First Day of School

In preparing for the first day of school the kids had homework we completed last night, (yep before school ever started). But it was an easy worksheet about themselves. Owen’s was HILARIOUS. He had to complete the sentences.

     •Other people like me because I’m nice.

     •I like me because of my invisible tail. WHAT?

     •When I grow up I want to be a miner. Then he commented that he will need a pick ax too… again, WHAT?

He cracks me up.

So today was the first day….

I put on ‘em on the bus and as tradition would have it I drove myself to school and waited for the bus so that I could walk them to class. It is nice to see them get to class safely on their first day. It puts me at ease and I like tradition (I remember the small rituals from my childhood and I want my kids to have the same types of memories).

Brooklynn got off the bus and quickly told me she could walk herself. Rude….. Owen on the other hand was willing to let me walk him to class (he will be my favorite child for the whole day) He led us down the first grade hallway to Mrs. Jones class (his teacher from last year) he gave her a hug and then cut thru her class to the second grade hallway (this was something she suggested on Meet the Teacher Night. (he apparently liked the idea, because he was leading me… hopefully she on board permanently because he doesn’t change routines easily).

I took his picture in front of his classroom and then I looped back and got a picture of Brooklynn with her teacher.

The end of the day... I picked the kids up at school (they are in the afer school program),  and the stories started pooring out of them.  They both had great days.  The big deal of the (mom mistake 100 for the day) I told both kids to bring home anything in thier lunches that they didn't eat.  The thought process behind it was so I knew what they were eating, BUT Owen didn't drink all of his Gatorade so he put it back in his lunch bag and it spilled all over everything in his backpack, I have 30 pages from his binder on his first day of school hung with clothes pins in an attempt to dry it for school tomorrow. RESCUE WORK!

Meet the Teacher Night

The start of the school year begins with “meet the teacher night”. Owen has a teacher new to his school. She comes with “rave reviews” so I’m very excited. That, added with the blessings we’ve been given of such a great support system at his school (I wonder if every parent feels as lucky as I do? --- I know his principal and vice principal and nurse and counselor, and office staff, and teachers…. All care about him, not just pass him in the hall. SUCH A BLESSING!)

Anyway, Owen met his teacher and really liked her. He was very excited to find that he knew a lot of people in his class and there were several boy scouts in his class. AND the little girl that he had a crush on “his girlfriend” sits at his table. He was elated. It couldn’t have worked out better.

We also met his new speech and language teacher, a very nice lady that I know Owen will take a quick liking to. We saw his resource teacher, and said hello to his former first grade teacher (he was so excited to give her a hug) – I thought it was so sweet.

Then we met Brooklynn’s teacher. This was a quick stop, where Owen’s room was full and busy, we were the only people on Brooklynn’s room. This was nice because it allowed us to really meet her. Brooklynn didn’t recognize any of the names in her class, but I know she will make fast friends.

Back to the Routine...

Clearly I’ve taken the summer off. We have had a busy summer with vacations and activities.

Cabo San Lucas ---- We had a week long trip to Cabo San Lucas , Mexico . Very fun, Mamaw and Papaw went with us. Me & Owen parasailed together and Mamaw went too. We were all so brave. Owen is so funny. Before we ever left for Mexico we showed him pictures of parasailing making sure he was up for it, he said he was. He hopped into the harness, no issues. He waited until we were halfway up (300 feet over the Sea of Cortez ) before he informed me that he was (his exact words) “slightly afraid of heights”. Brooklynn was her usual self, a social butterfly, having never met a stranger; I don’t know where she gets it (wink, wink). She is such a funny girl. She never really ventured over the wall of the baby pool (which was the deciding factor in Donn and I enrolling the kids in swim lessons later in the summer). The trip was great, a little cooler then normal, but the FOOD!!! We are already planning next years trip.

Jazz Party ---- The next trip was just Donn & me. We flew to California to attend the Annual Johnson Jazz Party… Always fun. I of course get the added benefit of seeing all of my family. I get shopping with my sister & mom... meals with my dad…hanging out with my brother and nephews… it is a weekend of bliss that reminds me what I am missing. Bittersweet.

Girl Scout Camp ---- I guess you know you had a good time if you were too busy having the fun to take pictures. I had zero expectations (truth be told I was skeptical) but I had the most amazing time. Brooklynn & I spent 2 nights and three days at Camp Tuckaho . I was a camp counselor in Tuck East and she was a camper in Sacagawea (yep, we were not together). It was such a great experience; Brooklynn was such an independent little girl. We saw each other at meals and at the All-Camp Fire at night, but other then that she was on her own. No –“mom” tuck in. She lost her first tooth at camp. The counselors took care of it, contacting the tooth fairy and everything… I was really impressed with the little girls in my group (ages 7-12) – 20 of them. My favorite part … canoeing. I don’t think I will need to back with her next time, but I think this will be an annual trip for Brooklynn. She cried when she had to leave.

Swim Lessons ---- The need for all kids to swim lessons is crucial (in my opinion) but Brooklynn it is even more critical because of her intense fear of water. Originally Brooklynn was on the waiting list and only Owen was going to take lessons but I figured it was worth a try to take her and see if there was a “no-show”. Sure enough, she got in. Since she was third on the waiting list, I’m lucky that more people didn’t have the same idea. Swim lessons were four nights a week for two weeks. Their teachers were very well suited their personalities; patient when necessary but still insistent that they try the skill. The first five minutes of the first night Brooklynn sobbed, not wanting to get into the water then everything was sunshine and rainbows “I love swim lessons”. This ended quickly and the remaining classes where torture and tears, Brooklynn never putting her face in the water on her own. Her teacher would hold her and dunk her in the water (with her so it didn’t seem so mean). I watched Brooklynn on the last day I could still see the complete panic in within her at the idea of putting her face in the water. It made me sad to know that she has a guinene understanding on what it is like to go without breath. I wish I could take that memory away from her. My best hope is to help her overcome it. Owen was his challenging self (in a good way) He stood on the high dive “wanting to overcome his fear”. On his fourth trip up without ever jumping off, I followed him up (it is higher then I remember --- I was a little scared) I dropped him off the end to his teachers waiting arms. BOY WAS HE MAD!!! I clapped and praised him, and said, “but you overcame your fear” his response --- “No, you did it”. Only Owen would deduct credit from himself since he didn’t jump of his own free will. I asked him how it was and he said “It was intense”. I just love ‘em.

Back to School ---- So we are headed back to school. Both kids are ready, Brooklynn is excited. Supplies are purchased…. Meet the teacher night is tomorrow… Cross your fingers and hope that the beginning of the year starts smoothly…

Happy Birthday Baby

Today My little girl turned 6.  I started the day waking up Brooklynn by laying with her saying "Happy Birthday Brooklynn".  She said "Happy Birthday".  I laughed and said, it's not my birthday, it's your birthday.

Her response... "I was talking to myself".  She is so funny.

We took her to Applebees for dinner (the only restaurant in town that we knew would sign to her).  In the middle of dinner they sang to a girl at a table near ours, this freaked her out.  The remainder of the time she spent  stressed deciding if it was worth having them sing to her just to get dessert.  She opted on the song and dessert.

Sunday School...

I wasn’t sure how the kids were going to take to Sunday school. I knew how I was going to get them there, it was just going to be put into the schedule and they were going to see it as part of what we did (when we walk into church, Brooklynn says “they are singing for God” or “they are praying for God”) so in her way she gets it.

Brooklynn loves Sunday school, the getting dressed and going doesn’t always thrill her, but once she’s there, she listens and participates and she has come home with stories proving that she is listening and paying attention. What a great feeling.

This picture captures Brooklynn's last project:

“Mom, Jesus went to Heaven and met angels and then came back!!! It happened on Easter.” They have Brooklynn all figured out, tie it with a craft and a song and she will enjoy it and remember it!

Owen on the other had would rather sit with me in the big church… we will figure this out.

Stormy Night

I HATE STORMS. I especially hate them over night. I cannot sleep through them. Who will take care of our house if it is stuck by lightening? Or rescue or neighbors if their house is struck by lightening? ---- Yes, I am completely aware that my thoughts are, for the most part, completely irrational, but, they are mine….

So, two nights ago was stormy all night pouring rain, thunder crashing, lightening, the WORKS….

I got 20 minutes of sleep here and there. Brooklynn came in our room around midnight and snuggled up next to me (this was a relief to me, like I had a teddy bear --- not rational, but who cares). Owen joined us around 3:00. I moved Brooklynn to the middle and I was sandwiched between my two little snugglers, I don’t think I got another wink of sleep, but they were safe and that was all that mattered.

When I got up to take a shower, they made due…. This is what I came back to:

I woke them up to show them the picture. I expected Owen to flip out, irritated that I would have visual proof that he touched her and had her germs. Nope… this was the reaction they had.

My morning was great!!!

Then last night....no storm, but they still came to my bed.  When I got up, this is how they were laying...

Boy Scouts

What an amazing night I had last night. It is quite possible that it meant more to me then it did to Owen (but I think that could be said for a lot of things in your kids lives).

It was his advancement ceremony from being a Tiger Cub to a Wolf Cub. Having no prior experience in boy scouts I had no expectations. It was great. The charter organization (the group that hosts our pack) is our church so each meeting starts with a prayer for our boys (awesome).

Owen didn’t sit with me, he wanted to sit with his Den… also AWESOME. Anything he decides he wants to be with his peers, I am so excited. He sat quietly and paid attention to the various ceremonies and skits.

He got activity beads.

And then his advancement was very moving (I almost cried!!!) Each parent took of the old neckerchief and put on the new neckerchief, Owen was really excited. You could tell that it meant a lot to him.

I would describe my mood as gitty after it was all over….

When we got home I asked Owen what he thought, he said it was the best day of his life. WOW!

First Grade Field Trip

Today I accompanied Owen's class on his 1st grade field trip to the Zoo.  It was great.  It is such a blessing to be able to participate it your childs life like this. 

I can still remember my parents going on my field trips as a kid (I remember my dad riding the bus to a house and orange grove when I was little and it being a really big deal that my dad rode a bus!!!)

Here are some pictures from the day.

Last night the kids school had an Art Show.  It was really cute.  It looked like the art teacher held back a project from each student over the course of the year and it was all on display.  I loved it.

Brooklynn's work

Owen's Work

The other thing that came home yesterday was Owens project from Horizons (the gifted program at school).  It shocked me that my 7 year old first grader did a "project" at this age, SO PROUD!

Eye Drops...

My Jokester

Owen is a boy of few words.  But this weekend he busted out the jokes.  For the full effect, you have to picture them from a seven year old Aspy...

Knock. Knock.
Who's There?
Gorilla.
Gorilla Who?
Gorilla me some hamburgers, I'm hungry.
-----
What is the worst kind of vegetable to have on a ship?
A leek!
-----
Why do they always invite the mushroom to the party?
Because he's a fungi.

Church...

I took the kids to church for the first time today (the first time they would really remember).  It was just the three of us.

I got the kids up and dressed and on our way.  We sat toward the back, just in case the music was too loud for Owen and we needed to sit outside the sanctuary to hear the message.  How unnecessary, we sat down and the music started and the words went up on the screen and Owen began to sing.  I was so filled with joy.  His enthusiasm continued with the children's message, he walked to the front of the church and sat with the other kids and listened (no problems).  It was amazing to see him settle into it so comfortably.  The only time he showed signs of panic was when the people sitting next to us tried to shake his hand during the "welcome your neighbor" portion of the service.  He did not partake...

Brooklynn was a different story, she was antsy the entire time.  She was afraid to go to the front for the children's message, even though Owen went.  She didn't like the music. 

We are going to try an earlier service with kids Sunday school next week.  Brooklynn should feel better when she is in her kid element.

Behavior Stamp

Each day of first grade Owen's teacher stamps and sends home a calendar that lets us know that Owen has followed his schedule and behaved.  No stamp means Owen didn't behave...

We set a rule at the beginning of the year that if Owen didn't bring home a stamp he didn't get to play any of his games. No Wii, No DS, No computer.  This punishment was meant to be the deterrent of all deterrents.  One day without his beloved games and he should fall in line.  For the most part it has worked.

This past week was a bad week for Owen.  No stamp two days in a row.  This was the first time this has ever happened so I felt that something had to happen.  Not just the "standard".  So I came up with sentences.   (His solution was to take a day off).

I made him write "I will follow teacher directions" 20 times.  It took him nearly an hour.

In addition to the sentences Owen had to apologize to his teacher.  I followed up with her and her response was:

Owen had a much better day today! He did come in this morning and apologize. I know that writing those sentences must have been hard for him. Thanks for your support at home and helping him understand that his actions have consequences. He has come so far this year! He mentioned his "break day" as the field trip May 6th a few times today. 

Talked to the Girl...

The day after I talked to Owen, Brooklynn asked me why I was still wearing the bracelet.  We were in the car (just me & Brooklynn) and the conversation when something like this:

Brooklynn: Why are you still wearing that bracelet?
Me: Because it's Autism Awareness Month.  Do you know what Autism is?
Brooklynn: No
Me: Autism is a disorder.
Brooklynn: What's a disorder?
Me: Well, you know how some people have brown hair and some people have black hair, and some people are tall and some are short? Some people have Autism, it just makes them different.  And Owen has a type of Autism.
Brooklynn: Then why do I need a bracelet?

Okay.... this is Brooklynn saying, these bracelets aren't in support of a cause, but a way to tag people with Autism to let others know they are different.  SHEESH!!!

Me: Because you love Owen and want to support him.
Brooklynn: Oh.

Talked to the Boy...

So, after some moral support from friends I got up enough nerve to talk to Owen about Autism and Aspergers. 

Brooklynn brought me home an Autism Awareness bracelet so I had a good lead in.... After Owen's shower I sat him down and asked him if he knew what Autism was.  He said no.  I told him that he had a form of Autism that made him really special and so did Sophia (I thought the Sophia angle would be a good way for him to understand it wasn't bad).  He said, okay, got off my lap and went to the computer and started playing Club Penguin.  Maybe he wasn't ready for more then that...When he is, I'm here.

Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month.  I have spent the month thinking about all of the amazing things that make Owen great.

A few days ago, he took $2.00 out of his piggy bank.  We asked him why he was taking it and he said he wanted to buy something at school.  We just didn't press the issue (unusual for us, but we didn't).  Today he came home with the note below:

This is why he needed the $2.00.  He wanted to buy an AUTISM BRACELET! If he only knew.  (He lost the bracelet before the end of the day, but who cares).  I told Brooklynn I will gvie her $2.00 to buy a bracelet tomorrow, she said, she has her own money.  AMAZING! I held back tears.

I have never sat down and explained what Autism is to Owen, and I definitely haven't told him that this effects him personally. This is something that I struggle with. I have no idea when or how I will explain to my wonderful, amazing baby that he has Autism. Reality is, his life will have more challanges (like life isn't hard enough) then the average kid.  How do I explain this...? I wonder if he already knows, he is a good listener.

My Baby.....

The Routine He Requires

Tomorrow is a busy day.  I have Girl Scouts in the morning and I'm going to the Cardinal Game in the afternoon.  Donn has grocery shopping to do, so Owen will have to leave the house on the weekend. 

For those that don't know, this is not something that Owen likes to do.  We gave him the option to go with me to Girl Scouts (he wouldn't have to leave my van) or to the grocery store with Dad.  Owen decided to go with Dad to Dierbergs. 

Owen's first question:  "How many items will we be getting?
Donn refused to answer with a number.  Her told Owen that he would not be locked down like that.  Owen is a counter.  He would have watched the items go into the cart and made quite a racket about leaving when the number was hit.

Owen's second question:  "How long will we be gone?"
Again, Donn would not answer the question with a real number.  He just said "not long".

This answer took Owen back to "just tell me how many items we will be getting then..."

He cracks me up.

Autism Awareness Month

Every case is different… Oh how I know this. But Owen is drawn to other kids with Autism. He has been since he was very, very little. Jeanne (Mamaw) has a neighbor that has Autism that is nearly 20 and Owen has been playing with him, watching movies with him and talking to him since he was…2. They just get each other. They have an unspoken bond.

Owen's best friend is Sophia, his cousin (he calls her his best cousin, not his best friend) she too has aspergers.  The similarities in thier personalities are immeasurable.  Get them together and the wheels start turning.

My Birthday Celebration Continues

Remember I warned you that my birthday is my birthday weekend... birth-week... birth month.  I received a dozen red roses from my daddy.  It was great.  Who doesn't love receiving flowers? Getting them on Monday allows me to keep them at work all week and enjoy them selfishly.  Shame on me, Brooklynn loves flowers too.

Then Mick and Jeanne took us to dinner at Chuy's a new mexican restaruant in town.  The best part, Jeanne got me the cutest little Tousche cake (her dog made into a little cake) Brooklynn's favorite dessert.

Owen is sick and his eyes are nearly swollen closed, so we let him wear his glasses at the restaraunt.

Gonna need to find a Convent

DANG! Brooklynn is going to take years off my life worrying about the things that she gets herself into.  We were just visiting, sharing our day and she tells me that I am going to take her to a boys house this weekend and DROP HER OFF!!! She wants to hang out with him for a while.  She said I could stay "if I really wanted to".

WHAT??? Make up last week, this week the desire to start dating? My goodness.  Donn told her maybe when she's 18.  The only reassuing thing, Donn asked her "did you kiss him?" Her answer, "No, I'm not gonna marry him".  At least she still KNOWS you have to marry a boy before you kiss him.

Education Today

At work today I had lunch with a few friends and we got to talking about how the school experience of today differs from when we were children. The conversation had an even better flavor, if you will, because we all come from different backgrounds and are of a different generation. In the 60’s in the city class size was 40 children to one teacher and you counted on parents teaching children what school failed to. In the 80’s (when I was in school) the extent of extra assistance that I was aware of was resource reading (at that point I guess someone figured out that if you struggled with reading, you would struggle with everything else). I was fortunate, not only did I like learning, it came easy to me, and even at this young age I had already developed the “people pleasing” desires and skills that I implement today and I did very well in school. I also saw what rural American schools were able to offer (I moved to South Dakota, a town with the population of 550 during high school). There wasn’t the extracurricular options, you took home economic or shop. All freshman took earth science, all sophomores took Biology… This wasn’t the case in larger, more funded areas.

Today, kids have resources for socialization and speech, fine motor skills, gross motor skills.... all kinds. I think these resourses are great.  That said, parents still hold the responsibility of teaching their children what school cannot.

Because they know me so well & Love me so much

So, I realize that all of my posts thus far have been based around the kids.  Not today, it's my birthday, well my birthday weekend (which normally extends to my birth-month --- what can I say, I like to celebrate...). 

My best friends really outdid themselves.  Anyday I get a friend playdate is a bonus day.  Sonya lives about 40 minutes away and Kate lives about an hour away, so when they haul their cookies to my house, it's fantastic.  Yesterday they both came and Sonya brought her kids (Kate did too, really but hers is still in the justational stage so he/she wasn't as playful as Bailey and Abby).

So, Kate, being Kate, (and Tom, because I cannot say enough good things about the men that are in the lives of these two ladies...) brought bubbles... Perfect kid entertainer.  Brooklynn LOVES bubbles.  When Kate brings something, she doesn't bring one, she goes all out.  She brought 5-6 bottles of bubbles (colored bubbles) and a package of 50 wands that make bubbles in every shape.  WHOLY BAJOLEY, Brooklynn was in heaven.  Bonus, Tom was bubble boy and played with them and the bubbles, completely hands on the whole time (gonna be a great dad).

We were able to get Owen outside for the briefest of moments, but I made sure to memorialize it in film...surprise, surprise, Brooklynn is yelling

To see Todd (Sonya's main squeeze) interact with her kids, seriously melts my heart everytime I see it.

We came inside for dinner (grilled teriyaki chicken, pasta salad and pomme frittes with parmesan --- homemade thin french fries with parmesan cheese - big hit with Tom)

After dinner I got my presents.... whoop whoop presents (for anyone that doesn't know, I'm actually really not good at getting presents, it makes me "too center of attention").  Donn had already given me my presents (he is the kind of guy that when he buys it, I get it, can't keep a secret -- good for me.  I got a smartphone (Driod - like it lots), a netbook, that I don't have to share with anyone (the kids are just as happy because the computer is now free all the time and they only have to share with each other) and Friday I got noise cancelling headphones (also, like them lots, I used them while I was cooking dinner on Friday and rocked out... super fun).  Sonya (this is where the "and they know me so well" comes in) got us (me & her) tickets to see Harry Connick Jr in concert at the Fox.  My heart is already racing in anticipation.  The night I met Donn we talked about music and I told him there were only three people I needed to see in concert before I died (I'm not a big music person, but I know what I like) he has fulfilled the first 2, Sonya will be taking care of the last one.... Kate, got me a gift card to the Chocolate Bar for a celebration after the concert.  She agreed to meet us there (this is unless Harry Connick Jr agrees to abandon his life and run away with me after the concert).  I'm not gonna lie, I cried when I found out we were going to the concert...

Next part of the evening ("love me so much"...), cupcakes... Kate (OH KATE) made cupcakes and brought EVERYTHING you can think of to decorate them.  A dozen white cupcake, a dozen chocolate cupcakes.... yellow, green, pink, blue and chocolate frosting, M&M's, Reeces Pieces, gummy bears, and 10+ different types of sprinkles, and 2 types of candles... GOTTA LOVE IT!!! The kids were in heaven.  She also brought glow stick necklaces.  Seriously, her baby is gonna be the luckiest little thing when it is born.

We then played Apples to Apples (Kate won ... didn't let me win on my birthday, isn't there a rule about this?) then Catch Phrase Girls vs. Boys (we split 2 games -- rematch in the making).

I count my blessing everyday, these girls are always counted in these blessing.  Thanks.....

What's in a Name?

We all know that when mom calls you by your full name, you are SO going to get it. Well, Brooklynn is playing with her friends outside and I am hanging up with the neighbors as well, we are trying to get them to come over to the table to eat and not a one of them is listening. I shout across the yard, “Brooklynn Violette” and I hear the neighbor boy say to her, “You’re named after a color?”

I had to laugh, I had not other option. All mom sternness was lost.

-----

I think that a lot is conveyed in ones name, so it was important to me that they meant something, so…

Brooklynn --- Donn took me to New York on our very first trip, I think I told him then, “if we have a girl, we’ll name her Brooklyn ”, he agreed. The spelling, my middle name is Lynn, and Donn, (two n’s).

Violette --- My Grandma’s name. I find it comforting knowing that even though Brooklynn will not meet the woman that had such a huge impact on me, she will carry her name. I think this will one day have great importance her. I think it would mean a lot to my Grandma as well, I’m sure she is watching over all of us.

Owen --- My mother’s maiden name. My Grandma Vi named her son Scott after her maiden name so I wanted to carry on the tradition.

Tyler --- Donn's uncle, Donn Byrne, lives in Tyler, Texas.  In an effort to pay tribute to him we took Tyler as Owen's middle name.

Say What?

Let me just start by saying, my kids crack me up. 

I got home from work today and Brooklynn greeted me with a face smashing kiss, the kind where she grabs my face and mashes hers into mine.  She has just put on my lip gloss (without asking) so she was trying to really share it... When she let up and exaggarated my response and said to her, "Geeze Brooklynn, you didn't kiss me, you assaulted me".  Her response, al sweet and gentle, "sorry me face is salty."  Ha! She is so funny.

I went out tonight and Donn hung with the kids, when I got home Donn was asleep down stairs.  I asked about the kids to find out that Owen was "in his room, for throwing a trantrum".  I went to check on him and see if he 'fesses up to the trantrum.  He instantly tells me that he was sent to bed for throwing a trantum.**  The trantum was because he wanted a Thin Mint cookie.  I told him he could have a Thin Mint tomorrow, but he needed to prepare himself because we would soon be out of Thin Mints.  His response, "Then I will have a Tag-Along each day".  I rephrased my statement to "You need to start preparing yourselft because we would soon be out of Girl Scout Cookies"  I left him with that, knowing this would take time to sink in.

**It is a real accomplishment that Owen is able to verbalize what happened.  The great part for me, he has never lied.  I don't think he is wired for it.  He bends things so they don't sound "so" bad, but never lied.

Leather Clad

Tonight we took to our nightly tradition with Brooklynn and watched the American Idol results show. Brooklynn being Brooklynn she was not short on commentary. We had to fast forward thru the first singer because she “hated his music”.

The second performer however got high praise. Rihanna walked out clad in all leather and Brooklynn responded with "She looks AMAZING, don't you think so mommy?" I was so stunned that she was SO in love with this leather ensemble that I was without words.

I looked at Donn and simply responded with "we should be very worried from this point forward".

Easter Sunday

Easter came with a bonus this year with a visit from two mythical characters, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy (Brooklynn is now convinced they are married, if she only knew...) Owen lost another tooth (I have actually lost count on the number of teeth this kid has lost, he's like a shark, with rows of teeth, not just baby and permanent teeth.

The best part about the lost tooth... he has completely morphed his smile.  It is so cheesy! I love it.  How is he even able to chew food missing so many teeth?

We started the day with an Easter Egg Hunt and Easter baskets at home, the kids enjoyed it. Brooklynn's basket had a cute little princess dress and Owen's had a Nerf rocket launcher and Transformer mask. Both kids had fun with it.

Then we headed over to Mamaw & Papa's house for brunch and another Easter Egg Hunt.  The best part of the egg hunt was seeing the differences between Owen & Sophia (both with Aspergers) and Sabrina & Brooklynn.  Owen is particular about the eggs he wants.  Usually he seeks out just one color.  I sent Cousin Patrick with him at one point and Owen wouldn't touch the any eggs that were in the mulch "those are dirty", Sabrina had no qualms about the mulch.  The little kids got twice as many eggs as the big kids.

Understanding the Passage of Time

I got Owen to eat lunch with us (me, Brooklynn and the neighbors) outside. The “outside” being the impressive part. Last summer I would convince him to go outside by allowing him to bring a magazine to read… (Only my 7 year old would need to bring a magazine to enjoy a beautiful day outside). That said, he sat with us and ate his bologna and cheese wrap with pretzel sticks. During lunch he got up, walked around the table to me and asked “How many days have I been alive?”

I know Owen, so I knew this required an answer, we took 7x365+185 (number of days since his last birthday) and came up with 2740 days (we did the math aloud so he knew where it was coming from). I asked him four hours later and he still knew the number. I have no idea if this means he will be tracking the days he’s been alive, or what… I hope it doesn’t become something he obsesses about.

I read recently about children with autism having a better understanding about the passage of time, I of course don’t know if it’s true, but when Owen asks me questions like this, it makes me wonder.

The BEST way to wake up

Last night I let the kids fall asleep with me in my bed (this is bad habit that I started when Owen was a baby, hardest thing to break children of, Potty training was easier). Anyway, when Donn came to bed he carried them to their own beds. When I woke up I started my morning by crawling into Owens bed and cuddling with him, taking time to wake him up and visit with him. Definitely the best way to wake kids up, slowly, sweetly, lovingly. (HECK, I would rather wake up this way then the BEEP..BEEP.. BEEP of my alarm clock. Once he was awake and deciding what he was going to do for the day I left his room and crawled into bed with Brooklynn with the same plan. I spooned her little body and covered us up with her blanket (she manages to kick off all covers within the first few minutes every night). I gave her kisses and when she finally woke up, the first words out her mouth were ”I love you”. Seriously best morning in recent memory. She then proceeded to tell me that she “had an ‘adventure’, it must have been a dream, she went to ‘Gummy land’..” She said she is going on another adventure tonight, but doesn’t know where.

Picture Day

On a typical day Donn will wake up the kids with shouting (I don’t know that he can help it, he comes from a house of yelling). They get up to hurried cries of “Get up now, hurry up, if you want breakfast, get dressed….” The mantra is repeated thru out the morning as they drag their sleepy bodies thru the dressing process. Today was picture day so I woke Brooklynn early and let her lay in my bed while I showered and then I showered her, Donn washed her hair, I blow dried it, she got dress. All was going well. She was (I assumed) going to wear the cute dress we bought for the night before. NOPE, she wore her very cute Easter dress from the year before, including the hat. I tried to tell her "no" on the hat and I got the "Mamaw told me to" response.... This response will be exorcized out of her.

All in all the day was going much smoother then the typical morning. Donn got Owen up and dressed, khaki shorts and blue stripped polo with (here's the kicker) a belt... (do you remember the tie from just a few weeks ago). During breakfast Owen had to go to the bathroom and cannot get the buckle undone in time. The pee comes before the pants are down. Very sad. The worst part, his "private part" becomes stuck in his belt buckle. Can you even imagine. The worst part for me is that the belt is holding "it" in place forcing the stream of pee EVERYWHERE. To be brutally honest, the kid doesn't have the best aim as it is, but put it in a belt buckle and it's hitting my shower curtain. Donn stood in the bathroom doorway and just looked at him, not believing that this was even possible. I took charge, asking him to "pause", which shockingly he was able to do just long enough for me to unbuckle the belt. The shirt was saved, but the rest of the outfit, not so lucky.

Say WHAT?

Our nightly routine is the "What did you do today" round of questioning during dinner.  It is one of my most favorite times with the kids, we either pull information from them or we can't stop the flood... Tonight Owen shared something he learned.

Owen: Do you know old man time?
Donn: Who's that?
Owen: It's a figure of speech.
Donn: What's a figure of speech?
Owen: Like a catch phrase.

Let me explain why this is amazing.  Kids with aspergers, typically, just don't have the capacity to process figures of speech (this is one of the first things that the neurologist that diagnosed Owen with this form as autism explained to me).  At the time I didn't think it would ever come in to play, that very day I told him to "keep his shirt on" when he was rushing me, and he said "It is on..." I knew then I would be modifying the way I spoke to him.

Also at dinner...

I turn to Brooklynn and ask her if she wants to sneak off to go shopping with me after dinner.  She said, "I don't have any money but I have my credit card".  The fact that she said it with it such conviction made me almost believe the store would take the construction paper debit...

I was thinking about some of the funnier things that the kids have said in the past, here are some of my most favorite...

God Lives Where?

Owen: "Where does God live?"
Me: "In your heart?"
Owen: "Behind my imagination?"
Me: "We should go to church and you can ask the pastor"
Owen: "Can I meet him?"
Me: "The pastor, sure"
Owen: "No, God"
Me: "....ummm"

Can They Hear Me?

Brooklynn and I watch American Idol together.  We were watching the contestants sing and she was being overly critically, she made Simon look like Mother Theresa.  In an effort to try to get her to understand how hurtful word could be I told her "Brooklynn you shouldn't say mean things like that".  Her response... "Why, can they hear me?" ughh. I had no comeback.

Talk to the Animals

I have a bird. I say "I" because no one else in the house really claims Charlie, the parrot that has been part of my life my entire 32+ years. Over the weekend Owen decided that he was going to befriend the bird. This should cause great panic is all that have met my bird, Charlie is not what I would call, user friendly, he is a vicious killer attack bird....)


Owen's approach to the bird... "bird speak". He stood next to the bird and squawked and quacked at him. The bird, instead his hissing, almost chirped back. They became friends. AMAZING. Owen even shared his nacho Doritos with the bird.

We also have a dwarf hamster named Grey Night. Grey Night resides in Owen's room and all night this hamster runs in his wheel, his noisy, annoying, plastic exercise wheel. I tucked Owen in tonight and I said to him, "Owen, what up with your hamster?" his response was, "he just won't listen to me". Ha... We talked a little about the hamster and he said he "would try to train the hamster with his hamster speak" I asked him what hamster speak sounded like and he said "similar to guinea pig" (okay...he said this like I should have known the answer) "what does that sound like Owen?" his response, "squeak".

Gotta love my little Dr Doolittle. 

Getting Fat

I'm not sure if I have documented the concerns we have regarding Owen's size. We made the decision about a year ago to medicate him for his ADHD (50% of children with Aspergers have ADHD). The worst side effect that we have found with his medication is weight loss. Prior to beginning medication Owen was average size, maybe a little tiny bit under weight. Since he began taking the medication he has lost 6-10 pounds (all while gaining inches in height).

Owen can fore go eating, he can skip meals completely. The doctor has suggested that we give him meal replacement shakes at bedtime if fails to take in enough calories. The problem, Owen has decided to obsess about his weight. He has decided that he is fat, he stood in the shower last night and looked down at his body and told me, "I'm getting fat, I think I ate too much salad".

WHAT? When did kids (especially seven year old boys) start obsessing about their weight??!!

Fear of Drowning

Our kids take showers, not baths (weird, maybe), but showers. They stand in the water for a few minutes then I open the door, wash their hair, soap up their bodies and let them rinse off. I never have to check and make sure Owen rinses his hair, he always does (he’s got boy hair, it’s easy) Brooklynn on the other hand has her work cut out for her. I always let her try and I always have to rinse it after she is done. Last night same routine, but I let Owen stay in the shower too long taking more then his share of the hot water. By the time we get to the “I have to rinse Brooklynn's hair” part of the event the water is pretty cold. So I need to make it quick.  I know she’s gonna complain and I’m gonna ignore her and get her in and out as fast as possible. I held her in the water rubbing her hair until the soap was out all while she was screaming.

I quickly turn the water off and see she is sobbing, she sobs “Mom, it felt like I was drowning, please hold me”. I almost collapsed. I couldn't belieive I had done that to her. 

Not knowing Brooklynn, one might not know why this would be so tramatic.  Most kids don't know what it feels like to drown, Brooklynn does. 

Late summer 2008 Donn fished Brooklynn out of the bottom of his parents pool, reviving her with CPR and we spent that night and the next day in the ICU at Childrens Hospital.  I assumed, falsely, that I was carrying the baggage of the experience but she had done the wonderful 'bounceback' that kids do.  Apparently not.  And I just put her thru the most tramatic experience of her life again... GUILT!

Perching

So, let me explain how Owen copes with his physical issues. He has a need to soothe himself and he usually does this is some physical way (the soothing is a result of anxiety or sometimes boredom).

We really started noticing the behaviors at the beginning of 1st grade, he began sucking and chewing on objects. YES, sucking and chewing on things… your thoughts are the same as mine, “how disgusting”. Fortunately the things he chewed on were confined to the things that were in his hands or on his person. Like his shirt collar, or his hands (his poor hands were so chapped and battered). I say fortunately because I'm trying to see the bright side, I'm sure it could be more disgusting, right? He chewed the plastic coating off of the wire that connects the Wii remote to the nunchuck. We started sending an extra shirt with him to school because his shirt would be soaked by lunch time. Instead of nagging him to stop we decided to make him comfortable and it eventually evolved into a different method of coping (slighting more socially acceptable).

The chewing and sucking has become what I call perching. Instead of sitting he squats with his knees pressed against his chest, his body almost in a ball, sometimes his shirt will be pulled over his knees holding him in this position. He will sit like this on the floor, on the couch, on a bar stool, in a booth at a restaurant. His therapists tell me he probably likes the pressure on his body (like he's giving himself a hug or something) I can buy into that, I like hugs. And it's not as bad as sucking on stuff, it's ruining his shirts, but it's a small price to pay if he's happy.

Artwork.

As Brooklynn's kindergarten class learns each letter they draw something that begins with the letter. They are currently on the letter "T" so this drawing is outdated, but it's been my favorite so far.

They are allowed to draw anything...

... The letter "E" ... An Elephant blowing jelly beans out of his trunk...

How I Compensate

To explain… With Owen having aspergers I give him a different type of attention then I do Brooklynn. You would think me knowing that I do it would be enough for me to rectify the situation. It isn’t. Owen doesn’t have that much say (what he does say if usually fascinating or hilarious). But getting words out of him usually takes some work. I sit with him and ask him questions giving him my full, undivided attention, asking him probing questions, showering him with attention. Brooklynn sits back and watches this show of attention and (I assume) thinks “WHAT? Why don’t I get that kind of attention?”

Don’t think she’s starved for attention. She is far from it. I spend more time with Brooklynn then I do with anyone else. We do pretty much everything together, I don’t even get to take a trip to the restroom alone these days. We do things together, but it’s different.

Each night at dinner when we ask Owen “what did you do today?” Brooklynn says, “Ask me first”. So there is obviously an issue…

When I was little my mom told me that of course you love your kids differently, your kids are different. But you love them the same amount. I now completely understand and have no idea what to do about it.

Polygon Song

It is very infrequent that something sparks Owen's interest to the point that he will share it with others. I'm usually the exception, he shares things with me, but I want everyone to see how amazing and funny he is. His cousin showed him a song on YouTube, the Polygon Song. For whatever reason this song struck him as hilarious.


Link to the song on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Otcj9LOh8g


We had our neighbors, Pat & Keri, over for dinner and I asked Owen to sing his new song to Keri. He sang a bit of it to her and then he went and got dad's cell phone and played the song on the phone for her. Then he continued with his playful, open, sharing, spirited self and the three of us (me & Owen & Keri) played American Idol on the Wii. It was a great night watching Owen relax enough with company over and enjoy himself. I smile just seeing others see him the way I do.

Play Date for Mom or Daughter?

I made a commitment to Brooklynn that we would go to her friends house today so that she could have a play date. I made arrangements with her friends mom that we would come over this morning around 10ish and hang out for a while. I figured we could have coffee while the girls played.

At about 3pm we went home! I have no idea who enjoyed themselves more, me or Brooklynn. 5 hours flew by. It's always great when you enjoy the parents as much as the kids enjoy each other.
The girls having fun.

One of the funniest things the girls did was make credit cards. They took construction paper and cut it into rectangles and then added the 5 year old girl required glitter glue and name on each card. Brooklynn came home with a "Dierbergs Market" credit card (wouldn't my company be proud, she is a loyal shopper), a "Baby Store" credit card, and a "Doctor" credit card. She is trying so hard to grow up so fast.

Hoarders Prepare for Brooklynn

Each weekend I go thru the same routine with Brooklynn. The "Clean your room" routine. Every Saturday I withhold television and the computer and visiting the neighbors and ALL things she desires until she cleans her room. My mom did it to me, I think it's only fair.


To ask her to clean you would think I were asking her to pull out her eyelashes, something that involved serious torture. Periodically I will help her, I will sit with her and help her sort her belongings into the correct bins, etc. Every time I wonder how she amassed such a pile, and how it doesn't bother her (my mom must be laughing, thinking "one day I would get to deal with what she dealt with" I might have done the same thing when I was little").


Today the process was especially distressing. I think that every drawing that she has made in the last 3 weeks was folded or crumpled and shoved under her bed or in her closet. She'd taken each sorted container and dumped them and spread the contents ALL over her room, under the dresser, under the bed, in the closet... How does this happen?

I've never watched the show "Hoarders" but this is why, I'm afraid I will see the warning signs that I'm just not ready to see.

Suffer in Silence

My little boy isn't feeling good. Fever, labored breathing, coughing, the whole bit. I look at him and my heart breaks. What does he do about it? Nothing, he sits and suffers in silence. We went out to dinner tonight (we didn't know just how crummy Owen was feeling until we were sitting at the restaurant or we would have stayed home.) We sat at our table and Owen's eyes got heavier and heavier. We brought him home and he began to wheeze. I rubbed vapor lotion on his chest (he loved it).

We have him sleeping now, he's wheezing and suffering. It's tough to watch. I think I'm going to cuddle with him until he's feeling better. I hope he wakes up my happy easy breathing boy.

Learning From Others

So many lessons are learned the hard way. Frankly some people learn better through experience, I know I do. I cross my fingers and hope that the lesson doesn’t have too high a price.

About 9 months ago I learned a lesson from someone else’s experience, a painful experience that came at price much too high. One of my closest friends, had a beautiful baby girl. Nine days later I got the call that inexplicably she died. Perfect pregnancy, uncomplicated delivery, nine days, and then God takes this precious life.

The days, weeks, months….that have followed have changed this family and have changed me forever.

Girl Scout Camp

Brooklynn and I are headed to Girl Scout Camp. I applied to be a camp volunteer about a month ago and I hadn’t heard anything so I was beginning to think that they didn’t need anymore help. I got the call last night that I get to go!!! I was so excited! Brooklynn will get to go to camp too of course (the whole reason I am volunteering).

The camp theme “Game Time”. Anyone that knows Brooklynn, knows she loves games, so this is a perfect fit for her. We won’t be paired together, but she will know that I am there; I think it will work out great. She will get to be independent and experience it on her own. I hope she has the best time.

A tradition will begin the summer.

"Music's just not my thing"

So yesterday I got a call from the music teacher, actually dad did (he obviously didn’t know mom handles things in our house). Donn called me and asked me to take care of it , he said the message from the teacher sounded “serious”, so serious that I was supposed to tell the school secretary to transfer me to the classroom and interrupt class. EEKK!

I called right away and was transferred to the class, I spoke to the teacher and then to Owen. I told Owen that “he needed to apologize to the teacher and then listen to the instructions given and follow them. He need to make good choices for the rest of the day. If he didn’t he would lose his DS and all other games for the night; as long as I didn’t hear back from the teacher I would know he followed the rules”. He said “okay, love you mom.”

I did hear back from the teacher, I got an email, it went like this:
Mrs. Longwell,

Thank you for your help today. This was something that I wanted to try with Owen to see if it made a difference. The first day or two that I said that we would be calling home it did make a difference and he changed his behavior. However, the last two or three class meetings did not seem to make a difference.

I apologize for disturbing you and Mr. Longwell during the day, although I do believe that it was beneficial for Owen and the rest of the class. After our phone call Owen completely changed his behaviors and was acting like a different student. He came up to me and apologized and said that he would do better the rest of class. And he was much better.

Thank you again for your assistance.

I was SO happy to hear the our conversation was successful! He does listen to me! Owen knows that mom & teachers are a team… this is good….

At dinner I told Owen I was proud of him for making the right decision after we spoke. Dad said to him, "But (long pause) if we get another call from your music teacher, you will lose you games for a week, no exceptions."

Owens response, “Music’s just not my thing”.

Donn and I both had to stifle our laughter at the response. When I asked him to explain why, he couldn’t. It would be so much easier for me if I understood what aspects made it hard for him. Is it the noise? Is it the standing still on the risers? I know I can’t fix everything for him, but I feel like it’s my job to help him through things (feel like it, it IS my job!)

1st Music Program - The Results Show...

So remember my post from this morning...my nervousness over Owen's anxiety due to the 1st grade music program. Both of his teachers followed up with me, telling me that they talked to him. His resource teacher said he was "only a little excited" compared to the "very excited" that the other first grader in his class was.

Mamaw got him all dressed up, he wore the adorable plaid shirt and tie that cousin Patrick & Lauren bought him. I was able to sit on the floor right in front so I had the perfect seat to take pictures of Owen.

So... I clearly didn't learn from Owen ripping his pants off that clothes can be a distraction, the tie -- A BIG MISTAKE, here are a few pictures.

The theme of the evening was Holiday Favorites.

I'm not sure if Owen knew the words, he seemed to know some of the hand motions. The tie was such a distraction, there's no telling what he knew.

As the songs went on, Owen just got more distracted.

Song 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiEGUaqV8aU

Song 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yuRBUd6nOg

Song 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE0gGVipSMg

Song 4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJw_chFj7W8

Owen's Big Night

Tonight is Owen’s 1st grade music program. We’ve talked about it, and by that I mean, Donn and I have told him how excited we are about it and he just stares at us. I am hoping that all goes well. I sent a note to his 1st grade and his resources teachers letting them know that I thought he had a bit of anxiety about it.

When Owen was about 3 years old he was crazy about music. He learned everything he could about it; he knew all the instruments in an orchestra by section. It was really amazing (I attribute it to Baby Einstein). When we took the kindergarten tour we spent a lot of time in the music room and library (the two places I thought he would like best). Then he took music class in kindergarten and the wheels fell off (metaphorically speaking). He was always in trouble. It was always too loud, it was always constant chaos, in a large part to the way he was behaving in the class. I found out later that he would often do something that would get himself sent to the principal’s office on the walk over to the music room just to avoid it. His behavior in music has improved this year but I believe the scars of kindergarten music class still exist, both for Owen and the music teacher.

We shall see how the night goes.

Tea for Breakfast

I woke up this morning feeling really lousy. Donn was great, he allowed me to sleep in, and he kept the kids occupied. When I finally woke up, Brooklynn came right it. She promptly invited me to her tea party. I walked into the family room to find the entire tea party set up.

You will see that the tea party is set for four people, she really wanted me to call our neighbors, Keri, Riley & baby Patrick, but I try not to call this early in the morning, I told her they were still sleeping (Keri had a place setting too with real dishes just off the blanket).

Brooklynn narrated the entire tea party.

Drink your tea...

Eat your fruit...

We had the best time, we are planning on a visit to a local tea house soon for a tea party.

Killing him with Kisses

First the back story… When Owen was about 3 years old I gave him a kiss and he wiped it off. I exaggerated my response with disappointment and said “No Owen, you don’t wipe off Mom kisses, you rub them in” and showed him what I meant, kissing his cheek again and rubbing the kiss in gently. Since that day, every kiss (and I mean EVERY kiss) given to Owen gets rubbed in. It’s typically an unconscious response; kiss, rub, kiss, rub. I think it’s is adorable, quite tender.

So last night, I’m tucking Owen into bed and I pin his arms down and kiss his forehead. I don’t let go of his arms, he starts to squirm, trying to free his arms to rub in his kiss (I know what I’m doing, cruel, I know…). He squeals, “Mom, I need to rub it in”. I rub it in and then I go back to pinning him. I kiss him again and I let the kiss linger again, letting him squirm. Very mean mom….

I let him go and then I lay next to him and to make it even worse I say, “Sometimes, when you’re sleeping I kiss you and you don’t rub the kisses in….” He looks at me questioningly and I realize this might be a little too much for him to handle so I go on to say “I bet those kisses sink into your skin”. He said, “let’s see” then he straightens his body out and closes his eyes waiting for me to kiss him. (So cute). I do and he doesn’t rub it in. He smiles and waits, about five seconds go by before I see his arms start to wiggle. I quickly rub in the kiss and tell him “If I kiss you when you’re sleeping, I promise to rub them in”.

He is so funny.

OT/PT

Part of Owen’s schedule now includes OT & PT (Occupational Therapy & Physical Therapy). These therapies were just introduced into his schedule a few weeks ago and he hadn’t mentioned them or his new teacher. (The difference between Owen & Brooklynn in all areas is vast but this area especially. Without asking, I get a dissertation on Brooklynn’s day, the games she played at PE, who won them, what she did at center time, the whole she-bang; Owen gets a new teacher, I have to ask specific questions, like “did you go to Mrs. Hulsey’s class on Wednesday this week?” If he went to her class on Tuesday not Wednesday, his answer would simply be “no”. ahhh….)

Anyway, I asked Owen, “What do you do in Mrs. Hulsey’s class?” Our conversation went like this….

Owen: “Her class is next to Mrs. Halmicheck’s class” (not the answer to my question….)
Me: “Really Owen, is that in the First grade hallway?”
Owen: “Yes, you should email Mrs. Halmicheck, mom”
Me: “Why Owen, is she one of your teachers?”
Owen: “No, she’s a first grade teacher, she’s nice.” (okay….)
Me: “What do you do in Mrs. Hulsey’s class?” (bringing it back to my topic)
Owen: “It’s called OT, occasional therapy and some PT, personal therapy. She sometimes even pushes me on a swing, she’s really nice” (It was hard not to laugh, it was such an adorable mistake; and me being me, I had to correct him)
Me: “Owen, OT actually stands for occupational therapy and PT stands for physical therapy. Did she tell you why you are in her class?”
Owen: “No” (if she didn’t tell him why, I figured there was a reason, so I didn’t either)
Me: “Does she come get you for class or do you walk to her class?”
Owen: “It varies, sometimes she comes and gets me; sometimes I walk by myself to her classroom.” (he talks like a grown up)
Me: “When do you go to her class?”
Owen: “Wednesdays & Fridays.”
Me: “In the morning or the afternoon?”
Owen: “Well, on Wednesdays, it is ten minutes after our first center, it’s really late morning.”

Ahhh, this whole conversation took place with him never looking at me, him scrunched up, with his knees to his chest, his shirt pulled over his knees. It really is a lot of work to get a little bit of information. I would have gotten twice the amount of information from Brooklynn with just saying “Hi”; it’s totally worth the work. The value of knowing what your child is doing when they aren’t with you is priceless, and having them know that you want to know, even more valuable.

My Biggest Loser

Last season we began watching Biggest Loser. It quickly became a favorite of both mine and Owen and I even let him stay up past his bedtime to watch it (we never watch things when they are on, TiVo was invented for me, advertising dollars are wasted at my house). Anyway, a few weeks ago during dinner we are watching Biggest Loser (how ironic that we are stuffing our faces while these contestants are sweating of the L-B’s …whatever), Owen announces that when he grows up he wants to be on the Biggest Loser. It was hard to keep my food down. Our doctor has asked us to give Owen meal replacement shakes on top of the food we already give him because he can’t keep the weight on (the only one in our house that has this problem, I promise).

I explained to Owen that the odds were not in his favor that he would qualify for this show, but that if he had the desire to be on a reality show we (me & him) could apply to be on the Amazing Race. I explained to him the format of the show and he agreed.

….Flash forward to dinner last night, I ask Brooklynn, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Response, “A teacher”. How sweet, I definitely can tell you this is attributable to the fantastic teachers both of my kids have. I turn to Owen, “What about you Owen, what do you want to be?” Response, “An adventurer, like the adventure we are going to go on when I get big”. I hope that CBS understands that I have committed them to running this show for at least the next 11 years AND to include me & Owen.

Ripped Pants

I got home for exercising last night to find Donn making dinner, Brooklynn watching TV and Owen sitting on the couch playing a game in the shirt I sent him to school in and his boxer shorts…. Everyone else acted like Owen hanging out in his underwear was completely normal and should be acceptable.

I thought it strange, what do I know, so I asked him, “Owen, where are your pants?”
He responded, “I don’t want to tell you, I would be upset.”
I coaxed him, told him he had to; I’m his mom… etc. He finally told me that “he ripped them.”

He didn’t rip them, he mutilated them. What was a trendy rip in the knee became a gapping whole all the way to his crouch. I told him, obviously, this was okay with him, so he wouldn’t mind wearing them again tomorrow. This, was a big problem for him, “his friends would see his underwear”.

We settled on Owen replacing the pants. He will be doing chores around the house until he earns enough money to replace the pants. I will buy the replacement pants at a garage sale (they weren’t new pants, he had worn them all winter). He decided this was acceptable. The whole thing was decided without a single raised voice, PERFECT. He can’t just go around destroying his clothes.

My Weekend Adventures

Enjoying the First Warm Days
It was a beautiful 65 degrees on Sunday and since this was the first real warmth we had seen in months, it seemed like the entire city was out trying to take advantage of the fantastic weather (who would have thought this Southern California girl would have ever considered 65 degrees warm). We made an attempt to go to the Zoo but traffic didn’t allow us to get within a mile (we waited for more then an hour on the streets of Forest Park before we gave up and turned around). We settled on Zachary’s Park, a local park that was built to allow a wheelchair bound boy (Zachary) and the rest of his friends and family to play at the park together. It is an amazing park.

Owen doesn’t usually enjoy being outside. He has grass allergies, so this is the perfect park for him, the ground is made entirely of the rubber bits that wheelchair can roll over and if you fall, you almost bounce. We spent an hour and a half, running and playing and swinging and climbing and SOAKING UP THE SUN!

The Generosity of Children
Owen has a really special relationship with his cousin Sophia. She has Aspergers also and I can only guess that this similarity made them both comfortable with each other from the very beginning. She is 2 ½ years older then he is and is a wonderful teacher for him, a really leader. She does things that he wouldn’t dream of doing, like sing the school choir. To watch them have a conversation is with each other is both fascinating and entertaining. Sophia will often map out the conversation for Owen, “now you should say this…” and he does, he follows along and learns the right way to have a conversation. All things I assume she’s learned from her various therapies in school.

This relationship information was necessary to see how tender this next part is…

We celebrated Sophia’s 10th birthday and her little sister Sabrina’s 3rd birthday on Saturday. Sophia loves reading “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” books. So the family took note and she received 2 “Diary of a Wimpy Kid Journals”. Mamaw told Sophia that she could return one of the books and get something else. Sophia responded with “Or I could give one of them to my best cousin Owen and we could be diary twins” It was so sweet. They call each other best cousins, not best friends. Love them. How many kids do you know that would give away one of their birthday presents on their birthday?

It's Like Riding a Bike
Brooklynn had her very first bicycle adventure this Saturday, it was so exciting. It started with hysterical tears, before she ever got on the bike, she threw a complete fit, insisting that she "couldn't do it", the "she would fall off", etc. I got eye to eye with her and promised her I wouldn't let her go. She agreed to get on the bike and we went all the way around the block. I was proud of her, but the best part was how proud she was of herself. It was so great to hear her say "Mom, I'm doing it".



Cub Scouts
Saturday was an exciting day for Owen's Cub Scouts den. We went to the Lindenwood radio station "89.1 The Wood". It began with a tour of the station, the boys were very interested (so were the adults). Then all the boys piled into one of the recording studios to do intros of themselves. It was very funny to see the usually bold, outgoing kids, shriek back in shyness when the microphone was turned on. The recording studio was too crowded for Owen. He left the room and sat in the corner of the hallway by himself. The last part of the tour was a live on-air interview. The boys were given specific instructions about how quite they had to be in the live studio when they went on air. We went in the room and Owen instantly began making his nervous Pokemon noises. I quickly took him out of the room. He didn't watch from the window, he sat alone in the corner. I gave him his time alone and then asked him how he was doing. He said it was just too loud there. It was heartbreaking to see him struggle so much with something I thought he would enjoy.

We left the station before anyone else. I decided to take Owen to lunch, just the two of us, as a way to wind down, talk about the morning. I took him to Pizza Pro, the one place that always makes him happy. He sate nothing, and barely spoke. I guess the morning was just too much for him.