Alien Invasion

Play is children's work. While neurotypical children pick up on social skills and work through their emotions through play, an autistic child needs to be taught how to play. Especially purposeful and pretend play. Autistic children struggle with the abstract. In their world, everything is very concrete and literal. M has reached a stage in therapy where they are focusing on pretend play and interactive play with peers.
Last night, the boys engaged in spontaneous pretend play. What's more, is that this play session lasted almost an hour! This is the first time I've seen this type of play from M without the support of his therapists. The duration was quite extraordinary, also. I thought I'd share it because I am such a proud Mommy right now.


M- "My 'an-lee-uns' are going to school but this one is lost. Uh oh, we'd better go get him!"
C- "My aliens are going to school, too. Come on aliens, let's go!"
M- "This 'an-lee-un' is sick. He'd better go lay down. Gulp! I gave him his medicine and now he's all better. He can go back to school now. Hurry up!"
C- "School is over. My aliens are running away. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Don't putz around!"
Both M an C erupt into hysterical giggles.
The other day I told them not to putz around and they thought it was the funniest thing ever. Apparently, it still is.
C-"I'm laughing so hard I farted."
M-"Me, too." More hysterical laughter.

Boys. Only a boy would admit to a fart he didn't make. Lord help me. God, I love them.

Sisterhood

There's days when I think about the people of the world who do not have sisters. I have two official ones and one very special step-sister. When you throw my mom into the mix, there's five of us clucking away like something out of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
We're loud, we're obnoxious, we engage in inappropriate behaviors and conversations. We make strange bodily noises. We can be girly and ladylike in one moment, and completely repulsive the next. I suppose that the sister-less people of the world would substitute this relationship with their BFF's. Of all the BFF's I have, my sisterhood still gives me something my BFF's cannot. A feeling, intuition, hunch, pheramone-I don't have the capacity to put it into words yet. Maybe I will someday.

My sisters and I. We don't need to explain. We've been born of the same womb in succession. We lived the same pain and fears. We wore matching pajamas! And for some unknown, socially unusual reason, we have an obsession that we will discover a dead body in our lifetime.

I would move the hell out of frigid Wisconsin if I could take them all with me.

My absolute favorite part of my sisterhood is that we share all the same hobbies. It's never a question of what to do with each other, because we are all game.

Just last evening we gathered in "K1's" antique-infused Queen Anne Victorian home. We had cupcakes, cookies, coffee, and tea seated around her gorgeous antique table. We stirred with her brand new silver and sipped from her fine china. Our drinks were served from an elaborate silver tea service. Admiring her "always in renovation" period home and decor we wondered how many people have passed through her doors in the last 100+ years. What conversations had they had? How the times have changed!

And K1 shared with us the extensive history of the home, as she and her husband spent a year researching it.

We loves a good history lesson, we do!

Somehow, like usual, we discussed how many dead bodies were probably hidden in the walls and/or basement of this ancient home.

My sisters and I, we just can't help ourselves. :)

Laughing babies! (quadruplets) - full-length original clip

Whenever I need a pick me up........ I watch this clip.

Tina Dalgren's Charitable Life on Crowdrise

Tina Dalgren's Charitable Life on Crowdrise

Movin' on

It's no secret to friends and family and even coworkers that I've been job hunting for about 3 years. There's a new Aurora facility nearby that opened in March. It was a much debated addition to our town of 12,000 but finally came about. I applied for a job there before they even broke ground. I drove by almost daily, watching it grow floor by floor. I'd daydream about how different it would be to work there.
I've been working at the same hospital for 9 out of my 10 years of being a nurse. I work in a highly specialized field. I take pride in the fact that my unit is the only one like it. Naturally, it feels like home. It's comfortable. I'm confident.
Friday I accepted a position at the new facility in one of their clinics. Now I'm feeling that OMIGOD WHAT HAVE I DONE syndrome. It's a brand new position, so I'd be inventing it as I go. This is what Indiana Jones must feel like! (I don't get a cool hat or a whip, though).
Drunken by the cocktail of excitement and anxiety, I am celebrating another new venture in my long list of 'to want and do's'. It's a good time in my life. In my last post, I shared my desires to take mental inventory and make changes to bring on my new and improved self. It was time to remove all things toxic and try something new. My Frankenfoot refuses to let me handle 12 hour shifts. My gas tank and wallet desire to be a little fuller. I would like a few weekends with my family. Sometimes it's better to follow the path of least resistance.
I know that my biggest obstacle is myself.
So, on May 10th, I will crack my whip, tip my hat, take a deep breath, and take a faithful leap into the new territory that is Aurora. I hope I make you proud, Indie!