Autism
The Beautiful Gift of Life
We just had one of those great nights. One where you realize what a gift life is. We laughed and giggled on our walk. There was running and teasing and stolen hugs and kisses. There was life. So much beautiful life that I had to pause and say thank you. My oldest son asked for a birthday party and to see a blue whale. All without words. My second oldest rode his dirt bike and climbed trees and tried to convince me that he’s going to be 10 instead of…
Read MoreThe Secret to a Long Marriage
I don’t know a lot about marriage. Even after 13 years I find it to be exasperating most of the time. It feels like work a lot. And I know it shouldn’t be. But with 4 kids, autism, an emotional 8 year old, sports, a toddler, work, and a baby…well, we could very well be speaking different languages most days. But this afternoon, watching my husband get in the pool with 15 rambunctious, crazy, insanely loud boys, I remembered exactly why I married this guy and will gladly spend the…
Read MoreThe Things I’ve Learned
The Things I’ve Learned… When my son was first diagnosed with autism, and in the early years that followed, I tried really hard to fit in. Into the norm. I wanted so badly for my family to be like the other families. But, well, we weren’t. We couldn’t even pretend. Or fake it till we made it. We were different. Our son was different. Those years that we tried to pretend were the worst. It physically hurt sometimes. To see the differences so loudly. Our son is 10 now. On…
Read MoreThank You for Ordering Forever Boy
Now that the dust has settled on my book cover reveal, I want to say the sincerest thank you to everyone who purchased a copy of my book for preorder. And thank you to all of those who hopefully plan too! Sharing our story in the hopes to help others had always been my dream. I can say for certain that the beginning of my journey into autism would have been entirely different if I had found someone who I could relate to. This book will do that for you.…
Read MoreWhen the Silence feels too Loud
I don’t get a lot of quiet moments in my life. I mean, I’m a mom of four so honestly it just doesn’t happen. My house feels alive most of the time. Laughter. Yelling. iPads blaring. Train whistles. No hockey sticks in the house. Turn that down. Is that a marker? It feels like a three ringed circus most of the time. But a great one. One that the neighborhood kids are drawn too. Yesterday I made a trip to see my dad. He’s 79 and had a stroke a…
Read MoreThe Moments that Teach Me the Most
My sweet boy had a tough time on our walk the other day. The beginning was great. The middle had its ups and downs. But we finished strong. Which is usually how it goes for him. Good with moments of intensity mixed in. Highs and lows and middles. And then this moment. A boy of the same age helping him along. Helping him home. Smiling at Barney on his iPad. Never leaving his side. Taking him home. They are both ten. One speaks with ease. One communicates in his own…
Read MoreThis is What We Work For
This morning I asked my son Cooper if he wanted four or five of something. And he responded with a happy sound and five fingers thrust high in the air. I went on with what I was doing and then paused for a second. Communication. Choice. Independence. Happiness. It is the most beautiful thing. I’ve been told over the years that I want to change Cooper. That I want to make him less autistic. Ha. It’s so far from the truth. My goal as a mom has never, and never…
Read MoreHappy Birthday Jamie
Happy birthday to my husband Jamie! So much to say. So little time because one kid is in the dog dish, one needs a snack, Cooper can’t find his iPad, and I’m attached to a breast pump. So I’ll just say thank you for being with me on this journey. It’s never dull. It’s never quiet. I miss you a lot…even when we are in the same room. We have our four beautiful children to blame for that. We are blessed beyond measure. I know that for certain. And maybe…
Read MoreThe Story of Us
We have lots of new followers here! Welcome to our little corner of the internet. We are the dad (Jamie), the mom (Kate), and the littles. Cooper is 10. – Lover of trains. Sawyer is 8. – Protector and hockey player. Harbor is 2. – Wants to be a T-Rex. Wynnie is 3 months. – Perfect addition to our family. We talk a lot about autism over here and how our family has settled into it. We aren’t perfect and have made lots of mistakes but we do our best…
Read MoreCar Rides and Autism
What are car rides like for your family? For ours, I would say it’s the area where we have made the most improvement over the years. Back when Cooper was just diagnosis and the word autism felt foreign on our tongues my husband and I referred to car rides H – E – Double Hockey Sticks. We didn’t shine in the car. Cooper was a screamer. And a thrower. He would get upset if we turned the wrong way. Or stopped at a stop light. We couldn’t get gas or…
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