Owen slept until 5:30 again. He was happy today is “turkey eat Thanksgiving day go to grandma’s house see aunt Betsy Cheryl Debi stay home on Friday” kinda day. He asked me a few times “How much time is on my timer” and “When do we eat turkey” which I thought was funny that he keeps asking about the eating part. He is certainly growing.

He told me he was mad. He said, “screamed at mommy.” I told him it is OK because he is working through his emotions. He said, “Take little deep breaths” and started doing his breathing exercises. He has a lot on his mind. I feel like he has done amazing though with his routine being off and having everyone at my parents’ house. He has truly warmed up to all of them and handled me being there all day as well.

He took his bath and we got ready to go to his grandma‘s house. He wanted to wear his “little blue jeans.” I told him they still weren’t clean, but he had lots of other clothes to choose from in his bins. He likes this particular pair because he has worn the bottom pant legs. He likes the fact that they have strings on them. He has another pair that are exactly like them and he will wear them, but they are not the same as the other ones because of the strings. I want him to understand that he can’t always wear the same things because stuff will happen to all of his clothes and eventually they will either wear out or he will get too big for them.

After we got dressed, he told me he wanted to take his ukulele and harmonica to play music for everyone. We put on our Thanksgiving hats and we were ready. We headed out the door and off. We went to Grandma‘s house. He was very calm in the car, even though he was extremely excited about seeing everyone. He talked about eating turkey and being there. He told me that we would stay home tomorrow and he was very excited about going to church on Sunday and then school on Monday.

When we got there, he wanted nothing to do with his music and that was fine, but I told him that he was the one who had requested to be able to play for them. He ended up playing for a few seconds, but then he was completely done. All the excitement from the day I knew was hard for him to concentrate on one thing, but he truly did incredible throughout all of these moments.

He stood in the kitchen, pulling open one of the drawers, and he was fascinated by always getting caught. He took his shirt and wrapped it around the drawer pull. He kept acting like he was stuck. He finally let his shirt pull off the drawer pull and said that it was “bleeding.” he knows what blood is so I’m not quite sure why he always thinks something that doesn’t work out quite like he wants or is stuck he will reference bleeding. He goes through this numerous times in numerous ways so I know he is trying to learn how things operate or are done.

He did incredibly well with our dinner. He ate so much food and tried a lot of new things. He ate almost everything that I put on his plate and enjoyed the dinner time. He was even able to sit there without his tablet for most of the dinner and answer many questions when I was talking to him about our day.

We stayed for several hours after our meal and then he had me tell him exactly when we were leaving. He did fabulous because once again we stayed there past dark and he wanted to be there with our relatives. In the past, this was so hard on him, and seeing the growth that he has made is such a beautiful story.

We left there and we got home without him having a hard time in the car. He easily got ready for bed and put his tablet up. His prayer tonight was to say he was thankful for his people and then he said thank you that it’s Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so I can go to school. I’m truly thankful for how well he has handled this week and the amazing growth that he is showing. Every day is a day to learn and grow and love. Happy Thanksgiving. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Last night he predicted he would sleep until noon since he was up so late. He didn’t quite sleep until noon but he did sleep until after 5:30 though. He was pretty calm but making sure that he was getting to see our relatives today and what he was going to do for the rest of his break. He was also making sure that he gets to go to high school with all his friends in a couple of years. And so the day began.

I asked him what he wanted for breakfast and he said pizza. He then bent down to let me kiss his forehead. He is almost as tall as me now. It won’t be long before he is taller than me and can kiss me on top of my forehead. We ate the leftover pizza that we had last night and he was beyond thrilled. We can now add ham and pineapple to the list of things he likes on his pizza.

He got in the bath and talked about seeing our relatives. His stomach made a noise and he said his “belly sang.” I love how he processes the world. He stayed in the tub for quite some time and then we got ready. He wanted his “little blue pants with the string” but he knew they were not clean yet. I once again tried to make the bargaining chip of wear your tan shoes and I will have the pants you want cleaned and ready to go for tomorrow. He did not want to wear his tan shoes. I’m trying to work with him on give-and-take and making sure he understands that we all have choices.

We left for his grandma‘s house and she was going to watch him while I went with my cousins on an adventure. I made sure he understood that I was going to stay for a little while before we left. He has a hard time understanding that I don’t drop him off and then always leave. He has come a long way though, because he used to have huge meltdowns over me staying and many times we couldn’t stay or I would have to leave and come back.

On the way there we work on how he expresses himself. I try to get him to say sentences instead of repeating the same words over and over waiting for responses. I told him he could say things like “l can’t wait to see grandma” or “I am excited to see grandma.” he went through several different ways to say it and then he said, “Can’t wait Mommy go bye bye.” I laughed and knew he had understood the assignment.

I was trying to distract him so I asked him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. He said that he wanted a red, orange, and pink snow cap and an indoor pool. I told him that Santa could probably bring three out of the four of those things.

I stayed for a little while and then we were off to our adventure and Owen stayed with my mom and aunt. I took them to see the little Mortar Man in downtown Charleston. It was made to look like a little man in the bricks. I didn’t tell them where we were going but I knew they would love it. We also went by several other fun little sites and showed them some of Owen’s favorite places.

When we returned, he was very excited to see all of this. We decided to go out to dinner and Owen was very happy. He sat next to my cousin at the restaurant and they talked the whole time about his tablet and which made him very happy. He ate all of his fish. I had gotten him French fries but he was not interested in those so I shared my green beans and sage dressing with him and I ate a lot of his French fries.

We went back to my mom’s house for a little while and then we left closer to his bedtime. Leaving their house was bumpy but then he calmed down after a few blocks, We got home and it escalated. I was getting stuff off the porch and then when we walked in the door he started screaming about his pants.

It took a little while for me to calm him down, but then he was ready for bed and he kept telling me he was sorry that he yelled at me. I could tell he was upset and processing the whole thing. He did his breathing exercises on his own and was able to easily fall asleep. I’m thankful for a good day with my family and how far Owen has come. Each day is a gift and I can’t wait to celebrate Thanksgiving. Let your happiness be the joy that someone else can cling to. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Oh, how the questions begin before I even have a chance to gather the answers. It seems like I need a stockpile of them ready to go as soon as we wake up. The tides didn’t turn and sleep was still like the ocean slapping the shoreline only to slowly drift back into the waters. Owen woke ready to go. He wanted to know what was happening, when it was happening, and who it was happening with when all I could concentrate on was getting to the coffeepot.

Thankfully he “slept upper night” and made it past “five oh oh.” He was in a good mood but ready for his day. He couldn’t wait to see his grandma and he knew he wanted to play on her black computer. He was going there while I was at my appointment at the cancer center. We had relatives who came in and he was asking when he would get to see them. He also wanted to know when he could “tell them bye bye.” He wants to say that until they are gone and then he will want to know when they are coming back. He also had many comments and questions about his people from school. There was a lot on his mind and he was extremely focused.

“Owen a grow up baby not a baby anymore big boy” he said to me. Oh my heart. I told him that he was a big boy, something we discuss often throughout the day, but he would always be my baby.

He got ready for his bath and he asked me for a rubber ducky. He asked me lots of questions as we got ready. He was stressed about his grandma changing her hair and clothes when he saw her today. We were getting ready to go to his grandma’s house while I went to the cancer center. My aunt and cousins would be there. He also wanted to know all about this.

On the car ride there he asked consistently if he was going to grandma’s house. As soon as I said yes he would ask it again. I tried to distract him by having him sing with me but this just made him scream. He was getting very upset and I had been pulling over because it didn’t need to escalate while we were in the car. His emotions over the last week have gotten a lot stronger. I told him that we would not keep going to Grandma’s house if he didn’t calm down. We sat there for five minutes working on his breathing exercises. After he stopped crying and screaming I asked him if he wanted to sing with me and then we were back to heading to see grandma. I need him to learn how to work through his emotions and we have to focus on this. The car is no place for him to be this upset so I have to make sure he learns how to remain calm through all the circumstances.

I dropped him off and I headed to my appointment. It went fine and I came back to Owen having a grand ole time with them. They said it took about an hour for him to embrace everything but as stressed out as he was I thought that was good. We stayed and ate pizza with everyone. It was after eight by the time we left and he told me that he would sleep until “seven oh oh or noon.” I told him either would be great.

Bedtime happened quickly and I know he had a great day. We will see them again tomorrow and it was a lot of fun being with them. Owen has grown so much and I’m thankful for how amazing he was even though he was very emotional all morning. Let your sunshine be the greatest gift to the world. Smiles to all and donut daze!

“Bowling trip bowling trip bowling trip” was where our excitement level started. Owen woke up numerous times before midnight and then he barely made it until five. Off routine and so much more I’m sure were on his mind. He was happy and calm at least so that is good. I was pretty much up and down all night as well.

It was hard for him to process everything this morning. He misses his routine. He comprehends more about breaks but it is still not something he loves. He thrives in routine and even though he understands when he has doctor appointments he is not going to school he still wants to know the process and when he will get to school so long breaks are still hard for him.

He asked me every few minutes when we were going on the “bowling trip.” At that point, we still had several hours to go. We finally got ready and he was so excited. He kept asking me about everyone who was going to be there and when they were coming. He wants to repeat all the details over and over.

We got there and he was super excited to see all his friends. He was in overdrive and asking lots of questions. He needed lots of support but he had so much fun. He did amazingly at taking turns. I was so proud of how he handled everything. He can’t wait to go again. I keep wondering if he will ever want to go every weekend like we used to.

We came home and ate lunch. He put all his robot BeatBos on the table while he ate. I told him they probably shouldn’t be on the table in case he spilled his milk. He told me he wouldn’t spill it. He did move them after he ate lunch though. We played for a while before it was time to go to his vision therapy.

On the way to his appointment, he did great in the car. He didn’t yell at me to “pay attention” which I was thankful for. He did well with his appointment. He was able to focus on the exercises but he was distracted by other things and needed more reassurance. His doctor is amazing with him and I am so thankful.

In a plot twist, I asked him if he wanted something different than pizza like a calzone and he said, “Burger King.” When we got out of the car to come inside for his appointment he said, “Order the Burger King.” I said, “I don’t have to order it until we get there.” He said, “Get in the car.” I told him that we would miss his appointment then. He said, “Burger King later.” We got it as soon as we left.

I pray that he sleeps tonight. Last night he was up and down a lot so I hope not having his routine and everything else he has been going through doesn’t keep him up tonight. He is happy that he gets to see his grandma tomorrow and some of our other relatives. Plus he is very happy that I have an appointment at the cancer center so he will get to spend more time with her. Some days the road is bumpy but happy moments are worth everything. His laughter is my joy. Never give up hope for tomorrow. Smiles to all and donut daze!

I woke up early but managed to stay in bed. I got up and before I got out of my room Owen came bouncing in proclaiming he “slept upper night.” He was extremely happy that it was Sunday and he was getting to see his people however he wanted to know what he would be doing at summer camp, who would be there, and if I could tell him the weather of all the days leading up to that wonderful event. He also wanted to know if all his people would be wearing “pants degrees” clothing today. We had a busy morning but he was very happy with lots of anxious moments and he was still excited about his cross shirt that he wants to celebrate Christmas.

I am trying to plan different activities for him as the week goes by. We are going on the “bowling trip” as he calls it tomorrow and he is very excited about it. He knows some of our friends are going to be there and is happy that we get to go. He keeps talking about his grandma’s Christmas tree. He does not want one up at our house and has told me repeatedly. It is all interesting how he goes through the dynamics of it.

I randomly asked Owen for over an hour if he wanted something else to eat after he finished his breakfast. I fixed my breakfast and asked him if he wanted some of it or something else. No was the same answer. I sat down, took my first bite, and the food requests came in. I told him that I needed five minutes to eat and then I would get him something. The moral of this story is that I should have gotten up to fix it before I finished my food. He was asking me after each breath to come get his food. But there are lessons to learn for both of us. And then he walked away as soon as I gave him the requested second breakfast. This is not a new story.

We got ready to go to church and he wanted the confirmations to begin again. He was checking on which people he would get to see. He was happy to talk to our friends about their travel plans, what everyone was wearing, and his best friend’s eyes. And many other things. He had a great time at church and he wanted to go to Hardee’s for lunch before we headed home.

We got home and he had bowling, his vision therapy since he will only have his one therapy tomorrow, pizza, and Tuesday at grandma’s house on his mind. He was very ready for me to go get my bloodwork done on Tuesday and he wanted to confirm how and when he would be going to his grandma’s. He kept asking for hugs and wanted me to hear his laughter.

“The internet is unreachable,” he said as he sat waiting for the video to pull up. I told him that it was extremely slow. He said it again and then told me it was broken. He continued, “Go to get blood pressure.” I asked him what it was called and he said, “bloodwork.” He is learning so many new things and his understanding has grown in the last year with all my medical procedures. He has been very calm with it and we discuss the details in a way that he can understand.

Nighttime came and his laughter filled our home. He is very excited about tomorrow and can’t wait to get Thanksgiving break moving right along so he can get back to school. He told me I needed a hug and I sure did. We were both yawning so I have a feeling we will both sleep tonight. His prayer tonight was “dear God thank you for the bowling trip amen.” As I walked towards my bedroom he kept yelling “Amen I love you.” And there is nothing better than that. Through challenges we grow and today is your day to shine. Smiles to all and donut daze!

I couldn’t convince Owen to take off his jeans last night so he slept in them he did. Truly what does it matter? He was beyond happy so when he woke up at “five oh oh” he proudly proclaimed he had his “designer blue jeans” on and he was wearing them to grandma’s house. I told him what are we going to do first? He said bath so I told him that he would have to select a new pair to wear today but truly once again why not? He could wear them again and the ripple effect would be rippling.

In general, I wouldn’t even think twice or ten times about him wearing them again but the rules, routine, change, grow out of, and overthinking on my part. But we have to keep him moving forward so he knows that change happens and he can’t wear everything the same day. I guess. Even if I bought four of the same pair of pants they would all technically be different so for now he can’t wear the same clothes over and over again.

He was ready to go to Grandma’s house as soon as he got up. He told me she would wear pedal pushers today even though he did not want that at all. I asked if that would be ok with him and he said no but he still told me that she was going to wear them. It is never an easy thing when he wants what he wants when he wants it. Avoid the meltdown or take a chance and it depends on the day.

We got ready and we were off to Grandma’s house. They had put up the rest of the Christmas lights downtown so he was very happy about this. He stayed there for several hours and then he wanted her to bring him home so he could go by the blue church three times. Then he wanted the video of her leaving. It made his day.

He went right to the folded laundry and before my very eyes, it became my unfolded laundry. I didn’t even think about it when he came home. I was in the middle of folding everything so I didn’t put it up before he got home. It was in the wrong place at the wrong time. So I had a lot more folding to do.

He asked a lot of questions all night. He wanted to make sure he knew what we would be doing each day and I told him there was no way I could tell him that yet since I didn’t know all our plans. It is very hard for him not to have his schedule. I am trying to plan a lot of different things for him so hopefully that will help.

He was very ready for church tomorrow. He is excited about seeing all his people. He was talking about his different Christmas shirts he has and he said, “want blue shirt with cross on it celebrate Christmas.” My heart is so thankful. My boy loves the Lord.

I pray we sleep tonight. He prayed for our cats to sleep with him tonight. I love that he is thinking of what he wants to talk to God about. It makes my heart happy. He is growing up and I see the beautiful connections he is making. Today we learn and tomorrow we soar. Smiles to all and donut daze!

The weight of the world is weightier than the world’s weight. Often life throws you curveballs when you are already juggling three pizzas, a map, and ten bowling balls. The answers to the questions aren’t written in stone but yet we are expected to know how to handle every situation while still juggling at least one pizza with all the toppings falling off. The answer for me is to worry less and God more.

Owen was so ready for his day. He couldn’t wait to see his counselor and then go to school so he could get home and go to see “nNght Santa.” When I mistakenly called him “Santa” he corrected me to “Night Santa.” Thankfully he slept all night and again with the loud walking when quiet would be so much better for a growing teenager.

We got ready and he wasn’t exactly happy with the color of the jeans but he was happy to be getting his day started. We were out the door to get to his appointment. We got there and he was so excited. He doesn’t understand anything about personal space. He was hugging everyone, telling them he needed a hug. After he was weighed the doctor came to get him. He was very excited about the whole thing and it wasn’t long until he was off to school. I told him I would see him in a little bit and he said, “See you shortly.” I love it when he corrects me or changes the words to what he thinks they should be.

He got home from school and he came running towards me, ready to get to “Night Santa” so he could ask for a present. I asked him if he wanted a snack and the answer was ready, set, no go so off we went. I knew we were going to be early but it would be good for him to be there before it was too busy. He wanted his reindeer ears and glasses. And we were off.

He was so excited about seeing “Night Santa!” He got his picture with him and he told him he wanted a present. Santa asked him what he wanted and he said, “candy cane I told Santa that is what Owen thinks presents are. His therapist asked him what he wanted for Christmas and he said something pink and in ribbon.

We went back towards the table and he wanted the candy cane open. He ate the whole thing very quickly. They are the little ones. He said he wanted another one so I told him he had to ask Santa. He walked over and asked him. He came back to the table and immediately ate that one. Then someone gave him another one. And yup he ate it too. He sat right back down at the picnic table and was watching everybody.

Next year is our year. We will stay longer. We will go early and then park close so we can leave when we need to. He wanted to go to Chick-fil-A and he was very calm the entire time. I still can’t believe he ate three candy canes. He was so excited about “Night Santa” and couldn’t wait to see him next year.

Tonight’s prayer was for grandma and he can’t wait to get there. I’m so thankful he had a good day. For him to have all of these special moments is a dream come true for me. Never forget that you are amazing. Smiles to all and donut daze!

Owen kept telling me he is going to sleep to “seven oh oh” on Saturday. I told him that would be lovely and I hope that we all can do that. Today however the time was a little closer to five but again I think he would have slept later if I could have been quieter with those teenage years making him need to sleep a little more. I fell asleep quickly last night but then was awake for most of the night.

He couldn’t wait to get to see his teacher. He wanted to make her happy today and that makes mommy happy. He has a big heart of gold and loves his people fiercely. He had one thing on his mind though, and that was “little blue jeans.” Back in the bins they were. It didn’t take him long to point Rite to that bin and that’s what he wanted to wear. He helped me take out the trash and we went to wait for the bus. The pure joy washed over his face when he saw the bus and off they went to school.

My day didn’t go according to plan but my mom always says “life happens when you have something else planned.” And today definitely was not what I planned. What I was thankful for was seeing Owen smiling when he got on that bus. His happiness is the motivation I need and the inspiration to change our world.

When I picked him up for therapy he had a lot to say and I listened to every word. I am so thankful for how much he loves going to therapy and learning new things. I could tell he was processing a lot of different things and he was so excited when he saw his first therapist coming to get him.

He came out after his second therapy session and his therapist said he did a good job for both of them. He has been asking a lot lately to cut with scissors and she is good at incorporating multiple activities into one. He made a cute turkey for Thanksgiving. He was happy to tell me about it.

All the way to therapy and home he kept pointing out all the Jeeps. It’s wild how many styles he knows. He told me he wanted one. Before we had the vehicle we have now we had a Jeep. I told him one day we will have another one. He smiled.

His grandma sent him a floor-length mirror. I got the mirror out of the box and he loves it. He walked back and forth to see it. He was so excited. He acted almost shy when he was looking at himself. I am hoping it will help him learn his expressions and emotions.

“Little blue jeans” for tomorrow was his request once again. I told him that he couldn’t wear them every day. It was time to get ready for bed and he kept saying “little blue jeans in the bin ready” listing everything in it. I came around the corner and he had taken all the clothes he had worn today and put them right back in the bin. I told him that’s not quite how this works. He was none too pleased when I made him take them to the laundry.

We got ready bed and I touched his nose and said, “oink oink.” He laughed with delight and said, “Piggy noises.” The sparkle in his eyes is exactly what my heart needed. He can’t wait to go see “Night Santa” tomorrow night. His prayer before bed was “Dear God, thank you for night Santa, Amen.” He has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow morning that he is thrilled about and then I will take him to school. Thankful for his heart of gold. Be the change you want to see in the world. Smiles to all and donut daze!

If I could be extremely quiet Owen might sleep past six. The teenage years of needing more sleep might be upon us. It was around 5:45 when he got up. To say he was in a happy mood is an understatement. I love when he is excited. He couldn’t wait for his day and he hopes it doesn’t rain so he can sit under the trees with our friend when we pick her up.

He was trying to stir up a few things but I kept redirecting like a queen this morning and he laughed it off. You can also imagine the same prayer happened last night and “little blue pants” were the talk of the “please be ready for the Thursday” town.

O was off to school in the last of the pants that he did not want to wear and he was so ready to get to school. He was also very happy that tomorrow “little blue jeans with strings” will be back in the mix. I keep wondering if the bins are making it easier or harder. He at least knows what is in the mix but it is also showing him that he ain’t going to have the clothes he wants. We will keep pushing forward with it and see how it goes.

Well, his teacher let me know that he ripped up more books at school in his arts and crafts class. She is wonderful with how she supports him and helps him through the process. We are working on behaviors and hopefully, we will be able to get him to understand it isn’t acceptable.

He got home and he was excited about seeing our friend but not thrilled I took his tablet and told him he couldn’t take it with us. I told him we would see how long it would be gone. He ate a quick snack and was ready to go. It was great seeing our friend. He had a nice time with her and loved sitting with her under the trees. He loves singing with her and they sang a lot of songs together. We headed home and he was great in the car.

I told him he was “amazing” and that he was “going to move mountains.” Before I could say anything else he said, “snowy mountain” and then he continued “ride the snowball down the mountain.” My sweet baby O is going to move snowy mountains and everything else. I loved hearing him sing with our friend and it brought peace to my heart. Let today be the stepping stone for an amazing tomorrow. Smiles to all and donut daze!

“Slept upper night” was the first thing Owen said to me as he met me in the kitchen. It was 5:30 but I couldn’t wait any longer to get up. He probably would have slept longer but the coffee was calling my name. I tried to be quiet but he hears everything. I had been up most of the night once again but all I kept thinking was no more treatment. This too shall pass.

He was in a great mood and couldn’t wait for night Santa, Thanksgiving break so he could get to Christmas break which of course leads to spring break, and then it will be summer break for the hope of seeing his best friend again in little blue jeans. His prayer last night was “Dear God, thank you for little blue jeans, Amen. Oh boy, he has a lot on his mind.

Oh boy is the dude ready for me to fill his bins back up? He wants the ones that have rips on the cuffs. I think the bins are helping kinda, sorta, maybe, maybe not exactly like I thought they would but at least he only asks me 100 times in an hour about his little blue jeans.

He was off to school. It was a great big discussion of what pants he would have available on Thursday but he put his pants on without too much of a fuss and then was ready to get outside. I told him that we were going to stay inside until it was closer for the bus to get here because of the cold weather and rain. I then made him stay on the porch. He wasn’t exactly happy but it is good to change it up. It wasn’t raining that much but I still didn’t want him getting that wet.

When he got home it was a mess with the rain. Plus, seconds before the bus turned the corner a fire truck pulled up in front of my house. Since I was standing on the porch the fireman asked me if I was the one who called and as I was stumbling to answer the question our neighbor came to their door. The bus came and they met me halfway bringing Owen to me in the rain since they couldn’t get near the house. He remained calm the entire time and was excited to see the fire truck.

We came inside and he told me right away that his teacher was going to call me. She didn’t so I believe he was still thinking through when she did call but now not getting in trouble might be disappointing to him because he is not getting the attention he wants. I am so thankful he has the support he does at school because they are wonderful with him.

He wanted me to know about his best friend and that he was concerned about when they would put up the rest of the Christmas lights. He also told me we are going to see our friends tomorrow, he has his therapy on Thursday, his doctor and “night Santa” on Friday, and of course his grandma on Saturday.

If the long detailed morning discussion wasn’t enough he wanted to make sure he would have his little blue jeans to wear to school on Thursday. This discussion lasted until bedtime where he once again prayed for the arrival of the little blue jeans to be back in the bins for the great pickability moment on Thursday. He was asleep shortly after that and I pray he sleeps all night through the rainstorms. I told him his smile made my day. He laughed and said, “laugh too.” I told him I love his laugh too. Let your heart be filled with laughter and make your dreams come true. Smiles to all and donut daze!