PACE: What A Hit! Our First Kid's Gymboree!!!

Our first PACE Kid Gymboree on January 28th was a success!

Organising an event for our children on the autism spectrum is not easy...  I had called around at different McDonald's explaining what I wanted:  Reserve the play structure room for 13 kids on the autism spectrum with their parents.  I wanted to make sure that parents would be able to sit in the play structure room while their kids played and didn't need to make the decision of allowing their kids to play or to sit outside with them and having to listen to them whine.

The St. Vital McDonald's could not "accommodate" us.  Seriously?!  So, I made the reservation at the St. James location.  I will never go to the McDonald's in St. Vital, and hope you make it a point of not going there either.

Once SuperDad got to the St. James location, he was told there was no reservation for us...  Fortunately, they got us in, and everything worked out thanks to SuperDad, and we began our very first PACE gymboree!  And what a turn out!!!  7 families!!!  We had an awesome time!  The kids got to interact with each other, the parents got to sit down and have a coffee, intervene with the kids when necessary (which I would like to add was MINIMAL), and we all had a good time!!!

I found the hardest part of this get together was actually getting out of the house and starting the car to get to McDonald's.  When the time came to go home, I was ready to go, but glad we had the opportunity to get out and meet some incredible kids and new friends.  An afternoon well spent!

Some pictures of our excursion:  Note the awesome dad playing with his son.  Another dad going down the slide with his cute little guy.  I love these super involved dads!!!

Daddy knows how to help a meltdown.  What a good daddy!!!

The boy agrees...  He's got the best daddy ever!  What a beautiful moment!

The mid age group wasn't expected to play with the little ones.  Here they are having fun with a board game.  And to think, most of them didn't want to come, look at them!  They didn't want to leave!

Isn't he adorable?  Don't you just wanna grab those cheeks?  What a cutie!

What a happy mom!  The adults are all engrossed in conversations and sharing stories, ideas and encouraging each other.  Everyone's having a great time!

Mike, as always, having a wee bit too much fun!  This is a perfect example of why I call him SuperDad.  He will do whatever it takes to put a smile on the kids' faces.

If you're struggling to meet with people, secluding yourself and your kids in the house, please message me to find out about our next get together.  Spring is coming soon, and I'm hoping to organise more outdoor activities for the kids!

For more information on PACE, visit www.pacewithasd.com.


Consider yourselves hugged,


Lou

Wanted: New Friends Part Deux

It's happening.  It really is happening and it's scaring the crap out of me.  I don't know why, it's something I've wanted to do for a long time, but you know how they say that people retard their own success because they're actually afraid of succeeding?  I pray I'm not one of them.

If you haven't read "Wanted: New Friends" yet, you need to read it in order for the rest of my post to make any sense.

While I'm scared, I'm also super excited.  Super Dad and I have thought about a name for the group (which seems to be heading more into an organisation), and we've decided on PACE.  A couple of reasons.  Super Dad thought the acronym suits "Parents of Autistic Children Everywhere," which is awesome.

I thought in literal terms, you know, something I always say to Dayton:  "Pace yourself babe."  It's also something that we as parents need to do ourselves, pace ourselves.  Our lives are hectically chaotic, and we need to understand that as parents of kids on the autism spectrum, WE ARE SUPER PARENTS already.  Pacing ourselves would make us even more awesome.  Getting all flustered never helped anyone.  I know for myself even in the pharmacy, when things start to feel out of control because I'm so busy, I literally need to stop in my tracks, tell myself to slow down and "pace" myself.  Things then settle down for me, and I'm able to keep the pharmacy flow going at a good pace.  No pun intended.

I've met a few great people in our coffee addict get togethers with other PACE (parents of autistic children everywhere) if you prefer Super Dad's view of PACE.  One of them is a fantastic freelance photographer, who prides himself on having patience and the ability to take fantastic portraits of children on the autism spectrum.  Of course, Tony has patience and the ability to take great portraits of kids on the spectrum as he is a father of two, of which both are on the spectrum.  Takes an autism dad to have these awesome qualities.  Not only that, but Tony has volunteered his help in the promotion of PACE, especially the part of PACE where my idea is to rent a gym for our kids to meet in a non judgemental place, a place where they can feel accepted for being who they are and how they think.

Our friend Marni Wachs Zuke, the creator of Autism Winnipeg Facebook Page says our PACE acronym stands for:  Parents/Autism/Coffee/Escaping.

No matter how Super Dad and I look at it, we like the acronym PACE and I think we're just gonna go for it.

And so it's done.  I purchased the domain two days ago, and finally finished the content of the website.  You can find it at www.pacewithasd.com.  Those of you that live in Winnipeg really need to check the website out, as this is where we'll post all of our get togethers.  Right now we're just getting together for "coffee breaks," but soon I hope to get the gymboree for the kidlets ready...  Just takes time, but bear with me, it WILL happen.  I've already got some volunteers lined up, it's just a matter of time.

Hope you've all had a great winter holiday with the kids and are looking forward to sending them back to school today.

If you're looking for family portraits or any other photographer work requiring special attention to detail and a slick, professional look or patience, check out Tony's website at AnthonyMarkPhotography.net, or call Tony at 204-233-0598, or email:  plaiditude@gmail.com



Consider yourselves hugged,

Lou

Coffee Addicts Annonymous

Had another "coffee break" with a group of autism parents last night and met two new ladies thanks to the Autism Winnipeg Facebook page.

This was our second time out for "coffee" as a group and Mike and I really need to come up with a name for this coffee meeting we're trying to get started, to create a sense of community for parents with children on the autism spectrum.  You know, a place where you can vent if you want with, no one looking at you as though you've gone completely insane because they can not possibly understand what your life is like.  Like the time where I told my friend how Dayton as a toddler would press his ear to the floor and crawl in my kitchen while feeling the texture on the side of his face...  Maybe his ear was itchy?  She kind of looked at me like I was raising a freak or something...

Getting out with the parents was nice because I felt like I'm not alone.  It was hard for me to leave the comfort of my nice warm living room when all I felt like doing was cuddling up under a blankie and watch a movie with Dayton who was sad because daddy's left town again for a month.  In saying this, I know that secluding ourselves in the house is NOT healthy.  However...  it is soooooo much easier to just stay at home.  Staying at home means that Dayton has his toys at his finger tips.  I have my jammies and am super comfortable wrapped in a blankie.  If Dayton has a hissy fit, I don't have to explain anything to anyone.  I just deal with it.  There's no one there to judge us.  Life is so much easier this way, with no one there to judge my son, my parenting or me.

Listening to the two moms' stories of their younger boys, I recalled similarities with Dayton at their age.  Another thing that came up that we had in common was extreme morning sickness requiring the anti-nausea drug Diclectin (doxylamine succinate, pyridoxine hydrochloride), which is the only anti-nauseant / antiemetic specifically prescribed by doctors to pregnant women to manage nausea.

We also shared gestational diabetes, and I myself had pre-eclampsia (formerly known as toxemia - sounds harsh).  We all have mercury fillings...  Makes you wonder, doesn't it?  I think research should direct it's way into pre-natal care, just saying.  In saying that, a lot more research needs to be done on helping our kids as they will be adults soon.  Dayton's already turning ten this February, how FAST time flew by!  And no wonder...  I've been so busy with doctors appointments, hospital trips, observations, numerous ear infections, surgeries, EEG's, behaviour therapists, neurologist, developmental specialists, school, etc...

It's good getting out of the house, sharing stories and feeling accepted no matter what.  We even talked about CFS being called on us because of our children's behaviour, and the emotional turmoil and humiliation it brought.

It doesn't look that the world around us is going to change.  It's up to us to cope, but how do you cope alone?  I don't know about you, but I for one need some emotional support, not counselling, but meeting with parents out there that understand.  But getting out of the house...  It's just so time consuming, and I'm lazy.  Yeah, I said it, you heard me - I AM LAZY.  If I don't have to do it, I won't do it.  It's one more thing on my list of things I have to do, and my list is huge.  Whopping big.  Enormous.  Gigantic.  I have many things to do and people to annoy.  It's my thing.

But then I think of one of my autism mom friends, God bless her, who is in immense pain, using crutches to get out in this weather, and I think to myself:  if she is doing it, you need to get your butt in gear and just do it!  Plus, she made the mistake of trusting my driving...  and didn't get scared even when I got us lost and made illegal U-turns...

The toughest exercise in life is to just get out and do it.  Once you're doing it, it becomes easier and easier and eventually becomes a routine.

So, if you live in the Winnipeg area, keep an eye out on the Autism Winnipeg Facebook page.  That's where we post when and where we'll meet up.  Feel free to email me as well for times and places.

autism.diva.help@gmail.com


Consider yourselves hugged,

Lou

I Am A Teacher Help Me God???

No joke.  These are the words someone used in the google search engine and was ushered to Autism Diva Help.  "I am a teacher help me God."  Seriously?!

Who ever this teacher is, I pray you read this post...  While I do not wish to short staff any school division, YOU ARE CLEARLY IN THE WRONG PROFESSION.  Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.00...  

Reading this sentence brought to mind Michael Zwaagstra book titled What's wrong with Our Schools:  and How We Can Fix Them, where Mr. Zwaagstra talks about edu babble and how tomorrow's teachers are being taught how to teach, or dare I say how not to teach, but babble. 


Until reading this book, I always looked at my own and Dayton's perspective of how unfair and discriminatory our education system has become, a game of politics so to speak.  I never really appreciated a teacher's point of view, and how helpless they must feel in their careers.  Their hands seem to be tied behind their back, even if they want to help my babe, they can't.  It really seems just as unfair to the teacher as it is to our children.  Perhaps the teacher that searched for I am a teacher help me God is a newly graduated teacher, who has been taught today's edu babble.

I really feel horrible for today's teacher.  I say this with utmost respect, not in my usual nasal, sarcastic way.  As an educator myself, teaching the Pharmacy Technician Program at a local college for the past three years, I've struggled teaching students with English as a second language.   Reading their test answers sometimes took three times longer than than it did for me to read an English student's paper.  It was frustrating for me as well as the student.  To make things easier for all of us, I would allow students sometimes to answer their questions verbally, or allow them to draw their answer out.  I wanted my students to feel successful, and know for themselves that they knew their material.  I had one curriculum to follow, and one lesson plan for all students equally.  If students needed extra help, my door was open for an hour after class.  Yes, while I worked for an hour a day for free, it was more important that I produced students of sound knowledge than get paid for five hours a week.  Make no mistake, this was not making me a martyr...  After all, I am a selfish woman.  I wanted to ensure when the time came that I looked for work at a pharmacy, I would not be laughed out of a job due to poor production of my former students...

This is not what's happening in our school system for our children.  If your child falls behind, whether or not they have a label, once 3:15pm comes around, your child is no longer the teacher's responsibility.  The teacher can not fail your child, and they continue to move on to the next grade level.  The elementary teacher no longer teaches a curriculum, they teach each child individually.  So, instead of having one curriculum and lesson plan, they have numerous lesson plans.  You have got to be one seriously organized individual who's feathers don't ruffle easily to teach in schools today.  I'm not one to admit my own weaknesses, but I don't think I have what it takes to teach in an elementary school.



Consider yourselves hugged,

Lou