Tigger Too!

It's a slow news day around here, so here is another picture of Disneyworld. The boys and I with Tigger. Jimmy has initially terrified of Pooh. By the time when got to Tigger, he was still running around, but he was smiling.

Soccer Mom

Tonight was a really good night at soccer. Granted, Jimmy wasn't as into the ball as he was last week (and that is a relative description of his interest), but he never ventured far from the field. I could actually stand and talk to the other mom - when Jacob wasn't being a pill. As we were leaving, I was talking to another mom. Her child has a different diagnosis, but one of her girlfriend's kids is on the spectrum as well. She told me, she promised (her word) that it gets better. She describes a quiet kid of seven now who reads and writes and is a sweetheart. I believe we will get there. It's the path that is so hard to see.

In Knots

We have been working with a local reporter who is doing a story on autism for the local paper. He is a nice guy (that's not because he might read this), but every person who has had a negative experience with the press is giving me warnings about how bad this could or will be. I just realized that I am completely in knots, that I am not taken out of context, seen as a bad mother, or somehow trashed. I don't think this guy would ever, ever do that, but it has just dawned on me how much I have put myself out there. Me, the woman who completely lacks an internal monologue. Never thinking and the mouth runs. Joy!

Comps passed - check
Marketing stuff done - check (if Dr. Bill lets me slide on the whole slogan thing)
Practicum paper - tonight and tomorrow, turn in before I leave work
Public Library Management paper - this weekend and Monday, due on Wednesday

I am so close.

Still Here

I am in the throws of my last week of graduate school, so my posting will be sporadic at best. Some news - the school dropped our funding for the Matthew Center. Completely unannounced, although we were at the end of our three month cycle. I am really angry, but sort of resigned. I have seen their numbers, at least for federal funding of special ed, which were cut by 10%. It doesn't mean that I am not going to make a huge deal about it, but I am just unsure what can be done. Since we had some donations, I might restructure to get more parent training at home, because ultimately we have to raise Jimmy and it seems to be the most stable approach. It's just frustrating, my last week of school, the week before we begin potty training in earnest, and they are springing this on me. Like I don't have enough to deal with.

A Page from the Jungle Book

Taking a break from work and finishing up the marketing plan to share vacation photos. The guy in this costume was my favorite person that I encountered at Disney. I told him that Jimmy would be a little standoffish, but that he loved the movie. He got right down to his level and tried to get him to interact. What none of these photos captured was the slight smile as he recognized Louie. It was pretty cool.

Attempted Alien Abduction

Jake and Stitch were fast friends at Disneyworld. Stitch tried to make off with him at one point. After last night, I wonder if I should have let him. I had to take both kids to a meeting at the school administration building. Jimmy sacked out in the stroller. Jake poured his chocolate milk out on the carpet and hopped around in the puddle. He's insane. Yep.

Picture Time

A friend (the BFF actually) just reminded me that I am behind in uploading the promised Disney photos. Before I set off to do stuff for Dr. Bill, here is the last day with my mom, my sister, her family and the four of us.

Potty Training, Here We Come

As I continue to work on my last weeks of school, I am now researching my summer project - potty training! We are going broke having two in diapers. Jacob is ready and having some success at daycare. Jimmy physiologically is ready, but the communication piece is still missing. But he understands - he takes his diapers off as he wets them and wants a clean one right away. I went to the Talk About Curing Autism website and found some great guidelines. I will start incorporating them in the next week or two. The challenge will be getting some consistency in all three environments, but I am optimistic. If I get him potty trained, I have more (re: less expensive) options for afterschool day care next year!!! Between diapers and daycare, I could save $200 a month if I can get both kids trained!

More Circus News and Upcoming Elections

Well, after that strangers act of kindness yesterday, I ran off to the Patriot Center box office for a more pleasant surprise. Since the tickets I was planning on getting were $27 each, I expected that the gift would cover Jimmy's and I would pay for the rest. But they were having a campus special. Each ticket was $4 - as in the Final Four. Some sort of gift to the campus community. They are sitting us in handicap seating so we can use the stroller to contain Jimmy. Aside from being broke from Florida, the child management issues were keeping us from the circus this year as well. I think we will all have a great time tomorrow night.

I still have a few Manassas Park people reading this blog, so I will have to tell you about my latest e-mail adventure. Since I couldn't find information about the candidates for the Governing Board beyond the brief articles in the Manassas Journal-Messenger, I e-mailed the whole group. At this point, I have heard from five of the six. It's weird being a Democrat in a small jurisdiction that is 98% Republican. But it is an opportunity to think beyond affliation to the individual - who is going to best represent your ideas and needs of yourself, your family, your community on the local level. Because of my continued experiences with Jimmy and other children in this community, I think I have a special responsibility to cast my vote on May 2nd.

As I go through the process of trying to secure services for my son, I find myself dealing with federal, state, county, and city officials on a regular basis. I think the most important characteristic is that you can have in a community leader is accountability. I cannot tell you the number of times as a parent of a child with autism that I have had federal officials tell me its a state problems, local officials tell me to complain to the feds about funding. At some point, people have to stop pointing the finger to another entity and say "how to we address that need, right here, right now." Those are the people who I want to have represent me - who quit passing the buck and try get something done.

Of the six candidates that I have e-mailed, there is only one I am completely sure is that type of person. That person's sign will be on my yard by the end of the week. As a Democrat, I won't agree with everything, but there is enough common ground that I can do that much. The other two votes I am still weighing. But I would like to publicly thank the candidates who have taken the time to respond to me. I appreciate your effort.

Given my political affliation, one might expect that I could be a little dejected given the leadership of the last few years - I am still waiting for Gore to get sworn in. Really, it's a matter of time! :-) But there is such value to this process - in educating yourself about the issues, seeing where people stand, casting that vote. I hope people engage themselves this year and again in 2008 on the national level.

More tomorrow... I will try to get the Disney photos together and up on the blog.

My Brain Hurts

I am sorry I am neglecting this blog, but my brain still hurts from comps. I keep promising pictures, I will certainly get on that. But something really amazing happened that I have to share.

I am sitting at the reference desk and this patron I helped last week came up and asked me about circus tickets. I think her question had something to do with special education and I mentioned Jimmy. I can't even tell you the specifics of the conversation, but it must have made an impression. I looked up the prices for the circus and she hands me $25 to take Jimmy.

I will write more later. My head is spinning. As hard as this has all been, I feel so incredibly blessed to have so many people care about my son.

Crazy Wilson Motorcycle

I promise a longer post (complete with photos) about our Disney adventure this week. One quick story for you now...

One the way down, we stopped for dinner in South Carolina. There was a park next to the restaurant, so we let the boys run off some steam. Jimmy saw one of those rocking horse, bouncy things in the shape of a motorcycle. He called it "Crazy Wilsom Motorcycle." The reference, you ask? Crazy Wilson is a performer in Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus. He does the finale, where he rides around in a steel ball on a motorcycle. We bought the circus DVD last year at the show and they have watched it pretty consistently for about a month. Both Jimmy and Jacob ask for it. I feel kind of bad - we spent so much at Disneyworld that we really can't afford to take them to the circus, which is in town (here at GMU) for the next week. Bummer.