The Cupcake Crusader!

 The Cupcake Crusader struck again! Bringing sweet treats to helpless children who Mrs. Obama would deny the pleasures of a simple classroom party. How can you have a party with celery and carrots!? 
They said sweets were allowed so I jumped in right away! Then they said the treats should packaged individually in case the child did not want to eat theirs right away. So... bought bags at the dollar store and candy toppings 70% off at Michaels and dipped them in sugar so they wouldn't stick to the bags! The whole process of putting them upright in the bags took longer than baking them AND frosting them did!
So I have taken it upon myself to bring sweets into schools. I'd have a cupcake sale if I could!  
I told my niece Savannah that if I got arrested I would call her!
You never know! The year isn't over yet!

Joy's Art

Joy's drawings have been getting really good. She probably would have a cow because I am posting these but I think they are awesome! She draws all the time!

Most of the time I am so busy entertaining, chasing or working with Grace, I feel like I don't get enough time to spend with just Joy. But sometimes we share a movie or our new favorite show, Gravity Falls and its just all that we need. 

AND she's turned into a book-toting fangirl!!!!1 She's read 2 books in 3 weeks and was upset when Chris told her she had to put off her book till her tests were done this week. 

Lovin' it!!

Snuggle

Tonight was the third night that Gracie told me to lay down with her when I put her to bed! She smiled and laughed each time she told me to lay back down. I am liking this a lot! Big Smiles!

The Night Before Screwed Up Saturday

Chris had put Gracie to bed and I was putting towels  away upstairs. She was grezting about something so I went in to see what was going on. She told me to lay down on her bed with her. Then when I did, she laughed and snuggled in to me. She pulled her puppy over our heads like she does when she goes to sleep. I can't explain exactly how she looked. But there was happiness and affection- she was glad to be snuggling with me/! She made REAL eye contact with me! She connected with me. I felt her saying "I love you, mom" the way only she can say it.
I don't know where the road is taking us. I don't know when or if she will talk like everyone else.
I do know that I will be there if that happens- or if it doesn't.
Ups and downs. Highs and lows.
Gracie and me. Together.

Screwed up Saturday

This post is for Norma.

It started off like a good day. 

Chris and Joy said we were going to go to the zoo . Usually I her ignored when I ask to go to the zoo but it was a perfect day for it. So we packed up and went. 

Well, I guess everyone in Philly decided it was a perfect day for the zoo because as we got there they closed the parking garage!!( seriously who goes to the zoo in October?) We looked for a parking spot to no avail. So what now?

Go to Ikea( Joy LOVES IKEA!) Go home?Go to Peddlers Village's Carousel? I got an inspiration about a museum we never got to- The a Please Touch Museum-do I google it and it's a mile away! How convenient ! So we find it and there's a lot of people but it's not overly crowded. 

It started off well.

Then we went downstairs. Evidently Grace doesn't like downstairs- anywhere. Well, I tried what Grace's feeding therapist, Marcel, does- she makes her look her in the eye and says "trust me"- and it worked. She went downstairs and checked it out. Then something spooked her and she started to balk so I told her to tell me no- and we went upstairs where she played on the water section.

Chris and Joy checked put what we missed downstairs and came up. We started to go across the huge foyer to the exhibits on the other side, but Grace would have no part of it. I tried to get her to sit at one of the tables to eat but she threw off her shoes and tantrumed in the huge main entrance area. (Autism- YAY!)

Chris finally had to pick her up and put her down at the table.

So what set her off? I wish I knew . There were models of vehicles and one was a bus- so that was probably it. But she was able to walk through lobby to exit without a problem. Go figure. 

Then Chris wasn't happy because I didn't feel like stopping somwhere to eat. 

I thought I had a good change of game plan and we ended up wasting $$. 

I guess I was getting used to her being so good everywhere we went. Such is the roller coaster ride of living with autism.

Then and now. (subtitle: Finding a developmental Pediatrician)

Grace had an appointment with her developmental pediatrician today.
We have started taking her to Geisinger Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute in Lewisburg.  It was a 2 hour drive both ways. We drive that far because there are no good developmental peds in this area. You have to wait a year for CHOP and Hershey and others are closed to new patients.
SO how did we end up at Geisinger with an amazing pediatrician? Grace's first speech therapist recommend them to us, as they just recently opened up their offices. We were fortunate to get an appointment with Dr. Soares within a short time and he has been wonderful. He actually gives us input and recommends things to do for her. It was so hard to get any feedback from our first dev. ped. other than "keep doing what we are doing".
Dr Soares told us we were doing great with her. He said she is making great progress and he will be here to make sure that everything with school and her therapies goes smoothly. It's so comforting to find someone who actually looks at her and sees her as an individual, not just another case. I always got the impression with her previous Dev. Ped that she was just going through the motions: lumping her in with other kids.We are so blessed with finding the best people to help her. Most of it is from her aunt Angela, who knows all the best people in the field.
I  don't know what I would do if I couldn't find the right people to work with her.
           There have been so many changes. Just today, she asked for stickers and when I gave them to her, she said "Thank you." I had to do a double take. And she said it again when I asked her.
Such a small thing. But it was huge! I felt like taking out an ad in the paper!
Then she had an awesome feeding session when she voluntarily asked for goldfish( she put one in her mouth and we thought she was going to chew and swallow it) and asked for more pizza flavored pringles to lick!
So many little things. So many HUGE changes. It's going to be a wild ride!

Miracle League LV Trick Or Treat

We took Grace to the Trick or Treat Event that the Miracle League holds each year. She had a great time!
She caught on right away and was going up to all the stands herself! It was so well put together and decorated, it's a shame it rained out the last hour. But the rain didn't seem to dampen anyone's "spirit"!
The Miracle League does so much for the kids. We appreciate all the "angels"who helped Grace enjoy her first year with them. Who knows- maybe next year we will be with the cheering squad!

Chocolate Cake/ Chocolate Ice Cream/ Bananas

This past weekend, Grace stole the chocolate cake plate after dinner at Buca's . She played tug of war with her Uncle Roger with the dish when he tried to take a bite of "her" cake. She wouldn't let it go until she had all the chocolate sauce off the plate. She was SO happy when she saw that slab o' cake!! Before that she had a big plate of spaghetti! It's almost impossible to connect her to the little girl who made us leave the same place twice last year!!!

Then the next day, we went for a drive and stopped at the OWowCow Creamery-https://www.facebook.com/owowcow
where they make the best ice cream with fresh ingredients in micro batches. Anyway we got Grace a small dish of chocolate - like we have done many times before, only to have to eat it ourselves.
Well, this time SHE ATE IT!!! Almost the whole thing!! Chris almost fell over but I knew she would do it this time.

And finally, tonite at dinner, she asked for a banana!!! Not  yogurt! A BANANA!!!!!!!!!
I almost fell over!! So I added CAKE and ICE CREAM to her food list on her device!!
Our little girl is changing everyday!

My Teeth hurt.

Gracie used her device to tell Lindsay, her therapist , that her teeth hurt!! She said my teeth hurt - can I have a bandaid!!!!!

It might not seem like a lot but this is a HUGE milestone for Grace.

She's not only learning ABCs and 123s , she's learning about other people and HERSELF!!!

At first Lindsay thought Grace's complaints were because she didn't want to do a task but when they continued, she thought something might be hurting her so she gave her the device  and asked what was wrong.

And Grace told her!

And I gave her ibuprofen. 

And 20 minutes later she was better.

Life with Grace is full of little wonders.