When daddy comes home from work its a big event at my house. The kids scream daddy and daddy makes funny noises and gestures to greet his children. I’m blessed to have a husband who is so committed to me and the kids and who is a great father!
Here is daddy playing ring around the rosie with his girls:)
Hallelujah, Hallelujah. Those are the words that I am singing in my head. My son finally pooped in the potty. My son was diagnosed with being on the autism spectrum about two years ago. Parents of children with autism know that it can take years or a decade to potty train them.
Other then his aggressive behavior (that BTW is becoming less often due to the gluten free diet we put him on) potty training was one of the hardest things to do with him. He literally fought tooth and nail not to sit on the potty. Now with him being calmer and more focus we put him on the potty and made up this potty song and he actually did it. He pooped. We thought it was probably something that he would probably do once but for the last four days he’s been pooping in the potty. He doesn’t yet go on his own without prompting but if we tell him to go he runs to the bathroom and makes himself poop. No more changing big boy poop! Thank you Jesus!
God is good! My son is pooping in the potty before he turned 5. I know some families who have children who are 8 & 11 and still in diapers. My son is on his way and getting better everyday. Keep him in your prayers. That’s my testimony! And I’m sticking to it! 
Tree
The last two weeks my kids have literally been getting themselves in so much trouble. I want to blame it on autism, or the terrible twos, or baby just being curious…but to simply put it, I AM OUTNUMBERED:). While one is doing something the other is contemplating what to do while mommy is occupied dealing with the other sibling.
Let me begin-
Remember last week I wrote the post about my Sam’s Club ordeal. Yeah, that one…I can’t even think about that day without frowning. Okay, so I went to the grocery store the next morning that way hubby could watch the kids so that I wouldn’t have to deal with another meltdown. When I came home hubby and I were putting groceries away and I usually keep a permanent marker close to write on the zip-lock bags (because I separate meat). You can see where this story is going right. So I’m looking for the marker that I KNOW I had on the kitchen counter and as I’m searching for it my sweet, sensitive, ladylike 2year old came prancing in the kitchen with the permanent marker all over her lips. She says, “Look mommy I have lipstick like you.” Startled by my reaction (a quick aaaaaaaahhhhh) she began to cry. I explained to her that it wasn’t lipstick or chap stick (which is what she usually wears) and while explaining all this to her something on the inside told me to check the family room. I slowly crept into my family room scared to see what I might find and I glance over to my couch and saw some nice scribbled marks on the seat of my couch. I was upset but I thank God that I could simply turn the couch seat over and “wallah” no more permanent markers. Below is my daughter next to her master piece. My parents wanted to see what she did so I took a picture with my cell phone and as always my daughter never fails to give a smile for the camera even though mommy was fuming on the other end.
Next Story:
The broken lamp
My son has a tendency to get what he wants from the refrigerator or cabinets since he is not very verbal yet he can’t express what he wants. My sweet little boy is very very very very busy. He really likes to move. I try to be in the same room he is in as much as I can but at times I am often pulled in so many directions because my kids are young and they all need their momma. This particular day I was upstairs putting baby in her play pen so that she can rest and all of a sudden I hear glass shattering. I let out a scream ( Me just being my dramatic self:) ) and ran down the stairs so quick I almost felt like I flew to the kitchen. Evidently my son took it upon himself to climb on the counter top to get a snack on top of the refrigerator. I’m assuming he took the dangling light and swung it and it naturally broke into smithereens. So this is what it looks like now until I go to Home Depot to purchase another one.
I love my kids. They certainly keep me on my feet and make life very exciting. What great blessings:)
I have many other stories to tell but I think this post is long enough! Hey, do you want to share some of your stories feel free to leave comments or write a post about your kids and send the link. Sounds like it will be a lot of fun. Tomorrow I’m going to try to give you a tour of my home. Okay, I’m signing off now. Take care.
Tree
I’m sitting here at the computer almost in tears because it was just that kind of day. My son is not yet potty trained but is at the stage that he now doesn’t like the feel of poop on his skin. For the last 3 days he’s been having diarrhea and has been taking his diaper off consistently leaving something for me to clean and sanitize. He was up to his old tricks again but this time took the pillow off the couch to wipe his bottom. Now I’m a little frazzled now because I need to clean my house (once again) and while all of this is going on baby is crying to a point that she threw up and my 2 year old daughter is just yelling and being very repetitive with her statements. I’m trying to gather the pillows so that I can throw them in the washer while holding baby and helping 2 year old. Now after I gave my son a bath got the two girls situated I started to get a migraine.
I wonder sometimes how life would be to have a typical child without any disabilities. I see people complaining about their kids and I can almost laugh at them because their kids are so easy. If they had to deal with constant (daily almost hourly) meltdowns and poop while still trying to maintain a clean home and raise well rounded children in the mist of chaos they wouldn’t complain so much. I see children my son’s age (4 1/2) sit down and enjoy a television show or mingle with other kids and wonder wow that kid looks easy because my son doesn’t sit he is constantly wondering and getting into things and he doesn’t like to interact with other kids. But in the midst of my pity party for myself and stress I still thank God.
My husband told me last night that there is a girl that use to work for him who is our age (31) and the doctors told her that she has cancer and gave her a certain amount of time to live. Now this girl has 3 kids like me. That was a reality check for me. I am too blessed to let things like poop and throw up stress me out. So as I’m writing this blog I am trying to get myself out of this funk. I thank God for my kids and family. And I am so fortunate to have a loving God that tells me to cast my cares on Him because He cares for me. How wonderful? Now I will meditate on His Word.
Yesterday was extremely stressful…
My husband wanted me to have the kids ready to leave so that we can shoot to Sam’s Club immediately after pulls up (to avoid the store closing on us).No Problem…So I thought:( When it was time to leave my son had a little meltdown, nothing too severe, we could handle it…So I thought again. My husband and I took both cars to ensure that we had enough space for groceries and car seats. All the kids wanted to ride with daddy even baby girl so I packed them all in daddy’s car and went into mine to follow behind.
We arrived at Sam’s Club and my husband told me that my son had been crying and jumping up and down the whole ride (he knows how to get out of the car seat…all of them). My son’s cry is not the typical kid’s cry it is extremely high pitch and annoying it sounds as if someone is beating him with a steel bar or something( I think it comes from him being non verbal and not utilizing his voice). So my husband was frazzled because he just came home from work and had to deal with his meltdown for thirty minutes nonstop.
My husband and I were extremely skeptical about going shopping with my son in this state(knowing that a meltdown can literally last for HOURS, once it lasted for about 7 hours) and having to deal with the other two young-ins but we came this far so thought we would give it a try. WHY, oh why did we do that! My son was so inconsolable, frantic, and anxious that in the middle of our attempt to go food shopping we just stopped and left extremely frustrated and to be quite honest EMBARRASSED. So many shoppers were just staring at us. Now I usually don’t mind people talking about me but I have a weak side when it comes to how people view me as a parent when they don’t have a clue about my struggles. They were just watching us as if we stole this child from someone or like we have been abusing him. I honestly felt like screaming that he was autistic just so that I wouldn’t have to deal with the judgemental stares. To put the icing on the cake after we left the store it was difficult to get him to go back in the car (the kid is like the Incredible Hulk) and once in the car he kept trying to escape. I know what some of you are thinking, ” A good spanking would fix that right or maybe time out,.” Rest assure it doesn’t work. He can’t even comprehend some of the things we are telling him and the meltdowns make it worse. Well we finally got him in the car and I followed them. After a short while I see the back door opening to my husband’s car on a major highway (my son was opening the door). I was frantic! I beeped the horn like a crazy woman and yelled out of the window telling him to pull over. He pulled the car over quickly and was so upset over what could have happened that he calmly told me to take our son and put him in my car out of fear of what he might do or say out of anger and frustration. So I obliged and quietly put our son in my car and strapped him up tightly and went home.
I want all those who read this blog to be careful of how you judge people when their kids are having so called “tantrums” because you never know the true situation of that child or parent. I use to be like that sitting on my high horse saying if that were my child I would do this and that. Well I take that back now because looking at my son you would never know his diagnosis because he doesn’t have physical features of a child with special needs. You would probably think he was a spoiled child as someone has told me before. Well he’s not and unless you walk a mile in my shoe (I take that back…a few feet) you will NEVER know how difficult it really is to have a child with special needs.
Through all that and more I thank God for him and I truly love him with my whole heart. I also thank God for my wonderful husband, a man that is noble and willing to stick with it through hard times.
Trivia Question
Question: What is the rate of divorce amongst parents of children with autism?
Answer: 80% end in divorce
It is a tiresome battle but we (my hubby and I will endure)!
God Bless
Tree
Weird Title Right…Well it was a weird night and a funny one. Let me start at the beginning. Last night I was downstairs in our family room doing my “before bed quick clean” and playing with the kids. I was getting tired and knew that it would be a task and a half to get my son off the computer (he loves the computer and many of you know that he has been diagnosed autistic). So I decided to leave that task to daddy.
I went upstairs and asked my husband to bring my son upstairs to bed. His reply (as he watched the playoffs) was, “Its the weekend when he’s finished playing he’ll come upstairs. I don’t want to deal with a meltdown tonight.” Now my son is known for going in and out of cabinets and refrigerators getting food and juice when nobody is watching. So I told my husband, “okay but if he makes a mess then you will have to clean it because I’m asking you to bring him up.” He agreed. So I went to sleep and he finished watching playoffs. Well needless to say I was awaken out of my sleep (maybe 2 hours later I can’t remember) with my husband telling me that my dear son (DS) was eating frozen waffles and made a mess with “cereal.”
Now keep in mind that I am incoherent.
THIS MORNING…
I’m more coherent and my husband explains to me that my DS evidently went into the freezer to get some waffles and in the cabinette to obtain the condiment that tastes so good with waffles….YES SYRUP. Come to find out my husband told me last night that my son was eating frozen waffles and had SYRUP not CEREAL all over the family room.
THE DETAILS…
My son was found sitting at the computer desk in is tank top t-shirt (better known as a “wife beater” in urban areas) and his pullups with a frozen waffle in one hand and an uncapped syrup bottle in the other hand. Eating the waffle then drinking the syrup. My husband said he was heated when he saw syrup on the carpet and couch. My son was extremely sticky and had to be washed and hubby cleaned the carpet and couch with carpet cleaner.
I TOLD YOU SO
If you guys only knew how bad I wanted to say, “I TOLD YOU SO.” If any men are reading this post sometimes it pays to listen to wifey to avoid unnecessary situations.
WELL I HAD A GREAT LAUGH AND THIS ONE IS GOING IN THE BOOKS:)
MY BABIES….NEVER, EVER A DULL MOMENT
STAY BLESS!
I received great news from my son’s teacher. Today they put him in the class with “typical” pre-kindergarten children and he did very well. The teacher wrote me a note to tell me how proud she is of my son and how well he did in terms of behavior and following routine. Anyone reading this blog with a child on the Autism Spectrum knows how important it is for your child to be included in a regular class. Its one step closer to feeling like your child is “a typical child.” If he continues to behave and follow directions they will hopefully continue to wean him from the Autistic class to a Regular classroom. How great that would be! Please keep my boy in your prayers. Thank you and God Bless.
Tree:)
My nickname is Tree. Its a weird name but it really does grow on you (no pun intended).
I am a mother, wife, daughter, friend, but I am nothing without Christ. I don't claim to be perfect but I do serve a perfect God.
This blog is about my life (all aspects of it). My life consists of being a mom to a special needs child and two toddler girls, a homemaker, and a loving and supportive wife to my husband.
Some of my goals are to eat healthier, exercise more, go to school for natural health, and most of all develop a stronger relationship with God through reading His Word (Bible) and praying sincerely. I hope you enjoy my musings and hopefully it will be a blessing to you:)
Grace and Peace
