Autism, N-Zilla, and James.

I know.  I know.  I left a cliff hanger with my last post.  I promise I will get to it. I still have lots to say about the district where my children attend school.

For now I will write about this...

 ...The ironic thing is when N-Zilla was a toddler I thought I had no time to do anything.  I felt like I was stuck at home making sure he didn't break anything or hurt himself.  

Fighting to get to bed at a decent hour and using my blogs as therapy so I didn't fall into a deep depression.  Now it seems like I REALLY have no time for ANYTHING.  

I would like to say that things are running a little smoother in the ole'Casa De N-Zilla.  You see we live life on the spectrum.  We also have three other children.  Things. Are. Scheduled.  

This leaves little time for leisurely things for Mr. S and I.  Like phone calls.  Wasting time on FB or Twitter.  Staying up late.  And for me blogging.    

I scan the phone when I'm at work for tweets and fb messages then I make a mental note that later when all the kids are asleep I will respond to them.  It rarely happens that way.

But then there are days like today.  Three out of four kids are home sick.  I'm home from work taking care of them.  And two are sleeping.  The sink is full of dirty dishes and their is stale laundry in the washer that I will have to re-wash.

I had a moment to check my FB.  My Uncle sent me this message:
Hi Adee I was wondering if you could share the fund raiser info to your followers. It is to build a sensory room at James' school. I dont know if you still have a blog. But there is a widget that you could include on your blog it shows li

ke a advertisement. I would appreciate it. We have tried to contact celebrities, groups and friends and family. You can donate 1 dollar or 100. This will benefit these autistic kids from James and all the classes after. Thanks and Hope all is well with all of you. Take care and God Bless the link ishttp://www.gofundme.com/1j26dc

I forget that just like N-Zilla is my 1-88, I also have family members who have their 1 in 88.  I often feel as do many other parents, that I am doing this all by myself.  Being his advocate.  His voice.  His educator.  His everything else on top of being his parent because the area we live in doesn't have the facilities we need.  And still so many people have a off-putting perception  about Autism.  "If I can't see it...it doesn't exists".    

My Uncle (whom is more a brother) and his wife are going through the same thing.  James is their 1 in 88.   They are raising money to fund  a Sensory Integration Clinic at James's Pre-school.  Like N-Zilla, with early Intervention James is able to grow leaps and bounds.  
A Sensory Intergration Clinic will continue to help children and familes with AU/ASD. 

 Just like here in San Antonio in the Judson ISD budget cuts are affecting special needs programs all over.  They are asking for help to build a Sensory Integration Clinic  at the Pre-School Autism Program at Rolling Ridge Elementary.  And just like here in JISD...the funding has to come from us.  So please donate to this great cause.   It would help so many children and famlies.  With the statistics like 1 in 88...more then likely someone you know will have ASD or will have children with ASD.   Please donate!  

And now I will get back to my laundry.


Click on the link below or in purple to read more about James, Rolling Ridge Elementary, and how to donate.

Help Fund Our Autism Sensory Clinic

Also...Check out this blog:

Megcentric: A Very Worthy Cause

N-Zilla and the Judson Independent School District Part 1

Last month had a few surprises for us.    First lets me go all the way back to September.  The night of       N-Zill's open house, his teacher Mrs. Awesome...had a announcement.  Effective immediately she was no longer going to be a PPCD teacher and more importantly to us she was no longer going to be N-Zilla's PPCD teacher.  This was not her decision.  She was told by the "powers that be" that another school in our school district had a over flow of kindergarten students and not enough teachers.  

Mrs.  Awesome was moved from a school, students, and a job that she loved without any consideration or input on what she wanted to do.

Of course I cried at open house.  I mean I C.R.I.E.D.  I was a hot mess of mascara over flow and snot.   I was so confused.  I was scared on what was going. to happen to N-Zilla.  I just had no idea on what was going on (not until about a month later).  I was assured that N-Zilla was going to be left in good hands.  He would be in a new teachers class who was PPCD certified.

We found out Thursday night.  Friday was her last day.  I was assured that N-Zilla was going to be in good hands.  The following Monday N-Zilla was moved from a PPCD class of about 12 kids to a Pre-K class room with a qualified PPCD teacher with 20 kids.  I figured that he knew this "new" teacher.  We will call her Mrs. J.  N-Zilla has been in Mrs. J's Class room before during Free time.  Mrs. Awesome and Mrs. J's class's have breakfast together in the cafeteria.  There would still be the same aides in the class room.  Because as far as I knew at that point N-Zilla was in a mixed PPCD/General Ed class room.  We knew a day would come that N-Zilla would have to transition into a Gen Ed class anyway...kinder was just around the corner.   So what the heck...right?

We saw the regression in N-Zilla.  His attention span lessened.  He was getting to be more whinny and aggressive.  He was starting to go back to one to two words sentences.  

We figured such things are life.  Their will be times that things happen that are out of our control.  We will have to roll with the punches.  When life gives us lemonades...we work harder and help N-Zilla cope until he gets the hang of things.

And that we did.

On October 17th I got a note in N-Zilla's folder about his pull-up situation.  I thought it odd since N-Zilla's lack of potty training was in his IEP.   Without going into to much detail...I didn't care for the tone coming across from the yellow folder.  Before I took too much offense...I remembered a post that Jim from Just a Lil blog wrote...I thought it best just to call the teacher and work things out. Her response would probably surprise me.  After all she probably wanted what was best for him just like me.

October 18th I called.  We talked.  It went well.  She did want what was best for N-Zilla and she listened to my concerns. We came to the realization that one of the aides (and Mrs. J) didn't realize that N-Zilla got on the school bus at 6am.  From 6am to 8:45am no one was checking N-Zilla or taking him for a bathroom break (first red flag).   I felt the convo went well.

Later that day I got the phone call.  It started with "We need to talk".  I felt as if my high school boyfriend was gonna break up with me.  All she had to say next was..."it's not him it's us".

I called back and got the second shock of the year.  First the school was telling us that Mrs. Awesome was no longer going to be his teacher.  Now they where telling us that N-Zilla could no longer attend his school.  They where closing the PPCD program and starting immediately he would have to go another Judson ISD campus.  A ARD meeting was scheduled that coming Thursday at the other school he would attend to go over IEP and change campus.

When I was talking to the teacher over the phone.  I was in shock.  Again...I was told that this was out of her control   The school district was calling the shots.  This was the way it had to be.  I didn't cry this time.  I was sorta numb.  Two things where going through my head.  Is this going to be good for N-Zilla, and is he going to regress?

I had the whole weekend to think.  Over and over and over.  Then I thought...if they move him now...will we have to go through this the whole time he attends school?

Monday morning I called the principal...

Part 2 coming soon. 

Good-bye Chicken Sandwiches I will miss you.

Good-bye Chicken Sandwiches I will miss you.

I'll get straight to the point...I will never take my kids to chick-fil-a AGAIN. At least and especially the one on FM 78.  

Of course I believe in human rights.  I don't believe marriage should ONLY be between a consenting man and women but for PEOPLE of opposite or same sex. And yes...I've eaten at Chick Fil A before, during, and after the whole traditional VS non-traditional marriage thing.  Why you ask? Well because I like chicken sandwiches.  And there are (in my opinion) issues that are very important and I have no idea where the places where I shop, eat, and play stand on them.  AND I love (loved) the play area.  Chick Fil A does cater to families…from the sanitizer wipes to the mini cups of cheerios . 

These things are not why I am not eating at Chick-Fil-A…I will not be going to Chick-Fil-A because…wait for it….the parents that go there are pricks.  So not being a prick I will not be going and subjecting my children to the off-spring of pricks.

The last few visits there have been horrible.  Dealing with ogling men and  helicopter parents; I can’t take it anymore. 

As if I was in a bar I had to ask some man what he was staring at and give my gangster hands.  You know the gangster hands right?  You throw both your hands up giving the body language that you’re a bad ass and something (hypothetically) is about to go down.  Yeah…I did that, because as sad as I am about getting older and fatter I don’t appreciate my breast being stared at. 

Then there was the straw that broke the camel’s toes back.  You guessed it. Ass-hole parents.   The past several times I’ve taken N-Zilla and the baby to Chick-fil-A it has not been too pleasant.  Everybody’s kids are perfect. Right (sarcasm)

If it’s not a mother saying, “Excuse me is that your son, ‘cause he is staring at my son”. Or some kid telling The Baby she can’t go down the slide. The baby smacks the kid of course.  Then I get another, “Excuse me is that your daughter, ‘cause she just hit my kid”.  OR when it gets to loud in play area and N-Zilla covers his ears and either cries, yells, spits, or rolls in a ball (or all four at once) I get dirty looks from parents.  I never once pull the special needs card.  NEVER. 

Yesterday a grown man talked to N-Zilla as if he were a grown man.  “Hey you let her through”.  The boy was relaxing in the tunnel and four for goodness sakes.  N-Zilla started to cry. 

I couldn’t even say anything to the man.  Not even gangster hands would have made a difference.  Why?  Because he was a prick and anything that I had to say was a waste of his time.  Also, I had had it. I had with the horrible experiences with the freak’n play area. I had it with perverted men.  I had it with people treating N-Zilla different. 

Also,  I wasn’t about to flip shit in a play area at Chick-Fil-A.  Anything I said probably would have not made any sense because I would have taken every bad experience we have ever had at restaurants and play areas and taken out on this jerk of a man.  I would more than likely have started crying.  I tend to do that.  I Cry out of anger.  Just ask my husband.  It wouldn’t benefit me or N-Zilla at all.  So I took my anger, the kids,and got the hell out of Chick-Fil-A and with that Chick-Fil-A on FM 78 lost a costumer.

Non-Constructive play makes for a messy lawn.

I have this son. His name is N-Zilla.  He is a lovable and destructive little tot.  Sometimes...If the mood strikes he likes to throw things out of his bedroom window.  What can I do? It's just the way it is...I guess. 

Mostly. Maybe. For right now.

So...Where is N-Zilla?
He's still here.  I'm still here.  I guess as soon as March came...my life all of a sudden triple booked it's self.  I have managed to keep my head afloat as a parent being pulled four times over...I mean five.  Not just a parent of two tweens...not a parent of a toddler or a parent of a special needs child.  Just plan-o parent of four and wife is trying enough.  But we made it...thank you very much.  I officially have a 7th grader, a 5th grader, Pre-K Sophmore and nobody lost a limb...some fever's but nothing to serious.

SO WHAT HAS N-ZILLA BEEN UP TO?  Alright, alright.  Your friendly neighborhood lovable and destructive N-Zilla made it through his very first year of Pre-K.  He is speaking so much nowadays.  He say's things like, "Dad get off my computer" (another reason that I don't get to blog as much).  He is also found out about the Knuffle Bunny and Pete the Cat and his School shoes.

He still doesn't like (mostly) people to touch the top of his head...and we still don't get to go to Red Robbins as often as we would like to.  N-Zilla does know what he likes and doesn't like and it seems that he know's his own triggers and self soothes... Some day's are easier then others.  Lately there are more "good days".  Except when he pours the coffee creamer on his bed.

As for N-Zilla's mom and dad...we are doing good...at least for me (the mom) things are not so tense.  N-Zilla is back on Melotonin (most days). And it still doesn't always work...but N-Zilla falls asleep before (mostly) midnight and since I don't work during the summers...I guess it's not biggie right? Except the nights that I really really REALLY need to sleep.

Life isn't so scary (mostly not always) and unknown when it comes to things Autism or the "Maybes" for right now.  Life is good.  

In case you missed it on Twitter...

Here is a recap in no particular order.

 We survived...it ended up being a pretty awesome weekend and no electronic's ceased to exist.

1 in 88. People are People...Thank you Jim for your post.

After writing a post (To light or not to light my house blue...) , and after reading Jim's post at Just a Lil Blog I wanted to show you my 1 in 88.

Thank you Jim for such a beautiful Post.

This is our N-Zilla.

...and these are other families with 1 in 88 (but they are all one in a million to us)

A Diary of a Mom

I'm Just That Way and That is Just Me

This Side of Typical

Seven YuckMouths And Autism

Mostly True Stuff

Between Hope and a Hard Place

Our Adventures with Riley

The Domestic Goddess

Autism Wonderland

To light or not to light my house blue....that is the question

April is Autism awareness month.  I'm having a lot of mixed emotions.  I read a lot of things like "Cure for Autism".  I don't know if I will be participating in any walks or fundraisers.  I don't know yet if I am going to light my house blue.  Maybe I'm having conflicted emotions because our situation is not like other families situation.  Like the saying goes...If you met one person with Autism then you've meet one person with Autism. We are all different.

First...N-Zilla is so young, he has SPD.   As of right now is going to Pre-K for the Autism Spectrum.  Or rather Non-Categorical Autism.  He has defiantly gotten early intervention.  N-Zilla has shown all the signs of ASD milestones (or missed the milestones).

 Things get difficult.  Going to restaurants are a little bit  more of a production then we would like.   Days get long when N-Zilla can not communicate what he wants or is feeling.  Money gets tight having to buy Pull-Ups and the same two toys over and over again.  I get frustrated when my house becomes destroyed, and Mrs. S and I become loopy when we don't get enough sleep.  Don't even get me started on the repetition. (Obvioulsy these are just the tip of the ice berg.  But I don't have all day to go down the list)

But that is who our child is.  I don't see anything in N-Zilla that needs to be cured.  If you take away his obsessions with trains and his accomplishments over his hurtles (thus far) then you take away him.  You can not have N-Zilla without the good the bad and the compulsive.  He just wouldn't be himself.

  I love my N-Zilla.  I love all his little ticks and sayings.  I find it adorable that he likes to talk about himself in the third person.   I am a proud parent when N-Zilla has figured something out or hits a milestone...knowing that he learns things in a different way and when he gets it, it's so beautiful.

I am in no means an expert on ASD.  I am only an expert on my children (and even that gets confusing).  I think that calling it Autism Awareness Month is a good  name.  So we can all be aware.  I'm just not sure that I like the phrase "Cure for Autism".  

Poop goes in the potty.

I know...I know.  No one else but me is interested in m kids toilet training habits.  But best believe when the time comes that N-Zilla actually uses the potty I will be tweeting, FB'ing, and I might even put a ad in the paper.

Taking a break from the toleit.

It's discouraging to me because Son #1 and Crazy Horse where potty trained by 2.  Tiger Lily (The Baby) is showing interest on using the potty.  She's in the first stages...but my N-Zilla is gonna be 4 this summer and has no interest.

We've tried everything.  Stickers. Singing. Snacks. NetFlix in the bathroom.  Everything.

It's just not working.

Sooo...Mrs. Awesome and I have decided that we are putting a halt to the potting training at home and at school.  It was starting to do more harm then good.  At home and at school.  It's so frustrating for us...so we know how much more frustrating it is on him.

Goodbye Yo Gabba Gabba Chonies and hello (again) Target Brand Pull-Ups. For now.

N-Zilla and Mrs Awesome

I have a son.  His name is N-Zilla.  He has his own Hashtag on twitter.  And he is lovable and destructive.

My Lovable and Destructive Son, N-Zilla, has a Pre-K teacher.  She is Awesome.

She is awesome because she loves her job and because of that loves N-Zilla.

 Mrs. Awesome loves her Job and N-Zilla who has his very own Hashtag, because of that he is doing great things.  Like...Talking and counting.

N-Zilla counted to 13 yesterday.  This morning he said "No", and "Where's my head phones"?

N-Zilla my Lovable and Destructive Talking Counting son loves school!

I love him and Mrs. Awesome!

It started off as venting but turned in to adoration.

  Walking around out side.  Can not sit in the cry room at church and have a limited time sitting with the other adults during mass.  In short...we go for lots of walks.

 N-Zillllllaaaaaa!  I was very sad this day.  My loveable and destructive adorable son (and his baby sister) broke my very last gift from my teaching days.  When am I ever gonna go to Viet Nam.  Or have an awesome student named Vivian from Viet Nam.?

N-Zillas fav pose 

 His fav subject.  ONLY!

..

N-Zilla's found a new quite place.  It's my quite place.  In addition of knocking over our patio furniture and his toy chest, he know knocks over my frames.

In addition of knocking over our patio furniture and his toy chest, he know knocks over my frames.

 Over...

and over.  Since he started last week I have put frames back in place about a dozen times a day.


Okay...I started writing this post to complain and convince myself that it's ok that my house looks like it's been ransacked and infested with Thomas the Trains and Lighting Mc Queens...but all I can think of is how cute my N-Zilla is.

N-Zilla broke a pepper shaker.

Today N-Zilla my Loveable and Destructive son threw a pepper shaker in a restaurant.  It broke.  Glass shattered everywhere.  Me, like the Rockefeller that I am asked to put it on my bill.

Their is more I want to write about this day.  Like...why did I not see it coming?  What set N-Zilla off?  Son #1 and Crazy Horse acted totally normal...why?  Why didn't I seem more surprised?

Later. Way later I had several mini panic attacks.  I didn't pack him a sensory bag.  I should of.  I was to lazy and double booked to make dinner.  I didn't want to be bothered with the cleaning of the mess.  I shoulda just made dinner at home.  I sent N-Zilla to school with underwear instead of pull-ups.  I made him sit on the toilet this morning when he didn't want to.  I put him on the bus and didn't give him his weighted blanket, and I was still late to work.  I didn't tell him that he was going to his Grandma's house after school.  I hid his trains so he wouldn't get over whelmed....so me and his older siblings didn't have to deal with the mess of a dumped out toys box.  He found them anyways. I should have prepared better for the day.

(Upside of today: 1) We didn't get kicked out of the restaurant like we did at China Moon.  2)Despite the broken glass it was a very pleasant meal with Son #1 and Crazy Horse.  Because I didn't dwell on the broken glass to long, I got to hear about their day at school. 3) No dishes to wash at home.

It's not that easy to blog about N-Zilla.

N-Zilla.  What can I say.

Lately I have been more comfortable writing about my mishaps and musings at the other blog then I am writing about my N-Zilla.

I think sometimes I just don't want to think of anything else but "normal stuff" when it comes to N-Zilla.  Still...sometimes I cry when I see him hit a mile stone or realize a delay.

As they say "don't get it twisted".  My Loveable and Destructive son is still as loveable and destructive as ever. A broken wine glass is proof.

I just have this anxiety about him.  For him.

I have this habit of planning months ahead for things.  Like birthdays.  Feb is Crazy Horses.  March Is Mr. S's. April is Tiger Lily's (the baby).  And two months later is N-Zilla's and Son #1.

I have like 4 or 5 months until N-Zilla's Birthday.  Yet I'm freaking out.

I want to include family and friends without excluding him.

I've got a brillant idea for a birthday party for the Loveable N-Zilla from my cousin.  So I'm sure things will be fine.

I see how he is at social gatherings.  He gets over stimulated.  Starts knocking things over or retreats.  Christmas and New Years (which I have yet to blog about).  Basket Ball games and such.  I see him.  I know him.  I think that is why I have birthday party anxiety.

Mr. S suggested we invite his friends from school.  I had to say it out loud to Mr. S, "N-Zilla doesn't have any friends".

"Well then...Just invite his whole class".

I wanted to ask if he was even present during New Years.

...but instead just drank my coffee and talked about how ugly our couches are.