Fright Fest Revisited

I hadn't traumatized my children recently so decided we should go to FRIGHT FEST at Six Flags. I confess, I love it when they flood the park with fog and the monsters come out. Of course, the mom I was 12 years ago would've said OMG TOO SCARY FOR A FOUR YEAR OLD. This older, less uptight mom said, meh she'll be fine.

We're at a weird age. We can do some big rides - like wooden coasters. We actually ALL did a wooden coaster but I think Charlie and I know Julia thought it was too much. But Charlie is too big for little guy rides, which he really kind of likes.

So we ride what we can, and we wade through the spookies and embrace the last day of the spooky season. It was a great day out, especially for the SUPERGIRL.

She did inform us that there were too many monsters. And no, I don't know how she did that with her foot.

It was great and we took advantage some of the special assistance pass for our special little guys. It really helps, but we don't always need it. We try to gauge the situation. It's a definite good resource though for special needs families.

Best part of day? Well they WERE playing White Zombie on the Carousel. Or maybe it was the bacon maple funnel cake. It's really a tie.

Tweet

Fright Fest Revisited

I hadn't traumatized my children recently so decided we should go to FRIGHT FEST at Six Flags. I confess, I love it when they flood the park with fog and the monsters come out. Of course, the mom I was 12 years ago would've said OMG TOO SCARY FOR A FOUR YEAR OLD. This older, less uptight mom said, meh she'll be fine.

We're at a weird age. We can do some big rides - like wooden coasters. We actually ALL did a wooden coaster but I think Charlie and I know Julia thought it was too much. But Charlie is too big for little guy rides, which he really kind of likes.

So we ride what we can, and we wade through the spookies and embrace the last day of the spooky season. It was a great day out, especially for the SUPERGIRL.

She did inform us that there were too many monsters. And no, I don't know how she did that with her foot.

It was great and we took advantage some of the special assistance pass for our special little guys. It really helps, but we don't always need it. We try to gauge the situation. It's a definite good resource though for special needs families.

Best part of day? Well they WERE playing White Zombie on the Carousel. Or maybe it was the bacon maple funnel cake. It's really a tie.

Tweet

Halloween Happens

We do like Halloween. Last night the temperatures where dropping, and the mountains were getting snow, but we managed to go about threatening strangers until they gave us candy in relative precipitation free weather. We made our rounds around the neighbors that we like (NOT YOU NEIGHBORS WHO ARE AHOLES) and we brought in a mighty haul of sugar laden goodness.

I feel bad, in past years I've managed to muster the strength to do stuff ALL WEEK the week before the big night, but this year I was like eh, there will be candy on Friday. I need to get on my A game and do the more thematic mommy stuff. I did manage to dig out the Halloween books for story time each night.

That feel like a mommy victory.
LAME.

Julia's little friend from next door came over to show off his Ninja ways, which obviously were apparently anyway. Ok not really the kid will never be stealthy enough to be a Ninja. They were both so cute and excited to show off their costumes, it was adorable.

The magic of Halloween is something I don't forget even from when I was a kid, maybe that's why I love it so much. I love to see what everyone else will be, and the excitement everyone shares when the big night finally arrives.

Halloween is magic.

After we went to so many houses that Julia said "Can we stop now?" we made our traditional post trick or treat pilgrimage to Chillis, the COLDEST restaurant near the Mall of Georgia. It could be raining ice and this place would have on it's AC. I think we just go to see how cold it would be, really. Also because we had free kids meal coupons. We had about five years worth of Halloween Meals for free. We're now out, so hey NEXT YEAR WHO KNOWS what we'll do.

 Also thanks Chillis for putting electronics at the table. I know it might be hard to believe but not everyone allows electronics at the table. Some of us expect our children to look up and converse with the family. They won't be mentally scarred by doing it one time but still, DO NOT WANT.

All in all, Halloween Happened. There were costumes and giggles, and some screaming when dogs came to the door (Miles). There was candy, and excitement, and cold and fun.

I'm going to check that one off as a success.
Tweet

Halloween Happens

We do like Halloween. Last night the temperatures where dropping, and the mountains were getting snow, but we managed to go about threatening strangers until they gave us candy in relative precipitation free weather. We made our rounds around the neighbors that we like (NOT YOU NEIGHBORS WHO ARE AHOLES) and we brought in a mighty haul of sugar laden goodness.

I feel bad, in past years I've managed to muster the strength to do stuff ALL WEEK the week before the big night, but this year I was like eh, there will be candy on Friday. I need to get on my A game and do the more thematic mommy stuff. I did manage to dig out the Halloween books for story time each night.

That feel like a mommy victory.
LAME.

Julia's little friend from next door came over to show off his Ninja ways, which obviously were apparently anyway. Ok not really the kid will never be stealthy enough to be a Ninja. They were both so cute and excited to show off their costumes, it was adorable.

The magic of Halloween is something I don't forget even from when I was a kid, maybe that's why I love it so much. I love to see what everyone else will be, and the excitement everyone shares when the big night finally arrives.

Halloween is magic.

After we went to so many houses that Julia said "Can we stop now?" we made our traditional post trick or treat pilgrimage to Chillis, the COLDEST restaurant near the Mall of Georgia. It could be raining ice and this place would have on it's AC. I think we just go to see how cold it would be, really. Also because we had free kids meal coupons. We had about five years worth of Halloween Meals for free. We're now out, so hey NEXT YEAR WHO KNOWS what we'll do.

 Also thanks Chillis for putting electronics at the table. I know it might be hard to believe but not everyone allows electronics at the table. Some of us expect our children to look up and converse with the family. They won't be mentally scarred by doing it one time but still, DO NOT WANT.

All in all, Halloween Happened. There were costumes and giggles, and some screaming when dogs came to the door (Miles). There was candy, and excitement, and cold and fun.

I'm going to check that one off as a success.
Tweet

Everyone Knows What Autism Is

I think most people genuinely believe that, with no ill intent. It's untrue of course. But thanks to Rain Main, everyone THINKS they know what autism is. First of all Rain Main is make believe, so there's that. Plus, I've seen a LOT of autistic kids in the past ten years. I never once met a Rain Man.

Most people's first exposure to autism was Rain Man though, which never occurred to me until recently. A Tom Cruise film gave the nation the WRONG idea. It was a good movie, to me, at the time. It's probably still a good movie. I'm not sure, I haven't seen it since the twins have been alive. Perhaps I would feel different about it. But I understand why, looking at the Rain Man, you'd think that Autistic kids are just a bit challenging and quirky. Maybe need a bit of looking after.

That'd be so easy wouldn't it? Most days I'd give anything for them to be like the Rain Man.

My first exposure wasn't the Rain Man, it was someone's kid where I grew up. Their kid was autistic, and he sat facing the wall staring off into space, sometimes he'd rock. That's what he did the couple of times I saw him. That was autism to me. I suppose that with that burned into my brain from such a young age, anything better than that is DOING WELL in my book.

There are a lot of people on TV I've seen lately who after a long, casual conversation will pop out with "I've got Autism Spectrum Disorder" and the media jumps all over it. The wave it around "Look here we have some Autism for you to see".

But they don't bring the cameras to the severe autism classrooms where the ten year olds are in diapers,and don't do two way conversations. It doesn't make for good TV I suppose.

I've been thinking lately though, that instead of making everyone feel good about Autism, about how not scary it is and oh look here is another person on a TV show who is on the Spectrum, maybe they SHOULD scare you.Maybe it should scare the fuck out of people so that they're aware, so that they understand that sorting out why this happens and what's to be done MATTERS.

You look at a BRILLIANT mind like Stephen Hawking and you think OMG FUCK ALS IS SCARY. LOOK WHAT IT DID TO STEPHEN HAWKING. You see the ALS challenge and see beautiful people posting videos and you see omg THEY ARE GOING TO END UP LIKE STEPHEN HAWKING. It scares you. You donate money. Because you don't want the people you love to suffer and die from ALS.

Autism doesn't kill anyone, so it's never going to be as scary as something terminal. But it wrecks lives. It changes futures. And it destroys dreams. One in 68 children are diagnosed with the autism spectrum disorder. Maybe it's time we gave it some honest, not so pretty attention. My children's future is that I'll take care of them, or their siblings will. At some point they'll end up in a home, which is ANATHEMA to me but I know it has to happen some day. They'll never fall in love, have children, have jobs, have their OWN lives. They have no future other than existing and being loved, which is ok by me but I'd kind of hoped for more for them.

Maybe my wish today isn't directed at you. It's directed at the media. Stop making Autism pretty. Stop showing it's pretty face all the time. Show what it's like at it's worse, and all the in between. Let everyone know what autism really is.

That's probably too much to ask so early on a Tuesday but I ask anyway. A bit ranty I know. I might need more coffee.

Tweet

Everyone Knows What Autism Is

I think most people genuinely believe that, with no ill intent. It's untrue of course. But thanks to Rain Main, everyone THINKS they know what autism is. First of all Rain Main is make believe, so there's that. Plus, I've seen a LOT of autistic kids in the past ten years. I never once met a Rain Man.

Most people's first exposure to autism was Rain Man though, which never occurred to me until recently. A Tom Cruise film gave the nation the WRONG idea. It was a good movie, to me, at the time. It's probably still a good movie. I'm not sure, I haven't seen it since the twins have been alive. Perhaps I would feel different about it. But I understand why, looking at the Rain Man, you'd think that Autistic kids are just a bit challenging and quirky. Maybe need a bit of looking after.

That'd be so easy wouldn't it? Most days I'd give anything for them to be like the Rain Man.

My first exposure wasn't the Rain Man, it was someone's kid where I grew up. Their kid was autistic, and he sat facing the wall staring off into space, sometimes he'd rock. That's what he did the couple of times I saw him. That was autism to me. I suppose that with that burned into my brain from such a young age, anything better than that is DOING WELL in my book.

There are a lot of people on TV I've seen lately who after a long, casual conversation will pop out with "I've got Autism Spectrum Disorder" and the media jumps all over it. The wave it around "Look here we have some Autism for you to see".

But they don't bring the cameras to the severe autism classrooms where the ten year olds are in diapers,and don't do two way conversations. It doesn't make for good TV I suppose.

I've been thinking lately though, that instead of making everyone feel good about Autism, about how not scary it is and oh look here is another person on a TV show who is on the Spectrum, maybe they SHOULD scare you.Maybe it should scare the fuck out of people so that they're aware, so that they understand that sorting out why this happens and what's to be done MATTERS.

You look at a BRILLIANT mind like Stephen Hawking and you think OMG FUCK ALS IS SCARY. LOOK WHAT IT DID TO STEPHEN HAWKING. You see the ALS challenge and see beautiful people posting videos and you see omg THEY ARE GOING TO END UP LIKE STEPHEN HAWKING. It scares you. You donate money. Because you don't want the people you love to suffer and die from ALS.

Autism doesn't kill anyone, so it's never going to be as scary as something terminal. But it wrecks lives. It changes futures. And it destroys dreams. One in 68 children are diagnosed with the autism spectrum disorder. Maybe it's time we gave it some honest, not so pretty attention. My children's future is that I'll take care of them, or their siblings will. At some point they'll end up in a home, which is ANATHEMA to me but I know it has to happen some day. They'll never fall in love, have children, have jobs, have their OWN lives. They have no future other than existing and being loved, which is ok by me but I'd kind of hoped for more for them.

Maybe my wish today isn't directed at you. It's directed at the media. Stop making Autism pretty. Stop showing it's pretty face all the time. Show what it's like at it's worse, and all the in between. Let everyone know what autism really is.

That's probably too much to ask so early on a Tuesday but I ask anyway. A bit ranty I know. I might need more coffee.

Tweet

She's Big Time Now

I'm a bit like Don Corleone. I spoil my children, and they talk when they should listen. I also let them sleep with me forever and ever and ever. 

My youngest child is the most spoiled child in that regard. The oldest boy was out of my bed quite late but was out by the time he was three-ish. The girl is a solid four and expressed zero desire to ever leave my bed.

She had her reasons you see. There are noises outside. There are trains, and bugs, and airplanes and helicopters. Even though she knows what these things are, they scare her in the dark and she needs me. She needs me -and I cannot resist her.

So we've been talking to her though, about getting to sleep in her own bed and it was agreed that if ONLY she had a sound machine, she'd sleep in her own bed. She wanted a sound machine that was an Elsa doll that would sing LET IT GO. We settled on one that played lullabies and projected a friendly moon and stars on the ceiling. 

I admit, I was skeptical. This isn't my first time at the parenting rodeo and I'm a bit immune to kids telling me that if they JUST HAD THIS ONE THING EVERYTHING WOULD CHANGE. 

Except that, it did.

She was excited and ready for bed. Ready to turn on her machine. She snuggled down into her bed and we turned it on and I kissed her goodnight, and retreated to my own room. I waited.

I read a book. I waited some more. She didn't come. 

The next morning she insisted we call grandma and grandpa to tell them that she is a big girl like her cousins. She extolled the virtues of her sound machine. 

Last night, it was the same. I waited for her. And she didn't come. At 4 am she ended up in my bed because Charlie was screaming for unknown autism reasons and scared her. She tells me tonight she's ready to sleep in her bed again. 

Because she's a big girl.

And suddenly, I'm all out of babies. 

She's Big Time Now

I'm a bit like Don Corleone. I spoil my children, and they talk when they should listen. I also let them sleep with me forever and ever and ever. 

My youngest child is the most spoiled child in that regard. The oldest boy was out of my bed quite late but was out by the time he was three-ish. The girl is a solid four and expressed zero desire to ever leave my bed.

She had her reasons you see. There are noises outside. There are trains, and bugs, and airplanes and helicopters. Even though she knows what these things are, they scare her in the dark and she needs me. She needs me -and I cannot resist her.

So we've been talking to her though, about getting to sleep in her own bed and it was agreed that if ONLY she had a sound machine, she'd sleep in her own bed. She wanted a sound machine that was an Elsa doll that would sing LET IT GO. We settled on one that played lullabies and projected a friendly moon and stars on the ceiling. 

I admit, I was skeptical. This isn't my first time at the parenting rodeo and I'm a bit immune to kids telling me that if they JUST HAD THIS ONE THING EVERYTHING WOULD CHANGE. 

Except that, it did.

She was excited and ready for bed. Ready to turn on her machine. She snuggled down into her bed and we turned it on and I kissed her goodnight, and retreated to my own room. I waited.

I read a book. I waited some more. She didn't come. 

The next morning she insisted we call grandma and grandpa to tell them that she is a big girl like her cousins. She extolled the virtues of her sound machine. 

Last night, it was the same. I waited for her. And she didn't come. At 4 am she ended up in my bed because Charlie was screaming for unknown autism reasons and scared her. She tells me tonight she's ready to sleep in her bed again. 

Because she's a big girl.

And suddenly, I'm all out of babies. 

Praise The Lard and King Kong Bundy

Our Aunties came over to visit and have dinner Friday, so we headed to our favorite local BBQ joint, Praise the Lard. The place is a riot, WWE (WWF) themed, plus Jesus themed, it's full of kitsch and roadside YOU ARE GOING TO HELL type of signs. Like this.

I thought there was just the one anti-christ. Am I remembering this story wrong? Regardless, I was so glad our aunties came to visit. Julia is always so excited to see them, and we don't get a lot of visitors so the Aunties coming through a couple of times a year as they travel the corridor between Indiana and Florida is always a treat.
When you live really far from your family, even little visits mean the world. It's something you take for granted when they live close, but when they are far away, even just getting to see them for an hour is such a treat, it's hard to explain how much it means if you don't live it. I've always had a very close family though, so it probably explains why for me it's so important.

There is just something so comforting about the bonds of our own tribe. You know these people, they're yours. You don't have to explain yourself, they know you. My Aunt Suzie was the ONLY person my mom would let hold me, and babysit me, after I was born.

It's like coming home, only home came to me.
Tweet

Praise The Lard and King Kong Bundy

Our Aunties came over to visit and have dinner Friday, so we headed to our favorite local BBQ joint, Praise the Lard. The place is a riot, WWE (WWF) themed, plus Jesus themed, it's full of kitsch and roadside YOU ARE GOING TO HELL type of signs. Like this.

I thought there was just the one anti-christ. Am I remembering this story wrong? Regardless, I was so glad our aunties came to visit. Julia is always so excited to see them, and we don't get a lot of visitors so the Aunties coming through a couple of times a year as they travel the corridor between Indiana and Florida is always a treat.
When you live really far from your family, even little visits mean the world. It's something you take for granted when they live close, but when they are far away, even just getting to see them for an hour is such a treat, it's hard to explain how much it means if you don't live it. I've always had a very close family though, so it probably explains why for me it's so important.

There is just something so comforting about the bonds of our own tribe. You know these people, they're yours. You don't have to explain yourself, they know you. My Aunt Suzie was the ONLY person my mom would let hold me, and babysit me, after I was born.

It's like coming home, only home came to me.
Tweet