Solar Eclipse

         Today there was a Solar Eclipse over much of the United States. We weren't in an area that was able to see 100% totality, but it was very close to it. Everyone put on their special glasses and went outside to see.

     I was a little nervous about taking my Pre-K students outside because of all the talk about possible eye damage, but they did great with keeping their glasses on and I'm glad they got to see it.

     Our class was seated near Rylee's so we got to watch it together. She was so excited. Until it was over. Then she was very mad. She expected there to be something more and was mad she had to go in without seeing what she had expected to see. She had a complete and total meltdown that lasted the rest of the day. She screamed and kicked and cried and had to be carried back into the building and spend the rest of the day out of her classroom because she was so upset.

    Payton Joy was having nap time during the eclipse, so she missed it, but she wanted a glasses picture, too. Haha! My little ham! She can't miss an opportunity to have her picture taken.

First Day of School

     Last Wednesday was registration day which is a half day for students. Rylee was in a great mood that morning checking out all the decorations at the school. Our theme this year was PEACE- Positive Energy Always Creates Excellence. Everyone was dressed up in tie dye, and it was super cute..

     Rylee wanted to take a picture with Ms. Beth and Ms. Tiffany, but when it came time for her to go to Ms. Jaime's class she got very anxious. I had to leave her in her class so I could go lead Pre-K Orientation for my incoming students' parents. And when I had to leave, she got very upset. I am so thankful we have such amazing caring teachers at MES, because while Ms. Jaime was busy helping her incoming students get their paperwork complete, others stepped in to help Rylee stay safe and eventually calm down. I went to get her after she had been in there for about 2 hours, and she was playing with some of her classmates. I'm glad she came around.

     Today was  the first full day of school for this school year. Payton Joy is moving up to the 3's & 4's class at PreSchool this year and Rylee Love is starting 2nd grade.

        Aren't they just the cutest?! I can't believe how growny they are! It doesn't seem right. Payton Joy doesn't actually officially start Preschool for a couple more weeks, but she wanted to take her pictures with sissy. She loves school and is a little social butterfly. She is very smart and the only complaint I ever get from her teachers is she is very talkative. I'm so proud of her and how big she is getting!

      Rylee was still pretty anxious today. She was very resistent to me leaving her in class. She didn't want to sit with the other kids, so she chose to sit at a table in the corner by herself, and she didn't want to complete the task Ms. Jaime had put out, so she was given a blank piece of paper to draw on. It's hard for me to see other kids interacting and excited about a new school year, and her hiding away from everyone else. It doesn't seem to bother her though, so I guess I shouldn't let it bother me.

     After a slow start, Rylee actually ended up having a great day. I came to check on her at lunch and she was all smiles. She was so excited that she got to see Ms. Beth and she LOVED that Ms. Jaime let her hold her hand in the hallways. It looks like this is the start of another great school year!

AG Family Day at a Jackson General's Game

     Last night we went to the Jackson General's baseball game for American Greeting's family day. It was a lot of fun. We started by heading to Jackson a little early to do some furniture shopping for our new home, then we headed over to the ball field to enjoy the company picnic.

     Rylee knew there was going to be a fireworks show at the end of the game and was pretty on edge. She cried a little, whined a lot, and even screamed a few times. She was in a pretty bad mood all around. Her daddy saved the day by letting her play her game in his lap for a little while. After that, she seemed to loosen up little by little, until soon she was back to her happy, goofy, little self.

    The girls loved the music and dancing that went along with the game. Payton was lap-hopping from person to person until she settled in Rylee's lap. These girls are so silly. They keep me smiling. They lasted in the seats for about 4 innings until they wanted to head over to the play area.

     They had an absolute blast in the play area. The jumped, climbed, slid, and ran around to their hearts' content. It definitely helped them get some energy out. Afterwards, I got them some ice cream and we headed back to our seats just in time to watch the final inning and wait for the fireworks show to begin.

I copied my post from facebook about last night below.

     We took a big risk last night and it actually paid off. 
     We went to the Jackson Generals baseball game last night. After the game there was going to be a fireworks show. Both girls are scared of loud noises. Rylee was showing some signs of major anxiety before the game ever started. Her sister was playing off of her anxiety and was pretty anxious herself. (That's the [not so] fun thing about having a child with autism. Even though all signs currently indicate Payton is neuro-typical, she wants to be just like big sister. Therefore when Rylee is anxious or melting down, oftentimes Payton displays similar behaviors. It's truly exhausting.) We told them we could leave before the fireworks started if they were too scared, but we had brought their ear protection just in case they wanted to stay. The night went on and both girls started to loosen up and have lots of fun. When it came time for fireworks, Payton was still pretty anxious (I think she may have been more tired than anything.), but Rylee was pretty calm, so we decided to stay. Once we put their 🎧 on, they were both fine. They watched the entire fireworks show with nothing but sounds of wonder and amazement. At the end both girls said the fireworks were the best part!
      There is no instruction manual to being an autism parent. Sometimes it can be very isolating. People don't understand why your child may scream at them instead of greet them when they say hello. People don't understand why a 7-year-old may still need to be held and carried around. People don't understand that she wants to be out and about with everyone, even though she may not want anyone to look at or talk to her. People don't understand how intense her anxiety can be and how tough it is for her to deal with "fun" activities. Sometimes, it just sucks. But in moments where she faces her anxieties head on and comes out with happy memories to replace the fear, it's all worth it. At this point, I honestly don't care what people think of me and my parenting choices. Rylee Love will always have autism. Our goal is not to "cure" her of autism. Our goal is to teach her how to cope with the symptoms of her autism and embrace things she was once too afraid to like. Last night we accomplished that goal.

Light It Up Blue!

          April is Autism Awareness month, and April 2 is the official Light It Up Blue for Autism day!

     I made special t-shirts for me and the girls and a few other people who wanted one, too. I am so excited with how they turned out. I may be new to this Autism mom thing, but I know how important awareness and understanding are with this disorder.

      At church, my entire Sunday School class came in wearing blue!

     These 3 are Rylee Love's biggest fans! I sure do love them so! Kaden is starting to try to understand Autism and what that means, but his overall analysis was "I don't think Rylee is different. I like her!" Goodness, that boy knows how to melt my heart.

     After church, we headed to Olympic in Alamo to celebrate Ryan's birthday with his family. We were all in our blue!

    I also posted on social media asking our friends and family to send me pictures of themselves in blue so I could add them to this blog. I was overwhelmed with all the love and support we received. Thank you everyone who participated! I have posted this pictures below. There were so many more who wore blue, but didn't want to send in a picture, and I completely understand that. I am still so thankful for all the support in bringing awareness to autism! Happy Light It Up Blue day!

     Rylee Love, you are one very loved child. No matter what challenges you may face, always remember there are so many people in this world who are rooting for you and who believe in you. Kid, you can move mountains!