Seriously Serious

So here's the post that I've eluded to several times.  I will tell about my journey during the diagnosis of both of my boys.  Here is some forewarning: if you are easily offended by honest reactions by a real person....stop reading.  If you are a religious person that has never had their faith waver or think that those that do don't have faith......stop reading.  And finally, if you don't want to keep an open mind and you want to be all judgey about the journey that many of us (Autism parents) are on....do us all a favor and.....STOP READING.

So here goes..... *deep sigh*

Both of the boys were planned.  Strategically planned.  The only issue that threw a wrench in the spacing of the boys was that pesky little trip to Iraq the hubs had to go on.  So instead of 2 years apart it was either around 18 months OR 2 1/2 years.   We chose the former.

When you see that plus sign or two little lines on a pregnancy test a rush of whole new emotions goes through you.  If you have kids, you know what I mean.  When you hear the heartbeat for the the first time of your child inside your womb your mind races with dreams.  Will my child be a girl or a boy?  Will he/she be an athlete like me?  What will he/she be when they grow up?  And etc.  I for one, prayed daily and sometimes multiple times a day for a happy, healthy baby.

When I type that I'm reminded of a session of pre-marital counseling the hubs and I went through.  The deacon asked if we wanted to have children.  Yes, we answered.  He asked us what we wanted for our children.  We said to be happy and healthy.  He asked us, what does that mean to you?  I didn't think much of it then, but what a loaded question.  Especially now that both of our children have been diagnosed with ASD.  Are they happy?  I would say so...I suppose.  Are they healthy?  Well, ASD is not a terminal illness, but are their brains healthy?  I would say no.

When we were expecting SE....it was well....interesting.  I gained 65 freaking pounds.  I drank slurpees, ate Chicago dogs and pretty much anything else I wanted to.  Oy vey.

 

In this photo I'm like 200+lbs.  Yeah, height gives you some wiggle room not to look like a 18 bedroom house.....but I felt like one!  LOL.

 

And then we were blessed with little SE!

 

 



 

 Instant, powerful, unconditional, pure....LOVE.  I.LOVE.THIS.KID.

So when you have your first kid you read all the books, what milestones they should be hitting etc.  SE was on the mark up until 12 mo.  Never suspected anything.  The only tip off...SE was always content to be left alone.  He could sit in his swing and only cry when he was wet or hungry.  I didn't know any better....hey, maybe he was just a "good baby".

Well, like in our Our Autism Story I realized something was amiss about 2 months later. 

The first emotion was denial.  He's a late bloomer.  Yeah, like WAY late.  No, that's not it.  When I first really came to the conclusion about what was wrong with my baby (yes WRONG..there is nothing right about ASD) I was PISSED.  I'd never felt so let down ever in my life.  Ever.  I prayed over this kid from the day I found out I was pregnant.  Why was this happening to us?  God's idea of a cruel joke? But I still believed with faith things would be okay.  God wouldn't forsake us, this was just a challenge we were going to have to work through.  So the last emotion...acceptance.....sorta.

I told the hubs while he was in Iraq and we moved forward from there.  After all, I was going to have C in a few months.  Well, we got stuff started with therapy for SE, moved (PCS'd) and began life with an ASD kiddie.

When you have a special needs child it's like some kind of prereq that you must read 'Welcome to Holland'.  This poem has become the special needs parent's mantra of sorts.  I don't know one SNP (Special Needs Parent) that hasn't read it.  I was automatically inducted into this "club" that I didn't ever think I would be a part of.  Never in my wildest dreams.  If you'd care to read it, Welcome to Holland. 

Being in the club sucks.  Let's face it.  This is a club NO ONE wants to join.  Seriously.  If you could choose......who would choose that?  There, I said it.  No one wants to be in the SNP club. 

No one wants to lose their child prematurely, watch their child suffer, fear your child getting bullied and teased, fear your child will never move out of the house and lead a productive life.  Think about all the monies that must be spent on therapies, toys specifically bought for therapeutic purposes (seriously...do you think I ever would have bought my 2 boys a freaking dollhouse??) and in my case...give up not only ONE career, but TWO because it's impossible to work due to your children's needs? 

Those two Bachelor's degrees are collecting dust. LOL.

So in the 'Welcome to Holland' scheme I'd like to think I haven't really moved into Holland but I've landed there and I'm navigating my way to the baggage claim.

Then in October 2010.....C entered the world!

 

I didn't think that I could have so much love for another child, but I do.  He is my baby boy or as GiGi calls him 'Baby Baby'.  He's so different from SE, much more like me.  This boy makes me laugh and shake my head EVERYDAY.  I.ADORE.THIS.KID.

Now you KNOW I had to have my boys rep O-State!!!  GO BUCKS!!

C was a completely different baby than SE.  Cried all the time, didn't like to be set down, always wanted to be in someone's arms, preferably Mommy.

So imagine my surprise when he started exhibiting signs and symptoms of ASD. 

So this is where the uber denial set in.  No way, not my other kid.  The therapists that had seen C while visiting SE said they would be surprised if he got a diagnosis.  I heard that from 3 different therapists that work directly with ASD kids.  That was reassuring, but on January 31st, 2012 the diagnosis came down. 

BOTH of my kids have AUTISM. 

There is no cure, they don't know what causes it, and every kid will have a different outcome.  Some will blend right in, some won't.

Imagine my ANGER.  Absolute betrayal from God.  That day, in my mind, God disappeared from my life.  I'm a person that has had faith in Christ from a young age.  And I'd like to think strong faith.  But I was broken.  That was the last straw.  I thought....how can someone who claims to care so much about us let this happen to us?!?!?!  Or do this to us?!?!?!  To my kids.  To my family.  What the hell did we do wrong?!?!?!?!  To stricken my kids down with an incurable disorder that will affect them for the rest of their lives?  I was so mad.  I was done with God.  Threw my bibles away, didn't even remotely think of going to church...ever again.  Only kept my rosary because it was a gift from my mother in law when I converted to Catholicism but that got shoved in the back of a drawer never to be seen again.  It was so bad that if Joel Osteen came on TV I cursed God an changed the channel.  People tried to bring me back, but I wasn't havin' it.

That attitude didn't change overnight and I can't even begin to understand why I've come back to God.  I can only say that His grace has allowed me to trust again.  I truly can't even wrap my head around how God has transformed my heart and mind.  I can't say I've fully accepted my path in life and that of my boys.  I don't think I ever will.  I still have days that I think....'what if my kids didn't have Autism'?  I would probably hear a lot more cries for 'Mommy', more questions why things are the way they are, we'd have more money in our bank account and less baby dolls and dollhouses around.  We'd have an office instead of a therapy room and I wouldn't buy toys based on their ability to be used in therapy.

But I have a new outlook.  God gave me these boys because he trusted me (us) enough to give them everything they need.  To give them the love they deserve and to give them every chance at a productive and happy life.  I look at my personality, my quick temper, my analytical nature and the fierce defense my boys and their rights and I sorta get it.  They need a Mommy like that.  They need a warrior.  They need a defender.  They need me.

And I need them.  The happiness I got when SE called me Mom for the first time back in March of 2012 and how I didn't hear it again until September 2012.  When C was playing at the mall playground and turned around and ran to me, acknowledging I was his Mommy and I was his safety....that only happened last month...for the first time EVER.

I look forward to the day SE will tell me he loves me on his own accord instead of parroting it back to me after I've said it to him. 

And this.....the first time he's ever hugged his brother.....EVER.

 

 

He hugged C on his own!!!  Did you hear that?!?!?!  On.His.Own.  Progress!!!

 

He hugs me all the time.  In fact, he requests hugs regularly, but to hug C?!?!  Wow.

 

Time, intense therapy and intervention will tell how far my boys will go.  I have faith it will be far. :)

 

 

Thanks for reading and understanding a little bit of my journey!

 

 

love,

Supermama rosie



10 miles, Valentine's Day, Yoga and TWITTER!

Hi, my name is Rosie and it's been a week since my last blog entry.  Haha.  Seriously, I probably need to write more often huh?  But this last week was HEC-TIC.

Monday SE was still under the weather so like a good parent, I kept him home from school.  Now, I know that some people have full time jobs and rely on school as childcare....but sending your kid to school when they are sick, so they can get MY kid sick.  Unacceptable.  Fo-real.  Parents need to have some consideration for the other kids in the school/class.  Okay, rant over. SE stayed home, rested and watched several episodes of Team Umizoomi and Thomas the Train.  He did half his therapy session (while laying on the playroom floor) and C completed his full session.

Fat Tuesday.....didn't get a King's cake this year.  And surprise, surprise the local Price Chopper did NOT have any.  Hmmmm.

Ash Wednesday.  Yep, we're Catholic.  So when checking mass times, the local chapel had two.  6:30am and 5:00pm.  Negative on that.  So we went to the chapel on post.  The hubs walked from work and met us there.  Now, SE is pretty well behaved during church as long as he has some stuff to keep him occupied.  C on the other hand......is totally OOC.  Out.Of.Control.  He gabbed loudly for the first half of mass.  The stares of others don't bother me anymore, but to be polite I smile when they're shooting the death rays from their eyes at my little family.  Here's how I feel about kids in church; kids cry, laugh and shout and Jesus loves it all.  They are children (literally) of the most high, so why shush them when they are in the house of the Lord?  Now wailing??  Take 'em out in the hallway son.  So that's what I did.  Took C (who is almost 2 1/2) out into the front hallway where he proceeded to run and laugh.  Now comes the time to receive ashes.  Hubs had C and I had SE.  He was doing great in line, then when we got to the priest, he puts the ashes on my head and then goes to put them on SE.  Let me tell you.....SE was NOT having it.  I was just thinking what he must have been thinking.

1. What is that black stuff you just put on my mom's face?
2.  And now you, a stranger, want to touch me??  On my face??  Um..SPD dude!
3.  AND.......NO.
4.  Kthanksbye.

SE stared at our foreheads for the rest of the mass, but at least he was making AWESOME eye contact!!

 

That night we had our one full meal at our family's Ash Wednesday traditional restaurant.  Captain D's.  Long John Silver's is closer, but when we lived in CO and VA we always went to Captain D's.  And we can't break tradition!!!  As we were walking out after eating, I overheard a lady say, "Why does everyone have spots on their heads"?  Hilarious.  If you're in that boat....of thinking 'What the heck is on her head?'  Please check this link --> Ash Wednesday explained

 

 

 

I also went to yoga on Wednesday.  Jackie (my yoga teacher) decided to do 'heart openers' because it was so close to Valentine's Day.  Cool.  The lesson would end with a full backbend.  Cool.  Or so I thought. 

 

When backbend time came, she points me out...because she thinks I'm strong or something, to do a partner backbend.  Now, when I was in my early years, I could do a backbend with ease.  Heck, into high school I could.  I'm 34.  I thought I could still do a backbend without problems.  I was wrong.  I felt SO dumb in class.  And with that, a challenge had been issued in my mind.  Backbend by June.  I told Jackie I would be able to do one by June.  She chuckled and said, 'Okay'.  What???  Does she not believe I can do it?!?!?!  I WILL.

 

 

I also have another pose I'd like to master by the end of 2013.

 

 

Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm stand)

 

This pose is scary times a million for someone of my height and body proportions.  But I want to be able to do it.  What is life without some challenges to yourself??  I've decided to start with a forearm headstand to be mastered this summer, then move to the forearm stand!  I know all my gymnast friends are like...uh Rosie...EASY.  Yeah, not for someone that hasn't been flipping around their whole life.





Then came Valentine's Day.  I have a love/hate relationship with this "holiday".  I love my family and friends everyday.  I don't need a special day to tell me to show my love.  I bought cards for family, and on a sidenote....when did cards get so freaking expensive?!?!?!  $5 for a card?!?!?  Um yeah, homemade card from now on.  Family, you've been warned.  I don't have a cricut or any of those fancy dancy card making stamp it up stuff....so just be happy you're getting a card, no matter what it looks like.
Mmmmkay??

Valentine's Day is almost as bad as Easter in terms of candy consumption.  For those of us that are confirmed Chocoholics.....it SUCKS.  Temptation at every turn!  I caved.  Had more candies than I needed too.  And I also shared the most fantastic cupcake ever with my little wonders SE and C.  Along with a *gasp* glass of milk!

And it was GOOD.

I got an awesome Valentine from SE that he made at school. 

 

I also got a report from his teacher that said he CHOSE to play with friends instead of having computer time! My kid. Yep, he chose the social interaction instead of time on electronics!!! WOOOOOOOOT!!! 

 

*insert awesome Arsenio Hall-like fist pump here*

Friday was pretty much back to normal...therapy in the morning, SE went to school, C and I ran errands.  We picked up some Melissa and Doug wooden slicing toys.  The boys both go bonkers over these toys and they are a big hit during therapy.  So...it would only make sense to buy them and work on stuff at home.  C has gotten good at cutting and offering me pieces of pizza, bread and apple. 

The next morning I got up and said.....LET'S DO THIS....and ran 10 miles.  Yes TEN miles.
That's DOUBLE DIGITS!!!

It was 19 degrees out....so don't hate on my hat.

I will say that mile 8 to 9...I thought my knees were going to give out.  They were screaming..."Rosie....what the hell are you doing???  I guess you forgot that in the 4 years you played volleyball at Ohio State you jumped like a gazillion times and we took the brunt of that punishment"?!?!?!

So from this.......

 

To this.......

 



SE thought the ice was WAY fun to play with.  I, on the other hand, thought it was damn cold.  And my feet HURT.  But it was worth it, and the half marathon finish will be too!!

 

I wore my Bodybugg during the run and burned 1257 calories for the whole run.  So yeah, I enjoyed my chocolate filled processed food crap sugary donut for Donut Saturday.



 

 

And today, Sunday was a living room yoga kinda day.  I did the same hip opener routine from the Amazon Instant Video rental as last week and then I tried some different poses I found in my Yoga Journal magazine.

 

Here's a plank from my sun salutation series.

 



 

 

Check my triceps!!!  Guess all that hardwork in the weight room is FINALLY paying off!!

I still have a ways to go, but I'm getting there!

 

 

 

And now time for some brotherly love.  My boys don't really interact too much.  UNLESS, one has a toy that the other wants as well.  We're working on this in therapy and in just everyday life.  Ideally I would love to see them play tag and pretend play together.  Of course, that doesn't come easy for either of them and at some point I think we'll have to bring in some peer models to in essence, show them how to play.  Today SE requested the iPad very politely so I gave it to him.  C saw this and wanted to see what SE was doing.  The kitchen table was the scene of the action.  So C took matters into his own hands and got a better view of the iPad on his own.

 



Yep, that's my 2 year old....ON TOP of the kitchen table.  LOL.

And for the TWITTER reference.  So.  I have a twitter account and I can't remember the email address I used for it.  I put in my username and it sends an email to some address I don't remember.  Then I try every password I can think of and get locked out.  BUT, I'm still logged in on my phone and I love my profile. :(  Boo.  So, I'm just going to make a new one I guess.  Look for @supermama_rosie!!!  Follow me!  I'm just now really joining the Twitter world, thanks to a good friend telling me I'm ancient and I need to get on board. Thanks Rod!

Until next time....which WON'T be a week from now..I promise!!

love,

Supermama rosie

What do you mean I can't do it ALL at once?!?!

So....yes, I made a New Year's resolution to lose some weight.  I was already on my way after the 'end of the world' binge I went on.  Let's face it......if the world WERE to have really ended on December 21st and I hadn't had an angry whopper, I would have been PISSED.

But it didn't thankfully, and unfortunately the weight gain that came with that 2 week binge has been hanging on.  Why?  Because you can't out-train a bad diet.  I tend to have a personality where it's all or nothing.  When I decide to do something I jump in with both feet.  And as a Virgo...I'm a little type A.  Okay, a lot.  When I fail at something, I don't take it well.  So, when I fail at my diet attempts by eating foods I don't think I should be eating, I get pretty down on myself.  The problem lies in my unrealistic thought that my diet (what I'm eating day in and day out) needs to be perfect.  Um, hello......I love sweets. I LOVE SWEETS.  I've only met one type of chocolate candy I didn't like, and that was because it was one of those boxed candies made from coconut.  YUCK.  But the bottom line is, I'm going to have some of those sweets I love from time to time.  I'm going to partake in Friday family pizza night and donut Saturday.  It won't cause me to instantly gain 5lbs and I will be happier knowing I'm not restricting myself to the point where I feel I can't enjoy time with my family.

At the start of the year I made some goals.

I decided that I: 1. Wanted to lose 10lbs, 2. Wanted super toned arms and legs, 3. Wanted to lose 8% of my body fat, 4. Wanted to be more flexible, 5. Wanted to run a half marathon,  

That's 5 fitness related goals.  I'm fully aware that it's REALLY hard to lose fat AND gain muscle at the same time.  I'm just not sure I wanted to believe it.

After posting a gut wrenching update in my Facebook Get Fit & Don't Quit Challenge group I got a call from a friend this morning.  Maya has been my friend since my junior year of high school.  We played club volleyball together.  That's almost 20 years.  We don't really see each other a lot, but when we're (including my other Front Range girls) all back together, it's like we were never apart.  I love those girls!

We are both moms of 2 kids.  She's also a full time working mom and I feel like having 2 special needs kids is the equivalent of that.

At any rate...Maya has always been real.  And that's sometimes a rare quality in friends.  Every now and then you need someone to step up and tell you like it is.  Good.  Bad. Or ugly.

We had a great conversation about why I might be failing at my attempts to lose this weight.  There are various reasons we chatted about.  Stress, guilt, being busy, not eating enough, etc.  What it came down to is that I need to chill out a bit.  She told me there was no reason I needed to hide in the closet to eat a donut.  Yep.  I did that.  Mainly so SE wouldn't see me eating it and ask for some. :-P  She told me what I mentioned above.  I can eat the things I want to with my family and I shouldn't feel guilty.  I'm working my butt off!

I need to make smaller goals.  Basically look at the small, immediate picture instead of the whole big picture all the time.

No....I can't do it all.  At least not all at the same time.  So I'm going to adjust my expectations and live life.

So let's talk about the guilt.  I have never really experienced mommy guilt, but I hear it's pretty widespread.  Mothers feeling guilty for doing things for themselves instead of spending time with their children.  Um, hello....that alone time is what keeps you from killing them!!

I have a lot to do on a daily basis, but I always make the time to workout.  Working out is my 'me' time.  It's when I get to do something for myself.  Some women get manicures and massages.  I workout.  And nope.  I don't feel a lick of guilt.

 

I look at it as I'm getting the time alone ALL MOMS need.  And I'm being healthy for my boys. 

 

Now, don't get me wrong.  I don't just workout to be healthy.  I wanna look good too! 

 

Another thing Maya and I talked about was the ever present semi secret mom code.  The fact that most mothers feel the need to do everything and be everything for everyone.  It's like it's ingrained into our mommy DNA.  And that can and WILL cause some mommy guilt.

 

 



Well....I'm just going to do what I can, when I can, the best I can.  No more stressing out that everything in my house isn't in place when therapists come over.  Hello...we live here.  And besides that...a 3 yr old and a 2 yr old live here too.  Which means every toy we own must be out and ready to be stepped on at any moment.  No more getting on the scale every. single. morning.  Only once a week.  Like whatever carbs I ate the day before won't be holding onto some water, making me gain that extra 3lbs.  UGH!  No more thinking I need to get another job just so we can have more money.  Although, more money would be nice, I won't be nice if I'm that stressed out.  So I'll stick with my 2-3 classes I teach at the Y, the surveys I take online for $3 a pop and strict budgeting.

FYI...I'm writing as the Grammy's are on.  And LL Cool J is looking mighty good if I don't say so myself. ;-)

So anyway, back to real life.  My baby boy (SE) was sick today, so no potty training.

He was a trooper yesterday.  We had to bribe him with the iPad to get him to sit on the potty for longer than 30sec.  The goal is to get him sitting on the potty then fade the reinforcer (iPad) gradually.  Potty training a child with autism can be a bit different than training a 'typical' child.  It's a process and we will get through it!

He's gonna be mad in 5 years when he knows that there's a photo on the Internet of him on the potty. LOL!  Daddy was there for moral support.  And notice the toys and Reese's bars up on the shelf for incentive! :)

Yesterday I ran...hello...NINE miles.  9!!!!  Yeah baby!  That's the longest I've EVER ran in my life.  Ever.

Please excuse the time out bench and frumpy dumpy running shirt.

Okay...I've missed yoga for the past 2 weeks.  Ick.  So here's the deal, we have Amazon Prime Instant Video and I was looking through some yoga DVDs to do today.  I found a couple, even one for kids!!  SE and C were NOT into it today though, but they'll get there.....I hope.  LOL.  Also...surprisingly there were nude yoga videos.  NUDE?!?!?!  W...T...F?!?!?!  On Amazon??  That kids can access?  That's NO bueno.

At any rate.....I did a great 45 min video.  I never in a million years thought I would love yoga as much as I do.  It's awesome.  It's not so much the physical nature of the practice, but the mental work I get done on the mat.  I think that's a real reason I've been so stressed and frazzled over the last couple weeks...no yoga.  I'll never let that happen again.  Especially now that I have the videos on my iPad!  Here's some of my living room yoga.  Thank goodness we did away with coffee tables!  I have the space I need to roll my mat out and get to work!

So if you've ever taken a yoga class before there is usually a meditative portion at the end.  I savor that part.  Helps me focus on what I've just done.  Now, after watching me do yoga in the living room for 40 min from the kitchen, both boys were antsy to come down to see me.  Wait....see me?  No, see the iPad.  But that wasn't happening.  So SE decided to "help" me meditate.

Supermama Rosie can meditate with an almost 4 year old laying across her lap.  Yoga BAMF.  Fo sheezy.

Alright ya'll.  I'm out.  Check ya tomorrow...

love,

Supermama rosie

It's FANTASTIC Friday!!

Hey guys, it's Friday!

Which technically means little to nothing to me as a Mom because if you're a Mom, you already know there are NO days off. 

It's also our weekly pizza and a movie night!  We did the usual, 1/2 cheese 1/2 pepperoni, black olives and mushrooms.  I didn't eat any of that.  I made a thin crust spinach, chicken, light alfredo and red pepper sauce pizza.  I had 2 1/2 pieces (it was GOOOOOD) and a large salad before that. 

I try to make Friday's my "cheat" day, because with my half marathon training I know the next day is my long run day and all those calories should be burned off!  So...using myfitnesspal I logged 2,314 calories today (which is much more than I normally eat, by about 600 calories) and so far I've burned about 2200.  So technically I would be gaining weight today.  As much as we'd like to negate the theory....calories in vs calories out does work in many instances.  But what's important is to look at the quality of the calories you're ingesting.  Since mine weren't all that great today, I won't go too far in depth into it.....for now.

So you may be wondering....gee Rosie, how do you know how many calories you burned, just being you today???  I didn't work out at all, it's a rest day in prep for my long run tomorrow.

I use a little contraption known as a BodyBugg.
It's a monitor you wear on your left arm and it analyzes how many steps you take and how many calories you burn!  You can also buy a watch that syncs with the monitor and you get instant info!  I've also heard there's one that syncs with your phone too.

This is my watch at 7:36pm tonight.  I took 8,153 steps and have burned almost 2200 calories!

 

 

So eventually I'll get to my goal of 145lbs, but more importantly a size 6!  I was close this past summer and then the Fall hit and I got stressed and starting slacking on the workouts and eating bad.  BUT.....I'm back.  I will make my goal by this summer for SURE!

 

 

So...weekend plans,

 

Run. 

 

For awhile.  Like 7 miles.  I had to re-evaluate my training plan because I was already up at a distance I should have been at in like 3 weeks or so.  So I'm just gonna keep it averaging 6-7 for the next 2 weeks.

 

In addition to that...SE will be rocking the big boy undies this weekend.  Meaning we're stuck in the house this whole weekend with a lot of laundry.

 

 

 

So we have a couple sets of undies to use.  Now...teaching a kiddo with ASD to potty is a whole different ball game than pottytraining a kid without ASD.  SE has a fear of even sitting on the potty.  In fact the other day I bribed him with the iPad to sit for 20 minutes since he woke up with a dry diaper.  I was expecting an Austin Powers like pee from him, but he held it.  For an hour.  Until he got the diaper on, then went.  Of course.  His therapists have a couple theories, one being that he's a little rule bound and thinks he goes potty in a diaper and that's the rule.  We'll see how the undies work.  I have a feeling it will make him pretty uncomfortable.  YAY!  Wish us luck!  I'm so sick of buying and changing SO many diapers!

 

In unrelated news, C has learned how to jump.  It's like a credit card jump, but still....he's jumping.  And it's his FAV thing to do right now.  Unfortunately this has led to some slight boo boos since jumping, socks and hardwood floors don't always mix.

 

He also loves hats in the evenings....

 

 

 

What's up SUCKAS???

 

Well, back to the movie..

We're watching The Lorax right now and those 3 fish?  I <3 them!  Hilarious!

For kids movies it seems Netflix has the best selection.  We also have Amazon Prime Instant Video and that's not so great for kids movies.  If you have Hulu Plus, what do you think of it??  We don't have an on demand option because DirecTV would charge us an arm and a leg for the little receiver box to link to our internet.  Thanks, but no thanks.  I'm already pissed off at them enough for that whole Viacom snafu this past summer.  No Nick Jr. for like 3 weeks??  That's cause for concern in this family.  Dora, Bubble Guppies and Max and Ruby are important characters to my boys.

 



 

love,

Supermama rosie



 



It's just......SUPER!

So, I didn't post yesterday....Superbowl Sunday because I was too busy stuffing my face with everything I usually don't eat.  Fried coconut chicken tenders, pizza monkey bread with marinara, chips and queso, more chips and queso, chips and guacamole, brownies and a Coke float.  Ugh.  I'm feeling nauseous just TYPING it. 

If it's possible to gain 5lbs from a meal....I did. 

And then to make things worse....I ate leftovers today!  Bad Rosie....bad, bad, bad.  Now my stomach hurts and I feel extra fat.  Oh well, I'll just start eating the normal way tomorrow. 

I do find it amazing that when I go back to eating foods that are "bad" for you...it just feels so good.  Those endorphins kick in and viola...I crave more.  Tomorrow is going to be fun.  Not only will I be in sugar withdrawal, but we're getting our taxes done too.  Joy, joy.  The hubs is going to LOVE me.

So as you know my Friday/Saturday plans were derailed by what we'll refer to as: the battery incident.  I grocery shopped....at Walmart....on the Saturday before the Superbowl.  I know, I deserve a Ranger tab for that!!! 

 

 

I needed to get my long run in on Sunday since I missed it on Saturday, the day I also had CPR training at the Y.  I'm now: AHA CPR and ACLS certified, ARC CPR/First Aid/AED certified and now.....I'm ASHI (no....not ashy....I do use lotion!) CPR certified.  Rest assured if someone goes into cardiac arrest...I should know what to do.  LOL.

I got 8 miles in on Sunday morning and the hubs went the distance with me.  He pushed the boys in the jogger for 5 and I took the last 3.  Definitely should have taken the first 3.  I was dying on that last mile!!!!  Those boys are heavy!

Yeah, you know what it is...

Black and yellow, black and yellow,

black and yellow, black and yellow...

( I couldn't help it....and it's on my running playlist)

 

Anyway, I'm thinking that had I not been pushing 70+ lbs of kid and stroller up and down hills, the last mile would have felt good.  I'm feeling good about the half marathon in April!

 

Spent the majority of today starting and FINISHING SE's weighted blanket.  I'm what you might like to call: an imperfect and impatient crafter. 

 

When I start a craft, I like to finish it the same day.  I need the instant gratification.  And if something's a little off, I don't rip it out....I work around it.  Impatience......or laziness, you choose.

 

 

 

Huge, green, never ending pocketed MONSTER blanket.  Took literally almost ALL DAY.

I did have some help though....

 

 

 

He kept asking to sit on my lap while I was sewing.  I let him once and couldn't seem to see around his head.  Speaking of noggins, why do I look like I have a Tyra Banks size forehead in this photo??  I swear my forehead isn't that big......is it??

 

This is the finished product for SE.  It's approximately 5ish lbs and it's pretty big.  63 pockets baby.....63.

C's will be next.......next week.  No more sewing for me for awhile.  Being hunched over that machine all day has made my back sore!  How do those kids in India and China do it?!?!?!

As far as exercise today, I did P90X Chest, Shoulders, Triceps this morning.  I also stated that I broke up with Tony, my workout boyfriend.  Yep, I dumped him.  He made some comments on FB that I disagreed with in terms of $$ needed to eat healthy.  Here's the bones...if you need $9 a meal to eat healthy, you're Tony Horton, with Tony Horton money.  If you're a regular person, you read a book and do the best you can to eat healthy.  Not everyone has $700+ to spend on food a month...for one person.  Just sayin....

Teaching PiYo Strength tomorrow morning and I'll get 3 miles in on the treadmill after.  I'll also get back to eating like I have some sense too. :-P  I gotta get down to 145 by summer and I'm a cool 10-12lbs away.  I think I can do it.  Shoot, with all this running, I BETTER do it!  LOL!

As far as the Superbowl, I picked my team that morning....

I have to admit, I got a little worried after the blackout.  Momentum is so important in sports.  If you've ever played a competitive sport....you'll know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.  That moment when either you've just lost your mojo or you're on FIRE.  I remember having some moments like that in college....both situations!

Remember NBA Jam for Sega from WAAAAAY back?  When you were 'on fire' you could shoot from behind half court and make it.  I haven't played a video game like that in forever!

Here's what my foodie looked like:

 

 Homemade Guacamole....almost as good as my Mom's!

Pizza Monkey Bread (had some of this today at lunch).

Those are the coconut chicken tenders (delish) and a regular tender.  That velveeta queso blanco with HOT Rotel....the absolute TRUTH!  So good!

And I got stared down the ENTIRE time.  I think she thinks the Jedi Labrador Mind Trick will actually work one day.  Sorry Lucy, not this time little mama.  She did get some tasty treats later though, we're not that cruel.

Well, it's 11:50pm  YIKES!  And I will be up in 6 hours...assuming I fall right asleep and with C in the bed with us....FAT CHANCE.  Me thinks little wonder needs to go back in his bed, only caveat...he might cry and wake SE up.  Somehow I didn't think them sharing a room would go anything like this.  Although I'm happy we have a dedicated room for therapy now!  :)

Alright ya'll!  Laters!

love,

Supermama rosie

 







SPD....Simple, Perfect, Delicate...OR.....

SPD really stands for Sensory Processing Disorder.  Both my kidlets have this in addition to their ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).  In fact, most children on the spectrum have SPD too.  So...what IS SPD?  Well here's a handy dandy definition courtesy of spdfoundation.net:

     Sensory processing (sometimes called "sensory integration" or SI) is a term that refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses. Whether you are biting into a hamburger, riding a bicycle, or reading a book, your successful completion of the activity requires processing sensation or "sensory integration."

So here's what happens when our signals get crossed.......
 
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD, formerly known as "sensory integration dysfunction") is a condition that exists when sensory signals don't get organized into appropriate responses. Pioneering occupational therapist and neuroscientist A. Jean Ayres, PhD, likened SPD to a neurological "traffic jam" that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly. A person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday tasks. Motor clumsiness, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, school failure, and other impacts may result if the disorder is not treated effectively.

Alright...here's what it looks like in SE and C.

SE is a really active kid.  He runs A LOT.  When he is stationary for what seems like an incredibly breif amount of time during his waking hours, he fidgets.  What I'm trying to say is he is CONSTANTLY in motion.  Story time at the library??  Forget about it!  SE wouldn't sit and listen for longer than 3 minutes (if that) without what we call a 'fidget'.  It's like his buns are on fire.  Anyway, a fidget is something given to kids to attract their attention and provide positive reinforcement for sitting. 
SE also loves to run and crash into our couches.  Loves to spin, be thrown up in the air and crash down into our 5ft bean bag otherwise known as the 'crash pad'.  He also doesn't like grass, especially dry grass, if he falls down into it he'll raise his hands up like he just touched a booger covered in vomit.  Seriously...that's how repulsed he is.  Swinging and jumping are also times when he's most focused.  His speech improves and his joint attention is fantastic.  Why?  Because his body is getting the 'input' it needs for his brain to process better.  SE loves playing in shaving cream and paint now, but this skill has been taught.  He initially ran for the hills when that stuff came out.  On the plus side....makes for a cleaner play time!  The most obvious sign to outsiders (people not familiar with our family) is when SE gets overwhelmed and I squeeze his head, arms, legs, hands and feet.  I provide gentle, but steady pressure for about 5 seconds on each body part and it relaxes him.


C is a lot like SE, but has NO problem with anything messy.  As a matter of fact, one of our OTs brought some fingerpaints to a session and had him play and draw lines with paint on his highchair table.  He drove his Percy train through the paint and had NO problem with it.  Me on the other hand, I thought I was going to break into a sweat and scream when I was looking at it.  I'm not the most tidy person in the world, but for some reason seeing that activity drove me nuts.  And I wonder why my kids are the way they are?!?!?!  LOL!  C craves deep input.  He loves to 'tripod'.  So standing, he bends over at the waist and puts his head on the floor.  Also loves to "hike" things through his legs.  Perhaps a career in the NFL as a long snapper is in the cards for him???  He also likes the steady pressure and likes to crash into the couches and bean bag.

Ever see those kids with noise reducing headphones on?  SPD.  Although I'd like to wear those sometimes just so I don't have to listen to people.


SO......weighted items like lap pads, blankets and vests are often helpful for kids with SPD. 
Now, if you look on a therapy site....$150 for a blanket....EASY.  My friend Ann who has twin boys on the spectrum made her own, and I thought that was a great idea, so I jumped on it!  She did hers with fleece and I'm making mine with cotton and flannel.

How heavy are these blankets?!?!  Well, OTs (Occupational Therapists) suggest 5%-10% of the child's body weight.  I used 2.5lbs for the lap pad and I'll do 10% of each boy's weight for their blankets.

Here's my lap pad:

SE had to inspect the finished product.

 

 

 

 

I'll get started on the next lap pad tomorrow!

 





 Might as well do some learnin' while we're at it.  This fabric has states and capitals on it!

 

Now.....onto my day.

 

Woke up at 800am all ready to get myself together to run my 8 miles.  While I'm putting my leggings on I get a text...."Is the CPR class at 930?"  OH SNAP!  I totally spaced it!!  Change o plans peeps. 

So no run today and after CPR...went grocery shopping, since yesterday's plans were thrown in the crapper because of the battery issue.

 

WHAT WAS I THINKING GOING TO WALMART, A. On a Saturday and B. On the Saturday BEFORE Superbowl Sunday?!?!?!?!?!  I waited at least 3 whole minutes to get to the milk case and get my 3 gallons. 

 

And can I just tell you how RUDE people are here!  Not Virginia rude (those were some of the rudest people in the world there), but not Texas nice either.  On a sidenote, as much as I like it here....I would love to move back to Texas for our next assignment.  Just not to Ft. Hood. :-P

 

Had some Hobby Lobby time (to get fabric for the blankets and needles for the sewing machine), grocery shopped, then went to Walgreens to get some of that L'Oreal BB cream.  I heard it was the shizz as far as primer under foundation, so we shall see.

 

I will get my run in tomorrow morning.  I have 8 on tap and will attempt to run at a 10:15 pace the whole way.  I'll need it before the SupersnackBowl. :)

 

Here's the menu for Supermama's house.  No party, just the 4 of us hanging out.  The boys hopefully will eat the pizza bread.  Fingers crossed.  I don't like being a short order cook, but I am most days due to the boy's pickiness and SPD issues with certain foods.  Anyway, back to the good stuff!  Don't those chicken tenders look fab?!?!?!

 

Coconut Chicken Tenders

 



 

Queso!!!!!

(I love queso so much I could probably just drink it right out of the freaking bowl...yeah that's gross and you know what.....I don't care....it's just that good.)

 

 

Pepperoni Pizza Monkeybread!!!!

 

 

But I'll have my customary oatmeal with flax and chia seeds for breakfast and a salad for lunch.  Then I'll pig out like I've never seen food before.  And probably get a stomach ache from eating all that fat and grease.  But it'll be worth it as the feel good, eating bad food endorphins flood my brain.

 

Okay...no I won't pig out like a ravenous heathen, but dang it, I'm going to enjoy the food I made!!

 

And then weights on Monday!!!  WOOOO!!!  Operation Cameron Diaz tank top arms is in FULL EFFECT baby!

 

 

Alright ya'll.  I guess I'll clear off the hubs' side of the bed so he doesn't have to when he comes up to bed.  I'm so nice. o_O .  Poor guy has been studying all day.  Loves school I tell you.  That guy can't get enough learnin' in!  I bet after his PhD some other degree will come up and he'll want to do that.  He's like Calvin from the old McDonald's commercials!!  Doing it right!!!

 

Okay, I'm out!

 

love,

Supermama rosie