The Cabbage Patch

Autism Awareness--My Son

My son has autism.

He asks the same questions over and over and over...well, you get the message.

He snuggles with his mom every single morning.

He is a whirlwind of motion.

He looks forward to the Body and Blood of Christ each and every day.

He is my birthday calendar.  I only need to ask him for someone's birthdate. 

He is a fount of information.

He is patriotic.

He loves his sisters...usually.

He will still let me hug and hold him although kisses are a different story.

He can remember quotes from a movie after watching it once.

He is carefree.

He can be quite self conscious despite being quite carefree.

He is my son and I am lucky to know him.

 

This is the face of autism.  And, I love him very much.

Autism Awareness--Empathy

I've started this particular topic several times but haven't like what I'd written.  So, I'll give an example.  I tripped over something once and just fell flat out.  Brother just laughed and laughed.  He never once had the thought that I could've been hurt.  He just thought it was funny.  Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure it did look funny but my girls were sufficiently worried to ask if I was hurt. 

He is learning, but this one of those things that he has to force himself to think about.  He has to file away all of these events in his life and retrieve the proper responses that fit each particular situation.  If he's never encountered something, he will be at a loss.

That is not to say he doesn't have feelings.  He does and strong ones at that.  He cried when I left his this past weekend.  He even called me on his own.  In the end, after a promise to go buy gum, he rallied.

ARCH Conference in Houston

I had a wonderful time at the conference.  I heard some great talks, and just had fun without distraction.  One of the highlights was meeting someone I knew online, 4Real.

 

ETA:  Next year's keynot speaker will be Danielle Bean.  Also, next year's focus will be special needs so I'm hoping someone gets swayed to come to Houston to give a talk.

Deployment Prayers

Please pray for my dear friend, Jess, as she and her children say goodbye to husband and dad for another deployment.  May God keep Gary safe. 

A New Milestone

We will be reaching a new milestone come tomorrow.  I am going away for a conference in Houston (Cay Gibson is going to be there; of course, I have to go) without the Ben or the children.  The children have never had me gone overnight for anything except to have another baby.  This will be true milestone.

I'm anxious.  I'm anxious because my son is anxious.  He's already cried at the thought of me being gone.  Those big crocodile tears always get to me.  I know he'll be fine but I'll worry. 

Please pray for Ben and the children.  And, please pray for their mama who will worry as only a mom can.

Autism Awareness--Discipline

I am at a loss with this one.  I've used everything I could think of to help my child but I fail.  Each and every time.  I get frustrated.  I yell.  Then I feel remorse because I know he can't help it. 

He doesn't understand or can't grasp the idea he needs to think of others.  He cannot understand why he can't just do as he pleases.  Well, why can't he jump from the sofa?  It's what he wants to do.  No amount of explanation will do.  He won't accept/grasp the reason.  He will repeat the rule back to me but won't necessarily follow it.  Now, mind you, he's very good a policing other people. 

I'm in a place where I feel helpless.  I don't know what to do with him.  I want him to understand that rules are in place for a reason.  I worry that as an adult he will disregard law and end up in prison, not because he's being malicious, but negligent.  I lay awake nights with this worry.  If you know me at all, you know there are very few things that keep me awake at night.

April Showers Day 19

 

Thank you to my dear sweet anonymous friend who left these on my front porch. 

New Tricks

Look what I'm learning?

 

Sweet Emily is teaching me how to smock!

Autism Awareness--Pain

This is what happens to an autistic child who doesn't feel a lot of pain.  He gets bitten by ants and can't feel it happening.  So he can have ants crawling all over his body and not feel it until it starts to itch.

 

Look how red his shoulders, neck and ears are.  The white stuff is baking soda; he soaked in a bath with it and it helped.

April Showers Day 17

 

Stormy skies.  We had these types of clouds all day with a LOT of rain.