Giddy

I’m giddy like a child on the eve of Christmas, anxiously awaiting all the gifts left under the tree by Santa, but ironically my giddiness has nothing to do with the aforementioned holiday that just passed (in a flash I might add) at all. Christmas is a blip on my radar now because my kiddo doesn’t see much need in Christmas gifts. He is not a neurotypical (any word in bold is a term you may hear within the Autism community…it’s all about educating the masses, in my opinion) child who makes a Christmas list months in advance for Santa. My kid loves his books and his iPad and shiny wrappers of all kinds. So, we spend our holidays traveling, eating, and relaxing.

I’m giddy because we have 8 hours until we are home and my kiddo has been an absolute traveling CHAMP! He has loved being in a car since birth. When all my other friends and family were pulling their hair out on hour long excursions with their infants, toddlers, children, etc. my kid was either napping or staring out the window in complete serenity for our multi-hour drives. Yes, people…my son with Autism can be in a car for up to 13 hours in one day (and no…this is not a form of torture for anyone involved). I am convinced it is because of the constant dull hum of a moving car that soothes his overactive brain and gives him the input he seeks on the daily. My husband and I honestly look forward to hopping in our car and taking road trips because it is truly the one thing that brings all three of us peace in our otherwise overwhelming lives. Here’s a great road trip planning site I am currently using to plan our future trips. This is also why I am so giddy! I am a planner at heart, but Nico (yep, this is my kiddo’s name) has taught me that life cannot be planned out to the minute anymore. This was a hard pill for me to swallow, but it’s one of the many pills my child has force-fed me (lovingly) in these last 6 years.

Nico is currently cuddled up with his blanket and his Pete the Cat stuffed animal (the one true Christmas gift “toy” that is getting any real play) watching some stay-at-home mom turned YouTube Kids celebrity reading Pete the Cat books aloud on her YT channel. He truly is the one who is inflating these YT Kids celebrities’ egos by watching their videos over and over again. Sorry to burst your bubble. This is where his stereotyped behaviors and scripting come into play. They are a blessing and a curse because although he can keep himself busy for hours on end, he is focused on the same activity for hours. He does have a killer memory though so although he scripts I find it secretly fascinating because he is literally memorizing book after book that he listens to on his iPad.

And lastly, I’m giddy because I think I may have found a way to make Keto work for me…GOAT CHEESE! I found a YT channel called, Keto Connect that has this couple sharing tips and tricks about the Keto diet and the chick mentioned that one thing she adds to almost all her meals is goat cheese. That’s all I needed to hear…