An Update on Us

We have had an insane year so far! My computer crashed out around the time Matthew started school and it took about a month to get my new hard drive from HP and I got behind on everything, especially blogging. With Matty being in school, he managed to bring home every germ known to the classroom and I spent 9 out of 12 weeks sick before he was out for the summer. Sure I've been on Facebook but that is mindless for the most part and doesn't require alot of sentence structure or structure of any kind. I'm also on the Walk Committee for the San Diego Walk Now for Autism Speaks 5K happening on September 10th at Liberty Station. If you'd like to join my team or start your own, please let me know! PS- we are also taking donations....

I have to say that 2010 was a crappy year overall. My parents retired and moved to Oregon, my bout with depression, a baby with reflux who didn't sleep through the night, Matthew's behavioral issues we later realized are synonomous with Autism, family drama, etc. It was an exhausting year that I would like to forget ever happened. This year has been amazing though. Matthew's diagnosis of autism meant that we were going to get help for him. He loves going to school and has blossomed. He didn't qualify for summer school but luckily his at home ABA kicked in right after the school year ended. His vocabulary has increased so much! He's still behind in language for his age level but he has made so much progression. He is counting, identifying his alphabet and matching shapes and colors. In the last month, he has even started engaging in pretend play. Parents of normally developing children take that aspect for granted. He knew that toys were for playing with but his playing was primarily stimming. He loved to get down to eye level to watch the wheels spin on his trains and cars rather than just be imaginitive. He liked his Buzz and Woody figures but didn't know what to do with them. Now he makes Buzz fly and he makes Woody walk. Its incredible! I can't believe he goes back to school in less than 2 weeks.

Jack is the man! He is quite verbose and still speaks primarily in jibber jabber, but he is something else. He loves to sing "Bob the Builder" and give fives and knuckles. He loves to laugh and run and make his Mommy tickle him. He just started climbing out of his crib this week...sigh. I guess the big boy bed will be the next big step. Jack is also a big flirt. Whenever Matty's BST comes to the house, Jack jumps in her lap and talks her head off. He also has this flirty look he gives her so she will make eye contact with him. I guess I should be worried, but he's so darn cute!

We just came home from a 10 day trek to Oregon. I have been there several times throughout my lifetime, and a handful of times in the last 10 years, but this is the first time I have made the drive in about 20 years. Tony had never driven north of Beale AFB or been to Oregon (he has been to Washington state a few times). He was absolutely in love with the beauty of Oregon. All of its green, lush wooded areas and rivers flowing peacefully through the city and outlying areas. My parents live on a 400 acre ranch in Banks, OR (about 30 mins west of Portland) and the kids were in heaven.