All in a Day's Quirks



I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too - cackle cackle!

  
A few tunes
to get you
howling
and screeching
for Halloween...


No gore,
just music
and a bit of fun.




































Punk Halloween Songs
http://punkmusic.about.com/od/punk101/tp/horrorpunk.htm

Metal Halloween Songs
http://hardrockhideout.com/2007/10/29/top-ten-metal-songs-for-halloween/

http://the-trukstop.com/articles/2008/heavy_metal_halloween.html

Oldies Halloween Songs
http://www.popculturemadness.com/Music/Halloween-Music.html

Country Halloween Songs
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5897850/halloween_party_songs_country_style.html

What's your favorite Halloween song ?  Please share.

Homage to Halloween...
Caution: 
May cause excess swaying and bopping. 

Love this band!  Love the candy too!  :}

Squirrel Nut Zippers: Hell

Hell
Uploaded by RavenTV. - See the latest featured music videos.

The Band:
http://snzippers.com/

The Candy:
http://www.necco.com/OurProducts/Products.asp?ProductSubCategoryID=3

All gone! The End



3491

I saw this wise quote today:
If you don't look up to them, don't let them look down on you. 

I'd add:
If they look down on you, don't look up to them!


G would add:
Just look sideways like I do!

In nearly all recent photos G's looking sideways.  He's regressing back to that - gotta work on it again. Still cute though!

Being an avid "Garage Sale-r", I taught my kids at a young age to watch for signs along the road.  They love the thrill of the hunt as much as I do - let's face it, most of what I'm looking for is for them!  G's no exception.  Between pointing out garbage trucks, mail trucks, fire trucks, holiday decorations, etc...G announces EVERY sign, every day, "Garage Sale!"  Car rides get deafeningly loud between my bad singing, laughing, lecturing or yelling, 3 kids being kids, traffic and G's loud broadcasts. 

G's learning that not every sign = Garage Sale.  We try to read signs to him to help him understand that each sign has different words and messages; to help him travel down that road to reading (apologies for the obvious pun).

This morning as we were driving through our sub, G recognized that the signs on front lawns were not "Garage Sale" signs, but something different.  G came up with his own new message - declaring,
<><><><> <><><><>

I'll bet she wishes she had a crystal ball a few years back...



Yes, you too can own this... http://www.poopsign.com/

Wear it loud, wear it proud! http://www.thebrowncow.com/manure-movers.cfm?category=248  

3384

Where are you, whatcha thinking about, Little Guy?

If you have an autistic child, you probably notice that they often seem to drift off, absorbed in their own world, staring blankly.  We all do this, but frequent lapses can be a symptom of autism, a necessary shutting down from sensory overload.  I'm always taken aback because G is so high energy, fidgety, singing, chatting, pointing, yelling, whining.  When he's quiet and still, I panic a bit.  I always wonder where he goes on his little breaks, try to imagine what he's thinking.  Is he engaged in the "autistic savant thing": counting - stimming,  mulling over a complex mathematical equation, composing a symphony?  Likely not.  Or the more typical singing a catchy tune in his head, remembering a fun activity, taking in the scenery, simply daydreaming.  Or just...nothing??? 

Today I discovered I need to be mindful of what I do and say because he may be taking it all in - even when he appears "checked out".  In the car this morning G was not his usual lively chatty self, staring out the window instead.  I usually try to engage him in conversation, but today I took advantage of this quiet moment to call my husband and leave him a voicemail.  I explained a recent charge on a credit card, saying that we'd have to discuss some ideas I had for Christmas gifts this year.  I went on with a few other mundane necessities about shuttling kids tonight, asked if he needed anything from the store, etc. and hung up. 

A full minute later, G said, "Who were you talking to, Santa?" 

Hello Santa, I'd like a full-size real garbage truck and WM uniform please.

Does he always pay attention when I think he's in another world or did he just perk up when he heard "Christmas gift"?  His face held the blank stare the entire time. I habitually look back at him repeatedly while driving...it's a mom thing. 

I wonder if he'll expect Santa to pick him up later too?  :)

One hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, how big my house was, or what kind of car I drove. But the world may be a little better, because I was important in the life of a child.  ~Forest Witcraft

Henri Toulous-Lautrec, Le Loge au Mascaron Dore  Item # 12280217  http://www.art.com/

Life is a theater. Invite your audience carefully. Not everyone is emotionally or spiritually healthy & mature enough to have a front row seat in your life. There are people in your life that need to be loved from a distance. Pay attention to who lifts you up & who leans... on you. You cannot change the people around you...... but you can change the people you are around.  ~Unknown 
 


Dress Rehearsal, Carolyn Dawn Johnson

Lyrics
  


Is your life a Comedy or Tragedy? Theater Masks   Item # 12351355 http://www.art.com/

  


Carnival at Marmorhaus by Josef Fenneker Item # 10125050A  http://www.art.com/

When you stumble, make it part of the dance.  

Glo-Bowling birthday party sensory blues

Experience is a hard teacher
because she gives the test first,
the lesson afterwards.
 ~Vernon Sanders Law




Pop Quiz Popcorn

Each day in a parent's life is a test. 
Each day of an autism parent is a series of pop quizzes. 
Pop! Pop! Pop! 
Pop-Pop-Pop-Pop-Pop!
We spend energy anticipating pops
as if we're waiting and watching for popcorn kernels to burst. 
We delight pops of breakthroughs, euphoric moments. 
We expect pops of setbacks, anguished moments. 
We, along with our children
pop UP, DOWN, HIGH and LO, TO, and FRO; 
the sizzling skillet of  autism taking us all on a explosive ride.

Likely as not, the child you can do the least with will do the most to make you proud. ~Mignon McLaughlin

Someone asked recently for words to describe what it's like to be an autism parent.  Here are mine, for today...
Mystifying, quirky, fun, irritating, lonely, painful, silly, loud, surprising, terrifying, vigorous, delightful, whirlwind, loving, proud, breathtaking, humbling, exhausting, consuming, frustrating, humiliating, brutal, extraordinary, beautiful, unparalleled, sublime.

In other words, a contradiction in terms each moment of every day! 

I've been able to handle my two neurotypical children at any age together easier than any stage of G's life since he began walking at 14 months and regressing.  Even when at 1 and 3, they'd each zoom off in opposite directions at the grocery store.  Even when my infant daughter had colic for 5 long, horrifying months.  Even when my older son got frighteningly high fevers for 2 years before I finally demanded - instead of asking - that his tonsils come out.  Even when they simultaneously caught the messy flu, screamed, cried, fought over a toy, yanked on my pant-leg, needed a great big hug because they had a rotten day.  I've never had discipline or long-term behavior issues with either of them...N and M aren't perfect, they're typical kids.  Then along comes my wild child G.  Nothing prepared me for this amazing experience.  From my perspective, parenting autism equals performing caregiving at ten times neurotypical parenting.  I surely can't imagine how parents cope who have physically challenged, non-verbal or multi-challenged children....and many families have more than one handicapped child.  I'm awestruck at the thought!  Blessings, peace, strength and good karma to all of you. 

Famous Words About Parenthood

Having a family is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain. ~Martin Mull

Making the decision to have a child is momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.  ~Elizabeth Stone

When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they're finished, I climb out. ~Erma Bombeck

In spite of the six thousand manuals on child raising in the bookstores, child raising is still a dark continent and no one really knows anything. You just need a lot of love and luck - and, of course, courage. ~Bill Cosby, Fatherhood, 1986

What are your words?