night...hubs is on kid duty. He took TC out to shoot the bb gun day before yesterday. Yesterday they took out the telescope and looked at the moon. TC told me last night, "The moon has holes!"

At least they are getting some bonding time.

A day off

2012-01-19T13:05:00.000-08:00

I am going to let TC skip school tomorrow. We need some mama/son time! I am excited to spend some time with him because my hours are changing at work again.

They are doing seniority based scheduling so I am going to be working 11:30 to 8:00 all week next week. Blah.
Even on Saturday!

I am job hunting again, not sure if I will find anything but I need to see my kids, at least on the weekend.

I need to get new tires so I guess TC and I will do that tomorrow and go buy food and maybe if it is nice enjoy something outdoors. I can't wait!

Reading and dancing

2012-01-10T13:05:00.000-08:00

One of TC's struggles has been running in p.e. He cries every Sunday about running in p.e.
We have recently begun to do Just Dance on the Wii. It is a lot of fun and a great way to get him more active.

He is too cute doing his dance thing!

Every night at bedtime we read a book. I ordered some great books that have 2 animals each and each side talks in detail about the animal, their habitat, etc...
Last night we read about tigers. Did you know tigers have a specific area that is their territory and they go from tree to tree and pee on the trees to mark that territory?? TC found this hilarious and we were being silly with this information last night. I told him "I bet that tiger does the pee pee dance after peeing on those trees!" He loved it and giggled for a long time!

Sigh

2012-01-09T13:05:00.000-08:00

Wow. Yesterday was a doozy fit for TC when he found out he had school today. He was immediately sent to his room to cool off.

He cried for over 30 minutes.

I finally told him to come into the livingroom and we had a chat. He kept saying bad things about how he was going to blow up the school. I explained to him that kind of talk is not acceptable and if someone hears him say that he could get in big trouble.

It just never gets easier from week to week!

School back in and a funny boy

2012-01-05T06:07:00.000-08:00

Both kids started back to school on Tuesday. Tc's folder came home with a note saying he had a tough time transitioning back. Yesterday he got a sticker, so I guess yesterday was a better day.

I am working late again and not getting home til' after 7. So trying to cram in time with the kids plus get the chores done is hard! TC went to his drawer last night and got his pj's out and came back very upset! I asked what was wrong and he said, "There is an empty spot in my drawer, you need to fill it!" I had to laugh and told him I would get right on that...I commenced to folding clothes...lol!

New year 2012

2012-01-02T17:52:00.000-08:00

Here is TC in his new suit he got from his Grandma for Christmas. He is doing good, really enjoyed Christmas break. School starts back tomorrow. Wish us luck!

Autism and Holidays

2011-12-10T05:52:00.000-08:00

Are holidays stressful at your house?? Does your autistic/special needs child even understand about time frames of holidays??

TC thought as soon as Thanksgiving was over, it was time for Christmas. He immediately wanted to open presents. I have tried to show him on the calendar and I "think" he understands.

Next week is his last week at school until the new year. Once it is time to go back we will have to deal with the mother of all meltdowns...just like we did after Thanksgiving.

Lord help me.

On to Christmas

2011-11-27T06:25:00.000-08:00

We all had a good Thanksgiving. How was yours?? We went out to eat with hubby's family. TC was happy there was pizza and a chocolate fountain...which he dipped his cookie in...lol.

Friday we had dinner at home. And yesterday (Saturday) I had to work.

Today we plan on putting up the tree and using our Wii Fit my Mom got us for Christmas. We got it a little early b/c my sister brought it with her since she visited Mom for Thanksgiving. Mom is going to have surgery in December so she probably won't be coming down for Christmas.

It is cold here, we are coughing...blah. Hopefully Christmas will get here soon (according to TC), he is ready!

TC turns 10

2011-11-20T15:54:00.000-08:00

We took TC to a movie and to get a toy yesterday, and today we had cake with crazy candles!

IEP time

2011-11-16T02:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was TC's IEP.
Let me first start out by saying, nobody should have to attend an IEP while "Aunt Flo" is in town. This IEP was to discuss changing TC's schedule....maybe getting him into more "specials classes" instead of life skills.

This year TC has been mainstreaming more with a 2nd grade class. This helps him with participation and group activities plus helps him work more independently at the same time. His new teacher, Ms. S (whom I had not met til' yesterday) seemed very hands-on and TC has nothing but nice things to say about her.

So the meeting started off with 4 of us and they brought in the specials teacher so that made 5 total. The teachers discussed his progress and what would be best for TC to help him continue to progress. I mentioned how TC has recently been coming up to us saying how he isn't smart.

And I started to cry.

I haven't cried in an IEP in atleast 2 years. WTH was wrong with me??? The crazy thing is, when I started to cry, so did Ms. S.....which I thought was sort of precious. This lady loves my son. That is so very important to me.

Great.
I am crying again.

Anyways, we have a plan in place. TC will only be in life skills 1 hour a day in order to do computer time and have a brief recess. He will go to mainstream 2nd grade for the morning and will go to lunch with this class as well, and in the afternoon he will go to specials for one on one. I think it is a good plan.

I am blessed to have teachers and a principal who want to see my baby continue to progress. I am blessed to have such a terrific son (and daughter) who make me want to be a better person every day of my life.

Now let me go find some kleenex!

IEP and other things

2011-11-13T05:09:00.000-08:00

I have another IEP coming up. This is regarding new placement for TC. I am a little excited, he has been doing classes outside of life skills so far this year. He is doing good, making a lot of progress.

He will be 10 in a few short days. It is hard to believe!!
I also have a job interview after the IEP so Tuesday is going to be a full day, as I am going to work afterwards!

This weekend I am attempting a garage sale. Yesterday I made a little over $30, gonna try again today though.

Spiderman 2011

2011-11-01T02:48:00.000-07:00

I took TC to trick or treat. He had a blast!

What ifs

2011-10-29T03:03:00.000-07:00

Do you ever go there in your mind. Do you ever think "What if my child did not have a disability?" Do you ever wonder what caused the autism or special need?? I went there this week. I cried over an hour wondering if I had just let TC come when he was ready instead of having my dr. induce me.......would TC be a normal 4th grader who could read and who had friends? (Tc's friend Jamel did not move back after all.)

I love TC, I would not trade him for the world. But some days I get very sad and emotional. I wonder about what will happen when hubs and I are very old...most of the care of us (and TC) will fall onto Sara. Will she be there or will she be involved in her own life and just not want to deal with any of it??

I work with a lady who has a son and he is very low functioning. She has him in a school and he is soon to turn 18. She is talking about fostering him out. She is in her 50's, had him later in life. I am thankful.....that TC is very high functioning, and that I am young enough to keep up with him. I realize many kids have seizures (my coworkers son does) and many more health issues than TC. We do have problems with asthma, eczema and allergies; but we deal with them. So I am not ungrateful for my blessings, but some days I do go there.

Too blessed to be stressed

2011-10-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

When I am feeling down and out, I will go here and remember how very blessed I am. This woman and her husband lost their son, her daughter lost a brother. No matter what my circumstances are, I am blessed beyond measure. I have two great kids, a loving husband and everything else is small potatoes!

TC sick, me sick

2011-10-14T02:55:00.000-07:00

TC was very sick last week. I took him to the dr. He actually had a touch of pneumonia. He is feeling much better!!

I, however, have been sick all week long. I walked the other day and it was sprinkling. Not a good idea, I have been sickly all week long!!!

Is anybody watching Parenthood this season?? Poor Max, it just breaks my heart to see him struggle!

Have a great weekend everyone!

First six weeks of school

2011-09-25T12:20:00.001-07:00

Things have been going well this school year. TC is mainstreaming more...he loves his teacher. He actually is enjoying school.

Sara is a sophomore this year, she is making more of an effort. Last year it was not good as far as grades went. She is actually passing and doing way better this year. She is in 2 clubs and recently tried out for a play. She didn't make it but I told her to keep trying!!!

I am waiting on respite care to be approved, that will give Sara some extra money. She will start her driving course soon.

Holiday

2011-09-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

I have a love/hate relationship with weekends and holidays. TC really had a fit when he asked could he stay home Tuesday and I told him no! The long weekend was nice but those fits are not fun to deal with. Today he did much better.

I am going to a viewing for my dear friend who passed away over the weekend. She took her own life. I am really sad.

Trip pics and school update

2011-09-03T03:11:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of photos from our trip. We rented a pontoon boat that had a second deck and a slide attached. Tc loved it!

This school year is off to a good start! TC has really done well so far. His teacher made a comment about how he has matured. Even the bus driver said he is doing really great. I am very proud of him. I am heading to work today but will be off Monday, and I am only working 6 hours today.

School review

2011-08-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

Both of the kids had a great day. Tc came home with an award for helping the other kids in his class. He happily got on the bus this morning.

We were excited to see his friend Jamel moved back and will be attending school next week. Tc and Jamel are besties!!

Mama is tired so I am off to take a bath.

First day of school 2011

2011-08-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school! I am off to get TC from the bus in a few minutes. Hopefully he did good....he did not even cry this morning. I was so proud!

Almost time for school

2011-08-15T03:55:00.000-07:00

This is my kids last week of summer. I know TC is not ready for school to start! Hubby bought him a Wii yesterday and he loves the Mario Kart game that came with it.

Things are still so hot here in Texas so we stay inside as much as possible.
Sara wants to have a sleepover with many girls this Friday. Pray for me!

We are heading out of state the first weekend after school starts. We planned a camping trip with my Mom. It is going to be fun, we rented a cabin!

Common things

2011-07-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a customer called in talking about his kids. He was 71 and had a 6 and 9 year old...lol. He had one of those mail order brides! Anyways, he mentioned his girl had autism and we started talking about her and I mentioned TC has autism as well. His daughter is not very high functioning but he talked about what a joy she is. And I said TC is the same. I do count my blessings every day!

Asthma..blah

2011-07-11T05:02:00.000-07:00

It is super hot here in Tx. Tc's asthma has been out of control! Poor guy. And his eczema too. I need to order him some more cream but have to wait til' payday. We are walking in the evenings when I am home. This week is more overtime but I won't complain, we need the money!

New photos

2011-07-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

TC is a total ham! We have been enjoying the holiday weekend.

Summertime

2011-07-01T04:40:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe TC will be in 4th grade next year and Sara will be a sophomore. Wow, where does the time go? TC still asks all the time if he gets to "stay here" or go to school. I told him he is on summer break so of course he gets to stay here!

This week was nuts at work with lots of system issues and on Tuesday I decided I was calling in the next day. So I did! I took the kids to a movie, I even took a nap, and it was GLORIOUS. I went to work yesterday totally refreshed and the computers were back up and running. Hallelujah!

Today is payday and we are going to see Transformers 3D...........soooo excited! Tomorrow we have to mow and Sunday we will chill. Monday we are doing a bbq for my sister's birthday. Should be fun! That night we will go watch fireworks, we do this every year.

Really?

2011-06-22T04:05:00.000-07:00

Last night I got home from work and it was late...of course. This working 9:30 am til 8:00 pm sucks. Bad.

Well, TC really doesn't even want to spend time with me. He always wants Sara. And Sara said, "He thinks I am his mom now." Seriously wtf? Sometimes it just is not fun being a responsible working adult.

Judgments

2011-06-18T05:24:00.001-07:00

I work with a lady who has a son with autism. He is not as high functioning as TC. She and I talk a lot about our boys. It is nice to bond with someone who "gets it". One lady who sits beside me started talking about bad kids the other day and I mentioned my autistic son. I told her I am sure I was judged for TC's behavior and she said, "Well your son is sick, you can always tell." I told her, "No, you can't look at my son and tell he is autistic. It is not like being in a wheel chair, it is not that obvious." I could tell she was just clueless. The thing is, this woman had a stroke a couple of years ago, she is in her 40's and she is so judgmental, I cannot stand that.

But anyways, that is our society. I talk to people everyday, and some of them are mentally handicapped. I try to treat every person I talk to with kindness and especially those who are a little slower mentally. They are people too and deserve kindness. That could be you or me, one thing could happen: a car accident, a stroke, ANYTHING could change your mental capacity. We have no control over life.

Having a special needs child is very challenging. It is frustrating. It can be sad and you wish things could be easier. I think of where TC should be instead of in a special needs classroom....barely learning to read. He should be in a normal 4th grade classroom next year. But he won't be and some days it is a hard pill to swallow. I don't think about it much but I do think about it. I don't cry about it anymore, I accept it. It has made me stronger, better, more understanding and that is a blessing.

Autism and frustrations

2011-06-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

School is officially out and well....things have been a little challenging. Maybe it is the hotter weather, maybe it is school being out and TC being more anxiety-ridden. I really don't know what it is.

TC has had his good and bad days. Yesterday I took the kids to a pool in the next town. So today of course, TC wanted to go back . We got sunburned and I told him we need to get better and we can go back to the big pool next week...but I went and got him a little pool. He was mad because it was not a big pool. He kept saying over and over, "Mom you lied to me. That pool is too small for me." And it is small, but it will be okay til' I can get him something bigger.

And Sara had a friend over last night so when we got home he was upset that the friend was gone. He went on and on about how he wants "A" (the girl) to come back and he almost cried over it. A lot of days he has a ton of anxiety and whines a LOT! I am working a lot of hours and when I get home, I simply cannot deal with his whiney-ness. It drives me nuts.

Also I am job hunting again because they changed my hours and I am working til' 8 p.m. every night. I have overtime all next week so I will be at work from 9:30 am til 8:00 pm every day.
Hopefully TC's anxiety will lessen. Actually right now he is being really calm.

Summer is here!

2011-06-05T05:03:00.000-07:00

School is officially out! Woo hoo!!!!

But these last couple of days have been tough.
With any changes that come along TC has difficulties.
His anxiety is at an all time high. It seems it takes him hours and hours to
calm down and behave.

I know a lot of it is not his fault but it is sooooooooo frustrating!!
Yesterday we went to see X Men and his behavior was out of control.
We kept telling him to chill out and behave but it was not getting any better.

We did go see the movie, which was great...I was a little upset about
one part where the "f" word was used. That is a word TC uses and he gets in deep trouble
every time I hear it. (he has used it 2 or 3 times this past week)
TC knows saying bad words is wrong but I think he has such impulse control problems that he
cannot help it some days. STILL he gets in trouble for it.

We try to deal with TC's anxiety and we don't want to medicate him but I wonder if one day it will come to that. Right now, he is 9 years old, and I feel it is managable. It may not always be that way.

Sigh.

We are just taking it day to day!

Family visit

2011-05-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

TC enjoyed spending time with my mom and stepdad this weekend. He even stayed the night with them at the hotel!!!! They came down for my niece's graduation. We had a really good time.

Park

2011-05-22T04:28:00.000-07:00

These are photos taken at the park. A great friend came down and we had a picnic. I picked up the kids early and TC had fun! 2 more weeks are left of school. I cannot wait, and I know TC and Sara can't!

Weekend

2011-05-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

Today is Sunday. Yesterday we went to the movies, I was actually off!! Sara and I saw "Water for Elephants" and TC and hubs saw "Thor". Afterwards TC said "Thor" was a little scary but he enjoyed it.

We got pizza after the movies. I wasn't feeling too good so I laid down. I ended up sleeping from 7 to 6 am this morning! I guess I was really tired. This week has been soooooooooo busy at work. The kids are both so ready for school to be over and I second that emotion.

Today hopefully it will warm up so we can mow, how is it 50 degrees outside in the middle of May??

Weather and health issues

2011-05-02T17:10:00.000-07:00

TC had a nosebleed at school this morning, his teacher e mailed me. Mondays are never fun but he made it through the day. We all did!
The weather is rainly and blah. Hopefully tomorrow it will warm up.
TC's allergies and eczema are out of control.

Gotta love TX weather, we have our heat going right now. A few days ago, the a/c was on!

Friday update

2011-04-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

We have had a pretty good week, other than crazy storms on Tuesday. TC is doing pretty well in school, both kids are ready for summer. Sara is failing algebra. She has a "15" to attend this weekend but after that she is soooooooo grounded. I try to be fair, but if she doesn't get it together she will be repeating 9th grade.

Work is crazy and a bit frustrating but I try to push ahead. I worked an hour over 3 days this week because gas is so expensive! And food is too!!!

Hope everybody has a great weekend. I am off today and just cleaned out TC's toy box...a lot of the toys he never played with or were just crap. They are going bye bye!

Another reward

2011-04-21T05:31:00.001-07:00

TC had another special olympics meet yesterday. He did great, and brought home tons of medals. He also got to eat pizza which he loved.

Luckily today is my Friday, I have not felt well due to sinus issues. It has been a rough one.

A day off causes drama

2011-04-12T07:47:00.001-07:00

TC and Sara were out of school yesterday. I went to work, hubs called in because we had major storms all night. So this morning I went outside to start hubby's truck, TC was in the kitchen when I came back and he was all excited thinking he was staying home again! NOT!! He said, "Mom, just leave and go to work!" I sure burst his bubble when I told him he IS going to school. He was very whiney when I put him on the bus. I hope he has a good day. I am off work today and I have to take my sister to get her car from the shop later so I need to get some housework done. It never ends!

Handsome boy

2011-04-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of TC before his field trip. Isn't he handsome with his new hair cut?? I am off today so I am catching up on some blogs, laundry and already cooked dinner!!!

IEP............seriously?

2011-03-31T14:07:00.000-07:00

Today was IEP day. OMG. Let me just say that TC's teacher really threw me for a loop today. First let me start at the beginning....the lady who did his evaluation went over all of the testing (speech, etc) and where he was for his age. Some parts he did really well on but many he was below average...which was to be expected. Anyways, I never really pay much attention to the numbers or rank, he is a 9 year old but his brain is not that of a typical 9 year old. And the occupational therapist said he is on task with his motor skills and does not qualify for o.t. anymore. So when it got to be his teacher's turn, she said he has been having some anger issues, getting mad and hiding under his desk and he is always corrected for this behavior. This is where I was thrown for a loop. She said, "And he is hearing those voices of Larry and Carl. He does the talking thing with Larry and he says Larry is his hand. He even drew Larry as his hand and sometimes TC throws things and he blames Larry for it. " I was like WTH? I asked her what was she talking about???? Voices???? I told her he does pretend and as far as Larry I don't know who or what Larry is!! So after the meeting I was beside myself, thinking what do I do now??? Is my kid now needing medication?? After I calmed down, I called my hubby and he told me "Kristi, Larry is a hand puppet that TC saw on You Tube. You know he pretends all the time!" (He has been banned from You tube.) Seriously? My kid was mimicking a puppet he saw on the computer and I was thinking he was schizophrenic. I am not saying TC does not have some issues, I realize he does, but I am pissed about the teacher diagnosing him or saying he was hearing voices. Below is a photo taken by another mom at Special Olympics yesterday.

Fun day

2011-03-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was off work and TC had a field trip that he and I went on together. We went to a gymnastics place where the kids did different areas of play, and it all involved math. They had worksheets to take to each different activity. TC did really well and participated fully in everything. He has been really suffering with his sinuses and has had many nosebleeds this week. Bless his heart!

The kids are both out of school on Monday which TC will be very happy about.
Tomorrow we are cooking out burgers, steaks, sausage and making a nice salad on the side!
The weather has been just gorgeous all week!

Almost over

2011-03-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Spring break is almost over.
Man.
Tomorrow is probably going to be DRAMA with TC.
Autistic kids don't like change.

But I took some time off and we have had fun.
We went out for pizza, went shopping, to the movies, and had lots of outdoor play.
We are planning on planting some flowers today.
TC is already up, outside and swinging.

Gotta love spring!

Spring has sprung

2011-03-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

The kids are on Spring Break next week. Woo hoo!
This means no getting them up at 5:30 and I can get ready for work and not have to rush around. I swear, most days I am stressed before I even get to work!

And I have a 3 day work week. This crazy Tx weather had people's bills so high that every other call I answered in the last few weeks was someone fussing about their high bill. I swear I sounded like a record player saying the same thing over and over again. (You use more heat at night when you are asleep...what are you using to heat?.....what is your thermostat set on?)
I have become an electricity expert LOL!

Hope everybody has a fantastic week!

Cooking

2011-03-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

TC helped me make homemade pizza today.

He really enjoyed it!!!

All I can say is wow!

2011-03-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

TC read to me last night.

He has been learning sight words.

He had written a sentence and he actually read the sentence to me.

The sentence was "I see a boy with a horse."

I cried tears of joy after he read this to me.

I could not be more proud!

Sick

2011-03-02T12:09:00.000-08:00

We have not been feeling too good lately. First it was TC, running a fever over the weekend, now Sara and I are feeling bad. I am at work but feeling light-headed and throat is hurting. I just ate an orange and may drink some Theraflu and hit the sack early tonight.

Crazy TX Weather is the culprit!

Big boy

2011-02-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

I was so proud of TC Saturday, we took the kids to a place to use up our gift cards.And TC drove the go cart all by himself. But I forgot my darn camera! Dang it!

Anyways we had fun, played laser tag and games. And it cost us zero!
I am at work today but hubby and kids are home. Hope everybody has a great week.

Special Olympics

2011-02-15T18:13:00.000-08:00

Thankfully the bad weather is over....hopefully!
TC has had a lot of health issues with asthma/eczema.

Hubs has decided to help TC with his letter recognition and reading. I want to jump in and help but it is okay to let him do it. I just need to back off.

Special Olympics are coming up. I am thinking of letting TC participate this year, hopefully he will be okay with his asthma.

I am exhausted today but wanted to post and say hi.

Weather, haircuts and no school

2011-02-04T19:18:00.001-08:00

Tc has been home all week. Monday he wasn't feeling well so hubby kept him home. The weather was bad on Tuesday and Wednesday, school was closed, and all of us were home. Thursday there were rolling blackouts so I left the kids home while I went to work. I had no way to get them home if school released early. And today, we woke up to over 6 inches of snow so no school again!!

I cut TC's hair last night but he moved a lot, so it is not perfect and a little shorter on top than I normally cut it. It is not too bad, but not great either... I have definitely done better haircuts on him before. I hate it when he moves during a hair cut. No worries, it will grow out and is not bad unless you get right on top of his head and examine it. Sara went on and on about how messed up it is and made him self concious. Sometimes having a teen is very difficult. I want to pop her one about once or twice a week....I don't but I really want to!

I know one thing, I am sick of this crazy weather and ready for things to get back to normal. I know you all have way harsher winters but we Texans are not used to this!

Bad behavior and hurtful things said

2011-01-26T19:04:00.000-08:00

This week has been sort of tough. TC's behavior has been very NOT GOOD! And stressful! He is very high strung and antsy and upsets easily.

He just got upset and told me "Go live in your other house with your real family."
WTH? I told him, "You are my family and so is Dad and Sara so I'm not going anywhere. And you need to be nicer to me, I am your Mom and I love you more than anybody in this world."

Of course after he said that to me, he said some other ugly things, and I told him he is NOT going to treat me like that. Afterwards, when he calmed down, he was remorseful and apologized. I think sometimes in the heat of the moment, he verbally attacks me. I am trying to teach him that it is NOT okay.

Sigh. I am ready for the weekend.

Thank you

2011-01-18T18:34:00.001-08:00

Thanks for all the nice comments on my previous post. I really should have thought about TC having the pencil before I began cutting his toenails. I really can't get upset at him, I should have really considered his surroundings, the fact that he was having an asthma attack, was tired and my cutting his toenails was another stressful factor.

TC does so well most days. His aggression is rare. I mean, it hardly ever happens. There are still some behavioral issues, his language is a work in progress, he still curses but I do let him know it is not acceptable. But he surprises me everyday with his ability to overcome stressful situations. I know life is not easy for him and school is tough as well. I have to give him props for holding it together as well as he does. Given his health issues on a daily basis, he does wonderful.

Let me just say even when I forget about the autism, things like this happen and I remember. I will be more aware in the future!!

I cannot believe this happened

2011-01-16T07:40:00.000-08:00

TC's behavior has NOT BEEN GOOD lately. He has been saying bad words, being mean and rude, and threatening to call the police on us when we get onto him. Thanks to the 9-1-1 talk they had at school!

I threatened him all day yesterday because of his bad behavior. I took Sara shopping she had some respite $ to spend and TC had already picked out an army guy at the grocery store yesterday morning, the army guy was around $2.50 so I agreed to purchase the toy. I told TC, "This is all you get today." And he agreed.

When I took Sara to the store to shop, TC was mad and wanted to get another toy and I told him no. And he wasn't happy but I told him he would live.

Fast forward to last night. After TC's shower I was in his room with him. He was ready to draw some pictures and I looked at his toes and his toenails were soooooooo long so I decided to trim them. I didn't think anything about it, he HATES to get them trimmed but I needed to get it done. He was also having an asthma attack so I was giving him a breathing treatment too while trimming his toes. And the next thing I know, I heard him say, "I am gonna stab you." And he took the pencil and stabbed me in the back. I screamed, it HURT! And I immediately grabbed the pencil and reprimanded him. I asked Hubs to look at my back to make sure I wasn't bleeding (I wasn't) but I was livid. And Hubs was too!! He popped TC's butt and told him that is NOT acceptable.

Let me just say we rarely spank TC. I think there are other methods of discipline that can be used other than Whooping butt...however in this case I feel it was appropriate.

But the whole incident scares me and I try not to go "to the future" in my mind. I just worry sometimes and don't want TC's anger to get the best of him and I don't want him to hurt anybody in anger or frustration. We do not medicate him but I realize we may have to look at that in the future if he cannot control his impulses.

Sigh.

I am feeling a little blue over the whole situation today.

It's Saturday!

2011-01-15T05:47:00.001-08:00

I know I am terrible about posting on this blog lately. We made it through another work and school week. The kids are out Monday and hubby is off work but I have to work.Blah.

At least I don't have to get the kids up and off to school. I have to wake them up around 5:40 am to get TC on the bus by 6:30 and get Sara dropped off by 6:45 since I have over a 40 minute commute to work and my schedule is 7:30 to 4:15 daily. Hopefully my schedule stays good like this, I enjoy being home in the evenings with my babies and hubby.

TC and I are off to buy groceries once I get my makeup on and then I promised Sara to take her to the outlet mall, she has $30 that is burning a hole in her pocket!

Back to school

2011-01-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

TC has done very well this week transitioning back to school after Christmas break. He even brought home 2 "happy grams" today. One was for learning to read and another for counting all by himself to 20 with no help. I am so proud of him!

He gets up and ready and is excited to catch the bus at 6:35 am. Wow. He is a trooper!

2010-12-31T03:19:00.000-08:00

Hubby finally took TC to the dr. before Christmas. He had an upper respiratory infection. He is now doing much better!
Our Christmas was great but my camera died and I don't have hardly any pics. But here is one my hubby's cousin took!

Happy New Year everybody!

Sick boy

2010-12-20T17:23:00.000-08:00

TC has been really sick these past couple of days. Luckily hubs and I didn't have to miss work.
Sara is a really good big sister and she took care of TC today. Hubs went and got TC a lot of over the counter meds today. Hopefully he will get to feeling better soon.

The new job is going well and I am learning more everyday!

He always makes me laugh

2010-12-07T18:23:00.000-08:00

TC is so full of it lately!
His dad told him the other day that he had hurt his feelings and TC's reply was, "Dad your feelings don't matter, only my feelings matter."
LOL.

Then the other day he told Sara, "Get out of my face you chunky girl."

He was being not so nice yesterday and I told him I was telling Santa.
His answer was, "Mom, YOU are the one on the naughty list, not me!"

He is a little turkey!

Christmas is fast approaching

2010-11-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

Has anybody started Christmas shopping?? I have!! Well, I have several things bought for Sara and I have 2 or 3 small things for TC. TC wants two toys I need to order for him. And I may give Sara a little money too.

TC has been home since Tuesday and even though he says otherwise, he needs to go back to school! He is a little toot! Aggravating his sister and being a little turd. Yes, he is a typical boy!
And he is very excited for Christmas.

We are putting the tree up tomorrow. I have started wrapping presents. Mainly I have bought for extended family. I still have more to buy for the Hubby and the kiddoes.
How much do you typically spend on Christmas??

2010 Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T18:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!! We had a good day!

Park

2010-11-21T16:10:00.000-08:00

The kids and I went to the lake/park today. I had to laugh at this sign. I don't think gators are there but a woman says she saw one!

9th birthday

2010-11-19T03:26:00.000-08:00

TC came home yesterday and insisted I send cupcakes for his birthday. He said, "Ms. G said you would send cupcakes!"
Thanks a lot, Ms. G!
I had already made up goodie bags.
Luckily I had a cake mix.
I had TC help me make cupcakes.

My sister will drop them off for me at his school because I have to go to work and I need to leave before school even opens!

Hope he has fun!
I am sick.
And exhausted.

TGIF!

Dental visit

2010-11-09T11:57:00.000-08:00

I am happy to report TC saw the dentist yesterday through Miles for Smiles at his school. He did great and his teeth were all healthy. He was excited about his free toothbrush and toothpaste. He does not brush as much as I would like him to but all in all, he is doing good when he does brush.

He was cursing a lot this morning and I had to get onto him. He blamed it on his Iron Man toy. I was not falling for that one...LOL!

Weekend drama

2010-11-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

This weekend has been pretty good. We mostly stayed around the house. TC has been a good boy all weekend.

I am a little perturbed at Sara because she is a teenager, for one. And number two, she is funky. And I don't mean just a little funky, I mean a lot funky. Her room is a disaster and I rarely say anything except for once a week or so. Let me just say, I went off on her earlier. I had good reason! I don't ask her to help with anything other than an occasional load of laundry. And when she does crazy funky things, I get pissed off. She is on my list right now, and not the "good list!"

I need to take a long walk to calm down because I am still mad!

Sleepless in Tx

2010-11-03T03:15:00.000-07:00

Everybody is finally starting to get in the groove of my working again.
TC still fusses about going to school, every evening and again in the morning.
It sure gets frustrating, but he has to go.
Once he gets to school he does fine.

I am having a hard time sleeping past 5 or 6 hours. I can't get my brain to stop and if I wake up, I am awake. I was up today before 4 and laid there for an hour and never did go back to sleep so I just got up.
The only problem with this is that I am exhausted in the evenings after work. Which really sucks.

Hubby took TC fishing the other day. I am wondering if he would like a new fishing pole with his birthday money. Lord knows he has enough toys!!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T19:09:00.000-07:00

Me and TC all dressed up to go trick or treat.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

TC loves his green monster teeth!!

We all went to a place in Rockwall today called Shenanaganz. We played games, laser tag, drove go carts, and went bowling. It was in celebration of the kids' birthdays. They both have a birthday coming up, Sara's is next week and TC's is on the 19th.

The Hubs bowling!

Sara and my niece, Michelle!

TC and Michelle.

Driving the motorcycle..how cute is he?

Working now

2010-10-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

Me and TC. We are all adjusting to my being back at work. Next week I will get home even later so hopefully it goes well.

What a sweety

2010-10-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

TC drew this sweet note with a dog for his teacher the other day. The note says "I love you."
She was upset because her brother's dog was killed when someone ran over him.

My boy is driving

2010-10-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

The lawnmower, that is!! And he loves it!!!

Fun day for TC, work soon to be

2010-10-14T06:18:00.000-07:00

TC's class is going to the state fair of Tx today. He is excited! I hope he has tons of fun!
I go to orientation at my new job tomorrow.
Woo hoo!

This weekend we are working on the new lawnmower, my husband has put it off for months which drives me nuts....but that is his m.o.
Today I am going to meet some old coworkers for lunch.
I call it my last hoorah before going back to work!

A day off

2010-10-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

My kids are out of school tomorrow. I have another job interview so I am paying Sara to watch TC for a few hours. (Thank you respite care!)

TC has been good at school all week. He got happy grams 4 days this week from learning his sight words.
His behavior is a little wild and out of control this weekend though.
He is loud and rambunctious and somewhat annoying!
I guess he is just being a boy, however a very LOUD boy!

I have been having some health problems due to stress and not enough water, but I am feeling better today. Luckily I am still losing weight and am down 41 pounds so far!

My silly kids

2010-10-03T17:04:00.000-07:00

Another brag post

2010-10-03T06:42:00.000-07:00

TC had a great week in school and came home with stickers and awards almost every day! I took him to get a toy yesterday as a reward.
I am so proud of him.
I know school is hard for him but he is doing great.
I tell him, "Always try hard and do your best."

So he says, every evening, "Mom I am going to try my hardest and do a good job!"

Tomorrow is a new week, I hope it is a good one for him!

Sara also passed all of her classes so I gave her $20 to spend!

They don't get it

2010-09-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

Saturday hubby and I went out to celebrate our anniversary. 16 big ones! We took TC to my in laws because Sara went with my sister to a company picnic.

They took TC to play laser tag and to ride go carts. He had a blast!
Unfortunately my father in law mentioned Halloween to TC on the way home.
So as soon as he got home, he thought he was going to get to go trick or treat.

Ugh.

Halloween is a month away!
He put his costume on and even drew a cute map showing him going from house to house.

Then I had to explain to him that Halloween is a month away....and the meltdown ensued.
He cried for over 30 minutes.
And I wanted to go bitch slap my father in law.

They hardly see TC and really don't have a clue about autism.
You CAN'T talk about things in advance because TC has zero concept of time.
I have been working with him on the calendar so I had hubs show him the calendar and how far away Halloween is.
I "think" he understands.
But those tears and the fit was NOT fun!

Award

2010-09-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

TC got two awards for doing well in his reading program at school!

School,food,love

2010-09-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

Tc is doing great in school and learning sight words.
His teacher was bragging on him yesterday!

Today we took the in laws out to eat and hubby's grandma.
I hope they enjoyed it.
Sara said it was so boring!

But we wanted to take them to eat and do something nice.
Next week is hubby and my 16th anniversary and we are going to eat and I am not sure what else.

Have a great weekend y'all.

School

2010-09-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

Things are going good here. TC is not fighting me as much about school.
Big sigh of relief.
Sara is seriously getting her butt kicked by high school.
She is just exhausted.
She told me yesterday, "Mom I miss you! And I miss Dad too! High school just has me so busy!"
So I told her to come walking with me.

She made it out 1/2 way through my walk but we got a good 15 minutes in.
She has a crush and she found out he has a girlfriend.
I told her there is nothing wrong with being his friend. She is only 14, not ready for a serious relationship anyways.

Poor Sara, she has no clue how big of jerks boys can be.
I hate it because I know she is so sensitive and will have many broken hearts.

Being a Mom is hard!

Photos of our trip to Oklahoma

2010-09-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

Kids at the Choctaw Resort in Durant, Oklahoma

Sara Sue

Tc and Iron Man

TC in a really tall chair

Kids and weight loss

2010-09-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

Some or most of you read my other blog.
I have been working to lose weight for months now.
I happily reached a 30 pound loss today.
It has been hard but a rewarding adventure for me.

I have tried to get my kids in on the exercise part.
TC does pretty good until his asthma kicks in...which with the weather changes, it is often.
Bless his heart.
He is not lazy but has so many health issues.

Sara has lost 11 pounds but she has not exercised with me much since school started.
She is a teen, we have our days where we do not get along.
They are unfortunately very frequent as of late.

I am hoping this too shall pass.

Bribery, asthma, and things left behind

2010-09-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

TC still fights with me over cutting his toenails. I have tried after his bath, I have tried ignoring them but eventually they have to be cut.
So I cut them today and told him if he let me, he would earn a dollar.

Yep, I bribed my kid to cut his toenails.
I have no shame in my game!!

Well, we went on a trip for two days and even though we had a non-smoking room, the whole place had a smoke smell. And the refrigerated air in the room really messed with TC and his asthma. Luckily I am a pro at packing his nebulizer and meds. Now we are doing never ending breathing treatments and I am not getting much sleep. That really sucks for TC and me!

I am tired folks!
And I am glad to be home, even though somehow a bag got left that had all of our phone chargers, camera usb, mp3's, dvd player, and several movies. And the darn hotel will not mail any of this stuff to us so we have to drive back and get it. I went ahead and ordered a phone charger and usb cord for my camera, and we may go back in 2 weeks to get the other stuff. I am so mad about that!

School

2010-09-01T16:03:00.001-07:00

Sunday night was another huge meltdown this week, but after that, TC has done fine.

BIG SIGH OF RELIEF!

We are going to take the kids to Oklahoma this weekend. We are taking them to swim and we are going to see a comedy show and maybe do a little gambling.

So excited!!

Isn't this place gorgeous!

School woes

2010-08-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

I posted in my Living in Tx blog yesterday about some issues TC is having this year at school. Well,the first day of school went great!! He got a happy gram and was all smiles.

Day 2 was some fussing and after I picked him up he told me he had to go to the thinking chair for his behavior.
Some of it was my fault.
I tried to pack him something different in his lunch and he had a huge meltdown at lunchtime.
This behavior continued throughout the day which resulted in him getting into trouble.

Day 3 started off with a nosebleed on the way to school and there was a lot of whining and after school,so I took him to the calendar and had him mark off the days he had attended school this week. I circled Thurs. and Fri. and told him that he only has 2 days left for this week.

Yesterday morning, Thursday, he was so upset and did not want to go to school, and we had a long conversation about how he has to go to school and I told him it is up to him to make it a good day. He can be gripey and mad, or he can go to school, do a good job, and have a good day!
On the way to school he told me that he has to work so hard. And basically TC is lazy when it comes to school work so of course he does not want to do the work. And I know he struggles so I tried to give him a pep talk.He learned how to spell red yesterday and he came home and sang us a song. And everything was good.

Sigh.

This morning he was fine, he got dressed and there was no whining.
The good thing is it is Friday.
The bad thing is we have to do this all over again on Monday.

3rd grade

2010-08-25T06:36:00.000-07:00

My kiddoes started school on Monday. TC did well, I was sort of surprised, but TC tends to surprise me!
Yesterday he got in trouble for his behavior and had to go to the thinking chair. And this morning he had a nosebleed on the way to school.
So we have had some rocky moments but 2 more days til' the weekend!

One day at a time!

Last week before school

2010-08-18T17:23:00.001-07:00

We had to rent a hotel because our a/c was not working. TC liked the pool!

He talked Sara into playing Guitar Hero the other day!

I am so mad about what happened today

2010-08-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

Today I took the kids swimming at a friend's community pool.
TC is very friendly and will approach kids.
Three girls and one boy were playing a game where they pushed one another in the pool and the last one standing was the winner.
I watched closely as TC played along. He went up to a small girl to push her and I told him not to, she was too little and he could hurt her.
Next thing I see was the boy going up to TC and grabbing his hands and pushing him hard into the water.
As TC came up, he was upset, I could tell from his expression.
I called him over to ask was he okay and he said, No his hand hurt where the boy pushed him.
I told him to not play with those kids anymore.

Later on, TC was standing in front of a boy (wanting to play) and the boy said, "You can't play with me, you are too fat!" I called TC over and told him LOUDLY because I have a big mouth..lol....that he didn't want to play with that kid anyways because that kid was being mean. I told the kid "You don't have to call him fat, he knows he is big but you don't have to treat him badly."
The Mom was right by the kid and ignored everything til' I spoke to her son.
She then called him over and told him that was rude.
No apology or anything.
I was pissed.

As we were leaving, approximately an hour later, the kid hollered out, "Sorry!" And I told Tc to tell him, "Okay."

My problem is why are kids so mean and why don't parents watch them? It is NOT OKAY to treat someone like they are a piece of crap because they are overweight, it just is NOT!!

Circus 2010

2010-08-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

We did have fun last weekend at the circus. Here are a couple of shots.

Back to school soon

2010-07-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

I am going to let TC stay home this week and fore go ESY.
It starts SO early!!
He has been having such a hard time with his asthma and allergies too.

I came home today from hanging with my sister in Dallas.
I told TC about big school starting soon.(August 23rd)
He will have the same teacher he had last year.

He does NOT like her.
He cried and had a huge meltdown saying he does not want to see her.

It broke my heart.
So we will not be having any "back to school" talks for awhile.
UGH.

We did go to wa*l mart and get him a backpack and lunchbox today though.

Reunion

2010-07-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

We went on a trip to Houston this weekend to a family reunion. Here are a few pics of the kids at the hotel. It was a lot of driving, but we had fun!

Getting real

2010-07-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

Okay I want to get real today on this blog.
Let me just say that being home with my kids everyday is a major adjustment for me!
I love my kids.
I really do.

Sara is a 14 year old girl.
Anybody who was a teen knows what I deal with, the eye rolling, smart mouth stuff. But for the most part, Sara is good.

However, there are days when I want to escape from TC's rants and constant talk of Terminator, Transformers, Iron Man, etc...
It never stops.
NEVER!

It is never quiet in my house. Unless the kids are asleep. As soon as I wake up, TC wakes up. Most days I am lucky to get 30 minutes alone in the mornings.

Today is an example of what I deal with.
TC picked out an Iron Man guy at Wal M#art.
One of the arms didn't move right and TC had a huge fit.
He took the Iron Man guy and threw him in the trash saying, "Damn piece of crap." All the while, he is crying saying he needs a newer, better Iron Man.
He went on and on and eventually was able to calm down.

Today I took the kids to eat Chinese food.
TC took a bite of a potato wedge and started to gag.
Ugh.
Food issues.
I thought he was going to vomit.
Luckily he didn't, but he has MANY times. In public.

I am tempted to throw all of his toys out some days.
I yell and tell him to just "Please stop with the bad words and the fits over stupid toys!"
I wish I could watch TV without having to turn it up so loud because of TC's never ending chatter.
I feel bad sometimes for wanting to have some time alone.
I try not to let TC hurt my feelings but some days he does.
He will tell me he hates me.
I realize he does not know what he is saying and he is always very sorry after he upsets me.

Even though it has gotten a little better, it has not gotten easy.
I still have days when I think I cannot do this.
But I know I have no choice.

I am his Mom.

Another lost tooth

2010-07-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

TC always pulls his own teeth.
I can't even remember how many he has lost!

Driving me bonkers

2010-07-15T07:05:00.000-07:00

TC was supposed to go to ESY yesterday but he didn't go because he woke up and was all broken out. It was bad!

Come to find out, Sara had some body wash in the shower and TC used it because Sara told him to. He has severe eczema and cannot use a lot of things that have a strong scent or lots of perfumes. Poor guy.

He went this morning though. I sure needed some time alone in a quiet house. Sara did help me yesterday by taking him in her room and starting a movie. TC's behavior has not been very good this week and mama was losin' it. My mind, that is.

Yesterday I finished my math final exam and I plan on rechecking it before I actually submit it. Psychology is all that I have left. I can't believe I am almost done with school. Hubs and I are going out this weekend to celebrate. Probably a nice lunch at Red Lobster and a WAl Mart trip without the kids. Hallelujah!!

I will start my job hunt in August. I am a little nervous and scared.

Is anybody reading anymore??

2010-07-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

Where are my commenters?? I need some love!

Besties

2010-07-09T04:51:00.000-07:00

Tc's buddy Jamel.
He lives on our street.
I have no problem with him coming over, but I talked to his Mom yesterday and told her a time and he showed up 3 hours earlier. Typically he brings his little sis along. Don't get me wrong, they are good kids but some days just having them show up with no advance notice gets OLD.

Here are some shots of him and TC yesterday.

4th of July 2010

2010-07-05T20:02:00.000-07:00

I hope everybody had a Happy 4th!
We did. We popped fireworks at home and went to the inlaws. I made it through and got to play with a cute baby so it was all good!

Funny TC

2010-06-30T18:41:00.001-07:00

Today the kids and I went outside to get in the pool and on the trampoline to tan.
As soon as we went out there, Sara started to complain about it being cloudy. I told her to stop griping and enjoy the day!

As we were all on the trampoline, Tc said, "Come on Sara, let's get in the pool and complain some more!"
It was so funny!

And TC is so into boobs, omg, he talks about boobs a lot. TC bathes by himself but he has been enthralled with boobs for awhile. Both Sara and I are well endowed so TC always comments when we are in our swimsuits.
I guess he will be a boob man. Oy!!

TC is a trip

2010-06-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

He is loving my jacuzzi tub here lately!

SUCKY AUTISM DAY

2010-06-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was very proud of TC when I dropped him off for his 2 hours of e s y.
When I picked him up I took him and Sara swimming (My sister has a friend with an in ground pool).

My nephew went as well and they jumped in time and time agein. Then we got out for a snack. TC had fun until he stumped his toe and then he went ballistic! He actually cut his toe on the concrete and he said some words he shouldn't have said, but I calmed him down eventually.

Then after about 2 hours of swimming, it was time to go.
And TC was not happy at all!! Let's just say he ran his mouth all the way home.
And once we got home I sent him to his room where he said a lot of hurtful things (I could hear him through the door). It really upset me that he was talking to me so ugly and I really wanted to cry.

Hubs came home and I told him about what TC said and then I DID start to cry. TC felt really bad but we are going to really watch what he watches on You Tube. I don't think he fully understands what he is saying a lot of the time, but he still has to be accountable for when he hurts others feelings.

Day 2 of ESY

2010-06-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

TC did well yesterday! I took him and Sara to a dollar movie after ESY.
Today he got up complaining a bit but he eventually got dressed and I took him. He did great! WHEW!!

We are going swimming today after I feed TC some lunch.

Tomorrow we have a dr. appointment so he won't be at ESY and he won't go back til' next Tuesday.

This weekend we are going to see Toy Story 3.
And as usual, I have homework!

TC and school

2010-06-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

TC started ESY today. I have talked to him about it for the last few weeks. Last night before bed we talked more.
And he cried and cried and cried.
And begged not to go.

It broke my heart!
He was up at 4:30 am talking and talking about school.

Finally he went back to sleep and when I woke him up at 7:30 he seemed okay.
I took him to get a donut and then took him to school. He was nervous! I asked him would he be ok and he said he would.

I will pick him up at 10:15 and we will see how he is then!
In the meantime, I am tired!!!

Hurt boy

2010-06-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

TC jumped into the pool yesterday and hit the bottom with his foot. He screamed bloody murder and I ran over thinking a bone was broken. Apparently he just bruised it internally but he is hobbling and hopping around and this is no fun for him or me! He is pretty much stuck on the couch and TC is not a sit still kind of boy. UGH. Hopefully it gets better because ESY starts Tuesday.

Summertime fun

2010-06-14T17:45:00.000-07:00