JANUARY 11, 2012
Jan. 11th, 2012 08:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jenni_blogJanuary 11, 2012
This would have been my father's birthday, if he were still alive. I always felt it to be a special time of year in any case. The days are growing longer, there are lots more sunny days than not, and it's beginning to look and feel a bit like spring. It gives me the sense that it's a time of renewal, and there's a lot of hope in that feeling.
About Sean...well, living with an autistic child is always a challenge, but it does have its rewarding moments too. Rewarding in strange ways sometimes. Last night I was having problems trying to get to sleep and so was he. But finally, I managed to fall into a deep slumber around 11:30 PM, only to be awakened abruptly by my sweet child patting me on the shoulder. When I opened my eyes, I saw him standing right in front of me, holding a CD in one hand and his eyeglass spray and some kleenex in the other. I groaned, "What do you want?" or something like that, upon which he said, "Clean this disk for me," followed by, "Do it now, mom." One can only laugh, right?
It took me a minute or so to gather my thoughts, and after telling him that he should be in bed, fast asleep as I was when he rudely woke me, but cluing in from the wide-awake grin on his face that he was having one of those sleepless nights peculiar to autistic kids, I grabbed the disk, eyeglass cleaner and kleenex, and wiped the damn thing spot-free for him.
When I awoke this morning about an hour later than usual (6:25), I checked on Sean, and he was fast asleep, the Simpsons Movie DVD still running. And, as usual, he had no problems getting up when I woke him at 7:30. It's really strange how these kids can run for a few days on practically no sleep at all, but after 3-4 days like that, he'll crash. He'll either become sleepy and have naps after school, and fall asleep around 9:00 PM, or he'll get sick with either a cold or a stomach virus.
His diet has to remain the same all the time, otherwise he'll react in certain ways, and inability to sleep is one of them. I tried to think what he could have eaten recently that was different, and there was nothing. The only thing I could think of was that we ran out of oranges, which are a daily staple for him, and I gave him kiwi fruit instead. Otherwise, he had his usual breakfast of nothing except ginger ale, followed by a morning school snack of kiwi fruit, lunch of ham sandwich, followed by afternoon school snack of cheese and crackers. When he came home from school, he had popcorn and ginger ale, then dinner consisted of macaroni and cheese, half of a roasted chicken breast, blueberries for dessert, and he had an evening snack of peanut butter and raspberry jam on toast with a cup of tea. This is more or less what he eats every day. He is lactose intolerant and has a gluten allergy, so I try not to give him too much dairy and bread, but he does eat a bit of it.
Yesterday I went shopping for fruit for him, and bought a bag of his precious oranges, as well as blueberries, strawberries and plain tortilla chips (which he loves).
As for me, it's my day off, and I planned to busy myself doing housework, shopping, going to the post office, and running some errands, but since I didn't sleep very well, I might just spend the day watching a movie, perhaps catching up on my reading a bit, and on the computer. I have to finish an Andy Carroll/Luis Suarez fic that I started. We'll see how it goes. :)
This would have been my father's birthday, if he were still alive. I always felt it to be a special time of year in any case. The days are growing longer, there are lots more sunny days than not, and it's beginning to look and feel a bit like spring. It gives me the sense that it's a time of renewal, and there's a lot of hope in that feeling.
About Sean...well, living with an autistic child is always a challenge, but it does have its rewarding moments too. Rewarding in strange ways sometimes. Last night I was having problems trying to get to sleep and so was he. But finally, I managed to fall into a deep slumber around 11:30 PM, only to be awakened abruptly by my sweet child patting me on the shoulder. When I opened my eyes, I saw him standing right in front of me, holding a CD in one hand and his eyeglass spray and some kleenex in the other. I groaned, "What do you want?" or something like that, upon which he said, "Clean this disk for me," followed by, "Do it now, mom." One can only laugh, right?
It took me a minute or so to gather my thoughts, and after telling him that he should be in bed, fast asleep as I was when he rudely woke me, but cluing in from the wide-awake grin on his face that he was having one of those sleepless nights peculiar to autistic kids, I grabbed the disk, eyeglass cleaner and kleenex, and wiped the damn thing spot-free for him.
When I awoke this morning about an hour later than usual (6:25), I checked on Sean, and he was fast asleep, the Simpsons Movie DVD still running. And, as usual, he had no problems getting up when I woke him at 7:30. It's really strange how these kids can run for a few days on practically no sleep at all, but after 3-4 days like that, he'll crash. He'll either become sleepy and have naps after school, and fall asleep around 9:00 PM, or he'll get sick with either a cold or a stomach virus.
His diet has to remain the same all the time, otherwise he'll react in certain ways, and inability to sleep is one of them. I tried to think what he could have eaten recently that was different, and there was nothing. The only thing I could think of was that we ran out of oranges, which are a daily staple for him, and I gave him kiwi fruit instead. Otherwise, he had his usual breakfast of nothing except ginger ale, followed by a morning school snack of kiwi fruit, lunch of ham sandwich, followed by afternoon school snack of cheese and crackers. When he came home from school, he had popcorn and ginger ale, then dinner consisted of macaroni and cheese, half of a roasted chicken breast, blueberries for dessert, and he had an evening snack of peanut butter and raspberry jam on toast with a cup of tea. This is more or less what he eats every day. He is lactose intolerant and has a gluten allergy, so I try not to give him too much dairy and bread, but he does eat a bit of it.
Yesterday I went shopping for fruit for him, and bought a bag of his precious oranges, as well as blueberries, strawberries and plain tortilla chips (which he loves).
As for me, it's my day off, and I planned to busy myself doing housework, shopping, going to the post office, and running some errands, but since I didn't sleep very well, I might just spend the day watching a movie, perhaps catching up on my reading a bit, and on the computer. I have to finish an Andy Carroll/Luis Suarez fic that I started. We'll see how it goes. :)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-01-11 07:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-11 09:04 pm (UTC)Sean's tea is nothing more than warm milk with a teabag (usually basic Tetley's black tea) dipped into it. I figured the warm milk might help him feel sleepy. He doesn't have this all the time...only once in awhile when he gets into this strange 'awake mode'. He might like chamomile. He doesn't like change, so I have to introduce new things slowly, but I have some chamomile tea in the cupboard. I like it myself as a sleeping aid. I might just give him some tonight...I'll try dipping a bag into his warm milk and hope for the best. Thanks for the suggestion.:)))
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 11:39 pm (UTC)But his insistence of having the disc cleaned: yups, a one track mind like my kid. It just doesn't cross their mind that you were sleeping huh?
Kevin has no issues with his diet, but he loves his usual stuff. I hardly make changes in his lunch unless he wants to. Life for them is so difficult as it is, so I don't want him to deal with a let down that far away from home. He's so fond of bread, some fruit, a wee bit of licorice and oh caramel waffles. Every day when he comes home from school, he always has that same snack. Caramel waffle with juice. He just dislikes hot meals, he rather eats bread. Sounds familair? Was Sean like that as well?
no subject
Date: 2012-01-15 12:58 pm (UTC)I have toyed lately with the idea of putting him on some sort of meds but I just would rather not. Not yet, not unless I really have to. ALL medication carries risks and has side effects. Some of the psychometric ones cause personality changes and I don't want to see that. I don't want to harm Sean in any way. :(
The one track mind is something he has for sure! Maybe that's common in autistic people.
You are lucky that Kevin doesn't have food issues. I think Sean comes by his naturally...several people in my family are very picky eaters. And yes! Sean has some favourite things that he likes to eat and he really doesn't like change, but that applies to almost everything, not just food! You should see us struggle to get him to wear something new! He got some nice new clothes for both his borthday in November and for Christmas and he just will not wear them! *sigh*
no subject
Date: 2012-01-15 05:26 pm (UTC)The one track mind is something he has for sure! Maybe that's common in autistic people.
For many it is a matter that whatever they experience lingers in their heads, so to struggle for some sort of oversight they fight for control. There was a dutch documentary on tv a while ago that showed how autistic kids needed to close a chapter/file in their head before they can move on. Or finish an assignment at school or a computer game before they can reply to what you are asking him. I know that for his teacher, this discovery made a huge difference in fits he could throw if he felt forced in moving on. Now she sets a clock, shows that to him and the activity next so that he knows what is expected of him. I see such a huge difference with our girl who is just game for anything that I ask of her.
You should see us struggle to get him to wear something new!
Oh yes! Don't get me started. It took me quite some effort to get his angry birds sweater washed because it was his favourite.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-18 02:04 pm (UTC)*sigh* Sean received so many beautiful new clothese for Christmas from relatives, but he won't wear them (yet). It will take me awhile to get him to like them. Fortunately, almost everyone seems to realize this, and they are therefore buying him clothes in at least one size too big, to give him time to get used to them. :/
no subject
Date: 2012-01-18 02:01 pm (UTC)The sleepless nights were killing me. I'd look in the mirror and see a gaunt, white face with huge dark circles under my eyes. Not to mention that I was walking around in a daze all day long..... :(((((((
I think I fixed the problem by changing Sean's room to an empty one we weren't using, and make his old room a guest room. It seems to have worked very well, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed it stays that way! :)