Rest in Peace

Our beloved Pop Pop - Jim's grandfather, the boys great grandfather (he is pictured here with a much younger Jimmy) passed away last evening at home, in his easy chair, watching TV. He was 96. It was a privilege and blessing to give this great man two great grandsons. I know Jim will miss his grandfather very much and I will too.

My New Hero

I commented on Lorri's blog and hope some of my readership will check it out. This mom/lawyer has drafted a nifty piece of legislation requiring insurers to pay for ABA and other necessary treatments. Go Lorri!

Momentous News

The kids spent the day at Kindercare, so I could have some time with my niece in town, Jake wouldn't miss his music lessons, etc... When Christine and I went to pick them up, they told me that Jake successfully used the potty for the first time. Almost exactly at 26 months. I am so proud. We are still working on Jimmy. He'll get there.

Surviving Christmas

Well, it has come and now gone. They boys had a fabulous time. My house is destroyed. I'll try to bring order from chaos today. My neice Christine arrived at about 2:30 this morning on a much delayed flight from Dallas. I have been looking forward to hanging out with her. The kid is a lot of fun.

Jimmy's been very chatty. He is a little more hyper of late, so, as discussed with our developmental pediatrican, we are upping the Tenex dose to two a day. We still have a problem getting a full dose down him. When we saw are regular pediatrican, he suggested (without being pushy or wanted to step on the other MD's toes) enquiring about Risperdal. I have heard that name used a great deal, so I will read up, see how the Tenex increase works out over the next several weeks, and maybe give the dev. ped. a call.

Jake is Jake. I didn't realize what two was like. We had never had it with Jimmy.

It Finally Happened

I am sitting there, wrapping presents. The paper starts to tear at a weird angle as I am cutting it. It's like my tenth, so I am pretty peeved. In frustration, I say "oh shit." Then I hear this little echo - "Oooh sheet." It's Jacob. This is why I really try not to swear in front my children. In this case, I didn't even know he was in the room. I have been waiting for that to happen for four years. Finally did.

Unholy

Check this out... that picture is just scary!

Off Work Until 2006

I get a week and a half off. The university closes today until January 3rd. I love this break. I will spend a week at home with the boys. Between that and the projects I have to do at home, I should stay busy. The boys alone should have me raring to come back to work in a week. I will do my best to post over the break.

Happy Holidays...

The Matthew's Center

The Matthew's Center is the organization that provides in-home services (or in his case, daycare) for Jimmy. They are doing a gift-wrapping fundraiser at the Barnes and Nobles in Manassas today, tomorrow and Friday until 8pm. I hope some of you who read this and are local will stop by to make this event a success. If you are also trying to make some end of the year cash donations in advance of tax time, they accept those too. I mention all this because Jimmy and our family were very recently the beneficiaries of a generous act of their director, Laurie Heilman. They have done wonderful work with Jimmy and I wish that I could afford to have them do more. So I put it out there for anyone who has the spirit move them.

Thank you Laurie, Shivi and most especially Dana for all you do. You each have a very special place in my heart. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Go Gwen

As a big No Doubt and Gwen fan, this is good news.

Feeling Battered

So I went to the school board meeting last night, to beg for an autism 5-8 class, to tell them to do a better job the next time they made a school closing decision - I wasn't nearly as articulate as I could have hoped for. I believe in the people that work with my child, but I think the system will ultimately fail him if I don't push for change. The local high school boast state championship in football, softball, and wrestling. These are all great things, but mean nothing if the system has farm children from this community out to Prince William County to be educated because district can't invest time, energy, and resources to education children with special needs such as autism. I'll keep trying but I feel, on the whole, the powers that be are unresponsive.

Chatty Boy

A decent weekend. Jim's office party Friday night. Had lunch with friends on Saturday. Sunday didn't do a whole lot. Actually watched two movies - The 40 Year Old Virgin and Fantastic Four. I never watch movies. The boys played pretty well, but Jimmy was very chatty. He was playing with a kangaroo beanie baby and was saying "kangaroo jumping." I am so used to him labeling, it's weird to hear him use a verb. We had him repeating new words, which is also something that I am not used to him doing. My only concern is he is getting more hyper, but we are supposed to up the Tenex over the break, so hopefully that will help.

Christmas is Leaving Me Feeling a Little Tapped Out

I didn't make it to work until 12 noon. The roads were a mess. Jim was following behind me so we stopped at Toys R Us to buy for the Rist children. We are complete suckers - we left with their gifts and another $111 in VSmart games and a system. Such fools!!!

Ice, Ice Baby

So I am sitting here waiting for Jimmy's bus. He had an hour delay, but the bus is actually later than that now. Not there fault. Apparently, there was an accident on 28 in Fairfax County, backing traffic up on 28 into Prince William County for about ten miles. I knew there were serious problems when it took me 20 minutes to turn out of my neighborhood. After I got my Starbucks, I just went home - no point in just sitting there.

I know there is debate in Northern Virginia if we are truly the South (my take - we are below the Mason-Dixon line and were a slave state, we're Southern), but I am confident in saying this is the real reason that the South shall never rise again. We can't drive in the weather.

Way Behind, but Catching Up

Still hanging in... had to take a little mental break after finals. I am starting to recognize friends and respond to my own name again, so I am doing better. So here is the update....

Went to Depeche Mode on Friday with younger sister, her eldest, and former neighbor/bff/bitchy soulmate at the Patriot Center. Much love for Depeche Mode. I have special love for Dave Gahan and (sigh) Martin Gore. Fantastic show. And so many gay men. A long time hag, I was in HEAVEN!!! BFF screamed herself hoarse - I would have done the same, except I was in better health. Eldest girl child was impressed - all of her Hot Topic angst band experience did not prepare her for a real stage show. The keyboards were kept behind silver constructions that looked vaguely like flying saucers. Very cool. The show was great, the company was great - lots of fun.

Jake is doing well. He's being two. Likes the word no entirely too much for my taste. Jimmy's great. Very chatty these days. Just an explosion of language - not functional like a four year, but I am starting to think that his brother modeling language and what he can get with it is giving Jimmy a big push.

More later... Still decompressing from finals...

The Real Story about the Airline Shooting in Miami

This sounds a great deal more like the truth than what is being reported in the American press. As the mother of an autistic child with little receptive language at this point (as well as personally having struggled with depression), when I heard about the Miami shooting, a chill went up my spine. I don't know what the future hold for my son, but you know, if an air marshal told my son to put his hands up, he would do so for 30 seconds before shouting "down," giggling, and insisting that everyone do the same around him. I am not sure I would trust federal air marshals to distinguish between a terrorist and someone with a cognitive or psychological disability.

I have the sneaking suspicion that a man was killed in cold blood for having a panic attack and being unable to control himself. We have been so cowed by fear that we will allow Homeland Security a senseless killing much like the Brazilian in London this summer.

I Made the SIS Newsletter...

...with my friend and colleague Susan Jennings!!!! For presenting at VLA! Go us!!!!

Best GIF Ever

Go to the link... just do it.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled finals week....

Jimmy Update

Jimmy had the double whammy - an ear infection and a virus. He is on antibiotics for the infection. His fever has been down for 24 hours, so he can go back to Kindercare today. I have to take him to see the developmental pediatrician this morning. I am mess, though - I had some forms that I was suppose to bring to him and I completely forgot. I hope he isn't too mad... I don't want to waste his time and I certainly don't want him to think I am a flake. We have just had so much going on.

I am cranking through finals... two of my three classes are essentially done. I just have this portfolio that I am working on that is just sort of all consuming. It's coming along, but there are just so many elements to it. I have planned it out all pretty well, meticulously enough to allot for sick children. The only problem is that now, no one else can get sick. It just has to get done. I am a wee bit stressed. It's due 5pm, December 9th. I have to have it done the day before because my sister and niece are coming to see Depeche Mode with me. My friend Tori is coming as well - I am really looking forward to it.

Back to work. I might post again later today about the doctor's appointment.