It's been awhile since I have updated on my blog, but it's something that I have really been wanting to do. It's finding the time in my chaotic life to do anything soothing that's the problem.
School for both the kids and I has been crazy. The kids are winding theirs down. So there are a lot of field trips and fun activities going on. Gabe has met with his 6th grade special edu. teachers twice now and has taken a trip to the middle school :) I know that it will be quite the transition not just for him but for us as well. The teachers at RSE are some of the most caring, gifted, compassionate, and hard working women I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I know that as Gabe gets older he will be held to a slightly higher standard and I do want that for his sake, but I also want him to stay a sweet little boy. The past couple of months Gabe has drawn the short end of the stick as far as his health goes. At the end of March he had a seizure that sent him to the hospital and a couple of weeks ago it was a stomach virus, and as of now he is battling step-throat. He has consistently had a fever of 102-103 since yesterday and he is absolutely pitiful :( I know how awful I feel when I run a temp and have a sore throat and he just can't seem to get rid of the funk :( Hoping that tomorrow he will begin feeling the anti-biotic working.
April just happens to be Autism Awareness Month :) I know it's the last day, but the entire month really I have randomly reflected on how two of my favorite boys have changed my life. I remember the first time I met Joey and how he was almost completely non-verbal, much like a toddler he would make vocalizations to communicate his wants/needs. I remember, not feeling uncomfortable, but feeling unsure of MYSELF and how I could go about building a relationship with a child that had very particular needs. Little did I know that it isn't difficult at all. Everyone who meets Joey falls in love with him. He is so very artistic and intelligent. I could watch him draw, paint, or create things all day long. He makes me laugh everyday with the silly things he says and sometimes the serious things he says that to me are adorable. I enjoy watching him over come his fears and sensory obstacles, and even though I hate that he has problems sometimes with various sensory things, I love being the one to comfort him and make things ok. I love his different colored eyes and his skinny bones and how at age 10 he still likes to jump on my back for rides :) He has grown so much in the past few years and I'm so proud of him. I can't wait to see him continue to grow and mature :) Of course I can't leave my buddy Gabe out. Gabe was much more hesitant and shy when we met. It took a couple of months before Gabe would even make eye contact with me. I know some parents of autistic children struggle on a daily basis with a child who is not affectionate and/or does not make eye contact. This was my relationship with Gabe for several months. I just tried to find ways to make myself seem cool or have a way to relate to him or start a conversation. lol. Slowly he started warming up to me. I remember the first time I had the kids by myself... I think they all decided to try my patience at the same time. I remember Gabe pitching a fit like a 2 year old, throwing himself in the floor and kicking me. Mary telling me no. lol. I hold firm that giving into a child's antics and misbehavior only makes things worse. After standing my ground with them a couple of times I think I earned their respect and Gabe and I grew closer. The first time Chris and I took them to the Chattanooga Zoo I remember Gabe telling me, "Look Christy! Look!" talking about the different animals, but when I would look at him and smile he would look away really quick. lol. Gabe has blossomed into quite the social butterfly. His teachers call him a politician b/c he always wants to introduce himself and shake peoples hands. He is so very technically inclined. I can't even record something for DVR, but Gabe can do it all :) I don't know where he finds this stuff, but he can make just about anything with random bits of paper, tape, and string. He will be entertained for hours. Now he is my close pal. Sometimes he will ask me, "You're my friend?" and it melts my heart. I've learned that being a mother doesn't require you to have carried a child in your womb, but just that selfless sacrifice you give to a child. I will gladly be called Christy. Knowing that they love me and that I'm important and mean so much to them is more than I could ever ask for!
Now I have to give my praise to Pinterest! First of all, I love Grumpy Cat.
You say it's getting old? Nah, I'm still pinning, that and Fat Amy. lol.
As I said a while back in the blog Gabe has been running a consistent temp of 102-103. Earlier out of frustration I searched natural remedies for lowering a fever (Tylenol and Motrin were not cutting it!)
and it brought me to a pin that suggested I take cool water soaked socks and put them on his feet and leave them on til completely dry....
Well he has been wearing them for a little over an hour and guess what?!
NO FEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<3 Pinterest
Oh and how am I doing?
Funny you should ask.
I'm exhausted! Chris and I stayed up most of the night last night keeping an eye on Gabe. I'm running on a couple of hours of sleep. After a morning complete with projectile vomit and getting the 3 well kids ready for school I had to go take 2 final exams. The first was my Speech class and the second was in my Geography class. I'm thinking I did well on both so we shall see. Over all this has been a great semester. When all is said and done I really did enjoy all of my classes and I, never meeting a stranger, made a couple of new friends. I found out that I really am capable of doing well. When I took that semester off 5 years ago I left feeling like maybe college was just too difficult. The problem was that I just wasn't motivated. I won't lie there were some mornings when I reallllly didn't want to get out of bed, and there were some days when showing up to class was the last thing I wanted to do. BUT! I have spent the last 5 years struggling financially and robbing Peter to pay Paul (lol) and I'm done! I know without a doubt it will be worth it in the end and what's best for my family :) Greener pastures just 2 years away :)
This has been a very long post indeed :) BTW Chris is great too. He has been working OT for a couple of months now. I love my hard working dody!
