Autism on Larry King Live (CNN)

Last night Larry King aired The Heartbreak and Hope of Autism. He was joined by Jason "J-Mac" McElwain, who inspired the world with his incredible shot-making at a high school basketball game (scored 20 points in the last 4 minutes!), and who recently published a memoir. Holly Robinson Peete, Doug Flutie, Toni Braxton, and DAN Dr. Jerry Kartzinel also joined the discussion. While I'm not a big LK fan, I thought he did a good job and salute him for continuing to air shows on ASD.

Mary Cassatt - La Toilette (1891)

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was an American artist known as a "painter of mothers and children". Mary did most of her work in France where she met and painted with artists such as Monet, Pissarro, and Degas. She was the only American (and one of only three women) to exhibit with the Impressionists in Paris.

I love Impressionist art...especially Monet. I was looking at some prints on-line and came across this one. I remember studying Cassatt while doing my junior year abroad in France (1990-91). This one caught my eye b/c it reminds me of Matthew. I have to wash his feet every morning to remove the nightly Glutathione cream. I put him on my lap and wash them in a bucket with warm water. (It's a lot less time consuming than putting him in the tub while we are rushing to get ready for school!)

Hugh Who???

These pics are cute...the next Hugh Hefner! (Watch out ladies!)

Matthew Dancing!

Last night we were flipping thru the music TV channels and came across Party Favorites. Matthew immediately started "shaking his booty" so I grabbed the camera and here's the video clip...

"Whoops, I Sorry"

Matthew has a new phrase: "whoops, I sorry". He says this when playing with Mr. Potato Head (which he loves) and accidentally knocks him over. It's very funny to hear...he must have learned it at preschool. He also likes to put both arms on one side of Mr. P and both ears on the other side!

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is the "siggy" I created for my autism chat board...with 2 of my favorite pics of Matthew. Hope you like it & enjoy your day!

Pee-pee On The Potty!!!

Matthew just made his FIRST pee-pee on the potty! It was while Jenn (his BCABA) was reading to him and a little trickle came out. We clapped and made a really big deal about it. I’m not sure if Matthew understood how momentous that was (he was more into the book) but he did it! Yay!!! :)

No More High Chair!

Look at the BIG BOY sitting in his booster seat. Of course, he only stays there about 5 minutes before he starts yelling "git up!", but at least he's sitting at the table with us. Last night I made him organic sweet potato fries and chicken breast - thinking he would inhale the fries and leave the poultry - but he hated the fries and actually ate some of the chicken. Every meal is an "exciting event" at our house b/c you never know what Matthew will eat! (lol)

Super Giant!

I just went to the new Super Giant near our house and I am very impressed. They actually had one side of an entire aisle dedicated to organic, gluten-free, and casein-free foods. If you had asked me a year ago if I would ever get excited about finding GF foods in a grocery store, I would have looked at you like you were on drugs, but it actually put a smile on my face. I saw a few brands there that I have only seen at Whole Foods.

The GFCF diet is still tricky for us (especially when trying to eat out), but we have found some staples that we know are "legal" and stick to those. I also started reading a new book that has lots of info on diet (and its effect on autism) and includes easy recipes so that will be helpful.

Daily Adventure

Today I realized that five times a week Matthew and I go on a 10 minute adventure on the way to school. We drive by the Springfield mall, metro (see pic), hospital, a waterfall, and a lake with ducks before arriving at his school. He usually lists these as we pass and today he added a new phrase as we drove by the metro: "go pick-o daddy!" We had to pick up John there a few times last month when his car was in the shop and Matthew really enjoyed that, and now associates it with daddy being at work. I realized when you're not late and stressed (as we often are) you can take the time to appreciate the little things in life like our exciting 6 mile drive to school.

"Git Up"..."Outta Da Bed!"

Matthew has recently begun saying a few 2 and 3 word sentences and that one has become his favorite. I hear it at 6am, in the late afternoon when I am trying to convince him to take a nap, and when I attempt to relax on the couch after dinner. Yes, it doesn't have the "cute factor" it did the first few times...but he is working to get his needs met so that is great progress. Some other good ones: "I want Elmo", "more cookies", and "daddy at work".