I am known as Mommy to my son, Jack, and a 14-year old Pug named Mason, who is the antithesis of all things dog. An expert in nothing except sleep, Mason works hard at holding his bed down on the off-chance that gravity fails. I am also the wife of Brian, who puts up with my clumsiness, ramblings, and helps to keep this crazy mess running smoothly.
Jack is a 4-year old all-boy kind of boy. He was diagnosed at 24 months with autism plus an alphabet soup of other special needs. He's also been diagnosed as "friggin' adorable" by an expert - his mama. He has an obsession with magnetic letters and numbers and spends most of his day lining them up and looking at them...very precisely, I might add. He is a fan of Angry Birds on his iPad and will gleefully flap his hands when the slightest thing delights him. He runs on a steady diet of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Cheezits (the Scrabble ones, naturally), and cereal bars.
The days are filled with therapy appointments, doctor's appointments, sensory meltdowns, feeding challenges, plus a scattering of the things you'd expect from a 4-year old. The days are also filled with setbacks and progress. We are gradually getting used to the ebb and flow of life with a child on the spectrum. It's becoming our new normal.
Life is about highs and lows, hills and valleys. Being a Mom, I'm acutely aware of the ups and downs of parenthood and the roller-coaster ride that it is. Having a child on the autism spectrum is more like being on a out-of-control roller-coaster, and we all lose it every now and again. However, I think we can all agree that - whatever the destination - the trip is one hell of ride.
Join me on our journey and share the ups and downs with us.
Join me on our journey and share the ups and downs with us.
