Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Julie

A Diagnosis of Asperger’s

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A Diagnosis of Asperger's- Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Back in October, I started the process of getting my son evaluated. I knew something wasn’t right with him. Once he started preschool in August it became clear that we needed to get him checked out. He will be starting kindergarten in the fall and I knew it would be important to know what was going on before then. I knew we needed to find that out so we knew how to help him.

At first, I wasn’t sure what could be going on. He has a lot of trouble changing from one activity to the next. He likes certain things a certain way. At first, we thought this could have been age but then he just wasn’t growing out of these behaviors. I started to notice how he would really focus on one thing. He would talk about whatever he was into a lot. Only want to play with that item.

Right now that is Lego Star Wars. He only wants to wear Lego Star Wars shirts. I can get him to wear the regular Star Wars ones but only because the Lego ones need to be washed. He only plays with his Lego Star Wars. He knows a lot about them too. We bought him an encyclopedia book on all the different Lego Star Wars you can get. He will talk all day about Star Wars.

He just doesn’t get along with other kids too well. This is hard because I am social, his brother is social and so we like being around other people and kids. Usually, he will either play by himself or play next to another child. Every once in a while, he will play with another child and I get so happy to see that. He will tell me things like, “They weren’t playing with it right, ” when he gets mad at another kid.

He is awesome about washing his hands after he goes to the bathroom but if we are somewhere else and he can’t find the soap, he gets really upset. He has to wash his hands. He will get pretty upset about the little things too, like when he drops a fork or a toy. It can be hard to know how to react. I have learned to stay calm myself and just say something like, “It is ok. Let’s get you another one.”

I would say we have been dealing with this type of behavior since he was about two or three. But in the last year, it has really gotten to where it felt like a big problem.

Today I found out that he has Asperger’s Syndrome. I was about 85% sure that was what he had after I did a lot of reading about Asperger’s.  I was right.

Tomorrow we will find out more information and start figuring out how to get him the right therapy. Right now I feel a mix of relief and fear. I am relieved that we finally figured out what was going on. I am fearful because I just don’t know exactly what this all means for him.

You Know You’re a Military Spouse When….

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American Flag

You Know You’re a Military Spouse When….

-Someone asks when your Spouse will be home, you say July or August instead of 5 or 6pm.

-You live on your own and by yourself more after you’re married than before you were married.

-You know all of your Spouse’s co-workers by their last name…and rarely know their first name.

-You say “I’m going to the commissary” instead of “grocery store”.

… … -You need your I.D to buy groceries.

-You really want something but you say , well I’m going to have to wait for the 1st or 15th for it “.

-Half of your wardrobe has some kind of Military insignia on it and once belonged to your Spouse.

-The sounds of helicopters, and Jets flying over your house shaking your windows, surprisingly soothes you!

-Your Spouse’s work and dress clothes cost more than yours do.

-You only write in pencil because EVERYTHING is subject to change.

-You know that a 2 month separation IS short, no matter what your civilian friends say.

-You know better than to go to the commissary between 11:30 and 1:30 or on a payday unless it’s a life or death emergency.

-You know that any reference to “sand box” describes a deployment, not your kid’s backyard toys.

-You don’t have to think about what time 21:30 is.

-You pick apart uniforms on TV and in the movies for being inaccurate with your Spouse.

-You are asked to stop talking in acronyms and translate it all to English

-When your Spouse says they get to “Sleep In” and is referring to 0630

Saw this on Facebook and thought it was cute 🙂

My Erin Condren Planner

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For a while now I have been wanting to get my own Erin Condren planner.  I was finally able to get one for Christmas.  I LOVE it!  Been using it everyday since the 1st and just love how it is set up.  I love how colorful it is and how it has the pocket and zipper thing in the back.  I find that if I can make lists of things I need to do, they are way more likely to get done.

Erin Condren Planner

Made with My Memories Suite!

Our Special Needs Story

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Okay, I haven’t blogged about my son’s special needs much at all. I am not sure why. I have attempted to start a post about it every once in a while but never was able to write anything. In this new year, I told myself I wanted to start blogging about. Especially now that we think something could be going on with one of my other sons (which will be a different post.)

Up until the time my son was about two, there wasn’t anything about him that made me think anything was wrong. I had a very normal low-key pregnancy and birth with him. Other than jaundice he never really got too sick. Just a cold here and there. At about two though I started to wonder if something was going on. We were in Germany and I noticed that he was just not talking like the other kids his age. He had said his first words when he should have but he never really progressed past that when he should have. I use to take him to a playgroup onthe post. While there a lady from EDIS (Early Development Intervention Services) use to come by to hand out these quizzes. You would get one for whatever age your child was and filled them out to see if there was any cause for concern. I did this for Daniel and it was obvious he was pretty behind on his communication skills.

MY sonI made an appointment with EDIS since he was still under three. We did a bunch of testing and at almost three his speech was more like an 18-month-old. He was also behind in fine motor skills and social skills. Since he was just about to turn three he was eligible to start at the special needs preschool they had on the post. It took a few months but he started going four days a week for about 2.5 hours a day.

At this time, he was also going to the two-day program and they encouraged me to keep him in that too. That was a lot of school for a three-year-old but he really enjoyed it. He was/is such a social kid that it was great for him. We moved about six months later and then it was summer break. The next fall he started at the same type of preschool at a different school. Right around when he turned four he was diagnosed with having a Developmental Delay for cognitive and communication. Basically, this means that he is behind in a few areas such as speech, fine motor skills, and behavior.

Between the ages of three-five were the most difficult for me. Part of it could have been because Ben was deployed twice during that time but I really think the older Daniel gets, the better things are going to be. He is seven now and although he is still behind an average seven-year-old he has come so far. In May, he no longer needed to work with an OT. His fine motor skills are so much better now. He can write and even read a little bit. His speech is doing so much better. He still has trouble with some words and there are still some things he says that even I can’t understand but he has really grown in the last couple of years.

I remember when we first moved back to the US. He was five and I broke down because I couldn’t even have a conversation with my son. I would ask him questions and he just couldn’t respond the way he should. Now, we have conversations all the time. He can speak in full sentences, tell me stories, tell me about his day, tell me what he learned at school and all that. This is so new to us and I really treasure it.

They told me a few years ago that they think by the time he hits about the second grade he is going to be pretty caught up. I think this could be true as long as things continue to get better. Right now he is in a regular kindergarten class. Last year he was in a special needs Kindergarten. We made the decision to have him repeat Kindergarten in a regular class and now that we have a few months of the school year under our belt we are very happy we made this decision. He seems to be a little ahead academically but socially it is the right place for him.

Christmas Cookie Baking

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Christmas Cookie BakingNow that Christmas is over, so is my Christmas baking. There is just something about the Christmas season that makes me want to bake a bunch of things. I tend to go a little crazy but it is worth it because we always have a lot of yummy treats.

Right before Christmas I made some peanut butter blossoms (which are my favorite) and then used this peanut butter chocolate chip recipe to make some yummy cookies. I got both of these recipes from Bake at 350 which I think is my new favorite baking blog!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Then the day before Christmas we made Christmas cookies. I used two recipes. The first one Alyssa at Near Normalcy told me about from Cake Central. This one tasted good and it dried really fast. I didn’t make it quite thick enough though. The other recipe was also on Cake Central called Antonia74 Royal icing and it had a lot of great reviews. It turned out well but I really wish I had a KitchenAid mixer or something besides a hand mixer. Hoping that can happen sometime in 2012.

Royal Icing Cookies

I am still unsure about the icing dripping out like that. I am guessing I will figure it out with more practice.

Royal Icing Christmas Cookies

The boys helped me with this batch so we made some fun interesting cookies this time. It was a lot of fun watching them come up with different designs. I love my happy face.

Since one of my goals for 2012 is to lose about 30lbs, I really have to make sure I am not tempted to eat so many of the treats I want to make. I am going to start off working on one batch of cookies and making one cake a month. Most likely I will make it for some event or for someone else. I want to keep practicing without always having a ton of sweets in the house.

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Soldier’s Christmas

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Christmas Tree

Soldier’s Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone
In a one bedroom house made of plaster & stone.
I had come down the chimney with presents to give
And to see just who in this home did live.

I looked all about a strange sight I did see,
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.

No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand,
On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.

With medals and badges, awards of all kind
A sober thought came through my mind.

For this house was different, so dark and dreary,
I knew I had found the home of a soldier, once I could see clearly.

I heard stories about them, I had to see more
So I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.

And there he lay sleeping silent alone,
Curled up on the floor in his one bedroom home.

His face so gentle, his room in such disorder,
Not how I pictured a United States soldier.

Was this the hero of whom I’d just read?
Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?

His head was clean shaven, his weathered face tan,
I soon understood this was more then a man.

For I realized the families that I saw that night
Owed their lives to these men who were willing to fight.

Soon ‘round the world, the children would play,
And grownups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.

They all enjoyed freedom each month of the day,
Because of soldiers like this one lying here.

I couldn’t help wonder how many lay alone
On a cold Christmas Eve in a land far from home.

Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.

The solder awakened and I heard a rough voice,
“Santa don’t cry, this life is my choice;

I fight for freedom, I don’t ask for more,
My life is my God, my country, my Corps.”

With that he rolled over and drifted off into sleep,
I couldn’t control it, I continued to weep.

I watched him for hours, so silent and still,
I noticed he shivered from the cold night’s chill.

So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,
And I covered this Soldier from his toes to his head.

And I put on his T-shirt of gray and black,
With an eagle and an Army patch embroidered on back.

And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,
And for a shining moment, I was United States Army deep inside.

I didn’t want to leave him on that cold dark night,
This guardian of honor so willing to fight.

Then the soldier rolled over, whispered with a voice so clean and pure,
“Carry on Santa, it’s Christmas day, all is secure.”

One look at my watch, and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my friend, and to all a good night!

By Major Bruce W. Lovely

GlassesUSA

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glassesUSA

Do you wear glasses? I do. I also have contacts but usually wear my glasses. I like to have more than one pair so that I can wear different glasses when I feel like it. I have bought glasses in a few different brick and mortar stores but I find them pretty expensive. I don’t want to have to spend that much every year. That is why I was glad to hear about GlassesUSA.com. They are affordable and have a great selection to choose from.

When it comes to picking out new eyeglasses, I look at the price, the look and the feel. I don’t want something too expensive but I want my glasses to be cute and attractive. I usually buy glasses that are green, purple or blue in color. At GlassessUSA.com you can find a great pair for a great price. They have a lot of different looks for whatever your style might be. They also have a virtual mirror where you can upload a picture of yourself and virtually try on the glasses. How convenient is that?

Here are a couple of pairs of Prescription glasses I think look pretty nice:

Glasses Glasses

blue glasses

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This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. Disclosure badge