The Adventures of JAMC

How People Fall In Love

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 23:38:00 +0000

Well, we've survived the first two weeks of school and are rounding nicely into week 3. It hasn't been perfect, and the kids exasperate me several times a day, but I feel that everything is continuing to go well. They're learning, and I haven't completely lost my marbles. Success in my book. I'll share more on the ups and downs of school later, when I have more time.

Anyways, I just thought I'd pop in and share a cute little conversation Connor had with Jodie the other day. I love to listen to Connor and his thought process. Jodie was cooking dinner and Connor came up to him and, out of the blue, said, "Daddy, I'm going to tell you how people fall in love. First, they see each other and they think, "Wow, that person is really beautiful." Then they decide to start dating because they think each other is beautiful, and they're just in love. And that's how it happens."

Jodie asked if Connor wanted to hear how we fell in love. Connor was captivated as Jodie told him how we were friends for two years before we started dating, and he moved away during that time. Connor asked, "So, did you guys forget about each other?" Jodie said, no, we didn't, and then he came back home and we saw each other again, and then decided to start dating. Connor said, "And, then, you decided you either had to get married or not date anymore." We laughed at that. I don't know where he got that from, but he can be pretty perceptive sometimes. Jodie explained it wasn't exactly that we would stop dating, it's just that, after dating for awhile, we wanted to marry each other. Connor said, "Yeah...AND you thought Mommy was beautiful." Lucky for Jodie he said, "Of course." ; )

I love these kiddos so much, and we often have conversations like this, where they just bring up whatever somehow got into their heads. Never a dull moment. I also love that they feel comfortable talking to us. I hope it lasts! The teenage years aren't as far away as I'd like!

Ants In My Pans

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 05:01:00 +0000

Have you ever just had one of those mornings where the unexpected derails your whole schedule? Today was one of those days for me. Generally, I wake up, get the boys breakfast, and we get right into school. I have a lot to teach, they have a lot of work to do, so it's best if we just get cracking. Alas, today did not work out that way.

I stumbled into the kitchen in my usual morning stupor, looking to snag my morning Diet Pepsi in an effort to wake up and get going. It took me a minute to realize that something wasn't quite right with the way the kitchen looked. I kind of rubbed my eyes and looked again. "Crap!," I said. There were ants ALL OVER the counter. Everywhere. We used to have an ant problem in our bathroom, but never in our kitchen! I was so grossed out. I hate insects. Hate them. And I hate them even more when they are in my house!

Usually we're good about doing the dishes each night. Last night, however, we were both dead tired and just rinsed them off. Not well enough, apparently. Sooo...instead of starting school on time, I attacked the ants with a vengeance. I emptied the dishwasher, scrubbed every dish left in the sink, and mercilessly washed ants down the drain. I may have laughed evilly as I watched them go down. No ant will survive in my kitchen! Finally, I took a wet washrag and squished the rest, rinsing them down the drain with the rest. And the little suckers had the nerve to bite me! Too bad for them, because I got them all. Ha!

Then...I walked away and got the computer set up for school. I came back in to tell the boys it was time to start, and glanced over at the counter where hundreds of tiny ants had just met their doom. Then I really freaked out because the counter was covered AGAIN. What. the. HECK?! Where on earth did those guys come from?! I sighed and decided it was time to bring out the big guns. RAID. I cleared everything off the counter and sprayed like crazy. At last, AT LAST, they really were gone. I popped into the kitchen several times during the day to confirm. All was well. Although all day long I kept feeling like things were crawling all over me. Eeek!

As Jodie got home from work, I was sharing this story with him. He was thanking me for getting rid of them, when I looked down at the floor and saw a ton of ants crawling all over the place. I just about hit the roof. How do they do that?! All I know is I now had the joy of spraying everywhere and then getting fast food. Nobody was cooking in that kitchen after all that. I seem to have defeated the ants for now. We will see what the morning brings...

Connor's Baptism

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 06:06:00 +0000

So, I know I said I wasn't going to go back and document everything that happened on my blogging hiatus, and I'm not. But there are just some things that are too important to skip over. One of them is the fact that Connor chose to be baptized in March. At Mason's baptism we were able to choose people to speak. With Connor, however, there were so many kids being baptized that they just had two youth speakers talk to them. We did get to be alone in the room when he was actually baptized, and all of Jodie's family was able to be there, with the exception of one brother. Connor was so excited to be there and to have a lot of his cousins there, too. After the baptism we had everyone over for lunch. Unfortunately, I was really sick the week leading up to the baptism, and on the day of. So the house wasn't looking its best, and the perfectionist in me wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. Even so, what ended up being most important was that Connor had a great day, and visiting with family was fun. Everyone came to see Connor, and not my not-so-clean house. : ) Here are a couple of pictures we got of that day:

Phone pics, so not the best, but that's OK. Connor, we are so proud of you for wanting to be baptized, and I can't believe how much you've grown. Wow, time flies!

Oh, and speaking of going back, Connor wanted everyone to know that this happened around his birthday:

Jodie and Amy's Parenting Milestones

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 05:30:00 +0000

After recovering from a case of overloaded brain yesterday, things are much clearer today. I'm keeping to the school schedule, and we're finishing a little earlier each day as we get used to the ebb and flow of each lesson. We met with Connor's new OT for the first time today, and he totally rocks. Mason is becoming more independent in his schooling. It's all starting to fit...at least today! Tomorrow I might be a drooling, glassy-eyed mess after getting through school, but, hey, it's all part of the joys of being a homeschooling parent.

Speaking of being a parent, as I continue to feel that blogging spark again, I can't help but recall all the things that have happened in my one year blogging hiatus. I definitely won't be going back and blogging about all the things that have happened, but there are some things I can't resist sharing. (With all one of you who are reading this. ; ) ) So, today, I present to you:

Jodie and Amy's Parenting Milestones

Our boys have been doing a lot of growing up this past year, which means Jodie and I have had to go through a lot of new territory in this parenting gig. Some easy, some...interesting. And I've had to learn to let go a little bit. I've always been overprotective, and the boys having Asperger's has only added to that. So it's been a big year of growth for the boys AND the parents. Here are few things we've conquered:

1. The Talk

Yeah, THE talk. The birds and the bees and all that jazz. Previously I did a post on being a little nervous of how Mason would react to the subject, but I need not have feared. He approached it as he does everything: with a practical mind. He's very matter of fact about life, and that did not change when discussing sex. I gotta say, though, it felt weird telling him all the facts. I mean, don't get me wrong, I think kids need to learn about it, but it always seemed like a far away thing we would do some day. Yet, there we were. Even more surprising, we brought Connor in on the discussion. Two birds with one stone. That, and we knew Mason would end up telling him, anyways. They have no idea how to keep a secret. It all started when a sister-in-law told us she was pregnant. We'd heard the announcement many times before, but, for whatever reason, this time it struck Mason to ask, "Hey, I know how babies get out of a woman's body, but how do they get in?" So we went for it, and, with a few giggles, got through it. I was honest, presented the facts, and they got it. Since then, they've asked a question once in awhile, and we talk about it. No big deal.

2. No More Santa (Sob!)

This one was all mine. It's still a sore spot with Jodie, though he has (mostly) forgiven me. It all happened one afternoon...sometime last year. I really don't remember. Anyways, Mason straight up asked me if Santa was real. I asked him what he thought, in an effort to stall answering, but he brought out the big guns. His exact words were, "Mom, I am your son and you have to tell me the truth." Um, seriously? So I told him what I call "The Secret of Christmas." He wasn't upset at all...I mean, he'd pretty much figured it out. He was kind of excited to be in on "the secret." You know who wasn't excited about it? Jodie. He claims I am the Grinch and ruined the fun of Christmas. To that I say, "Bah, humbug!" In all seriousness, I love the whole Santa thing. But when my kid asked me straight up to tell him the truth, I figured it was time to fess up. I realize I probably should have consulted with Jodie, a fact I will never live down. Oh, and Connor knew by that night. I told you they couldn't keep a secret. Soon after the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy were figured out, too. So we still leave the gifts...they just know it's us.

3. They Played At The Park...Without Me

Now this one was a big deal for me. I practically had a panic attack over it. I allowed them to go with a friend, who is a year older than Mason, to play at the park around the corner from our house. As they biked away you could hear the apron strings snapping apart. I know that, as they grow older, a certain amount of freedom is needed. I just get so nervous because they lack certain social skills and I'm afraid of them getting bullied or pushed around. Having the older friend, who understands them, helped a little. They survived and enjoyed themselves. I may have chewed my nails down to nothing. Since then, they've played a couple of more times at the park with friends...until the heat made outside play impossible. I'm still cautious, and I preach stranger danger like nobody's business, but I think we both benefited from giving them a little freedom.

4. Mason Went To Cub Scouts Alone

This milestone was not hard for me at all. I was practically jumping up and down with joy the day he decided he could handle it. Sitting in a Cub Scouts meeting was so not my favorite thing to do. Mason, however, needs a feeling a security and requested that I stay until he "felt ready" for me to leave. One day, out of the blue, he told me I could leave. You didn't have to ask me twice! We agreed that he could call me and I would immediately come get him if he needed me to. He's used that a couple of times, when things were extra noisy and he felt overwhelmed. But, for the most part, he goes in and does his thing. Old hat, now. I guess, technically, that was a milestone for Mason. Since we all worked to get him to the point where he feels comfortable on his own, however, I think it definitely counts as a parenting milestone, too.

Sooo...there you have it. It's been a big year in parenting. And, yet, the learning curve continues. It's never over. Scary thought, isn't it?

My Brain Hurts

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 02:01:00 +0000

While I do feel that doing online schooling with the boys has been a great choice for us, there are times when I finish the day of school and my brain is about to explode. Today is one of those days. It's no easy task to take two boys who have Asperger's and a huge dislike for school, and somehow give them the academic skills they need to succeed. Not only that, but I still have all the evaluations and IEP meetings to deal with. This school has certainly been much better than our district school was, but an IEP is an IEP and I still have to fight for what my boys need, and also understand all the lingo and what is being said in the meetings.

This is our second week of school, and I've slowly been getting acclimated to the new schedule and figuring out how to balance doing both 3rd and 5th grade. Both boys are starting a new remedial language arts program this year, and both boys have to work their way to taking the state standardized tests. Mason even has to do writing on the test this year...which is something he dreads more than anything. Standardized tests are NOT our friend. You might even say I hate them. I am, however, excited about the remedial language arts. The boys both struggle in that area more than anything, and I am excited to get the extra help. I need it!

Despite all that, I am very pleased with how the school year is starting, and still feel that online schooling is the best choice for both boys. I'm sure this year the blog will be full of posts about how online school is treating us, and what methods I'm using to keep us going strong. So, if that sort of thing interests you, check us out once in awhile. : ) It's been said, both to me personally and in articles I've read, that maybe online schooling isn't the best thing for children who have Asperger's. I've blogged about it before. If you want to know why I think that opinion is wrong (at least in the case of my boys), you can go back to this post. In the meantime, I've got to go watch TV or do something that doesn't require much thinking. I've crammed so much info into my head that, like the title of the post says, my brain hurts!

A Place To Hide Away

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 02:30:00 +0000

Since I've suddenly become interested in my blog again, I've been reading back through many of my old posts, just reminiscing. Mostly about the boys and how far they've come in coping with the world. One thing I noticed is several posts about them building forts, or finding a place to hide away. I know a lot of it stems from them wanting/needing to feel some sense of control over all the noises and smells and views they feel bombarded with each day. Though they've grown up in so many ways since I last regularly blogged, they definitely still dig a good fort. They say it makes them feel cozy and happy. Their latest creation has been up nearly all week, and they've even been sleeping in it. Apparently all it takes to feel comfortable and secure are some couches to turn over, a gazillion stuffed animals, a twin mattress, and some blankets and pillows. I watched a few episodes of Phineas and Ferb with them in the fort, and, I gotta say, they have made it very comfortable.

The outside...

Mason's side...

Connor's side...

A Disastrous Reunion (For Jodie)

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 01:00:00 +0000

So, Jodie has this problem where he always manages to either get an unusual illness (like his tumor), or he manages to injure himself while trying to have fun (like his scooter incident). This is another one of those stories...

We were at our annual Johnson reunion towards the end of June. This year we all trekked to Santa Fe, New Mexico and stayed at a resort. The kids were super excited, and we were ready to enjoy some cooler weather. The only thing we really were not looking forward to was a 7-8 hour drive. I volunteered to drive on the way up, and Jodie would drive on the way back. First of all, let me preface this by saying that Jodie and Mason have similar personalities, and so they are always butting heads. In addition, Mason HATES long car rides. He feels confined, he gets carsick, and so he gets cranky. To make a long story short, Jodie and Mason were arguing with each other nearly the whole drive. I was about to pull over and leave them both on the side of the road. Somehow we all calmed down and made it, and I figured the worst was behind us until we had to drive back home. Ha!

The hotel we stayed in the first night was not the resort. It was a nice, decent hotel, but it had some interesting choices in decor. Specifically, there was a large metal shelf with two metal wolves as the base hanging over the toilet. As Jodie got ready for bed that night, he managed to smack his head on it. Since his whole series of surgeries, his head is extra sensitive, and so he went to bed with a major headache. Naturally, he woke up in an awesome mood (insert sarcasm here), and it was almost no surprise when I heard him shout in the bathroom. Yup, he hit the same shelf again. Only this time it cut his head pretty good, and he was bleeding all over the place. After I finally got it cleaned up, I determined it didn't need stitches, and Jodie was only too glad to get out of the hotel and go shopping. The rest of the day went fine, and things settled down. We got checked into the resort, the kids and Jodie went swimming, and all was well.

So, why would I call this reunion disastrous for Jodie? Certainly not for a cut on the head and an unpleasant car ride. The real trouble went down the next day. We went on a nice hike up in the mountains, and one of my brother-in-laws had planned to go to a picnic area nearby for lunch. Only, it turned out the picnic area was closed. So, no big deal, we had seen a park at the bottom of the mountain, so they changed the picnic to the park. After eating a soccer game started up in the field. Jodie got talked into playing, and I was watching from a bench nearby. Suddenly, I saw Jodie fall to the ground. It seemed like he just tripped or got caught up lunging for the ball. I waited for him to get up...but he didn't. He put his hands over his eyes, and I just knew he had hurt himself somehow. I ran to the field and heard him yelling, "I broke it, I just know I broke it, I heard it pop!" He was pretty much crying, which I have NEVER seen him do.

We tried to figure out what to do. He was in incredible pain, and had no ability to move his foot. His dad ever. so. carefully took off Jodie's shoe, and his ankle swelled up instantly. I mean, it really ballooned up. At this point I decided to be even more helpful by getting woozy. I couldn't stand to see him in so much pain, and I felt dizzy and like I was going to be sick. So I laid down right on the field before I passed out. In the meantime, Jodie's brothers and dad tried to help him hop across the field to the car, but he couldn't even handle that with the pain he was having. His youngest brother got his SUV and drove it right onto the field, and they lifted Jodie into the car...while also managing to bang his head on the door. Good thing he's got so much metal in his head.

In the end we took him to an Urgent Care, which turned out to be inside a converted home. The staff there was very nice, albeit a little odd. The receptionist found out we were from AZ and joked that she couldn't help because she knew all us Arizonians vote Republican. The nurse practitioner said, "Well, if your husband was a horse we would have to shoot him." Normally, I have a sense of humor, but, in this case, I just wasn't feeling it. Of course, Jodie couldn't let everyone else do all the joking. When the doctor asked what his pain level was, 1 being hardly anything and 10 being having a baby, Jodie replied, "Doc, I'm having twins!"

In the end, his ankle turned out not to be broken, but they did say it was the worst sprain they'd ever seen. They prescribed some pain meds, and sent us on our way. The rest of the reunion was fun for the boys and I (I'll have to talk about it another day, because it really was fun.), but Jodie had a bad reaction to the pain meds and spent all the next day throwing up every 30 minutes. So he got to spend the whole rest of the reunion in our room. It was miserable trip home for him with no pain meds other than Aleeve, and he has since had enough x-rays for a lifetime, some painful sessions of physical therapy, and has been walking around in a heavy boot. This next week, with it having been 2 months since the sprain happened, he may get to move to a lighter air cast. He's finally able to move his toes a bit more, and the swelling is still there, but has gone down a lot. It's been quite the ordeal.

Jodie now claims he is never attending another family reunion again. I say he will...but I'll let his ankle start to feel better before I tell him that.

It's Been Awhile...

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 06:43:00 +0000

Wow, I can't believe it's been over a year since I've posted. Life got busy, and my well of inspiration slowly trickled dry. I don't know what has inspired the momentous occasion of me putting together a post, other than I was reminiscing about this here blog and how much I used to love typing out our daily adventures.
So many things have happened since April of 2012. For example, Mason was just about to end 3rd grade, and Connor 1st. Now Mason just started 5th grade (crazy!) and Connor just started 3rd. I can hardly believe it. We're still doing online schooling, and I've been very happy with how it's going, and how much more the boys learn when they are comfortable in their environment.

These look like mug shots. Ha! Well, I guess that's accurate, considering how they feel about school...

I'm hoping to start sharing stories about our family once again. I can't guarantee anything, considering our school schedule. I think once a week is doable, so I'm going to try and hold myself to that! I have started to feel that blogging bug again...for myself, and the idea of recording our family antics. I really do miss doing that. I think I'll start tomorrow by talking about the latest in the saga of "Things Just Seem To Happen To Jodie." Until then...

I Actually Made Something!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:54:00 +0000

I was a little late in jumping on the Pinterest train. I think I thought it was mostly about sewing and artsy crafts to do with kids. I mean, yes, it has all that on there, but what I failed to realize was that there were lots of DIY decorating projects and ideas for hair and fashion stuff and...well, everything! Once I discovered all the DIY stuff (especially Pottery Barn knock-offs!), I thought, "I could totally do that!" This past Saturday I decided to do my very first project from Pinterest: Decorative Apothecary Jars. Here are the pics:

Mason did most of the spray painting. He was very excited:

I chose the colors I did because I wanted to use these in my bathroom, and the colors coordinate with my bathroom stuff. Here is the finished product:

I put them in my bathroom, but I was busy doing this that I neglected to clean my bathroom. So I photographed them in the kitchen. Anyways, I found the idea for this here. It was super, super easy, and not very expensive. I can't wait to do more projects!

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Having A Ball

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 02:49:00 +0000

Last Saturday the boys and I went with two of my sister-in-laws to a local Salsa Festival. We actually only got to taste one salsa because the kids wanted to run and do everything else! There were bouncers and games for the kids to play, plus face painting and fake tattoos. The kids had tons of fun! It was all supposed to be free, but I found out the hard way that some things were not free! Mason and Connor saw other kids climbing inside these giant balls, and then rolling around bumping into each other. They really wanted to try it, even though the line was so long. We waited a good 40 minutes in line, and they really waited patiently because they were excited to try it out. As I got to the front of the line a woman said, "OK, $5 per person." *!!!* However, I couldn't let the kids down, so I forked it over. After their time they both came running up to me with HUGE smiles on their faces...which made it all worth it! Here are some pics I snapped with my phone of their fun (Mason is in the purple ball, and Connor is in the green):

And here are the dogs they got painted on their faces:

The boys hope to go again next year!

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The Sayings of MC

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:50:00 +0000

Mason and Connor have a great vocabulary, and sometimes they say things and I have no idea where they learned them. I don't know if other kids with Asperger's are like that, but it sure makes things interesting. As I was working in the yard this past weekend Mason said, "Hey, Mom, you wanna be on my team?" I said I would if he wanted me to be. He paused and replied, "Well, Mom...are you going to be an asset to my team or a liability?" I asked him if he even knew what liability meant. He said, "Sure. It means a person who is going to cause problems for your team." I have to say, I was speechless. Did I mention that he's 9 years old?

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This And That

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:55:00 +0000

It's amazing how you can blink and a month has gone by without a post! Right now I think I'm suffering from lack of imagination and inspiration, but I hope to get that back soon! At any rate, I just wanted to say that we are still all alive and well, just extremely busy! Here are a few things we've been doing...

1. Doctor's visits! This may not seem surprising, since I do have two boys with Asperger's. However, the appointments have been for me! This is unusual because I usually just go to the doctor once a year. I hardly ever get sick! (knock on wood) My first round of appointments were heart related. I was having trouble breathing and other symptoms which led me to the cardiologist...and to get chest xrays...and to have bloodwork. In the end I learned that I have a congenital heart defect...a bicuspid aortal valve, to be exact. It's not serious, though it could cause problems later in life and become serious. I was advised to cut back on caffeine, which is really, really hard for a hardcore soda addict like me. I've made the switch to caffeine free for now, and hope to cut out more in the future. Baby steps!

2. Chiropractor visits! Again, for me. I don't know what it is with this year, but it's just not my year so far! I have never wanted to see a chiropractor, but my body decided I should. One Saturday morning I bent over to pick up something, and my back spasmed. My legs gave way, and I literally could not get up. Kind of freaky. Jodie helped me to the couch and I couldn't move for two days. Thankfully the chiropractor got me back up and I learned that my pelvis is crooked. Since Mason was born, I've had a lot of problems with my hips and back, and just sort of put up with it. I guess my body had enough. I'm feeling much better and things are getting back to normal around here.

3. Dealing with attitude! This time it's with Mason. All of a sudden we are dealing with major attitude, and everything we do or say is constantly questioned. We're trying very hard to be patient and work on this and have also majorly cut back on video games, which seem to amplify the problem. This is actually the main reason blogging has fallen by the wayside...family comes first, and we've felt the need to really focus on both boys right now so we can figure out things. It's like the teenage years have come early. Yikes!

4. Staycation! We all took the boys' spring break off, and really enjoyed just staying home and relaxing. We spent most of our time at the park, because the boys have suddenly developed a passion for biking and scooters. It's so awesome to see them riding around with huge smiles on their faces. The boys also went to an ASU baseball games with the cousins and grandpa. It's a yearly tradition, and they really had a great time! We were so sad to see spring break end, and this week has been all about getting the boys back into school mode...which brings out even more attitude. Sigh.

So, there you have it. A quick update and a hope that things will settle down a bit soon! That said, I can't complain. I am grateful for my boys and for the family time we get to have. I'm grateful my husband works hard so I can stay home and teach the boys. I'm also grateful for this awesome weather and being able to spend a lot of time outdoors! Maybe soon I'll get some pictures up and a few more posts.

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To Connor On His Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:11:00 +0000

Today my baby turns 7. I can hardly believe it! I look at him and can't believe how tall he's gotten, and how fast time has passed. Connor is our family comedian. He always has something funny to say, or a crazy dance to show us. His dance moves are completely awesome, and Jodie and I could watch him all day. Connor is also fearless. He will jump into anything without fear, and always shows excitement at trying new things (unless it's food). When Connor talks I love to watch the facial expressions he gets, and I love to listen to the way he phrases things or the big words he uses. He's such a smart, funny kid, and we feel so lucky that we get to have him as part of our family! Connor, we love you and hope you have a very happy birthday!

Photo by Captured By Cassandra

Here are 7 things about Connor:
1. He loves cheese. He would probably eat a whole block of cheese if I let him.
2. On the other hand, he hates peanut butter. We think he's crazy! ; )
3. Connor is a Transformer expert. He knows the most obscure details...like the fact that Optimus Prime was originally Orion Pax, before he was named Prime.
4. He loves to dance. Put on music and he will treat you to some crazy and awesome moves...including some gymnastic moves.
5. Connor's favorite animal is a dog. He loves dogs so much and is sad that we can't have one where we live. (Someday, Connor...someday!)
6. Connor is a great helper...when you ask him to grab something or help you out, he is always willing to do it!
7. Connor is one of the most determined kids I know. If he has a goal he will not stop until he reaches it.

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State Test Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:35:00 +0000

It's been two weeks since I've had a moment to sit down and get a post together! Even now I'm just stealing a few minutes in between school lessons. I don't mind that life has gotten busy all of a sudden...but there is one thing that is really bugging me lately. Preparing Mason to take the state test!

On a normal day at our little online school, Mason does very well. He loves science and art, and, though he doesn't love reading, he has been improving a lot in that area. I've been so happy with his progress. Lately, however, we've had to add test prep lessons in with the rest. Which has made me realize that April, when our kids take the state test, is going to come quickly. Just seeing the test booklets gets Mason all upset because he remembers last year, having to go to an unfamiliar environment to take the test. Last year had him running around turning off lights at the testing sight, me in tears, and finally getting him to sit down...and randomly mark answers just to get out of there. Needless to say, the scores weren't great.

Really, I don't care about Mason's scores on a standardized test. Maybe that sounds terrible, but it's true. I know what he's capable of, and I know that he scores poorly on those tests because of pure anxiety. The tests don't reflect how much he knows. It's just that I hate taking him to the testing site, knowing that he's anxious. He sees all the questions and feels like it's an insurmountable task for him. I tell him he can do it, we practice at home, but the anxiety wins out every time. Taking a child with Asperger's to an unfamiliar environment, with unfamiliar people, is really hard. It's the one time I truly sense any disadvantage to online school. Yes, we have accommodations for him. But it's still a difficult and anxiety-inducing task.

This year Jodie is actually taking off work for the three days to take Mason. This way, Mason won't feel my own anxiety, which only makes his worse. We're practicing our hearts out. I'm trying to talk him through it and get him prepared without overdoing it and increasing his anxiety. In the end, I can hate the state tests all I want, but they're still required and we'll do everything we can to get him through it. Which reminds me...time to get back to lessons!

Any other special needs parents have trouble with standardized state tests? Any suggestions for how you get through it?

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Mustaches

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:14:00 +0000

A friend of ours recently sent us some fake mustaches, and the boys were excited to try them out! Can you tell who is our serious child and who is our goofball?

Incidentally, Jodie and I disagreed on how to spell mustache. I said it was "mustache" and he said it was "moustache." I looked it up and it turns out we were both right...either spelling is accepted. Just a fun little fact for you.

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Nervous About "The Talk"

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:23:00 +0000

Mason just turned nine, and is about to have his well check. The doctor's office thoughtfully sent us a pamphlet about what to expect at this age, and it strongly suggested that now is a great time to have the sex talk, before all the puberty stuff sneaks up on us. I almost spit out my morning soda all over the pamphlet!

So Jodie and I have nervously been bouncing thoughts back and forth about whether or not this is something we should do right now and who should lead the discussion. I firmly believe in honesty and being straightforward with my boys, which is why they are very aware of Asperger's and Becker Muscular Dystrophy being things that they will have to deal with during their lifetime. When they ask me a question, I answer it. The closest we've come to the sex talk is when Mason asked me how babies get out of their mom's stomachs. I told him exactly how, and he thought it was really weird, but it was painless to answer the question and he never mentioned it again. So why am I balking at teaching him about the birds and the bees?

Truthfully, I don't really know. I think mainly because I remember that I learned about sex because I heard kids talking about it at school, and wanted to know what they were talking about. It came up because I had questions. I think a lot of kids learn because they hear something from other kids, and their parents feel that a proper explanation is necessary. My problem is that Mason doesn't go to school with other kids, and when he's around other kids he hardly pays attention to them and usually doesn't really listen to what they're saying. He's not likely to hear anything and have questions about it, which would make the topic come up and lead to a discussion. Instead, we have to bring it up ourselves and discuss it with him. For some reason that seems way more intimidating.

In the end, I don't know if we'll decide that now is the time for "the talk," or if we should just wait a bit more. Whatever we decide, I know one thing: Jodie will be the one to lead the discussion. If that makes me a chicken, then call me a chicken!

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

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What NOT To Do At The Library....

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:23:00 +0000

I must say, not only is Jodie a wonderful husband and a great dad, he also kindly gets himself into little situations just so I can have stuff to write about on my blog. This little scenario happened to Jodie just the other day, and I personally found it very funny.

Jodie gets off in the early afternoon, which means he can go and run errands if he needs to. On this particular day he decided to go to the library. I was still busy with school, so he came home, changed quickly, and headed off to the library. As he was walking around the library he noticed he was getting a lot of strange looks. Even a couple of dirty looks. He kind of wondered why, but then thought maybe he was just being paranoid. So he continued to browse. After awhile he thought he'd go over to the children's section to get the boys some books. A woman was reading books with her two little girls nearby. As he browsed the children's books, the woman looked up at him, gave him a horrified look, and rushed her little girls away. Jodie was really puzzled, but he just grabbed some books and checked out.

When he got home he suddenly discovered the reason for all the looks. His fly was wide open. I mean, WIDE OPEN. He was extremely embarrassed, but it was too late. As he told me this story I could not stop laughing. I am such a sympathetic person.

So, let this be a lesson to you. Before you enter the library (or any public place, really), ALWAYS check your fly. And, by the way, couldn't anyone have warned him? A simple, "Hey, man, XYZ." would've done.

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Being Featured

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:07:00 +0000

This morning I was excited to get an e-mail saying that my post, When Parents Are As Bad As The Kids, is being featured on BlogHer today! Kind of a big deal for this little blog. : ) The event that inspired this post was very emotional for me, and I'm hoping it might make others think about the example they set for their kids when it comes to reacting to others. You can check out the feature post on BlogHer, here.

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A Little Too Confident?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:13:00 +0000

As I got out of the shower yesterday, Connor called through the door to tell me he had gotten dressed. "And, mom!," he said, "Wait until you see how handsome I look!" I said I couldn't wait to see him. "Yeahhh," he replied. "When I look in the mirror and see myself...I just get this feeling. I don't know what it is, but I just get this feeling because I really like what I'm wearing and how I look because I'm just soooo handsome."

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Little Builders

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:39:00 +0000

This past Saturday, before we had a little run in with that family, we met a friend and her son at Home Depot. Apparently on every first Saturday of the month Home Depot has a free kids' workshop where the kids get to do a little project. They each get their own Home Depot apron, and a pin with a picture of whatever project they did. After their first time they keep their apron and each time they come they get a new pin with a picture of whatever project they did. It's really cool, and totally free. My boys love tools and building, so I was excited to take them. Of course, Jodie and I had a bit of a hard time deciphering the instructions, so Mason had to tell us what to do. All in all, we had a great time. Our friend took pictures of the building with her phone, even after her son smashed her thumb with a hammer! So thanks to her for the record of our fun morning (and I hope your thumb is feeling better : ) ):

Figuring out the directions...

Our friend's son, painting...

Jodie and Connor put the finishing touches on...

I'm actually really afraid of getting my thumb hit here...

Connor, painting...

Mason corrects me on the roof placement...

Mason, proudly painting...

By the way, the project was a tool shed piggy bank. It turned out really cute! Also, I'm linking up with iPhone Photo Phun today.

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When Parents Are As Bad As The Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:36:00 +0000

As a parent of children with autism, I've gotten my share of "the look" from other people. You know the look...when your child is having a complete meltdown in the middle of a store, and you can almost hear the others around you thinking, "What that kid needs is a good spanking!" I've also had my share of watching my sons struggle to interact with other children, and I've seen how mean other kids can be. It's an unfortunate and heart wrenching part of being a special needs parent. However, it had never been my experience to have a parent laugh at my child, right along with their kids. I had hoped I would never find myself in a situation like that. Unfortunately, this weekend, I found myself right in the middle of a situation just like that. I was stunned and in complete disbelief. If parents are going to go along with their kids in making fun of others, what chance do kids have to learn about tolerance?

We were at a fast food restaurant, after a fun morning of participating in the Home Depot kids' workshop. We chose the place because it had a playground, and we thought the kids would like to get some energy out after eating. A family came in around the same time we did, and their four kids went to play on the playground along with ours. At first I wasn't paying much attention. Jodie and I had come with a friend and her son, and we were busy talking to her, though we were keeping an eye on things. After awhile I noticed the mom of the family kind of giving me dirty looks, so I started watching Mason. He was talking to the other kids, saying, "If you want to come play on the playground I'll put the code in so you can get in...you need a special code, so just let me know!" They just stared at him. He then was talking to himself, quoting Willy Wonka, but not saying anything to the kids. The mom shook her head and said, "Terrible. Some people have no idea how to control their kids." I was kind of shocked. I mean, if Mason was throwing a tantrum or was hitting their kids or something, then that comment would make sense. But he was just talking to himself. To me, the comment seemed out of place. Mason kept chattering away, and the older of the two girls made signs to her dad and brother that he was "crazy." The dad laughed, and the older boy said, "I'm going to go kick that kid's butt." The dad said, "Nah...not worth it." The mom muttered a few more things about "his parents." Mason tried a couple more times to talk to the kids, and the mom turned and looked right at me. I felt the urge to say something to her, but I was frozen. I was angry that the mom was being so hostile, especially when I knew what Mason was saying. Nothing inappropriate...he wasn't cursing or hitting anyone or acting out in any way. Honestly, I can understand kids acting as they do. It may hurt to see kids acting that way towards my child, but kids can be mean, and Mason's behavior definitely can seem odd to an outsider. I get that. What really had me feeling so angry and upset was the parents laughing at him along with the kids, and the mom talking about our parenting skills...in a carrying whisper that we obviously could hear. She has no idea about our situation at all. Plus, we weren't just letting him get in the kids' faces. Jodie went over there a few times to make sure Mason realized to give them space.  Except for a few brief moments, Mason wasn't even by the kids...he was just talking to himself, or to Connor. Suddenly the youngest boy came running up to his parents and said, "That kid is terrible! He's crazy!" The mom said, "We'd better leave!" and motioned for the girls to come with her. As they approached the table the mom said, "What did he do to you?" The younger girl shrugged and said, "He kept talking and talking to us and we're like, dude, we're trying to eat." So they all walked out the door. As they walked right past us, I wanted to say something. I don't know what. Maybe, "He has autism." Would that help? Who knows. But I was frozen in my seat. I just didn't get the mom's hostility, and watching other kids call my child "crazy"...AND their parents agreeing with them and laughing along with them was too much. Suddenly, right as they passed us, my friend said, "It's really not nice to make fun of people you know nothing about." They glanced at her...and kept on going. I had expected them to come back...maybe say something...but they just kept going.

I admit, it kind of ruined the rest of my day. It really brought to home why the world can be so hard to kids with autism, Asperger's...or any kind of disability or difference. Jodie kept telling me to let it go...and I tried...but I was so emotional about it. I was shaking, I was so upset. It made me feel angry...it made me feel despair...it made me so sad. Mason didn't even notice, which I was thankful for. To him, his playtime was just great. But someday he WILL notice. As he gets older it will get harder. I'm not trying to be negative, I just know that the teenage years are looming ahead, and I've been told those are extremely hard years for kids with Asperger's. Heck, they're hard years for any kid. For some reason, this incident really struck all that home for me. As I type this, the emotions are coming back to me.

Parents, I realize you can't control your kids' behavior at all times. I certainly can't. Even the best of kids are going to have their mean moments. But please, please don't laugh along with your kids when they are making fun of someone else. Please realize that there are many kids out there who have disabilities of all kinds. Just because you can't visibly see it doesn't mean it's not there.  How are our kids supposed to learn to grow up and have tolerance for others if we don't teach them that making fun of others isn't OK? None of us are perfect, and I'd be lying if I said I had never made fun of anyone in my life. We're all human. But it IS our job to teach our kids to be decent human beings.  Also, even when our kids are acting out, we are trying our best. We are working so hard as parents to teach our kids how to function in social situations. Judging another parent isn't helpful to anyone. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that. You never know what others are dealing with. It's so disheartening to get those glares and those whispers...especially when your child is actually having a good day.

Thankfully I know firsthand that there are lots of parents who are out there teaching their kids how to treat others.  I have had more positive interactions then negative interactions with other parents.  It helps me to realize that when we run into people who are not so nice.

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What NOT To Do On A Scooter...

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:04:00 +0000

A couple of days ago I had mentioned that I would share a story about Jodie on New Year's Eve...and then I never got around to it, due to wanting to promote my guest post. Today, however I would LOVE to post this story as a warning for all you dads (or moms) who like to roll around on their kids' Razor Scooters.

On New Year's Eve we met up with some family at a local park. It was such a nice day, and the park had a great playground, plenty of places to ride bikes and scooters, and a train to ride. The kids were having a blast. At one point, Jodie grabbed one of our boys' Razor Scooters and decided that it would be a great idea to ride on it. This is not the first time he has ridden one of the boys' scooters. He does it all the time...usually on nice, big slopes. It makes me really nervous, because those scooters are not exactly made for adults, and I've warned him several times that he's going to end up hurting himself.

I didn't notice Jodie start his ride downhill. Apparently he was bored and made a spontaneous decision. All I know is, as I talked to my sister in laws, I suddenly saw Jodie flash by. He tried to turn, couldn't quite make such a sharp turn, and ended up heading for the grass. The front wheel stuck in the grass, and Jodie went right over the handlebars of the scooters. He flew a few feet, and hit his side on the concrete base of a lamp post as he flew. Finally, he landed and went rolling. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, and we just stood there for a second, trying to comprehend what we had just seen. I heard one of my sister in laws say "Oh, my gosh!", which kind of threw me out of my trance, and I yelled, "Are you OK?!" Jodie sat up kind of slowly, and said, "Yeahhhh...I'm OK..." He got up fine, and went to recuperate by getting a drink. I ran to check on him. He said he was fine, except that his side really hurt.

Once I knew he was OK, I said, "Well....I bet you won't do that again!" He shook his head. For the rest of the park trip he was in a good amount of pain, and I had to drive home. He took some painkillers, and went to bed early, while the kids and I stayed up until midnight. He did wake up long enough to greet the new year, but went right back to bed. After checking with a doctor it seems that he managed to severely bruise his ribs. Nothing can be done about it, but he's still in a good amount of pain and probably will be for a couple of weeks. He's lucky he didn't hit his head with the metal plates he has in there.

Let's just say he's come to realize he's just not a kid anymore, and Razor scooters are NOT meant for someone his size. Let this be a warning to other adventurous adults!

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Over At Lori's....

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:12:00 +0000

Most of you know that my boys do online schooling. With all the budget cuts and decisions being made about education this year, our online schooling opportunities could be greatly affected in negative ways. Lori, of Lori's LOLz, is posting a series of stories from parents about how much online schooling has helped their family, and why being able to do online schooling should remain an option. Today my story is up, so please go check it out!

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The Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:01:00 +0000

Here we are, at the start of a new year! I can't believe that we're on our last day of school vacation. In fact, I thought school started today. We were all ready to start...and then I logged into their school schedule and discovered that school doesn't actually start back until tomorrow! Needless to say, that came as a happy surprise, and now I look forward to ~~another day of relaxing~~ getting some work done around the house.

The past two weeks have been so relaxing and much needed. I figure, since I have some extra time on my hands, that I'll actually talk about what we've been doing. More for myself than anyone else, really! We started out our vacation by celebrating Mason's 9th birthday. He opted to do some things with family this year, instead of having a party. We met up with cousins at AirWorx, which is a trampoline fun house, and they really enjoyed jumping around and playing games, and then having lunch together afterwards. That night, we went as a family to Peter Piper Pizza, and the boys has a blast playing all the games and getting tickets. They were able to pick out a couple of prizes at the end, and Jodie and I enjoyed watching them have fun together. Mason declared it to be his best birthday ever! Did I bring a camera to any of these fun things? Nope. I'm getting pretty bad at remembering my camera...and I'm kind of sad I didn't get any pictures. : ( I also missed capturing Mason's face when he saw his new bike! He was so excited and shouted, "A bike!" I love giving my boys gifts just to see that expression on their faces.

The night before Christmas Eve, we went to the Mesa LDS Temple to look at the annual Christmas lights. I did share those pictures in the post before this. Before seeing the lights we met at a park to celebrate Mason's birthday with the rest of the family, and had soup and hot cocoa. It was really just nice time with family, and the kids were so cute playing together. I always feel so lucky that Mason and Connor have so many cousins their age to play with. Here is a great picture of the cousins who were able to come, courtesy of my brother in law, Jake.

On Christmas Eve we went to a party at one of Jodie's uncle's houses. Every year my mother in law's side of the family gets together on Christmas Eve, for fabulous food and to give Jodies' grandma a chance to give all the great grandchildren their presents. The kids had a good time running around, and we enjoyed the seemingly endless food. Each year we have ham balls, which are like meat balls but with ground up ham. They are really yummy, and we look forward to having them all year. Again, I forgot my camera, but I promise we had fun!

On Christmas Day the boys actually slept until 7...a holiday miracle! They were super excited to see what Santa brought them. He didn't disappoint, of course. ; ) I think this may be the last year we'll be able to experience the boys' complete belief in Santa (Mason is already questioning it all), so I really wanted to enjoy the spirit of it. The boys each received a giant stuffed dog, and an original Nintendo, complete with Game Genie. (Remember those?) Afterwards we immediately tore into the rest of the gifts, and they were just as excited. Connor received clothes, the Transformers ark, some Transformers figures, and a mini Pillow pet, to name a few things. Mason received clothes, a Paper Jam guitar, an accordion, and a mini Pillow pet, among other things. I loved seeing their excitement, and we actually did get some pictures...thanks to Jodie!

Later that day we were able to go to church with Jodie's parents, and his brother, Ben, and his family. After that we went to Ben's house, and honestly had a really great time. The kids played, we had a White Elephant exchange, and we had a great Mexican food meal. (Jodie's brother, Ben, made the best salsa, which I have been craving ever since!) It was just a great Christmas. Watching all the kids open the presents from their grandparents, and playing games together, was awesome. We also played a hilarious game that Ben had bought at a candy shop. You have a box of jelly beans, and you hit a spinner. Whatever color you land on has two options. For green it was juicy pear or booger. You then had to eat the jelly bean and find out what flavor you get. It was disgusting, but really hilarious. My niece, Bella, was the first to get a gross jelly bean...moldy cheese. She took it like a champ and soon we had someone getting skunk spray, another dog food, and another centipede. I got lucky and got strawberry. After all the fun it was hard to go back home, but we truly had a great Christmas. I hope you did, too!

Tomorrow I'll tell a little story about Jodie on New Year's Eve.

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Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Johnson) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 04:11:00 +0000

We've been having a wonderful time this week, celebrating Mason's birthday and spending time with family. I hope later to blog about it all, but for now I just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I look so forward to seeing the boys' faces when they open their presents on Christmas morning, and to spending time with family later in the day. Hope your Christmas is just as wonderful!

Last night we went to the Mesa, AZ LDS Temple to see the beautiful Christmas lights. It was so peaceful and a great way to get into the Christmas spirit.

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