Somewhat of a quiet night but Owen decided before he went to bed he was going to sleep on the couch. Truly I wouldn’t care except for all the rolling around he does. At some point before midnight, he brought all his blankets from his bed to the couch and there he was when I got up to go to the bathroom. When I went to the bathroom he woke up but thankfully went back to sleep after he looked at me like “See I’m on the couch.” He wasn’t there when I went to bed but he was determined to sleep there. He woke at about 4:30 to start his day. He told me he slept on the couch. He was very proud of it, as he should be. I told him yes he sure did. He’s randomly been asking off and on for a few months. The only reason I had said no was his rolling but he sufficiently took care of that with all the blankets and put more on the floor. He was also concerned about his “booboo it’s a cut” he said. He wanted a bandaid but then kept taking it off. He told me he would get one at school. He no longer has to wear the safety harness and can use the regular belt so he asked about it. I told him he didn’t have to wear it anymore and he said, “Take it to school.” I made sure it was in his backpack but he is officially moving up. He wore shorts because I offered him actual blue pants and shorts. He chose the shorts and said, “Blue pants tomorrow” but I would be surprised if he did. He wanted his jacket and we were out the door. He was very ready for me to pick him up for therapy. He wanted to make sure I knew it before he got on the bus. Then when he got on the bus he said, “Mommy can go” asking me to get on the bus with him. He keeps asking for snow. That's going to be interesting. Maybe this year he will want to play in it like the rain. His teacher said he had a rougher morning but after the first few things, he was having a much better day. I wore shorts this morning and blue jeans to pick him up. He would not stop asking me about them. I need to not wear them for a while. He did great with his speech therapist and wanted to read some new books with her. Then he was with his occupational therapist. We both thought he would go into the same room he was in last time but he wanted to go in her other room. He took the slide that was in this room and put it on top of their really tall crash pad. He wanted to put it right on the edge and kept telling us to sit down because he didn’t want us to stop his fun. But we stopped his fun. He has come a very long way. His therapist was also impressed with how he self-directs some of his exercises now. We didn’t know why he wanted in this room but we quickly learned he had a plan. I moved some of them off the floor this morning and he about lost it. It was quite the adventure after therapy. I let him decide where he wanted to go. It helped him but also elevated him. I’m never sure which way to go with that. We didn’t get a pizza because I don’t want him to think we do that every week. I convince him to put all the blankets back on his bed and so far he is asleep in his bed. I’m thankful for his incredible progress and I even got him to ride his bike today. Life is incredible. We just have to focus on the good stuff. Smiles to all and donut daze!

It’s the little moments that I cherish like when we exchange words that follow along in a conversation. In the mornings it’s generally the time we talk the most. Or at least on school days. Owen gets up and he sits in bed with me. We laugh and talk about what’s on his tablet. I try to ask him questions about his day ahead or what we are going to do in the next few days. Asking him about the days ahead is also difficult. I try to get him to understand the difference between talking about something that we are doing in the future and it happening on the same day. He gets upset if it’s not part of his routine and he doesn’t want the day to happen. This morning he was laughing and very happy about his day ahead. I got up to go to the bathroom and he was not happy. We still had plenty of time until it was time to get dressed so he wanted me to stay seated. I told him I would be right back and went to the bathroom. He grunts to get his point across sometimes and as soon as I got up he was grunting. He was happy as a lark when I got back. I asked him if he wanted to wear shorts or blue jeans today. Without hesitation, he said, “blue jeans.” It was amazing he followed my lead and he called them blue jeans. We went outside to wait for the bus and he said, “It’s cold.” I love that he is aware of the temperature change. He started talking about riding the bus home and what was happening tomorrow. Before I could say anything he said, “Focus on today.” When he came home he was in a great mood but wanted his alone time. He stays busy all week so I know it’s hard for him to do things every day. He however was a nonstop eating machine. He is for sure growing and wanted extra snacks all night. I love that he is eating so much and growing. He was very happy about his day tomorrow. He is ready for me to pick him up to go to therapy. Curious George played a big part in a lot of his evening so I can’t wait to see what he helps him do next. Bedtime was interesting because he wanted to go to sleep on the couch. I technically wouldn’t care if he slept on the couch but he rolls all over his double bed that has guard rails all the way around so I’m afraid he would fall on the floor. He finally went to his bed to sleep and hopefully, he won’t wake up in the middle of the night to go to the couch. I’m thankful for another good day. I can’t wait to see what he accomplishes in therapy tomorrow. I’m thankful for his laughter and his big smile. Find your inspiration and let the world see your smile grow big and bright. Smiles to all and donut daze!

I wonder how many days you can actually float from new experiences and victory days but still be cranky. Owen slept great again. He was ready for his day and to get home and sit. He didn’t say those exact words but they were implied with the repeat of the “ride de bus school ride de bus home” mantra that started as soon as he woke up. I love that he can tell me more about what he has done on his days and what he wants to do. We have been having cooler mornings but we are only outside for less than ten minutes while waiting for the bus so I’m giving him choices of what he would like to wear. I held a pair of shorts and “blue pants” out for him and he quickly decided on the jeans. He told me to wear blue pants but I wore shorts. I’m thankful this is not causing any meltdowns right now. I don’t know how blue pants became such a thing before I even realized it was going to be a thing. You think you are helping your child and then it turns into something that causes a meltdown almost every day. We went out to wait for the bus and he kept repeating his mantra. I tried to distract him and redirect him. It’s hard to get his mind to focus on something else. It wasn’t long and his bus was here and the smile was plastered on Owen’s face. When he came home the mantra started as soon as we got inside. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are always hard. I told him we could go someplace and he said, “Grandma’s house dinner 87” referencing the channel number he watching Disney on. He went back and forth before I could say anything. He said, “Stay home” and went to change. I told him maybe we could get a pizza and take it to grandma’s house one day soon. I know he is thinking it all through. He is on the go a lot during the week so I try not to push going anywhere on those days. I fixed his snack and he was playing with his tablet. I tried to not rock the boat and let him do what he wanted for the afternoon. I fixed his dinner and he is definitely growing. It was all gone quickly. I went to the bathroom and I came out to all of his books all over the floor in the living room. He was reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I love how much he likes to read. The rest of the evening was quiet and bedtime went smoothly. He was looking forward to school tomorrow so that makes bedtime that much quicker for him. Tonight’s prayer he said, “Dear God thank you for mommy picking me up on Thursday good night God.” I think this was my not so subtle hint we are not doing anything after school tomorrow so he can prepare for his favorite day. I’m thankful he loves school and going to his therapy. He was asleep within minutes of going to bed. His laughter brings joy to my soul. Find joy in the songs of others and let them lift your heart to happiness. Smiles to all and donut daze!

The journey yesterday will keep me floating for days to come. The victories come through facing the challenges that we have. And Owen faced them head on and in the rain. He slept great last night and even a little late for the day. I didn’t wake him since he had plenty of time to get ready for the bus. He was a little disappointed he didn’t wake up earlier because we didn’t have a lot of time to sit. I gave him a choice to wear jeans or shorts. He selected the shorts without hesitation. This is still so amazing to me. He’s not thrilled that others are not all wearing “blue pants” but he has definitely moved forward on what we are wearing. I can’t stop thinking about all his growth in the last few months. A little over a month ago we were getting ready to go to a therapy appointment and it started to rain. We couldn’t even get off the porch because he was crying and had a huge meltdown about it. One dot of rain on my glasses would cause him hours of distress. The memories flood through my heart, mind, and soul. How do you ever explain to someone your child is crying because it’s raining and they are going to get wet? And how do you explain it when your child absolutely loves bath, pools, and splashing everything in sight. Yesterday meant the world to me. I pray rain is behind us but he also cycles through things like this. I have to believe he has pushed through this and will keep growing. I told his bus driver and aide about it. They have been there with him when it was raining and know how hard it has been on him. I’m so thankfully for all the support he gets on the bus, school, therapy, and church. When we went outside to wait for the bus I asked him what he thought about yesterday. He said, “a blast.” That was amazing to hear and added to my excitement. He knew I was going to pick him up for music therapy and he was excited. He also knew he was going to vision therapy. At school they have been having fire drills. He came home and watched fire drills on YouTube. When we got to his music therapy he got very excited because there was a pull down fire alarm. He wanted the keys to it. I guess to turn it off. Thankfully he didn’t actually pull it but he kept telling me he wanted to. I explained to him while we were sitting there that he only pulled it if there was an emergency. This is going to be interesting and I need to talk to his teacher about it so she knows he might try to pull it at school. He had a great session and I’m thankful. He talked about what he did and he told me he played the harmonica and the ukulele. We came home to get a snack and then we went to vision therapy. He was a little distracted today but was able to do a few of the exercises. Food, bedtime, and songs were how the evening went. I asked him what he did yesterday and he told me he sang in “Charleston, West Virginia” and “was in the mud.” I couldn’t have asked for a better answer. His growth over the last few months has brought my heart so much joy. Reflect on your walk from yesterday to see how sweet the victory of life truly is. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Hold onto your hat or sit down. Owen slept all night. On a Friday. He probably would have even slept later if I didn’t go to the bathroom. Small house and creaky floors don’t help either. But he slept all night. All night long, on a Friday. Plus, he woke up happy and he knew what he wanted to do. These are the days I dream of. He asked when he was going to see his grandma and he answered himself “in a little bit.” I said, “later.” We went back and forth both standing our ground, and this is where you need to sit down again, he said, “later grandma later.” Progress, progress, and more progress. He was happy and talking about the places he wanted to drive to on his tablet. He came back to me and asked again when he was going to see his grandma. I told him he knew the answer and he said, “later.” I thought about it and I said, “after a while.” When he gets stuck on certain words I have to learn to distract him and help him push forward. He did not answer and walked off but that was progress because he was not mad at the change of words. He struggled a little to get ready to go to grandma’s. Some days are like that. He has a hard time processing time even though he kept asking about the time but we finally got going. I’m in awe and amazement at all the languages that my son speaks or comprehends. On the way there he broke out in song and it was in a language that I wasn’t really sure what it was and then started talking in Spanish. He had a great time with his grandma and they drove to many places. When we left I told him we were going straight home since we had gone by the windows before we went to grandma’s house and he went everywhere else with her. He agreed until he didn’t. He was so upset. He wanted to go by the railroad tracks but I didn’t even know which ones he was talking about. He was crying and screaming. He had the biggest meltdown he had in quite a while and I was crying right there with him. It’s so hard to see him upset. I have to hold onto the progress. We got home and usually it’s hard for him to get out but today he got right out. He said, “angry mad you need a hug I’m sad you sad.” Progress. Then he came inside and right to his computer for Peekaboo Barn. He was calm the rest of the night and ate two dinners. Growing and progress, that’s what I love. Through challenges, we grow and those lessons shine the light on the victory of progress. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Owen’s happy Friday started very, very early but he was ready to get to school. He came to me before four, wanting chocolate milk, and to tell me he had his tablet. He also wanted me to know he was going to school. Convincing him to go back to sleep was not an option. He turned my bedroom light on and off he ran to the other room. It’s always interesting when he wants my light on. It was a cooler morning. All of the clothing options washed through my mind. I tried to put jogger pants on him. He may have worn them if they were blue but they were black. He put them on and took them immediately off. I asked him if he wanted to wear shorts or jeans and he chose jeans but hopefully that doesn’t impact the shorts momentum. He however was very excited to wear a jacket in “summer now winter soon” but all of this was huge progress. As we were getting ready to walk out the door he told me he was going on the “bus then school then bus home to play harmonica.” I was excited he told me he wanted to play the harmonica when he got home. He was off to school and I kept thinking about how to decide what to put on Owen when that can start an avalanche of emotions. Sometimes it is the emotional moments that leave me in the quake that are the hardest. His screams break my heart when he is struggling to process something. He came home and he was happy and he wasn’t going anywhere. I didn’t ask him to go anywhere but he immediately told me to change. Food, music, and his tablet were on the agenda for the evening. He was walking through the living room with his tablet to his ear counting and singing a song counting to one hundred. Languages were another big thing on his mind and he translated lots of words. He fell asleep in record time and he was ready for his Saturday with grandma. I’m thankful for a good day even if it started very early. I’m hoping that translates into sleep tonight. Be brave in those moments of challenge and know that your challenges will lead to your greatest of victories. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Sleep is a glorious thing and today it felt like we needed a lot more. Owen slept all night and woke up in a good mood. He was still a little sleepy but ready for his favorite day. I didn’t sleep much at all last night. Every noise was a noise and every noise woke me up so I could overthink about something. The dude is definitely growing. He wanted waffles and cereal before he went to school. They have breakfast, lunch, and snacks at school as well. He wanted to make sure that I was going to pick him up from school for his therapy. He hasn’t been repeating as much lately, but in the last couple of days, it started again. Sometimes I think as it gets closer to the weekend he gets more anxious about his days. He was excited about getting on the bus and going to school. His teacher said he had a good day, but was a little distracted. That’s how he felt in the morning as well and I think it was because he was tired. He’s had a very busy week. We had a little time before he had to go to therapy so we went to the park. At first, he wanted to go, and then he didn’t want to go, and then he did want to go, and then he didn’t want to go. As soon as I started to pull away, he decided he wanted to go. We got out of the car and he headed right for the swings. He then went on the slide and told me five more minutes when I said it was time to go. It’s interesting how he wanted to go and also didn’t want to go but then wanted more time. He was excited to get to therapy, but I could tell he was still distracted. He had speech first and he wanted to sing the responses with her. When he went to physical therapy it was amazing to watch him. He completely self-directed the exercises. That’s what I like about all of his therapists they know when to let him go through the process and assist when they can but also let him figure out the steps on his own. He took the small slide and moved it about the room onto other things like the crash pad, trampoline, and board swing. He figured out all these angles and gave himself a true workout. His therapist and I were amazed at all of the steps he was doing. We could tell he needed the input and the exploration was amazing. He completely exhausted himself so much that for the last five minutes, he lay on the crash pad. Then we went by the school he never went to but likes to drive by and the burger boy statue. We picked up a pizza from “Gino’s Owen’s robot sign.” He ate several slices and wanted more. Our wifi went out again and that was the only little hitch in our night. “Please try again,” he said when it went out. His day wore him out. He didn’t ask for more time and went right to bed. I’m praying for a great night of sleep and a happy Friday. His smile, his laughter, and his progress are all amazing. Let your smile be your guide for the day. Smiles to all and donut daze!

The blues pants saga is well on my mind. Owen slept great and me about as much sleep as an overthinking momma can get. The cooler nights lead to those cool days and I can’t help but think how to transition Owen back into wearing pants, but not blue jeans. I want him to understand he can wear other clothes. As soon as I start talking about pants he tells me blue pants. It’s a process and I could go with the theory that we will cross that bridge when we come to it but for me, that doesn’t give me enough time to overthink it. It makes me sad that this is so hard for him. I have to believe that as quickly as he transitioned to shorts he will learn to process other long pants. I have to hold onto this thought. I don’t want to lose the shorts momentum so I worry about going back to us both wearing jeans. Honestly, I would wear jeans every single day too but I don’t want it to be the complete focus for him. He was happy again when he got on the bus but he was concerned about what we were doing when he came home. He wanted to make sure we were staying home. He is on the go a lot so I know he wants times when he is at home playing and doing what he wants. He keeps asking to go to the pool on Saturday. He isn’t scheduled for another lesson right away so I will see when we can go again. When he came home from school he was very calm but he wanted to make sure I knew we weren’t going anywhere. I offered to take him to the park but didn’t expect him to go. I always like to offer options so that he knows we can do other things. It was a quiet night at home. I made his dinner and then he requested “honey mustard” for his chicken. He once again ate a big dinner. Bath time and playtime happened. He told me “five more minutes for fire hydrant.” I had no clue what he was referencing. I had already told him he could have a few more minutes before our routine. He showed me what he was looking at and it is a fire hydrant that he likes to go by with my mom. His world has opened up since I gave him Google Earth. It still amazes me all the places he has found. He fell asleep quickly and he was ready for his favorite day. I’m thankful he loves going to school and therapy. Today was another good day for my sweet baby O. I can’t wait for the days ahead and the progress I know he will make. Be the sunshine on someone’s cloudy day. Smiles to all and donut daze!

I’m truly for the sleep even though I never feel like I have enough. Routine is a glorious thing. Owen woke ready for his new day. He is making such good progress. He was happy again this morning. He was a little more anxious because he wanted to make sure he was coming home on the bus but he was still very calm. I’m thankful for how much he loves school and his progress there too. He is doing great with his new glasses but he is still pushing them up when he is looking at his tablet but he only needs them for far away so I get that. He was excited that he was going to therapy after school. He repeated numerous times about coming home on the bus. I made sure he understood that he was going to come home and then we were going to go to his therapy. We went outside to wait for the bus and I talked to him about clothing. I keep telling him that at some point, he’s going to have to wear pants again. I explained to him that he can wear any type of pants that he wants or he can wear long shorts as well. I want him to understand the options and the weather that is going to be changing. He was so excited when he saw the bus, but he still wanted to make sure that he was coming home on the bus before he left. When he came home from school, he was very calm. He put his backpack and safety belt up. I fixed his snack and then we got ready to leave. He did great in the car and he was ready to see his therapist. When we got there, he was a little hyper and loud but he still did well. When we got done with his therapy, we went to dinner with my parents. He knew exactly what he wanted to order and he ate most of it. He did pretty well while we were sitting there, but he was getting emotional about parts of his day. I asked him to share with his grandma about him going to his music lesson. He was able to tell her that they played several instruments and sang numerous songs. I love that he’s starting to make those connections and be able to share when I ask him questions. When we came home, he wanted to go in all of the directions, but he also wanted to go home. When we got to the house he walked up to the porch. He always opens the storm door. He stands there with his hand in the door frame, trying to slowly move the door to close. I think he is trying to see how the door works and what it feels like when it’s on his hand. He has no fears so he doesn’t know that it can hurt him to slam his hand in the door. He had a great rest of his night, requesting more food and ready for his day ahead. The bus was still on his mind, but I reassured him that he would be coming home from school on the bus. He was asleep in a matter of moments and I know that he is ready for the next day. Tomorrow we don’t have anything big planned and he needs that time where he gets to stay home. Progress was once again made today and I’m very thankful for my sweet baby O. Find your happiness in the little things and know that you can move mountains when you stay strong. Smiles to all and donut daze!