I’m not quite sure what was going on with our day but we were awake and ready to rock and roll with just a little attitude. Owen slept all night and came out swinging. After a while, he was calm with a side of anxiousness and concern. Upsetting people is not something he likes but he loves the actions that it takes to get there. He was working through every emotion he has had since he was a baby I do believe. There was so much on his mind and he was sharing a lot of it.

And then our internet went out. It went out first and then it sounded like a transformer blew. It was very interesting. Thankfully the “leprechauns” came immediately to get it going again but the internet was a little slower to accept the “leprechauns” help. So then we were counting the seconds, minutes, hours until we could depart to see his grandma.

He was so ready to get to next week so he could get to Thanksgiving to get to Christmas to get to high school and the least went on and on. His focus is to get out that door so he can do all the things he wants to do and then come home and wait for tomorrow. We will be ready for the next day.

He was working through everything that happened yesterday so it will be interesting to see how his day goes. He talked about how everyone was sad. I kept praying that this attention he was getting would not spur more attention, any attention, seeking behaviors to skyrocket instead.

He wanted to “swim” in the bathtub before we could get going to his grandma’s house. It is more of that hurry up and wait. He knows what he wants to do but it is all about his timing. He got out and then he thought about going back into the tub but realized he had to get to Grandma’s house. It wasn’t long before he was dressed and we were out the door.

He stayed with his grandma for a while and then they were on the mission home. She drove him by the “blue church” and then to our house. He was a happy boy with his pictures and video of his grandma leaving. He had a great time with his grandma and he made sure I knew that he was sorry about Friday because he didn’t want his grandma to be upset with him. I told him she loved him we just wish he would not do things he knows he shouldn’t do. I was glad he was thinking it all through though.

When we were going to his grandma’s house he started telling me about the pedal pushers she wore when she would pick him up from pre-k. I have a feeling he could tell us every outfit we ever wore. When he came home he told me about the CDs she used to play for him in the car and then she got him a radio so he could play the CDs anytime he wanted. He wanted it back. It has been years. It is packed in a box somewhere so I will have to see if I can find it.

I got him a harmonica holder. I thought it would help him develop how to think through more complex concepts by having him play his harmonica and ukulele at the same time. He loved it. He sat for quite a while playing both. Then we watch videos of him when he was younger playing his guitar. I am thankful for how much he loves music.

He was very tired. He was trying to keep himself awake. I think he was tired because of all the emotions he has been dealing with over the last few days. It was finally bedtime and he said, “Tell Mozart night night” as he sat there listening to Mozart on his tablet. Church was the big topic as he went to bed. I pray he sleeps all night and we will be ready for our brand new day. Hold onto the Son shine for He will get you through the rain. Smiles to all and donut daze!

The Oster “slept upper night” and until not quite six. He didn’t even know how to explain what time he slept until. He is getting better at reading the clock but is still working on it. He was ready to get his day done so he could come home and get his weekend started so he can go to school next week so he can see “night Santa” so he can get Thanksgiving break started so he can be in college school before we know it. And that pretty much sums up how our morning started.

Trying to live in the moment is hard for Owen. He is always ten steps ahead or decades ahead. I’m trying to teach him to be in the moment but I’m not sure how to help him do that. We all look forward to special moments but he can’t concentrate on the now and then when the special moments happen he is ready for the next moment.

He was pretty calm this morning. I’m trying not to be as reactionary and show expressions he wants so he is not getting his responses that he is seeking. I’m trying to remember to immediately change the subject but that is hard for me to do sometimes. I’m constantly feeling like I’m always on the defense because how do you stop a behavior that you can’t even figure out? With him, no is yes and blue is brown until he is asked if that is correct and then he laughs or smiles and tells you the right answer. Depending on the person he handles these interactions all differently depending on their reaction and what he is getting out of it. It is a wild ride.

Ahh, he was off to his happy place. To know that he gets to go to a place where they absolutely want the best for him is such a blessing. He now wants all the character shirts. He is asking for so many things now from clothes to food and places he wants to go. The days when everywhere was such a trip to get even out of our door were not long ago in the grand scheme of life. And now he loves the places he loves and his people.

When I was at his meeting the other day his teacher was talking about how much he knows about space and the planets. She was asking the class questions and he would answer her. He retains everything he has ever heard that he wants to. We spent hours and hours watching videos and reading books about the planets.

And then there were moments. One of the hardest things for Owen is to explain his emotions. He will constantly say something is funny when it is quite the opposite. Plus, trying to get him to connect and handle someone else’s emotions or actions can be hard. Today was one of those days I wish I could read his brain or do anything to help him.

Earlier in the day his teacher let me know he was having some rough moments and was upset. He told her that he had to do his deep breathing. I told her we have been working on him connecting to emotions. I’m not sure what would have triggered it. Then she called me after school and told me that he was in arts and crafts class. He got up and ripped several of the teacher’s books and was knocking things down. When his teacher found out she was talking to him and she said that she would have to call me. There were several other emotions and actions throughout the day. I can only imagine what he is going through.

When he got home he couldn’t explain what happened and I didn’t expect he would be able to but I wanted him to know first that I loved him but ripping other people’s property was unacceptable. I told him that we had talked about this so many times. He says, “it’s funny” sounding out the word funny with a drawl and making it much more pronounced. How do I even begin to convince him that certain behaviors have to change when he emotionally cannot understand it? It’s exhausting knowing that I can’t make him understand. I did lots of deep breathing myself. I told him so many times that I loved him as he talked about his day. I never want him to be confused about love and how being upset doesn’t change how much I love him.

“You have a good one,” he said many times throughout the night to me. He was concerned about how his day was going to go tomorrow. He wanted to make sure he was still going to see his grandma. I told him that he would as long as he slept and had a good morning. We said our prayers and as I walked away he kept saying “I love you.” Some days are not easy to explain but the love sure is. Today was emotional. We learn, we love, we grow. My heart hurts when my baby hurts. I pray for better ahead. Never give up on the hope for tomorrow. Smiles to all and donut daze!

“Good morning sunshine five oh oh,” Owen said. “Little blue jeans,” he continued. I said, remember you saw your friend in big blue jeans. His reply, “little blue jeans clean” and he went on to ask for his tablet. He then asked me for the pictures of his friend in the “big blue jeans” so maybe it will help him to start thinking both are fine. He then asked for yoga and all his future doctor appointments. My boy loves his appointments and his people. I can’t even imagine how it would be if he didn’t.

All his bins were back intact. I must start doing them when he can’t see it. That would help because it’s nonstop questioning of when they will be filled back up again but at least it is helping our mornings go more smoothly. He was very anxious about them not being filled up before he went to bed last night. I do see progress though and he asked about other people wearing “big blue jeans.” The two sides of the coin are very much where this can flip. Is it good to keep encouraging the blue pants or is it time for the sweatpants monkey wrench to be thrown in the bins?

He was off to school in his “little blue jeans.” Excitement level: one million! “Little blue jeans” for the win, choosing the pair that has strings on the cuffs from them being worn through by his shoes. Oh, how he loves strings. I am thinking he needs dark blue with strings. Another beautifully, fantastic day ahead full of some of his favorite people and adventures.

On today’s adventure to therapy, a great story was told. He is going to fall on a snowball at our house after making a snow angel. He is then going to ride the snowball all the way to St Albans where he is going to visit his grandma. He will be wearing his “little blue jeans,” a blue shirt, white shoes, and reindeer ears. Then he is going to invite his friends to a campfire. His imagination is incredible and I love the details.

When I picked him up from school his teacher said he had been pretty quiet today. I wondered what the adventure would be like on our way home since he was so talkative on the way to therapy. He was trying to get me with his words but I kept trying to redirect him. Math is my new go-to choice for redirection. I’m hoping that it will get him to stop saying “pay attention” when I am driving.

“Cup in the mouth,” he said. It is hard for him to process that I will take medicine, carry a cup with my mouth, or even hold a spoon in my mouth for too long. That is not what is supposed to happen. That is all out of the norm and he doesn’t know how to handle it. If he hears me getting silverware he will start talking to me about “spoon in the mouth” before he can even get to the kitchen. He has gone through different phases of this since he was little but now it has become a focus again. Trying to stay ahead of his emotions is hard but I’m trying to teach him that what he sees me doing are the same types of things he does.

He was mostly calm all evening. There were still a few moments he was trying to get me going but redirecting was what I kept doing. It’s exhausting though. Trying to stay one step ahead of the master mind of his can be difficult. He is ready for his Friday so he can get to his Saturday to see his grandma. I’m thankful for their amazing bond. Bedtime was quick and “little blue jeans” were the big topic. We shall see what he wears tomorrow. Let the gift of today be the joy of your tomorrow. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Laughter is the name of the game. “Good morning sunshine,” he said without going through the rest of his usual speech. He then told me he “slept upper night” to “five oh oh.” Next, he told me he was going to the dentist and he was going to get his tablet. Not as many buttons were being pushed this morning but he sure was trying. He couldn’t wait to get to school and the dentist. I’m still not feeling my best but that is how this goes right now. My focus is that I have no more treatments and one day at a time.

He had only “big blue jeans” left so he talked a lot about them but he will have more choices again tomorrow. I didn’t start it on a Sunday because of when I put it together but he doesn’t concentrate on that so it is fine. He was just looking forward to it being refilled so he could wear his favorites again.

As the morning went on I kept thinking that I wished I could show him a picture of his best friend in “big blue jeans” so that he would know he wore dark colored jeans as well. It dawned on me that I had pictures of them at trunk or treat last year and when I looked he wore dark blue last year. I may have said, “thank you God” about a hundred times as soon as I found it. He was awestruck. Not sure how this will pan out but he got the squinty little excited eyes and he was all about not looking at it so that meant he was very happy.

He was off wearing his dark blue jeans and thrilled with what an exciting day he was going to have. The dentist to count his teeth was finally here. Why can’t she count his teeth every day he often asks. When he woke up he had a sore on the opposite side of his mouth than where I had a concern. I think he bit it. I knew it would be interesting because he didn’t want that side touched at all but I knew his dentist would work her magic on him.

I had his IEP. I never stress about them with his teacher or for most of the ones he had before. They have to go through all the official paperwork but quite honestly his teacher and all the support staff go above and beyond what is set as his guidelines to teach him. They have truly inspired him to grow. They took the platform that his previous teacher built and kept on raising it. I am beyond thankful for their dedication to helping him grow.

I picked him up from school and we were off to the dentist. He did amazing. He lets her do all the steps to his teeth. It truly is amazing how calm he is with her. The grey on his tooth was some kind of transfer from something maybe he chewed on that wasn’t coming off from the brushing or flossing that I was doing but once she used the power buffer with toothpaste it was gone. I was worried he had hurt it with his biting of everything so I was relieved that it wasn’t hurt. He did have a sore on the other side of his mouth that she said would heal soon so that is why he said he was “cranky” but otherwise his teeth look great she said. He changed his request to McDonald’s for dinner and we headed there.

The laughter was my favorite part of our day. He was very calm for the rest of the night except he couldn’t wait until his bins were filled back up so he could choose “little blue pants” again. I am going to show him the picture of his best friend in both colored pants to see if that has any influence. I’m thankful for a great day and lots of prayers answered. Each day is a gift and today I’m thankful for seeing my sweet baby O smile so incredibly much. Your smile is a gift to the world. Make sure you share it every day. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Feisty is the way I’m going to describe our morning. Thankfully Owen slept until “five oh oh.” I was up and down all night long. I keep reminding myself none. No more treatments. Even though it is none my body is still going through all of this stuff and my energy levels aren’t always at my best. Today was one of those days.

He was excited about going to our friend’s house but was already pushing his fun boundaries to tomorrow. He is my lookahead kid. He was trying to push the buttons, all the buttons but I told him I knew he would be upset if he had to miss out on a fun day because of behaviors. He calmed down and was ready to rock and roll.

Behaviors are something we work on every day. I do not want to give in on how he behaves. As much as he is thirteen he will be an adult before I know it and I have to make sure we work through his emotions now. I want him to be able to work on calming himself down in situations that are stressful or difficult for him. We work on breathing techniques and other exercises so that he can use what works for him during those moments. I am thankful he is starting to do them on his own. There is a difference between behaviors and meltdowns and he

He was ready to get outside. It wasn’t even seven o’clock in the morning and he had asked me more times than I can remember when we could go outside to wait for our friend who wasn’t getting there until nine. I told him we have to wait until she says she is coming. He was all about the wrong color of jeans in his bins. He was not happy that he only had “big blue jeans” left. I told him that I would restock them after he wore his last outfit. He put them on but he wanted to get his jeans out of the laundry.

He was off with our friend and he was happy. He told me he was not going to wear a jacket and I told him that was fine he could stay home. He walked outside with a jacket. It was below freezing and he wanted to stand outside to wait for her. I explained to him why he needed to wear it but either way he has to wear it. It is also a matter of setting the rules and sticking with them. He will bend them so easily so I want to always make sure that he knows what the rules are.

He got home a few hours later and he had no problem immediately taking off his “big blue jeans” and shoes. He wanted me to know once again that he wanted “little blue jeans” and there were none left in his bins. I told them it would be filled back up again soon but right now he had to wear what was left.

He was doing his “it’s funny” as he was telling me he was going to bite, lick, and hit one more thing. I started crying. He said, “Mommy crying.” I told him that I was sad because I couldn’t figure out how to convince him that biting his toys and other things was not good for him. I listed other people who were trying to help him with it and I wish we could find a way for him to do something else instead. It was the first time instead of carrying on about how it was funny that he actually started talking about other things and not continuing to tell me it was funny and chewing on the very few game pieces he has left since I have taken away most of the ones he hasn’t destroyed. He will not use any of the other chewing devices or sensory items I have got and trying to distract him is “not funny.”

He was ready for bedtime and couldn’t wait to go back to school. Tomorrow I have an appointment, his IEP meeting, and then his dentist appointment. He wants to go to the “South Charleston Burger King” for dinner and he requested chicken sticks. I’m thankful for his growth. He is very excited about seeing his dentist tomorrow. I am praying that we have some good news about his teeth. His smile made my day. Find your joy and sing it from the rooftops. Smiles to all and donut daze!

“Five oh oh” was the wakeup call this morning but calmness was on the agenda except for one little moment but we were able to breathe through it. We went through the official snow, no snow, are we going to school questions and then happiness ensued. He was very much looking forward to his pizza. He wants all his toppings and talked about more. He was excited about carrying the box.

His prayer last night was “dear God thank you for school” and then he listed all of his people. I love that he understands what he wants to pray for and that it has a meaning. If I don’t start praying he always tells me to pray. He is praying very meaningfully for his people.

When I was talking to him about breathing and being calm after he told me to pay attention he said, “Lynn Emerson” using his middle name for me. I said my name is “Lynn Patrice” and he said, “Lynn buy trees.” I like his version better than “pat rice”. When I was little I would always say my name was “pat rice” instead of pronouncing it correctly.

We got ready and went outside with the trash in the falling snow. I reminded him not to run or jump several times but he did pretty good about it. Luckily there was no ice around and the sidewalks and road were fine. He said, “winter jacket” as I got it out for him to wear and he didn’t hesitate to put it on and even let me pull up the hood. He told me it was trash day before we walked out and calmly helped me. He took it exactly where it needed to be. It wasn’t long and he was off to school.

I went to pick him up for his music therapy. A whirlwind out in the snow. Luckily it wasn’t too bad. His teacher said he had a good day. He told her he didn’t want to put his jacket on but she talked to him about the snow and he let her help him with it. He was very calm as we talked and then off we went.

He was so excited to be at music. His therapist said he did excellent. They made Christmas balls for their trees and she said he didn’t rush through them at all. He did exactly what he was supposed to do. She also said he did great with music. I have talked to him about behaviors and listening to others especially since he keeps telling me he wants to go to “college school.” I told him he had to say the correct answers instead of the wrong ones. I can tell he is thinking about it.

I came home a different way because I don’t want him getting stuck on one direction. He wanted to go by the bridge flags but the road was closed. He handled it well and didn’t scream at me. When we got home he told me he was going to lick his shoe. I said is that the behavior you want to keep doing so that you don’t get to do the fun activities you want to do and he quickly answered No. Hw wants to stretch the limits but he is doing these behaviors for attention so I’m doing other activities to replace them so that he will try to have more fun in other ways. He has been calmer. I’m not going to let him keep doing these behaviors without consequences since he is now liking to do his activities.

Before we left for his vision therapy he asked for tomatoes on his pizza. He was talking about it again and I said is there anything else you want on it and he said tomatoes. Before you know it we will be having a supreme. We got ready and it was snowing again. He was excited to go to therapy but he kept asking if her assistant would be there. I told him he knew the answer and he said, “She will be gone a couple months.”

On today’s edition of what he decided to get on his pizza, you will find that he wanted pepperoni, sausage, olives, mushrooms, and tomatoes. When asked how he wanted it on the pizza he proudly proclaimed “all together.” When he told his doctor about it he said, “Next time peppers.” He did fantastic with her. He did great on all the exercises and did one he wasn’t able to do before. It was amazing how calm he was.

When we got home he inspected it and was thrilled. He listed all the toppings again and eating commenced. The lady at Gino’s said he will be at supreme soon. I said next week he wants to add peppers. Our boy is ordering what he wants. I’m so glad he keeps adding things. When we picked it up the two who know we usually get it half and half wanted to make sure we really did want it on everything. I said yes can you believe it? I told them to look for next week’s addition of peppers that he was already asking for. They said wow. He ate it all.

It was back to “pants degrees” weather tonight he told me. All night long he talked about his big day tomorrow. He is going to our friend’s house and then we are going to pick up our other friend to do some more fun activities. It will be a great way to spend our Veterans Day. He kept trying to say it and I could tell they were working with him on it at school.

He fell asleep quickly and I know he is excited about his days ahead. He prayed for our friends tonight and I’m so proud of all he accomplished today. He is doing amazing. Each day is a gift. Find ways to celebrate your accomplishments and be proud of yourself. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Sleep, that’s what happened for Owen. Glorious sleep. He passed his own prediction time. I am going to try over Thanksgiving break to get him to bed a little later. We shall see how it goes because he wants to go to bed early and it is hard to change his schedule. I fell asleep so quickly last night, woke up around one, went back to sleep until five, and then slept again for a while.

The dude announced as he came out of his room he “slept upper night” and he “slept past six oh oh and seven oh oh gets to go to Bible Center Church” always saying “center” as “centel” with an L sound. “It is daytime,” he proclaimed. “Get to wear little blue jeans,” he went on. Plus that means he is getting really good at reading the clock since he told me exactly when he got up at “seven oh two.” I was so happy.

It was “get ready for church time” and he had put one of his “designer blue jeans” back into the bins. He wants all the ones he has already worn to be cleaned because those are his favorites so it is still a lot of discussion but at least he wasn’t upset like he was without the bins. He mostly put his own clothes on but I still had to help him with the buckle.

Finding a middle ground of moving forward is more work some days than others and can be very emotional. He wanted to show me and talk about all the things that are behaviors he doesn’t even do but he sure does love the attention it gets when he tries to do any of the activities associated with it.

He was so happy to be at church. I’m beyond thankful for our people. He talked about our people all the way home peppered with snow talk and how it would affect his week. He knows it might snow and how this might throw us off. He told me he would change his Monday plans to Tuesday if that happens. I told him it’s not quite how it works so we will see. At this point, it isn’t supposed to stick but you never know how it will change overnight.

“The Internet taking a nap,” he said when we got home. Every time we come home he always asks me before we even get out of the car if the “internet is working.” I try to explain to him that it takes a few minutes to connect and I can’t tell him the instant we pull up to the house if it is working. I explain that most likely it is but I won’t know right away. Thankfully most days it is and it wasn’t even taking a nap.

I showed him how the weather app worked. I went into details hoping that it would help him and he would start looking at it to see what the weather would be like. It looked like it was almost going to snow when we were leaving church. He asked me lots of questions about the weather as the night went on but I told him it didn’t look like it was going to be bad.

The rocky road with many behaviors started as the afternoon went on. He wanted to show me all the things he knows he shouldn’t but I told him his tablet would go bye-bye because he was being “bump loud” and smiling while showing me everything. I was not feeling my best this afternoon and he knew what buttons to push. I told him that if he kept it up he would not be going to our friend’s house on Tuesday. He started being kinder and told me he was sorry.

He sang many songs for me. I’m working with him on how to play his ukulele more by pressing his fingers on the strings. I know he does it a lot with his music therapist so I try to follow through with him using both hands. He rushes through a lot of the songs. I am working with him to slow down and feel the music.

The snow at this point has been downgraded but I still prepared him for it as he went to bed. I’m thankful for how much he has grown and he felt calmer as we talked about the weather. Each day I tell him that he is amazing and I want him to know that he can accomplish anything if he sets his mind to it. Life is precious. Be the change you want to see in the world. Smiles to all and donut daze!

One of us woke up in a mood and the other quickly got there. I’m not quite sure why Owen woke up on the wrong side of the bed but at ”five oh oh” the fun began. All I wanted to do was sleep a few more minutes and he wanted to yell about everything he saw and heard. The screaming finally stopped about an hour later but it took a lot to get him to calm down. I know he was excited about his “movie trip” and that he was going to see his grandma later in the day but it was a wild ride to get there.

I told him that he needed to calm down so he could have a great day. Our friend planned on taking him to the movie and then going to a craft fair at our church’s school. I told him he was going on an adventure with her. He told me it was “adventures in Kanawha County.” He then started talking about living in the “united steak” and where they might go in Kanawha County. He listed different friends who lived across the county and the places he likes to visit. I talked about other counties and places he could go.

He then told me about where he goes to school. He mentioned going to “college school” and I told him that he could do anything he wanted there but he had to keep learning and select the correct answers now. I asked him if he would like to study languages and he said yes so I told him to sing in another language. He sang Humpty Dumpty in German. After that, he did not stop asking about all the people, places, and things. My brain is exhausted thinking about it all but at least he was in a better mood.

He also talked about his birthday. I told him that he can plan his birthday party and do whatever he wants next year. I said last year you had it at school but you can have it wherever you want. We will see how this goes. He couldn’t completely grasp what I was referencing so it will be interesting to see how he comprehends it.

It was finally time to get ready for his adventure. He could hardly handle the excitement. We are hoping he will last longer but you know how it goes. While we waited I practiced having him quickly go to the porch. I did it for several reasons. He gets hyper-focused on what he is about to do so it helps him to know that things can change at any moment and he has to adapt. Plus I want him to know how to escape if for whatever reason he needs to get inside our house. He has to learn to spot if something is happening but he also has to listen to commands from others for any and all situations and not ignore them because he wants to go somewhere. He is rude to distract a moving train but it is something he has to learn. He did very well with it but it is still hard on him.

He got home and was so very happy with his adventure. Our friend said he did amazing. He lasted the whole movie and they even started another one and the kids lasted about halfway through it. She said he did great at the craft show and they went by the “blue church” twice. He was very excited about his next adventure.

He was super excited about his grandma coming to get him. I told him that she wasn’t coming right away but we would be outside in plenty of time to see you drive up. He wanted to go outside early. I set the timer so he would know when we could go outside and he was so happy. His grandma came and off they went. I headed to my event at the cancer center where I was performing comedy.

After it was over I went to pick Owen up. My outfit was a concern only until I was at a four-way stop and I correctly allowed someone else to go first. He was not pleased with this decision. Otherwise, it was uneventful because we had to discuss the rules of the road the whole way home. He told me he would sleep until “six oh oh” because it was an hour later than his bedtime. He was ready.

“Dear God, thank you for Bible Center Church, Amen,” was his prayer tonight. He told me he couldn’t wait to go to church. We have a very busy week ahead and he can’t wait. I’m thankful for a great day especially after the very bumpy start. I see so much growth in my sweet baby O and I am here for the amazing ride. Be inspired by the world around you and be the voice of an amazing life. Smiles to all and donut daze!

A calm morning had by all. He was one excited dude for a full day of school and beyond ready to get out to the bus. He was talking about going to the dentist next week and knows he will not see “dentist Claus” because it is only Thanksgiving and not Christmas. He has never seen a Santa Claus at the dentist that I know of but there you go.

He said to me “Oh my word” in my voice. I thought about how many phrases he has stored in his mind ready to go at any given moment to use. He then said, “Owen Emerson do not sit on the vent.” I’m reliving all my wonderful words through the years. He is constantly reciting things that I said in the past.

“All done school at Thanksgiving break have turkey at grandma’s,” he said. The things he thinks of amaze me. He went through all the breaks he would have over the school year. He listed each one and then asked me when he would be going back to school. He knows the answer, but he wants to go over each thing again and again.

The bus app is like our fair-weather friend. The bus app wasn’t working again so we had to go out to wait for the bus early. Just when I get him looking at it poof it is gone again. He was excited though because he got to go out early. The pure joy that exudes from him when the bus gets here is magical. I wish we could all feel that much happiness all the time. He was off to his beloved school and oh so ready for his adventures tomorrow.

When he got home he wanted me to bite into his antics and I did not. He kept telling me he was going to rip books but instead, I kept asking him questions about school. He doesn’t like it when I ignore his behavior but I’m trying to get him to realize that we can talk about other things.

He was very amped up but he was listening to instructions. He let me take a phone call without any problem. They called to schedule my port removal at the end of December. I’m thankful that in general, he will allow me to have conversations on the phone without screaming the entire time or hanging up the phone.

He keeps talking about when he will have all his breaks. He wants to know when he will go to “college school” but knows he has to go to high school first. I keep telling him he needs to learn all he can in middle school and enjoy the work so he can go to college school. I’m so glad he loves school and is looking towards his future. I know if he sets his mind to it he will be able to go “college school” and accomplish anything he wants.

The night was filled with many behavioral moments, but thankfully it was also a great learning experience for both of us and I feel like by the end of the night. He was so much calmer. He knows his schedule will be different tomorrow and it took a lot for him to process it, but I know he will have fun on all his adventures. Thankful for the incredible gift of my son. Reach for the stars and know that you can make it. Smiles to all and donut daze!

The proudly proclaimer came to me to proclaim at “five oh oh” he slept all night. Quite the opposite for me but I was glad I had my energy yesterday. Owen was a live wire this morning, very excited for his day, and had happiness abound because his “little blue jeans are clean.” I have come to the conclusion that I need pictures of his people in dark blue jeans and other colored shoes so that he might shift his now narrower focus off the “little blue jeans” and white shoes to at least all the blue jeans and all the shoes. Otherwise, he was in a great mood and couldn’t wait to see his people on the bus.

He successfully picked out his bin without hesitation. It was the very light blue jeans and a camo shirt. He quickly put his shoes on and was ready to get out that door. He was anxious but listening to me about going outside. He is more interested in the bus app now so I hope that he continues to understand that it is showing when it will arrive. He told me again that he was going to tell his teacher that his grandma was picking him up. I wrote her a note and as I was writing it he was trying to rip it up. He thinks these behaviors are “funny” and he wants to joke about them. I wish I could figure out how to have him tell jokes so that he can comprehend when something is funny. That is my goal to help him write a joke that he understands and he can make people laugh.

He knew he had to help me with the trash. He is learning to carry the bags to the door and today he helped me carry them off the porch. He then realized they all needed to get to the curb and he was very helpful. He knows that we have to do this on Mondays and Thursdays. It will be a good learning experience for him to understand when they change the schedule for the holidays. Thankfully he is beginning to understand that we can still do the trash without it interrupting his bus watching moments. The bus came and over his shoulder, he told me everything that was happening today as he got on the bus.

I picked him up and on today’s adventure to therapy, I learned that he ate apples, peas, and pizza for lunch. I love that he is at least telling me foods, knowing that was probably not anything he had for lunch. He was very interested in bees and mosquitoes biting him because they would bite his finger to “make it bleeding.” Oh boy, how I wish he were not fascinated by blood and boo-boos.

He did great at therapy. His speech therapist is helping him make some great connections with his letters and word associations. He is also making great strides with his occupational therapist. They worked on different types of closures like snaps, buttons, and zippers. When she brought Owen to me he let me talk to her without interrupting. He has grown so much so incredibly much.

I am going to try putting his shoes in a left shoebox and a right shoebox to see if this helps him put his shoes on the correct feet. In general, if it doesn’t bother him it doesn’t bother me but I also want him to learn about shoes on the correct feet. Plus his one foot slightly turns in so the wear on his shoes when he keeps putting them on differently may cause other issues. He likes the jeans bins so hopefully it works for his shoes too.

I got some Medjool dates. They have a lot of nutrients in them and I knew they would help us both. I had him try a bite and he did. Once he ate it I said try it again. He didn’t say no so I offered it again. Three total bites of something so different than what he typically eats so I thought score. I will try again.

He has been calm but he keeps telling me all the things he thinks are funny and trying to break everything he touches. I’m not quite sure how to break him of the breaking things. It is like he is in the toddler stage now. And he breaks things quickly. I just don’t know how to move him past the breaking or destroying of things. It’s mostly exploration but he needs to learn why we don’t break things.

He was very much ready for bed. I am glad he has been sleeping better. His prayer tonight was thanking God for the movie trips he gets to go on. I love his prayers. They are real and raw and that makes my heart happy. His growth is amazing and I thank God every single day that I am here for it. Every step forward is a step forward. You can do it. Smiles to all and donut daze!