Friday, December 31, 2010

Dear Noah: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


Wow we have been super busy....my head is spinning with how quickly the time is passing. You have been out of school already for winter break 2 weeks and it seems only yesterday it was starting!

Time goes by so fast. We have been busy here at home...doing holiday things...and visting family and friends. We have had sleepovers and play dates...You have really enjoyed yourself and have been so very happy.

Over this break you had time to play with your cousins....which has thrilled YOU..especially since both cousins are very close to your age.

We also celebrated your 12th birthday! SO hard to believe you are already 12 years old and growing up so fast!


We celebrated Grandma C.'s 88th birthday yesterday and now will be welcoming in the new year with my uncle and your cousin. I think.

We have enjoyed ourselves immensely this winter break and all the holidays and joy and family, friends, and loved ones.

Noah and I want to wish you all a very happy, healthy, prosperous, and blessed new year!

Monday, December 06, 2010

Dear Noah....HUGE milestone...you are now 100% officially toilet trained....


and right before you turn 12 years old. I never thought in a million years it would take this long to get you to this point and to be honest I was starting to wonder if you would ever completely be able to do all your wiping yourself anywhere outside of home. Here at home you are and have been 100% toilet trained since age 9 years. BUT anywhere outside or away from home you still needed my help from time to time. Well..I started working with you the last month on this and telling you...you could do it....and how...and you needed to try because you did not want to go into being a teenager and still having your MOM come into the bathroom to help you wipe up!

I am so PROUD of you and happy because the other day at grandma C's house you came running on the way to the bathroom..asked for the wipes we brought...and ran to the bathroom all by yourself and DID EVERYTHING IN THERE ALL BY YOURSELF!!!!!!!!! No calling for me to come help you...nothing. YOU DID IT. FINALLY! I KNOW you had to be happy and proud too. I praised you up and down....and I just am amazed..once again...in your own time...you finally do something all on your own.

So for all those other parents out there who think their autistic child will never be able to handle all toileting on their own...don't give up hope. IT can be possible.....be patient....do your best with them.....they may just one day surprise you. AND some may need help forever...but I still alwys kept hope in Noah...and I am thankful he finally is able to do this all on his own!

YIPPEEE for you Noah. I love you and am so very proud of you....something everyone else probably takes for granted or has had their kids accomplish at 2 or 3 years of age...you too now have finally succeeded!

ALL MY LOVE always!

Mommy
XOXOXOXO

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Dear Noah.....I can tell by the reduced postings that things are going better here!


School wise I mean ..for sure. The stress level and drama we had with you attending a public school is just not present in our lives anymore. There is still some pressure feelings sometimes when it seems we have a lot of required things to accomplish...but we plug along and get it done. I still sometimes wonder and wish I just homeschooled you by myself straight out like I did in Colorado...picking what I wanted to teach you in the way I WANTED to do it....and not via any online virtual school..and sometimes when we are pressured to get work done I am tempted to try it all that way again...but online school is also good and has many benefits as well as making sure you are taught what you need to learn according to the state's standards. BUT then I have to wonder WHO really determines what you should learn and why...and by doing all these required things I am sometimes not left with enough time on my own to teach you things I WANT you to learn. So I have to come up with a better schedule or something...maybe incorporating both into the day or some on weekends or some solution.

But as far as the daily drama of life in school I do not miss that. You are much happier and less stressed. I am less stressed. I heard some kids about your age in the public library on Monday and they were back in the kid section that is set up for kids to meet in and play games and read, etc...and they were talking so inappropriately. All had come over from school...talking OUT LOUD about being HORNY and "go sit in the corner to get raped" and all this other stuff. I am so THANKFUL you are not being exposed to that crap on a daily basis and to be honest I thought someone in the library should have told those kids to tone it down a bit.

Wow....maybe I am an old fuddy duddy but I don't care. Right is right and appropriate is appropriate and that was not it.

MY SURGERY has been put on hold...I am hoping I won't need it.....time will tell...but I want to go through all options before having a surgery I may not need.

We had a good Thanksgiving....and here it is time to get ready for Christmas already! We will finish decorating the tree this weekend.

Today Opie got stuck under your bed again...he crawled up into the outer cover of the boxspring mattress..there he was stuck in the material but not in any big hurry to get back out once I lifted the mattress up. We have since blocked all areas he could get under your bed again.

Snowing here today...very chilly outside...and very much looking more like winter!

I love you lots.....really do....to the moon and back again Noah..forever.

OH...almost forgot. You have been designing your apartment and houses....I will have to post pics later. You designed a very nice small 1 bedroom place above a 3 car garage you said you could live in...and then designed a slightly larger place....over a 4 car garage. You seem to want to live above a garage one day....and not one necessarily attached to any house I own!

Then you designed a home.....and it is very nice too. I am very amazed when I see all you can do designing homes and making floor plans. I suggested you make a book about this! You said you had not even thought about that before.

So ...I say SO a lot don't I?

LOVE YOU!

Mom
XOXOXOX