2013 has been a busy year. It kind of feels like it has been two different years... or even more. It has not been a bad year nor has it been a super awesome year. I'm ready for the year to be over and yet I would be ok if it wasn't.
I'd say the best thing about this year for me is that I have been trying to take better care of myself. I can't always say I am doing my best at doing so. So in 2014 I will continue to improve my goal... better late than never and definitely better than not at all. I have also enjoyed being a substitute teacher and I am excited to continue to sub the rest of this school year and maybe the next.
Miles has continued to grow and change. Some days he growth seems to be in leaps and bounds and sometimes barely at all. He is still happy and healthy and it has been a good thing that we decided to seek an ASD diagnosis. For the most part friends and family have been very supportive... sometimes even overly. For most of us the diagnosis means nothing has change and for other he means a lot different. The most important thing I have learned is how important Autism awareness really is. I forget that many people don't really know what Autism is or have a thought about what it is.
Miles really likes his new therapy. I'm not sure how exactly, but therapy helped him make some changes. I can't even explain it but I have had people who know him and not know he is in therapy comment on how he has changed... growing! He has definitely been more vocal lately. Mostly sounds but I have heard some words and phrases. The other day I head him say "Happy Birthday!" not sure to whom but it was pretty cool.
I still can't believe Avery is 6! He is such a smart boy. Sometimes I can't even believe how smart he is really. He loves Kindergarten and he loves learning. He is learning how to read and write and I think that is the neatest thing. I can tell he is one of those type of people who knows things without really knowing how they know. He can just look at it a know... goes for math too. Some days I think he is my future actor, some days I think he would be a good teacher, but most of all I know he could do anything. Some days I swear he has a teenagers attitude... these are the days I don't know what to do with him... especially with all his smarts that come along with it! He is a caring little dude.
Andrew is still continuing to improve. It is hard to believe that the accident was 3 1/2 year ago. I think he is ready to get back to work, but he also enjoys being able to take care of his family. I think he will only keep improving. So much has happened since then many things are no longer noticeable while other things continue to stay. On the 3rd he will be celebrating another birthday that I am thankful he is around for. We celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary and I am so happy that I have found a great guy to be with.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Peaks and valleys
First I wanted to say that we got the results of Miles' genetic tests yesterday. All the tests came back negative, meaning that they did not find any hidden genetic reasons for Miles to have Autism.
So yesterday Miles had an off day or something. He had one big meltdown in therapy, but had an awesome day in school. We have been so busy the last week we had not had time to do a big grocery trip so we decided to go out to dinner. Miles usually does not have a problem going out to eat, he knows at restaurants food comes to your table. We make sure if he is really hungry that he gets something small right away and there is no problem.
Last night we decided to go to Old Chicagos for pizza. We don't go there often so we thought it would be a nice change... and Avery wanted pizza anyway. Miles was a little cranky when we got into the car and we figured he just wanted food. When we got to the restaurant we were seated right away and we ordered quickly but Miles would not sit down. I did not care if he sat he could stand by me and he was fine. Then he started crying. It almost seemed like it was for no reason at all. I tried to console him and he just started crying louder. I walked him to the front lobby of the restaurant and he was fine. We sat there for a little bit and then the fires we ordered him were ready. So I walked back to the table and he started screaming again. He did not want the fries. I tried to keep clam and offered him fries. I walked back to the lobby with a few fries and Miles. I thought if he calmed and then ate the fries he would want more and then he would return to the table. Doing this only made him cry in the lobby. I tried the table again... nope, the lobby... nope, outside... yes... until I would not take him to the car.
I tried taking him to the restroom. He is sort of getting into potty training so I thought maybe he had to go... or did go in his pull-up, because that can make him mad. He would not sit and he was not wet. He did not want his pants down at all. Now he is crying in the bathroom. Back at the table the food is there. At this point I try to give Miles a pepperoni... nope. Then the manager comes out and asks if we want to-go boxes..................... but mentions she does not want us to leave. Great!
Andrew takes Miles to the bathroom and also has no luck. The lady next to me asks me "how old are your boys?" I tell her and then she says to her 11-month-old baby (I asked her back) "she what I get to look forward to in a few years." To that I reply "Oh does your son have Autism?" Yeah that is a quick way to get her to shut up... and she says something about we all have rough days.
The worst part was a lady at different table. She was with a large group of people, probably the mom/grandma. She would glare at me and then type on her phone. It may not have been about Miles but it probably was. She could not stop looking and glaring and messing with her phone.
Then I semi-lost the battle and ended up with Miles in the car... both of us bawling our eyes out.
The thing that drove me the most crazy is that I know people around us probably just wanted us to leave. What they don't understand is that it is exactly like that kids throwing a tantrum because they want candy in the grocery store. If the parents give in (***cringe***) then the kid learns that EVERY TIME they have a tantrum at the store their mom will give them candy to shut them up. If I leave the restaurant, I have just given Miles his candy. He would then think EVERY TIME he has a tantrum we will leave the restaurant and go home. Therefore I went to the car with him, let him cry in there with me. We did not go home yet, but we did not stay.
So yesterday Miles had an off day or something. He had one big meltdown in therapy, but had an awesome day in school. We have been so busy the last week we had not had time to do a big grocery trip so we decided to go out to dinner. Miles usually does not have a problem going out to eat, he knows at restaurants food comes to your table. We make sure if he is really hungry that he gets something small right away and there is no problem.
Last night we decided to go to Old Chicagos for pizza. We don't go there often so we thought it would be a nice change... and Avery wanted pizza anyway. Miles was a little cranky when we got into the car and we figured he just wanted food. When we got to the restaurant we were seated right away and we ordered quickly but Miles would not sit down. I did not care if he sat he could stand by me and he was fine. Then he started crying. It almost seemed like it was for no reason at all. I tried to console him and he just started crying louder. I walked him to the front lobby of the restaurant and he was fine. We sat there for a little bit and then the fires we ordered him were ready. So I walked back to the table and he started screaming again. He did not want the fries. I tried to keep clam and offered him fries. I walked back to the lobby with a few fries and Miles. I thought if he calmed and then ate the fries he would want more and then he would return to the table. Doing this only made him cry in the lobby. I tried the table again... nope, the lobby... nope, outside... yes... until I would not take him to the car.
I tried taking him to the restroom. He is sort of getting into potty training so I thought maybe he had to go... or did go in his pull-up, because that can make him mad. He would not sit and he was not wet. He did not want his pants down at all. Now he is crying in the bathroom. Back at the table the food is there. At this point I try to give Miles a pepperoni... nope. Then the manager comes out and asks if we want to-go boxes..................... but mentions she does not want us to leave. Great!
Andrew takes Miles to the bathroom and also has no luck. The lady next to me asks me "how old are your boys?" I tell her and then she says to her 11-month-old baby (I asked her back) "she what I get to look forward to in a few years." To that I reply "Oh does your son have Autism?" Yeah that is a quick way to get her to shut up... and she says something about we all have rough days.
The worst part was a lady at different table. She was with a large group of people, probably the mom/grandma. She would glare at me and then type on her phone. It may not have been about Miles but it probably was. She could not stop looking and glaring and messing with her phone.
Then I semi-lost the battle and ended up with Miles in the car... both of us bawling our eyes out.
The thing that drove me the most crazy is that I know people around us probably just wanted us to leave. What they don't understand is that it is exactly like that kids throwing a tantrum because they want candy in the grocery store. If the parents give in (***cringe***) then the kid learns that EVERY TIME they have a tantrum at the store their mom will give them candy to shut them up. If I leave the restaurant, I have just given Miles his candy. He would then think EVERY TIME he has a tantrum we will leave the restaurant and go home. Therefore I went to the car with him, let him cry in there with me. We did not go home yet, but we did not stay.
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