Wednesday evening and oh soooooo tired is our boy.

Wednesday I headed off to pick Greyson up from school and he had a confession waiting for me. Poor kid is sooo honest that even when he does something he shouldn't he ends up telling on himself. He had taken his Bakugan toys to school to play with at recess. Toys are not allowed and we are pretty firm on him not taking any unless it is something that we OK with his teacher first. I guess the whole Bakugan thing is taking off with his classmates and alot of them love to play it. He did not care for it until he realized it was "the thing" and now he thinks he needs to jump on the band wagon. hahahaaaaa Anyway...he explained that alot of his friends brought Bakugan but Ms Suzy said they cannot play that anymore. No more toys even at recess. I told him I was disappointed that he took them behind our backs and that he had made a bad choice. He apologized and said he wouldn't do it anymore. I figure there will come another time where bad choices arise so I roll with it. He and I stopped at the house to drop off his bag and then headed to OT. He did really well there and played well with some of the other kids. They socialize them on purpose since most of them have socialization issues anyway. It helps them learn to relate better to others and teach some much needed social skills that most of them are lacking. Once we got home he had some wii time with momom and then we headed off to bed. He chose to watch Open Season which was already on cartoon network instead of Bee Movie. I had a bad feeling about it so I asked 3 times if he was sure since we would not have tome to watch Bee movie once the other was off. He claimed it would be OK. Well....my gut told me differently, and boy was it right. We turned off the TV and he started to whimper...he said, "I am sorry... I am sorry...I was wrong and my head isn't right now that I watched Open Season. I saw a bad commercial." Good lord....so.....in went Bee Movie and thank goodness he was asleep in about 2.5 seconds. I woke up to the TV still going and had to tell Michele to turn it off. Bee Movie will be a part of our regimen for a while I am afraid. Well...tonight is another night...he has Karate which he is really doing well at. We shall see how it goes. He has been exhausted lately so maybe it will wear him out really good. Good day all...It's almost Friday!

Monday...Tuesday...here we go.

Well, Well ...we started our week and it has been good. Greyson seems to be doing well at school this week and he has no adverse effects from his head trauma playing wii. i forgot to mention just before mom cloaked him playing wii he had hit his head in the same spot at Monkey Joe's during the birthday party he was attending. Go figure. So Grace....how are things at the palace...huh? I took him to school today and found Cymantha, the assistant busy getting things ready for the day. I stayed and chatted for a moment...and laughed... of course. I so enjoy talking with Suzy and Cymantha...it seems weird after my interesting year last year. I never felt really any warm or fuzzy feelings at the old school. hahahaaaaaa It is all for the better no doubt. Anyway...the week has been pretty normal...nothing crazy or extreme to report so far. He had Karate tonight and he is now a green stripe belt...and very proud of it I might add. He did great Michele said. i stayed home to be Chef Paula Dean...ok....maybe not. I did cook dinner though. I can heat up a mean corn dog and then peel all the corn off for a boy who is extremely particular about what goes into his mouth. hahahaaa. I have mastered the art of heating the dog then peeling the corn off if anyone needs the recipe! hahahaaaaaa... I crack my damn self up. Well...since nothing insane is happening for me to tell you about I shall go. Until tomorrow...sweet dreams and hugs all around. Bee Movie here we come. I do believe the sleep will come early tonight though....he was almost passed out when he got home from Karate. As grandma griffin used to say...Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite! Grandma is dead....Greyson would croak if he heard me say that....we would have to check all the sheets for bugs. hahahaaaa

Night out with Michele...

Disclaimer...pic is old...not from last night!

Michele and I went to celebrate with Steve & Steve last night and several others. Steve C is having his 50th birthday so we had to harass him some. It was a great time being able to hang out with everyone and laugh. Grandma came up to watch Greyson which is always a help since it saves us $$$. But I always worry as she is still not used to his high energy and some of his eccentric ways. I think he totally wears her out mentally and physically. Therefore we only ask her on occasion. Plus as I have discussed before, I don't think she always understands why we do some of the things we do as far as dealing with him and his challenges when they occur. Maybe it's generational...(can't tell you)...but I do not really care. I know we are doing the best we can given alot of professional advice and our own gut instinct. So...when she is staying I do worry but I figure for a few hours it should be OK. Anyway....we got home and he was like a puppy. He heard the car, probably form 10 miles out, and ran out of the bedroom screaming mommy...momom! He was soooo excited we were home. They had played wii and watched TV. The wii playing was probably interesting since mom is very competitive. Oh well...hopefully he isn't too traumatized. hahaha Anyway...we just got back from Campbell's birthday party. Greyson had lots of fun but has a headache due to whacking his head on something. He is watching Grandma get beat in tennis by Michele on the wii. Poor grandma is still trying to learn the whole technique of it. Well...I am going to get off this computer and visit with my family. I still have most of my hair currently...not too crazy yet...my girls Ginger & Jen will get this I am sure of it. Gotta love those who know the best way to do everything...huh? Especially in regards to our children. :)

Ohhhhmmmmmmmmm! Ohhhhmmmmmmmmm! I am visualizing my rope Suzy! Go to the light Carol Ann...go to the light! :)

Thank you for your support Mr President.

While checking the White House web site I found the following information reagrding the presidents stance on Autism...

President Obama and Vice President Biden are committed to supporting Americans with Autism Spectrum Disorders (“ASD”), their families, and their communities. There are a few key elements to their support, which are as follows:

• First, President Obama and Vice President Biden support increased funding for autism research, treatment, screenings, public awareness, and support services. There must be research of the treatments for, and the causes of, ASD.


• Second, President Obama and Vice President Biden support improving life-long services for people with ASD for treatments, interventions and services for both children and adults with ASD.


• Third, President Obama and Vice President Biden support funding the Combating Autism Act and working with Congress, parents and ASD experts to determine how to further improve federal and state programs for ASD.


• Fourth, President Obama and Vice President Biden support universal screening of all infants and re-screening for all two-year-olds, the age at which some conditions, including ASD, begin to appear. These screenings will be safe and secure, and available for every American that wants them. Screening is essential so that disabilities can be identified early enough for those children and families to get the supports and services they need.

I am thankful that we have elected a eloquently spoken and wonderful president that is going to do his best to bring about change in this world we are living in as well as offering hope to those who were starting to think all hope was lost. It won't happen over night, and as we all know, this will take some time. But he can, and he will, get the ball rolling. I realize there are those who beg to differ. That's OK...you have that right. Just remember, a closed/narrow mind is a wasted one! This election was a true showing of what democracy is all about in this country. If you still feel closed minded concerning our president, his abilities, or his race then I feel as though maybe you should step back and reevaluate. This is 2009. You may live in small town or rural area that hasn't caught up with the rest of the country, but times are changing and people are coming together to help make that change. All I can say is...we are all created equal and it is about time!

Great Day...It's Friday and Belt Test Day at Karate!

Today was a most wonderful day for me and hopefully for Greyson. I spent the day with him first at Imaginon watching Clinton play the drum with the Imagineers...and then I took him back to school to be with his class. he asked me to stay for lunch which ended up in me staying until time to leave. it was great though. I had a great time watching all the kids and Greyson while also getting to spend time chatting some with Ms Suzy his teacher. It was really nice and I enjoyed being there. Hopefully I can come by other times and be of some help to her when and if need be. After we left school we came home to do a little of his math sheet homework. We are plugging away at it since homework is not always easy or his favorite...he and every other kid huh? Anyway...at around 5:30 we had to start getting ready for his belt test. Every so often in Karate class...(after a certain number of hours logged) they are ready to test for their next belt color on their way to Black belt. It get s harder as they get closer to black but for now he is coming right along. Still somewhat uncoordinated but they are fine with that and roll with it. Yay....he started at white, then orange, yellow, blue, green and now...green stripe. After green stripe then he will be going for purple. I think he really likes it and he seems to focus very well in there although he still has moments of wondering. If you know what I mean. :) we do love to watch him though and Michele so wants him to succeed at some sport. He is so headed for drama or singing as he does it alot. Ms Cymantha told me today he will be doing assignments or working by himself but there is almost always singing involved. She said she lets him sing unless it seems like he is going to break out into full blown version. Next thing you know he'll be on Broadway or at the very least TV or movies...haha I just hope once he is famous his memories of us are fond ones. Michele is tortured here because he and I both suffer from hearing a word and breaking out into song. Then we usually make up words to fit whatever is happening to us at that moment which brings her to the brink of insanity. Poor thing...I do feel sorry for her sometimes....but mostly not! It's all about the love! Well....back to Greyson...he was awarded his green striped belt tonight and Master Hartsell was very proud of him. He is coming right along. We came home and had his favorite...pepperoni pizza in Yay! I love pizza too but I am burnt out on it thanks to the pizza king. Oh well...now it is off to bed for us here shortly. He isn't feeling all that great and has a little bit of an upset stomach. I hope it doesn't turn into anything more than the usual for him. His little stomach can be a little sensitive at times not liking certain things like chocolate so...I hope that is what is happening. We shall see... good night and sweet dreams to you & yours. It's the weekend and definitely that is cause enough to celebrate. Cheers!

Back to School after the Blizzard that never was...

We headed back to school today after a somewhat disappointing snow fall. You see....it melted faster than we could get out to enjoy it. so sad.... Anyway...Greyson is now determined for us to go to the mountains or the East coast since he heard the storm headed East. :) So...I picked him up at school after a day of working myself, which,...is highly unusual as of late. I actually was busy at the office all day. i picked him up and he seemed to have had a good day. I just never know since he isn't real forthcoming with information all the time. I do try to find out about his day though under the guise of needing information for his blog. Anything to get him to be a little more open. We head to OT and he was in there for an hour. Each week on Wednesday we head off for the same routine...OT (4:30 to 5:30) While he was in therapy I met and chatted with a mother that is new there named Heather. It's always nice to share stories with other moms for support, and validation. Somehow it makes things seem a little easier knowing someone else knows exactly what you feel and are going through. After the hour was up, Karissa his therapist came out to tell me how well he did. He had an awesome day at OT playing the snowman game, which he loved. He also had to stand on a swing while picking up bean bags and handed them to the boy on his left or right to toss into a bucket. Karissa said he did really well and got a great core workout as well. He had about an 80% success rate on that. Yeah big man! He also is working really hard on learning new foods and getting accustomed to different foods. he may not always taste them but he at least touches them...smashes them...and/or places them to his lips for testing and experimental purposes. He paints with apple sauce, chews on twizzlers...then spits them out. I know I know...most kids would so love that....he likes some candy but has never been a big big fan of it. He just recently within the past year had gum for the first time. Not your typical kid in more ways then one. So....he had a great OT session and we head back home for dinner. Now we are done eating....getting bathes, and heading off to bed. He just had some sort of I love you mommy melt down where he says..."I just need alot of your love right now" as he cries these huge crocodile tears. We have moments like this every so often...why neither Michele or I can explain. It started tonight due to chaffed legs...inner thighs to be exact. He says they don't hurt but he sure has hurt feelings if nothing else. How chaffed thighs equate to hurt feelings and needing such large doses of love from mommy I am not sure but I normally oblige. I just discussed this very thing with my good friend Susan tonight. How a child that has alot going on can be sooo sweet almost to their own detriment. To the point where it isn't normal. You want them to be sweet and loving but you also want to know as a mother that they are self sufficient ad able to handle their own situations that arise. You want to equip them with the tools to survive on their own should you not be able to be there for them when certain problems/challenges arise. God forbid that happen but you know what I mean. We discussed the importance of ensuring they are able to do that is and how, even more importantly, we are the ones responsible to give them those tools. At times I feel as though I am failing miserably but I also know how just when I think I am failing Greyson will surprise me with yet another major leap forward. it comes in its own time I suppose but you still have those motherly worries. When they seem too clingy and needy it can be very scary and unnerving. You know as the mother it is not the norm and that they are having anxiety to an extreme. You also know you need to find a way to help them muscle their way through it. It isn't always easy but they have to learn that survival. At least the bare minimum to get themselves through. I pray each day I can give Greyson at least that as well as helping him become the best guy he can be. A successful and productive member of an ever changing world. I want him to grow up feeling loved, respected, cared for, and safe. I never want to let him down as his mother although at times I know it is inevitable. I just hope those times are few and that his memories of us are full of love and laughs. That being said...I am off to bed to dry the tears of one sweet boy and watch...you guessed it...BEE MOVIE!!!!!! Good night all. Love, hugs....and sweet dreams abound! Here's to another day in the life!

The Weekend and Laser Quest Birthday Madness....

This weekend we hung out with Greyson and played on the wii, watched some TV and pretty much had a normal day with nothing too extraordinaire. Michele had gone to Denver to see Maudy a Mystic we see on occasion. Our friends had invited people over to meet with Maudy so Greyson and I hung out at the house while she headed up there. Once she returned we got ready to head over to our friend Marcie's house for an Oyster Roast in her back yard. Since it was freezing cold we bundled up in our ski pants and snow gear....we stayed warm and had a great time. Greyson even went with and did very well...at least long enough for us to visit, eat, have a few beers and then head back home. Once he is done somewhere he is done and we have to head out. Otherwise he could get unbearable. He was pretty funny while we where there running in and out at times and making circles around people as they sat at the fire pits complete with sound effects. Most of them do not know him or us so they have no idea what to think of him. We just watched him do his thing. I didn't even get out of sorts about it. At times it worries me that they make think we are not doing our parenting jobs well...other times I just don't care. Saturday was a just don;t care night. Yay! hahahaaaa...I have to celebrate since those come around so rarely. Greyson did freak one guy out who tried to pick on him about liking the little girl that was there...calling her his girlfriend...Greyson screamed, "You're a liar!" That did get my attention so I had to talk with Greyson on that one. Very literal he is and he doesn't do to well with teasing or picking. Anyway...we got through it none the less and had fun. That's a plus.
Sunday we had a day of relaxing and then it was off to his friends birthday party. It's one of his best buddies at school but I do not think they are very good influences for each other at times. They both have alot going on and tend to help each other get in trouble. They are really good pals so we just pray when he is at school that they are learning to manage and make better choices when one or the other is doing something they shouldn't. It doesn't always go well though. That being said we get the invitation only to realize it is going to be a Laser Quest...a laser tag center here in Charlotte where you play laser tag in the DARK of course. Lots of loud music, black lights, skeletons, monster like things hanging around...etc...etc... Ok....just to give some background here...let me backtrack. Greyson was 5 yrs. old and we headed to Disney not knowing he had Aspergers or any sensory issues...none of the above. We just thought he was rather eccentric and a little unusual. The very first ride we go on at Universal was the Lilo and Stitch ride. Who the hell would have thought that this ride be our ultimate demise for the rest of the trip. We go in and they strap each of us individually into a seat...Greyson between us. They start the story about how they captured Stitch and we all see him in front of us in the glass tube moving around and talking and screaming. Then it happens...the flicker and go out, they scream Stitch is loose...then you feel the shoulder harness on your seat going up and down like Stitch is jumping on your shoulders, you hear him spitting and they spray your face lightly with water, you hear him burping and they spray some God awful smell like chili dog burps in your face and on and on....Can I just say our kid is freaking out and screaming the whole time. Greyson was totally freaked out and terrified and we like to NEVER got him calmed down. He wouldn't ride anything after that if it even looked slightly dark...which is almost everything there by the way. We backed out of more lines than I can tell you. In line only to find that at some point we had to enter a dark area to ride. NOT!!!!! Excuse us...Excuse us...Excuse us....You get the picture! Michele was ill and putting saying how we had wasted all of our money and he was happy as a clam...as long as we stayed out of the dark areas. hahaha. One of those situations where you look back now and its funny but its not. Well that wasn't the only time we messed him up! It was just the beginning....The last time I traumatized him was Disney on Ice-Monsters, Inc. he was soooooo excited saying mommy Lynn....I really want to go to that! I thought great I'll get really good seats and he will be soooo excited. So I go online and get seats in what I thought was the area just above the ice. You know the ones...the boxes right near the ice but not on top of it. So off we go...the day has arrived. we get in and get some very high priced snacks and a souvenir for him and head to our seats. we hand our tickets to the attendant who proceeds to take us down past where I think we are sitting and onto the ice. I tell Michele she is mistaken...we will have to go back up in a minute. NO! I have managed to acquire seats right on the ICE! I could have touched it with my toes! Good Lord! I am thinking well....we might be OK....he doesn't like the dark but we are here and we can get through this. Well...they turn out the lights and he is getting antsy and scared....Then here come the Monsters, Inc guys.....Mike, Randall, and to top it off Sully! all the others were there too skating around and they were HUGE! Then to send him over the edge...Randall...the really mean one stops in front of us waving his 50 arms and his big mouth full of sharp teeth...standing over us at about 8 ft tall, it seems, while Greyson is screaming. Needless to say Michele or I had to take him out into the coliseum several times to calm down. We finally gave up and left at intermission. Unbelievable! 3 Tickets (good seats) to Disney on Ice-Monsters, Inc.-$120 Snacks at major Disney event-$45....Crappy dollar store Disney Souvenirs-$35....Scaring the shit out of your child who has Aspergers and Sensory Issues unbeknownst to you....PRICELESS!!!!!!!! Ahhhhh......I look back now and wonder how much damage we did without even knowing....poor guy. He is being loved to death! :) Now that you know his background with stuff that tingles and tantalizes the senses of most..you will fully understand our apprehension to the Laser Quest. We primed him telling him momom could go in with him and he could play laser with his buddies....well...we get there and it is loud, teenagers mostly everywhere, painted in dark colors with video games all over and he says...I'm scared! So....we still pay for Michele to go in and then wait our parties turn to go. He and Michele play games while they wait. Suddenly it is time...he decides he will go in with momom and they are headed in after being briefed. He follows all of his friends, gets to the door where he sees an big hairy scary monster thing hanging or painted on the wall and he starts to cry and won't go in. He played video games while his friends played laser....after we calmed him down. They came out and told him all about it which reinforced his theory that the place was evil! hahahaaaaa They all ate cake and headed back in for round 2. He was only too happy to patiently await their arrival back since he was not having any part of going into the darkness. Not even his friends could convince him otherwise. He was not happy and talked about how scary it was all night. We started to go to bed and it was very late....he had not watched Bee Movie because he had been preoccupied watching his cartoons. Well....at midnight when we cut the lights out he started freaking out screaming....I can't get that place out of my head....I need Bee Movie! Needless to say Bee Movie was put into the player....whatever it does it seems to work for him...we on the other hand were exhausted and just ready to sleep. Thank goodness he did not last long after that. Long story short...no more laser tag for us! Add one more to our history of taking him to places we know are going to be trouble...and this time we had NO excuses except that it was his buddies birthday and he couldn't miss that...even though he did kinda miss the meat of it! Oh well....add the lesson onto the list and keep going. :) Hope you all have a great week! MLK Day & the Historic Inauguration of Obama! Bring it on! Hugs....

Friday Night and the air is crisp...to say the least!

I went and got Greyson from school at 1pm today...he had early dismissal. We then headed over to Ms Cathy's to see her and take Blake his belated Christmas gifts. Greyson had a great time playing with Blake and helping keep his mind off of his belly ache. Cathy and I again solved the problems of the world. We are quite good at that if we do say so ourselves. hahaaa We decided she and Darlene need to start a PI service and I think I will join in to make us more like Charlie's angels...OK...maybe Jimmy, AC, & Michele's Angels is more like it! Anyway....i think we could do well at that. Cathy especially is quite the sleuth! She cracked her own fraud case starting a big investigation. :) You go girl! Now...back to the subject at hand. Greyson and I left and came home to momom. We then ventured out into the frigid cold to go out to eat. Let me tell you...it was NOT worth it. I need some damn good food to tempt me into doing that again...Olive Garden ain't it! Nevertheless we ate, went and got his buddy a birthday gift and headed home. Tomorrow I plan to do nothing outdoors since the temp is going to be below frigid. Well...that is until tomorrow evening when we will head to Marcie's for an oyster roast outside around 4 fire pits...someone check my head for a fever! OK...I digress once again. Back to big man. He did well today and did OK tonight at the restaurant. He did not eat though. He was too worried about getting the gift. So...we headed over to Target after eating got the gift and now we are at the house chillin'...literally. God I wish we had a fireplace....nothing better than a fire when it is freezing out! Well...it's almost time to head off to Bee movie...yes, we have to watch it every night. Weekends are NOT exempt form that routine. I just pray he wants to lay in bed until at least 7 or 7:30 am tomorrow. Somehow I know it will not work that way but maybe I will be wrong. Overall today was great and Greyson is such a sweet and loving guy around Blake. He acts like a big brother and was only a little bit jealous at the end. I guess me holding Blake and feeding him was a little much after about 3 hours. He came into the kitchen and said we need to go now. So...I finished up and gave baby back to grandma and we left. So...here we are starting our long weekend. Good night all. Talk to you tomorrow.

Finally it feels like Winter...

Well...I actually went over to do some work at the office today. I haven't done that in months as they have not needed my assistance. I got some things done for one of the agents and then went to get Greyson. I think he had a pretty good day and he was really excited about his reading workshop. That is such a change form last year for sure. :) Yay for Suzy again! Anyway...he is sooo funny. I can't remember everything he was telling me in the car but he was really funny. he was also proud because Ms Lisa bragged on him at pickup. She told me he sat with his friends at lunch and was very good. He did not get in any ones space and there was no food thrown at all. Apparently at some point in time he and some of his friends decided throwing food was a good idea. For all I know it was his grand idea...I just do not know. I do know that we do not condone the throwing of food items at our house or any place where we may be eating so that being said...who knows where he learned that or saw it being done. Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network perhaps? So...maybe we are on the road to no food fights. Let's hope so. Today he was very proud so maybe that in itself will be a step in the right direction. Nothing like some good ol' positive reinforcement. Some people feeling beating the living tar out of them works...we on the other hand find that ludicrous. If it worked as well as they thought one beating would be all it took. But then again that is just my opinion. Greyson is in the bedroom balling right now because I will not come right to bed with him. he says he is scared but the lights are on. I tell you some nights it is just a battle and it wears me out. He is in there just crying and crying....I can't even get a few minutes. Michele has work to do, and he wants me to lay with him. I on the other hand would love to just be able to put him to bed...or maybe just say, "Son it is your bedtime now. Good night, I love you, & sweet dreams..." One day I tell you...one day....This whole routine can wear a girl down! Well...the king calls...I did manage to get a time pinned down that I would be back in the room with him so he held out the 10 minutes I asked for . Not without screaming, crying, and telling me how scared he was. So...my 10 minutes was all but peaceful. Go figure. tomorrow he has an early dismissal so I will be picking him up at 1pm. He is excited and it is a long weekend to boot. Oh boy...the fun to be had. Think happy thoughts... I am going to think of something that makes me laugh...it gets me through the moments where my patience is being tested and worn thin. :) I learned raising my voice/screaming does no good... Greyson looked at me the last time I raised my voice, which for him does not have to be very loud,....and said, "I don't even know you anymore!" Where the hell did that come from? Did he just say that? Had to be a movie line....I just don't know which one! hahahaaaaaa To all of our friends...Good night, sweet dreams....happy thoughts & hugs to all.

Rhino Man...appears out of the bathroom!

I have no idea where he got the idea....but Greyson just ran in here with the towel his grandma made on his head claiming to be "Rhino Man". "No one can defeat Rhino Man!", he exclaimed. Ok dude...whatever....personally I was horrified because the towel is white with a little hood thing so he looked like the damn grand dragon or something. Obviously I would never condone such a look but it was funny none the less...especially with the added commentary that he was..."Rhino Man". I have NO clue what was going on in his head...but that is pretty much how I feel 90% of the time. You go Rhino Man!
He seemed to have a good day at school...although he did show up with some pictures that he cut out & pasted to construction paper. Having a neurotic moment, I was a little uneasy at some of the pictures that he had chosen to cut out. A grouping of several small planes crashed and upside down...I assume from a tornado or something that hit a small airport...several shots of dogs (and one USMC devil dog tattoo)...a gun in someones hand?....a golden key....a volcano...a Jeep submerged in water...and a teddy bear? What's the thought process...then again...he is mini me so there is never rhyme or reason to anything... I was asking him, "what is this?" and "why did you put it on here?"....while Michele tells me...quit analyzing it! hahahahaaaaaa I guess I get a little carried away at times. Seriously though...I can't have him going all Anakin Skywalker on me and changing over to the dark side! :) (In case you do not know me well enough...that was my lame attempt to be funny since he LOVES Star Wars!) Anyway...things are going well and I have a plea in to Mr Mike to help us with the "I'm a bad boy" stuff....His OT is also constantly working each week on his body awareness and managing his surroundings better. Hopefully in time things will start to improve. He has made improvements already in many areas but still needs quite a bit of work in others. That's ok....this is a lesson in patience for me and Michele and I think we are coming along rather well too. Stop that laughing grandma! You too dad! (Just so you know...neither of them is still here in the earthly sense.) Well...he is playing Star Wars Lego on the wii and in a few we will....you guessed it, watch Bee movie! Quiz me next time you see me....I bet I could answer just about anything about that damn movie now! Not to brag....if you are jealous I would be glad to loan it out...but you have to have it back before bedtime! (and the late fees are atrocious!!!!) hahaha Goodnight all....love & hugs...and all that mushy stuff.
OK...one last thing before I sign off...I just heard my son scream while playing Star Wars LEGO....oh watch out...don't go that way...oh look out...Oh What the hell!? I screamed, "Son...we don't say that!..(Ok...I lied...We do...I just don't want him repeating it!) Anyway...he says, "I'm sorry, I'm Sorry...I didn't mean it! (Sigh).....Lord we have to watch what we are saying....I mean seriously...What the hell? :0

and The Light Bulb comes on...

Yesterday I picked Greyson up from school and Suzy let me know he had had a bad afternoon. Being the bull in a china shop that he tends to be sometimes, he had gotten up and plowed through his classmates not paying any attention to his surroundings. This resulted in him accidentally hitting a little girl in the nose with his knee. He doesn't do these things on purpose he just gets focused onto one thing and all else is gone from his world. Including things and people around him. He is in Greyson's world and nothing or no one else exists. This of course can result in things getting bumped into, knocked over...etc...etc... or in the case yesterday, a sweet little girl with a bloody nose. Once it happened he freaked out to see what his actions had caused and was upset all night. He would not talk about it at all. Just last night the light bulb went on for me...I think I know why....you see he spent his entire year last year at a school that whenever he did anything, whether by accident or not, he was reprimanded by his teachers and classmates. He spent most of his days in the office and things, as far as I am concerned, were never handled as well as they could have been. Not to rehash it all but he once knocked over a plant only to be ridiculed by his teacher and classmates who claimed he had done it on purpose. This resulted in him freaking out, crying and screaming at them..."You are all liars"...which resulted in him being sent to the office. Well...things like that happened more than I would like to say...now I have a child who whenever he has an accident like yesterday..withdraws to some extent and claims..."Why am I bad?" "I don't want to be a mean boy." Michele and I try our best to convince him that he made a mistake and it was an accident. All people make mistakes and have accidents sometimes. We talk to him about making sure we pay attention to our surroundings and watch out for others etc...But he still has this image of himself being bad. It breaks my heart and makes me crazy. For some reason I could not for the life of me figure out why he thought he was soo bad. Now after all this time the light bulb clicks on? He has basically been conditioned into thinking everything he does (accidents resulting in something not so good happening) was malicious on his part. The other school always thought his acts were intentional even though we tried fruitlessly to tell them he was not like that. How ludicrous! Now again we are not only dealing with what we know is challenging him but we have to deal with undoing the damage that was done by the people who we entrusted last year to take care of him and protect him. While they waited on us to do all the things we had to do to find out what was going on with him their answer was to handle him this way? To us...it was a blessing and a nightmare rolled into one. Now we know what he has going on and we have a beautiful group of people who assist him on a regular basis...I am still ill at the damage that was added by the other school though. It seems to crop up time and again and I will be thankful for the day he is fully himself again. Self confidence back intact and fully knowing that he is only human and he IS NOT a bad boy. It doesn't help that with Aspergers a child's motor coordination is really not where it should be...age appropriate...making them quite clumsy and not good at being aware of themselves in time and space. He at least is getting work on that once a week at OT but it still is lacking. Does he make mistakes?...yes he does...Are his decisions always the best?...no they aren't...but he by no means is a hateful or malicious child and him thinking that way wrecks me. Buckle up for safety Mr Mike....we need your help on this for sure! Well enough of my bantering for now...Thanks for stopping by our blog and until next time, :) Keep laughing and smiling. Laughter after all is the best medicine. I could use a good laugh about now.

It's finally the weekend! Catching you up...

Hello everyone...we arrived at the weekend just fine. School seemed to go good considering it was their first week back. I picked Greyson Friday and we headed to the house. He is so funny. We got home and did some homework reading...'Smelly Clyde'...a wonderful story about a dog who likes to roll in poop...all kinds of poop....cow, horse, pig, chicken....you know....just enough different ones to make him smell heavenly. It was quite amusing to say the least. Then we did our worksheet and it was do whatever you want time. Played a little wii...watched some TV...read a little. Wooooo hoooooo! That night momom and I finally turned on some of our DVR shows to watch so we could catch up. Greyson was preoccupied with some Star Wars play so we thought it was safe to watch our weird show we love...Fringe. It has some very strange and sometimes scary weird things on there so we try to watch that show when he is doing something else. We definitely don't want to induce anymore nightmares and add to our Bee Movie watching time! So....we start watching and one of the agents falls out clutching his heart...they rush him to the hospital thinking it is a heart attack...now remember...in this show nothing is ever normal or as it seems...the agents are trying to catch a group that is using "Fringe science"...like biochemicals, genetic alterations, mutations, etc....(weird stuff)...on the population. It's a mystery so far as to why this is happening or just who they may be targeting...anyway....back to the guy with the heart trouble.... The hospital rushes him into surgery where they open up his chest and there is a green stripped thing with a mouth full of metallic looking teeth...no eyes...clamped down around this guys heart...It's like the heart is in the mouth of this "thing" :)

Anyway...of course...Greyson walks in just as they show this...(Murphy's law?) and screams...."What the?...Gross! I know what's in that man's chest, it's a Piranha Flower and you guys shouldn't even be watching this!" We didn't know whether to laugh or cry since now he has seen the damn scary thing! I guess from now on we will resort to watching the weird stuff in the middle of the night or during the day when he is at school. It could help us later in limiting the amount of times we have to watch Bee Movie. So, needless to say...,we went to bed and watched again...Bee Movie until we all fell off to sleep. Saturday came and we got up ready for the big Panther's game. I made chili and we just hung out...then Greyson decided to be in rare form. We could have gone to visit with some friends but he wasn't in a place where I thought that would be a good bet. So...we stayed at the house...ate chili, and tried to watch the game. It became extremely painful to watch early on so we all went to bed. It made me feel like I had a "piranha flower" clamped around my heart! haha. We woke up to the news that we pretty much knew anyway...Panthers got the tar beat out of them. Jake had a horrible game...could it have been the elusive "piranha flower on the heart" causing his screwing up so badly? :) Sorry...I can't help myself!

...so now...it is Sunday, glorious Sunday. Today we will do lazy things I suppose. Michele and Greyson are already playing wii and I am blogging obviously. I will join the wii fun now. Who knows...later we may hit Monkey Joe's...any takers? Have a great Sunday before it all starts over again. love & hugs...

It's Almost Friday! Yay...I'm Smilin', Are You?

Greyson has had a pretty good week I believe at school considering he had been out on a break for so long with Michele and I. That normally gets him way out of sorts and he has to find his normal again. Although...in his language I am not sure what normal means. He is constantly saying things like, "I don't want these pants...they make me feel normal." or "I don't feel like myself, my head feels normal." Neither Michele nor I have been able to figure this out. Well...just guessing we think he is confusing normal with strange...why we do not know. Oh well...It's all good. I always ask alot of questions on the head thing like, "Does your head hurt?", "Do you feel funny or sick?", he normally says he isn't hurting anywhere but that he just feels not like himself. Strange huh?

Today we talked with Mr Mike his play therapist. I vented a little about my frustrations concerning people thinking we don't handle things correctly and that Greyson is spoiled. I told him I know I shouldn't care what those people think but when you are having to spend time with them it is harder to ignore the "looks" of disapproval and/or the comments. We talked for some time and he had some good ideas as to how Michele and I need to handle things. We also talked about how we need to be aware of what we become when under the watchful eyes of others. We tend to start watching Greyson even more closely anticipating him doing something that others may find wrong. And worse yet...we may react to him in a way that we normally wouldn't trying to ensure he isn't unfairly reprimanded by someone else...or his actions misunderstood. In doing this we end up making his life hell. That really broke my heart once I realized I especially had done this when we had gone home for Christmas. I cried thinking why am I sitting around worrying about this and yelling his name each time I feel like he is doing something they may disapprove of or judge us for. It was ludicrous. Now that I am aware of my own behavior I hope I can put a stop to it now matter whose disapproving eye we may be around. We just refuse to let Greyson be placed under the same watchful microscope that he was under at his school last year. I felt as if his teachers sat in wait expecting him to fail or do something that they felt was wrong. Even Mike went and observed him and said Greyson was being watched and targeted for things he saw other children doing. His self esteem suffered greatly and he is just now starting to come back around thanks to his new teacher and the great environment he is in now. Lord there aren't enough kudos for Suzy or that school and its staff. Ms Suzy has definitely won a special place in our hearts. I was so glad to talk to Mr Mike. Michele and I both get so tired of the being tolerated feeling. Some of you know the feeling...it may come from family, acquaintances, so called friends...but you know it when it is happening. The dog and pony show complete with smoke and mirrors. I can best describe it from holidays past at one of my grandparents homes. Everyone acting like they cared and missed you and saying...We should get together more...and then....a year later....same crap...different year. Whatever! Bitter, party of one....your tables ready! haha I mean we all know that family, once you reach a certain age, is more about who you choose. It's not always the ones who share your DNA. Now don't get me wrong...some of the DNA sharing folks are wonderful and they truly love you unconditionally. But that isn't always the case. For my son's sake...I want for him to spend the most of his time around those who truly understand or at least try to understand what he has, and that he cannot help it. It is a developmental disorder and neurological, something none of us could help. No amount of parenting will change that. Because of that he may seem to behave poorly, be extremely picky about foods, clothes, etc and to those who don't know...he may seem to do things intentionally or maliciously. None of which he is doing. He may seem to smart off at times or like a know it all when really in his mind he thinks he is helping you. It's all so black and white to him and so literal. Greyson is a sweet, kind hearted, and loving boy who is painfully honest. Sometimes to his detriment. I guess we feel that the people who really care about us or him in the least will actually take the time to try and understand what he has and how it effects him and our family. If you think it's our parenting or you think he is just playing us well then you have it all wrong and you have totally missed it. Sometimes it's not about that...this is one of those times. Mr. Mike validated all that I felt and feels Michele and I are still doing all we need to do. He knows best that Greyson has made progress by leaps and bounds and now only has to see him every 2 weeks. Our visits with him have been once a week for a year now. So that is great news for us. EC class, OT & speech therapy will continue each week I am sure for years to come. He has come a long way but still has a ways to go. What we do know is...Greyson is awesome and he will be one fine young man before we know it! If you don't see what Michele and I and most of our friends and extended family see then you are missing out! He is a force to be reckoned with...not to mention again...a great collector of rocks! haha Good night all. If I am rehashing alot of this, and seem to ramble, I apologize. Our visit with Mr Mike brought it all back to the forefront of my head and like Greyson...once it is there...I have to get it out. Even if you need to walk away. :) Beware..I will follow behind you and finish what I am saying...just ask poor Michele. Hugs to all of you. Great big hugs to those who continue to offer words of support and wisdom! Now...bring on the sunshine!

Animal School Video - Beautiful! I had to share this again with you all!

This video is wonderful for parents, teachers, therapists and anyone who works with kids. This one on youtube cuts off some of the wording but I have a link at the bottom of this blog to the video as well. I love it and it is worth seeing in its entirety. so...that said...scroll to the bottom and click my link there to get a quality version of it if you wish. Either way...Enjoy! :)

Collector of Rocks...Among Other Things... :)

Meet "The Rock Express"...I'll explain later...but for now here's the rest of the story...

Well...Greyson has been doing pretty well and is at Karate tonight. Last night was quite hellish since he stayed up later than normal, could not sleep, having nightmares etc...and I had to watch Bee Movie at 2am with him to "get the bad dreams away". Thank goodness he only lasted about 15 minutes and then he passed back out. He still did not sleep restful though, tossing and turning the whole night. Michele and I lost a night's sleep pretty much due to him being so restless. Poor guy. Nights like that are hard on us all. Thank goodness I am currently not working and help him when need be. Granted poor Michele still ends up awake or disturbed at the least. Hopefully tonight will go a little better for our sake, Ms Suzy's sake, and anyone else that may have to deal with sweet man tomorrow. Bee Movie...here we come! 7:30pm and we will have Bee Movie starting in the bedroom to rid Greyson's head of his bad dreams...yay!

Now I need to back track a bit...Yesterday Greyson got into the car and gave me his silent treatment. He does that at times as I have mentioned before. I have yet to figure out why...but he does. It does not always mean anything bad or that he has been in trouble he just, at times, needs that quiet I guess. Anyway...he started digging in his pockets, without talking, and pulled out rocks for me. I said, "Are these for me?" and he shook his head yes. He pulled enough rocks out of both pockets to fill a cup. Just so you know I am no stranger to this. My Jeep has been weighted down more than once when he decides to collect his rocks. I have no answer for this either. He on occasion decides to pick up rocks that he finds beautiful and bring them to me. I have more rocks from softball fields, parks, playgrounds, and various other places than I can even begin to tell you. They are out in my garden and other spots in the yard that are not in the mowers grasp. :) I find them in the washer/dryer sometimes...the ones he forgets to give me I guess. He may end up being a geologist one day who knows. So if any of you are ever at the house and see rocks around my candles or anywhere else...be forewarned...those are the most special rocks ever! :) If he ever gives you a rock you know you have received a very special gift. I love my rocks...My Jeep has suffered greatly though. We have needed a trailer at times...So...if you ever see a white Jeep that looks jacked up in the front it is aka..."The Rock Express" Hooray for the Rock Express! Well...gotta go make sure that the family is fed and that Bee Movie is in the DVD in the bedroom! Good night to all who love us. Hugs... :)

Back to School after Christmas fun...

Sunday was a pretty good day. We had been priming Greyson for a few days to get ready for his back to school on Monday after being out for over 2 weeks. He did really well and got his bath before 7:30, got in bed and watched his Bee movie so he wouldn't be scared. I headed off to bed early too so he wouldn't be up all night worried. We are one big snugly happy family at night which makes most people's mouths hang open when they hear this. Oh well....watch out for flies! haha I get hits all the time from other mother's of Aspergers children who have lived the exact same thing. The sleeping with parents, rolling up in blankets like a sausage or hiding under the pillows. We aren't the only ones with these challenges obviously. :) Everyone has a story right? What's yours? Anyway...he slept great and was up and ready to see Ms Suzy and all his friends this morning. I took him to school where he screamed hello to Ms Suzy as he went through the door. he was really excited to be back, yet torn a little at me leaving him. He came back twice for hugs before I got out the door. He does that if he has had alot of mommy & momom time. I think he did fine overall. No reports otherwise. he was a little strange when I picked him up. He chose silence all the way home and would not talk. He does this every so often and I am not sure why. it scares me because I never know if he doesn't feel well or if he had his feelings hurt, or if he got in trouble and is ashamed or what. Yes...I am guilty of over thinking everything and his strange little ways fall into my insanity of analyzing sometimes. My deceased grandma is having a huge laugh at my expense I am SURE of it! She was my favorite and I know she is up there with her best friend and a glass of wine howling. One day I tell you! My dad is there too shaking his head and laughing quietly. He never talked alot but I bet he is saying, "Definitely a Griffin that boy!" (Artistic, dramatic, musical, and full of himself. A real clown...just like the rest of us.) Well...he gave me the silent treatment all the way to the house and then gladly did his homework without incident. Thank goodness for that. Tonight we start back on our reading. He is coming along great though. He is Greyson and that is all we ask of him. It is what it is and we will roll with it as is. What a guy and great gift we have been given quirks, and little eccentricities included. Good night all...OH...and one more thing....GO Buckeyes!

Nightmares & Bee Movie Drama...

Hey everybody. We have been having alot of fun here over Christmas break. Greyson had his buddy Campbell over to play wii yesterday and I visited with our friend Pam while Jim and Michele worked. Awwwwww. Anyway, the boys had a great time and I think Campbell was worn out from the wii. That thing will put it on you and leave you needing a nap for sure. :) We all had a great time and shared some lunch before they had to leave to go meet Jim. After that we hung out at the house and played wii and watched TV. The fun really began again at bed time. I need to work on a serious routine for Greyson at bed time now. We have somewhat of a routine but he has thrown a kink in it with his recent issues. He is scared all the time now at bedtime and says he has nightmares about the things in his head. (i.e.-spiders, zombies, monsters, Mr Meaty...etc) Now you need to know....it's not like we let him watch anything on TV that has anything to do with these things...but he still somehow gets them in his head as he says. His remedy is to watch Bee Movie since there is nothing scary about it. He claims it gets the bad things out of his head. Now before you all start thinking I am crazy you need to know. Understanding what he is telling me isn't always a cake walk as he speaks in his own language sometimes. Like when he tells me...I can't wear these pants! They make me feel normal! We think he means they do not feel good to him but that's just a guess on our part. So that being said, we try our best to figure out what he is meaning by what he says when things are squirrely and then we do what we think will help or fix it. Bad dreams and bad things in his head included. It's a crap shoot as far as we are concerned and we just hope we win. I think right now Bee movie will have to be worked into bed time one way or another. He freaks out if we ask him to go to sleep without it claiming that he can't get the bad things out of his head and that the nightmares will come. he isn't just being stubborn either....he is literally crying, sobbing, and freaking out. If we thought he was playing us we would just put our foots down but he is truly distraught and you can tell it. That's what people do not normally understand when they here stories like this. They assume he is just doing whatever to get his way. that's why taking him to OT at times is so refreshing and validating. You have a room full of mothers who are waiting on their children just like you and they sit there trading stories of tales just like the ones you have told time and time again. It is so validating to hear and reinforces you thoughts as to whether you are handling things the way you should. Michele had never taken Greyson to OT before this past Wednesday. She came home a different mom. A mom that realized that we are doing things the way we should. That we do make mistakes and that's ok since we are only human. You see....we have searched high and low to ensure that he is getting the best care and that we are knowledgeable on Aspergers and how to best handle certain situations. We have ordered and read book after book, we've gone to therapy weekly for over a year straight talking about each issue/challenge that comes up and how to best handle it. Now we have added Speech therapy at school along with OT there and he sees his EC teacher 3x's a week. We have a team of people who we talk to regularly to help keep us on track and doing what we need to do. Do we make mistakes? Yes...we do...what parents don't. Do we forget which ways are best to handle certain situations when are nerves are shot? Yes we do...again...what parent doesn't. But do we love him more than life itself and wish him the best life has to offer? Do we strive to ensure that he will lead a perfectly normal life regardless of his diagnosis? Yes, yes, yes.....So ...we carry on, and we learn his language, his little eccentric ways, and we cherish who he is as an individual. We hope to teach him love, compassion, and optimism in a world that seems a little out of whack. That is what we want for our son and we will go above and beyond to give him just that. Thank you to those who support our family...your kind words....your advice and stories of similar situations and most of all your love. Hugs....until next time.

Greyson Jamming on New Years Day with his band...

Welcome 2009..

We welcomed in the New Year last night on our couch. I think Greyson actually understood a little better what it was all about. Not totally but a little better than years past. He gave us both kisses after the ball dropped. He was really sweet...and...he was totally exhausted from playing wii all day long. He is getting really good on that thing. He is back at it today. he wakes up thinking about when he can play wii. We are really glad since getting him outside to play is not always easy. He shys away from bike riding and most sports as well as the things kids love the most outdoors. Mainly due to his lack of coordination and motor skills. He is doing alot better though thanks to his Karate and swimming. The wii offers at least some form of exercise and activity instead of just sitting sedentary on the sofa watching cartoons or playing games on the DS. Thank you wii! Well...Happy New Year to all. We are going to eat the traditional black eyed peas, greens, corn bread, pork loin, and for my Ohio born honey bunny....kraut and mashed potatoes will be in the mix. We cover all of our bases here at Casa de Griffin-Roberts. :) Some of our friends that we have known for many a year will be dropping by to share in the festivities. We are eating later to make sure our pal Diane will be able to make it. She is working so we wanted to wait until she was free to eat. She is my crazy pal who together we can make milk come out of just about anyones nose! Haha. When we are together I have to take Excedrin migraine pills to keep the laughing head ache I almost always get from totally incapacitating me. Yes...I am officially not right, nor is she. That's why we love each other so... So people, buckle up for safety!

Hope everyone has a most prosperous New Year full of love, laughs, compassion, friends, and all of the things that make your world peaceful and complete. Happy New Year friends and family. We love you all...