Could Cody Have Telepathy?

Today, as I greeted Cody after his Day Program, our conversation went like this:

Me- "How was bowling today?"
Cody- "I got a spare."
Me- "No strike today?"
Cody- "Not today."

Cody- "What is lacy, red and white, and shaped like a heart?"
Me- "A valentine."

long pause

Cody- "Latisha's stuffed animal died."


I'm thinking Cody is either developing a wild imagination, or he is learning how to lie (and really sucks at it), or he thinks he is Dr. Doolittle and can talk with the animals. Yesterday Cody told the family, "Homie dreamed that the neighbor's cat had cancer." Yeah, yeah. Read that sentence once more and let it soak in because...Homie is our DOG!

Dodo Head

Cody and his dad have a very unique relationship. They love to call each other names. It started when Cody was a baby and his dad called him Pooper Man. Here is a list of names they've acquired over the years...Liver Lips, Fred, Jack, Butt Head, Buttless Wonder, Sow Belly Pig, Prune Face, and some times it's Prune Faced, Liver Lipped, Sow Belly Pig.


Cody threw a new one out last night. We were sitting in the living room, watching TV, and Cody called out to his dad, "Hey, Python Breath!"


No worries, though. It's all in good fun.


(By the way, Cody titled this post.)

Claustrophobia

The first time I learned of my husband's claustrophobia was about 20 years ago. We had been camping in a small trailer that had foil across the back window where the bed was located. Don was sleeping on the inside of the bed, near the back wall, and I was sleeping on the outside so I could get up and down easily with the kids, or to pee, but that's irrelevant. The point is, Don woke up during the night and couldn't see a thing. It was pitch black and he darn near killed me as he climbed on and over my sleeping body to get out.

A few years ago, we learned that Don has Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis. His neurologist wanted to see if the MS has progressed or stayed the same, so she ordered an MRI last week. I am quite amazed that he was even able to get in that machine!

The good news is, Don's MRI showed absolutely no change. Yay!

I Love Steven Tyler!

I have NEVER cried watching American Idol, but this episode made me sob. Not only is this couple's story inspiring, but the judge's reactions were so heart-felt. I have always enjoyed listening to Aerosmith (Cody and I have several CD's), but I love Steven Tyler even more after seeing how wonderful he was with this young girl.

Steven Tyler -- The 'Idol' Audition That Made Him Cry

Embarrassing Things Kids Say

Katelyn, her friend Kaitlen and I were having a conversation today and the following memory came to mind as we were reminiscing:

Close to ten years ago, one of Cody's respite workers took Cody on an outing. She had a couple of Japanese exchange students living with her at the time, so they went along. That evening, after she brought Cody back home, I asked him, "Did you have fun Cody? What did you do?" He replied, "We went to the park with the Japs."

(Cody's autistic and loves to shorten words. He had no clue that what he said would be considered racist and socially inappropriate.)

I know you have embarrassing stories to share regarding your children. Please, do tell!

10 Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew

Necktie Torture

My son Casey (age 21) got a job promotion and is now required to wear a necktie everyday. I love it because he looks so handsome, but there is a minor dilemma. Casey doesn't know how to tie a tie, so he's recruited his dad (Don) to be his personal, tie tying assistant.

Don hates tying ties. In fact, he's figured out a way to slip out of his neckties, so he never has to re-tie them. When Don receives a new tie for Father's Day, or Christmas, or any occasion, he gratefully accepts the gift, but then procrastinates tying it, so it goes unworn for months.

Casey bought three new neckties over the week-end and left them at our house for his dad to work his magic. When Don came home from work and saw them, he said to me, "You do know that if I have to tie three ties in one night, I'm gonna hang myself with the last one."

Casey may look like his dad, but he's inherited my love for Coca-Cola :)

(Before I get any snide comments about how Don should teach Casey to tie his own ties, I will tell you that he will. Life just needs to slow down enough for Don and Casey to be in the same place at the same time.)

Wanna See Something Cute?

There is always one child that does not follow directions. Not only does the poor little penguin have a belly for a face, its wings are upside down as well.

THIS is why I love my job!!

Big-Headed

Lynn at http://www.autismarmymom.com/ was thoughtful enough to pass this vainglorious award on to me. Giving credit where credit is due, it originated from Jill at http://yeahgoodtimes.blogspot.com/. Both ladies are also mothers of incredible children that happen to have autism.

Here are Jill's rules for the award. Due to language that may be offensive to my younger followers, I have edited things just a tad...

1. You must proudly display the absolutely disgusting graphic that I have created for these purposes. It's so bad that not only did I use COMIC SANS, but there's even a little jumping, celebrating kitten down there at the bottom. It's horrifying! But its presence in your award celebration is crucial to the memetastic process we're creating here.

2. You must list 5 things about yourself, and 4 of them must be bold-faced lies. Just make stuff up, we'll never know; one of them has to be true, though. Of course, nobody will ever know the difference, so we're just on the honor system here. I trust you.

3. You must pass this award on to 5 bloggers that you either like or don't like or don't really have much of an opinion about. I don't care who you pick, and nobody needs to know why. I mean, you can give a reason if you want, but I don't really care.

4. If you fail to follow any of the above rules, I will harass you incessantly until you either block me on Twitter or ban my IP address from visiting your blog. I don't know if you can actually do that last thing, but I will become so annoying to you that you will actually go out and hire an IT professional to train you on how to ban IP addresses just so that I'll leave you alone. I'm serious. I'm going to do these things.

**NEW** 5. This one isn't actually a rule, but once you do the above, please link up to the Memetastic Hop so that I can keep track of where this thing goes.

Okay? So, now that I've stated Jill's (modified) rules, here are my 4 lies and 1 truth...

1)  I have breast implants.
2) The website http://www.prowrestling.com/ is in my favorites list.
3) I have never had an espresso, frapuccino or latte from Starbucks.
4) My belly button is pierced.
5) Jack Nicholson is my favorite actor.

Now, with my apologies and because rule #4 terrifies me, I am passing this egotistical award on to the following bloggers...

Lora @ http://griffinblaise.blogspot.com/

bbsmum @  http://bbsmum.blogspot.com/

Patty @ http://www.pattymullins.blogspot.com/

Aleks @ http://stalksthedawn.blogspot.com/

Vikki @ http://www.sensational-creations.com/wordpress/

Have fun with it ladies :)

Delayed Reaction

When I get up during the night, I usually go to Cody's room and check on him. Last night, around 3:00a.m., I could see that he was stirring, so I had him get up to use the bathroom. On our way down the hall, he whispered in my ear "Why did we lose our home phone?"

We got rid of our land line THREE YEARS AGO.

Dietary Crack

I confess. I have a problem that is entirely out of control. I'm addicted to sugar. Searching the Internet for inspiration on kicking the habit, I came across the following article:


www.naturalnews.com

Comments by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger

"Human researchers are fascinated by the behavior of lab rats in response to food rewards, but few humans are willing to closely examine their own behavior in relationship to sugar. Most people living in western societies (the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, etc.) are truly addicted to sugar, and they use it as a form of self-medication to temporarily boost their mood and energy. The frequency and context in which these people press a button on a soda machine is eerily similar to the way lab rats press a lever to produce a food reward.

This CounterThink cartoon attempts to ask, "What would an outside observer think of modern human behavior in relation to sugar?" The answer is not difficult to predict: They would think humans were strange animals to be so utterly controlled by a crystalline white substance. Refined white sugar is like dietary crack, and it rots out your teeth just like meth, only slower. To get the real story on white sugar, read the pioneering book, "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" by Weston Price, or check out the Price-Pottenger Foundation.

Of course, most people reading this cartoon will insist, "I'm not addicted to sugar. I can quit eating sugar anytime I want." Really? Prove it! See if you can go sugar-free for just ten days. That's a real eye-opener for most people, because even if they have the determination to attempt such an experiment, most soon find themselves crawling back to the pantry, desperately seeking a soda beverage loaded with high-fructose corn syrup (liquid sugar) to end their withdrawal symptoms.

The truth is, most American consumers are so addicted to sugar that they will deny their addictions in the same way that a crack or heroin addict might. And yet, when it comes down to it, sugar controls their behavior. If they don't have their sugar in the morning (in their coffee, pancakes and cereals), sugar at lunch (in the salad dressing, pasta sauce, soda and restaurant food) and sugar at dinner (there's sugar in pizza, ketchup and BBQ sauce, plus virtually all restaurant foods), then they suffer serious withdrawal symptoms and go crazy with moodiness and irritability. They start blaming everyone around them for silly things, and they may even become sweaty and light-headed.

Curious, isn't it? That's what happens when you take a substance out of nature and refine it to maximize its chemical surface area and biological activity. Cocaine is a drug that's refined from coca leaves. Opium is a drug that's refined from poppies. And sugar is a drug that's refined from sugarcane. And while we have a "war on drugs" against cocaine and heroin, our taxpayer dollars actually subsidize the sugar industry, making refined white sugar cheap and widely available to the entire population so that everyone can be equally hooked.

Refined white sugar is a pleasure drug. If you don't believe me, just put a spoonful on your tongue and observe the instantaneous effects. You'll experience a warming, comfortable feeling that makes you feel safe and happy. They're not called "comfort foods" by accident.

Sugar is, essentially, a legalized recreational drug that's socially acceptable to consume. And yet, just like other drugs, it destroys a person's health over time, rotting out their teeth, disrupting normal brain function, promoting heart disease and directly causing diabetes and obesity. The argument that "street drugs are outlawed because they're dangerous to a person's health" falls flat on its face when you consider what sugar does to the human body. It's a lot more dangerous than marijuana, for example, and yet marijuana is illegal to possess or consume.

Isn't it curious how, in modern society, we fight a war against certain drugs (like cocaine), yet subsidize others? (Like sugar.) The difference, of course, is that the sugar industry has a powerful political lobby and is universally abused by virtually the entire population. Drugs that are abused by only a few (such as heroin) get outlawed, while drugs that are abused by everyone (such as caffeine and sugar) receive legal immunity. It's mob rule. And the mob is addicted to sugar."




Makes sense to me!

If You Weren't a Child in the 1970's, Look What You Missed Out On...

Groovy patches to sew on your jeans...



Candy smokes...



Nice, sturdy CorningWare (My mom had this exact set.)...




Rotory phones with cords that kept you confined...



Sleek and stylish camp trailers...



Extremely high slides. Who cared about safety? (Parents were more chill back then.)



Crunch Cones. Loved them!!



Drive-In's. There's nothing like watching a movie, in a car, wearing your pajamas.




Portable 8 Track Tape Players. It was no big deal that the tape would switch tracks mid-song...



Happy Days. They were sooo coool.





Table-top Juke Boxes in diners. Who cared if the booth right beside you was listening to something else?!

________________________________________________

You Know You're a Child from the 70's when...

1) "All skaters, change directions" means something to you.
2) There was nothing strange about Bert and Ernie living together.
3) You remember wanting to stay up to see Mr. Bill on Saturday Night Live.
4) Schoolhouse Rock played a HUGE part in how you learned things like grammar, math and history. (A big hint here is if the only way you can recite the Preamble to the Constitution is by singing it.)
5) You learned to swim at about the same time "Jaws" came out... and still carry the emotional scars to prove it.
6) You recall when Love's Baby Soft was in every girl's Christmas stocking.
7) Most of the fillings in your mouth are directly related to Bazooka or Bubble Yum.
8) You know who shot J.R.
9) This rings a bell: "My name is Charlie, and they work for me."

and my personal favorite...

10) You remember the days when "safe sex" meant "my parents are going out of town".

That's So Dumb

This is my favorite commercial! OMG, I LOVE this guy's laugh. Funny, funny, funny!

Unfathomable

My daughter Katelyn and I were having a conversation when she said to me, "I just don't get it. Why is it so hard for some people to talk to a person with disabilities? It's easy for me. I just treat them like I would anyone else." I pointed out that it is second nature to her because she grew up having an older brother with disabilities in the home. I also mentioned to Katelyn that when I was young (which really isn't that long ago), people with disabilities were not included in public schools; they were institutionalized. This opened up a great discussion about the importance of inclusion and how it benefits kids with and without disabilities. For the most part, Katelyn's generation is more comfortable around individuals that have special needs because they have been included in society. I wonder if our children and our children's children won't look back on segregation of kids with disabilities like our generation looks back on segregation of race...unfathomable.

Lunch Lady Land

EVERY- SINGLE- TIME I make Sloppy Joe's, I get this song stuck in my head!

Stylish Blogger Award

I have been given the Stylish Blogger Award by bbsmum at http://bbsmum.blogspot.com/. I am supposed to reveal 7 facts about myself that people may not know, then nominate 15 new recipients. I will do the former but no can do on the latter. I do not have that many blogger friends, and the blogs I do follow most likely have already had the Stylish Blogger Award several times. So, without further adieu, I shall now enlighten (but most likely bore) you with pointless information...


#1- The color of my car has to look good with my hair. That means I will never drive a red vehicle. (Unless someday I go completely gray and then it wouldn't look so bad. But seriously, who wants to see an 80 year old granny in a sporty red car?)


#2- I have a huge fear of flying over water. If the plane were to go down, I would rather it crash on land than over the ocean, where sharks could eat me. (Yes, I do realize that if the plane crashed I would die anyway, but still...)


#3- I accomplished my goal of having all my kids before my 30th birthday.


#4- The open ends of the pillowcases on my bed have to face inward. What's my reason for this, you ask? Because... if my pillowcases face outward, spiders can crawl inside them.


#5- Driving on a bridge, over water, with a semi truck beside me, will send me into a complete and utter panic attack!


#6- When ordering french fries from McDonald's, I ask for sweet and sour sauce to dip them in.


#7- I was voted Most Admired my junior year of high school.


Are ya still awake?

Okay, now I am passing the Stylish Blogger Award on to the following people:

Jennifer C @ http://fingerprintsofautism.blogspot.com
Lora @ http://griffinblaise.blogspot.com
Tammie and Alessa @ http://carolinaheartstrings.com
Annie @ http://rubyslipperz106.blogspot.com
Collette@ http://cocowhitley.blogspot.com
Asher @ http://mrasherkade.wordpress.com/

Go. Check out their blogs!

Raisin Fascination

I am use to Cody reciting random words and phrases. Sometimes they make sense, sometimes they don't. For the past couple of days he's been blurting out "raisin pizza". When I asked Cody why he's saying that, he said "because pizza looks a lot like raisins". (Keep in mind, he can't see.) Out of curiosity, I searched google for raisin pizza and actually found this...

Now he's changed from saying "Raisin Pizza" to "Raisin Easter Eggs". I'm not even going to try googling that.

Good grief! I may never understand what goes on in his head.

The Monument

The following poem is from the book Charlie's Monument by Blaine M. Yorgason. I remember reading this book as a teenager. Little did I know... 

God,

before He sent his children to earth

gave each of them

a very carefully selected package

of problems.

These,

He promised, smiling,

are yours alone. No one

else may have the blessings

these problems will bring you.

And only you

have the special talents and abilities

that will be needed

to make these problems

your servants.

Now go down to your birth

and to your forgetfulness, know that

I love you beyond measure.

These problems that I give you

are a symbol of that love.

The monuments you make of your life,

with the help of your problems,

will be a symbol of your

love for me.

Your Father.

File in Style

The much dreaded income tax season is upon us and Don and I are forced to deal with this pile of papers we've accrued during 2010. (I cannot believe I am showing you this mess. I promise the rest of my house is clean and tidy...well, except for the shoes in my closet...and my garage, but that's beside the point.)



 

Anyhow, I found this post on the Gooseberry Patch blog that has the cutest file folders. I'm thinking that maybe...just maybe, if my files are cute, I won't mind being a tad more organized.

Here is the link so you can see for yourself, and IF I actually make these, I will post a pic of my new, improved file system :)

http://gooseberrypatch.typepad.com/blog/2010/11/page/2/

Newsflash

After Don, Cody and I had dinner tonight, Don began to clear his throat (which he does A LOT) and this is the conversation that followed:

Me (speaking to Don)- "Katelyn is really worried about you. She thinks you have throat cancer."

Cody- "Why would she think dad has throat cancer?"

Me- "Because she's been watching T.V. and Michael Douglas has throat cancer. Apparently clearing your throat a lot is a sign."

Don (speaking to me jokingly)- "You guys aren't going to be happy until I die are ya?"

Cody- "Dad, when you die (pause)"

Don- "What Cody? Finish your sentence."

Cody- "When you die...then me and mom will live withoutcha."

(As opposed to what, him taking us with him?)

Don't you wish you could engage in our enlightening conversations?

Annoying!

I hate voicemail. It is a complete pain in the butt to stop what I'm doing, dial my inbox and then hear "It's me! I'll call you later" or "Just calling to say I love ya." Seriously? If you really love me, don't leave a message on my phone unless it's a BIG emergency. I would much prefer receiving a text message. Just sayin'.

Oregon Coast Aquarium

I have fond memories of the aquarium in Newport, Oregon. Don and I took the kids there a few times, but Cody had the opportunity to go with the school for the blind. The children were allowed to actually touch some of the marine animals and other living organisms.

They didn't have sleep overs in the tunnels back then. There is no way I would ever do that! In fact, I am having a hard time breathing just thinking about being cooped up in a tunnel, under water, with sea creatures all around me.

Socks

Cody has a nervous habit that is making me nuts. For some reason, he likes to pick at the seams in his socks.

We gave him ten pair of socks for Christmas. This is what they looked like new...

 

Take a closer look. See the nice seams at the top?

I told Cody that Santa (yes, he still believes) would not bring him new things next Christmas if he picks at his socks.

Cody stopped picking for about one week.

Now his socks are beginning to look like this...

So the Santa threat was not a success. I'm out of ideas.

He can wear the stupid things. I guess it isn't such a big deal right now, but when warm weather comes and he wants to wear shorts, he'll just have to look like a dork.

11 Things I Completely Suck At

On the eleventh day of each month during 2011, I am going to title my posts '11 Things'. Today, I shall let a few of my secrets out of the bag. Here goes...

11 Things I Completely Suck At-

1) Video games- How am I suppose to know when to bonk my head or jump on something to get points?

2) Throwing a football- I've been told by the male species that I don't twist my wrist as I throw, so the ball is all over the place.

3) Baking bread- Can I just say "I hate working with yeast."

4) Finding my way around airports- If baffles my husband that I can find my way around any mall, but have such a hard time with terminals.

5) Math- I can balance my bank account and figure 30% off an item while shopping, but don't give me an equation with both letters and numbers. In my opinion, they don't belong together anyway.

6) Taking pictures- I really don't have an eye for photography and my timing is terrible.

7) Cutting hair- I never have been good at this and my sister has Barbie dolls to prove it.

8) Golfing- I'm okay with miniature golf, but when I'm on the course, I tend to take up the turf.

9) Foosball- I am SO BAD at this. I could probably win a contest for being the suckiest.

10) Waking up happy- Unless, I'm getting up to go on a vacation or a shopping spree, then it's all good.

11) Three of my kids were in the room when I asked them what I suck at and Cody eagerly piped up and said, 'I know, I know, I know! Not changing your Christmas ring tone on your phone." He's right, I haven't taken the time to do this. Apparently it's not as important to me as it is to Cody.

Happy Jan 11, 2011 everyone!

Canada Bound

Today you will find me in Canada via Internet.

Louise Kinross, author of BLOOM- Parenting Kids with Disabilities, asked if I would write a guest post about Cody and me. Her blog is terrific and full of information.  Please click on the link and check it out!

http://bloom-parentingkidswithdisabilities.blogspot.com/2011/01/good-things-can-happen.html

Bittersweet

The month of January brings mixed emotions to me, fond memories because it is the month that I met my husband (1982) and bad memories because it is the month Cody came close to death and pretty much lived in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

I want to share the story about how I met my husband another time, but today I'm going to tell you about an experience we had with Cody while in PICU.

That January, in 1994, Cody had major shunt complications and surgeons had to externalize it. For those of you who may not know what this surgery entails, it meant drilling holes in Cody's skull and having two or three tubes come out of his head. When it came time to put his shunt back in, the Neurologist phoned Carol, Cody's nurse, and told her to get him prepped for surgery. Carol had to wash Cody's hair, which was a nerve racking task since Cody wasn't suppose to sit up or move his head. Carol stood at the top of Cody's bed with a small tub of warm water and antibacterial soap and gently began washing Cody's hair. As soon as she began, Cody started singing, in tune I might add, Whitney Houston's 'The Greatest Love of All'. He sang the song from start to finish and Carol literally had tears streaming down her cheeks as Cody sang.

I don't think Carol, Cody, Don or I will ever forget that day. There was a spirit in the room that was indescribable. It's definitely a bittersweet memory.

What's In a Name?

If you read my blog regularly, you know that Cody enjoys taking liberty with people's names. He either shortens them, (for instance Dr. Thompson/ Dr. T), adds to them (Teresa/ Teresa-pie), replaces them (Aunt Terri/ Copy Girl) or, if you're really special, Cody drops the name altogether and hums. Coach Sonju, one of his high school teachers, was lucky enough to hear this theme music from Cody EVERY time he saw him...




...and our family didn't even watch 'Coach' very often. Go figure.

Locked Out

Last year, in June, I wrote a post called 'Who's Weird, Besides Me?' I talked about Cody's autism and the fact that he won't do certain things, like get out of bed on his own in the morning. Then, in October, I wrote a post titled 'Miracles Happen' about how, after 29 years, Cody drained the bathtub without being told. This week we experienced yet another miracle. Let me share with you what happened.


It was evening and Cody and I were home alone. We were following the usual routine; I had just fixed Cody a bath and told him to get in. After a few minutes had passed, I went back to the bathroom, like I always do, to see if he was undressed and in the tub. The door was locked. I knew there was no way I could pick that lock before his bathwater turned frigid, so I did the only thing I could do... I talked to Cody through the door. Our conversation went something like this:

Me- "Cody, you locked the door. I cannot get in to help you unless you unlock it."

Cody- "Oh maan!"

Me- "Cody, you're gonna have to get your naked butt out of the tub and unlock it."

Cody- "Oh maan!"

Me- "Cody, if you don't get out and let me in, the water is going to get really cold. Do you want to sit in cold water?"

Cody- "Oh maan!"

Me- "Cody, YOU CAN DO THIS. You're going to be wet and that's okay. Get out of the tub, unlock the door for me and get back in."

I stood there listening through the door and couldn't believe my ears. I heard him actually get out of the water and unlock the door! It was all I could do not to laugh, partly because it was so cute seeing his dripping head and naked butt climbing back in the tub and partly because I was ecstatic that he did something I thought he'd never do.


This brings to mind the words of Winston Churchill, "Never, never, never give up!"

A Few of My Favorite Things

Trading Spouses?

Two of my boys, Chase and Casey, think I should go on Wife Swap. I have only seen this television program a couple of times and can't help but wonder, "Why on earth would my kids want to do this to me?"




Oh wait, I know! They would love to see me slap the sh*t out of the pathetic kids and laugh hysterically at the bawl baby husband! Okay, maybe it would be great entertainment. Thank you, but NO.

My Favorite Kitchen Tool

This is my favorite kitchen tool...

My husband gives me a hard time about using the pizza cutter for everything.




Sure, it is great for cutting pizza, but look at all the other things it can do...



It is just lovely at cutting up spaghetti...



and lasagna,



Waffles...



and fish sticks,



French toast and even...



deviled eggs!

If it weren't for my favorite kitchen tool, mealtime with Cody would probably look like this..



God bless the person who invented the pizza cutter!

Moms with Apps

Since many of you, moms and dads, may have received a new iPhone, iTouch or iPad for Christmas, I thought you might enjoy the following link:

Apps for Special Needs

Take It Off Already!

If the networks don't take this commercial off the air...like now, Cody just may have a nervous breakdown.

"Don't they know Christmas is over? Jeez Hyundai. Get it right." (Cody's words)

The New Year Shuffle

Each December we have to rearrange our living room in order to put up the Christmas tree. We don't move furniture around very often due to the fact that Cody is blind and it really throws him off. He did fine with the changes this year but instead of telling us he wanted the furniture moved back, he said "On New Year's Day, we have to turn the house around."

I realize the picture is about the upside down housing market, but Cody's statement is kinda fitting to the cartoon. Don't you think?

Happy New Year Everyone!