Here is the thing I’ve learned about little brothers. They are always watching. Always absorbing like little sponges. They see and hear everything. They want to grow up fast and be just like their older brother. I know this because my two year knows a swear word. A bad one. Not a cute little one but a real one. And he uses a it in perfect context. Daily. He must have learned it from YouTube or older kids at the park or…um…his dad. I don’t know. As his parents we…
Read MoreLast night my husband Jamie took our two older boys for a camping overnight on our boat. They are 10 and 8. One loves to fish and be outdoors and one loves watching his favorite shows on his iPad and snuggling up in a really comfortable bed with loads of blankets and temperature control. And my husband, he used to go on camping trips to really remote places in the winter in Minnesota when it was 20 degrees below zero. I called him crazy many a times. See, he adores…
Read MoreHere’s the thing about little brothers… They are stinky and loud and messy and can be SO annoying… And they also have this way of inserting themselves into everything. They don’t care about boundaries or social norms. They don’t care if you talk or use a speech device. They don’t care what you are into or what’s cool. They just care that they can climb on you and steal your iPad and watch trains with you. They love to be chased and to ask for an extra treat so they…
Read MoreI write and talk a lot about anxiety on this page. Anxiety in children. The only anxiety I know personally. The only anxiety I live. I refer to it as a train sometimes. A big black ominous one. And my son is standing on the tracks. I am next to him, holding his hand. I don’t know if he sees it or even feels it coming. But I can. I can see it coming, picking up speed. But I am helpless. There is no stopping it just like there is…
Read MoreKids grow up. You know that. I know that. We all know that. But when it’s your own kid, well, it seems to sneak up on you. One day you are carrying them up the stairs and the next they are wearing your shoes. Or you find yourself in the young adult section of the store shopping for their clothes and are baffled how one of your own babies could wear something so big. I once read that watching your kids grow up is like experiencing the longest breakup ever.…
Read MoreI come across pictures all the time. Old ones. Taken back before life got really interesting with four kids. I usually find them all crumpled up under a couch or stashed in between the pages of an old book. Sometimes a corner is ripped off. A sign that my oldest, who is autistic and adores photos of his family, has treasured it and hidden it away for another day. When I found this one I stopped picking up legos and beyblades and internally cursing my kids for being so dang…
Read MoreIt has been one year since my youngest daughter, Joelle’s autism diagnosis. One year of so many firsts and so much learning for our whole family! The first lesson I learned was that finding therapies, securing them through insurance, and maintaining these therapies is like a second full time job! There are just not always enough hours in the day! We chose to start ABA therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and feeding therapy. Basically anything I could find services for, which, due to Covid, was hard. I also joined many…
Read MoreMy Dearest Boy, We’ve walked quite the road, you and I. Your dad and brothers have been there every step of the way too. It all began when you and your twin brother were born three months too early. The future was so unknown back then. The challenges and hills to climb seemed insurmountable. But you and your brother both rose above every challenge you faced. As you grew, it was clear that your needs were greater than your brothers’. Your dad and I had no idea what was going on, but…
Read MoreYou know when you’re in a public place at a party, a BBQ or an assembly, and you’re sitting with other parents… You don’t know them well, but their kids are in your kid’s class, so you all group and make small talk. It’s all light and breezy and then you hear someone mention autism. And you just wait. Sometimes curiosity will tilt my head.Sometimes my stomach will turn.My heart will race. What they say could either make me happy and emotional, or it could go the other way which…
Read MoreHi friends! I’m Shannon and this is how Autism help me find myself. My true self. I’m the proudest boy mom to the two most amazing boys. One of those boys was diagnosed with Autism two years ago and completely changed everything I thought I knew about myself and Autism. The day our Adventure in Autism started was the darkest day of my life. I felt like I was being forced to go on a journey I didn’t want to go on. I did everything I could to keep from…
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