A little annoying...

My links to the articles on Jimmy don't work anymore. The Manassas Journal-Messenger re-did their website and now I can't find our articles anywhere online. Well, I have a cached version of the first one, but can't get anything for Walmart one.

We've recovered...

The blog got away from me for a few days, but I am back. The flu has left the building. I am even returning to the gym tonight after I pick up the boys. I had to skip weigh in on Saturday, so I am wondering how that's going.

Jimmy's doing okay... I am pressing for him to be retained in first grade this year. He may make benchmarks in reading and math, but they aren't really able present other content in a meaningful way - at least, that's my thinking. But to have another year to work on the ABELLS (I hope I am spelling that right) and just another year to mature would be great. If you look at him, he doesn't seem six. He's tall and skinny, but he just is so young. It think if he were "normal," I would have the same concerns. Regular first graders seem so much bigger and mature by comparison.

Can I get my $25 back now?

A random article on this year's flu.  After going to the trouble of getting a flu shot, I am a bit peeved that I got an uncovered strain.  

No snow...

...but I got my day off anyway. Ice>snow, I suppose. I am home sick with my flu ridden four year old and my energetic autistic six year old. I don't think I will get to do much in terms of taking care of myself.

Never have I hoped so completely for a snow day...

Jimmy had four accidents today.  Jacob and I have both been diagnosed with the flu.  I am going to see how things are in the morning, but I am hoping a snow day saves me a sick day.  

Rihanna can do no wrong...

Rihanna and The Klaxons - Umbrella - BRIT Awards 2008
Uploaded by s_natisha

At least when it comes to this song... she performed with the Klaxons. Amazing...

Jacob has perked up...

But we are still hitting the urgent care after my meeting this afternoon.  I am hope, hope, hoping for a snow day tomorrow so I can rest.  As much as I can rest with a house full of kids.  

He Slept Well Last Night...

But now Jimmy is the only one healthy. DH went to the urgent care - he has the double whammy of the flu and a cold. Jacob is now sick as well. I feel warm and achy (I had my damn flu shot, too - useless!) And I have a big meeting after school tomorrow. Ugh!

DH has already called out to his job for tomorrow - his third day there. I am going to go to work and will likely take Jacob and myself to the doctor after my meeting. Glorious motherhood.

Up early again...

Though not as early as before. I heard the sounds of running water - it was only the sink, but it is always disconcerting. I always wonder what Jimmy's been up to. At least I got some sleep - though I would be happy with another hour or two. There haven't been enough weather delays this winter.

To Celebrate the New Job...

I bought an adaptive stroller.  Ouch.  But it means I can haul Jimmy to the zoo over Spring Break.  Maybe even a gallery on the Mall or something.

Cookie Monster on NPR

Jimmy's favorite - it's hysterical, especially the end...

Happy Sunday

Well, the husband officially has a job again. He starts on Tuesday. I think he may have another job offer coming as well. If it arrives, we will deal with it - for the time being, the mortgage is definitely not to be sweated. The benefits aren't great, but the commute is an improvement for him. I am pleased that he is getting back to work.

Jacob just left with his dad to go to the in-law's house overnight. I am sort of sad that my baby is leaving, even for 24 hours. I like a break every so often too, but a piece of me is missing when I am not with my kids. I get Jimmy to keep me company. He is actually in therapy right now, but as soon as that is over, I am taking him to run errands. I am tentatively planning on going to church tonight, but I am going to see how much I get done. We are working on getting Jimmy set up in his own room right now, but it involves cleaning out a room (my office) that has been nothing more than a dumping ground for the longest time. I think being down to one will afford me the opportunity to get a lot done.

Jimmy seems to be okay on the Lexapro. I am getting it down him effectively, which is always the biggest challenge. I think it will be a few weeks before we see any impact, so I have the teacher and therapists on alert for data collection and just any anecdotal stuff regarding his behaviors, especially the anxiety and OCD stuff. He had an accident free Friday at school and aftercare, which was great. Time will tell if there is a correlation between the two.

Solo this weekend...

Husband's unemployment may be ending shortly (I'll post details as soon as I have them set) and Jacob's daycare is closed on Monday, so they are heading out to my in-laws new house for Sunday and Monday. Jimmy and I are on our own. Probably means I will drag him around the mall Sunday afternoon. Anytime I can get to one kid, it is easier for me. Even if that one has issues with public toilets.

Hopefully the sleep thing is resolved by then, otherwise I will begin to dread Sunday night.

An Accident Free Day

No potty errors at school or aftercare!!!! Woot woot!!! He waited until he got home. Progress has to be measured in small increments sometimes.

Day one of Lexapro

Jimmy went to bed at 9 pm and got up for the day at 1 am.  Obviously some kinks to work out!!

For those who were wondering about Tuesday

"...he believes that we should increase funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to truly ensure that no child is left behind."

I kept going back to that single statement, which lead me to make up my mind in the voting the booth that I would indeed support Barack Obama. This comes up in the Special Ed Advisory Committee meetings all the time - the fact that IDEA is an unfunded mandate, meaning we get very little from it. Having IDEA fully funded would make a huge difference to kids with autism all over the country, instead having it passed through to the local school districts as an unfunded mandate. I am all for research and better treatments, but fully funding IDEA now is a fantastic goal and one I believe he could and would achieve with the help of Congress.

Having said that, I hope Senator John McCain eventually makes an equally strong policy statement on autism as part of his platform. This is not a one party issue - at least it shouldn't be.

Better Living Through Chemistry

I start Jimmy on Lexapro tomorrow to combat the OCD and anxiety issues.  The thought is maybe if we address these issues, he will pace around less.  Failing that, we will treat the ADHD separately, but only after we look at the anxiety.  It is becoming increasingly debilitating for him.  I like the doctor he went to today - she was accommodating and supportive.  She even commented that she had never seen a child with so many services, which is something I will take credit for because I have busted my butt to get the help we have (which, according to the recommendations of the developmental pediatrician, still isn't adequate for his need.)    

Tomorrow I go back to the Community Services Board so they can determine that he is indeed still autistic.  Like its changed.  We are getting services from the CSB through FAPT already, so I am really unimpressed that some underling is making us jump through hoops - I am cooking up a whole post on this debacle, oh just you wait.  The phone call to schedule this appointment last week put me in the foulest of moods.  

Before I go, I feel the overwhelming need to apologize to all the people I am blowing off right now while dealing with Jimmy.  There are several - it is sort of all consuming at the moment and even if I am not directly dealing with, I am too emotionally exhausted to deal with much else.  I have good friends going through a lot right now and it makes me sad that I can't seem to be there for them the way I would like.  

So we didn't go...

Jimmy's toileting is becoming more unpredictable.  He spent 30 minutes last night doing laps around the house.  He is more OCD than ever.  Loud places have made him increasingly anxious of late.  He cries a great more than normal.  His vocal stims are out of this world.  For all these reasons, I wound up not going to the Hillary Clinton Town Hall at Metz.  Jimmy comes first.  Yesterday I decided my poster child just needed to be my child.  I doubt the world missed us.  ;)  

He goes to be evaluated for meds tomorrow.   I am hoping this helps to address some of the more problematic behaviors of late.  I am beyond frazzled at this point.  I just want to crawl into bed and hide under the covers.

Still on for tomorrow...

I hope Jimmy is up for this. Heck, I hope I am.

Reality Blah covers the campaign...

Hillary Clinton is coming to Manassas on Sunday. Jimmy will go with me. Bloggers qualify for press credentials... who knew?

My sister hates me right now...

Your weekly update...

I have been busy the past few days.  I took off last night to go to this Primary Matters events, where only the Democratic candidate reps actually showed - Huckabee's people were supposed to, but never did.  Hey, I was at least able to score the bottle of water marked for Huckabee.  I heard people from Obama and Clinton's campaign.  Clinton's guy (a volunteer who had a fellowship/internship in the last Clinton administration) was much more engaging, but I am not completely sold on her platform or policy positions.  Obama's guy was such a pro that he seemed completely disconnected from the voters.  I liked a lot of the policy points he made and left thinking I would vote for Obama, but found his professionalism and lack of engagement a little off-putting.  I really don't know what I am doing on Tuesday.  I still wish John McCain had an articulated autism platform.  Everyone should.

I lined up an appointment for Jimmy on Tuesday to look at medicating for the ADD/ADHD, OCD, and anxiety stuff that we are working through right now.  I am having such a hard time with him right now, that I am kind of shutting down.  I am starting to shut people out a bit - I know I am, but I can't help it.  I have all this weird interpersonal stuff going in my life in every setting.  Jimmy spends half his time running in circles.  Jacob is so lacking for attention that he just is a hellion regardless of the setting.  He wants our attention and can only feel it when he is acting up and out.  I am feeling so overwhelmed by everything that I feel like I would break if one more thing touched my shoulders.  It's the weight of the world, you know...

Maybe Jimmy's new doctor could write a prescription for me... some valium perhaps.  

Putting that bright side... I have lost seven pounds this month.  Something has to go right, in spite of everything...

Mac Mini Disaster

As I reported earlier, Jimmy has become much more proficient in his computer ability with all of his surfing and such.  The one thing Jimmy has not mastered is ejecting disks from the Mac.  We found out the hard way when the husband tried to use the computer to find it jammed.  Jimmy had stuck his new shark DVD on top of his Spiderman DVD.  I got a panicked phone call while I was at Tysons (location of the Apple Store) with Jacob for Jimmy's respite day at McLean.  We were just wandering the mall anyway, but I had to go to the store, schedule an appointment for later in the afternoon, drive back to Manassas to get the computer and drop Jacob off, then return for Jimmy, and then to kill an hour waiting for the appointment, then waiting 30 more minutes in the store as the Genius Bar was running late.  That's a long wait for Jimmy, but he did well - or at least was doing well until I got him back to a car and realized he had an accident during the wait...  He had started to cry while we were waiting, but I assumed it was just the wait.  I felt so awful.  

At any rate, Genius Bar guy couldn't help, so the guy took in the unit so one of their technicians could pop the top off (not as easily done with a Mac as a PC.)  He said it would be two or three days, but we got a phone call last night saying it was ready.  Another drive to Tysons and $85 later, we have our computer back.  I would love to still have that $85, but at least he didn't fry out the drive.

Pictures from the escapade...

Jacob at lunch... the one luxury I afforded myself.  He wasn't horrible, but I have had time better well behaved with me.

Jimmy playing the Star Wars Lego game in the Apple Store.  Yes, I still have to use a stroller from time to time.  A hour and a half wait in the mall.. yeah, I used it.  I need to clean that tray up - it still has stickers from the fall campaigns.

I need a weekend off to recover from my weekend!

Second Part of the Auditory Therapy article...

Kudos to the journalist for a job well done (though Alex Granados is always first in my book - personal bias!!!)

Our local paper does another story on autism

I have been interested in this auditory training for a while now.  Sadly with the husband out of work, I don't have the extra $4000 lying around.  Since there is now someone in Prince William County doing this, maybe if he gets a job soon, this could be a possibility.  I am pleased that they continue to follow this topic so closely.  Now if they could do an article on why HB83 didn't get out of committee and how much it would mean to families of kids with special needs.  

Friday's interview went pretty well.  Hopefully he gets a callback this week.  This is starting to take a toll.  

On the next episode of Reality Blah...  How Jimmy killed our Mac and our afternoon in the Apple Store.