Thank you...Thank you very much...

Karen at Beyond Understanding bestowed upon me the Beauty Within Award. It originated from MonkeyGirl, who designed it for Joeymom, who passed it on to Niksmom, who passed it on to Kristen and Karen...there! It's the game of six degrees! Sorta kinda. Anyhoo...

Thanks Karen for sending this my way. Like I said, it means a lot to me. When I think I'm being whiny and kicking myself for it, I'll picture this tree and treasure all the blessings and miracles I have in my life!

You know...I'm gonna get a little cheesy here so just to forewarn you. But I want to pass this to The Hub. This tree reminds me of him so much. Simple life and so grounded with stronger roots than anyone will ever see. The complex wiring of the branches are what make the tree so beautiful.

This is something that he would like to photograph. Before I met him I might have been a potted plant staring at the ground, missing all of the majesty surrounding me. He reminds me to stop among the hustle and bustle around us, and savor something beautiful; something seemingly simple, yet so detailed; He taught me the motto "take lots of pictures" and I see him chasing the craziest things to photograph, but he can find the beauty in everything and everyone. Thank the good Lord he stuck with me in my ugliest moments!

I love you, babe!

Check off another one, or two, maybe three...

Got the bag today. It's absolutely beautiful! Thanks again Gwen!

Another link I want to throw out there is this extremely touching speech that Niksmom posted. Here is the transcript if you don't have time to watch the video, though the video is well worth the watch.

Also, thanks Karen for my award. I promise I will get to passing it on asap...

Now for that long laundry list of things I need to journal about....

Let's talk about the TEIS meet since I will be meeting with The Teacher tomorrow. Remember this conversation? and then this victory? Well, I met with the TEIS lady on the 11th (2 Mondays ago) and she interviewed me, a pretty standardized interview. Based on the results she agreed that she should send someone to the house to do an evaluation. I got a rush on the appointment because The Younger is having his Trigger Thumb annihilated on March 8th so we had to have it set before then (it was changed from Feb 15th to March because The AP has gone back to Brazil for 2 weeks to visit and renew her license and visa. Hey, I got to check off another one on my list! "The AP has left the building.") Well, this is the rule. He must be 25% delayed in 2 areas of development OR 40% delayed in 1 area in order to receive services from them. When i first heard that I got a little panicky and started to doubt myself and the need to actually have him evaluated. But the lady reassured me again that I was doing the best thing to get him checked out.

What surprised me was that from her interview, she found 2 areas of delay. I was pretty shocked because neither one of them was sensory processing - which in all fairness was not really a category. But he had delays in communication and fine motor skills. If you know my child, this was a huge shock to me. It must have shown on my face because she immediately started to explain why the results turned up that way. It is the fact that she doesn't form proper phrases until he is repeating a phrase he has already learned and that he tends to perserverate when he is anxious, hurt, or scared. A popular phrase is "I want mommy." Now to someone outside of our family that appears very normal, but he will continue to say this even when I'm clearly in site or even holding and comforting him. Hopefully that is just a phase.

(By the way, The Elder was jamming with some complete, sensible sentences, both questions, statements, and responses to questions....he got his IEP interim report today and it was the first grading period that he showed improvement!! He has already met the majority of his goals all in one interim!! And it only took 5 interim periods!)

The second delay was in fine motor which really threw me off. Mainly because it was his motor skills that pretty much sealed the deal for us to realize that The Elder was delayed in his motor skills - because The Younger was running circles around him, literally and figuratively, for example with feeding himself, opening water bottles, etc. Her explanation was not that he couldn't color, draw, cut, etc, but that he uses his fine motor skills inappropriately. He will break every crayon and peel the paper off of them, but won't color with them. He will take apart pens, flashlights, remote controls, and anything that he thinks he can take apart and sometimes successfully put them back together. He will crack open pistachios and mussels on the shell even though the taste of them repulses him. He just wants to open them for us to eat.

So once she explained all that I sat there with a "Hmmm!" look on my face. Not sure if I had caught on to any of that. And I was supposed to be paying attention! The only things that really got my attention was his anxiety and sensory issues. So we have his evaluation scheduled next week, thanks to the Trigger Thumb surgery. Else it might have been a month!

Would really like other people's input on this or their experience. I don't think he has ASD. I have another meeting with The Teacher tomorrow.

-------------------------------------------

The Need for Routine

There were actually a whole series of these but I could never get Picasa to upload them all. (Note to self: See your C: drive for the rest of these videos...)

If you click on the link above you will see a mighty hilarious show. What you would have gathered from the series of videos is that The Elder had created a little routine to the video. In the one video here it looks like just random "dancing" but it actually was a rather evolved routine. He even told me later, "when the pink lights come, I do this." and he struck a pose (the one where he kinds looks like superman about to take off). It was adorable. In each video there was an new step added to the routine somewhere in there. My favorite? The Jazz Hands (which actually looked like he was waving good-bye).

The more intriguing fact of this event, was that music video he was dancing to was on an informational DVD that directors receive early for the upcoming product launch. We are coming out with a very cool customizable compact (not trying to give myself a plug here but it really adds to the hilarity of this story) with interchangeable products. I guess the mechanical nature of the commercial really fascinated him. He kept telling me that he wanted one. Well, I got a free one when i was in Houston and he stole it from me!!! I gotta figure out how to get that back!

In previous videos if I can get The Hub to post it, you can see The Younger playing his "guitar" using a DVD. It is pretty funny. He said, "I play 'tar.....Daddy play cheese." He was using his camera to video it all. Get it? camera? cheese? Har har har!!

-------------------------------------------

Saw The Super Doc again today solo. I totally love her. How could I be so incredibly blessed to have resources in my life that I click with and truly have my best interest at heart. Keep in mind she is The Hub's Doc, but she wants to make sure that I am sane! I love it! Well, I'm one step closer to trying some treatment for ADHD. Sounds ridiculous to some but I am of the thought if I don't try it, I will never know if I need it or can live without it. So I have about a week until I see the Drug Doc.

♦XOXOXOXO♦

Thanks to Tulipmom for awarding me a "chaste kiss given to say thank you for friendships and comments in the blogosphere." Highly ironic as I feel like I have been quite elusive these days in the blogosphere. It is nice to know I have not been forgotten! But one thing I wanted to pass on to The Hub is his contribution to her blurb on her post:

Thank you Jen for the award and even more importantly, thank you for sharing your son's and husband's journeys with Aspergers. As I've told you already, there's no question in my mind that your openness about your husband's struggle helped me come to my realization this past week. I will be forever grateful for that.

Need the background info on that? Click here, here, and here.

I know TM reads his blog too which I think is just as revealing and offers a different perspective than just me as the "poor wife" (not looking for sympathy with that one, anyone who is in our situation knows that at some point(s) you feel that way and wonder why me, but I can argue just as well that I am a very rich wife). TM, I'm so grateful for you too!! Here's 10 points coming your way!

If you haven't read The Hub's blog yet, then you don't follow links very well as I think I link to him constantly if it isn't a race report or too graphic take a moment to pop over and visit him. I think he is highly entertaining. I learn a lot from his blog...like how he liked POT enough to buy it but might now be regretting it...

I have a hard time giving out awards because I love everyone sooooo much (see my blogroll) and I cherish every comment that I get. And since I know that not every blog I read is in my blogroll, here's my chance to get to add you to it! So I guess everyone who comments to this post (well the good comments, that is) gets a big fat juicy one from me and I'll make it official in a subsequent post for you to pass on to your loved ones in the blogosphere.

That's what friends are for...

I met a lady just last night at our sunday school class's Christmas Party whose 5yo son was told that he was probably on the spectrum but they weren't going to diagnose him yet (of course not because that might cost the school money), and all I could think to tell her was "you need my network of friends." Thanks to Elissa at Managing Autism who sent me this award, or acknowledgment rather. I'm very flattered and honored as helping others via my experiences is something that is important for me to pass on because of what I have gained from everyone. Virtual or not, you guys give me so much support, more than I could ever imagine having. And if I may sound a little self-centered, just knowing that people visit my blog and pay attention to what I have to say is sometimes enough to get me through a woe-is-me day. So I would like to acknowledge the following people in my "colorful circle of friends" who have shared with me, taught me something profound, and helped lift the fog:

Elissa at Managing Autism
Casdok at Mother of Shrek
Jen at Jen's Blot
Karen at Beyond Understanding
Tulip Mom
Mandolin Mom
John at Look Me in the Eye
Bonnie at Coffee Autism Faith Explored
Maddy at Whitterer on Autism
Niksmom at Maternal Instincts
Marla
Gwen at Gwendolyn's Gifts
Kara
Susan at I Run for My Life
David (my big bro - where I learned the rules of the Big Brother Rites, but I love you anyway!)
The Hub (last but not least, my partner in our adventure of life - today is our 11.5 anniversary)

Most of the links are on my sidebar blogroll, if you are not and would like to be added please let me know! (I'm totally getting out of the Linking Test)

I know there are other people who read my blog, but either are not bloggers themselves or do not comment and I do want to acknowledge you too, whoever and wherever you are! (I have Google Analytics so I know you exist! Cue: Mischievous Laugh). Leave a comment here so I can properly thank you unless you are a "lurker" and like it to stay that way, which is fine too!

100 - a "Nice" Round Post

I had been having a ho hum kind of day. I wanted to be productive but just couldn't manage (still looking for that executive functioning somewhere...it's bound to turn up!). We made a list of everything we were suppose to do and everywhere we were suppose to go and somehow only did about 10% of it. The Younger didn't even get a nap today. We did get some things bought and prepared for upcoming food art projects. We are planning to make some GFCF Blue's Clues Banana Pops and a GFCF Gingerbread Train. Other than that, I won some Freecell games and watched UT lose the SEC championship game (they do get an A for effort, but an F for losing).

The Hub made a comment that I was almost to my 100th post and frankly I had no clue, other than I can be rather verbose, that I was that far along in my blog. Nor have I a clue how HE could tell what number I was on because I had a time trying to verify that this was indeed my 100th post. Once it was confirmed, I really wanted to make it special (how weird is that?) and I guess had some sort of block, because even though I have tons of hilarious topics and conversations that have been tossed around between the adults and children in the household today, nothing really stood out as "100th post" worthy. I asked The Hub, "What do you do for a 100th post?" His Aspergian reply was "You say 'hey, this is my 100th post' and then people will comment saying 'congrats on your 100th post.'"

So I must send a huge THANK YOU to Elissa from Managing Autism for not only giving me the content for my 100th post, but for awarding me with the Nice Matters Award. It made my day in more ways than one! You deserve this one yourself! (Would that count as one of the 7? I say YES! You're #1!)

Here is what the Nice Matters Award is all about: “This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you’ve been awarded please pass on to seven others whom you feel are deserving of this award.”

So here's the hard part, not because I don't know nice people, but because I don't know how to pick just 7 because you are all nice and inspire good feelings and inspiration. Here goes...

I know, Maddy at Whitterer on Autism, you've been awarded over and over again and but I must must must send it back. You were the very very first non-family member or current family friend to stumble upon my cyber-doorstep and comment on my blog and it was at a time in my journey that I really needed to hear from someone who could give me perspective like you only can!!

Bonnie at Coffee Autism Faith Explored - you have been a faithful reader and commenter from the beginning and have helped me more than you might think. I can relate to you a lot, so I truly love reading your blog.

Gwen at Gwendolyn's Gifts - Success Sunday Diva...I think God put us together in such a timely manner. (I'm sorry that my executive dysfunction prevented me from coming over today, I'd like to come one morning this week if you still have your items up.) You inspire good feelings, not just in your attitude, but also through your art.

Tulip Mom - Your baby girl is beautiful and hopefully she will let you eat poultry soon! Not only do I love reading your blog, I love seeing how many supporters you have by the sheer number of comments you receive...that says a lot about you.

Karen at Beyond Understanding - I love the topics of your posts and the cause behind your blog. You amaze me, especially when you do more than one post in a day, thanks for all of your sharing. An all around neat person to associate with. I've learned and will learn a lot from you!

Susan at I Run for My Life - Susan is actually one of The Hub's readers but I wanted to include her as the 7th because today she ran a marathon for Elijah on his 7th birthday. Here is The Hub's commercial to support her. Susan, Chasen's signs are hilarious. Congrats on finishing (was there really chocolate there?).

So, congratulations to all of you and thank you for a very special 100th post!