We're talking progression....and regression.

Alright, I'm a bad news first kinda person. 
 
When someone asks me what I want to hear first, the good or the bad....I always say bad.  Why?  Because hearing the good ends the news on a positive note.

So I'm going to start with the bad news.

C is regressing.  BOO!!!!!  We were doing SO well too!  UGH.

What do I mean by regressing?  Well, in essence...losing skills.  His joint attention is down, compliance is down; he's basically chilling out in his own world.  Now there are a couple reasons this might be happening.

C, in the past, has been known to regress before he makes a huge leap in development.  I'm SO hoping this is what it is.  His therapy has been somewhat inconsistent though, due to scheduling and illnesses that are, unfortunately, part of life.  This might be it too.  There is also the fact that SE has been home at a different time of day now that regular school is out and summer school is in, completely throwing both of the boy's normal schedules out of whack.  Also...the cast on C's arm might be adding to his sensory needs by messing with his balance. 

WHO KNOWS?!?!?!  That's the frustrating part.  When your child has a disease that people know the cause....most times there are proven treatments for it.  But with Autism...no child is affected in the same way, which is why there is NO proven treatment or cure.  We don't know what causes it and what works for one kid might not work for another.  Heck, my 2 boys are completely different.

So what's the plan?  Keep plugging away at our work on joint attention, responding to his name, etc.  We're gonna get it worked out.....there is NO other option.

 

 

This sweet boy deserves nothing better than the best I can give him. :)

 

Now the good stuff.

 

The flip side.  SE has been saying some AWESOME stuff lately.  The hubs took a trip to Utah last week for his PhD program.  He was set to arrive home pretty late and I had the boys in the car while we were waiting for  him to call and tell us he'd landed. 

 

Well, the auxiliary lights were on in the car so I opened the door so they would go off.  Of course the interior lights came on and right when they did SE says, "Welcome to the party"!.  After I told him that was a good thing to say I laughed so hard I almost started crying.  It was just the way he said it.  Now, I know he heard that phrase on some kind of show, but the important thing was that he used it appropriately. 

 

THEN....while we were away from the house on a community outing with one of his therapists I was buckling him into his seat and I told him we were going to 'go'.  He responded with, "Go see Grandma and Papa now"!  How completely adorable.  We've been talking about our upcoming trip home to Colorado, where he'll be able to see Grandma, Papa and Gigi, the boys' grandparents.

 

Awesome that he used his language appropriately!!!!  I tell ya, it's the little things that make me so proud!

 

Now.....

 

Here's your warning....

 

 

 

So...let's talk about how our commissary will be CLOSED every Monday...ALL DAY starting the 8th of July!  Um  WHAT?!?!?!  Now...not that I shop at the commissary very often, but what about the people on post that do?  How many times have you forgotten a simple ingredient for a recipe and had to run to the store?  Now people that live on post will have to make a way longer drive to another supermarket!  Annoying!!! 

 

Why is this happening??  The FREAKING sequester!!!  All the non military employees having their salary cut by 20% because of furloughs...this includes the people that work at the commissary.    I guess cutting 2% of the federal budget was just TOO difficult!  But people are constantly talking about their "Obama phones" and are texting for free!  I'm not even going to start in on all the other topics I could go off about.....but not being able to cut 2% caused all this.  Did you know they government spent 492 million on just ADVERTISING for the "Obama phones"?!??!?!  That could have paid a TON of contracted employees!!! 

 

Okay...rant over.

 

Moving on....

 

So....I've decided not to tell people I'm trying to 'lose weight'.  Because that's not what I want to do.  I want to build muscle and lose fat.  Hence all the weightlifting and interval cardio.

 

Oh...so then there's this....

 

 

I take a lot of 'selfies'.  That's photos of yourself. :)  It helps me with motivation and also to see what I need to work on and what I've accomplished.

 

So....

 

 

 

I find it funny these were all taken on different days.....but I have the SAME EXACT pose.  Haha!!!

 

My arms seem to be coming along so now my focus has transferred to my abs and hip/thigh area. 

 

And you KNOW I ain't posting that stuff online until I'm where I need to be.  So here's a tip...don't hold your breath waiting for those photos....because it's going to be awhile.

 

 

I've been doing my yoga at home these days and I'm considering going back to class....but we'll see. 

 

 



I'm LOVING lifting right now.  I wish more women would lift heavy.  I keep telling my friends and family that.  Lifting real weights builds muscle and more muscle burns fat and calories....which means we can EAT more!!!!  LOL.  I love how everything always comes back to food with me.

Which reminds me.  The sign I need to put on the boy's cookie package...

For real.  No jokes. 

I need that sign.

So let's talk about some stuff I saw in the gym this week and some tips on how to avoid being annoying.

What...

Is this?!?!?!?!

Seriously.  You can't use those together.  One attachment on the cable at a time.

2.  How hard is it to re-rack your weights???  If you can put them on....you can take them off.

On Friday at 5am I walked into the gym and there were weights on the bar in the squat rack, uneven on the leg press, on 2 benches and dumbbells on the floor.  Freaking annoying.

3.  Squats on the Smith machine.  Now.....let's talk a bit about functional movement.  I'm no expert on squats since I use plates under my heels to compensate for my super long femur length so I can go parallel or below BUT I DO know that a smith machine squat isn't the right way to squat.  If you watch a person do a regular GOOD barbell squat you'll see the bar doesn't stay exactly on a straight line down.  Why?  Because that's not the way your body goes when you squat. :)  Anywho, I saw a multitude of people squatting this way this week.  *SMH*

  That's it for now.  I'm being summoned by a cranky 2 year old. 

We're going to watch some bull riding tonight.  Should be interesting with a 2 year old and 4 year old who both only napped in the car earlier today.  What can I say??  We're gluttons for punishment!  LMAO!!!

Hey by the way......it's almost one of my most favorite holidays!!!  4th of July!!  Why?  Because my family loves AMERICA!!!

 

Yes, I will be wearing these glass ALL DAY on the 4th!!!  Even to workout!

 



love,

Supermama rosie

Real Housewives FINALLY shows REAL LIFE!

So, I'm an avid Real Housewives watcher.  Well maybe not avid.....I pick and choose.

I watch OC, Beverly Hills, Miami and my 2 favorites...Atlanta and New Jersey.

Last season on the RHofNJ it was revealed at the reunion show that Jacqueline's youngest son, Nick, was diagnosed with Autism.  She did several interviews after that and was not candid about her feelings, crying several times. 

And you know what?  I appreciated that.  She's REAL.  Those are real feelings about her son.  It's the way millions of parents feel across the country.   It's how I felt.  Remember, Autism is now affecting 1 out of every 50 children.

Last night part of the episode really showed how Jacqueline and her husband Chris are dealing with Autism.  There were a lot of tears shed by Jacqueline and I shed some too, just watching and almost reliving those moments when the diagnoses came down for my two sons.  It hurts.

You (as a mother) know in your heart that it's Autism but when the doctor actually tells you......it finally hits home that it's REAL.  Yes, this is happening...to your kids, to you and your family.  And it's LIFE ALTERING. 

In the show Jacqueline reveals that her son regressed from sentences to being non verbal.  From answering to his name to ignoring them.  Sounded familiar.  C regressed too.  SE was just never at the point communication wise that he *could* regress.

Spoiler alert!!!!  If you don't want to know what happens in the episode...go watch it then come back here and read!

At one point in the episode Chris reveals that he's been working on Nick saying 'I love you'.  This was pivotal because on the reunion show of the previous season one of the saddest parts was when Jacqueline states that her son doesn't say 'I love you' anymore and Caroline hugs her as she's sobbing and says "He'll say it again, I know he will".

Super tears there too.  It hurt me to see her going through the same thing I went through.  What so many families are going through.  What one family goes through every 20 minutes when their child is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Anywho...close to the end of the episode Chris has Nick tell his mom 'I love you'.  Here's the link if you want to cry your eyes out: Nick tells Jacqueline 'I love you'

He has a dum dum sucker for a reinforcer.  Awesome.  AND what's better is that many of their friends and family were there to see it.

That was important to me because it gave them a glimpse into what life with a child with Autism is like.

Many people take for granted the things that come so easy for their children.

"Mommy....my tummy hurts".  I've never heard it.  I don't know my kids are sick until they're puking everywhere.

"Mommy, I'm scared".  I don't know that until one of the boys is shaking like a leaf in my arms and screaming bloody murder.

And my biggest fear......

"Mommy, my teacher (or another student) was mean to me today".

How would you feel if you knew your child couldn't tell you if the bus driver mistreated them?  Or if they were getting bullied in school?

Horrible.  That's how.  And that's exactly how I feel.  SE isn't to that point yet and if something were to happen, God forbid, I would have NO idea.  I have to trust these people caring for and educating my son.

At the end of the above mentioned clip, Jacqueline states that the moment her son said 'I love you' gave her hope.  Hope because if he can say that....he can say a lot more.  And that's how I feel with both boys. 

October 27th, 2011.  What an absolutely moving day for us.  I'll remember it forever.  It was the day SE said 'hi' to me for the very first time.  He was 2 1/2 years old.  I cried like nobody's business!!!!  I was so happy.  For the exact same reason Jacqueline was hopeful for her son.  If SE could say 'hi', he could say more.  And just the other day he did just that.

We were sitting on the couch in the family room and C's speech therapist Amy was here working with C.  C was running all around (actually the same day he fractured his wrist) and SE asked me for Orangie (his lovey).  I told him Orangie was upstairs and he could go get him.  SE looks at me and says "No Mommy, you go get Orangie".  I looked at Amy and said, "Did he just tell me to go get him"?  We both agreed that he did.  Wow, how far we've come!

 

 

Both my boys are making progress.  But we still have so far to go.  Our goal was to have SE in a regular education Kindergarten class with an aide.  He has one more year of preschool then we'll have to make a decision. 

 

It's frustrating because while I love the therapists that come into our home, I know SE would do so much better in the structured environment of a center.  However, we don't have the money to pay out of pocket and the closest center (17 miles one way) away doesn't take our insurance right now.  So they are trying to get credentialed with Tricare and I'm hoping both will be in the center by the start of the school year in August.  Fingers are crossed!

 

With SE in a center and in preschool for a full year before Kindergarten....watch out, the sky's the limit!!!!

 

So I hope they continue to show Nick and his progress on the show.  And showing the struggles would be beneficial too.  I think they could make a great impact on people who otherwise wouldn't even get exposed to the world of Autism!

 

 

I absolutely love these boys!  And while I have accepted their diagnoses, I refuse to keep them in that box! 

 

 

love,

Supermama rosie

 

 



Tornados and a surprise visit!!!!

We live on the KS/MO border. 

AKA....in the middle of.....TORNADO ALLEY.

Yeah, that's us.  Right in the middle!


We, luckily, have a basement area that I stock with water, food, extra changes of clothes and shoes, a radio, flashlights, an air mattress with blankets and in the event we are put on warning, I'll bring our important documents (birth certs, social security cards, photos, passports, tax records etc.) down there as well.

When the horrific tornadoes hit Oklahoma and Kansas last week and the week before looking at the images I couldn't help but think....OMG, what if that happened to us?!?!?  What if my son were at school??  What if the hubs is at work?!?!?!  SCARY!!

Here are a couple pics of the sky last week taken from my back deck!  Very ominous!!

Hopefully we'll never have to find out.

I'm definitely sending prayers out to the victims of these horrific acts of nature.  Those images from Moore, OK really got me.  Especially the kids in the school.  I couldn't even imagine dragging little bodies out of that rubble.  Hence, why I'll NEVER be a Peds nurse.  EVER.  You know how they say never say never?  I'm saying never.

So....let's move on to happier stuff!

Finally....my arms (at the right angles in the gym mirror) are looking a little better!!   Yes, it may seem a little narcissistic that I take a photo of myself in the gym everyday BUT I have my reasons.

 

 

One.....I like to have record of my progress.  And I know what you're thinking...."yeah...but do you have to post it to FB and IG if it's for YOUR record"? 

Nope, I sure don't have to, but I like to.  And that leads me to me second reason.  I post because I have several FB friends and followers on IG that have told me that my posts and photos help them stick with their health and fitness goals or even start exercising.  Not to toot my own horn...but a couple have even said they're inspirational. 

Um....toot toot!

That makes my heart SWELL!!  Not with pride, well maybe a little, but I love that people are getting healthy and making positive changes in their lives!

I also recently started a new workout program. 

Here it is: Shortcut to Size It's an intense program and I'm loving it. 

It's crazy hard and it uses microcycles for periodization; I feel absolutely spent after every single workout.  It's Wednesday and my legs are still sore from my leg day on Friday of last week!

I'm going to keep busting my butt until I reach my goals! 

However, something that keeps bugging me is the lack of women in the weights section.  Especially free weights.  I often take for granted that I've been strength training for 18 years, since my sophomore year of high school.  But only now I'm getting serious about lifting HEAVY weight.  That's really the only way my muscles respond.  But I do think that more women need to lift...heavy.  Lifting weights build muscle and muscle burns FAT!

But lifting this hard, doing cardio AND teaching classes is making me EAT.  Shoot! 

However, I am getting help and support from some good friends in person, through my challenge Facebook page and via text.  I can do this!!!  And I won't beat myself up when I slip.

This last week was the first week of summer break.  And we've been having fun!  I've been enjoying some quality time with my sons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sitting in your toy box is for the cool kids.

 

 



 

Riding your car on the couch is also for the cool kids.

 

 

 

At the end of the week we got a SUPER surprise!!

 

Now most people would freak out at the thought of their in-laws calling and telling them they would be stopping by in 6 hours.  But we were SO excited!!  The only thing that didn't have me too excited was cleaning up all the dog hair in the guest room.  Lucy sheds like a maniac!

 

 

We decided to go out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse (which is basically the family staple) and C was SO scared to go in!  Weird.  So we decided to go to Five Guys instead.  Which was okay, but I certainly would have rather had a steak.  But C was uncomfortable and scared so we all decided it was a better choice to go somewhere he was okay with.

 

 

 

Snuggling with Grandma!

 

 



We also did a little shopping!

Papa wanted to ride with SE in the cart!

And Cabela's too!!

Feeding the fish!

 

 



This last week (between the rain) provided some great days for running.  So I took the boys out and we ventured into the jungle....wait, I mean the trail system by our house.  The boys fell asleep, which was awesome because I didn't have to hear, "Out"! "All done"!

 

 

Which leads me to my next beef with Missouri.....TICKS.  Gross. Removed one from SE last week after we went to the playground on post.

 

 

And here comes my nurse speech.  Make sure to check yourself, your kids, your spouse and your pets for ticks when coming in from outside.

 

Also, the proper way to remove a tick is to use fine point tweezers to grasp the tick where it's attached and pull it out with strong steady pressure.  When it's out, clean the area with soap and water or alcohol.  Check the area later for the signature bulls eye mark that is characteristic of Lyme disease. *steps down off nurse soapbox*

 

 

And now for the least fun event of the week.

 

 

Yesterday during speech therapy at home, C rolled off the bean bag (we have one of those HUGE 5ft ones) while he was playing and landed on his wrist funny.  He cried, and cried.....and cried.  Then was holding it and saying "Owie" and "It hurt".  So I knew something was up.  Especially when he wouldn't calm down. 

 

 

So I called the hubs and he had an ortho doc put in an order for an x-ray.  We got to the clinic on post and strolled right into x-ray.  No wait.  SWEET!  C slept through the whole thing.  Even better!!

 

 

And then he even slept through one of the clinic techs putting the splint on!!  I let her know that when we come back Friday morning.....it won't be that easy to put the hard cast on. LOL.  The whole process only took an hour!





He's adjusting well.  The best thing about the splint is that he can't really climb with it, so I haven't had to scold him for climbing ON the entertainment center!  I've been giving him Tylenol when he tells me that it hurts or when I notice he's extra irritable and tugging at the bandages.

Ah....how did we know C would be the one to break a bone first?!?!?!  Oh, because DANGER is his middle name!!

That's it for now!  Hope you all are having a fantastic day.  I'm about to grab the boys and take a trip to Sam's Club.  I'm sure they'll request pizza the minute we walk in.  I guess that will be their dinner.  Mother of the year here!!!  LOL.  Such a hypocrite talking about eating well and here I am giving my kids pizza.  Hmph!

love,

Supermama rosie

Why I workout so much....

So, a lot of people ask me why I workout so much. 

I'm sure a lot of people workout just as much, if not more, than I do.

So recently I sat down and really asked myself why I workout.  Because truthfully....munching on Oreos while watching TV all day would be easier.

Now, I would be lying if I said I didn't workout to look better.  I do.  And call me vain, but that's like 45% of the reason I kill myself in the gym.  I only wish my diet would reflect that kind of dedication, but I'll get to that later.

So...if it's not 100% for looks, what's the majority of the reason I workout?


Here's one.

Here's another one.

 

And another one.

 



That's right.  I do it for my family.  No one ever likes to think about what would happen if they died, but I actually have.  I think most special needs parents do.  Who would take care of my kids?  What would happen with their therapies?  Who would look out for them while their father is working? 

Statistically speaking 80% of individuals with Autism over the age of 18 do not live independently.  That means the hubs and I might have the boys with us a very long time.  So we need to be healthy.....in order to keep up and care for them.

I take care of all the information regarding therapy for the boys.  My hubs is informed and involved, but the Army doesn't always allow for him to come to all IEP or IFSP or ABA team meetings.  That's my job primarily.  It's important for me to A. be around, ie alive and coherent and B. not sick all the time.  Having a healthy lifestyle aids in that.

I also work so hard at it because I have a terrible family health history.  I'm talking my grandparents.  Stroke, heart disease and heart attacks, hypertension, diabetes and cancer.  And those are just the pertinent ones. 

Now, here's where diet comes in.  I've heard that diet is 70% and exercise is 30% when thinking about weight loss and transforming your body.  I tend to lean towards diet being 80%.  I work my butt off and sweat A LOT and the only time things ever really change is when I eat clean.  Which I totally didn't do this past weekend.

 

Oh Five Guys....so good.

 

Yogurtini....YUM!  That's Birthday cake frozen yogurt with waffle cone pieces, Oreo chunks, marshmallow creme and caramel.  OMG...it was so good. 



What is eating clean?  Well, it's actually pretty simple.  Cut out the sugary, fatty, processed CRAP.  Basically the crap in a cup in the bowl pictured above. If it comes in a box...don't eat it (unless it's oatmeal--the kind you cook, not instant packets).  Eat whole and REAL food.  Yes, it's expensive and a PITA (pain in the ass) because you have to prep and cook a lot, but it's worth it.  You'll feel better!  I promise!!  (After the sugar withdrawal headaches go away).

So if you don't have anyone to be healthy for.....do it for yourself.

 

On that note, while this wasn't the funniest, most clever post, I hope it's given you some insight into my life and maybe if you are on the brink of making some healthy changes....GO FOR IT!  The only thing you have to lose is......your health.


love,

Supermama rosie