Sacred Family Saturday and a bonus!

Happy Birthday, Notorious #5!!

and now......

See you tomorrow! Have fun with your family!

pictures and animations by photobucket

A Round Toit

I used to have a bad habit of saying I will do (__fill in the blank__) when I get around to it. That worked well for me for quite a while, until some smart a. creative person started marketing the Round Toit. The problem with this..creative person... was that they effectively shut down a perfectly acceptable method of putting a child or the Daddy on hold for more than a minute and a half.

So, because I now HAVE a Round Toit, I have caught up on my email, corresponded with some people, realized how hideously behind I am with the laundry and that I am also out of laundry soap, discovered that my cupboards and Mother Hubbard's are amazingly similar, tossed a load of dishes in the dishwasher and discovered that the twinnies had stood on the door of it a few too many times, came to the conclusion that monster bedrooms should not require hazmat gear when trying to walk around in them, and totally spaced the fact that Fridays are piano lesson days.

I think I was much happier, though admittedly more clueless, BEFORE I had a Round Toit. Can I interest anyone in a gently used, like new, Round Toit?

Image by photobucket, of COURSE!

Drops in the bucket

The last couple of weeks have been an expensive, stressful ride, for the Monster House. We've had car damages that are costing over a thousand dollars in parts alone, we've had an emergency visit to an Opthalmic Specialist for #6, Easter weekend found us with a house guest that we weren't expecting, and last night, the Daddy's work computer decided this would be a good time to die. 

With every new thing, another drop is added to the bucket. Stressors are compounded with every drip. Emotions run high. You find yourself becoming irritable and tense. Eventually, you outgrow the bucket intended for all those evil little drops, and you get the equivalent of a natural disaster in your brain. You are now at overload. This is not good.

How then, do you quiet the flood waters and calm yourself, while still taking care of daily responsibilities that cannot be put off? Children must still be fed, clothed, and nurtured. The house must still be kept in some semblance of order, lest the meanies at Child Services come for a visit.

It's always a plus when your personal hygiene is under control, which means you have to carve out 15 minutes somewhere in your day to allow for washing your hair, shaving your legs, and brushing your teeth. That may be the hardest task to accomplish, as many parents I know have a rough time just getting to the commode unescorted. Oh, and by the way... if you do manage to carve out that 15 minutes, that also means that at some point, you've had to wash (and remember to dry) towels. Otherwise, you're stuck with the last threadbare washcloth in the linen cupboard, and I'm here to tell ya that it won't be all that satisfying to dry off with, as it's 15 years old and now the size and thickness of a postage stamp.

How can you take all those drops from your bucket, dry out, and start with a fresh out look, a better attitude, and a willingness to keep trying? 

Well. As much as I would love to be able to answer that question intelligently, I got nuthin'. Also, I'm being distracted by that picture up there  ... it's making me laugh, and that's probably bad, right? Oh, well. At least I can still laugh.. and that's a step in the right direction. 

If YOU have any helpful hints about calming the flood waters, I would love to read them! Please put them in the comment section below. Please refrain from spamming me with self help seminars, a book on 12 easy steps to financial freedom, or parenting magazines. Now is not a good time. The likelihood of extreme profanity from the direction of The Momma hurled in the direction of the spammer, is extremely great. I'm just sayin'.

Awesome photos provided by Photobucket, of COURSE!

Proclamation from the Momma!

I've missed my keyboard, my blog, my comments, my adoring fans... okay, I made that last one up. But I've missed it! I have this big old void where my creativity used to be. It's been a really wild, crazy, bizarre, EXPENSIVE couple of weeks, and I know the blog has suffered. I'm working on it. Really, I am!

So, while you're suffering from Monster House Addiction withdrawals, what you should do is. order Big Daddy's book and read it. By the time you stop laughing, and having admiration for BD, I'll be back up and running. Take a look at the top of the side bar over there --> and click on the book. It'll take you right to the ordering site. 

I'll see you VERY soon (tomorrow works for me... how about you?), don't forget about me! I have all kinds of monster stories, drama, stress, and other fun stuff to share with ya.

Notes from a Refrigerator Mom

Today, I'm honored and proud to be a part of April's All About Autism series hosted by Gina, at Special Happens. Check out my article, Notes From A Refrigerator Mom, and leave me a comment over there. I'd love to know what y'all think!

Happy Easter!

I had to pause for a moment while making this week's comic and laugh.. because the Daddy and I in comic form look a LOT like an old episode of "Roseanne". Whaddaya think?

By ihave7monsters | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

Sacred Family Saturday!

Today is the annual Easter Egg Hunt for the monsters in our town. Will y'all be taking your monsters out to hunt eggs today, or dye them at home, or do other fun Easter related things?

Animation provided by Photobucket, of course!

The two envelopes, please

The winner of The King of the Marshmallows: Ready! giveaway is:

Jenny said...

I LOVE the way she came up with the marshmallow idea! Now THAT's good writing! :)

April 7, 2011 12:01 PM 

AND the bonus giveaway winner, by being #15, is:

Shannon said...

I follow via Networked Blogs shannonforpeace(at)gmail.com

April 21, 2011 1:13 PM 

Ladies, you now have 48 hours in which to contact me through twitter, email, or facebook, or forfeit your prize. Congratulations!

Guest posting for Mom in Management!

Today I'm pretending to know what I'm talking about over on Mom in Management's site. I'm writing about some of the ways our monstrously huge family survives on a single income budget. You know this is something you want to read, you were just too polite to ask!  Click on over and share some Monster House love with all the corporate smarties that read her blog. See ya back here on Sunday!

Shameless plug for a bloggy buddy

So y'all...... exciting news! Big Daddy's book is out!! SO, even though this is an unsolicited shameless plug, I'm doing it because, well, I really respect Big Daddy as a parent and blogger who isn't afraid to talk about his child with autism and all the quirky, silly things that come with it. And also? I contributed a word or two in it. I know, right? So, people, follow Big Daddy's blog, order the book, and prepare to enjoy the funny, lighter side of having a child with autism. I promise you will not be disappointed. For your convenience, my addicts, there is a handy dandy little button over there ---> at the top of my sidebar that will take you right to the book ordering site. Go! Go go go go go! No, really... GO! Click, order, read, laugh, appreciate. That is all.

Too much of a good thing

This week, the twinnies have been playing outside for a while each morning, during the time #5 is at Kindergarten. This is HUGE because Logan had been fevering/seizuring every time he was out of the house for longer than 30 minutes. We eased into it last week and over the weekend,starting at ten minutes and increasing the time by five minutes each day, after I completely destroyed fatally damaged had a little mishap with the car, which made it impossible for me to drive Logan to hear sounds of rushing water to calm his meltdowns and repetitive behaviors. I had to think of something to entertain and calm Logan, fast!

So, we "discovered" the back yard, where we have a large trampoline at ground level, a hill, bikes, and all kinds of insteresting stuff for the twinnies to get into.It was love at first sight. Yesterday morning, the weather was so gorgeous, and the twinnies were having such a good time, we stayed out for over an hour.  I was mindful of the fact that these toddlers had never been outside for any extended period of time before last thursday, and the fact that they are blond and red head with VERY fair skin. I watched obsessively to make sure they were not getting sunburnt. At the first hint of any amount of pinkness, I had them back in the house.

By yesterday afternoon, I felt like the worst kind of child abuser. #6's faint pink was getting increasingly red and tender. By last night at dinner............

At this point I should mention, I have never had a toddler with a sunburn like this.  I'm pushing fluids, using Aloe with vitamin E and lidocaine, and giving tylenol.. The guilt is of the all encompassing variety. Every time a car drives by, I'm hoping it isn't child services. Poor little #6. Logan, on the other hand.. cute little red headed Logan? Not even a tinge of pink.

I'm not famous anymore...

My notorious #5 came to me yesterday, with a very sad expression on his face. "Mumma," he said " I'm not famous anymore." and crocodile tears welled up in his baby blues. That was it. My overactive mothering gene kicked in and I melted. So, I gathered him up and went to the couch to snuggle him and love on him and interrogate him, to see what in holy heck he was talking about.

Apparently, there was a huge discussion on the Kindergarten playground last week, during which it was decided that my #5 is not, had never been, and could never aspire to be, a monster. Ever. Case closed.

Though I was still reeling from the fact that the playground is now being used as court rather than a welcome space to get the wiggles out, I interrogated the child further. "Well darlin', can you tell Mumma why you're not a monster?"

Sobs shook his teensy tinsy lil body, and he burrowed his face in my neck. It took several minutes of back rubbing, soothing, murmurs of love and devotion, and promises of oreos to calm him enough so he could speak  Still hiccuping from residual sobs, and sparkles of tears still clinging to his freakishly long, gorgeous lashes, he whispered something in my ear that I couldn't quite make out.

I soothed and snuggled and begged and pleaded until finally, the cute lil thing stood up on my couch, stomped his foot on the cushions, pointed his tiny finger in my face and shouted "YOU LIED! I can't be a monster because......... I DON'T HAVE A TAIL! Was I 'dopted? Do YOU have a tail Mumma? Where are the twinnies' tails? Can I see them? Are they furry tails or bald tails?"

Now really. What can you say to THAT? That's right. Shocked speechless by a five year old. I must be losing my touch.

photos by photobucket, of course

The #forDeeds challenge

Today's challenge is to follow and promote the #forDeeds hashtag on twitter. Let's flood twitter today with tweets and retweets of the ongoing fundraising effort for Deeds in his quest to get his autism service dog. Bobbie tweeted that they have gotten just past the halfway mark for this last $6000. Please help to raise this final bit. It doesn't matter if donations come in amounts as low as $1. Even $1 donations are powerful when hundreds of people offer it.

You can track fundraising progress, read about how Deeds' burns are healing, see darling pics, read the story behind the fundraising efforts, click a link to learn about 4 Paws for Ability, and donate on their official website, Dog 4 Deeds . You can also find updates, pictures, other articles about Deeds and his family, and join in discussions on facebook , and get real time updates from his parents by following the #forDeeds hashtag or following them by username on twitter.


As always, if you feel inclined to do so, please blog for Deeds on Mondays, and paste a link on the facebook wall of A Dog 4 Deeds. The whole family loves to see all the people who care about them.

OK. Go. be off. Tweet. Retweet. Type. Tweet again. Oh.. is this like, lather, rinse, retweet?? Gosh I'm "punny" when I've not slept...

Happy Anniversary!

Double toon Sunday! How cool is THAT? I just had to share this. There aren't many marriages that last this long anymore. And also? This is my Mom and Pappy!!

By ihave7monsters | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

Rare sighting of The Daddy

Dear The Daddy,
Thank you for not shooting the Momma this week. That was very polite of you. To show appreciation, you have been cartooned.  And it's even flattering!
Love,
The Momma

By ihave7monsters | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

What're ya gonna do....

Click image to view larger

By ihave7monsters | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

Missing the regular blog post? There isn't one here, because I'm promoting my "twinterview" over on Mom For Less. Click on over people, and share some monster house love!

Also.. wondering what this cartoon is all about? Real life, people. Yeah. That really happened. Never drive through a stream in a minivan. Bad, BAD idea, no matter HOW bad your toddler's meltdown is.

Where is Lucy when you really need her?

View original image here

Roughly 98% of the time,  I make every possible effort to be everything every member of my family needs. Roughly 98% of the time, I fail someone, at some point. This is not good for my mental health. In fact, following a particularly ugly "You're the worst mother in the world! I hate you! Just DIE!" episode by my excessively talented #4 drama queen child this evening, the Daddy sat me down for a little chat. I hate little chats. Let me assure you, little chats in the Monster House never mean that you're about to have polite conversation, tea, and crumpets.

This particular little chat was regarding the status of my mental health. Is it bad that I was laughing hysterically inside my brain? And that I thought to myself, "Really?! WHAT mentality? I haven't really left the house for any real length of time in MONTHS.. except when Logan had that allergic reaction, and we spent time in the ER!" Not to mention the fact that the Daddy and I have not gone out together, as  a couple, to a non-child related function since...last July. 11 months ago. 

View original image here

The way I figure it, I'm going to make mistakes. And the monsters won't always like me. But eventually, they will grow up and become parents themselves, and they WILL realize I was a good mother at least 50% of the time, right? RIGHT?!?!? 

I know the twinnies and notorious #5 probably won't remember the past two days when we drove through the river of runoff water from the snow melt 987 times in. a. row. because it made Logan laugh, calmed his stimming and quieted the evil meltdowns. He loves the sound of rushing water.

I know my 3 little boys won't remember that today I bought a truckload of fruity pebbles for the sensory table, effectively making the house smell lemony fresh, so they they could have different colors and textures to play with as they loaded up little plastic dump trucks and proceeded to redecorate the family room.

My #3 won't remember that I raced home from the grocery store yesterday, forgetting half the things I needed to buy, because he left his trumpet at home, and needed me to bring it up to the high school.

#2 won't remember that I have done the dishes for him every day this week, because he had attitude, and refused to do his daily chore.

The Daddy will not remember that I stayed up all night to wash towels, because the twinnies soaked his favorite towel when they were taking a bath tonight. And, it's always good to have a fresh towel when you get out of the shower.

You know what? I don't need the Daddy and the monsters to remember specific examples. I don't need a wall full of "World's Greatest Mom" certificates and plaques. Really, sometimes the most precious, priceless thing is just... "Thanks, Mom! I love you!"

view original image here

Thank you, doctor. I feel much better. Now aren't you glad we had this "little chat"?? 

Sock Monkey #forDeeds

As you know, Deeds loves his sock monkey. So, I thought it might be fun to let sock monkey be a special guest on Living with Logan,  helping us today by "crackin the whip" and motivating all of us to get that last bit of funding needed. 

Last week, the Mauss family was $2557 from their goal of $6000. This week, they are only $2362 away! As wonderful as that is, that last bit is proving to be the hardest to raise yet. Remember, the family has already had to raise $13,000 for the service dog, and this $6000 is for Deeds' custodial fund, to be used for travel to Ohio to get the dog, to pay for a hotel for two weeks while they are going through training, and for gas, food, and other expenses while they are there. If they exceed that $6000, the excess will be used for Deeds' ongoing medical expenses. And people? Burn unit? REALLY expensive.

Last week I told y'all that the well had run dry for ideas to raise money for Deeds. Bobbie and Jeremy and I had used all the ideas up. Did you think of anything that might be helpful in raising funds? Did you blog, tweet, or post to facebook about Deeds?  The more that know about Deeds and his quest for an Autism Service Dog, the better. 

Want to help, and need more info? Visit Dog 4 Deeds official website, A Dog 4 Deeds on facebook, follow  @dog4deeds on twitter, or email dog4deeds@gmail.com. 

Sock monkey animation by photobucket, of course!!

Alzheimer's

By ihave7monsters | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

Sacred Family Saturday!

It's looking a little Currier & Ives outside, as it's been snowing since yesterday, nearly non stop.The monsters and I are consoling ourselves by looking at vintage ads of warm destinations, and we decided to share.

Pictures in this post were found on vintageadbrowser  and other sites

Double edged swords

This past Saturday, Logan's OT came over for our monthly visit (only two weeks late! Hey.. it's progress!) and we had a little chat while she and Logan were working. And that.. that's when the double edged sword came out of it's nice, safe sheath.

Before I go on, a disclaimer. There are those this will not like this post. They will be offended and think my fears are completely asinine. There are those that will read it and think, "Lady, I have some seriously potent profanity just for you!"  Respectfully, I will simply state that I know my Logan is not at all low functioning on the autism spectrum. I know, without one wisp of a shadow of doubt, that there are many, MANY parents out there that deal with things relating to autism spectrum, SPD, seizures, and allergies that are a hundred million times worse than Logan's worst days. Y'all are my heroes and my inspiration. And I learn from you every day. However, this is my blog, where I tell our family's story. As such, our story is what will be told today. I welcome anyone who would like the chance, to be a guest here to tell their own. Just email me. I'll be happy to discuss it with ya. 

Okay. On to the story. I was speaking with our OT about Logan. She mentioned his phenomenal progress (last year at this time he was just learning to sign, but not talking, was taking a few steps at a time,but mostly he scooted around on his bum and whimpered like a puppy when he needed something) and how soon he would be transitioning out of early intervention. And then... the sharp, cold blade of that double edged sword. 

I  had mentioned that we would be taking a trip "Up North" to Primary Children's Hospital to have Logan officially diagnosed in early July, as we have to wait until he is 3. Also, we have to do it before the beginning of school next year so we can start the evil IEP process for him. She looked me dead in the eye and said, "Caryn you're going to have a hell of a time getting any kind of a spectrum diagnosis for him, even for very high functioning Asperger's." 

I must have looked shocked, because she went on to explain that while all the notes for his early intervention visits carefully document his repetitive behaviors, his echolalic tendencies, his meltdowns, seizures, frequent lack of focus and allergic reactions these people will not be seeing all that. They will only spend a few hours with him, and the chance of all that happening while he is there is slim to none.

Don't get me wrong. I am THRILLED that he is doing so well. I'm over the moon! But you know what's going through my brain? This:

and this

and this

and even this, when the monsterlettes were only 5 days old, because Logan had a rough time getting here. He's the yellow one on the left. Colton is his twin, and he's the chubby red one on the right.

Logan has made "too much progress".. yes, that's a direct quote.  And that makes my heart hurt. What exactly does that mean- too much progress? I was really feeling sick when she left, so I called Bubbe. I was nine kinds of upset you see, and you know what she said? She said, "Look, just focus on the physical stuff. That's more than enough to get him support and services in school, what with the unexplained seizures and the sensory things, and the allergies." She's right. But still. Am I just supposed to "forget" about the meltdowns and the repetitive behaviors and the spinning and the hand flapping when he's upset?

I don't know what to do, or think. And I hate it when that happens.

Double edged sword pic by photobucket, of COURSE!

King of the Marshmallows: Ready!

Meet Mark, a boy with Asperger's, in a skillfully woven tale about having a rough time doing a project with assigned reading from school, a very smart Momma who knew what he needed, and the ways Taekwondo helps him to cope. 

The first in the King of the Marshmallows series, Ready! will quickly draw you in and keep you entertained until the last page, and you'll wish there was more. Appropriate for children and adults, this clever little story is worth the read. 

Want to know what ELSE is worth the read? A GIVEAWAY! Yay! Lydia Ondrusek, the mastermind behind the series, is offering a copy of Ready! to one lucky winner from our humble little blog.

Here's how to enter. You MUST do the first, and have the option of doing others for more entries. Only one entry per comment will be counted. Winner of this giveaway will be chosen at random by random.org. Remember to include some form of contact information (email, facebook, twitter, or blog) with EVERY comment you leave, so we can let you know if you win!

• Visit Lydia's blog and tell me what you like about the description of this installment of the King of the Marshmallows series.
• Read a sample of Ready here, here, or here and tell me what you like best about it
• King of the Marshmallows: Ready! is available in PDF, as a kindle book, KindleUK, and can be read on iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry, PC and Mac.  Tell me how YOU will be reading it.
• Tweet about this giveaway and provide a link
• Follow Living with Logan via feedburner, GFC, or networked blogs and tell me which you use
• Blog about this giveaway

*****BREAKING NEWS*******

Bonus giveaway within a giveaway!! The 15th entry  will automatically win the newly released part 2 of the King of the Marshmallows series!!

This giveaway will run from Thursday, April 7th through Thursday, April 21 at midnight, MST, at which time comments will be closed. The winner of this giveaway will be chosen through random.org and declared on Friday, April 22, 2011. The winner then will have 48 hours in which to reply back to The Momma to receive their copy of this part of the series.

Me. Me me me me ME!

Don't run away screaming, I promise it won't hurt for long.  This was taken last September, in my bathroom, the morning after Logan was released from the hospital, after a night with no sleep. I'm actually pretty impressed. Usually, I will only publish it with a sepia wash because I have a permanent wrinkle by my left eyebrow that makes me nutty. (Mom was right. My face DID freeze into the scowl I had as a teenager. True story.) This was the very definition of a good hair day. I look.... pleasant.  I DO have a point. Stick with me, here.

And... this is me now. Thinner hair, more wrinkles, tired eyes, pursed lips, I'm just cranky. I'm cranky ALL. THE. TIME. Personally, I think that glassy sheen in my eyes is a nice touch for the sleep deprived zombie look. What a difference 6 months of    perpetual awake makes, huh? Also, I haven't had the time/money/motivation to get a hair cut/color. Get over it. 

Okay, OKAY! I'm getting to the point! Today was most awesome, if I do say so myself. An angel, in the form of our former nanny. came to the house to talk about becoming a respite care giver for the monsterlettes for a couple hours a day, twice a week. Why? So I can.........SLEEP! Sleep! I hardly even know what the meaning of that word is anymore! The euphoria is better than anything any pharmaceutical company could EVER come up with. 

And so, addicts, though I may miss a day here and there on the blog when she's here, I can pretty much guarantee you I'll be doing something vitally important. Like this:

And people? Her first training day is TOMORROW! Woot! How lame am I that I took up an entire blog post on this nonsense? But still.. WOOT!!!!!

Brilliant Ideas #forDeeds

Happy Deeds Days, everyone! Have you been wondering how you might be able to help with Deeds, beyond a donation? Well. Check this out! We need your ideas! Deeds' family is SO close to finishing their fundraising! Just a bit more than $2500 and it's all over!! Can you believe it?! The problem is, the well has run dry. I spoke to Deeds' Momma last night, and she's overwhelmed with all the responsibilities of work, school, and family, and his Daddy the same. 

Here's what I think. I think there are a lot of people with ideas out there that won't require a lot of front money to MAKE money. Here's one that *I* had. I told Bobbie to look into renting a park for a day/evening. around the end of May, or early in July, after the 4th, when the weather is holding steady and not too warm. The expense is minimal, and with her family connections for concession equipment, her press releases and relationship with her local newspaper, I think they could do a mini carnival in the park for Deeds' fundraising, and have it promoted well with no expense. 

Think about it. A college or high school's agricultural sciences department, or FFA department that would bring baby animals for a petting zoo, a party supply that would donate the use of a jumping castle for a few hours, a bakery that would donate 200 cupcakes, a music department at a college or high school, or a band that would donate a concert under the stars, a children's theatre or drama department that would donate one showing of a short play and you've got yourself Deeds Day for under a hundred bucks, including any necessary permits. Charge people $10/family for a day of fun, allow families to bring a picnic supper, and people would come out in droves! Let's face it, the economy ain't all that great, and families (especially BIG, MONSTROUS families...  ;) ) are looking for inexpensive things to do together. 

Also? If they do this in July, the Monster House will be there, and happy to help! Free slave labor!And it wouldn't hurt to be able to sell some of those most awesome t-shirts JC Little created at that carnival, either....

What are your ideas? Deeds needs ideas! We want to get that last $2557 no later than August 1, so the family can make all their reservations and other plans in a timely, less costly manner. Send ideas to Deeds!!! Email your brilliant money making ideas to dog4deeds@gmail.com, tweet @dog4deeds, or offer ideas to them on facebook at A Dog 4 Deeds.  I mean it, people. Deeds needs YOU!!

Hypothetically Speaking...

Let's say you're a very VERY tired parent of a special needs child, or more than one special needs child. Let's say you have other children as well, who do not have special needs. Let's say you get an average of 1-3 hours of sleep a night, and on REALLY good days, you can sneak in an hour for a nap when everyone cooperates. Let's say there is no such thing as respite care for parents of special needs children in your area. Let's say your insurance doesn't even have a code for what you need. Let's say you've exhausted every possible way to find someone privately who would come in for 2 hours a day, 2-3 times a week and tend your child(ren) so you can sleep, shower, clean the house, or do laundry. Let's say you've been looking for such an option for over a year. Let's say that the closest thing you can find that will fit your needs (a privately hired RN) is so far above your budget and your needs, the thought is laughable..

But, you'll continue to do the research, and the paperwork and the phone calls and you'll burn the midnight oil, stopping only to switch bags of intravenous coffee products. And then, one night, in the middle of a caffeine haze, you think, "HEY! I could create something like this! I could gather a bunch of people with experience in child care,home health, nursing students that need practical credits, social work interns... and bring them together, and create what we need!"

So. You have this brilliant idea. You have willing people. Now what?

PAPERWORK! Of COURSE! Can't forget that! So. Let's say you were in charge of all this. You're the boss. What are you looking for? What would you teach the warm bodies taking up space in your living room, waiting for your brilliant instruction? What are the things most important to you, when looking for someone to assist you with your special needs child(ren)? For what length of time would you instruct them, before allowing them to learn about your child's specific needs? Would you ever allow them to be with your child without you? Lay it on me! I want to know!

Hypothetically, of course.....

 All photos in this post are provided though photobucket, of COURSE!

Blue Light Special

AUTISM 

There. Now don't you feel more aware and educated about autism? What? What's that you say? The color blue does not automatically educate and enlighten you about autism? Autism will still exist on the 3rd day of August? Amazing. Guess what? Logan will still be my son on the 3rd of August, and he will still have autism, so I'm thinking we're good to go.

There is more than one parent of an autistic child in Bloggy Land that has not embraced the thought of blue clothing, light bulbs, twibbons, and other profile changes for this month.  I understand why, completely. It's not just about April for us. I've contributed a piece to an Autism Series this month, and I am all about awareness and education. But I think that should happen ALL. THE. TIME... not just in April. And people? Being aware is not enough.

We beg, plead, cry, fight, travel, research, and pray for our children so they will have every opportunity to receive the therapies and accommodations they need so desperately. We pay and pay and PAY, and borrow, and go into debt, because these are our children, and even if the money runs out, they still need these crucial therapies and accommodations. 

We go without sleep. We prepare for IEP meetings, early intervention meetings, medical specialist consultations, and team meetings. We are advocating for our children 365 days a year.  Don't get me wrong, it's a nice idea. But I don't need to wear blue to be aware this month, or any other month, of autism. 

And, one more thing. I'm old. Remember Kmart back in the day, with the Slurpees and the popcorn and the flashing blue light specials? Yeah. My child will NEVER be a blue light special.  I appreciate what Autism Speaks is trying to accomplish. I truly, TRULY do. But the Monster House doesn't need to use a color to become aware and educated. We just need to love Logan.