Day 2. Year 4.

April 2nd. Today's date. How many times a day do I write the date down?  I write out a check. I sign forms and fill out paperwork. I write notes.  How many times a day do I ask myself, what day is it? Quite a bit, more so every day I get older. ;) Dates hold special meaning for each of us. They mark happy occasions such as birthdays and wedding anniversaries and big moments in our lives. First words. First steps. First day of school. First kiss. First love.  They also mark sad occasions, the anniversary of a loved one's death, the anniversary of a world tragedy, They mark days that are filled with hope, I wonder if that's why so many people use birthdays and special days when they play the lottery? They mark reflective days, such as this date today. World Autism Day. Of course I spent the day reflecting on how my life changed the day we got Vicki's autism diagnosis. I never thought as I was so diligently filling out my children's baby books that I would have to write down "Diagnosed with Autism" under a specific date. To this day I get chills, and not the good kind, when I think back to those first days of coping with the enormity of that 7 letter word.   But that's not what this post is about. This post is about Vicki. And how she sees dates. I'm not sure how much I touched on this in years past... but this past year it has been crazy to watch her obsession with the calendar and dates unfold. Truly remarkable. And when I think about how Vicki comprehends dates, I get chills, and not the bad kind. :) The kind of chills that make me realize that Vicki is giving me a glimpse inside of her amazing mind. A glimpse of the unbelievable. Of the astonishment that I can't even grasp. The fact that I have no idea how far reaching her mind is. And when she shows me something... holy moly. The goosebumps never leave. Vicki loves calendars. I mean really LOVES calendars. We have one of the those big ones with velcro on the numbers hanging up on our wall. Every morning Vicki does her calendar. She goes to school and does calendar there. She loves all of the firsts of calendars... I think her 12 favorite days of the year are Jan 1. Feb 1. March 1...... She loves the day we change seasons. She loves talking about the calendar. She loves looking at calendars on my phone. She loves her pocket princess calendar. She loves our hanging 30 day color coded calendar. Now here's where the amazing and phenomenal comes in. Her memory of dates. It blows my mind. Let me give you a few examples. She's been talking about the scar she has on her hand. And when she started talking about it, she said, 'Sunday October 30, 2011.' How can she remember that date exactly? And let me tell you how she describes that day, and these are Vicki's words. 'Pink cut. All better. Pumpkin.. Cut. Boo. Boo.Gray knife. Blood. Red. Vicki wrapped it. White paper towel. Ouch. Doctor. Come on Barbie lets go party.  Then Halloween. Blue. Wrapped it. Vicki Annie.' And she goes on and on. And she is 100 percent correct. She cut her hand the day before Halloween, 2011. With a gray knife. We wrapped her hand up with a white paper towel. At the doctor's I played the Barbie video song that she loved so much at that time. The next day she dressed up like Annie for Halloween. (I even did a post about all of this, if you ever care to go back and read it.) Another example. Vicki had a really hard time last weekend. She wanted "Trip. PA. Grandma. Grandma/Pappy." But we couldn't go home last weekend. Why was she so adamant about going home March 30? Because when I looked it up... we did go home to PA to visit family March 30, 2013. That was Easter weekend last year. And then... another example. I made a scrapbook for Vicki with pictures of Vicki and her cooking masterpieces that she has been doing with the Cook with Me. Love, Vicki  endeavor. One day as she was flipping through the pictures (and mind you, I didn't write down dates in the scrapbook) she stopped at a picture of her stirring homemade apple butter in a crock pot. Vicki looked at the picture, smiled, and said, "Vicki. Apples. Sunday October ... " and I can't even remember what date she said now, but she was spot on. She can do that with so many days. It's unbelievable. She remembers EVERYTHING!  It has been an amazing process to watch Vicki and listen to Vicki as she begins to tell me what she has in that mind of hers. I soak it all in. And am thankful for every word. Every date. Every memory. (I'm not going to go into the down side of this tonight... that will be for a post on a night when I am sad. That's not tonight.). And just so you know... Vicki didn't wake up this morning and say "Wednesday April 2 World Autism Day." She woke up and said, "Wednesday April 2. Mom. Take a shower. Car. Joey. School. Home. Medicine. Old medicine. Calendar. Car. School. Home. .(Aide's name). Old medicine.  Car. Dance Class. Home. Homework. Reading. Exercise. Dinner. Brush Teeth. Potty. Pinterest. Movie. Medicine. Old Medicine. Clean up. Bed" because that's what's on her visual schedule. And now... I can almost guarantee you that next year on April 2... Vicki will say, 'Peanut Butter Pancakes. Jelly Syrup. Bacon. And Milk." Because today we celebrated National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. And she won't forget that.From this day forth, April 2 is now officially peanut butter and jelly day. And because I have a song for every occasion, I will leave you with this oldie.
I love, I love, I love my calender girl
Yeah, sweet calender girl
I love, I love, I love my calender girl
Yeah, sweet calender girl
Each and every day of the year. 
xoxo

Day 1. Year 4.

     I can't believe another year has passed already! It's been so long since I've written here that it took me a good 20 minutes to find my password. :)  And I can't believe that this is the 4th year that I am writing. Gosh I've missed it. I missed it so much that I am currently doing a reflective post a day for Lent on my personal facebook page. So, my apologies to any of you who happen to read both. That's a whole lot of me. And a whole lot of words. ;)
     So much has happened this past year with Vicki. And so much happens in the span of an hour with Vicki. Where to start? I feel like asking, 'do you want the good news? or the bad news first? Well, before I go freaking you out 'bad' news isn't anything to worry about. To me bad days and bad stuff is icky, sure, and times it feels like that's all there is. And it's all consuming. And it may be for a moment. Or two. But, it's not, not really. It's just life. I haven't been able to get a song out of my head since it popped in at Vicki's developmental pediatrician's office yesterday. "You take the good. You take the bad. You take them both and there you have... The facts of life. The facts of life."  
     I think I am going to start where I left off. I just re-read my last post from 11 months ago. 11 months ago! Holy moly! Vicki has grown so much in that time. Like, literally. At the doctor's yesterday, she officially measures  5 feet 4 and 1/2 inches. Wow. Besides literally growing, she has grown so much and done so much this past year... I can't even begin to describe it. The seed that I planted on my last day of last year's post... Cook with Me. Love, Vicki. It's growing. And she's thriving. And Vicki is blossoming. It's quite frankly the most beautiful transformation I have ever witnessed. And I feel like I am tripping over the words that are pouring out. I want to tell you everything. And I'm sure I will. But for tonight... I want to ease back into it. So, I thought I would post the poem that I wrote that explains a bit of what Cook with Me. Love, Vicki is. And if you get a chance... you should come and check out the facebook page I created for her. And see her beautiful smiling face. And her eyes. In some of these pictures, I get chills looking at her eyes. She is so there. So here. So in there. So with me. I could stare into those eyes all day. Some of the things she has been telling me. With her eyes, with her cooking, with her confidence, with her words, with her love. And I know she has so much more to say. I am listening. And I am feeling. And I am loving. And I am so grateful for all of the support and love that she has been getting. I often wonder what I am supposed to do with my life. What my purpose is. What my 'job' is. And some days, I feel without a doubt that my purpose is to give Vicki the chance. Give her the tools. Give her the means to let her explore her passion. The whole autism awareness... and the puzzle pieces that represent autism... I feel like I am learning everyday, not what autism is or does, but who Vicki is. And I truly believe that cooking and creating in the kitchen is the missing piece of the puzzle for her. And if I can help her put that puzzle together and help her unlock herself, well, then, I have the most important job ever. Ever. Hope you enjoy the poem. xoxo

Cook With Me. Love, Vicki

Let me tell you a story about a young girl...

A young girl named Vicki, who loves to spin and to twirl.

She's 11 years old, has beautiful curly brown hair

If you see her in a store, you might stop and stare...

Not because she has autism, yes, she does have that thing

But because of the pure joy and zest for life that she brings.

She has a spring in her step and a twinkle in her eye

And if you get to know her heart, it will make you want to cry.

She has taught me to love and taught me to hope

She has taught me to listen and taught me to cope.

She has given me so much, now it's my turn you see..

I want to give her an adventure... won't you come along with me?

It's exhausting to be sad and cry over stuff

I put my foot down and said that's enough.

Let's give Vicki adventure and passion and fun

There's a whole world to discover and we've only just begun.

So here's my idea, won't you please help me out

It's a work in progress, here's what it's about....

Vicki loves food, loves to create and explore

You can give her that... and so much more!

For just the price of a stamp, you can send Vicki love

Enclose a recipe with a picture, or whatever you think of.

Here is the address to send your recipe to...

I promise you won't regret it if you do.

            Cook With Me. Love, Vicki

            PO Box 1386

            Stafford, VA  22555

Send a recipe for an appetizer, a side, or a main dish...

Send a  recipe for a drink, snack, or a dessert if you wish.

Cut out a magazine picture, have your kids draw some food

It doesn't have to be elaborate, it can be cut-out and glued.

Vicki will go to the post office and turn the lock with the key

Oh an adventure awaits her... what could it be?

Vicki can read some of the words that you write down for her

Who know, maybe Vicki will become a restaurateur!

She'll shop for the ingredients... she'll prepare the recipe

I'll take pictures and write stories so that you can share this with me.

There's a Facebook  page called "Cook With Me. Love, Vicki" where I will post updates

Please "like" it and you will see the fun that awaits.

Thank you in advance for sending Vicki your love...

Please share this with as many people as you can think of.

xoxo Vicki's Mom

Day 30. Year 3. Take 2.

So here I am. Ready to say goodbye to my blog again for a while. It kind of feels like a part of me. I will miss it. A lot. But I have to admit, I am looking forward to a bit more sleep and a bit more of mindless dvr'd shows in the evening. :) 

Lots of good things today. It was sunny! It was the first day of a new month! My mom drove down this afternoon (this is the second time she has driven down since my dad died... I couldn't be more proud of her)! It's her birthday today. And I was so happy to be able to spend it with her. She got to see Vicki dance (and Vicki danced SO well tonight!). She got to hang out and play spirograph with Ally. And she got Joey to give her a backrub. :) Vicki was really excited to see Grammie here... because she know that usually when Grammie is around, good food always follows! :)  We celebrated Grammie's birthday with a strawberry pie. Yummy! And I wasn't quick enough... Vicki licked the plate clean and I am OK with that.  One less dish I have to wash. Just kidding. Kind of. :) Vicki was so happy tonight. She's been very affectionate with me; She's been cradling my head between her hands, stroking my hair, oh, and smelling my hair too. I feel so loved. It is so powerful when she feels so much affection towards me.

I really hope that you have enjoyed my blog this month. I have enjoyed writing it for you. Well, if I'm being totally honest, it's for me.  It is always so therapeutic for me to write. I hope you've laughed a  little and cried a little. I hope that something, anything, that I have written has touched you in some way or another. I hope it helps you to understand Vicki's autism and our lives a little bit better. I hope that you've learned something. I really just hope it has made you think. I know it makes me think.
I want you to find something to identify with. Whether you have a child with autism or not, whether you know someone with autism or not. Whether you are a parent or not. We are all just trying to do the best with what we are given. I hope that I've balanced my whining with my pride. And my tears with my joy. I don't write for pity. Well, maybe I do. I don't write for praise. Well, maybe I do. I write because I can. I'm not good at it, but I can do it. So often, as a parent, and a parent with a child that needs just a little bit more... I feel like there is nothing left for me. My writing is for me.

So... I've been thinking about a lot of things. I have a lot of ideas. I want to continue to write. I want to continue to share. I want to continue to give you Vicki. Vicki has given me so much. And even though many of you don't know her, I hope you know her through my writing. And I hope she has given you something to hold onto too.

Because I am a day late with writing my final post for April... it is, of course, May. And May is a very exciting month for Vicki. It's her birthday month! This year her birthday falls on Mother's Day. Nothing could be a sweeter gift than that.

Anyway... I talk about how much Vicki has given me. And now I want to give something back to Vicki. And here's where YOU come in, hopefully!! It's no secret that Vicki loves food. It is such a strong connection for her to the world... to a world that is not solely autism. Food nourishes her soul. Food nourishes her mind. Food allows me access to Vicki in ways nothing else can. Today I went grocery shopping. And recently Vicki has shown me what a joy it can be. I used to despise grocery shopping. Now I look for interesting things to buy. I look forward to unpacking the bags of food with Vicki. Vicki uses her eyes, her ears, her nose, her mouth, her hands...to explore the wonderful textures and aromas. I've been trying to think of all the ways I can use this connection to food to teach Vicki about life. And I have come up with something.

Cook with me. Love, Vicki.

That's it. That's my idea.
Can you help?

I just opened a P.O. Box for Vicki.

As a project... for her birthday... and for the summer... I would LOVE it if you would send Vicki mail. In particular, I would LOVE it if you would send Vicki a recipe. Any recipe. A recipe that you love. A recipe that you think Vicki would love. Any old recipe would do. She loves to make everything. Send a recipe for a spaghetti dish. Send a recipe for a sandwich. Send a recipe for a cookie. All I ask is that there is a picture associated with the recipe. Cut one out of a magazine. Write one up on a recipe card and take a picture of it. Have your kids draw a picture of the food. Whatever. Be creative.

I decided on a P.O. Box because I want Vicki to go out and be a part of the community. I want her to be able to walk into the post office, find her box number, and open it with a key. I want her to read the words to the recipe. I want her to talk about the ingredients. I want her to enjoy the whole process. The excitement of opening a letter. Finding a wonderful recipe to make. Going to the store to get the stuff we need. And making it. Oh, yeah.. and eating it too! :) 

I want to make her a scrapbook of your love. I want to make her a scrapbook of the recipes you send. And I want you to enjoy the gift you have given her. So, I am asking... please take the time to find a recipe and send Vicki a letter. Just a stamp. And I promise you that you will get so much more in return. I am going to create a facebook page for Vicki's recipes. I will post pictures of her making and creating the recipe that you send. I will write stories of what she experiences. Because I know that in her experiences, I will find something amazing. Every time. So, please if you could... send Vicki a recipe. Share this post. And share Vicki. Because she is too damn amazing not to be shared.(at least that's what her biased mom thinks!)

Here is the address:

Cook with Me. Love, Vicki
P.O. Box 1386
Stafford, VA  22555

Thanks again for reading. And thanks again for caring. I look forward to writing again soon... and I *think* that I just created a facebook page called Cook with Me. Love, Vicki. But, I'm not sure... :)  So, please like it if I actually created it and you can find it. I'll keep working on that one... One piece of technology at a time. :) I will leave you with Vick's favorite phrase: And we're making.....   (insert type of food here.) That's all folks! Hopefully it's only the beginning...

xoxo

Day 30. Year 3.

30 days. And on my final day writing... my internet connection is all messed up. I have attempted multiple times tonight to write and I keep getting disconnected... My phone is also messed up. :(  Maybe it's all the rain we've been getting that's leading to a not so good signal strength...maybe it's fate telling me I need to keep writing... :)  who knows. Whatever the reason, I need to extend my writing by 1 day. I am tired of seeing the little yellow box with the red exclamation point in it pop up and tell me I have no internet connection and that an error occurred while I was trying to save or publish my post.
And I have a lot to say tonight! How rude, internet connection. How rude. So.... until tomorrow my friends.... Silly technology. Please come back tomorrow night. Same time. Same place. For my 30th day of writing this year. For my little wrap up. And.....
I really need your help. To bring an idea of mine to life. So.... if you are willing to help me bring that beautiful smile to Vicki's face... please come back tomorrow and I will tell you how I hope to achieve that! And hopefully my internet connection errors will be all fixed by then too... how anti-climatic tonight.
xoxo

Day 29. Year 3.

Today was an emotionally draining day for me.  It started out with Ally coming downstairs crying this morning saying that her throat hurt so bad... to which of course I responded with a trip to urgent care. One negative strep test later (thank goodness!!) and a Chick-Fil-A meal happier, I sent my Ally Belle back to school. Phew. Hmmm... now that I think about it.... was that little girl playing me? She got some good 1:1 mommy time, some snuggles and extra hugs AND Chick-Fil-A... and all it took was a throat swab. Well played Ally. Well played... No, I'm just kidding... I don't normally see my kids crying in the morning...  She needed me and I was there for her. Period.

I called my mom to chat for a few minutes after I dropped Ally off at school... and the minute I heard my mom's voice, I broke down sobbing. I needed her and she was there for me. Period. Sometimes it's so hard to try to be strong. Sometimes it's ok to be weak and sad and frustrated and heartbroken. I feel like we are at a crossroad with Vicki. And I keep asking myself, 'what is best for Vicki?' What does she need? How can I get her what she needs? What path will best lead us? Vicki needs me and I will be there for her. Period.

I am reminded of one of my favorite poems by Robert Frost....

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Lots of other things happened today... some very stressful, others very peaceful... and I am, as always, very thankful. After we put the kids to bed tonight with our I love you, you love me, we're a happy family song, I flopped down across my bed and just let out a big sigh... What a day. The good, the bad and the ugly. I had my phone in my pocket and decided to just get lost for a few minutes in facebook land. I thought I would just do a little friendly stalking, see a few yummy pictures of food, laugh at a few of those rotten egreeting cards (like... never laugh at your wife's choices... you are one of them.), see some cute pictures of my friends' children, long for some of those beautiful sun, sky and sea vacation pictures people post... and just not think for a few minutes. I just wanted to relax and not think about the meetings we had today, or the meetings we have scheduled for tomorrow. I didn't want to think about choices we have to make, fights we have to fight, roads we have to choose.

And in that moment when I started scrolling down my friends posts, I saw it. A post that made me stop in my tracks. A post that made me gasp. A post that made me hug my husband a little tighter, and tip toe back into my kids bedrooms to get a glimpse of their beautiful sleeping faces.

This post... made by a friend of mine who is married to a friend of mine. Friends that I had a lifetime ago... before I had the awesome responsibility of being a mommy. Friends that when I think of them, I think of carefree times, back when we were all young and the world was at our fingertips... we could do anything we wanted to do, be anything we wanted to be. We all met in college. One of the many crossroads in our lives.

Anyway... back to this post. The husband posted on his wife's timeline. "This is _____. ______ died today at 4 pm............. and the post went on. My friend. She was 2 years younger than me. She had beautiful red hair and the kind of smile that just lit up her face and the room she was in. I remember how much spirit she had in her. Anyway... it was just the other night that I saw a picture come up on my news feed that she had posted... a picture of a swollen ankle... for she had broken her hip a few weeks ago and was still laid up, slowly healing from her break. She has 4 young, beautiful children who share that same smile that their mom had. She died suddenly today, and from what I can gather, it was from a pulmonary embolism from complications from her hip fracture. And just like that. A beautiful mother, wife, friend, and human being is gone.

And suddenly, my emotionally draining day seemed very insignificant. I am here tonight. I get to have my husband wrap his arms around me. I get to have my kids roll their eyes at me, whine at me, laugh with me, love with me, and just be with me. What greater gift is there in life?? 

This was not the post I meant to write tonight. But it was the post I needed to write tonight. Contingency plans. Tomorrow morning a husband will be waking up without his wife lying in bed next to him. 4 children will be waking up without their mommy to make them breakfast, to comfort them when their throat hurts, to wipe away their tears and their pains.

I am so lucky. I had the gift of today. And I hope I have the gift of tomorrow... I will be thankful for the gift of life. The gift to attend Vicki's ESY and BIP meetings... The gift to do the mountains of laundry that are piling up. The gift that allows me to tackle my to do lists... and be able to call my mommy and cry to her. The gift that allows me to feel my little ones arms hug me tightly around my neck and whisper I love you mommy... The gift to be standing at a crossroads and be able to choose a path.

 Ally and I read a little from Where the Sidewalks End... today while we were waiting at the doctor's office...
Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child,

Listen to the DON’TS
Listen to the SHOULDN’TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON’TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me—
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.
~Shel Silverstein

Anything can be. I believe that. Vicki shows me that day after day. I believe that anything can be.
I believe in Vicki. And I believe in me.

Rest in peace my dear college friend. In your sudden death you have reminded me about life. And about living. And about being.

xoxo

Day 28. Year 3.

I can feel myself starting to wrap up this month already. I'm ready to close the book on April and start a new chapter for May... Lots of things coming up. Meetings galore for Vicki's school. More doctors appointments to go to and more labs to be drawn.. crossing our fingers that IVIG is in Vicki's future. We have Ally's First Communion next weekend with family coming down to celebrate and pray with us. Then it's Vicki's birthday, and the day after that Joey's birthday, laser tag and sleepovers.  Throw in Mother's Day. Add a few more birthdays to go with that... some graduations of some very special people in our lives. A few cups of soccer, scout events, dance, gymnastics, field trips, my husband out of town for a week for work... gotta fit in a pedicure so Vicki will be happy! (didn't have time the other day...) lots of baking- to Vicki's delight. And add some yard work, deck resurfacing, painting in the master bath and ordering our kitchen countertop. That should about do it. I'm sure there will be a few little surprises along the way. It wouldn't be a good book if there weren't twists and turns and bumps in the road. Hmmmm..... Maybe I don't want to close the book on April yet... just doing that little looksy into May kind of just made me tired and freaked me out a little bit.

I'm sure I've told you before that the first of the month is one of our 12 favorite days of the year. :)  There is something about a clean calendar. Vicki loves it too... it's all fresh and open and just stretched out there daring you to jump in and fill it up. As long as I am armed with white-out, I'm good to go. Can't let May get too messy! I'm hoping we get some answers in May. I'm usually pretty good at writing about everything that is happening in our lives when I do this blog for the month. I try really hard to give you a front row seat. But I've kept a lot inside this month...partly by choice and partly because I feel like I have to. At least for right now... I really don't mean to be so vague, but I will say this... If you could say a little prayer this week for Vicki, for mommy and for daddy, and for all those that work with Vicki and love Vicki. Like I said before, autism sucks.  There is so much that goes on below the surface and behind the scenes. I've tried to give you a quick little tour... but it's almost like... I was thinking... those backstage tours at Disney? I've never taken one before.. And I'm not sure I would really want to. I liked experiencing the magic of Disney. I don't want to know what it takes to give me that magic. All of the work and planning and coordinating. I just want it to happen. I don't want to know how it happens. It's probably pretty overwhelming. You know what I mean?

I've gotten so many fantastic notes and emails and texts and calls and letters from so many of you this month. It's truly been an amazing experience for me. For you to allow me into your lives and for you to care so much about ours... what a gift you have given me. And there is something in every single note that pulls on my heartstrings. And makes me think. And makes me appreciate. So thank YOU for making me dig deeper, making me feel more, and allowing me to share with you feelings that I didn't even know I had. I had a conversation with someone extremely close and important to me a few weeks ago and it really made me sit down and question my feelings about autism. And here's what I came up with...

I wonder what would happen if....

my husband and I took Vicki to one of her many doctors and they put her on a new medication, like they sometimes do... We discuss the medication and the side effects and what we hope this medication will accomplish. And I would be lying to you if I told you that I didn't still hold out some sliver of hope for each one of these new meds... Hope that it will be our Vicki that is that story or video that circulates around facebook and gets shared a gazillion times because it makes you feel good. Hope that this new medicine will be the one that turns the key and opens the door in Vicki's mind... and then all of that knowledge and all of that brilliance and all of those words just start pouring out of her. And she's cured of autism. Those kinds of stories, to me at least, are so hard for me to read and watch and think about. I remember when Vicki was 4 or 5 and we were at a very important developmental pediatrician's office who was looked upon very highly in the field of autism. We sat in her office and she was typing away at her computer;  she showed us graphs and numbers and I felt like I was sitting in an infomercial. 'These kids' respond this way to my treatment. One day I gave this kid a shot of .... and two minutes later he was speaking full sentences. It is so hard to fill your heart with that and then think, well... why not my kid? You gave my kid that shot...Why isn't she talking a mile a minute right now? Why didn't she 'recover' from autism? We gave you money. Money out of our pockets. Not money from our insurance. Money from our future. Please, please, please... just let us be one of those stories.

I know Vicki wouldn't be who she is today if she didn't have autism. I know that some of the very things that I love about her are because of autism. And I know that her personality would be completely different if she didn't have autism. And I know that I would be completely different if I didn't know autism.

I'll use the analogy of Vicki's autism with Joey's asthma. Because they are both medical conditions that can wreck havoc on the body and the mind.  Do I wish Joey didn't have asthma so that portions of his life could be easier? Absolutely! So, if someone were to give me a pill that would make autism disappear for good, would I give it to Vicki? Absolutely! Would Vicki be the same? No. BUT... there are so many things that autism has stolen from Vicki, from me, from our whole family... I know that Vicki doesn't even know what could be... or what she is missing, or for that matter what she is beautifully oblivious to. Or does she know?  Is Vicki lucky?

I think Vicki is beautiful and I love and accept EVERY little thing about her. I do. With every fiber of my being. And there are sooo many things that have made an impression on my soul that are directly because of autism. And in a strange way, I am grateful for that. I don't want to change who Vicki is. I embrace every knee slap. Every fruit adoration. Every.... but could I do without worrying for 11 years and probably many more about potty training and cleaning up poop that I would never wish on anyone. And safety issues and behavioral tantrums and worrying about what will happen to Vicki when I die. I could live with out that. I hate autism for that. I hate autism for the sadness that I have seen in her eyes that I will never forget. But on the flip side, I see a gleam in her eyes and the unabashed joy for life that Vicki has that could possibly be a direct result of autism. I embrace autism because I have to . I embrace Vicki because I want to.

So that's about it tonight. I don't know what I just wrote. But I do know that today was a good day. I guess I should write some more 'feel good' posts... Because today I felt good. Vicki felt good. She was happy. I was happy. It was good. Maybe I should post a video to you tube. I wish I had made one of today. So you could watch her fold her hands and pray this morning. So you could see her smile when she did her inspection of the fridge today. So you could see her laugh and laugh and laugh while watching Gnomeo and Juliet. So you could see her make a jelly and baloney and cheese sandwich with the play food and then pretend to eat it. So you could see her put a princess puzzle together today with Ally. So you could have seen her face when she saw Joey home this morning. So you could have seen and heard her when we painted an egg carton flower wreath. It was so beautiful and amazing. So you could see her say, 'mommy feet' and smile at the mere sight of my feet. Ahhhh there are so many things I would have pushed the play button for today. And a few that I would delete as well. I would delete the part when I had to change her sheets again this morning. And the part where she just sat and stared off into space. And the part where she had a poop accident. And the part where super mommy comes to rescue to unclog the toilet again.

So, I guess there are parts of everybody's day that you wish you could (1.) Record and share with the world and  (2.) Press delete and hold the rewind button down for.

Sorry. I am rambling on a lot tonight. Probably because I know I have to do some research tonight after I am done writing, that I just don't want to do or think about. Or it could just be that my brain had lot to be dumped out tonight. Sorry for clogging your time up! Ha ha... Poor excuse for a joke at one the morning. I think I'm hilarious right now, but when I re-read this tomorrow morning... more than likely, not so hilarious. :)  Thanks again, as always, for listening and reading and reading and reading....

xoxo

Day 27. Year 3.

Vicki may not speak a large volume of words, but the words she chooses to speak, speak volumes to me.

Joe. Joe, please. Joe.

Like I've said before, we do so many things together as a family. A family of 5. Daddy. Mommy. Joey. Vicki. and Ally. Our little family. When we don't have organized kids activities on the weekends, we tend to jump in the van, the 5 of us. And just drive. As scheduled as we have to be, our weekends allow us to be a little bit more.... flexible and as 'spur of the moment' as we get. I'll put generic visuals on Vicki's schedule... and as long as 'restaurant' is one of them, she's usually a happy camper. :) Vicki loves going for rides in the car. So do I. Sometimes our weekend afternoons read like this:  Car. Walk. Store. Special Activity. Restaurant. Home. This gives us a little built-in wiggle room. When we have no real plans, those are sometimes the best plans of all. We discover new little mountain roads, the kind that when you crest a little hill, you leave your stomach behind you. The kids giggle and yell, 'no hands daddy.' . I stick my head out the window so I don't get sick. It's so much fun. :)  No, seriously, it is. We'll discover new parks, new hikes, new antique stores, new wineries. (As long as the wineries have oyster crackers and apple juice, we are good to go!) Those are the kinds of days I live for. The moments that we make together as a family. Does it all go perfectly? Nope. Is there whining? Yep. Usually from all 3 at some point. Is it worth it at the end of the day? Absolutely! And since my husband is at the helm... my stress level and fear factor go down exponentially.

Back to my story. Like I said, Joey was not home this weekend. He went camping with the Boy Scouts. I love when these opportunities arise for him. And more and more of his weekends are spent like this. Growing up.  So the 5 of us become 4. (sniff, sniff, sniff... It gives me just a little sampling of what growing up means... and I don't like it, I don't like it one bit. I wish my babies could be my babies forever on one hand... but on the other hand, I am filled with such pride and love for the young man {and young ladies} that my kids are growing into.) And on the other hand... wait... I guess I used both my hands, I can't have any more feelings... :)  Wish it were that easy.

We had an open afternoon. So we did what we love to do. Put on Vicki's schedule: Car. Walk. Store. Special Activity. Restaurant. Home. And we began our afternoon. But this time there were only 4. Daddy. Mommy. Vicki. And Ally. And we all noticed. It's so different when one person is missing. The dynamics change. That person leaves a hole. :(  And Vicki notices. We parked at the mall so we could get the tires rotated at Costco. As we were getting out of the van, it began. Joe. Joe, please. Joe. And Vicki has this almost panicked look on her face. We tell her that Joey is at Boy Scouts and he'll be home 'tomorrow'. Tomorrow. She repeats. And gets out of the van. After the mall and Costco's we head to another store. And it's the same thing. Joe. Joe, please. Joe. We tell her that Joey is at Boy Scouts and he'll be home 'tomorrow'. Tomorrow. She repeats. And gets out of the van. We stop at Chili's for dinner. One of Vicki's favorite restaurants. She had asked for pepper the night before, so we knew that's where she wanted to eat. Just as an aside, we love Chili's. Chili's has a great kids menu and their menu has pictures of each item along with the word. Bravo Chili's. Bravo. And Vicki loves their corn on the cobb on a stick. She thinks it's the most fantastic thing ever. :)  We pull into Chili's parking lot. And yep, you guessed it. Joe. Joe, please. Joe. We tell her that Joey is at Boy Scouts and he'll be home 'tomorrow'. Tomorrow. She repeats. And gets out of the van. When we get home and it's time for bed, yep, you guessed it again. Our little bedtime routine usually consists of the 5 of us gathering in Vicki's room. We do a corny little group hug and sing, I love you. You love me. We're a happy family. With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you. Won't you say you love me too. I love you. I love you. I love you.  Before we start the song, Vicki looks around. Joe. Joe, please. Joe. We tell her that Joey is at Boy Scouts and he'll be home 'tomorrow'. Tomorrow. She repeats. And we sing our song.

I really don't want to break down and cry right now. So, I am not going to be as detailed as my mind currently is.... There are weekends like these, where Joey is not home. It's so good for Joey, I know this. It really is. It can't be the 5 of us forever, wish as I may sometimes. A few months ago there was a Saturday evening where Joey was on a camping trip and Ally was at a birthday party or something. And suddenly the 5 of us became 3. Daddy. Mommy. And Vicki. I actually have a lump in my throat just typing those words. Daddy. Mommy. And Vicki. I know that Joey and Ally will grow up. I know that they are creating lives of their own. I know that I need to let them. I'm pretty sure this is one of the hardest parts of parenting... and it gives me a glimpse into the suddenly not so distant future. And I am scared. And I am proud. And I am sad. And I am happy.

And I think of Vicki. And my heart feels like it is being wrung out. Daddy. Mommy. And Vicki. What will happen??? She loves her brother and sister so so so much. She needs them so much. What does Vicki feel when she is sitting on the couch, looking around for them? What will it be like someday? When they are not there?  I know Joey and Ally have to grow up. They have that right. And Vicki will grow up. Daddy. Mommy. And Vicki. There will always be Daddy. Mommy. And Vicki. Someday there will be 3 with occasional visits from the other 2. What will happen when I can't say they will be home tomorrow??

I have so much more to say on this subject, but my heart just won't open up to allow me to write anymore. For right now, I am just thankful that tomorrow is today.

xoxo