Sleeping until five is a victory and sleeping until after five is even better. I was close to waking up at five and Owen awoke after. He had a mission for the day but today I wanted a reset and for him to have a calm day. I hoped that would help.

He had a very calm morning and was very expressive. I love days when his words are used to explain what he wants and then he moves forward. He talked about all his shoes and he was disappointed I hadn’t ordered him white shoes yet. I am so amazed at how he is deciding he wants things now. When you go years and your child never asks for anything and then they asks for items they truly want it is amazing.

We went out to wait for the bus and he is doing a little different pattern. I am so thankful for his bus drivers and aides for both the morning and the afternoon. They truly support my son and they care about his day. He saw the bus and waited back instead of running towards me before the bus turned the corner. He calmly walked to the bus like he hadn’t just been bowled over with excitement that it was coming. I love his love for the bus.

He came home knowing about the Special Olympics on Friday. He told me he didn’t want me to go and then he told me he wanted me to go. Then he told me he wanted his grandma to go and then he told me he didn’t want her to go. Then he told me he was sick and had to go to his doctor on Friday because he was sick today but couldn’t go today because I would come to the Special Olympics on Friday so I had to go to his doctor on Friday while he went to the Special Olympics. Then he told me that he hoped his friends could go and wanted his other friend back from vacation so he could go. So I’m not sure what exactly he wants for Friday but it’s on his mind.

He generally has a hard time when I go to certain places he thinks he should be doing with others. Like the Special Olympics is something he does with his school and if I come to the event then he thinks he has to leave and doesn’t want to stay. I want him to enjoy it so I would rather not go and let him have fun with his class. One day maybe this will change. He is getting closer to understanding that we can do things with others in different places so maybe one day it will be where he wants me to be there.

The night was calm and he was excited about school tomorrow and possibly going to his grandma’s house. He talked about the bus and he wanted to go to the library with his grandma tomorrow so we will see what he decides he wants to do when he gets home. I’m thankful for Owen’s progress and the amazing way he thought through his Friday. Time will tell but today his words were full of life. Life is a story worth telling. Find the beautiful moments and let your story be written. Smiles to all and donut daze!

To sleep is a glorious thing and thankfully Owen has been sleeping. He was ready for his Monday. He went to the bathroom before he came looking for his tablet and then he started mentioning all the things he knows he was not supposed to say.

How I react to his actions fuels how he reacts to mine. Once he sees something gets me it becomes his new favorite thing to do. And so the cycle begins. The trick is I have to learn it is part of a cycle before it becomes a cycle.

We headed out to wait for the bus in his new shoes. Every time he takes to a new pair of shoes without too many questions I’m beyond thankful. The tears I have shed over shoes alone would fill more buckets than I could count.

When I picked him up from school he started talking about the tornadoes and how he wouldn’t get to go to school anymore. He pointed to the ground where they had torn the road up for redoing the utilities or something and he told me that was the tornado.

We got in the car and he talked to me about not having his tablet. He told me it was because of his behavior. I’m thankful that he is starting to make the connection. I’m hoping it helps with the behaviors but so far he is doing the behaviors to get the results and actions.

He was excited about going to music therapy. He had a great time even though he was a bit hyper. We headed home to get a snack before his vision therapy. We were off to his next therapy. He did great with his doctor and he worked on several things he hadn’t been able to do before. When we left he told me that he wasn’t going to be picked up by his grandma today as we passed the parking lot we would often meet at. He never forgets a thing.

The repetitive behaviors are heartbreaking some days. I see how much he concentrates on them. They are associated with people, places, and things. They don’t stop no matter the strategy or theory we work on and his brain is constantly working through something. One day at a time I remind myself and then one day we will figure out what works for him. I know his team will help me find a way to help him. Each day we work forward into progress and for that I am thankful. Rejoice in the moment of your victories. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Sleep happened. I was thankfully Owen slept and I pretty much did. It is never one of those things I do much of anymore so sleeping hours in a row feel glorious.

The repetitive behaviors and words can be daunting sometimes, most of the time. The strategies for getting past a behavior and making the behavior stop are two different things. And nothing seems to be working for any of it.

When you at beyond smart and don’t forget a thing -ever it also becomes even harder to outsmart the smarty pants of my son. His brain needs constant reassurance and the reward pathway is one more thing we are all researching to see how he handles it. He can’t focus in the moment. He is always days ahead and trying to make sure everything happens the same way.

For years I have tried to figure out how to distract his mind from a lady with a dog that stood on a corner and our electricity being out for a day when someone hit a telephone pole. I would have to look back through time to even remember how long ago these were but he will still focus on them and have meltdowns because of them. Now enter the storms of 2024 and my heart aches for the years of distress these will cause for my sweet baby O. Tears form in my eyes thinking about how many times he has asked me about the days ahead because he is worried he won’t get to go to school or therapy. I can’t even think about the summer break and him moving on to middle school.

He was excited about church today but he also wanted to know what was happening the rest of his week. On the way to church, he asked about seeing his friends. One is out of town and another he keeps hoping his parents will let him come to church with him. My sweet baby O has a heart of gold.

He did great on the way to church but on the way home he told me all the things he shouldn’t do and he didn’t do them. He asked if he could take his tablet to his therapy. I told him he could if he behaved. He made sure he didn’t. He laughed the whole time and started doing the behaviors he wasn’t supposed to be doing. I told him that he wouldn’t be taking his tablet with him so he moved on to where we would be going and kept yelling about it. The process is emotional for me.

He asked me multiple times to put my hair up in a ponytail. That is something that I never imagined I might be able to do again around him and now he is asking me all the time for it. I think because he watches a cartoon that has a character that wears a ponytail. When he was little he would have huge meltdowns over me even pulling my hair away from my face or shoulder let alone pulling it up in a ponytail. It’s progress, amazing progress.

The night was a rollercoaster even though he was calm he was very elevated and ready for his Monday. There were moments of mischief that I could tell he was trying to push my buttons and those moments where I needed to keep him calm. All and all it was a good day. I’m thankful for his growth and I pray for my own growth as we continue growing together. Be inspired by the world around you and know that you can make a difference. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Sleep is a glorious thing and I’m so thankful we were not “upper night.” Listening was not on Owen’s agenda for the morning but going to grandma’s sure was. He knew we were going to baseball but he wanted to skip straight to the grandma part.

He was very calm all morning and then we started getting ready to go to baseball. The skipping to grandma part was the focus that kept coming up but it was a runner-up to reminding me that he was going to school on Monday. He keeps going over and over about the storms and how he missed school. I’m not sure how to help him through this when you can never guarantee there won’t be a storm coming through again.

The process to get dressed was also not something he was interested in. I asked him if he put his shoes on and he said, “Yes.” He had not put his shoes on yet but he had wanted to get back to his tablet. He didn’t listen when we walked out to the car either. I asked him to put his tablet down and he wouldn’t. From there it spiraled as we drove to the baseball field.

He wanted to run around as soon as we got to the field. I totally understand that but he doesn’t understand he has to wait until it’s his time to get out on the field. He wasn’t as interested in actually doing the steps of playing baseball but instead very focused on going to his grandma’s house. He did the steps but today it wasn’t his top choice.

He got to wear his new team shirt today but it was black and orange with a few other colors. He kept wanting to take it off because he thought it was his “Halloween costume” and he wanted to be in the blue shirt like the other team. He did wear that hat some so this was a big deal for him.

We left there and he spent many hours with his grandma. He got to go on a ride with her but they had to come home early because he started screaming about the directions she was going. I picked him up and we came home. He ate a huge fish dinner and several snacks.

The night was pretty calm and he listened because he wanted to take his tablet to church tomorrow. I told him he could if he slept tonight. He fell asleep quickly and I don’t think I will be far behind. We grow, we love, we learn. And today we grew a lot. Find what makes you grow and watch how your day unfolds. Smiles to all and donut daze!

I pray the sleep that happened last night continues its streak tonight. Owen woke ready for his day. He told me he wanted to go to the pool and that we could go to the pool because he slept all night. I told him he was right.

My independent dude is starting to pick out his clothes more regularly but I have to be careful of the decisions we both make because each decision seems to change quickly and each choice can be made over and over. He wanted his yellow shirt and put it on but then he asked for his green shirt immediately after that. His green shirt wasn’t clean. I told him he could wear his green shirt another day. We went outside and he stood waiting for the bus. He looked down to see his pants, lifting each knee like he was checking to see if they were the same. I often wonder if it would help if he always wore blue but then what if for some reason he couldn’t wear blue? The Queen of Overthinking takes over at this point so I have to stop myself before I go down all the rabbit holes that have ever been produced by all the rabbits ever.

The excitement for the bus today was like he won the lottery on his best day ever with all the gems that glitter like gold available to him to cherish forever. He gets beyond thrilled that it comes to get him. The smile that washed across his face when the bus stopped was magical. I’m thankful for that smile and off he went to his happy place.

He came home from school and I had already dressed for the pool. He was beyond thrilled and it wasn’t long until we were off to the pool. Determination is a good word to describe him today. He was jumping off the ladder most of the time without wanting to hold my hand and he was even holding his own hand to make himself jump off. By the time we left, he was extremely close to putting his face in as he sat on the ladder. I feel like he is getting closer and closer to that diving board goal.

He was screaming about Monday. He has the storms on his mind and worries that he won’t get to go again. I can’t even imagine how this has changed how he thinks about his days. He doesn’t know how to express his concerns except to continue to ask if he is going to go to school on Monday. And all I can do is say yes knowing that I don’t know the true answer even though I would have to guess it should be fine and there won’t be anything that keeps him from going. Maybe the Queen of Overthinking can overthink this as well.

I’m thankful for his progress and the steps he has made. Tomorrow he goes to his grandma’s house after baseball so he is thrilled. Everything can be something. It’s what we choose to make out of the everything that decides our day so let’s make it something grand. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Sleep is working for us again, for the most part. It feels like some days are still hard but for the most part, Owen is sleeping through the night. Today felt calmer when he woke up even if he was still hyper from yesterday.

I was already back in the “white bed” when he woke up. He had bypassed the bathroom so I sent him back to it and then he came asking for his tablet once again. He immediately got up on my bed and fully under his blanket, covering his head as well. It was a much calmer morning for him even though it was still loud with his tablet he did partially listen when I kept telling him to turn it down.

We got dressed in clothes that were not completely up to his blue decisions but we worked through them. He had black jeans and a shirt that had blue and black mixed together. He chose to wear his blue shoes but he didn’t technically put them on correctly. I try to let him work through what feels right for his feet since he would take them off anyway but I helped him pull them on more and then we went to wait for the bus. He was thrilled when the bus turned the corner and he ran back to me with the biggest smile.

The repetitive words were not as strong as yesterday and he seemed to be able to explain what he wanted to tell me without the added anxiousness. I hope that he will continue to make those connections to how conversations can go.

I picked him up from school and he was full of the conversations that I always long for. He was talking about inviting his friends to a party I didn’t know we were having and to our home. He told me that I had to ask their parents and get ready. He talked to me about his best friend coming to therapy with him but I told him he probably wouldn’t get to at this point.

We got to his therapy and they took him back to his sessions. He did pretty well today but was distracted by the time his last one came around. When we left he requested pizza for dinner and he was very calm all the way to get it. He ate his pizza and made sure I knew he wanted to go swimming tomorrow. I told him that he had to make sure to follow the bedtime routine and if he slept all night.

We played some games and sang our songs. I went to get my drink and the timer went off for bedtime. He brought me his tablet before I even asked. He really wants to go to the pool. He did everything I asked and went straight to bed. He didn’t even repeat himself about anything. It was the most amazing miracle and I’m thrilled with his progress. Now if he sleeps all night that will be wonderful. Follow your heart and make your dreams come true. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Greetings Wednesday - our autism journey. I woke with a start more times than I wanted to even think about last night. Life is very interesting right now and wishing, hoping, praying each day for calm and answers. Owen has grown so much and I want every bit of his progress to keep going.

I spent the morning talking to Owen about the bus. He kept repeating “Ride the bus home.” The art of conversation is something that needs to be taught and he often uses words in his stimming and emotions. I am continuing to work with him to find other words to express his emotions about the bus and why he wants to talk to me about it. I love his love for the bus and I want him to be able to tell me why it makes him “happy” along with so many other things he loves.

We got dressed and went outside to wait for the bus. He stood waiting for one of the happiest moments of his day. It’s the calmest he ever is, hardly moving, and almost always completely standing still. And then the movement begins as soon as he sees the bus turn the first corner. Then he moves a little to see it pass by looking over one of the buildings. He waits until it gets to the corner and comes running towards me. The joy is in those moments. It’s amazing to watch and I’m thankful it makes him so incredibly happy.

His shoe fell off and tumbled out the doors when he walked up the steps of the bus. It was like my emotions all morning as he yelled one more time “Ride the bus home.” I think and overthink how to help him understand how to connect his words with his thoughts. I know we will get there. I retrieved his shoe and the aide helped him put it back on him as he was whisked away to one of his happy places.

He came home from school and I got his snack ready. We had a few minutes before we had to leave to go to his appointment. He asked for a video he hadn’t seen in years that he used to go directly to an app to watch but now he has to go to YouTube for the video. He never forgets a thing. At first, I didn’t know what he was asking me but then it dawned on me which video he was talking about. This one video caused more meltdowns because it wasn’t where it was supposed to be. He quickly somehow found it on YouTube and was very happy.

On the way to his therapy, he was watching a video about goats. It was great because he was being so descriptive about it. The repetitive words were gone and the descriptive words flowed. Oh, how I wish I could figure out how to translate this into more of his moments. He is so much calmer when he knows how to explain something. One day at a time I remind myself and tell myself look how far he has come.

He did great at his appointment except repeating all of his words. We were meeting his grandma at Dairy Queen and he wanted to make sure she was wearing the right clothes and that she was bringing her tablet. “It’s nighttime,” he kept repeating all through dinner. He couldn’t understand that it was still so bright out because the last time it was dark when we went.

The ride home went fine and before long it was ready to start the bedtime process all over again. I pray tomorrow for more questions answered and a great day for my sweet baby O. Believe in yourself and the rest will follow. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Thankfully Owen has been sleeping much better and I’m going to sleep better one day. We both woke a little early but not too early. He was very much ready to start his day and I was very much ready to let him start it but wishing I could fall back asleep for a few hours.

He came and sat with me under his blanket on the “white bed” for a while. He told me he couldn’t see Santa today because he was feeding the fish at the North Pole instead of Cabela’s. He then told me he would find “Night Santa” which is the one we saw at his therapy place’s charity event. I’m not sure why “Night Santa” doesn’t go to the North Pole but he doesn’t.

We got ready and he was excited to go to school. We went out to wait for the bus. I love how happy he gets when the bus turns the corner. He got on the bus and off they went.

When he came home from school he was talking about his appointment for tomorrow. He said, “Check in O W E N” spelling each letter of his name. I have him sign the paperwork when we get there. I want him to know the steps we have to take when we go to different places.

We are working on a song together, hoping to promote more of those distractions and word references. Each step is a step forward. I want him to know he can do anything he sets his mind to. So far he wants to write a song about a hermit crab named Shell. I think it is a wonderful start.

The night flew by with dinner, singing, and our games. I’m hoping we both sleep tonight and have an amazing day tomorrow. Follow your dreams, love with all your heart, and know that miracles do happen. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Another meeting for Owen. That’s what I woke up knowing I would be doing. Some of them can be hard but I wasn’t emotional about the one to come today.

Owen slept late and that was better than I did. I kept waking up thinking it was a different day or later in the night but very thankful he slept. When he woke the mission began. He wanted his tablet but I told him we only had a few minutes before it was time for school. We quickly got ready and out the door we went. It wasn’t long and he was off to start his day.

I went to Owen’s IEP meeting to move to middle school next year. It felt very promising for his growth and the year ahead. It seems like it will not be that much different after the initial change in people and place. They told me the routine is pretty much the same. I think he will like it. He saw me come in for the meeting and he remained calm so that was incredibly huge progress. Before he would always scream or think it was time to leave. They told him I was there for an appointment and he was fine.

His music therapist said he did much better today and was calm. They had sent his school tablet home with him again so he was asking for it but at least he was able to focus on the music and was able to tell me what they sang on the way home. We are now working on writing a song so that he can sing it to her next week. I also hope this helps with his focus and redirection.

To say I threw him slightly off when we went to his vision therapy appointment is an understatement. We got to his appointment when he realized and then I realized that I was not wearing a pair of shoes. This was not a wise move. I immediately was laughing because they weren’t even close but he did not find them amusing at all so I had to snap out of it to keep him from having a meltdown. He wanted a hairdryer to fix them and to cut them off. He told me the storm did it and I made a mess.

He kept telling me we needed to go home to fix it but thankfully we didn’t have to leave. He mostly recovered but was much more elevated than he would have been. He was more distracted than he probably would have been if I didn’t throw him off but he was able to do all of the exercises just not as quickly. I’m thankful for a very understanding doctor and she is extremely calm with us in every situation.

The night was filled with dinner and talking about the days ahead. I am trying to get him to work more on full sentences instead of only saying words to me. I’m hoping this will help with more of his anxiousness. I’m thankful for his growth and how he handled our day even though it all didn’t go according to plan. He even handled me eating a banana without grabbing it from me to “throw it in the trash.” Victories, I’ll take them. Let today be your learning tool for a beautiful tomorrow. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Change is the thing we can constantly count on. And change continues to happen for us. I was thankful for a week of routine even if there were still a few changes that we had to maneuver through.

Today though, Owen slept again. I mostly did. I’m thankful for this. It truly helps with our attitudes. The more he sleeps the calmer he is and the more I can talk to him about how we handle our everyday every day.

He will say one word about his days ahead or what he wants. “Church,” he said for the tenth, twenty, or hundredth time this morning. School, tablet, and pool were a few more of the one-word chants he would throw out. I asked him to tell me more about church. I talked to him about sentences and what he likes about going to church. I gave him a sentence he could use so that he understands dialogue and how to come about it.

I am working with him on behaviors. I want to get ahead of the teenage years as much as I can. I need to connect behaviors with expectations and rewards or consequences. Owen is mostly driven by his tablet. He doesn’t have a toy or food that I can reward him with. However, taking his tablet away is a huge deal. This strategy would not have worked a few years ago but now is working. He is making the connection and I am emphasizing how it works.

I am also trying to get him to understand that we have daily tasks and chores we have to do. This one is even hard for me because I don’t want to do any of those. Laundry has always been one of the hardest things for him. Seeing anything on my bed is hard for him so laundry can’t go anywhere when I am folding it. It can go on a chair but there are more steps for him with that as well. If I am not careful he throws clothes in the trash. I am putting random clothes on my bed so that he has to help me with it. One shirt or pair of pants is a big deal so we work through that. And it is exhausting. But we are working through it.

I am raising my tiny human to be an adult. He gets to do all the kid activities but I am trying to get him to understand life skills. And it is emotional. But it has to be done and I see incredible progress.

On the way to church, there were many behaviors that he was doing to see how the fallout would happen. This leads me to talk to him about not doing the behavior so he would get the reward instead of doing the behavior and not getting the reward. This isn’t a one-time talk. This is a talk we will have a lot, a lot - a lot.

What I love though is those moments of connections and growth. I see so many of them daily. Those moments that instantly brought tears to my eyes are the ones that didn’t happen overnight but happened because of all these talks and all the support we have from our team.

Life happens every day. The challenges we face today will be the moments of victory tomorrow. Keep hope for those moments and watch where they take us. Today I am thankful for the patience Owen showed when before that would have been one of our biggest challenges. Find your victory in what was yesterday’s challenge. Smiles to all and donut daze!