SOOOOOO close...

Woke up to find this… 

You’re surprised, I know. 

 

8 hours earlier…

G and I were heading to bed. It was just after midnight…a little later than usual. Riley was already downstairs on the couch. I went to tuck him in.  

I wasn’t in bed but 5 minutes when I heard what sounded like a crash. I waited. I listened. Nothing.

A few minutes passed but my curiosity got the better of me so I went to investigate.

Riley was still tucked in on the couch but immediately said when I came down “What are you doing down here?”  All seemed to be okay so I headed back to bed. 

 

This morning…

As soon as I came downstairs, I noticed the tree. How could you not?!?!  Well…actually…G did not notice.

We were sooooooooo close!!! 

I called Riley making sure my voice was calm and steady.

He came down and was visibly upset.

I did not have to say a word. He immediately started repeating “It crashed! It broke!! I BROKED IT!!” Then he started slapping his head.

At times like this, he will let me hug him. It is hard to see him so distraught.

As much as we try…HE tries…there are times when he just can not help himself. And so we let it go. It’s just an ornament and the tree has to be undecorated at some point. My only concern is that he may hurt/cut himself trying to clean up the broken shards of glass.

*Lightbulb moment*   

Perhaps next year I will suggest we do it together during day light. Really…I’m not new here. But what confuses me the most…why the heck has nobody thought to do this before either?!?!?

 

From our family to yours… 

Stay safe and may we be able to get closer than 6’ to our loved ones in 2021!

 

If it still sells...don't change it!

 My latest meme…

And if you think this “NEW” recipe has the SAME GREAT TASTE…you would BE WRONG!!! 

You often read about children with autism being “picky” eaters. Picky sounds so negative so I prefer to think of Riley as a “particular” eater.

Picky is defined as “extremely fussy”. 

Fussy is defined as “hard to satisfy or please; a fussy eater”. 

Particular is defined as “exceptionally selective, attentive or exacting; to be particular about one’s food”. OK so this definition is number 7 on the list but it actually does refer to food in the description.

“Exceptionally selective”...Yup, that is definitely an accurate description of Riley’s eating habits.

Have you ever heard of a “supertaster”??  I had not until about 5 years ago even though it was a term coined in the early 1990’s.

“A supertaster is a person who experiences the sense of taste with far greater intensity than average, with some studies showing an increased sensitivity to bitter tastes. It may be a cause of selective eating.”  ~Wikipedia

As with “supertasters”, individuals with autism may have sensory issues towards certain foods that are hard to pinpoint especially in cases where communication is a challenge.

When Riley was little, the minutest change in taste/appearance (even the packaging) of a preferred food could trigger a meltdown for him and a need for copious amounts of alcohol for me. With an already limited diet, decreasing by even one food item was stressful.

I posted this meme on Facebook and was touched by the number of offers to help track down boxes of the “original recipe” Lipton’s Chicken Noodle Soup. Trust me…10 years ago I would’ve jumped on your kind offers.

While I still gasp and my heart may miss a beat (due to PTAD aka post traumatic autism disorder) when I notice “something different”, I don't immediately go into full blown panic mode anymore. Why??  Maybe it's age and maturity on my part. Hmmmm...I doubt that. Perhaps it's because I have figured out the secret to Riley World. Definitely not. Probably more like I am old and tired. 

I believe the real reason is that Riley has aged and matured and is now able to cope/manage changes without the tears and screams of frustration from his younger years. 

Sure, there is still a lot of gagging/dry-heaving but hey…one thing at a time right???