Dear California,

Dear California, 

It would be incredibly helpful to my morning commute if you did a better job preparing your drivers. Some points I think should be brought up on your drivers test are as follows: 

1. The gas is on the right. It is used to propel the car forward. 
2. The break is on the left. It does not need to be used ALL THE GODDAMNED TIME! 
3. The rear view mirror is specifically designed to see cars and other objects behind you. It is not a mirror to put on 6 layers of make up.
4. Cutting people off and weaving in and out of lanes during rush hour only creates more traffic. Stay in your lane and stop acting like an asshole. 
5. STOP ACTING LIKE AN ASSHOLE! (this is a very important one. You may want to consider an essay question as to why drivers shouldn't act like assholes) 

and 

6. Vegas is pretty. The strip is beautiful. There are lots of big buildings that are amazing to see. I get it. But for the love of God, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not slow down in the left lane of the 15 to look at said pretty buildings. Because if you do and I hit you or get into an accident because you went site seeing on the freeway, I will punch you in the face when we get out of the car. 

Sincerely, 

Shannon

Don't Leash Your Kids

Kiddie Leashes. Just typing it makes me cringe. I hate those things. Leashes aren't for kids. They are for dogs. Kids are not dogs. Ergo, leashes are not for kids. 

The other day we were in a restaurant I saw a mom put a monkey leash on her kid. She said "I didn't think she'd like it but she LOVES it" and strapped her kid in. The kid plopped to the ground, pulled and tugged and cried. It was pathetic. Mom was happy though because she got to sit down and drink he mimosa and have a grown up conversation. While her 2 year old was strapped down to a dog leash disguised as a monkey. 

So here's what I suggest:

1. If you want to have a mimosa at breakfast while talking to your friends, don't bring your two year old. Two year olds like to walk around and touch stuff. It's developmentally appropriate for them to do that. Not to be tied to a restaurant booth.

2. Teach your kid to have boundaries. Rather than strapping her down, give her rules and restrictions and teach her that she can get up when she is done eating and take a little walk. Then have something for her to do at the table while you indulge in an alcoholic beverage (or three) before your drive your child home.

3. Have your own boundaries. Kids at breakfast mean coffee or OJ. Not champagne. Sorry. It's called being responsible. 

4. Don't be an ass. 

That's all.

It's been a while

Well it's back to school time! I've been back in the office for a few days but the kids come back to school today so the real fun can start. I'm hoping this year involves fewer bruises and less spit than last year. Autism is fun. 


Anyway, this summer was crazy. A lot of going out and partying and enjoying the city we live in. The result has been puffy skin, weight gain and (GASP!) acne. So I decided it was time to take some time off. 

So it's back on the health wagon. I'm giving up alcohol for a while. I'm shooting for 30 days. I need to give my body some time to recover from all the drinking we did this summer. After that I am thinking I will stick to the occasional glass of wine and Sangria for a while. We are playing kickball though so I'm not sure I will be able to give up Bud Light Lime's, especially since I really suck at kickball. Drinking gives me an excuse other than "I'm sorry guys but I really suck at this sport that 3rd graders excel at!". 

We're also going back to clean eating. This morning was a good start. I had my coffee black and skipped the cheese on my breakfast (although I am not completely removing cheese from diet, I am going to refrain from putting it on top of everything....). 

So that's where we are at for now. A lot of my posts will probably involve food, pictures of food or bitching about the need for more than a glass of wine and trying to get someone to pry the bottle of tequila from my hands after a bad day. 

That's all for now kids. Good luck to all my CCSD friends and my teacher peeps back in good ol' Massachusetts, as they embark on another year of the craziest profession any person could voluntarily get into.

Peace and Bacon Grease :) (that's for my husband) 

xoxoxo 

Thankful

Today I was talking to my Auntie on the phone and the subject turned to my cousin Kevin and his fiance Dina. They are getting married in a couple of weeks. A running joke in our family has always been that my uncle Ed loves it when people reply no to invitations. Less people to pay for hahaha. So anyway we were talking about how someone replied no and I laughed and said "After 4 weddings we all know how much he loves those No's".


4 weddings. That's something I know he and my aunt never bargained on. 2 extra kids to help plan a wedding for. 2 extra kids to have call them when anything and everything goes wrong. 2 extra bodies at the Inn every Christmas. 

In the hours and days following my mothers death I freaked out over everything. The how, when, where and why. How was I going to take care of myself and my sister? When was I going to get to be a kid? Where would we live? Why, why why did this happen to me? 

And at the end of each and every day in those following hours, days and weeks there was a constant. A phone call that came without question. My aunt or uncle checking in. How are you doing? Do you need anything? 

One night my uncle came over with a file box, some file folders, a calculator and a stapler. He spent countless hours patiently teaching me how to be the head of a household I wasn't ready to head. 

That winter when our heat went out because I had no idea you had to call and order oil, he talked me through it and made sure it was all ok. 

When I was mad about everything and feeling abandoned and sad and angry Auntie was never ever too busy. She always listened and she was always there.

It was a seamless transition for them. They just did it.  They took us in and just like that they had 4. My cousins... oh those boys. They both took it in such stride. They never complained. They never even made a peep that now they had to share their parents. And they too looked out and watched over us. 

4 weddings. 2 girls walked down the aisle on the arm of the most amazing man I have ever had the privilege of knowing. 2 unexpected children that they took in and saved. 4 weddings that they helped fund and plan and in once case they even hosted.


Without them I don't know where I would have ended up. Without them I don't know that I would have come out of the darkest time of my life with only minimal scarring. 


I couldn't be more thankful for the family that I have. For ALL of the people who helped us through that time. For the two people I admire the most in the world. I have the most wonderful family in the world. 

They may not have bargained for 4 weddings but I hope they know how forever grateful I am that they are there, that they have done everything they have for all of us and that we are the luckiest kids in the world. 

Hero: 

1.a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.

2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal:
See below. 

 
 




 

BCBA

I'm considering going back to school in the next year or so for my BCBA. Does anyone have any information on programs in the LV area OR good online programs for the standard classes?? 

Thanks for the help! 

How it changes things

I had to wait a while to write about everything going on in Colorado. I've been obsessed with it since it happened; unable to tear myself away from the news reports, articles, pictures and tributes. Unable to stop thinking about how terrifying it is that you can't do ANYTHING anymore without worrying about it.It's a lot of information and feeling to process.

59 people were injured and 12 killed on Friday July 20th. Innocent lives taken and changed so quickly. Those who were hurt face not only the physical but emotional challenges of recovering, the guilt of being alive while a loved one died, the fear of going out again and not being scared at every turn. 
Those who weren't physically hurt deal with the feelings of "thank God. I wasn't hurt. I wasn't killed" and the guilt that comes with those thoughts. They too live in fear of doing something as simple as going to the movies. 

Something we take for granted every day. 

The day after this tragedy, I was out running errands and I had to go to CVS to drop off a prescription. I used the drive up window all the time so that day was no different. I pushed the button for service and waited. And waited and waited. Normally I would be peeved at having to wait so long. But that day my thoughts went to a darker place. "What's going on in there?" and "Is everything ok?" and then "What would I do if someone opened that window and pointed a shot gun at me?". I got myself in such a state that I almost drove off. As I was about to leave the pharmacy tech opened the window and said "can I help you?". 

I was like this after Columbine but not as bad. I was younger and didn't really believe that things like this could happen. I had no idea how fragile and short life really is. But when a door in a lecture hall opened unexpectedly, I would stiffen up a little. 

Then there was 9-11. I was a little older and more aware of the news and things going on in the world. I was terrified and scared and jumpy. It took me a long time to fly again. And I hated hearing planes overhead. Something I had once loved so much. 

And now this....somehow this is scarier to me. If it happened at the movies it could happen anywhere. It could happen at the library or the bank or the grocery store.

Or the CVS drive thru. 

Eventually I will calm down again. I will stop being irrational and jumpy. And then something else will happen. 

Life is short and unpredictable. And that scares me more than anything.... 

525600 minutes

Such a corny title. Oh well.... 

Anyway, this weekend we celebrated our first anniversary. One whole year. There was a time in my life when I couldn't tolerate another person for a few weeks much less years. 

It's not been all rainbows and butterflies. I won't lie to you and say that it has. This marriage shit can be hard. And yes, we did live together for a while before getting married but there's just something different about it when your married. 

The good overpowered all that hard shit though. We laughed a lot. We made a lot of memories and we had a lot of fun. The past year has solidified that I made all the right choices even when sometimes they scared the crap out of me. 

While sometimes he drives me bat crap crazy, he is my best friend. He takes care of me, knows me and appreciates me like no other person. I wouldn't trade one of those minutes with him for anything. 

That's how you measure a year.... 

A minute

After work today I had to run an errand. I was waiting at a light and there were a lot of cars so I had to wait twice. Ahead on the corner was a young man with a sign that said he was a homeless vet. I don't know about a lot of you but here we see this all the time. In certain parts of town people fight over the "good corners".   There is always a face eagerly awaiting a hand out. 

Sometimes I feel in my heart that I should help and if I have some change I will give it to them. I can't imagine being so alone in the world that I have no one to turn to, no one to call for help if I should need it. I am so lucky. 

There was something about this man on the corner. He was about 5'9 and very thin. He was wearing shorts that were filthy and a shirt that was torn. He had a ratty backpack that I can only imagine carried his every possession. His hair was filthy and his skin red from the sun and brown from sitting on the ground. He wore sandals on his feet that looked as though they might fall apart at any minute.

 When I got through the first light and pulled up near him, I thought "Well I have three dollars. I can give him one and use the other 2 to get my diet coke. That way I won't have to use my debit card". I rolled down my window and called him over. I handed him the dollar and for a brief second we made eye contact. His eyes were watery from the sun. 

He very quietly thanked me and told me to have a nice day. Then he went and gently put the dollar in his back pack. I noticed then how he winced when he moved and imagined that a sunburn caused by the desert sun and standing out in the 106 degree heat with no shade must hurt so badly. 

I remembered that I had my pool bag and grabbed the sunscreen bottle I had along with the other 2 dollars and called him back over. I gave him the money and the sunscreen. He looked at me with his watery eyes and tears spilled down his face. He smiled at me and said thank you again. My light turned green but I was so busy staring at this man thanking me and crying. The woman behind me beeped so I said good luck to him and drove off. 

Since then I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. I know that people will comment or post and say things like "he's probably not even homeless much less a vet!" or "He's just going to buy smokes or alcohol with that ya know. Don't waste your money". And maybe those people are right. Maybe all of that is the case. But maybe...just maybe...he's a homeless vet. Who fought for our country and came back here to nothing. And now I know he has three dollars and some sunscreen. And he cried when I gave it to him. And I was worried about having to pay for a diet coke with my debit card. 

In my heart I know that he wasn't just looking for a hand out. He wasn't just fighting for the best spot to get some cigs or a drink. In my heart I knew that this man had struggled and was alone and had no where to go. And now I'm the one who's crying.

Dear 50 Cent

As most of you know, kiddos with autism hold a really special place in my heart. Kids with any and all special needs are near and dear to me, but kids with autism (and their families) are so amazing to me. I have never been more proud to be part of any community. So it kind of got me all riled up when I heard about this.

A couple of weeks ago 50 cent, a man with millions of fans and followers (many of whom are young and impressionable) made some questionable comments on his twitter feed. 

In response to a post from a fan's tweet that said "Release the album or get shot again" 50 tweeted "yeah just saw your picture fool you look autistic." followed by "I don't want no special ed kids on my time line follow some body else," 

Dear Mr. 50 cent (?),
 
Aside from the gross grammatical errors, these posts are offensive in so many ways. 

First of all.... a man in your position really needs to think about what you're saying before you say it. When you have an audience of so many, maybe you should consider using it for good. Bashing and insulting people with special needs has got to stop. They are people first. With feelings and family and love in their hearts. Their disability is only second. It does not define who they are. And they are certainly not idiots talking about shooting people who don't release albums. 


Second of all, "autistic" does not look like anything. There are no distinctive physical features that go along with having autism. I'd be willing to bet that you pass an autistic person on the street more than once a day and you have NO idea.

Third of all, you'd be lucky to have some kids with special needs following you. They're probably a lot smarter and more dignified than the idiots following you now (**note to self....stop following 50 cent). 

And last, having autism (or downs syndrome, or a learning disability, or a physical disability etc...) isn't an insult. It's a challenge that so many people in this world face every day. People who listen to  your music, buy your albums, download your songs and proudly hang posters of you in their room. Shame on you for saying such awful things about a community of people that looks up to you and spends their precious time even giving you a second thought. 

You have pissed off the wrong community Mr Cent (?). You have no idea what the mom's, dads, grandparents, sisters, brothers, families, therapists, teachers, advocates and countless other people involved in the lives of these "special ed kids" are capable of. I almost (ALMOST) feel sorry for you. 


Sincerely, 
A very pissed off behavior specialist who loves an awful lot of kids with autism..... 

 

Back on it

Lately, both Sean and I have found that life has gotten in the way of some of our healthier habits. I've been hurt and sick which has made working out hard and has kind of knocked me off the path of clean eating. Sean's new job has had him working 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day. It's just easier and less exhausting to grab something from out than it is to cook something. 

Now we are both feeling the effects of that. Clothes aren't fitting as nicely and we are both a little more tired and sluggish.  I strongly believe that straying from Paleo is what has made this sickness come on so fast and so strong. My body is fighting the virus as well as fighting all of the crap I have been putting in it lately. Eventually it was going to get tired. And now I'm paying the price. And it's been a high one. I feel awful and exhausted. 

So no more excuses. No more "we'll start Monday". Starting now we are both back to a clean eating life style. There are just too many benefits to it to keep putting it off. 

Time to fire up the grill, stop getting foods that are convenient and start eating things that our bodies need. Vitamins, proteins and good fats! 




Crappy food is yummy in the moment, but the effects of it just aren't worth it. And we've both learned that the hard way. 

Oh the weather outside is weather!

The weather has been so awesome this weekend. Cloudy and overcast with rain here and there. Last night there was an awesome lightning storm and we even had an awesome thunderstorm. I know everyone says I shouldn't complain about the beautiful sunny weather but it gets old sometimes!!

This was the sky yesterday. It was so nice to see something besides blue.

Skeptic to Believer

Today I had my 6 week re-eval at Tim Soder Physical Therapy and I got an A+ for the progress I've made. My knee feels great and I have minimal pain. I have almost normal range of motion and I was told that the strength in my legs is amazing.

When I first started PT I was incredibly skeptical. I had no idea how doing some exercises and getting a "massage" 3 times a week was going to help. And the first three weeks were so disappointing because at times it felt like I had more pain than I did before I started. Everyone there was nice, helpful and encouraging. They told me to wait it out past the three week mark and they promised I would start to see progress. 

And then, low and behold, I did. It was small stuff like being able to walk up the curb without it hurting, or getting out of the car without wincing in pain. 

Then one day, 2 weeks ago I went up the stairs and it still hurt but that awful clicking was gone. 

Today I am going up and down the stairs with no pain, I can squat down with very little pain and no crunching and clicking and my legs have strength in them like never before. 

I don't know how they do it, but they made a believer out of me. 

Monday I go back to see Dr. Liu and then I'll go back to PT for a few more visits to set up a home program. 

I couldn't be happier with the team of people at TSPT who kept me going even when I got mad and down on myself. Jimmy, Joe, Tim, Trevor and Chad really worked hard to make sure that everything that I did was right and that I was always moving forward in my treatment. 

I hated going but oddly enough I'll miss it when I'm done. 

NOW it's back to kickball, boxing and the gym! 

YEAHHHHHH BUDDY! 

For the love of God

PEOPLE OF LAS VEGAS: A little rain does not mean you have to drive 30 on the highway, slam on your breaks every time someone makes a lane change or sit so close to your steering wheel that the entire city looks like a bunch of driving grannies.

For my friends at home, rain in Vegas doesn't even warrant your windshield wipers be turned on so hopefully you can understand my frustration here. 

It's supposed to "rain" through at least Saturday. Maybe I should lock myself in the house. 

Gotta get outta Dodge

Let me preface this post with this statement: I love Las Vegas. I really do. It's fun, convenient, the weather is always beautiful, I have a great job and awesome friends. 

That being said.... I REALLY need to get the fuck out of here for a few days. 

Nothing is worse than feeling stuck some place. And one of the downfalls of living in a valley is the feeling that you are stuck. Mountains on every side of you is beautiful...MOST of the time. Right now I just feel like they are closing in on me. 

What I really need is a weekend at the beach. San Diego is a five hour drive from here and we have a reliable place to put the dogs. 

BUT, work and other things always get in the way. Right now my poor husband is working every day because of the tournament. The last day of that is the 18th but he can't take any real time off because of trainings and what not. 

We do have a room booked for our anniversary at the MGM Signature. I can't wait. Sometimes a stay-cation can help. But I'll tell you this, as soon as he can get a Friday-Monday off we will be out of here. 

I need to reach the beach...with just my husband, my (NEW!) Kindle and my flip flops..... 

 

Replaced already???

Best husband ever!

Death of a Kindle.....

My first blog post bears terrible news.....

Today my Kindle left this earth. I am terribly sad and lonely now. Not only was I starting a new book but I was almost finished with a really good short read. I will now be forced to finish it on my teeny tiny iPhone screen. 

Someone offered me their old Kindle, which I may take them up on. But a Kindle Fire does interest me a little bit. 

Thankfully I have two library books out right now so I am not at a loss for a read.

I'd write more but I need to mourn. 


Oh yeah, follow my blog please. Give me a reason to keep this one going... :) 

 xoxox


Live, Laugh, Love!