"Grandin"

Sunday night, the movie, "Temple Grandin", was nominated for seven awards & brought home five. As I read the article I'll link to,I cried  for her, her mother, Emily Gerson Saines, Claire Danes & everyone affected by Autism on any scale of the spectrum. I celebrated, I reveled, I cheered her on from my kitchen in West Heaven.

Well done, Temple.


://awards.tv.yahoo.com/blog/50-who-is-temple-grandin?nc

Alpha

The first week of the third grade is officially behind us.  It's taken crying, screaming, attituding on teachers & the principal & a couple direct line paddlings from the principle to get him to this point.  One week down, many tears & rages, more hugs & sweet kisses as he calms himself, pulls himself back around to present, home & being with the parents that love him unconditionally, that he knows will never change or be something they aren't.

I pray for him, his teachers, his principal, his behavior therapist & everyone that doesn't & possibly never will understand the person he is.  I pray for strength, love & tenderness given me through the grace of God for the times I'm not sure how to take another step on his behalf to show him love, truth, tenderness & compassion no matter how bad previous days went, no matter what happened.

All these things I ask in God's name.

Amen

Peace in the sky

Looking up to thank God for a beautiful day, I see peace.

But by the Grace of God go I

There are challenges in going back & forth to Arkansas Children's Hospital in the best of any situation, stretching family & friends to the end of the line as I got Trevor situated last night, this afternoon & tonight @ his football game with the help of my dear friends for example.

.I am thankful for the many blessings from our move two hours south, (family, friends, school support...).

 We stayed last night in North Little Rock (as I silently thanked God again for another dear friend that has become family) to ensure we'd be @ the neurology appointment at 8am & kept a hard pace for the remainder of the day, I know to thank God from the time we roll out of bed to the time we trudge our tired selves home.

I pray the entire time we are at ACH for the children that aren't as healthy as Elijah, for the parents that are torn apart on a daily basis, for the doctors  & therapists that give thier all all the time & for the wonderful nurses that bless each and every one of us that have ever stepped inside the front doors of the hospital, any clinic or wing-no matter if's a routine appointment or months on end, they give thier all.

I give thanks for the blessings as in today we I felt for a split second that we'd conquered the world in one fell swoop, MRI & EEG clear & Elijah ready for take-off.

As the dust settled & the sun began to set @ Trevor's football game tonight, I looked around to see myself surrounded by family & friends & felt myself tearing up, so fortunate to have & recognize the gifts my family is given.

Thank you for the blessings & the beauty of the day, God.

To New Beginnings

Today...Trevor & Elijah went back to school. I did things differently than I have in the past for them. I put them on the bus with a silent prayer & alot of faith instead of taking them to school thier first day. It was hard, but I believe it was the right decision.. Today, I gave them the gift of standing on thier own two feet in a small, quiet way. When school ends, Elijah will ride the bus home...alone & Trevor will stay after school for football practice.

Today begins a new year of prayer & shining hope.

MS Music

http://www.myspace.com/music/my-music

From: Elaine Hall

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elaine-hall/living-with-autism-7-easy_b_681033.html

Life isn't about trophies, the ribbons & accolades. It's about


finding our own truth...creating the life that shines bright in the darkest night.



At times...the sounds of a heart shattering resonate



Each soul stretches, taut, tight, arching against symmetrical force that brings warring

thoughts & hearts together.

Transitions

Wonder if most realize how many changes are made in a day...waking, shower or not to, which clothes...such important decisions that affect later decisions in one's day, running early, running late-rushed either way, practice after school-piano, football or baseball-which child to go where with?, what for dinner, the small grocery store family owned & operated or a rushed grocery run at one of the big conglomerate, loud music on the intercom, voices talking, calling names, lights flashing, people of all kinds coming at one, going as quickly as they come, hurry home, throw groceries in fridge, start dinner, homework as fast & clear as one can, dinner, shower, sliding between nice cool sheets at the end of the day...sigh...
so many transitions.

Can you imagine all of the above packed tightly into five second intervals with no break between? Can you consider the immense overload found in the sensory area of a person that has no brakes-no protection-no way to break all the above down into breathable, doable sections?

Compassion, love for another soul, kindness...begin here.

Life in the Grape Lane

"Mom, are we in a hurry?"

"Yes! I'm getting my hair done & I've got to get on the road.
Please put your bunch of grapes back in the fridge & let's hit the road, son."

"The most wonderful man on earth took my grape eater with him so I could enjoy the process of getting beautiful. I came home to hear, "MOM, you look sixteen! You should do that more often!" :)

Awwww, my heart melted as he hugged me, his eyes looking so sweetly into mine. I freely admit I'm a sucker for sweet heartfelt compliments from 15 & under boychildren of mine.

The day after...
This morning I was awakened by the most wonderful man on earth whispering sweet nothings in my ear as he said, " Remember the grapes you asked him to put in the fridge yesterday on your way out the door?"

I opened an eye to look @ him & croak, "Yes?"

He continued to whisper sweetly as he said, "My khaki shorts & all of our underwear and socks are now grape spotted. He put the entire bunch of grapes in the washer."

We'd been graped!

As luck would have it, the clothes were rewashed & mass bedlam did not ensue as all the stains came out.(Thank you, God above)

Maybe next time he'll choose oranges.