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Just wanted to let you know I’ve officially moved to my new website.  It’s called Aspie Road.  You can find out more here.

I hope you stick around.  If you do, pop over and say hi.

I should explain that the kids names will be changed on the Aspie Road site, before you get totally confused.  Long ago, I had them using pseudonyms then switched back and forth a few times.  I decided to go the pseudonym route this time again, while we’re making a fresh start, to keep their privacy.  I know, I know.  I would be shaking my head at me, too.  Just work with me.

If you have child on the spectrum: I hope you can find someone you may be able to relate to.  Although our kids struggles may differ some, our lives probably aren’t too different!

If you don’t have a child on the spectrum: I hope it can be a place to become more aware of what a family with (invisible) special needs can look like.  This is soo important in this day-in-age when the statistic is around the 1/100 mark.

You can also find us on FB and twitter.  See you around!

It is my little baby girl’s 2nd birthday today!

Here we were two years ago!  I can’t believe it!

Some things we’ve discovered about Violet this year:

favorite songs: The Lucy Song. You made up your own song about Lucy and will sing it on occasion. It goes something like, “Oh Whyyyyyy, Luuuuuucy. Oh Whyyyyyyy Luuuuuuucy.” I have to get it on video.

favorite toy: you LOVE babies.  You give them hugs, feed them and get mad when they don’t sit up when you want them too.  We hear you in the morning talking to them in your crib.  One morning I went in and you had a bunch of dolls/animals lined up and were reading them a book.

favorite show: Yo Gabba Gabba all the way, baby!  You ask for “gabba” and seem to especially love Foofa.  I know this because you will say, “Foofa” and point to the tv. (I’m smart like that.) Here’s a special birthday gift for you.

favorite activity: Ring around the Rosie – but to sing it you say “Saaa Seee Saaa Seee Saaa Seee Down!”  The boys have picked up on that and sing that instead of the words, too.

If you were an animal: you’d be a monkey!  You LOVE bananas, are a little climber and seriously sound just like Curious George when trying to talk to us.

Favorite thing to do with Mom: Any and all cuddling.  Reading books, watching tv, walking around the house…. you’re happiest when attached to the hip.

Favorite thing to do with Dad: you pretend to sleep when Daddy gets you in the morning.  You’ll say, “Sleeping.” and turn your head and peek up to make sure he sees.

Brothers:  You call Collin, Connan and Drew, Doo.

You love to laugh, be outside, sing and dance.  Just the other day you looked up, pointed and said, “Look Mommy. The moon!”  Violet-girl, you’re growing up a bit too fast!

We love you, Violet!  Welcome to two!

This blog is named after our beloved dog, Lucy.  Here she is:

She is the best dog ever, except for that time she ate an entire diaper.

I first created Lucyshouse about 4 years ago to entertain Dave and myself with Lucy’s musings of life in our house.  Since I barely have time for a phone call these days, I apparently had a LOT more time on my hands back then.  But, you know, I do what I can to entertain myself. At some point it became our family blog, and then a blog about faith, and then a blog about (our second of) homeschooling, and then a blog about being real about autism.  You know, just basically our family’s journey through these last few years.

Not to sound morbid, but Lucy is getting old.  She 10.  I think the name is cute now, but wouldn’t it be weird to have a blog named after your deceased dog?  Plus, at times there has been some confusion and people think I am Lucy.  This wouldn’t matter much except for those post’s in which I talk about Lucy having a third nipple.  I mean, that’s really awkward, right?

So I’m considering starting up a new blog, but wanted your thoughts first.  Would you mind a couple of questions? It would really help me out and let me know what you, the readers! really care about in regards to this little blog!

Please expand in the comments on the blog, or on the polls comments, if you want to keep it anonymous.  (I’m pretty sure there’s a space for that.)

I don’t think they will show up in the reader, so you’ll have come to the site to do it.  (They are below.) Thanks so much!

This was Violet’s very first ice cream cone.  She went for it.  Look at her almost shocked look at it’s awesome deliciousness.

We’ve been working with Drew for YEARS on eating ice cream (as well as whipped cream). He has never been able to tolerate it sensory-wise because of the cold and mushy texture.  He would just cry and want it far away from him.

And yes, as a mother, I feel it is my duty to make sure he loves childhood treats, like The Ice Cream Cone. It is totally a necessary way to spend my energies.

That said, I have big news, Ladies and Gentlemen:  We did it!

LOOK!

Drew is now a craver for ice cream and will say, “Mommy, I must have an ice cream cone!”

Here’s to those little steps and two years to finally paying off!  Good job, Drew! *high five*

I think I will sit here and bask in this moment… maybe with some ice cream.

We recently went to a Nourishing Hope conference and have decided it’s time to really look into our families diet/nutrition more seriously.

I’m not sure if you believe in the diet/autism connection or not, but for our family it is something that makes sense to at least try.  I myself have allergies or sensitivities to corn, wheat, yeast and dairy.  Yes, it totally sucks.  But I’m in a lot less pain and have way more energy!  If I have, say a hamburger with the bun, I will crash on the couch within 30 minutes and feel like I HAVE to sleep. I kept wondering why I was so exhausted when I got a lot of sleep and how other people could do so much! Turns out I’m not a total, lazy loser! (Don’t say it.) And I can also develop some bad anxiety after eating wheat.  It’s not fun, but I totally get how food can effect behavior. (I’m a blast!)

Until Drew was 2 1/2 years old he had chronic diarrhea.  (I know. TMI, but it get’s worse.) Not only that, his poo’s had a sandy, grainy consistency to it. (See?) We mentioned it to his pediatrician at the time and she thought he probably just ate sand at the playground. Sounds logical enough, right? The trouble is, we knew the playground we always went to had wood chips. Plus, with his extreme sensory issues at the time there was NO WAY he would even put it near his mouth. We knew it was impossible, but she just kind of brushed it off after that.

I looked around on the internets and found other kids on the spectrum also dealt with this weird and wild grainy poo.  What seemed to help those kids was doing a Gluten-free, Casein-Free diet. We tried going GFCF and it cleared both right up.  He’s been grainy and diarrhea free ever since. (just wanted to say it one more time)

Anyway, all that to say that we, as a family, can see how the foods we eat can effect how we feel. Obviously his food was not being digested properly. So I am excited to look into it a bit deeper (knowing which foods to take out, and which to add) and help everyone get to their optimum health!

I’m especially hoping that it will get rid of (or at least cause a decline in) Collin’s tics.  He HATES them and it would be really exciting to give him a solution.  Who knows!

I’ll try to post our progress as we go along – whether it seems to make a difference or not.  It might help you decide whether or not it would be something you’d like to try for your family.

Inside the house, life isn’t a piece of cake either.  Unfortunately, most mornings start with arguments and defiance, hyperactivity or crying from loud noises.  And that’s just coming from me! (insert laugh track here) I don’t intend to sound so doom-and-gloom but there is no way around it, this is a tough life we’re living!

At times I find myself internally toughening up. Just put your head down, Josie, and forge through with what needs to be done. That mindset can be helpful and I’m convinced even healthy at times, but if I linger there too long it causes me to forget that I have to look back up to find the beauty in life, too.

There is real, pure, honest-to-goodness beauty everywhere.

Sure there may be those friends who move on when the going gets rough, but the ones who stay are freaking amazing.  Most of the time I hold them close –letting me feel secure and supported, but keeping me from truly looking at them.  Sometimes I need to hold them out and see the light they bring to my life.  It is beautiful; they are beautiful.  They are unique and giving and gracious in their own right. I am so happy and lucky and blessed to have them in my life.

There are good people out there – people that don’t have to understand, but want to with all their might.  Maybe they don’t say the right thing, or maybe it’s unintentionally insensitive, but they are trying. They’re not frightened off by special needs and they’re still there, wanting and wishing the best for our kids.

When I’m in a nose-to-the-grindstone zone, I may notice that strangers and “the public” abound with jerks.  I notice it because it’s true, unfortunately, but also because they’re LOUD.  Sure a dab of special needs education will do them good and if it makes me feel better, by all means I might say something, but the “jerks” of the world many times are perfectly happy sitting where they sit – being jerks.  It’s what they do. Don’t waste too much energy on them. I try to remember these words:

When I’m truly trying to find beauty, I find the public angels.  They’re there, too, trust me. They are quietly going about their work, but they’re damn good at what they do.  I once was brought to tears from a simple genuine smile.  (It had been a bad day.) Another time, someone saw my hands were full with the kids and she let me go in front of her in line.  It is a simple moment, sure, but in this busy, fast world, it is a sacrifice. It is beautiful and so, so important.

Having a place, when I have the time or am feeling down, where I can click, read and feel understood, inspired, and supported from a few paragraphs is a thing of beauty. (Thank you, SPDNetwork!)

Note to Self:  Hunkering down accomplishes a lot! All I’m saying is just don’t forget to look up!

Meditating on these thoughts today.