My son has always been a “clockwork kid”. From the time he was an infant he kept the same schedule. He would eat every three hours, almost to the minute. He woke and slept at the same times every day. And without fail he would wake up at 1 am and want to play until 2:30 am every morning. It made being his mom very easy. I knew exactly what to expect and when. Structure That same sense... Read more
Did you know that Autism gives you superpowers? It’s true! My son is an Asperger’s kid. He has high functioning Autism. And boy, does he have superpowers! He is so smart. If he has a special interest in something, he will study it until he knows everything there is to know about it. It’s work to keep up with him. But it’s really fun too. But before I get into the superpowers, I need to tell you a little... Read more
I am a planner. Before my son was born I planned for him to be popular and smart and funny. I did not plan the Autism. But he sure is smart! And funny. But the other day he came home from school and told me that nobody liked him. I know that isn’t true because he is always invited to play dates. And when we walk to school a lot of kids are saying hi to him by name. But he... Read more
When my son was younger, he was overly emotional. I used to joke that he was my little drama queen. We would come home from a long day where he was reasonably well behaved, but the moment we got home he would throw himself on the floor and have a royal tantrum. Sometimes he didn’t even make it home before this started. He would start screaming in the car and I didn’t know why. I’ll never forget one time... Read more
I have friends from another state that moved here recently. As they rolled into town, I invited them over to get out and stretch their legs before going to their final destination. I had been following them on Facebook and enjoyed the pictures of their children at every rest stop from here to there. And it was a several day long drive. Unfortunately, it’s easy for people to gloss over what’s really going on when they post online. This time my... Read more
Attending church can be stressful for everyone. But when you have a special needs child, the stress levels go up. One of the most beautiful things I’ve learned recently, as a special needs mom, is the power of letting your child be himself. My son has High Functioning Autism. But I’ve been trying to fit my son into a box, figuratively, for a long time. And I’ve been so frustrated as he has popped out of that box time and... Read more
I’ve been watching the terrible and almost non-stop disasters in our world. They just keep growing. As I’ve watched the news with growing heartache, I have noticed something. Amidst all the terror, destruction, and chaos, I have seen people reaching out in love and giving service to others. I vicariously witnessed hurricane Harvey as my friend survived it and wrote about it on her blog. I was shocked by the images on TV. So much flooding! But as time... Read more
I was talking to my son the other day, and he surprised me by bringing up Hell. He wanted to know where he was heading, and what it would be like. This healthy eight-year-old stunned me by the change in topic, but I tried to roll with it. (Obviously he is going to Heaven- what 8 year old isn’t?) As we chatted we made some decisions about what each place must be like. Ultimately we determined that heaven would be... Read more
Several years ago a woman I never got along with was asked to lead the women’s organization (Relief Society) in my congregation (Ward). She was a former high school teacher who had ‘school marm’ written all over her. And she was not afraid to shun those she felt didn’t live up to her ambiguous standards. I honestly never understood this woman. We had worked together, and there was never any pleasing her. It was ‘my way or the highway.’ And... Read more
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