I support Autism Twitter Day! Will you?

Parenting two children on the spectrum, I have felt like a klutz since my first push during labor! Since spawning my first kiddo over seven years ago, I have been on a journey of motherhood unlike any other.

Although there are no manuals that can teach any mom how to parent their special child, caring for a child with special needs - specifically, a child on the autism spectrum can be especially surreal. Every day, the needs change. From the time my children were babies I have tried to figure it all out.

Now, after endless hours of research covering a variety of syndromes and disorders, I have feared the possibility along with the reality while parsing the relative information from stacks and stacks of professional recommendations and diagnoses covering Parenting, Strong-Willed Children, Autism, Fragile X, Asperger's, PDD-NOS, ADHD, Bi-Polar Spectrum, Gifted, Sensory Integration, Sensory Disorder, etc. My husband and I have had to change our career paths and life styles and have had to learn to budget our time and money so that we won't go into debt and/or divorce over the countless recommended interventions and therapies from brushing, diets, balls, vests, blankets, swings, social games and groups, squeezy thingies, bouncy doo higgies and artsy fartsy fun. Some of these items have applied for our needs at some of the times, but all of this has been overwhelming, border line new-age-voo-doo to us to say the least!

Then, there are the teachers, family and friends and foes who tell us that there is nothing wrong with our children and that we need to just be better parents. At times, I am tricked and confused by their comments. For whatever their personal reasonings, I have had to learn to desperately grip on to that teeny tiny motherly instinct that has not yet faded away and I think I am the only one who truly knows my daughters and their core needs!

I have earned infinite invisible degrees and badges of honor as a mom to a seven- and two year old on the spectrum and God still has much more to teach me. I love my kids. And I want to help them as best as I can by understanding their needs and educating others in our family and community. I look forward to joining in on the discussions that will be shared on the inaugural Autism Twitter Day!

Can you join us?

Autism Twitter Day, Tuesday, December 16, three times throughout the day, 9:00 a.m., noon, and 8:00 p.m. PST. Prizes for young adults with autism or asperger syndrome will be given away during these twitter sessions!

Whether your immediate family has been impacted by autism or if you know someone who has, you are welcome to participate. There is never a day off for the mothers, fathers, siblings and friends who support a person with autism. Here is a chance to gain support, understanding and resources that can help you navigate your life!

Come and join in on the discussions. A variety of topics will be shared on how to best handle those curve balls that the spectrum disorder tosses in to your daily life ranging from:

family dynamics,
from the bus to the classroom,
behavior,
variety of therapies,
special diets,
social skills,
independent living,
self care and hygiene.
bullying,
IEPs,
respite,
books, toys, etc. that have helped your family.

This includes sharing links to your sites and blog posts.

Hope to see your avatar there! Sweet Tweeting! Visit Autism Family Adventures to learn more about the event and to RSVP today!

Autism Family Adventures: RSVP for Autism Twitter Day

Thanksgiving Tag

In preparing a list of what I am thankful for this week, I realized that there are many people online for whom I am grateful. These people have either inspired, encouraged, taught me something or just have brightened my day with their sense of humor. For this, I want to take a moment to give a shout out to them and to start a quick and easy game of Thanksgiving Tag! Here we go:

Time for me to show the Thanksgiving love so you know that my comments in previous tweets and posts weren't just 'e-lip' service. I am truly thankful for you because you have either made me laugh with your great sense of humor, inspired or encouraged me or taught me something I needed to know.

Copy this on your post, then tag those who you want to thank! And here is a list of my online tags. Retags are allowed!

Elizabeth Channels at Three Channels

Lilly at Lilly's Life

Lynn at Lynn Mosher

Hello Kitty Mama at Bon Bon Gazette

Tammy at Tammy Warren

Bonnie at Autism Family

Jenni Jiggety at Jiggety Jigg

Jen at Cheaper Than Therapy

Tag! Your it! Better tag your thanksgiving tags before Thanksgiving. If you miss the deadline, you will be a turkey! Gobble Gobble!

It's All My Fault!

There is a small voice inside my heart and soul that speaks to me at times and it shouts at me, "It's all your fault!" Sometimes this voice is from the actual words family, friends and teachers have suggested to me. And, for some reason, I have held onto them. I need to let them go. Sometimes it is just pure paranoia.

Regardless, it is a voice I am always trying to drown out. And, at times, I listen to it and it makes me want to cave in and go away on an emotional coma.

As a mother to two children on the spectrum, it is unavoidable to blame yourself at sometime or another, especially in today's world. If you are a parent with a child on the autism spectrum, then perhaps you too hear a voice that distracts you.

"It is all your fault that your daughter has so many problems. And here is why:
- You didn't take your prenatal vitamins
- You worked and traveled too much when you were pregnant
- You worked and traveled too much as soon as you had your babies
- You had a party when Sienna was only two months old and let too many people hold her
- There were too many flashing lights and electric vibrating contraptions in her baby toys
- You let her sit in her bouncy seat too much
- You nursed her laying down too much, you should have cradle nursed
- You only nursed her for nine months and then you let your milk dry because you didn't want to pump while at work any more
- You partied too much in your 20s
- You were a difficult child so this is pay back time. HA HA HA (But it isn't funny at all.)
- You eat too much and you're too fat and lazy
- You colored your hair that one time when you were pregnant
- You gave Sienna Baby Tylenol too much when she seemed cranky or in pain
- You let your baby watch too much Baby Einstein's
- You didn't spend enough time with your baby even though when you tried, she seemed like she always ran away from you
- The sound of your voice made the baby scream and run away - the sound of your voice makes everyone run away
- You didn't know how to be a good mom so now your child is depressed
- You don't nurture your child like you should and now she is lonely
- You don't spend enough time with your girls even though you left your career to be a stay at home mom and play games, read books and do crafts with them whenever they want!
- You don't spend enough time tucking your daughter in at night and that is why she angrily cries, "I don't want to be alive!" at the age of 6 after you say your final, "Good Night"
- Maybe you didn't read enough to her when you tuck her in - even though you have read to her 1 - 5 books nightly since she was in your belly
- No one else thinks anything is wrong with your kids - they only see a mom who lets her kids get away with too much
- You keep going to doctor after doctor, someone is bound to tell you your child has autism
- Don't you hold your kids?
- Your toddler seems hungry, even though she ate two bowls of oatmeal for breakfast and a granola bar before we came to the store
- Your toddler is just tired, even though, she got a solid night of sleep and her nap time isn't for another 3 hours
- You should tell your children to behave
- You should be a better mom
- You should try to be more rational when dealing with your daughter. After all, you are the parent.
- Why do you worry so much?
- Why are you so hard on yourself?
- Why don't you try to do this?
- You should read this book or that book or this therapy or that therapy, have you tried the special diet?
- Maybe if you tried doing this, she will get better
- Your kids will outgrow this
- This is just a phase
- You have no control of your children
- Other moms talk about you behind your back and think you probably abuse your children
- Your daughter doesn't get invited to parties or play dates because she is probably contagious
- We don't see anything wrong with your daughters; they seem like typical children to us. Maybe you expect too much from them
- You need to love your kids more, they are just kids
- All kids chew on the tables and chairs and books and lick the windows and door knobs
- Maybe you feed them too much sugar and food dyes
- Kids are just kids
- You are blowing it out of proportion

And, I take a deep breath. I remember that God has trusted me to care for these special girls. We are on a different path than most and I believe that God has a special plan for these children and for me. I am taking it one day at a time. God knows my story, he is the author of life. He knows me and my girls and He will guide me as I embark on this journey of motherhood.

Facelift and Poser Poster

So, I told you I would be provocative and honest in this blog. And, since, the true me is superficial in the flesh, I thought it was only a matter of time until the true superficial "me" would reflect itself onto my blog.

Although I write from the true pains and turmoil of my heart, I still on the outside appear to be smiling. I want so much for others to be attracted to me and want to like me. So, I say hello, I smile, I shower, of course. I just don't know where to draw the line from being myself to trying to be what others want me to be.

And, here I sit, a newbie in the blogosphere. Still wanting others to be attracted to my blog. I found myself even 'dropping' by to smile and say hello in hopes they might come over to my blog and like me too. I even spent a lot of time and energy redesigning my Entrecard and banner to my blog. And, just like me in the flesh, my body and my blog are a work in progress. Neither will ever look as perfect as I'd dream them to, no matter how much I work at them!

My therapist says that I need to work on not worrying what others think of me. He explains to me that there is a spectrum of people. There are those who on one side live and make every decision solely based on what others may think. He nods to me, "And that's you. You are on this side of the spectrum." Then, he continues, "There are others who don't care what people think. They are rude and insensitive. They even give up their rights as parents because they don't care about what anyone thinks."

Why do I care what others think of me so much?

I do know that all that caring and worrying is wasted energy. I come home tired after being around people. If our kids are loud in public, I feel badly for the parents who look stressed from the noises - even if it was during a birthday party and the hostess gave my kids noise-makers. Come on! If your kids can't make noises with noise makers at a birthday party, when can they? If there is a new person in town and I don't reach out the her and put on my friendly welcome mat-like smile, then I feel bad for them. I feel like I should bring them homemade cookies and ask them questions about themselves. I am so made to do that. How can I change that? Why can't I just not care? I need to be more towards the rude and insensitive side of the spectrum, I suppose.

God, please help me to not care! Huh?

As I sign off for now, I leave you with this quote from the famous Popeye:
I am who I yam and that's all I yam. I even eat spinach ONLY when people are watching me so I can 'look' like I am a healthy eater. I really don't even like spinach. I am such a poser!

Another personal value I need to give up...

OK. So, this has been a year of grieving. Grieving my mother was part of human nature. It was painful and dreadful. It was natural progression, a typical experience that although the details may differ from person to person, we all must endure the grieving of our parents and others we love at sometime or another in our lives.

But the grieving gear grinds onward. I continue to grieve my hopes and dreams.

I tell myself, "Due to a series of misfortunate events..." or "God's will for my life overpowered mine..." or "My girls and their special needs needed more from me than a career minded mother could give." Ain't that the truth.

And, as I learn more about my daughters' special needs, I realize that each day I am giving up more. I really didn't have a choice in the matter. I once was a career driven mother who strived for success so much that my goals surrounded themselves around my idea of the legacy I planned to pass down to my daughters and other women in corporate America. I prided myself as a woman who lived above the glass ceilings. The more the ceilings would surround me, the harder I would work. I was not going to give up on that, for the sake of my own daughters I would say to myself. But, I did give in. I caved. I gave up. I ran away from the prize.

Along with that, I had to give up the six-figure income that I alone provided to our family. I gave up my wardrobe and my designer purses. I gave up my Chicago office address. I still keep my business cards though. No one cares but me. I tried to drag along my professional network but realized soon enough that the professional circles I surrounded myself around didn't have the attention span to keep up with my juggling acts of dropped balls. I give up. Can't run with the wild. It was time to exchange the heels for crocs.

Now, a year later, I realize more and more that I need to give up. I learned at my last counseling session that I needed to "Stop caring what others think of me."

Well. How the hell do I do that? That shakes me at the very core of my existence. I admit, it would be a lot easier to not worry about other people's stares and judgement and opinions on how I parent my children and react during their public explosions. My therapist says that I spend way too much energy being embarrassed and trying to 'control' how other people think of me and my family.

It makes perfect sense. Don't worry about what others think of you. I just don't know how and I don't know where to draw the line. Help.

Life's a Beach

At the beach on Thursday, Sienna was enraged because her toddler sister, Sarah was getting all the attention from the family and me. Sienna went to grab an adult sized raft that Sarah, looking as cute as a spring bunny, was relaxing on. I saw the vengeance in Sienna's eyes and before she grabbed the mattress out from under her little sister, I stopped her and quietly told her if she didn't get control of her anger, she would have to sit on the blanket in a time out. She screamed or groaned or did something inappropriate, I actually forget some of the details because my adrenaline kicked in.

After I ushered her over the our blanket, I told her to sit down until she could get control. Like a hurricane, she growled, kicking sand, fluffing our blanket while sand blazed everywhere. We had friends and family sitting around with babies who were getting sandblasted. I tried to ignore her until I realized this, I walked up to her and told her we would have to go to leave and sit in the van until she got a grip. I had to toss her long body, arms and legs flailing over my shoulder and carry her up the van. Subtlety was no longer an option.

Sienna kicked and screamed in the van. She put a whole new spin on 'if the van is a rockin', don't come knockin'!"

Five minutes passed, it seemed like five hours to me. She was animalistic. I had to spank her bottom, just to send a shock to her system and for her to get into reality mode. After that, she kept saying repeatedly, "I'm bad. I need to be in jail..." while slapping her face and punching her head. Something that my therapist told me was typical with spectrum disorders. (When he told me this at our recent appointment a couple of days ago, I got teary-eyed. I am still in denial over having girls on the spectrum - I can convince others that they have it but not myself- still!!! I guess I am still hopeful.)

We then walked back to the beach. Friends and family offered condolences as if they just witnessed tragedy. Every encounter was as awkward as hearing conversations in a funeral home. I was consumed with embarrassment. As if the energy burned on being a good mom dealing with a child's tantrum wasn't enough, I had to expend extra energy worrying what everyone thought of me, hoping they'd still be my friend. I stewed on people's "friendly" suggestions on how I might have handled it better.

I wish I could start charging admission for the public entertainment, or at least have someone produce our lives in a reality TV program. I could use the money to pay for my therapy! My current issue I am struggling with is that I am trying to not let other's opinion ruin my life. I try to hard to impress others and when I have two kids on the spectrum while being new in a small town, I have to just let that go. How? I still don't know. I am a work in progress. I am sad that I had to let my career and all of the dreams surrounding a successful career go along my life in Chicago and now, my reputation in a new small town. I focus on stress management and continue to grieve it all.

God continues to mold me. Ouch.