TUESDAY TRIUMPHS

[Ramblinrose]

Elizabeth...

LL question was posted in PWYC July 30. If I knew how to past her question I would have done it for you... however I am not as computer savvy as the rocket scientist that lives here in the village

[LadyMaverick]

Homeschool day #26 is in progress. Going better than yesterday but not by much. The tics are still strong and violently jerking DS8 head - even when he sleeps. He is still taking a full dose of Tourette's meds plus pain pills and wearing a neck brace. His attitude is much better than yesterday. He isn't as frustrated with the whole Tourettes thing after we discussed several other things that are much worse. We also listed ways that Tourettes has benefitted him. He was surprised at that! We would have never started homeschooling if it wasn't for the Tourettes verbal tics. He thought about that and then asked if he had to return to public school if/when the Tourettes goes away. I told him that we can make that decision when that happens.

Today's plans -
** 1:00 DS8 to speech therapy (DH will take him). I will have 2 hours all to myself!!!
** 5:00 WW weigh in
** 7:00 -8:30 DS8 to VBS

Dinner will be Manwich, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Fruit bowl is dessert

[Elizabeth]

Thank you Ramblinrose! I couldn't find it because I was searching J&C. So here is my 2 cents worth for lucylee and anyone else who needs it. Keep in mind that it may not even be worth that. And there is always the caveat that what works for DD15 may or may not be useful for others.

1. I'm not sure I would worry about him choosing one favorite to confide in. Don't neuro-typical kids do that too? (I don't have any NT kids, so if I am wrong about this, someone PLEASE correct it!)
2. DD has trouble reading the thoughts and emotions of other people. To your son's credit he has figured out that your hugs and kisses mean he is welcome. He may not know any other way to tell. The problem with telling him that mumbling and looking away will make people think he doesn't like them, is that he has no idea what to do about it. I told DD it made people happy when she talked to them and played with them. She didn't have the eye contact or mumbling, but perhaps if you told him people like to be looked at during conversations, it would help. Tell him people enjoy listening to him, but are having trouble hearing. If he is like DD, he has very sharp hearing and mumbling, even in another room, is not a problem.
3. Sadly, there will be bullies who pick on him because of the autism. However, that sort of people would pick on him if he wasn't autistic. It's just what they do. DD started to respond to insults like "you're weird" with, "You're right, but I don't care" and returning to whatever she was doing. They stopped bothering her because she wasn't bothered. She has become "out and proud" with autism and her peers seem to like that better than trying to fake being like them. Sort of like "I'm different, I know it, here's why. And here's what's good about it."
4. One coping strategy that DD came up with on her own is what I call "scripts". These are memorized forms of acceptable behavior and conversations. I first noticed it long before we knew of the autism. She loves babies and always wants to see them. Invariably, she opens the conversation with "how old is he/she?" Parents like talking about their babies and everyone is happy. It's very predictable and always ends well. This isn't too much different from typical kids. We always asked new people: what's your name, how old are you, and who are you for. (The latter is answered by Auburn or Alabama and is not relevant where I live now). We did eventually learn not to ask the age of grown-ups.

[lucylee]

Thanks, Elizabeth! I'm going to make a note of that advice.
Dgs has not been officially diagnosed yet -- and ddil is VERY irritated with the school bc she thinks they are unresponsive to her requests.
However, his pre-k teacher STRONGLY suspects he has Aspergers and she is also a sp Ed teacher... so that plus his personality traits makes it a 99.99% certainty.
Thanks for these good, practical tips!

[Twins' Mom]

One triumph - I have walked a mile - that is around our circle three times. Took Muffin first time around, and walked with dfriendM and R uby and talked. I also got my Fitbit out and plugged it in to charge, but didn't take it with me....

"Big Rocks" for today:

-dessert reception tonight at temple (oy vey) but only a dozen signed up
---need to buy and put together a fruit tray (while at store, get D batteries for dmom, and anything I need for eggplant parm for my supper)
---dh wants me to get "something chocolate" and some thumbprint cookies - he overbought at Costco, considering it won't be a large group. OTOH, leftovers can stay at temple

---continue with catch up here at home, especially:
-----get upstairs to clear desk
-----work on clearing downstairs desk

-get gel polish off nails

-do a round of commenting on ProGen work of others in our group (due on Monday)

Right now:
-make the bed
-fold a lol
-figure out whether I need anything to make eggplant parm later, make grocery list
-s2s



.......then I let this sit here while I went down a rabbit hole. I found a Wm White in the neighboring co that I can't id, stuck right there with lots of people I "know."
Then dh called and wants me to bring stuff to temple before 5 p.m. so he can arrange trays. At least he's not asking me to do it.

So I need to get going.

[Nancy]

Done watering in front, leg is getting limbered up, I got some apples down for the hens to eat. Wrote a letter and got it out to the mail box. I did not walk with the dog I'm saving that exercise for yard work.

[lucylee]

* whew *
Getting out of bed was a triumph for me today -- and I still haven't s2s! DH is sleeping on the couch, and that is my excuse for being very quiet.
I'm afraid I may have to admit -- "quiet" is a synonym for "lazy."

Yesterday, however, I did FINALLY finish the vacuuming AND got the sheets back on the bed! Plus two more loads of laundry. Probably have one more load to do today.

Today's tasks -- my Big Rocks for the day --
[ ] order bar-b-que for tonight
[ ] call dmom -- is she coming to dh's bday party? Probably not.
[ ] call ddil -- who is picking up the bar-b-que
[ ] s2s
[ ] pick up cake at Wmart

Need to be out walking! I am down a pound from July 1st, but that isn't anything to be excited about, just a normal fluctuation. My weight goes up/down a pound or so every day or two. BUT... the sad thing is, I have gained FIVE pounds since last August 1st. * sheesh *
I think that is part of my new strategy to stay in bed all day, LOL... while I'm sleeping, I'm not eating.

[Harmony]

Not sure about any triumphs today... except I did get mail to the box, bills paid. Paperwork scattered all over the kitchen and dining room (thanks to DH) and kitchen is sort of a scattered mess also. At least my laundry is caught up as much as I could...except for 2 loads hanging up. It's so humid stuff isn't drying very quickly. I have 1 load to wash but need the hanging space and hangers..so it's waiting.

Good for you, RR organizing your office. Mine's not too bad but that's because everything is scattered in the kitchen and dining room.

At least our tropical storm from yesterday is gone and the sky is blue.

[lucylee]

PROGRESS -- Today's tasks -- my Big Rocks for the day --
[x] order bar-b-que for tonight
[x] call dmom -- is she coming to dh's bday party? Probably not.
[x] call ddil -- who is picking up the bar-b-que -- sent text
[ ] s2s
[ ] pick up cake at Wmart
Also brought extra chairs into dining room and set up table for everyone -- but I'll need one more chair if dmom shows up! No problem, there are kitchen chairs close by, but hmmm... very crowded at the table if we have 6 adults plus dgrands! Our table seats 6 very comfortably. More than that, and we're jostling for elbow room.

[Ramblinrose]

Well I'm happy to report that my office is all but done. Just need to remove the g-will boxes and such. And I am very happy with the outcome. Everything has it's place. After I set everything up and came across things that needed to be put away, like paper clips I found on the floor or a photo I hadn't put away, cleanup was a snap.

I think it took me longer to figure out where I wanted things to be than it did to actually do it. I have my Bose speaker hooked up and have been enjoying it as I worked along. Worked on little projects as I organized like putting pictures in frames and cutting down an old place mat to go on a table here in the office. Opened appropriate draws for things I needed and then when done they went right back "home". Think my office, much like my pantry, will stay in much better shape than it has in the past.

Don't think I will make it to the post office this afternoon, but that's ok. I am putting together a care package for my mom and need to do a few more things before I box it all up. No need to rush,and besides this girl deserves a break right about now ;D