So at church a week ago, Nick became a priest since he is now 16. That was so awesome!
Yesterday, Thomas became a deacon.
During sacrament meeting, the bishop called Thomas up to the pulpit. He presented him with his faith in God award. And then he was sustained a deacon in the priesthood. All of a sudden, I started crying and couldn't stop!
It hit me just then that Thomas will likely be my last deacon!
Sam is 9. He was never baptized. A week before he was 8 I asked the bishop if Sam will be considered a non-member the rest of his life. The bishop didn't know. He said he would find out. He later told us that he found out there is a code they could put into his membership record to make it so he wasn't considered a non-member.
He showed us that where it says member/non-member, Sam's says "not accountable". I cried then also. It meant so much to me. The wording was so perfect! That was such a blessing to me!
So when life fast forwarded to yesterday, I realized that even though Sam is only 9, Thomas will be my last deacon. It was a difficult day for me.
There are milestones in a persons life that they are "supposed" to hit. And when they aren't able to, it takes a little adjustment in attitude. I know he is "not accountable". And that is what brings a huge amount of piece to my mind!
Just another blip in the road!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
3 month update! Ooops!!
Well it has been quite awhile since I have signed in. Wow, we have had so many things happen. I won't even begin to try to say everything that has happened in our lives. I will say a few things though.
A month ago we decided to go to Logan, Ut for a weekend getaway. We were not sure how Sam would handle it. He hasn't stayed in a hotel since long before he could possibly remember. We found a great hotel with an indoor swimming pool.
When we first were there, he kept saying "let's go". We just kept telling him that we are going to sleep here. Then it was time to go swimming. Sam loves swimming so very much! He seems to feel free and comfortable in the water. He has a life jacket that he wears and then he is off! He loved jumping in and climbing out, over and over again! We brought a little football to throw and catch in the pool. Fun, Fun, Fun!!!
He did so well! We were pleasantly surprised! We loved getting away! But I think we loved it more because he did quite well considering the newness of it all!
School has been mostly good. The one thing he is consistant at is being perfectly inconsistant! We never know if he is going to do well at school or if he is going to completely melt down.
He has a pattern. When he comes home from school he does one of two things. He either gives us his backpack and runs upstairs or he runs upstairs to his room to hide his backpack. Those homenotes are the deal maker or breaker! It is so funny that even when it is a good day, we will ask him how his day was. He just shrugs his shoulders and waits for us to read the note. He acts like it is a complete surprise to him whether or not he had a great day!
Last weekend, he had a runny nose and a cough. He just doesn't understand that it isn't the end of the world if his nose runs. At one point, he came in to me and asked me to give him a new nose. I told him I didn't know how to do that! Poor little man. He was digging so hard at his runny nose that he made it bleed on several occasions.
It seemed to be getting better so we sent him back to school on Tuesday. Wednesday night, he started crying and held his hands over his ears. So we decided to take him to the doctors the next day. He woke up acting like nothing had happened. I took him anyway.
The doctor looked in his ear and said "that is one funky looking ear". She went and got 2 more doctors to look at it. His ear was SO infected that it actually had ruptured and she could see the bone behind the ear drum. He has had to be in such incredible pain! It just broke my heart!
That is the hardest thing about autism. Not being able to talk to your child and have them be able to respond. He talks. He can play amazing stories out when he thinks no one is looking. He can quote any line from any movie he has ever seen. But, I ask him if he is ok, and he can't respond. I ask him if he wants water or mild and he can't respond. I ask him what he would like and he can't tell me.
It is like there is some hidden barrier that can't be broken even with a sledgehammer! I know he is hurting right now. And he can't find the words to tell me so I can fix it. It is so frustrating!
I know God has a plan for each and every one of us. I know that Sam is much closer to God that I am. But, as his mom, I just want everything to be ok for him. I want to make it better. I want to make it go away. And yet, I can't.
He is the light of my life! He is fun and funny and frustrating! He is my angel!
A month ago we decided to go to Logan, Ut for a weekend getaway. We were not sure how Sam would handle it. He hasn't stayed in a hotel since long before he could possibly remember. We found a great hotel with an indoor swimming pool.
When we first were there, he kept saying "let's go". We just kept telling him that we are going to sleep here. Then it was time to go swimming. Sam loves swimming so very much! He seems to feel free and comfortable in the water. He has a life jacket that he wears and then he is off! He loved jumping in and climbing out, over and over again! We brought a little football to throw and catch in the pool. Fun, Fun, Fun!!!
He did so well! We were pleasantly surprised! We loved getting away! But I think we loved it more because he did quite well considering the newness of it all!
School has been mostly good. The one thing he is consistant at is being perfectly inconsistant! We never know if he is going to do well at school or if he is going to completely melt down.
He has a pattern. When he comes home from school he does one of two things. He either gives us his backpack and runs upstairs or he runs upstairs to his room to hide his backpack. Those homenotes are the deal maker or breaker! It is so funny that even when it is a good day, we will ask him how his day was. He just shrugs his shoulders and waits for us to read the note. He acts like it is a complete surprise to him whether or not he had a great day!
Last weekend, he had a runny nose and a cough. He just doesn't understand that it isn't the end of the world if his nose runs. At one point, he came in to me and asked me to give him a new nose. I told him I didn't know how to do that! Poor little man. He was digging so hard at his runny nose that he made it bleed on several occasions.
It seemed to be getting better so we sent him back to school on Tuesday. Wednesday night, he started crying and held his hands over his ears. So we decided to take him to the doctors the next day. He woke up acting like nothing had happened. I took him anyway.
The doctor looked in his ear and said "that is one funky looking ear". She went and got 2 more doctors to look at it. His ear was SO infected that it actually had ruptured and she could see the bone behind the ear drum. He has had to be in such incredible pain! It just broke my heart!
That is the hardest thing about autism. Not being able to talk to your child and have them be able to respond. He talks. He can play amazing stories out when he thinks no one is looking. He can quote any line from any movie he has ever seen. But, I ask him if he is ok, and he can't respond. I ask him if he wants water or mild and he can't respond. I ask him what he would like and he can't tell me.
It is like there is some hidden barrier that can't be broken even with a sledgehammer! I know he is hurting right now. And he can't find the words to tell me so I can fix it. It is so frustrating!
I know God has a plan for each and every one of us. I know that Sam is much closer to God that I am. But, as his mom, I just want everything to be ok for him. I want to make it better. I want to make it go away. And yet, I can't.
He is the light of my life! He is fun and funny and frustrating! He is my angel!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
He has a BFF!!!
Sam has a neighborhood friend that is a year and a half older than he is. They have played together now and again but certainly not on a regular basis. 3 days ago, she came by to see if he could play. Of course, I was doing cartwheels in my mind! They went from our house to her house and back and forth for about 2 hours. I could not have been more delighted! All of a sudden, Sam looked at her and said "your shoes", meaning get your shoes, it is time for you to go home. She was nice about it and said see ya later!
The next day, they played again. She even invited him to eat pizza with her at her house. My husband called just to make sure he was being ok. They said he didn't want to go home. So funny!
This has been a daily occurance! Today, he got off of the bus and she was walking toward our house. When he noticed her, he put his arms out in front of him and started running to her. They embraced like long lost friends. It was so cute to watch!
This is so exciting!
Before Christmas, he was having a VERY difficult time because of being overstimulated. We increased his medicine just a bit. I think it has made all the difference in the world with him. He has had 3 "great days" at school in a row! That is a record for him.
Way to go Sam!!! I think I can do this!!! Today is a good day!
The next day, they played again. She even invited him to eat pizza with her at her house. My husband called just to make sure he was being ok. They said he didn't want to go home. So funny!
This has been a daily occurance! Today, he got off of the bus and she was walking toward our house. When he noticed her, he put his arms out in front of him and started running to her. They embraced like long lost friends. It was so cute to watch!
This is so exciting!
Before Christmas, he was having a VERY difficult time because of being overstimulated. We increased his medicine just a bit. I think it has made all the difference in the world with him. He has had 3 "great days" at school in a row! That is a record for him.
Way to go Sam!!! I think I can do this!!! Today is a good day!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
2010
So every year it is tradtion to make a New Years resolution. I am quite complete without following this tradition! I have learned that they never last anyways.Having said that, there are plenty of areas I need to work on!
Just as many of the autism mommies that I know, I have a difficult time balancing my sons needs along with my other kids needs as well as my husbands need and if there is ever anytime left over, my needs.
God has promised us that he will not give us more than we can handle. I believe God. And I am grateful for that knowledge. I do also believe that God has more faith in me than I have in me! I guess this is where faith comes into play. I believe that this is where prayer needs to be exercised. I also believe that He will send angels along the way to lift and bouy me up!
So this year, I am not calling it a New Years resolution, rather just a resolution to find some better balance in life. Feel free to remind me of this at any time while I am doing this blog! I tend to forget!
I hope this will be a year of great things. But if it is not always that way, I pray that God will help me and all autism mommies get through this challenging road we are on.
Just as many of the autism mommies that I know, I have a difficult time balancing my sons needs along with my other kids needs as well as my husbands need and if there is ever anytime left over, my needs.
God has promised us that he will not give us more than we can handle. I believe God. And I am grateful for that knowledge. I do also believe that God has more faith in me than I have in me! I guess this is where faith comes into play. I believe that this is where prayer needs to be exercised. I also believe that He will send angels along the way to lift and bouy me up!
So this year, I am not calling it a New Years resolution, rather just a resolution to find some better balance in life. Feel free to remind me of this at any time while I am doing this blog! I tend to forget!
I hope this will be a year of great things. But if it is not always that way, I pray that God will help me and all autism mommies get through this challenging road we are on.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
going to the movies
For many years we didn't go to the movies. After my other son and I had to drag and restrain him in a chair, we decided it just wasn't worth it. Plus I might add, it was terribly embarrassing. Videos seemed to be the answer. In the comfort of our own home, Sam in his own world, we were quite content.
This past summer we decided to try it again after a 3 or 4 year absense. He got so worked up we thought it was another lost cause. When, all of a sudden, he said "it's too loud". My goodness! Was it that simple? We went to a Home Depot and got him some ear muffs that construction workers use. To our absolute delight, that was the fix! We were back in action! No more keeping us prisoners in our own home!
So today, I decided to take him and his one friend in our neighborhood to go see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. We bought our tickets and he asked for his ear muffs. Once he had them on, he was happy as could be! His friend looked at me quite strange wondering what was going on. I told her that sound hurts him really badly and that these block out just enough of the sound. She seemed satisfied with that.
It is always a delight (sarcasm) to notice all of the other people looking at my son wondering why that kid is wearing ear muffs. I just look back and smile. I get tired of explaining to everyone about autism.
He sat on a booster seat which at 9 years old is not neccesary. But it makes him feel like a big kid. The great people behind us didn't make a big deal about it. They just moved over so they could see better. I assume they could figure out they weren't dealing with just any kid, this was the kid who was just trying to make things right in his world. Sometimes, people show you their hearts by the small and simple things they do that make all the difference to someone they don't even know.
I have had a great day with my ear muff wearing angel today and am thankful to good people in the world!
This past summer we decided to try it again after a 3 or 4 year absense. He got so worked up we thought it was another lost cause. When, all of a sudden, he said "it's too loud". My goodness! Was it that simple? We went to a Home Depot and got him some ear muffs that construction workers use. To our absolute delight, that was the fix! We were back in action! No more keeping us prisoners in our own home!
So today, I decided to take him and his one friend in our neighborhood to go see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. We bought our tickets and he asked for his ear muffs. Once he had them on, he was happy as could be! His friend looked at me quite strange wondering what was going on. I told her that sound hurts him really badly and that these block out just enough of the sound. She seemed satisfied with that.
It is always a delight (sarcasm) to notice all of the other people looking at my son wondering why that kid is wearing ear muffs. I just look back and smile. I get tired of explaining to everyone about autism.
He sat on a booster seat which at 9 years old is not neccesary. But it makes him feel like a big kid. The great people behind us didn't make a big deal about it. They just moved over so they could see better. I assume they could figure out they weren't dealing with just any kid, this was the kid who was just trying to make things right in his world. Sometimes, people show you their hearts by the small and simple things they do that make all the difference to someone they don't even know.
I have had a great day with my ear muff wearing angel today and am thankful to good people in the world!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
My son could be the most beautiful creation on the Earth. At least that is my very humble opinion. Sam is 9. He has brown hair and the most penetrating blue eyes. When he looks at you it is sometimes makes you believe he is looking into your soul and at other times you wonder if he has any idea what you are talking about. He is fun and quirky. He has a million quotes he can pull from memory at any given second, whether it makes sense in the conversation or not! He can flip from being in the best mood ever to a wild animal quicker than you can blink your eyes. We all just kind of watch and wait to find out which we will be blessed with.
Sometimes, I can hardly catch my breath. He can love me and plaster on the kisses and hugs and the next minute he is throwing things at me. I often wonder how this can be. How is it that he looks so "normal" and yet behaves so different? I wish I could make sense out of his world. But I only get quick little glimpses into his world when he allows it. And that is not nearly enough.
Welcome to our life.
Sometimes, I can hardly catch my breath. He can love me and plaster on the kisses and hugs and the next minute he is throwing things at me. I often wonder how this can be. How is it that he looks so "normal" and yet behaves so different? I wish I could make sense out of his world. But I only get quick little glimpses into his world when he allows it. And that is not nearly enough.
Welcome to our life.
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