hide-n-(sensory)-seeking

Somebody forgot to check their pockets. Our dryer is now a lovely shade of melted green crayon. Don't know the extent of damage to the clothes yet. But it was mostly jeans so probably not too bad. Just another day here at the nut house.

Well, we had our first official ER visit.   And not with the either of the kids we would have expected.   It was Giddy Grace! Yup. Last night when she was dancing around the living room, Big Sister slipped, and fell backwards hitting her head on the hard floor. She cried, we hugged, and after a few minutes she was back to giggling.   When she came back in the kitchen a couple more minutes later I noticed a little blood in one nostril. She wiped it, and no more appeared. But I, of course, started googling.   Because it was so brief, and she was acting otherwise completely normal I took my normal wait and see approach. Aside from also getting bonked on her forehead by her brother's elbow, she seemed totally fine. No uneven pupils, dizziness, so I gave her ibuprofen for her head "that hurts on boff sides now!"   I checked on her several more times before she fell asleep. She was feeling better.   Then around 5:30 this morning she come...

... you see your toddler is about to puke and you cup your hands under her chin to catch it. ... your toddler's diarrhea leaks out onto your lap, but you clean her up first. ... your not even grossed out by puke or poop anymore. ... you fully expect any projectile vomit to land squarely on you. ... a shower feels like a spa treatment. And clean clothes make you giggle when you smell them. ... you celebrate not having to wash her hair or yours for the fourth time in a single day. ... you actually go over the logistics of burning the couch instead of cleaning it. ... your lightning quick reflexes intercept and prevent any food item that isn't completely bland from entering her mouth. ... you walk around with a pot and towel like a bird of prey ready to strike any living thing that moves and catch any expelled bodily fluids. It's as if you can smell it. EVERYWHERE! (As you probably gathered, we got hit with a stomach bug over the weekend. So far, only Kit has had it, ...

Here in our house we do school all year.   In fact, we probably do more school in the summer than any other season. This is because it's nearly 100° and 99% humidity for large portions of the day for several months. I keep the kids inside on most afternoons in the summer and send them out after five. It's still hot and muggy, but the sun is far less intense and its much more tolerable.   So with kids inside for large portions of each day, I learned early on that I needed to give them stuff to do. Having it be schoolwork is an easy and beneficial solution. We always have what we need, they always know what to do, or where to pick up from where they left off. And I don't have to sizzle my last remaining brain cells trying to scrape together new and appealing activities to entertain them. It also helps keep a semi-consistent routine.   This does not mean that they don't get time off. They get plenty of time off. They get days and even weeks off whenever we ne...

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dr. Temple Grandin, this is you chance to learn more about one of the most outspoken advocates of autism. Born severely autistic herself at a time when autism was completely misunderstood and mistreated, she overcame, persevered, and has become an inspiration to many families. Several years ago, a feature film was made about her early life and how she used her determination and unique abilities to carve out her own special place in the world. The film, called Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes, followed her life closely and presets her challenges authentically. I found it very interesting and thought provoking. Below is a special from the BBC about her. I hope it helps to provide insight into the positives of being on the spectrum.  

How many times have I uttered the phrase just this once . But when I analyze that statement, when I am really honest with myself, I know that's not a truthful statement. Really, all it is, is a desperate plea in the moment to restore things to my liking, routine, or expectations. Honestly though, those are just words. Empty words. I know this because what I really mean is from now on or from here on out or each time this happens. Just this once seems good in the moment , diplomatic, but it doesn't do much for the long run. And I'm sure it's frustrating to the people we are saying it to. Because, really, they know we don't mean it either. They know what we really want is for them to do it this way always. To change. And it overwhelms us because change is hard. And I think kids and adults alike are afraid to do something just this once, because inside we are afraid that it means we will be expected to do it from now on . Because so often, that is really w...

When I was a teenager, I used to clean the kitchen late at night after everyone else had retired to their respective nighttime abodes. My family was ever gracious and indulgent of my teenage-ness. I would play mournful country love songs loud enough to almost make me feel like my voice blended in. And of course, played the same songs over and over and over again. Wow...were my mom and sisters tolerant! But it never really occurred to me then how special that time was to me. It was a gift they gave me, allowing me to just be myself, doing things my way, my alone time for the day. Somewhere in the era of newlywed bliss, I let that habit slip away. And then babies and breastfeeding, and the sheer joy of the children of the house FINALLY being asleep and not wanting to disrupt in any way the whole house being quiet, further removed me from that wistful daily refuge. And while over the years I occasionally slip away, and do manage to carve out periods of alone t...

We met up with some friends at a children's museum yesterday. It was a fun and blessedly air-conditioned outing. With the heat of summer steadily pounding heavier and hotter everyday (heat index of 111° yesterday! NOT EVEN CLOSE TO KIDDING), the great outdoors around here veers uncomfortably close to actually being barbecued. So indoor, and inexpensive ($20 for me and the kids) activities are true sanity savers. We had a really good time. It's not a huge place, but the exhibits are fun and really well designed. We spent quite a while at the Bubble Zone. The ambulance. The dentist office. The toddler stations with blocks, Mr. Potato Heads, dominos, Legos, and trains. And we all liked the little café, where Grace immediately felt at home in her chef's hat, bossing everyone else around. Not meanly, but she was definitely in charge. Kit was in love with the dishes, especially the cups. Especially after all the other kids moved on and she had them all to herself! ...

Autism and Asperger's from a few different children's point of view:    

 Welcome to Wordy Wednesday!   Todays subject:   MIND-BLINDNESS   This video explains this aspect of Asperger's much better than I can.   Zak certainly displays some difficulties with this, but not as intensely in some areas as in others. he is very capable of being empathetic. Many times spontaneously, especially in regard to animals. Other times he needs to be reminded or have someone's feelings or reaction explained. When helped to reason through a situation, he makes empathetic choices with ease. But it will take continued practice before he regularly does this without assistance or prompting.  

Last night, in the beautiful silence of the big kids being in bed and Victor giving Kit a bath, I sat down to take a few minutes and just do something completely unproductive but fun. I had a sink full of dishes and laundry to fold and piles of stuff to go through. But I ignored them, and played Candy Crush instead.   I've been working on the same level for days, and was unsuccessful in completing it last night as well. And as I read the message on the screen a light bulb of sorts went off in my mind. About encouragement. Specifically in regard to our children.   You're probably scratching your head saying she's nuts. And that's probably true, but I'll explain.   The message on the screen when a level is not completed reads: You failed! You did not bring down all the ingredients. (Or get rid of all the jelly. etc.) Yes, the exclamation mark is really there!   So why does this make me think of how we encourage our kids?   Because i...

Welcome to Wordy Wednesday!   Todays subject:   FUN QUOTES!     I seriously don't know how I would make it through some of my days without a hefty dose of humor. I like sweet, tug-at-your-heartstrings quotes and sayings. But I prefer to laugh rather than cry (though I still do plenty of crying), and I love a good tongue-in-cheek quip with a dash of sarcasm.     So here are a few things I've found over the last few weeks that have made me smile, or even laugh out loud. Some are about Asperger's/Autism, some are about parenting, and some are just funny!            (Italics are excerpts from the source article)   Read the full interview here .   Rudy Simone, a San Francisco singer, writer and stand-up comic, didn’t learn that she was on the autism spectrum until her mid-40s. Simone has Asperger syndrome .   To help make up for the lack of resources availab...

  This post is over a week late because of technical malfunctions. Nevertheless, it was a fun morning and the food was delicious! This week on Le Petite Gourmet :   Breakfast Biscuits with Bacon and Cheese     Okay, last Monday night my children conspired against me, I think, in order to ensure that I did not sleep a wink all night! One after the other kept waking and needing things, ALL NIGHT!!! By six in the morning, I had two girls in my bed and the knowledge that at this point, all my chances of any real sleep were gone. So I got up.   A little while later, Grace followed me, unable to sleep because her allergies were really bothering her. I told her that since we were both up when we didn't want to be, we should at least have something delicious to eat for breakfast! And so she and I made a yummy, but very simple breakfast, while we enjoyed the sunrise together.   When it was ready, we woke Daddy and Zak and asked if they ...

Finally! After forgetting about it several nights in a row. Then remembering too late at night a few more. Then several cloudy nights. We got to see two of the three planets that are visible and lined up right now!   The big kids and I did anyway. It has been our quest for the last few days.   Last night while driving around looking for a good spot to stargaze I did catch a brief glimpse of all three. From top to bottom, Mercury, Venus, and  Jupiter, all in a diagonal line with each other! But Jupiter is only visible for a few minutes after sunset, and it is very low on the horizon, so it is easily obscured by trees, buildings, or even lights in a far away horizon.   Tonight though our obstacle was very low laying clouds along the horizon. But we got to see the other two beautifully.   We found the perfect spot atop a crosswalk over the interstate! So while we waited for the planets to emerge through the beautiful sunset, the kids entertained t...