Accomplishing August

Since my kids have been in school the last 4 years, August has SUCKED ASS.  It is too much time off, the lack of structure, the lax routine, those things effect my kids, and not for the better.  I have medicated myself, my kids, drank too much and cried too much every year in August.  I look forward to it, the same way I look forward to a root canal

So this year I took a different tack.  I have 4 - 6 weeks of no school, so 5 - 6 hours a day, I have to fill with routine, structure, learning and anything we can to keep autism at bay.  Every single day the last two weeks, I have exhausted my kids, and myself.  Exhausted kids are good kids (at least in my house).

My anxiety about August usually starts creeping up about Spring Break.  Wracking my brain and trying to figure out who I am going to beg borrow or steal from to provide endless activities for my two sons.  It took me years to figure it out,  busy and structured for my kids away from home is a MUCH better time for everyone than pent up, bored high energy kids lacking structure.  It is just a recipe for blood sweat and tears.  I have to keep my kids busy.  I have to work their brains, I have to burn off all their energy, I have to do my best to keep them happy.

We are almost half way through the month, and we are having success.  I almost feel like I can't stop smiling, but I know I probably just jinxed myself too.  All of our work and tears, and the kids therapy and all the stuff we have done for them for the last several years, is making this summer a fun, happy and eventful time for all of us.  The 3 years we spent desensitizing the boys to the beach - they now like to go to the ocean, and spend time there.  I thought would never happen!!  Amusement parks, they handle crowds and waiting because its a motivating environment for them.  We have worked for years on the movies, they are doing it (for most of the movie), we have worked on scooters, bikes, hiking and social situations.  OUR YEARS AND MONTHS AND DAYS OF ENDLESS WORK AND THERAPY AND TEARS have now turned into SMILES and LAUGHTER and JOY. 

This year they both went to Special Camp for Special Kids, and it was a wonderful experience for both of them, and I got happy boys back everyday.  I was filled with joy

We are still attempting to give Franklin a voice with ProLoQuo2Go, and it's getting better everyday, and has cut down his frustration a lot, and we are moving forward.

I am even attempting a vacation at a HOTEL.  God HELP me. 

I think the moral to this story is NEVER EVER GIVE UP on the kids with Autism.  Keep pushing, don't fear the autism, always be caring, and always be working.  It is the work that will make the fun come eventually.  Focus and find the things that motivate your kids, and build on them, and make your foundation strong, and keep doing it, and one day, your kid will walk into the freaking ocean in his clothes because you weren't expecting it to happen that day (that is exactly how it worked for us), I thought he would kick the sand around for 5 minutes and walk back to the car, and he walked waist high into the ocean!!! 

This summer is giving me hope back, recharging my batteries, and giving me the energy and will to get through the major start of school, and attacking communication full steam ahead.   Did I mention my older son is fully potty trained now?  Yeah, that happened this summer too, almost 8 years old.  NEVER STOP WORKING ON IT.

How is autism treating you this summer?