Xander's Accomplishments

What has Xander accomplished? So much. I could write pages and pages about the first time he said a spontaneous, appropriate complete sentence, learned to read, said, "I love you" first. Xander accomplishes so much everyday just by learning to adapt and deal with a world that has a different view from him. He teaches me patience, he gives joy. Below is a link to a video of how much Xander accomplished over the last year and a half. He works so hard.

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That Man

Two blogs in one day. I'm feeling a bit ambitious today. I spend all my time talking about two of the three most important men in my life so here's a little snippet about Andy, the love of my life, my husband. I'm not someone who gushes; however, he's one of the most fantabulawesome people I know.

Andy and I met in 1992 and have been together ever since. He is, without a doubt, one of the most patient people I know. Anyone who could tolerate me for almost 19 years is a saint. (Yeah, yeah, I hear ya' Mom, but he does it 'cause he wants to, not 'cause he has to.) He's funny, cynical, handsome, INTELLIGENT, and is an awesome artist and writer. He, much like myself, is a connoisseur of potty humor and sci-fi. His fathering abilities are second to none. He doesn't half-ass it in any way. Oh, and bonus, he has a nice butt. I think his only flaw is his love for me (and his crap eyesight).

Here is some of his work from his website, WickedSmash.com. Please keep in mind these images are copyrighted and owned by Andy, blah, blah blah. You can click on the images to go to that particular comic.

WitchHound

Grace Brothers

The Super-Hip, Gnarly, Rad Catz

Stuffing Yourself Silly Day

I don't have a particular memory about Thanksgiving which is strange because it's my favorite family holiday. I love the idea of spending the day with just family and none of the pressure or chaos of X-mas. Since I can't think of anything in particular, I will take this opportunity to show how frakkin' adorable Xander looked after eating his fill Thanksgiving '07.

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Share the Funny

So, today's assignment for the Special Needs Hop is to share a funny memory of your kid. We were watching TV when out of the blue Xander says, "I want a mobile dick. Can I have a mobile dick when I grow up?" Andy and I were perplexed. Being male, it goes with him wherever he goes. That's about as mobile as you can get. We decided to delve a little deeper.

"Xander, what did you you say you want?"

"Mobile dick on a AT&T Blackberry Torch when I'm a grown-up."

Hmmm. Being unaware of that particular app, we decided to rewind the DVR to see if it could offer any clues. We came across a Blackberry Torch commercial about searching for Moby Dick.

"Xander, do you want MOBY Dick on a Blackberry?"

"Yes."

We're still giggling about it.

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What do I love about Spencer?

Yesterday I answered the question, "What do you love about your child?" for the Special Needs blog hop. I decided that Spencer deserves to have a post about him as well.

What do I love best about Spencer? Again there's so much, his enthusiasm, his sweetness; however, I have to say his sense of humor and ability to be funny without meaning to are my favorite things. I figure I need to revisit an earlier blog post from May for a good scenario.

• Spencer: "Frisbees are bad guys you need to hit with a bat or they'll eat your eyeballs and you become a frisbee."
• Me: "You mean zombies?"
• Spencer: "Oh, you're right, zombies." 

First of all, I'm thinking he might be a goner in a zombie apocalypse and second he still gets Frisbees and zombies confused.

Spencer also creates his own words. He's a modern day Shakespeare. His newest word is "binachios" (hard "c" sound) defined as crazy.
Examples:

• That coaster was totally binachios.
• He was acting all binachios.
• What? That's binachios.

 Spencer is constantly on. He loves to entertain. Now, some of you might think it's because he doesn't get attention because of Xander's special needs. You'd be wrong. Spencer actually gets MORE attention because he demands it more and he gets more alone time with me than Xander.

11/6/10 CORRECTION: Per Spencer, the word is not "binachios", it's "binanchios". I made the mistake of leaving out the second 'n'. Spencer has properly chastised me for such a horrific omission.

12/3/10 Update: Spencer has designed a zombie trap, so I think he'll be ok.

What do I love about Xander

This weeks Special Needs Blog Hop question: What do I love best about Xander? Hmmm...I don't know that I have a favorite. His sweetness and smile are definitely up there. I guess one of my favorite things about him is his absolute honesty. What you see is what you get. When he laughs, he is happy; when he cries, he is sad or hurt; when he yells, he is angry. I never have to guess; it's always there in his face or actions. His lack of filter is also one of the things I dislike. It can be a double-edged sword. Here's an example of an average outing:

 

Scenario: We are at the mall. A woman with three children is trying to navigate the crowds while keeping her kids under control. A daunting task at the best of times. The oldest two are arguing and the baby is screaming at the top of his/her lungs. I completely sympathize. In steps Xander:

• Xander: MOMMY, THAT BOY NEEDS A TIME-OUT.
• Me: It's ok, Xander.
• Xander: THAT BOY NEEDS A TIME-OUT FOR HITTING THAT GIRL.
• Me: Don't worry about it, Xander.
• Xander: THAT BABY IS LOUD AND ANGRY.
• Me: Xander, you need to use your inside voice.
• Xander: (yelling whisper)THAT BABY IS LOUD AND ANGRY.
• Me: Xander, what kind of car do you like?
• Xander: I'M GOING TO DRIVE A TOYOTA TUNDRA WHEN I GROW UP. CAN I DRIVE A TOYOTA TUNDRA WHEN I GROW UP?
• Me: Sure.

He'll then perserverate on driving several different cars when he grows up. It's one of the only ways I can redirect him.

 

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Dealing w/Stress: Special Needs Blog Hop

How do I deal with stress? Good question, probably better asked of my husband. I knit, cook, watch TV, surf the web, do whatever I can to escape just for a little while. Between family and friends, I'm extremely lucky to have a support system that offers me relief if I really need it. I basically throw the boys at Andy when he comes home from work. That man never catches a break.

My favorite time of the day is 8:30 PM. The boys are in bed and Andy and I can relax on the sofa with our feet up and a glass of wine or cup of herbal tea. The time of day I dread the most? 6:45 am. That's when the damned annoying alarm tells me to get up and start all over again.

I don't know that I really answered the question. Let's just say I relieve stress with friends, family and the occasional glass of wine.



For those of you in the Tidewater area, the 2nd Annual Tidewater Autism Summit is this Saturday from 11am to 4pm. It's absolutely free and open to the public. Here's a link to the flyer with all the information: http://files.meetup.com/817378/Summit%20Flyer%202010.pdf