Going back to nola, back to nola, back to nola.

Yep, LL Cool J would be proud of me.  I keep singing that line over and over in my head.  Well, here is the last blog post for a while.  I will moving home in the next couple of days, and then I will need to unpack all of this stuff.  And finish Christmas shopping.  And cooking for Christmas. And...

Okay, I need to breathe.  Here is the latest update on the Spencer man.  I think he has some idea that we are leaving, with all of the boxes around and everyone talking about it.  He was in the strangest mood on Wednesday.  On the way to school, he would break down crying for no apparent reason.  Then he would be fine, then he would cry again.  So bizarre! When I went to school for his Christmas party, he had the worst meltdown since the last time I showed up.   He broke down during his Brain Balance session and when he came out, his little eyes were bloodshot.  Poor baby!  

Today was the last day of school. When I entered to pick Spencer up, he was as calm as can be.  He gave all of his teachers kisses and hugs.  I'm still not sure if he understands that he is not going back there in January.  It has so hard for me these last few days saying goodbye to such wonderful people (both at school and Brain Balance) who have watched my son grow and change before their eyes.  It has been a remarkable experience and I will treasure forever the memories and the friends that I have made here.

Merry Christmas everyone!  Hope you get to spend some quality time with your family, I'm looking forward to spending time with mine!!

Loading up the guilt

As you may have noticed, there has not yet been a guest blog.  I have hinted, asked, cajoled and still no guest blog.  I could nag, but that is not my style.  I guess, in my husband's defense, it can be a little intimidating to write the first blog.  What do I write about?  How do I make it interesting?  What if no one 'gets' me?  I know, I've been there.  But the key is this- write it for yourself.  I don't care how many folks click on my link, just that WE have the record of our adventures.  I would love to be able to look back on this past year and get HIS perspective on how it has been to be the single parent of the almost teenager while I have been away with the younger one.  (Do you think I guilted him enough?)  And, honey, if you are still in need of a topic- this title should get you started: "My wife is totally awesome".  ;)

Back on topic.  This past Friday, Spencer received a TROPHY (paper cut out that sticks to the wall at BB) for his work.  AWESOME!  And just today, I got Spence's last report from this session.  And, yes, the usual adjectives apply: awesome, wonderful, great, fantastic.  The biggest jump was in gait.  He went from Pre Brain Balance level 5 (out of 6) to Brain Balance level 6 in FOUR WEEKS!!!!  We are really getting some cross communication happening and it is so exciting!  Spence is getting a bike for Christmas,  and I can't wait for us to be outside teaching him to ride!  Just like other people.  He is still saying 'okay' and 'cookie' and he will say 'toy' if you keep him from having it until he speaks.  Patience is the key.  He will wait you out and try to wear you down.  But, we are so anxious to hear the words that he won't be able to pull that stunt for long.

One story I forgot to relay about our week home for Thanksgiving was the roll incident.  My husband had bought these sandwich rolls for us. (regular- not gluten free)  Spencer was OBSESSED with these rolls.  He would drag them out of the pantry and we would substitute his rolls on his plate.  Well, he got a hold of them while no one was around.  Later, I was throwing some trash out and noticed the bag of rolls in the trash.  I pulled them out.  Then I saw one lonely roll with one bite taken out of it.  Since my husband had been working and Peyton had been outside with friends, the only suspects were Spencer and I.  I knew that I didn't do it, so I surmised that Spence had taken one bite of the roll and thrown it away.  Then the whole bag followed.  I'm glad that he wasn't happy with the regular gluten roll.  We dodged a bullet on that one!!  Guess I should go back to packing- moving day is fast approaching!!

All I want for Christmas...

Yep, Spence lost his other front tooth just yesterday.  Truth be told, it was not ready to come out yet.  Once his teeth get a little wiggly, he releases them from the confines of his gums.  (which is a nice way to say he digs them out- ewwww)  He woke up at 2:30 yesterday morning and I am thinking that the tooth must have really been bothering him.  He got it out at school and was in a MUCH better mood when I picked him up.  At Brain Balance, he was giggling and happy.  After performing oral surgery on himself without the benefit of anesthesia!  What a tough little cookie!  Ive been trying to get a picture of him, but he is still getting giggle fits and won't sit still, so they are all blurry.

I've been trying to pack and get rid of things, to no avail.  I got rid of some junk today, and packed a couple of boxes.  Spencer went digging through both boxes when he got home.  Now, I need to repack them tomorrow.  Guess I need to put them in a corner when I am done with them.  

On a really good note, I have Spencer sleeping in his own room, by himself.  I hope this transfers to home!  I could really get used to not getting kicked and pushed while I am sleeping.  Still so much to do to prepare for going home and Spence is really no help at all! So, I need to go finish with dinner and get some more packing done, or should I say 'repacking'.  Oh well!

Empty handed

I got nothing. In a way, that's a good thing.  Spence has been plugging along so well and with the upcoming holidays, our move back to New Orleans, trying to sell excess furniture, etc., I am at a loss.  As usual, I have only myself to blame for the long to do list that I have.  I cannot wait to be back in my house for Christmas.  Pey and I already decorated, so it will be mighty festive for our return.  

I know that in times like this, when I am crazy busy, the blog is the first thing to slip. I've been trying to get hubby or Pey to guest blog (hint, hint, guys!!) so a different perspective can be represented.  (Not to mention, I would get a little break!) 

Whenever I do a blog that encompasses a week or more, there are undoubtedly things I will miss.  So, here are some of the tidbits that I'd forgotten to include in my previous blog:

When I was packing up Sunday morning for our return to Georgia, I motioned to Spencer's play area, where he had strewn toys all over the place and said, "This is all gonna need to be packed up."  Next thing I know the kid is taking one toy at a time, dancing with it, making it fly, and then landing in the box.  He packed two boxes full.  Great, but we only came home with one box of toys.  So, Mommy had to do a little repacking to ensure that we didn't take too much back.

Just Wednesday at school, Spencer was swinging (they have a swing in the classroom that hangs from the ceiling).  He accidentally knocked over the teacher's bag.  He got off the swing, picked up her bag and then moved it closer to her desk so he wouldn't knock it again.  THIS IS HUGE!!  He was aware of his surroundings and realized that he had to move the bag or else he would hit it again.  

Spence has been super loving to his teachers at school.  I am pretty sure that he knows that his time with them is limited.  I know we all will have some adjustments to make, but I think we are all ready for us to be together!!!

The post-Thanksgiving wrap up.

Overall, we had a fabulous time this past week.  I just love watching my boys hugging each other and playing together.  I also noticed Spence following Pey around a lot more than ever before.  It was such a a sweet sight to behold.  The weather was amazing, so Spencer got to go in the hot tub or pool almost every day.  That is his favorite activity with his Daddy!  I spent Black Friday sleeping late, putting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house for Christmas.  Pey helped while Daddy worked and Spence entertained himself with bubble wrap.  I've missed those guys so much!  Yesterday, we drove back to PTC.  The weather was horrible, the traffic unbelievable, the child amazingly well behaved.  Only a few weeks to go before we are home for good.  

I have deliberately left off talking about Thanksgiving Day.  In order to appreciate the present, you must revisit the past.  So, this is what Thanksgiving USED to look like:

• It was a chore to get Spencer dressed and leave the house.  He would freak out once we got to my mother's house and it would be another battle before we could get him in the house.  Before we even entered, my husband and I would be spent.  Not knowing why he is getting upset makes it impossible to make him happy.
• Spence would be all over the place, like a one man fragile-item seeking missile. 
• Spencer didn't notice or care who else came to dinner.
• When Spencer was ready to leave, the little dictator would demand that we go.  First he would bring me my purse.  Then, if we didn't get the hint, he would start leading us to the door.  If we still demanded that we stay a little longer, he would go into full blown melt down mode, becoming self-injurious. He would have to be physically restrained and then we would have to go.
• We normally stayed at my mom's for an hour- maybe an hour and a half.

Now, for what it was like this year:

• We told Spence that it was time to go "bye-bye" and he willingly got dressed and went outside. 
• He was calm.  He did venture from room to room and redecorated my mother's living room. But, grandma didn't mind one bit!! He even played the piano in the living room.  SOFTLY, not banging the keys.
• He made eye contact when my aunt, uncle or cousins would say his name.  He even played a little game of keep away with my cousin.
• Spencer didn't want to leave until the other family members left.
• We stayed at my mom's house for four hours!!
• Other family members remarked on the change in Spencer in the past year.  It is nice when others notice the change in your child.

When we got back to the Georgia apartment last night, Spencer got out of the car and cried.  I guess he is ready to be home, too.

"I am thankful for all those who said NO to me.  It's because of them I did it myself."  Einstein

And since it is Monday- GO SAINTS!!!!!  You didn't think I forgot? ;)

In the spirit of Thanksgiving

Thank you to all that read my blog.  My original intention was for the blog to be kind of a personal accounting of our adventures and a way for me to track the process.  I opened it up to some close friends and then- WOW!  Some of them linked their blogs to mine and in a year I got over 5,000 page visits.  Which in the scheme of things is pretty remarkable.  Up until last week, my blog was 'private', meaning that you could not locate it via search engine and it was never listed on blogger as a recommended blog. But, after Brain Balance corporate put a link to my blog on their website, I realized others interested in the program might be interested in what I have to say.  So, now I'm in the 'public' arena.

I must say that the response to my blog has been incredible.  While few people leave comments here, I am touched when people mention to me that they enjoy reading my blog.  Still others post to my Facebook page and/or send me emails.  To be honest, I never thought so many people would be interested.  I must confess that during the early part of the year, I lost a Facebook friend who felt the need to tell me that she was 'unfriending' me because she was tired of hearing about my son with autism.  And it made me wonder if I was boring the heck out of everyone.  That feeling didn't last long, though.  I came to the realization that it was her problem, not mine.

One lesson I have learned from my son is not to give much credence to the opinion of others.  I am me and I will not change to fit into your mold of what you think I should be.  Spencer has also taught me patience.  Lots and lots of patience.  I've really had no choice.  His progress has been directly related to my ability to give him time.  While we will be moving back home in time for Christmas, I will continue to blog.  My last blog contains a video that Spencer's teachers were kind enough to capture for me as an early Thanksgiving present.  By the way, Kelly & Biz, I am expecting a video as my Christmas present. ;)  Hint Hint:  I'd love to hear him say, "Mommy"  (Don't worry, I'm not holding my breath.  Chances are he will call me 'Gigi' like his brother.)

Scotty is out of a job

One of the traits of an autistic child is that they seem to operate in a world all their own.  There is even an accepted form of treatment that assumes that these children WILL NEVER GET BETTER and therefore we must reach them where they are, as opposed to bringing them into our world.  I’m happy to say that my child now resides in my world and HE IS NOT GOING BACK.  Some of you are saying, “if autism could be reversed, it would be all over the news.”  You would think.  The medical community is just now starting to embrace the concept of a functional disconnection in the brain.  (the premise upon which Brain Balance is based.)

When I went to pick up Spencer from school yesterday, his teacher came out 5 minutes early with her phone in her hand.  She said that I had to see what my son did in school.  Uh-oh.  No, it was not an uh-oh; it was an OMIGOSH!!  He saw the Cookie Monster character and said, “cookie”.  They printed out the picture and captured the following on video.

I realize that my blog is full of the words amazing, huge, wonderful, etc. These words don’t even begin to cut it. The truth is, Brain Balance does work and should be all over the news.  My son was functioning at a level of a one year old, in a six year old’s body.  He is now around a 4 year old.  IN LESS THAN A YEAR.  Was it easy? Absolutely not.  We split our family in half.  The program is intense, both at the facility and at home.  Not to mention the financial impact.  Would I do it again? IN A HEARTBEAT.  My little boy has such a sweet and loving personality that we may have never known about. 

I never did give anybody hell.  I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.

                                                                                                                        -Harry S. Truman

Headline News- Gigi style

Last week, we had Special Olympics basketball.  For my son's age/ability range, it is not a game by any sense of the word, it is more of a skills test.  I got there after Spencer arrived.  I watched him from a distance for about 5 minutes.  He was calm and behaving well.  All of that changed when I showed up.  He wanted to leave, then he wanted me to leave, he found the iPad in my purse and became obsessed with it.  I should have stayed home, he would have had a better time.  He refused to do many of the activities, choosing instead to watch the iPad.  Since he is not allowed to watch television, he wanted to watch for as long as he could.  It took both the teacher and myself to get Spencer to the gym floor when it was his turn.  So, imagine my surprise when it came time for ribbons to be distributed.  Spencer went down when they called his name, WITHOUT ANY PROMPTING.  He got so excited to get his ribbon that he ignored the iPad for a while.  Who knew?  (In true Special Olympics fashion, everyone gets a ribbon)  That part was awesome.  I was not pleased with the rest of the day.  The gym was uncomfortably warm, Spencer didn't begin to misbehave until I got there, the 'pal' assigned to Spence didn't speak to him for 2 hours and then expected Spence to go with him.  In the kid's defense, it was suggested that perhaps when parents are present, the 'pals' are somewhat intimidated.  Okay, I can see that.  

That was Wednesday.  On Thursday, I had my last IEP meeting in Georgia.  It was the most positive experience I have had during an IEP.  I did inform them that Spence would be leaving during the Christmas holidays.  I feel bittersweet about this.  Granted, it is time to go home.  I will miss the wonderful people that we have encountered here.  But, I miss my family more.  We (Spence & I) have operated in a bubble, and we need to get back to reality.  I have been so pleased with Spencer's progress thus far.  If you know anyone whose child is affected by autism, ADHD or other neurological disorders, it is worth it to look into the Brain Balance program.  I feel especially grateful to Lori C. who brought this program to my attention.  Our lives have been changed for the better due to this program.  While it was just for Spencer, as a family we have benefitted from it.  

Over the weekend (Thursday afternoon until Sunday morning), my parents came for their last visit to Peachtree City.  Spencer was happy to see them, and we had a wonderful time.  I packed some items so my parents could take them back.  Yep, it is finally sinking in that we are leaving.  As I look around, I see all of the items that need to go home, and all of the items that I need to sell before leaving.  Then I grab the paper bag to breathe into!!  Seriously, it is enough to give me a panic attack.  Trying to do all of that plus continue with everything that I'm already doing and I wonder when my clone is arriving. 

I'm going to finish listening to the Saints - Falcons game.  (Why yes, I do have my priorities straight!!)

I'm baaaack!!

Back to the reason for starting this blog in the first place- SPENCER!  Just got his evaluation from Brain Balance yesterday and his progress continues to amaze me.

There is quite a noticeable change in him overall.  He is calm.  Without medication.  THIS ALONE IS HUGE!!!  He has been off ADHD meds since April and continues to thrive without them.  This change has been noticed by everyone.  We make regular trips to the grocery store, like other people! Two years ago I never would have thought this possible.  If I seem to be rambling, I am.  I am trying to commit everything to the blog before I forget it.  This week will be an especially busy one for both of us.  

Monday- Brain Balance evaluation (I'll get more into that soon, I promise!)

Wednesday- Special Olympics- basketball

Thursday- IEP (morning) My parents arrive for the weekend (afternoon)

I will try to get blogging about the results of the Special Olympics and IEP meeting.  For those of you who unaware, an IEP is an individualized education plan developed between the school and the parent to create goals for the school year.  Recently, Spencer was evaluated by the county psychologist so we are going to discuss those results.  To be honest- I hate all of those checklists they make you fill out.  By the time you are done, your head is spinning and you are unsure of your name.  The one for the psychologist was by far the worst.  It was apparently for all school aged children and included some foolish questions regarding operating a motor vehicle.  Yeah, he's 6, I let him drive all the time.  I thought about answering 'yes' just to see if they were paying attention.  Then I figured that they probably wouldn't appreciate my sick sense of humor and would hold it against the little guy.

Drum roll, please.... Yes, now I will share the results of Spencer's testing.  He is doing some exercises that he was refusing to do at the beginning of the session in September.  He has moved into Brain Balance levels in 4 of the 6 Sensory Motor exercises.  This is great.  Brain Balance level 4 is equal to a 6 year old level and he is operating at BB level 5 in the Balance Beam and BB level 6 in Fine Motor.  He has also increased his core stability (yes, my 6 year old has a 6 pack while Mommy is carrying around a 2 liter!)

Here are the comments:

Sensory Motor Room

Spencer has been making gains with his core and is really giving effort on it.  For his OPK, he places his finger on the computer screen and his eyes are moving.  Frogger has been a wonderful reinforcer in the room, as he really enjoys jumping on the pad.  His cerebellum is gaining strength through both legs moving.  We continue to work on his upper body strength as well as vestibular system, spatial orientation, movement and sense of balance.  Where Spencer used to roll around the mat, he now is staying in one place.  Likewise throughout the room.  Excited to see these gains and look forward to many more!!

Cognitive Room

Spencer has been working so hard for the past month.  Certain activities he avoided in the past, he is beginning to enjoy such as out otolithic work.  He is sitting with me and being engaged during our Felt math song - he replaces the felt pieces on the felt board when asked.  He can put some word cards on pictures although he is not yet consistent in that.  I do stay right with him during our sessions but he is no longer rolling around the room.  I expect to see more positive changes!  Keep working Mom!

We have one more month of Brain Balance here and then we are heading home.  We've been gone since December 27th of last year, so it is time to pack it up here and get on with our life.  But don't think the changes are going to stop.  No way.  He will continue to change and grow.  I will continue to blog as much as I can.  Time for dinner...

Beauty Banter- Product Reviews

Some of you will not be interested in this blog at all. That is okay with me.  In fact, this entry has taken me so long to do, that I am not sure that I will do another one like this for a while.  However, I do know that quite a few of you are in the same boat- looking for non toxic alternatives without the benefit of realistic reviews. Please note, the opinions expressed herein are completely my own and based upon my own unique experiences.  

I have been using myself as a human guinea pig.  After I noticed that I was running out of makeup, I decided to replace my old stuff with something less toxic.  The stuff I was using had a lovely name like Healthy Complexion (it was by Smashbox).  Although EWG did not have my specific base listed, pretty much all of Smashbox’s foundations were in the severe range. (high toxicity) Ugh!  So then I thought I would go back to Bare Minerals.  What is their slogan, “makeup so pure you can sleep in it.” Well, ALL of their mineral powder foundations scored a 7 (out of 10, with 0 being very low risk and 10 being Yikes!)  Interesting enough, their mineral veil without spf was somewhere around a 3, while the one with an spf was at 7.  Strike one.  (or is that 2?) So, that was my mission.  I mean there has to be something decent out there!!

A few days later, the Pure Pantry posted about a completely non-toxic line called Ava Anderson non-toxic.  I looked on the website and thought I would give it a try.  I was a little disappointed that they had only two colors- light and medium and they made NO eye makeup.  But, I bought the foundation, blush and a mascara to try.  While waiting for my order, I was contacted by the consultant that had been assigned to me.  I wanted to LOVE this makeup.  I hated it.  First of all, I looked worse with it on than I do without any makeup on at all.  It didn’t even out my skintone or anything.  The blush only came in one color called pretty pink.  Um, mine was more like shocking fuchsia.  Not attractive.  But the worst part was when my face started itching. All over.  So, I contacted my consultant and let her know what I thought of it.  She has yet to contact me. There was no indication of how to return a product or even what their policy was.  Since it is a consultant operation (like Mary Kay) I think you need to go through the consultant to return, but since they get commissions on sales... **UPDATE: the consultant did send me an email.  To let me know about an upcoming sale.  I’ll get right on that!

Next up, 100% pure cosmetics and skincare.  One plus was that they had eye makeup as well as different formulations of foundation, etc.  Their products are naturally pigmented with the extracts of fruit.  Sounded interesting.  I got smart this time.  First of all, broadcast in large print is their 30 day money back guarantee.  I like that.  I called the company to ask a few questions.  They were incredibly helpful, both with picking out the right color for foundation and the right skincare.  I have been using this for the past two weeks.  I LOVE IT!!  I have since found the skincare (not the cosmetics) available at my local Fresh Market.  I am using the Purity (for acne prone skin), the caffeine eye cream, resveratrol night cream.  With the exception of concealer (they were out of the color I needed), EVERYTHING I put on my face is now from this company.  I waited to see if the ‘honeymoon’ period would wear off and it hasn’t.  Unfortunately, EWG has not done a lot of review on the 100% pure line, but they did review the mascara.  It got a 2.  That is almost unheard of.  Best part, the stuff rocks.  Seriously.  I have horrible lashes and am constantly on the lookout for something.  Here is all the mascara I have bought in the last 3 months.

So glad, I got one thing covered!  

On to hair…

I heard through research of various organic living websites that Aubrey Organics brand was supposed to be really good.  I got the replenishing for dry, frizzy hair.  I was not impressed.  So, back to the drawing board.

I have my hubby doing some product research as well.   If you know of any good products for kids (or adults!) put them in the comments section, as I am still searching for something for my boys.

I'll get back to Spencer updates as soon as I recover from this blog!!

All tricks, no treats?

Well, here we go. I don't usually a get on my soapbox, but I'm going to now. Since being here at Brain Balance, I have learned a lot about healthy living. First of all, those of you who know me would never describe me as 'granola'. I am a makeup wearing, hair fixing, dressed up little Southern girl. (Add in there- more than little computer literate.) So, when I was told that organic fruits and vegetables were the way to go, I went to my trusted computer for answers. What I found out shocked and dismayed me. There are so many chemicals in our food these days. To paraphrase a friend of mine. "our grandparents didn't eat organic. They just called it food." While science is great and wonderful, our food these days owes more to the lab than to the farmer. I found a wonderful website for the Environmental Working Group. Check it out.

Seriously, if you can't pronounce it, how do you know what it is and what it will do to your body. So, while we are being VERY careful about what we put in our bodies, that's not enough. Everything you put on the outside of your body is also absorbed into your system. EWG also has a cosmetic database. I challenge you to grab your makeup, shaving cream, body wash, shampoo, etc. and check it out. The lower the number, the better. I was horrified to find that my foundation scored at a 7 (out of 10). Yikes. Then I got angry. I noticed that the 2007 formulation of the same product was rated at a 3. Say what? Seems the company decided to change the formula and in doing so (without informing the consumer, I might add) it became toxic. Oh, and don't believe any information on the front of the bottle. Look at the ingredients and beware of vague phrases such as "quality control ingredients". Be suspicious. Take for example the brand Organix. You might think it would be a good product to use. Not so. There is not one organic ingredient in the shampoo that I looked at. (The one for straight hair, sorry I forgot the name- but it is in a brown bottle.)

You can choose to believe me or not. The message I really want to get across is this: Do your homework. The information is out there. Arm yourself with knowledge and make fully informed decisions. I, for one, have thrown out quite a few makeup products and no longer make impulse buys at the grocery or for makeup (Sephora will be VERY unhappy to learn this!!). I do a lot more planning. As for the organic eating, I do feel better knowing that we are eating fruit and veggies as nature intended and not full of pesticides. (By the way, there is a report called the 'clean 15' that lists 15 produce items that are okay to buy non-organic since they are farmed with minimum use of pesticides.)

Done preaching. Go forth and Google!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Time to play catch up

I write these incredible blog posts. Full of pathos, emotion, bordering on literary genius. Really. Now, those of you who follow my blog are now wondering why you haven't read any of my coherent prose. There is a simple explanation for that. Seems the process of removing the blog from the recesses of my mind and transferring to the written word reduces my cohesive essay to a "stream of conscious" ramble. Perhaps I am missing a neural pathway, or two. ;)

Anyhow, on with my ramblings:

- Spence got a couple of stars last week at Brain Balance. The first was for doing an excellent job on his sit ups (yes, my six year old has a six pack!) and the second was for following directions really well.
- Spence got a chance to display some empathy. He scratched Michelle at Brain Balance (not a proud moment), but instead of running away, he stared in horror at the marks he had made on her arm, even going so far as to say, "eww". He seemed genuinely upset that he had hurt her.
- The same day as the above incident, Spencer had a mad day at school. This was impressive because, in the past, he would take his anger out physically on others. But, not on this day. He was mad, but found a way to express it without doing anyone bodily harm! Progress.
- My parents were in town last weekend. They got to hear Spencer laugh a real way down deep laugh. He saw something he found funny on his tv show and was laughing so hard he made himself hiccup. There is just something about that child's laugh that makes us all just laugh, as well.
- While my parents were in town, we did have a golf cart adventure. Spencer showed off his navigational skills and took us to Kroger, where he proceeded to guide them around the organic and natural foods aisles. On the way back, I pulled over off of the path to dispose of some trash. When I was trying to return to the path, one of the rear tires came off the rim. Whoops! We decided that my dad would walk back to the apartment, retrieve the car, and meet us up ahead on the road. I must say Spencer was extremely patient while waiting. He did act like a typical six year old, though. He was whining and wanting to walk back. Much better than he would have reacted just a couple of months ago. There was no blown out of proportion tantrum, just a little whining (I can so deal with that!)

I really do need to get better about blogging. In the book I'm readin right now, the main character has driven from Phoenix to L.A., been accused of two murders, been questioned at length by the police and her attorney and still managed to blog more than I have! Maybe that is why it is called "fiction".
Good day all!
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Yep, I'm the dumbest woman on the planet.

At least, according to Spencer.  Yesterday, he took his Madagascar book and held it up to the TV screen.  He then pointed at the book and then the TV.  I got that he wanted to watch the movie.  But, the best he is going to do will be a couple of "Penguins of Madagascar" cartoons off of on demand.  I got it, really I did. However, we don't have the movie with us and I wasn't about to let him veg in front of the TV.  Poor thing got so upset.  He kept looking at me like I was the stupidest person he had ever met.  I guess he figured since he let me watch my beloved Saints on Sunday, I should repay the favor.  I think I already paid for my dose of TV.  Right at kickoff, he hands me his shoes and wants to go for a golf cart ride.  Of course, we go. Then we came home.  I got to watch a little of the second quarter and the end of the game.  He was so good!  He played in his room and ventured out for drinks and snacks.  He doesn't like watching football with me, as I yell and scream at the players, jump up and down, you get the picture.  I even made him some gluten-free vegan chocolate chip cookies (they are good, really.)  

Friday, Spence got a star at Brain Balance for wonderful work on the balance beam.  Yippee!  He has been working on the balance beam pretty well, but he is rather hesitant with any direction other than forward.  And yesterday, he got another star for great listening.  Yep, we are getting on board now.  We are currently on the waiting list for the hippo therapy and I have a call in to another therapist to discuss some more options.  

Maybe one day I'll start a sentence, "Remember back when Spencer was autistic...."

It can happen.

A reason to smile :)

I know it has been a long time since I I have blogged, and there are tons of things that I will leave out, I’m sure.  But, I just HAVE to focus on what I’ve recently learned.  We took our three week break from Brain Balance and had Spencer reevaluated.  I got his results last Thursday.  THEY BLEW ME AWAY!!  He has progressed so far since his first session back in January.  I could talk particularly about all the results and make your head swim.  I’m not going to do that.  There are checklists that parents, teachers and evaluators fill out that that give you an idea whether your child has a high or low probability of autism, Asperger’s or ADHD (depending on the checklist).

For all of these checklists, the higher the number, the higher the probability of the disorder.  On the autism scale, Spencer went from a 106 to a 70.  The main thing that is holding him at a higher level is the lack of communication.  His Asperger’s numbers went from 78 to 90 and his ADHD went from 60 to 62 (parent checklist).  This is exactly according to plan.  As he progresses, he will become less and less autistic and move more toward Asperger’s and ADHD.  As a spectrum disorder, you have to move through the spectrum to healing.  

Another change we have made is that Spencer is no longer riding the bus.  It became much too difficult to wake him for the 6:15 pickup.  He now gets to sleep until 6:45, instead of 5:45.  That extra hour is certainly helping him.  As I was lamenting how difficult it was to wake him, a staff member at Brain Balance remarked, “Well, as he becomes less and less autistic, he will want to sleep more.” That’s right, “AS HE BECOMES LESS AND LESS AUTISTIC…”  WOW!!!  Still, his lack of communication is holding him back.  Instead of focusing on just getting him to talk, we are focusing on  getting him on track.  

But some people need to see to believe.  Here is Spencer’s school picture from last September:

Here he is in March, 2011

You'll notice that he is looking off camera, where I'm sure they had to get him to laugh to get this picture.  Now, here is the one from August, 2011

He is looking at the camera and smiling.  We do need to work on that posture, though!  (HaHa) Now look back at the photo taken just a year ago.  You'll SEE the difference.  Yep, Brain Balance WORKS!!!!!

Nothing is wrong

I know I need to do better with blogging, but I am still so tired. Got my results from the doctor and everything is fine. My exhaustion is due primarily to chronic sleep problems. It should straighten itself out in the next couple of weeks. So, I had the opposite problem last night, where I was up for pretty much the whole night. I'll try to make this post as coherent as possible...
Thursday of last week, I received a call to pick Spencer up from school because he is vomiting. He seemed fine that morning! Poor baby. I allowed him to watch a movie since all he wanted to do was lay around. Friday morning came and I could not wake him up for school. That is so unlike him. Usually, when I go to wake him, I am met with giggles and smiles. He wouldn't budge. I figured he was still not feeling great, so I let him stay home from school. We didn't do much this weekend because I still wasn't sure what got him sick. By Monday he was ready for school. (and so was I!). Tuesday was his school picture day and sensory motor testing at Brain Balance. I'm hoping his picture came out okay! He did have a rough start at Brain Balance, but then he started complying. At one point, he told Amanda "I wan". And she was asking him "what do you want". He then pointed to some bubble paper behind a desk. That became his reinforcer. Do an activity, pop some bubbles! I was very pleased that he seemed to do well.
Now for the fun part. When we got home from Brain Balance, I needed to label a few items. I get out my black Sharpie marker and proceed to do my labeling. I then left the marker on the counter. Big mistake! Spence found the marker and proceeded to give himself some facial hair.



Yikes! But the story does not end there. Oh no. While I am on the phone with my husband, in the time it takes me to forward an email, Spencer climbed onto the kitchen counter and got down the rest of my markers (which were on top of the cabinet) pulled out a purple marker and colored his chest and part of his legs. Oh boy, the fun never ends!!
We are leaving for New Orleans after cognitive testing at Brain Balance tomorrow. I have so much to do before then. Cooking, cleaning, packing... Guess I'll stop blogging and get started. First, I have to wake the boy for school. Happy Wednesday everyone!


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To blog, or to sleep?

From the lack of posts recently, you can tell that sleep won.  In fact, sleep has been beating out everything else: cleaning, cooking, etc.  At first, I chalked it up to my ever present insomnia, stress, exhaustion, everything but what the cause most probably is.  I was diagnosed about 15 years ago with pernicious anemia where (especially during high stress periods) my stomach does not make the protein (called the intrinsic factor) that is used to absorb B12.  I haven't had my B 12 levels checked since I've been here, not a smart move on my part.  And then I am reminded of my favorite saying, "There is a reason you put the oxygen mask on yourself first"  which is just a reminder to myself that I have to take care of me before I can take care of anyone else.
That being said, time to catch up!  Spence is currently on his break from Brain Balance.  He goes in for testing next week and then I get the results the Wednesday after Labor Day.  It will be amazing to see his progress.  He has adapted well to school, but he did not like going all day, every day last week.  By Friday, he was having the worst little  meltdowns.  Now, his day starts around 5:45am and he gets home from school on the bus around 3:15.  That is really a long day for a child.  He has been doing much better since I have been checking him out around 12:40, which will allow us to pursue other therapies on Tuesdays and Thursdays (the days he doesn't have Brain Balance)  I am currently trying to get him involved in hippotherapy, without much success.  No, it doesn't involve a hippo, just a horse.  It is different from therapeutic riding in that he is not really taught to handle the horse himself, the movement of the horse is the therapy.
We had to have another IEP meeting to go over a few things.  1-Spence was getting up on the bus. (I think it is because they have him sitting in the back?) so it had to be added to his IEP to put him in a harness for his safety. 2- I signed a paper at the end of last year agreeing to hold Spencer back in Kindergarten, a decision I regretted almost immediately.  3- I wanted to discuss the possibility of checking him out early every day without is counting against his attendance.
I was in Warrior Mom mode- ready to do battle.  There was no battle.  Items 2 & 3 are administrative issues that I discussed with the assistant principal who granted #3 with no problem, but had to talk to the principal about #2.  #1 was granted in the IEP without ANY discussion, it was merely a safety issue.  I'm glad i had Amanda from Brain Balance there because she was able to discuss with the speech therapist and Spencer's teacher some items that Spencer can do.  Spence still has a problem with motivation.  He is not interested in making you happy or proud of him.  If he feels like he wants to do it, he will.  Just where did he get that stubborn streak ;)
Late last week (our IEP meeting was Tuesday), I was told that Spence had been moved up to the first grade and that he had no problem dropping off his folder at his new homeroom.  Yeah!!
And just yesterday, we went swimming.  He was acting like a little tadpole.  He jumped in the 3 feet side and was swimming around.  He even went in the 5 feet and was using his kick board!  Okay, so it is NOT pretty when he swims, but he gets the job done!
I guess that is all for now.  I have a few errands to run before I go to the doctor to get checked out.

Cookies, cookies everywhere..but sorry, son, none for you

It seems lately, everywhere we go , they have chocolate chip cookies.  Spencer has always loved chocolate chip cookies.  So, I wasn't surprised when we stopped at Smoothie King, he picked up a large (wrapped) chocolate chip cookie and brought it to me.  First ingredient: wheat flour. Sorry, babe, you can't have that.  And, boy did he want that cookie.  Imagine my surprise, when I go to the counter to pay, he puts the cookie back on the shelf and stands next to me.  What, no tantrum, no argument?  WOW!!  I'll take it.  Then a few days later, we went to "meet the teacher" at his school.  His sweet teacher baked chocolate chip cookies.  But, she also was kind enough to buy a box of the cookies he loves.  And, he chose the cookies he could have as opposed to the ones he couldn't.  Seriously, who is this kid?  And I was more surprised by his behavior.  He was playing appropriately with toys and making all kinds of cute noises.  And, he was calm.  A little while later, he was looking at a book and another child was trying to grab it from him.  All he did was turn his body away.  When the child persisted, Spencer gave him the book, got up and went and got another one.  No retaliation, no violence.  He was showing a maturity that I hadn't seen in him.  I was loving it!!
I decided Friday to make him some chocolate chip cookies that fit with his restrictions.  He was so happy! My parents were in town this past weekend (for my birthday!) and Spencer seemed much more interested in our food than he has ever been.  Normally I would not encourage Spencer to stick his fingers in our food, but I don't deny him any interest in our food.  So I was pleasantly surprised when he grabbed a green bean off my mother's plate Friday night.  All he did was put it in his mouth and and then take it out.  He didn't gag (his usual response to new foods) or make any kind of face.  This is progress!  With the assistance of an old high school friend, I was able to bake a chocolate cake for my birthday (yes, it fit with Spencer's restrictions) and top it with a frosting made of cashews.  We noticed Spencer making trips through the kitchen.  Every time he passed the cake, he would dip his finger in the frosting and eat it. Wonderful!!
Yes, I know I've used the word 'surprised' plenty of times in this blog, but there really is no other word to describe.  I look forward to continued surprises from my awesome little dude!!

A little education, PLEASE!!!!!

I was scrolling through my Facebook updates and there was an article from one of the many autism groups I belong to about how to handle meltdowns.  For those of you lucky to never have experienced one of these- I must first tell you, it is UNLIKE anything your neurotypical child can dish out.  And there is a simple reason for that.  Take notes, kiddos, cause here's where the learning begins...

We are all born with primitive reflexes that are the basic necessities of survival.  With proper development, these reflexes disappear by age one.  In children such as mine, the right brain delay has caused him to retain a few of these.  The one I'm talking about now is the Moro reflex.  It is also commonly known as 'fight or flight'.  So, when my son HAD (and I will emphasize HAD) a meltdown, it was VERY hard to control.  He thought he was fighting for his life.  That's right, to him it was a matter of life or death.  I was taught (at Brain Balance, of course) to look at his eyes during these bouts.  If his pupils were extremely dilated, no amount of 'its okay, honey, please calm down' was going to work.  He was either out the door, or trying to attack anyone and everyone in sight.  I had to learn restraint techniques.  Do you know what it is like to have to put your son in what looks like a wrestling hold to protect him from himself?  And you can imagine the looks bystanders give you...

But, here comes the good part, instead of focusing ONLY on how to handle them when they happen, we need to shift the focus to eliminating them from happening at all.  Spencer has managed to lose a number of the primitive reflexes that he has held on to.  While Spencer does still meltdown, the severity and frequency have lessened.  In fact, I can't remember the last full blown meltdown.  Lately, they are more of the neurotypical child variety.  And I can handle those!

I am SO happy we took the chance on Brain Balance. It has truly changed Spencer's life.  And for that I will always be grateful.

It keeps getting better (Progress report time!!)

Our second 12 week session ends on August 12, so our 8 week progress report should have been a few weeks ago.  But things got a little (I believe this is the technical term) wonky and we had a 10 week report. Before I get to that I need to do a little update.  Monday, Spence walked out of his session with both a star AND a trophy. (Makes a momma proud.)  His star was from the sensory motor room where he participated and followed directions well.  In the cognitive room, he chose to shine!  He started playing with a chain link toy commonly used along with number cards.  So, they got out the number cards from 1- 10.  Without assistance or prompting, Spence began putting one link by the number 1, two by the number 2, etc.  THIS IS HUGE!  It means he KNOWS his numbers, not just memorized them.  Woo Hoo!!  Okay, back to the progress report...

The goal of the Pre Brain Balance program is to get the child ready for the Brain Balance program.  I am happy to report that we are almost there across the board.  In fact, for some things, Spence is already testing at Brain Balance levels!  So I don't confuse anyone (including myself) I will tell you about the changes since our last report (approx. 4 weeks ago) rather than his actual levels:

Core Stability       up 1.3 levels

Balance Beam*    up 1 level

Visual Ocular Reflexes*  up 1 level

Fine Motor*          stayed the same 

Gait                     up 1/2 level

Aerobic and Endurance      up 1.5 levels

Interactive Metronome     stayed the same

Listening Comprehension    up 1.5 levels

*= testing at Brain Balance levels

Notes from the Sensory Motor Room:

Spencer has good days and then some days he is more defiant.  His listening comprehension has gone through the roof!!  He is making choices of what he wants to complete and he is moving around the room with more independence.  I am so hopeful as he is moving through PBB levels his cognition and motor development is coming on board.  

Notes from the Cognitive Room:

Spencer is making progress in the cognitive room.  He is saying words and making animal sounds.  He is also trying to say words when requested.  "P" sound for pegs and please.  He has also moved up in his cognitive goals based on developmental age.  Exciting progress!!

I feel sorry for the director, because I kept her on the phone for over an hour to discuss Spencer's progress and the upcoming school year (and beyond).  In a perfect world, I would home school him.  But, I do not have the temperament to do so.   So, we are going to try a combination approach.  I will elaborate more on that later, after we redo Spencer's IEP.  

After we finish on August 12, we will wait three weeks then reassess Spence.  I can't wait to see the results!  I looked at Spencer's initial test results.  For MOST items, he didn't even rank. (he was below a level 1) For some, they wrote 'refused'.  (he wouldn't even try OR let them manually manipulate him to perform the task)  To go from <1 to PBB level 3 - BB level 2 is AMAZING!

Faith, hope and Brain Balance

What scares me the most

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?  I do.  It's crazy.  I have such a love/hate relationship with my hometown.  See, I was talking to another Brain Balance mom who can't wait to get back home and can't believe that I'm staying through another school year.  Truth be told, I'm scared of going home.  Life as it used to be will be no more.  Spencer and I have successfully removed television (with rare exceptions) from our life.  We eat a VERY restricted diet.  I don't have to travel any further than the closest grocery store to get what we need.  There are many activities around directed toward children with special needs.  I absolutely adore his teachers at school.
But New Orleans conjures up the image of the debauchery of Mardi Gras for many out of towners.  It is such a shame.  New Orleans is a city unlike any other.  You may think all New Orleanians think about is alcohol- you'd be wrong.  We are obsessed with food.  And rightfully so, we have some of the best food in the world.  Due to Spencer's dietary restrictions, I cook A LOT.  At home, I would often get a break from cooking and my husband would take over.  Now, my husband is not much of a chef.  He can make two things: 1- reservations & 2- take out orders. There will be no breaks for me, as there is no restaurant to my knowledge that even comes close to preparing food that Spence can have.  And I refuse to eat something in front of the child that he can not have.  And then it saddens me that Spence will never get to experience a big portion of the culture of New Orleans.  He will never enjoy gumbo (can't make a roux without flour), étouffée, my mother's (from my grandmother's recipe) dressing, etc.  So, it is safer to stay here.  I don't eat out, so I don't know what I am missing with any of the restaurants.
I dread the holidays.  Which, of course, center around food.  There will no more holiday baking, candy making, or cake decorating.  And I'll bet everyone will be running for the vegan chocolate chip cookies.  (They are quite good- just not like the 'real' thing.)
Another bee in my bonnet would be the lack of community support.  If there is a network in place for kids like mine, I haven't made the right contacts to find it.  Disheartening.  I go to the Kroger here and can talk to anyone in the natural foods section.  Most have autistic children.  They give me tips on where to get coupons for the stuff Spencer eats and are concerned with getting in any new items you wish. I can bring Spence to a sensory playground in Atlanta or take him for a golf cart ride when he gets too antsy.  What am I going to do when I am home?  I'm pretty sure I'd have to cross the Mississippi River to get and do ANYTHING.  It is such a shame that with as widespread an epidemic that autism is, there are areas (like New Orleans) that offer little to no resources for our kids.  So, I'll start my Google quest and my Facebook pleas.
Oh my gosh, I forgot to mention football!  A Martin family tradition is to watch football.  NFL game day preparations include the 8 foot inflatable Saints player in the yard and the family bedecked in jerseys or Saints t-shirts.  We'll eat our meals on Saints plates with Saints napkins and the table will have a Saints tablecloth.  But we are not alone.  The Saints are a HUGE part of the city.  You'll see Saints paraphenallia all over on game day. It was weird moving here (Atlanta).  In fact, the day I moved was the Saints-Falcons Monday night football game.  We were all decked out in our Saints stuff and I didn't see a single Falcon t-shirt or jersey.  In fact, in New Orleans, I doubt I've ever seen a car sticker or a t-shirt or a hat for any other NFL team but the Saints.  It's who we are.  My stepson's playroom is going to be black and gold, so he can hang his Saints posters; the adjoining bathroom already has a Saints motif.  Crazy.  To some, yeah.  To us, no.  We watch college football (Geaux LSU!!) and pro.  Usually, you'll find the whole family outside during halftime throwing the football.  (Yes, including me.) Spence is usually running around.  However, that much TV is not good.  I'm laughing because this is reminding me of a breakfast conversation I once had with Peyton about how the Saints were going to defend against the wildcat.  (By the way, he was asking for my opinion) Yeah, we take our football that seriously.
So, I guess I'll do what I always do.  Breathe, plan, implement.  I have these two rings that I wear on my right hand.  They are silver and on one is inscribed, "Nothing is impossible" on the other "Be the change you wish to see in the world"
Now is as good a time as any- watch out New Orleans.  Change is a good thing and will only enhance your already unique character.  The planning has already begun.....

I think I heard a 'click'

Wow- Spencer is starting to amaze me daily.  Tuesday, I got a call to pick up Spence from ESY.  Seems he was bleeding from the mouth and they couldn't tell where.  By the time I got there, it had stopped bleeding.  I think he bit the side of his cheek.  He wasn't in any pain, but once I was there, he was leaving with me.  It was only 10:15 when we left the school.  I had been having trouble locating his tapioca dinner rolls (bread that is gluten free and free of all his other allergens).  So, when he wanted a golf cart ride (which he indicated by handing me the golf cart keys), I decided to let him tell me where HE wanted to go.  At every intersection, I would ask him, "That way, or that way"  he would indicate which way he wanted to go by pointing.  He took us to Kroger.  Dang, that is good.  It is a little harder to navigate the golf cart paths than the street, due to the lack of signage and the fact that it all pretty much looks the same.  I thought he just took me there because he knew how to get there.  Nope, he wanted to GO there.  Hey, no problem.  They still didn't have his rolls, so I let him get a pack of (diet-approved) cookies.  I picked up a few other things.  We then ran into a friend of ours.  She and I talked for about 5 minutes or so.  Spence was so calm and patient.  When he got tired of holding his items, he put them in her basket.  She and I both laughed.  Then I held my breathe.  I saw goldfish in her basket.  Spencer LOVED goldfish before he went gluten free.  I was expecting a tantrum, or for him to grab the bags.  He did neither.  He just looked at them, and said "oooo".  That was it.  WHO IS THIS CHILD AND CAN I KEEP HIM?  Seriously, that is a major milestone.
We came home and little while later, we went to the pool area.  I brought his life jacket with me in the hopes of getting him to wear it.  He likes to go in the 5 foot area, and with me being only be 5'2", it is hard for me to help him and keep my own head above water.  But, after the debacle at the Dollywood water park, I thought there was no way this child would ever wear it.  Again, I was proven wrong.  (Never in my life have I been this happy to have been this wrong!!)  It took him a little while to get in the water, but then he brought the life jacket to me and wanted me to put it on him!!!  He then splashed around for a while.  Then he went over to the 5 foot area.  He was practicing his floating (on stomach and on back)  putting his head under, kicking and using his arms.  Whoa!  My little tadpole was back.  He got tired of having the life jacket on, so I let him take it off.  There were several other kids at the pool that day.  A couple of them wanted nothing to do with Spence, but there were two that recognized him from earlier in the summer.  Their mom is a special ed teacher somewhere in the county and they went to Spencer's school last year.  While Spencer is starting to want to play with other kids, it is usually him who follows the other kids around.  His brother is the only kid I've seen who initiates playing with him.  Well, Jacob and Ashley wanted to play with Spence.  They were so patient and kind, it was heartwarming.  Eventually, he did engage in a little playing with them.  We stayed out there for about 2 hours.  When they left, Spencer wanted to leave, too.  It was actually kind of sweet.  He didn't want to hang out if they were gone.
He was such a good boy, that I decided to make him some chocolate chip cookies as a reward.
Wednesday, when we were on our way to Brain Balance, Spencer was trying to tell me something.  His utterances were entirely different than what he usually does.  Unfortunately, I had absolutely no idea what he was trying to say.  He finally got too frustrated and stopped.
I'll post a couple of pics once I get my photos downloaded.
Happy Friday, everyone!!!

**READ ME**

Spencer had such a great day at Brain Balance yesterday.  When he emerged from his session, he was holding a trophy! (a paper trophy that gets hung on the wall at BB) There were a couple of other moms and the center director in the lobby.  We all clapped for him.  He just smiled.  Here is what was written:

Spencer SAID 'kitty-cat', 'meow', 'doggie', 'woof-woof', 'elephant', 'penguin' and he made the 'P' sound three times. Twice for 'pegs' and once for 'please'.

This is huge!!!  Could full language capabilities be right around the corner?  I sure hope so.  There are so many times we wonder what is going on in his little head, what he wants or what he is thinking.

Thank you Brain Balance.  Because of you, I am actually enjoying being with my son.  He doesn't bolt from situations he finds frustrating, he is much calmer, he is expressing real emotions...  I feel like I have my son back!!  It is wonderful to see such progress.  Nothing is impossible. (with a lot of hard work and a lot of faith)

Hope everyone has a great day, I know I will!!

Nothing, but that's something.

I've got no stories of tantrums, conflicts, etc. That in itself is a wonderful thing.  And it is not like we have been confined to the house.  Quite the contrary.  I've been taking Spence on little errands here and there.  It is so cute to be able to go the grocery store and watch him carry his favorite (dietary approved) cookies around the store!  Like he's afraid I might not get them if he puts them in the basket. Friday, we went to Rite Aid to get something for my allergies.  I thought we were going to have a problem the minute we walked in.  Outside was dark and gloomy, inside was bright.  Spence sat in the doorway shielding his eyes, paralyzed (like a deer caught in the headlights).  I scooped him up and proceeded to the allergy aisle.  By this time, his eyes had adjusted and he wanted me to put him down (my back was thankful for that!)  He didn't try to run around the store or scream or any of the other things he used to do.  He stayed pretty close by me while I read some labels.  Then it was time to checkout.  They had a small section of DVD's that we needed to pass.  Spencer was drawn to them.  He carefully flipped through the selection.  [Time for a little background.  One time at Best Buy, Spencer took all of the DVDs on an end cap and laid them out in a straight line around the aisle.  It was that or have him tantrum.  Obvious choice.  Another time, Spencer straightened out the display by making sure all the DVDs were sorted properly.  He's pretty good at matching!] I let him look, then told him we were not buying any DVDs, and he needed to c'mon.  HE DID.  No fussing, no hassle.  I was kind of stunned, in a good way.  As a general rule, Spencer watches no TV.  But, they had Thomas and Elmo.  I couldn't believe how well behaved he was.  We also made several trips to the grocery store in search of his favorite rolls, but everyone seems to be out of them.  (There seems to be a run on Tapioca Dinner Rolls- they are not THAT good)  And, he was okay with that.  He knew what we were going for, led me directly to the right aisle, and looked at the empty space.  That is the kind of thing that would have set him off just a few months ago.  He seemed to take it in stride.
He just loves his golf cart!  We hardly ever use the car on the weekends because we can get almost anywhere using the golf cart.  It takes longer, but we aren't in a hurry on the weekends.  Yesterday was a fantastic day- but it deserves a post all it's own.  Yes, it is that good!!

It's all my mom's fault!

She put a curse on me when I was younger.  I know what you are thinking.  Being from New Orleans, it must be some strange voodoo curse.  Well, you are wrong.  Your mom probably put the same curse on you. The "I hope you have a child that is just like you someday."  Yeah, THANK YOU MOM!  Some days I'm not too sure I want a neurotypical child!  Spencer has been so sassy and he just loves to lock me out.  How can a child who doesn't talk be sassy?  When I fuss at him and he is not too happy with that, he will mumble under his breath.  I recognize that tone!  I'm pretty sure that when he does start talking, he will be spending a lot of time in time out for that mouth!!
Spencer's new thing is locking doors.  He locked me out on the balcony of the resort on vacation recently.  Really bad because A) Les & Pey were not there with us; B) Les & Pey did not have keys to get back in and C) He got way too much enjoyment looking at me through the sliding glass door.  When the boys arrived back, they started knocking on the door.  Spence finally opened the door and I had to admit that I had been outsmarted by a 6 year old. (A really smart 6 year old!)
Spence has taken a little time to get readjusted to our routine.  But, he is getting back into the swing of things.  Just in time for them to change.  We only have 4 more days of ESY (extended school year) and then about 2 weeks before school starts.  He got up at 5:30 this morning, which is the time he will probably have to get up for school, but today we have nowhere to be until noon. I was looking forward to sleeping until about 7.  I guess the joke's on me!
I finally put a passcode on my iPhone.  Finally, my battery life is back to where I don't need to recharge the phone in the middle of the day!
Hopefully, it won't rain terribly hard all day.  Maybe we'll even get to do something fun!!

What a week!

Well, I haven’t blogged in a while, but that usually happens on vacation. ;)   Tuesday, we went for a hike in the Smoky Mountains and a picnic. On the way back to the resort, traffic was at a stand still.  Being the city folk that we are, we immediately assumed that there was an accident up ahead.  Boy were we wrong.  Up on the side of the mountain was a black bear.  We stopped (just like everyone else) and Pey took a couple of pictures.  Very, very cool.

Wednesday, we should have all just stayed in bed.  Yes, it was that bad.  I needed to go to the grocery because we were running low on Spencer supplies.  I hadn’t been gone long when Spencer had a fit.  He decided to throw all of my toiletries over the 3rd floor balcony.  Poor Pey was sent downstairs to try to collect everything.  Needless to say, my husband was not happy with Mr. Spencer when I returned.  We decided to go to Splash Country water park.  We didn’t have a problem until the lifeguard told us that Spencer needed a life jacket to be in the wave pool.  He is not an adventurous child and was staying where the water barely came to his knees.  Well, you would have thought that we were beating the tar out of the child.  He did not want the life jacket, but he wanted in the wave pool.  Finally, we got him in the wave pool with the jacket.  But, he was not happy.  Which means we were not happy.  I decided to take him to the lazy river, since he could do that without any external apparatus.  We ran around several times (good leg workout for Mommy!) and then Daddy joined us while Pey did some slides.  We went around a couple of times with Daddy- on a tube and calm.  I thought the day had been salvaged.  I need to not make assumptions like that anymore.  We went to the kiddie area, so Spence could do some age-appropriate and ability-appropriate slides.  He had a blast.  He didn’t like waiting his turn, but he did it.  All was well until the lifeguard told us that everyone had to get out of the pool.  I had just promised Spence that he could do the slide again and then I was pulling him away.  He totally did not understand.  Then I realized they were vacating the pool due to inclement weather and nearby lightning strikes.  He kept trying to make mad dashes to the pool.  I had him by the hand and was leading him out of the kiddie area when he plopped.  I tripped and fell over him.  When I turned back, I grabbed him and told him in no uncertain terms that we needed to go NOW.  He was trying to plop again, so I grabbed him under his arms from behind and was kind of lifting him and walking with him.  That is when it happened.  This woman got in my face and told me that I needed to calm down for the sake of my child.  Yes, I was mad at Spence, but I was more in a panic of what could come.  I could not redirect him in that area- I had to remove him from the situation in order to control it.  I certainly did not want him to become self-injurious.  Now, I had this woman to deal with.  I asked her to get out of my way and she kept stepping in front of me.  Now I was furious.  At HER.  But, she didn’t get it.  I needed to get out of there NOW!  My husband was behind me stunned.  She proceeds to follow us to where we have our stuff.  My heart was racing, adrenaline pumping.  I could not believe her nerve.  I was able to get Spence interested in his food while we packed up our stuff to leave.  Hours later, I was still reeling.  I have never had such an encounter and hope to never repeat the experience again.

Thursday, my wonderful husband suggested that I visit the spa while he took the kids to the indoor water park located at our resort.  Don’t mind if I do!  It was a relatively peaceful day, but Spence was becoming restless.  Friday, we went to Dollywood and rode a ride I never would have thought that Spence would enjoy.  The whole family got on a raft and yes, we got wet!  I think Spence got a kick out of it.  I know Peyton did, because he wanted to keep riding that ride.  We could not get Spence to go to sleep that night.  One of his front teeth was loose and he was obsessed with playing with it.  He just kept getting more and more ‘out of control’.  I decided that we would leave Saturday and return to PTC.  Between construction and traffic, it seemed to take forever.  Whew!

Now it is time to clean the apartment, do laundry (yuck!) and get back to our routine.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to post some pics soon!

From the mountains

OMG the view from our resort is just incredibly breathtaking. We came up Friday and just hung out. The adults were tired, the kids were wired. Yikes! They were so happy to see each other.

My little man has turned into a people watcher. He loves to go out on the balcony and watch all the activity below. We went to the indoor waterpark yesterday. Spence LOVED it.


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Where does the time go?

Well, I couldn't locate a babysitter Tuesday, so Spence stayed with a friend and her sitter watched him.  It wasn't until later that I realized that I have NEVER done that.  He made himself at home and hung out with her children.  He didn't go to sleep; I'm wondering if he thought I was leaving him with them.   I can only guess.  We had a great time at dinner.  It was nice to be surrounded by people going through the same 'war'.  It's funny how people are quick to dismiss any ideas we have about what caused our child's autism.  It is human nature to speculate.  Not that it matters how.  All I know is that my child was not born with autism.  He had autism thrust upon him by whatever caused it.  So you look everywhere.  (and anywhere- including at yourself)  What should we have known?  And its funny.  Just today, I posted a seemingly innocent picture on Facebook.  All I said was that parents need to be informed.  BEFORE you get any immunizations, go to the CDC website and familiarize yourself with the ingredients and side effects.  Then decide for yourself whether you want your child vaccinated.  Knowledge is power and parents need to take back the power.  That's really all I'm saying on that topic.
On a lighter and much happier note, we are going to meet up with the other boys in Gatlinburg for a family vacation.  Hopefully, Mommy will get a chance to head to the spa (hint, hint, honey ;).
It is going to be very interesting to see the difference in Spencer's behavior on this trip.  I just love seeing the changes in him!
Still have a ton of laundry to do and a ton of cooking before heading out tomorrow.  Hope everyone has a safe and fun fourth of July!!

That's the way (uh-huh, uh-huh) I like it (uh-huh, uh-huh)

For all of you young-uns, that was a song from the 70's.  One of my favorites, much to my mother's dismay.  Yesterday, I had Spencer's 20 week progress report.  The goal of Pre-Brain Balance (the program that he is in) is to get him to Brain Balance levels.  We are sooo close in some things.  His fine motor is already at Brain Balance level 2. (awesome!!) Brain Balance works!  I wish everyone would be a little more open minded when it comes to our kids.  The research  is out there to support what we are doing.  Funny that people are so quick to use therapies that are 50 years old when it comes to neurological disorders, but there is not a person in the world who would want a surgeon to use a 50 year old technique when operating on them.  Think about it.
Anyway, little man got ANOTHER star yesterday from the cognitive room for following directions.  I'm noticing it at home as well.  It was so cute that he will put things away when I ask him to, or bring me items he has pulled out.  He has been babbling A LOT.  This is fantastic.  I feel that he will be talking before we are done here.  It seems to be right around the corner.  Wow!  It is so amazing to see the changes in him and the other Brain Balance children.  I've seen so much progress in my little boy.  And the best thing is, this is lasting progress!
Here are some photos from Disney.  For some reason, I was not able to upload them when I last tried.

This is the toy Spence HAD to have; the one he signed "Mommy, please" for.  Just what we needed, a bunch of little green men!

Spence sitting on his brother's lap at the Disney Junior stage show.  He loved it.  He danced, laughed and clapped!!

Now I have to see about securing a babysitter for tonight.  A bunch of Brain Balance moms are getting together for dinner to say goodbye to one who is leaving us.  :(

The stars are shining

Not in the sky, silly, on the walls of Brain Balance.  When the children do something really good, they get a star with their name on it and a brief description of what they did to earn the star.  The child gets to stick it to the wall wherever they want.  Why am I telling you this?  Because of the tumultuous last few sessions, I was incredibly shocked when Spencer emerged Wednesday with not one, but TWO stars.  He got one from the Sensory Motor room and one from  the Cognitive room.  Both were for following directions, listening and doing all of his work without complaints.  So, he earned the chance to go swimming that afternoon.  Too bad Mother Nature was not as impressed as I was with the two stars, because it STORMED.
Unfortunately, we couldn't go swimming on Thursday either because we had to wait for the furniture rental company to come pick up the furniture.  Since I will be here until next May, I found it would be a lot cheaper to buy some inexpensive furniture than to rent monthly.  I only wish that they could have come while Spencer was at ESY.  He got extremely excited while they were here, and he was very confused.  I think he thought that we were moving.  He followed me around like a puppy, afraid to have me out of his sight for even a second.  Then, during the night, he crawled into bed with me,  He hasn't done that in a while, so I figured maybe he thought I would leave him in the middle of the night.  Of course, all I can do is guess, because he can't let me know what is going on in his head.  Very frustrating for us both.
Friday, I bought a golf cart.  Now, we are ready.  I picked up the cart while Spencer was in Brain Balance, taking him completely by surprise!  Before I get to that, I need to rehash Friday.  My parents came into town.  They chose to leave Thursday, so they would be here all day Friday and Saturday before departing on Sunday afternoon.  Spencer was confused by the fact that they were over in the morning (I suspect he thought it was Saturday). Then, his Brain Balance session was changed from 1:30 to 12:00 noon. He does not handle multiple changes well.  So, when he got to Brain Balance, he was fit to be tied.  He was behaving horribly.  He did mange to do all of his work, so that was an improvement over Monday.  I forgot to mention we went to Target Friday morning to purchase some inexpensive furniture for the apartment.  Spencer found the aisle with the Goldfish crackers.  Uh oh.  He brought me a box and I had to calmly explain that he couldn't have them.  He didn't understand and threw a fit, rolling all over the floor at Target and getting very upset.  When I left the area, he followed.  He was still upset and started throwing his "Cars" sheets on the floor over and over.  I let him because he needed to get it out.  There was a lady shooting me horrid looks when I told Spence he couldn't have the crackers.  I was tempted to tell her something, but her ignorance is not my problem.  My focus was on my child.  I've gotten better with ignoring people.  If I can, I do calmly explain the situation.  For some, that may be their first hands-on experience with an autistic child.  But, when I am in the middle of trying to diffuse a volatile situation, the educational needs of others come second.  I must say that even his tantrum wasn't as bad as I have seen.  There was no self-injurious behavior.  He did not try to attack me (or my parents).  He did find a sofa and threw himself on it a couple of times.  I think he was waiting for me to tell him to stop, but I was not going to give him attention.  Sure enough, it stopped.  Anyway, my poor dad spent the whole day putting together the two dressers (it would have gone a lot faster if I could have helped him), going to Home Depot, and picking up lunch (Chinese- yummy!!).
Spencer got two golf cart rides.  The first was when I picked him up from Brain Balance.  At first, I saw him looking for my car.  He grabbed my hand and looked at me with the most confused expression on his face.  When I got into the cart, he snagged his spot.  It took us a long time to get back to the apartment, I had to take the VERY LONG way.  There was a large dog chained outside of a house on our original route.  When it saw us, it started barking and running to the end of the chain.  Spencer didn't know or realize that the dog couldn't get us.  He was terrified.  He jumped in my lap screaming, "dawdie, dawdie, dawdie"  (I am trying to spell it phoenetically- but it is pronounced like doggie but with a d sound instead of a g.)  HE WAS COMMUNICATING!!  Awesome.  So, we turned around and took the longer route home.
We saw a baby deer and a bunny rabbit on this first trip, so cool!  Then, later, to get him out of my dad's hair, we took another trip.  We found a playground and he played for a little while.  It was getting to the time that the bugs were coming out, so we hopped back in the cart.  This time, I got a picture of a deer in someone's back yard.  Spence was quiet and was actually looking at it.  Good Stuff!

This is our golf cart.  You can't really tell, but it is purple.  I call it the "purple people eater" or "grape ape".  Yes, I know I am weird.

The deer we saw the second time we took the cart out.  You can see the hammock off to the left hand side.  I think this is neat.

We took the cart to Kroger this morning and got to park in the "golf cart only" parking.  That still cracks me up that they have special spots all over town for golf carts.  He was so good, I bought him a Cars activity book with stickers, etc.  He loves going riding in the cart and he is so well behaved.  Here is my little shopper:

Going to go enjoy more of my weekend!!