Posts Tagged ‘brother’
A Brother and Sister on Their Own Path
I have two beautiful kids, a 7 year old son and a 4 year old daughter. My son is autistic. This adds a different dynamic to their relationship, but really it’s their normal. I remember the day they first met. We were so nervous about how he would react to her. We’d practiced with baby dolls and talked about her all the time. A reminder she was coming. He had baby cousins around before, so he knew what babies were like. I was nervous about a baby that never leaves…
Read MoreMy Third Born
I have four kids. They range from 1 to 11. And while they are all carbon copies of each other visually, they are each very unique. When I describe them I often say my Cooper, he sees people. He has the gift of sight that most will never have. I describe my Sawyer as being an old soul. He is thoughtful and kind. My baby, she is stronger willed than any human I have met in my life. And she’s unbelievably smart. She runs this house at 17 months. And…
Read MoreThe “Too Much” Kid
See that little one on the right? He is 3 years old and he’s my ‘too much’ kid. Too much energy. Too much noise. Too much joy. Too much love. I call him spirited. Some say feral. He goes a mile a minute and usually needs to be reminded to slow down. Like this morning I told him his pants were on inside out. And that he only had one sock on. He had no idea. But then again, he notices when his baby sister has a runny nose and…
Read MoreMy Big Brother, My Angel
To my big brother and my angel, We are surrounded by your memory daily. Even more so now as I go through my RBT (registered behavior technician) training trying to figure out what interventions we could have done if you were still with us. So many what ifs & could haves. The fact of the matter is, you were diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome only a few years before your passing. Our family didn’t know what Asperger’s or autism was or even that something like this existed until you were in…
Read MoreLet There Be a Sister
One green, green day, the Lord looked upon the world. He admired his sons and his daughters. He smiled at all of the wonderful animals, and he gazed tenderly at each new baby. The round blue earth, with all of its people and puppies and flowers and trees, seemed complete. But the Lord was not so sure. He thought about it for a while, and then he said to himself, I am not done yet. I need someone who is a little different. Let there be a boy, he said,…
Read MoreWalk a Mile in Autism
A poem for my 16-year-old brother with autism: Neil Kurshan said, “Walk a mile in my shoes is good advice. Our children will learn to respect others if they are used to imagining themselves in another’s place”.But Mom, people cannot put themselves in my shoes, not unless they live it too.Friends and classmates use the words ‘weird’ and ‘autistic’ as if they’re the same.It hurts my heart and I want to get angry, but I continue to smile anyway.But I’m tired of smiling and I’m tired of changing the subject.So,…
Read MoreI’m not the Fun Parent
I had a long talk with my son’s teacher last night at conferences about reading and math and wiggle breaks and how much I value my son’s kindness and heart above all. After that we spoke about much he is motivated by doing activities with his dad. I sorta smiled. And snickered. See, I’ve been noticing that too in his school work. His creative writing stories and drawings all include Dad and ice fishing and hockey and baseball. His teacher said, ‘trust me Kate, I know how much mom’s do.’…
Read MoreMust Love Autism
“Do you have any siblings?” It’s a classic first date question, and rightfully so — it’s simple and seemingly painless to answer. It leads to an easy conversation. I can’t blame anyone for asking. “Yep, I have a younger brother, Alex,” I’ll reply. The follow-up question is almost always the same. “How old is he?” “He’s 23. We’re almost exactly 18 months apart. He has autism,” I always add quickly. As soon as I say it I wait for the reaction. A lot of the time people respond by listing…
Read MoreThe Questionnaires Still Sting
My son Jayden has settled into school and he is doing amazing. I am still pinching myself every day when I drop him off. We are now starting to incorporate the other therapies Jayden needs back into his new schedule. It is official. I have received my mountain of paperwork. All I have to say is, WOW! Jayden is eight and some of the questionnaires are still completely brutal to complete. I really thought at this point the questions would be less cumbersome or I would be used to the…
Read MoreBaby Harbor
This is baby Harbor. The third baby. The third boy. The third little thief of sleep and sanity. He will be 16 months in just a few days. He is walking, talking, eating with a fork, playing hockey and incredibly curious. Of all three of my boys, he is the busiest. He wants to know how things work. Like the toilet. And Kleenex boxes. And mud puddles. He is also a terrible sleeper. And sick a lot. And he has the best hair. Like ever. Think Garth from Wayne’s World.…
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