Oops!

A word of warning to anyone who thought playing with shaving cream during bath time was a good idea-the boys now have an itchy rash all over their buns!  (We haven’t eaten anything different, so I’m pretty sure the rash is a result of sitting in shaving cream water).  And here I thought we were having so much fun!

So now we’ve made the rule that if they want to play with shaving cream, they have to take a shower while playing with it that way they still get clean.

Sorry if your kiddos tried this and have itchy bunners too!

A Little of This and a Little of That

Life has been INCREDIBLY hectic/odd/chaotic/weird/rushed/different lately.  Josh’s older brother moved in with us for a while.  Josh switched jobs and begins the new one on Monday.  There are some OTHER job opportunities opening up for him even as he begins this one.  Needless to say, things have been a bit weird and unpredictable.  Amidst the chaos, we’re trying to live life to the fullest. 

The weather has been GORGEOUS here and we’ve had a ton of fun playing in the leaves!

EVERY single picture I took of Liam playing in the leaves he posed.  What a goof!

Shaving cream fun!  Gav has a tactile issue with messy hands so I thought this might be a good way to have fun, get messy, and realize that it’s ok. (Plus he was able to wash his hands off in the tub if he needed to).  Liam had fun……

The cousins also spent the weekend with us last weekend and we had a blast. 9 people in the house was a bit chaotic at times and always LOUD, but Gav did well and didn’t seem to get too overwhelmed. (Unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures except this one with only half the kiddos).  Big cousins Sterling and Crystal kept Tate happy for me.

Grandma tracked down these awesome (BRIGHT) Buzz Lightyear jammies for the boys and they wore them for a solid day and a half.  I finally talked them into letting me wash them. 

(Notice Liam.  It’s his Zoolander pose).  Poor Mr. T.  Buzz jammies don’t come that small.

And I recently received this beautiful piece of jewelry.  Gav made it at ChildServe and has NOT let me take it off.  Every time I do, he hands it to me and tells me to put it back on.  This is the first “art piece” that he’s actually cared about……..and that’s why I’ll save it forever.

Small Victories

Today we had a victory.  Granted it was small but it had me smiling like the Cheshire cat. 

I hauled the boys to Target because Tate was down to his last diaper and I couldn’t put off the trip any longer.  (Contemplated wrapping him in a dishtowel, but thought better of it).  We had just finished up and were heading to pay when I spied the clearance clothing racks and can NEVER pass them up.  While I was rifling through the racks there was a sales clerk working on the other side.  She said hi and went about her business. 

Gavin took this as an opportunity to chat her up.  You must know, Gavin doesn’t talk to strangers, heck, he doesn’t talk to people he knows half the time.  BUT TODAY!  He went right up to her and told her that mommy bought new fruit snacks to try and that they didn’t have the old ones.  She smiled and nodded and commented and then went back to her task.  Gavin said it again.  Pretty much a repeat of his conversation before but HE WAS TALKING TO HER AND LOOKING AT HER.  She didn’t respond this time so he said it again.  I’m sure she thought it was odd and was wondering why he kept telling her the same thing.  BUT LADY, YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT THIS IS HUGE FOR MY AUTISTIC SON TO TALK AND LOOK AT A STRANGER!!!!  He was desperately trying to have a conversation with her. I laughed and she looked at me weird and walked away.  No big thing for her, HUGE for us.

Pepsi? Really????

Since we are at ChildServe 3 times a week (2 of those days I sit in the waiting room with the little boys) we’ve gotten to know some of the parents and kids that are there at the same time we are. 

On Mondays, the waiting room is usually packed but there is one little boy who stands out to me.  His name is Harold (I know. Let’s hope it’s a family name).  Harold is probably 4 and is obviously autistic.  He is nonverbal and pretty out of control.  He runs everywhere and his mom has a really hard time keeping up with him.  Today in particular, Harold came running into the waiting room at full speed and took a toy from Liam.  Liam just looked at him not sure what to do.  His mom apologized and handed the toy back.  No big deal.  Harold then went over to a wall and proceeded to bang his head against it several times.  This is nothing new, we’ve seen it before.  It’s an ism and probably helps him feel better.  His mom tried to stop him which made him frustrated and bang even harder.  When she couldn’t get him to stop, she asked him if he wanted to get a Pepsi.  I wish I could have seen my expression because I’m pretty sure my eyes got big and possibly my jaw dropped a little.  Are you serious, lady?  This kid obviously has trouble controlling his body and already has tons of energy and you’re offering him a Pepsi?  That is the LAST thing a child with autism needs-well, any kid for that matter (but I’ll keep the kids and soda rant to myself).

Sure enough, they came into the waiting room a few minutes later with Harold toting a Pepsi.  Wow.  I cannot begin to count the number of times I’ve encountered families at ChildServe that I so desperately wanted to tell about Son-Rise.   Honestly though, I feel like it’s not my place.  Not yet anyway.  Maybe the longer we’re there and the better we get to know Harold and his mom (and some other families) I will feel like I can talk about it.  Until then, Harold will just keep chugging his Pepsis.