I survived!

I survived the trip to Dresden and I did not buy a single basket. Yay for me. I did buy a purse but it was less than $10 so I think its allowable. ;) I am still not sure I get the lure of Longaberger but it was still a fun trip. And Dave and the kids survived my absence. So maybe I should go away more often - HA!

Old Lady Bus Trip

My bags are packed for the old lady bus trip this weekend. We are heading to Longaberger land in Ohio (at least I think it is in Ohio). If the promise of a child free weekend wasn't so darn inviting, I might be embarrassed (sorry to the girls going with me, you know I love you).

But if I start blogging about bingo trips to Canada, somebody take the Geritol away.

Guilty

I feel so guilty. Tomorrow, Molly and I are going to visit some friends in Nashville (who happen to be visiting from Maine -- can you follow all that). The guilt part comes in because I am not taking Jake. He would have to miss two days of school and he already missed two last week. (Did I mention that he ended up with a double ear infection on Friday?) As much as I want breaks from my kids, I can't stand to be apart from them.

Motherhood is a strange bird.

Spring Break and Sick

We spent last week in Seattle. Jake wanted to see the Space Needle and we had free tickets. It was fun but hectic. Someone tried to steal our rental car, Dave got a speeding ticket, I had a panic attack AND the kids were out of sorts. But really, it was fun. Really.



What is not so fun is that three out of the four of us are sick. The kids started getting sick in Seattle (Ha! There is a new movie title "Sick in Seattle"). It turns out Molly is really, really sick -- she has viral pneumonia and an ear infection. I took her in to the doctor this morning after her temp reached 104.8. We have got meds and hopefully will be on the mend soon.

Jenny McCarthy does not speak for me ...

When did Jenny McCarthy become the spokesperson for all parents with autistic children? I think her current stance on autism is crap (for lack of a better word). My son does not SUFFER from a DEBILITATING disease. He does not need to be CURED of autism. What he needs is a world that accepts HIM for HIM. That doesn't force its own ideals or way of thinking on him. He is extremely intelligent, loving and funny. He may not view the world the same as you and I -- but that doesn't mean he isn't a valuable member of society. I am sick of the countless theories about what causes autism -- vaccines, mothers consuming alcohol while pregnant, environment toxins, etc. How about we accept that maybe our kids were born with a brain that works a little differently? Not better, not worse -- just different.

Jenny McCarthy does not and never will speak for me. Ever.

April is Autism Awareness Month

World Autism Day

Tomorrow is World Autism Day. I can't say anything better than what I read in Susan Senator's blog:

What I want for those young families just getting into the autism game is to understand that growth happens. For all of you. That eventually you will realize that you are a family with concerns other than autism, other than hoping your kid will "catch up" with all the others. There is a certain degree of living in the moment that occurs once you let go of some of that. And it is the living in the moment that gives you your sense of family, of having a life.