Musings and What-not

{ UPDATE: This post is meant to be humorous and not to be taken seriously when it comes to the jokes... which I've heard throughout the years.  Please do not comment if you can't see the humor.  Thanks for visiting!  :D} Being Blackinese or Blasian, I've heard all the jokes. "Excuse me.  Do you have the time?"  Response: "Sorry.  My clock is Wong!"  hardy har "Hey Adonya.  Is Sum Ting Wong?"  snicker snicker "That's not right.  It's Wong!"  bustin' at the seams The list is endless and timeless. So, it was only a matter of time before I did something so very ... Wong. {Please.  Stop.  I'm dying' from laughter over here.} I saw an acupuncturist this morning. The only thing that killed the oriental flavor was the practitioner was white... not Wong. {gasping... for... air.  Laughter. Uncontrollable. Now.} For anyone who's never tried acupuncture, I have to say that it was a bit weird at first. I mean, I've ...

Is it weird of me to be thinking about this poem by the incomparable Dr. Maya Angelou simply because I'm baking bread? I mean, one has nothing to do with the other. But here I am, listening to my bread machine finish the "rise" cycle, wondering why this poem came to mind. I listen as my beloved prince is watching one of his favorite DVDs which happens to be the entire collection of  School House Rock . I listen as he scripts some of the scenes.  His new thing is have the captions active, so he can read a long with the characters.  Not sure who taught him how to use a remote.  Guess he inherited that 'innate ability to figure stuff out' from me. {smile} His precious voice fills our home like a beautiful melody.  If not for the sound of the heater, his voice would be the only sound I'd hear. I am not in any rush for him to grow up.  Each day is appreciated and celebrated.  Today was a good day, and I am grateful. So, what's any of this have to do with Dr. ...

I've never been ashamed of my son or embarrassed by him.  And I've never wanted to "fix" him. A part of me feels like I can no longer hold my head high when I say that he has autism. A part of me feels like the weight on his shoulders has increased in mass. A part of me feels that I should keep our really cool Autism t-shirts tucked away in a drawer... never again to see the light of day. A part of me feels like if I say the word, "Autism", people look at me with disgust as if my son is contagious. A part of me wants to forget I transitioned to a holistic lifestyle and Jackie Chan some folks. The media controversy doesn't help. Breathe in.  Breathe out. I guess I'll have to wait for the magazine cover that declares, "Autism Community Rejoices!  Scientists Finally Have Answers!" Hope I don't have to wait too long.

I miss Boston. Not because I miss hangin' out and listening to Denis talk trash. (note to self... tell other personalities to stay out of my blog posts.  {sigh}). I miss Boston for more important reasons. I miss the funny way Bostonians talk. I miss picking fresh apples for my apple pies. I miss my friends and family. I miss having white Chrismases. And I miss my Boston sports fans.  I should I say fanatics?!?! But more than that, I miss their news reporting . It seems as it parents of auties spend most of our time talking about the children who have autism and not as much time talking about their neurotypical siblings (I only have one child, but I've read comments of those who have more). What's it like for these siblings?  How has autism affected their lives?  Who's helping them cope? Today, The Boston Globe reported, ... it was because of these kinds of concerns that the Autism Resource Center launched these monthly “Sibshops” to help them cope. Blending information...

I can't take credit for this headliner. A TwitterMom left a comment for me when she visited my page, stating her curiosity about whether there was "any research on VOCs in the home and autism". Her comment made me think... even more than I already do when it comes to autism and its causes. To be honest with you, I had never really thought about VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and their connection with autism before. Sure, I've done a lot of research over the years, but I somehow missed this one. I researched the best car for my family and the best car seat for my son, so I knew I was okay in those areas. I only clean my home and launder our clothes with eco-friendly products (vinegar & water, Arm & Hammer Baking Soda , Seventh Generation , Clorox's Green Works™ , just to name a few). My family uses natural and/or organic products on our bodies ( Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap All-In-One , Alba 's lotions). I've donated 98% of my son's toys b...

I befriended an amazing woman today over at Families of Autistic Kids . While reading her comments, the tune, that is my subject line, filled my mind.  It wasn't until we spoke, did I discover just how hard her road on this path, also known as autism, has been, and how fitting the song was. She's a single mother.  I've been there, I know what all that entails.  However, her situation is far different than mine. She knew much earlier than me that there was something "different" about her son.  She knew during pregnancy which I found fascinating. Her son is HFA like Nicholas, but there are significant differences between the two (don'tcha just love the spectrum?).  One of those differences is her son has been mainstreamed since pre-school, whereas, Nicholas would still require one-on-one attention. She's fortunate that she knew enough to fight with her son's doctors when they said "nothing was wrong". She's fortunate that her son can commun...

As I gaze at the curl-haired, handsome, brown-eyed boy that is my prince, I wonder where the time has gone. It seems like the past 7 years and 7 months have been an absolute blur.  His baby years seem as if they never existed. Don't think me silly.  Of course, I remember his baby years.  How could I forget them?  After all, I was the one raising him... alone.  I'm the one who has the treasured memories.  I'm the one who's been there for all of the tears... and for the laughter as well. He was a beautiful baby.  Often mistaken as a girl.  Those curly locks.  Those ridiculously long and eviable lashes.  That smile. {sigh} I remember how serious Nicholas used to be.  He could stare down the most feared mobster and not even blink.  He wasn't transfixed.  Meaning, if you moved, he'd continue staring forward.  Not Nicholas. He would actually follow you with the hardest stare.  I used to joke that it was the Sicilian-half in him showing off.  Basically, letting you kno...

Why is it that practically every site I come across tells me that my son needs to be cured?  I'm so confused as to what to do for my son, because of all the "mixed" information I read. I know my son has autism.  I know I need to do my best so that he's able to function in a non-autistic world.  I just don't know sometimes. Chelation?  ABA? GFCF? OT?  ST?  This therapy, that therapy.  I feel like a bobble-head. (bobble, bobble, bobble)  Actually, I feel like my son's a science project, and everybody wants to add their formula to his petri dish. Allow me to digress a moment... In early 2007, I participated in some research that ASU (Arizona State University) was doing for ASD.  I gave them one of my son's baby teeth and the results were very interesting. I expected to see a VERY HIGH concentration of Mercury, but too my surprise, it wasn't even a blip on the graph.  There were other metals that were a little high, but nothing outrageous. Actually, my m...

What an amazing concept this is. This way-cool mom from VA started this organization this summer, and she's already seeing some of the fruits of her labor. For parents interested in biomedicines but are deterred by the costs, Lend4Health may be the answer for you. "Lend4Health combines health-related fundraising with Kiva's online microlending concept to help parents recover their children from autism. A loan helps parents pay for part of the child's autism recovery then is paid back. Lenders then have the option of re-loaning their money to another child." {source: IdeaBlob.com } Cast your vote today for Lend4Health !

I first learned of Jenny McCarthy's story when she and Evan were featured in People .  After I had finished reading it, I wasn't really sure how I was supposed to feel. Then I remembered a conversation I had with my friend (and my son's godmother).  She talked about her trials as a mom of a child who had PPD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified).  For those of you who don't know what PPD-NOS is it's a catch-all diagnosis for people on The Spectrum that have many but not all of the typical autism signs and symptoms. We spoke of our frustration of how the media only listens when a celebrity has something to say about an issue like autism. Why was it that the "regular, everyday moms" weren't being interviewed by the masses? Why didn't the media answer our letters of outrage? With nothing to sell, why didn't someone want to listen to us ? I was angry with Jenny, but that anger was misplaced. I should have been angry at t...

Another week is upon us. I guess I don't dread Mondays like some.  I'm in a fortunate position where I don't have to drag myself out of bed at some ungodly hour, only to rush off to participate in a twisted game of your-butt's-mine-for-the-next-8-hours. I get to stay home and hang out with my favorite person, my son. I'm not writing this to be all in-your-face- or be all nanny-nanny boo-boo. I'm just writing to clear my head and find peace in my thoughts and actions. Today is just another day where I'm h ealing with my guilt. Today is just another day where I get to tell myself that I didn't do this to my son. Today is just another day, and I am grateful for it. My first thought, as I listened to the rain, was how wonderful that sound. And the smell is so crisp and clean. Unfortunately, my next thought wasn't so crunchy. I couldn't help but think that I haven't been doing all I can for my son. I haven't been focusing on his needs as much ...