Patience, Love, and Hope with a Side of Autism and Fishies
Life Lessons & Adventures Raising Children on the Autism Spectrum
My boys are about to head back to school for the new year and I couldn’t be more excited for them and relieved for me. Working from home with two special needs children, especially a pubescent teenager with Level 3 autism can be particularly challenging. I tried diligently this summer to keep Nico occupied, give … Continue reading When Two Storms Collide
When autism, exhaustion, grief, and love collide, this is what special needs parenting really looks like — and why holding tight to your people makes all the difference.
I’m laying in bed sandwiched between my 6 year old and my 13 year old with my husband sound asleep on the bedroom floor. They’ve all been asleep for hours yet I am still wide awake with my AirPods in listening to the same three songs on repeat. My mind won’t shut down. My heart … Continue reading A Peaceful Surrender
I will be thankful because my parents taught me early that there is always something to be thankful for. I will be thankful because the alternative doesn’t serve me—or my boys. Gratitude is what makes the hardest moments less painful and somehow more meaningful.
With so many summer vacation options out there, it can be tough to decide how to spend your precious PTO and hard-earned money! And if you are a special needs parent, once you actually build up the strength and conviction to take a family vacation, you want it to accommodate and fulfill as many of your … Continue reading How to take an EPIC Universal Orlando Vacation!
I have two neurodiverse sons. Their lived experiences and differences are as unique as them. They both have neurological differences and I believe they are both on the spectrum. Nico is my oldest and he is what I would consider “classically” autistic. I say that because most people nowadays can recognize he’s autistic based on … Continue reading Be the CHANGE you want to see
Anyone with autistic children understands the lengths we go to sometimes (or every single time) just to get a decent picture of them. I am intimately familiar with the struggle because it is a true labor of love to get my two boys to smile at a camera, especially my Nico. This is actually one … Continue reading Laughter is the best medicine
I’m sitting on a plane heading to Indianapolis for a family graduation and my boys are sound asleep. Could it be because we woke up at 530am, or possibly because I slipped a little dose of melatonin in their juice…can’t be sure (tongue and cheek moment), but I am calm for the first time since … Continue reading Landslide
I traveled home recently for a significant family funeral. It was not the ideal setting to be able to reconnect with family and friends who I had not seen in years, but it was a true silver lining in the midst of such sadness. I traveled alone which was hard because I would’ve loved my … Continue reading Show Up
I am finding that my life has become a juggling act lately and a new ball is constantly being tossed into the mix without much warning. I suppose this is what you sign up for when you become a (special needs) parent and work full time. I know I am not unique in my circumstances … Continue reading Marathon, not a Sprint
Patience, Love, and Hope with a Side of Autism and Fishies 