Celebrating Easter

The boys have been excited for Easter this year.  Well, who am I kidding?  Nolan has been excited for Easter, and Soren just likes yelling "Egg, egg, egg!" what seems like a million times a day.  As much as Todd and I have tried to communicate what Easter is really about, there's only so much that their little minds can comprehend.  Eggs and candy are much more tangible than Jesus' triumph over death so it makes sense that at 4.5 and 1.5 years old, Easter is synonymous with bunnies, eggs, and candy.  In time, I pray that my boys come to a deep understanding of what Easter is truly about and embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  Until then, I will do my best to emphasize what is important, but let them have fun with the candy and eggs that signifies Easter to them.

Our first ever attempt to dye eggs was lots of fun!  I was a little bit nervous letting Soren in on the action because I could just picture broken eggs everywhere and dye all over my upholstery, but he did really well not touching them when I asked him not to touch!  It was a pleasant surprise!  As an additional precautionary measure I stripped them down to their skivvies so no clothes would be ruined in the process.

The boys were greeted with baskets full of treasures and new "buddies" (stuffed animals) when they woke up this morning.

We attempted to take a nice family picture before church.

Fail, fail, fail!  Is there ever anything new under the sun?

After church the boys hunted for eggs and enjoyed their chocolate bunnies.

But Easter is really about this...

what Jesus did for you and for me. 

I am saved.  Thank you, Jesus!

A Letter From A Child With Autism

April is Autism Awareness Month.  It seems that there are special reports about the precipitous rise of autism on the news, in newspapers, and just about everywhere you look.  Every 1 in 110 children in our country are affected by autism.  More startlingly, every 1 in 70 boys in the US falls somewhere on the autism spectrum.  The note below was written by a child with autism, although I don't know how old this child is or where he or she lives (blog.gummylump.com.)  I believe that someday my Nolan could feasibly write something similar.  Read below for a glimpse into the mysterious world of an autistic person.

Dear Family and Friends-

I understand that we will be visiting each other for some get-togethers this year. Sometimes these visits can be very hard for me, but here is some information that might help our visit to be more successful. As you probably know, I am challenged by a hidden disability called Autism, or what some people refer to as Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Autism/PDD is a neurodevelopmental disorder which makes it hard for me to understand the environment around me. I have barriers in my brain that you can’t see, but which make it difficult for me to adapt to my surroundings.

Sometimes I may seem rude and abrupt or silly and out of control, but it is only because I have to try so hard to understand people and at the same time, make myself understood. People with autism have different abilities. Some may not speak, some will write beautiful poetry. Others are whizzes in math (Albert Einstein was thought to be autistic), or may have difficulty making friends. We are ALL different and need various degrees of support.

Sometimes when I am touched unexpectedly, it might feel painful and make me want to run away. I get easily frustrated, too. Being with lots of other people is like standing next to a moving freight train and trying to decide how and when to jump aboard. I feel frightened and confused a lot of the time. This is why I need to have things the same as much as possible. Once I learn how things happen, I can get by OK. But if something, anything, changes then I have to relearn the situation all over again! It is very hard.

When you try to talk to me, I often can’t understand what you say because there is a lot of distraction around. I have to concentrate very hard to hear and understand one thing at a time. You might think I am ignoring you – I am not. Rather, I am hearing everything and not knowing what is most important to respond to.

Get-togethers are exceptionally hard because there are so many different people, places and things going on that are out of my ordinary realm. This may be fun and adventurous for most people, but for me, it’s very hard work and can be extremely stressful. I often have to get away from all the commotion to calm down. It would be great if I had a private place set up to where I could retreat every time I go to get-togethers.

If I cannot sit at the meal table, do not think I am misbehaved or my parents have no control over me. Sitting in one place for even five minutes is often impossible for me. I feel so antsy and overwhelmed by all the smells, sounds, and people – I just have to get up and move about. Please don’t hold up your meal for me – go on without me, and my parents will handle the situation the best way they know how.

Eating in general is hard for me. If you understand that autism is a sensory processing disorder, it’s no wonder eating is a problem! Think of all the senses involved with eating. Sight, smell, taste, touch AND all the complicated mechanics that are involved. Chewing and swallowing is something that a lot of people with autism have trouble with. I am not picky – I literally cannot eat certain foods as my sensory system and/or oral motor coordination are impaired.

Don’t be disappointed if Mom hasn’t dressed me in the best clothes there are. It’s because she knows how much stiff and frilly clothes drive me buggy! I have to feel comfortable in my clothes or I will just be miserable. When I go to someone else’s house, I may appear crabby. Things have to be done in ways I am familiar with or else I might get confused and frustrated. It doesn’t mean you have to change the way you are doing things – just please be patient with me, and understanding of how I have to cope. Mom and Dad have no control over how my autism makes me feel inside. 

People with autism often have little things that they do to help themselves feel more comfortable. The grown-ups call it “self-regulation” or “stimming.” I might rock, hum, flick my fingers, tap a string, or any number of different things. I am not trying to be disruptive or weird. Again, I am doing what I have to do for my brain to adapt to your world. Sometimes I cannot stop myself from talking, singing, laughing, or doing an activity I enjoy. The grown-ups call this “perseverating” which is kinda like self-regulation or stimming. I do this only because I have found something to occupy myself that makes me feel comfortable. Perseverating behaviors are good to a certain degree because they help me calm down.

Please be respectful to my Mom and Dad if they let me “stim” for a while as they know me best and what helps to calm me. Remember that my Mom and Dad have to watch me much more closely than the average child. This is for my own safety, and preservation of your possessions. It hurts my parents’ feelings to be criticized for being over-protective, or condemned for not watching me close enough. They are human and have been given an assignment intended for saints. My parents are good people and need your support and not rude remarks.

Thanks for looking in to Nolan's world.

Ten Things That Made Me Happy Today

• Morning coffee...no explanation needed.
• Soren handing me the DVD case for Cars and saying "Wa Car!"  We rarely hear two word utterances!
• Our PG&E bill was $100 less than last month's bill.  Thank you, spring weather!
• Bear hugs from Todd...the best.
• Placing an order of much wanted books on Amazon.com.
• Playing like a crazy person at Pump It Up with my sweet boys.
• Dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds.  Lord, have mercy!
• Reading during the boys' rest time.  Pretending my dirty bathrooms don't exist.
• No rain when rain was in the forecast.
• Emails from friends.

What's making you happy today?

Graduation Day!

Today marked Nolan's last day of ABA therapy!  We have absolutely loved the CEIA (Center for the Early Intervention of Autism) program and the therapists who have worked with him daily for the last 15 months.  His mornings will now consist of rough-housing with his brother before preschool--they are sure to both love it!

The CEIA gals had the most precious graduation "ceremony" for Nolan today.  He was so excited to wear a real cap and gown (even though he said it was his Superman cape.)  They also gave him a bag full of wonderful books, stickers, an adorably sweet Cookie Monster t-shirt that he was thrilled about, a special Toy Story balloon and cupcakes for him and the five other kiddoes who are in his session.  They also presented him with a certificate of achievement and a memory book of some of his most special projects and photos of him with all his therapists.  I was so overwhelmed with how much of an answer to prayer the CEIA staff has been for our family that I couldn't stop the tears from flowing!

After the ceremony I took him to McDonald's for a special treat.  There's nothing like McNuggets, french fries and ice cream to top off a perfect celebration!  Way to go, Nolan!  We are so proud of you!

Nolan and Miss Julia, the program director

Proud Momma!

Looking through the loot bag!

Hooray for cupcakes!

Nolan with Miss Julia, program director (to his right), Miss Monica, center director (to his left) and the amazing team of therapists!

Happy meal = happy kid

Nuggets for baby, too!