Friday June 14th, 2013

Feeling a bit sluggish this morning.  The last few days I have kept busy doing work and home stuff.  I have the boys first week of homeschool planned out.  I am expecting thoughto have to work out kinks along the way.  My target date to start is June 24th.  I want to start early and make sure I am making the right decision before "regular" school starts.

Last night my husband took them to the premiere of the newest Superman movie, (I already forgot the name of it).  They enjoyed it.  My husband said I would've enjoyed the Superman actor, b/c he's pretty "ripped" and good looking.

Took the boys for a snowball yesterday, first of the summer.  We walked to a corner street where they sell them.  It was hot!!!  Bless the poor guys who have to work in the heat, they have got to be drained when the work day is done.

More later.....

Tuesday June 11th, 2013

Doctor appt. today went smoothly.  Sometimes it's a long wait.  Taking a little break to blog.  "T" has a piano lesson in a little over an hour.  After I drop him off, I'm going to get dinner started.  London broil with carrots, potatoes and cabbage.  We'll see.  Made Red beans yesterday.  Been doing a lot of cooking and making lunches at home.

I've pretty much made up my mind to not plan a vacation till after hurricane season.  Just in case, the expense to evacuate can be the cost of a vacation.

Still excited about the homeschool thing, been meeting and talking to more homeschoolers.  Been collecting info on the pros and cons.

Pic below is one of the Adairs famous camp fires, this one from Natchez, Ms. when we stayed in a cabin.  Beautiful area.  I loved the cabin, but it is no longer available for rentals.  :(  Too bad, but there are a zillion other places to visit and explore.  Tonight I need to catch up on some work, will prob play a netflix movie while I work.  Tomorrow, an AC repairman will be by to look at one of our units that is not working, thankfully the other two units are ok.  Might take "T" to an early movie, since repair can't be looked at till early afternoon.  Feeling very thankful today, especially since other family members are going through some crazy "drama".  A few things I really dislike are confrontation, drama and unaccountability.

The other pic is one I found of Lil Jayson at Jellystone campground around 2006.  I love looking at the older pics.

Autism What about the future?

Autism 

What About the Future? 

Will he be able to live alone?  Will he have a job, would any business hire him?  Will he be able form and keep a relationship, will he be lonely?  What if something happens to me?

My son is cute, verbal, funny and fortunately on the high functioning side of the Autism Spectrum.  Every year brings new accomplishments as well as new worries.  At 12 years old, he is more aware of himself and that he is “different”.  He prefers to live in his “own world” and shows no desire for basic friendships.  However, he will tolerate and communicate with those who show an interest in whatever game or topic he is currently into.  Ok, honestly, who is going to want to hire, marry or tolerate a person like this?  He looks normal, without knowing him, he looks like the kid next door.  Sometimes I feel like, if he was severely autistic, at least people would “get him”.  That’s a horrible thought I know.  I do count my blessings everyday that my son can speak to me.  Every now and then I can con a  his version of a hug out of him.  My little guy has taught me important life lessons, patience being number one. Trivial problems are not really problems, just little stones you can kick out of the way. 

High functioning autistic children and adults seem to be stuck in an abyss of sorts.  No one seems to really know what to do with them as far as educating and nurturing them, especially after elementary school. Some of his quirks apparently just aren’t “cute” anymore.  I have probably read about it or tried it as far as therapies go.  A cure?  I’m just not looking for it anymore.  I just want him to be happy, healthy and a good person.  I like him the way he is.  He is unique and awesome.  Yes, I am sad some people won’t see him the way I do, but more and more do.

Since the autism rate seems to be rising every year, I’m going to at least hope people on the spectrum will be able to have their own communities and will have employment tailored to their abilities and I’m not talking about stocking grocery shelves.  I’m talking about tedious scientific work, that would make the “average Joe” nuts, but to a person on the spectrum, it would be satisfying.  Maybe the cause is genetic, perhaps environmental , I  have my own theories of evolution.  Perhaps Star Trek wasn’t far off.  Tyler is kind of like Spock.  Seems like he is unfeeling, but still there is so much in there that we don’t know about and it comes out little by little, we just have to wait patiently for when he’s ready to show or tell us. And when he does, I swear to you, it’s like a miracle has happened and the future seems quite a bit brighter.

Stephanie Adair

June 9, 2013

Sunday June 9, 2013

Game of Thrones Finale tonight! I curse myself for having already read the book.  Still looking forward though, so I'm not saying anything else.  Just in case someone actually reads my little blog.  No spoilers from me.

Ruth Chris was delicious.  I took allergy medicine before we left.  I enjoyed the seafood gumbo (really good), creamed spinach (excellent) and the scallops with crabmeat, (2 glasses of white wine) and ending with strawberry chocolate cheese cake.

My 6 1/2 month old Boxer puppy, (he's about 45lbs now) has this issue of peeing when excited.  He does it to my husband when he gets home in the afternoon and did it last night to a dinner date guest.
Then when we got back from dinner, she had taken off her heels and he got ahold of her shoes and chewed the heel.  He's never chewed any of our shoes.  I felt bad b/c she didn't want us to reimburse her for the shoes.  But Jayson insisted, rightfully so.  I have a pair of Steve Madden flats and know how much I paid for them, so I imagine the heels are probably 2x's the cost. That is the most expensive of my shoes.  No Manolo's for this girl.  I like nice things, just don't want to pay for them.

So, if anyone has any advice on what my Boxer pup is doing, please kindly let me know.  Should I take up this issue with the Vet?  Or is it just a youth thing, I describe him as a toddler on speed.

Below is a pic of a beautiful saltwater aquarium we lost to Hurricane Katrina.  I miss it, it was so peaceful.  Would love another one.  Pretty expensive though.  I am more saddened that those beautiful fish and plant life all died than the monetary value we lost.

Also a pic of lil Jayson in Colorado at the summit of Pikes Peak a few years back on one of the Adair Adventures.  We have taken the kids to Colorado twice so far.  I've been around 4 times, I love it.  My absolute favorite place in the US so far is St. Mary's Glacier, when I find pics of it, I will post.  I've been there 3x's so far and am still looking forward to one day going back.  I also love Georgetown.  The little town is someplace I would love to live.  But, I can't imagine really surviving  there, unless you had a restaurant or a little inn.  Even then I imagine it would be a struggle.

 I think some gumbo and potato salad will be on the menu tonight.  Need to finish cleaning and organizing my home office tonight.  Oh! Yesterday, I dropped some items off at the new Goodwill that opened up on Vets and I had a little time, so I went in and checked out the books.  I found these books (5 for $1) that have transparencies with them (history and science) visuals that teachers would use with overhead projectors (which are not becoming obsolete) b/c of smart boards.  Tyler is a very visual learner and Jayson said I could easily scan them and use them on our home projector in our family theater room.  So, I felt like I hit the jackpot.  I also found a great book on the Soviet Union which Tyler is currently obsessed with (due to a game).  He want to dress for Halloween as a Russian winter soldier.  I checked prices on the military uniforms and the winter hat.  Kind of expensive.  May end up making the stuff myself with a little creativity and just find some real medals off ebay.  The things we do for our kids.

Saturday  June 8th or is the 9th? , 2013


Going to Ruth Chris tonight!  Have a gift card from Xmas from one of Jayson's clients.  Just getting around to using it.  Yummy!!

Been spending the day so far cleaning and organizing as I did last night.  This house is too big.  I need a live in housekeeper.  Wishful thinking.  Jayson's been changing all of the lightbulbs downstairs and putting in newer lighting controls.

Sad I'm going to miss my parent group meeting Tuesday morning, b/c I have a doctor appt.  We are all parents with kids on the Autism Spectrum and it's a great forum for us to share info with each other and vent.  It's once a month, but we always have good meetings and I walk out with a sense knowing that I'm not alone and there are others who have way more challenges than I do.

Going to make some turkey burgers for lunch.  Probably going to spring for some Vietnamese or Thai food for the kids, since their lucky parents will be at Ruth Chris tonight.

No plans yet for tomorrow, if the Jayson and lil Jayson don't' go play paintball, I may convince everyone to go the Aquarium of America's to see the newly hatched baby penguins and sure the other stuff too.