When parents fail and kids prevail

October 29, 2008

When parents fail and kids prevail

Kids can be brutally honest, and sometimes they can be quite cruel. My seven year old son has autism. He is often a receiving end of blunt comments. He is teased and made fun of by other children, and it hurts to watch. I'm a pretty forgiving person, and sometimes when a child says something to my son that "isn't very nice", I like to give them the benefit of the doubt. But, sometimes it crosses the line.

We recently attended a birthday party where there was a mixture of children including a handful with special needs. My son struggles at birthday parties like this because he wants to play with other children, but seems to always land on the outside. As a parent, this is tough to watch. I don't want to be the looming parent always stepping in and tend to take a step back and watch. At this particular party my son managed to join in and was frolicking about with the other children. Things were looking up and then "it" happened.

The kids were all running around and in an attempt to keep up, my son fell down. He was crying and quite upset, with a skinned knee. He came to me for comfort and in an attempt to show me where he was hurt he pulled his pants down instead of merely lifting the pantleg to show me the wound on his knee. Because of his autism, he doesn't always do things that are appropriate - and we are working on teaching him that. Pulling your pants down in public, isn't acceptable - and I'm aware of that.

Unfortunately in that split second that his pants were down another child starting pointing at him and laughing. "He's stupid!" Then my son cried more, "He called me stupid! I want to go home." The child kept saying it over and over, "Look at him, he is a stupid boy".

I was boiling inside and in that moment, all I could do was console my child. I felt that I should have said something to the boy calling my son names and poking fun of him. In that moment, I was frozen and unable to come up with something positive and productive to say. The worst of it was that the child continued to debase my son and call him names and his mother stood right there and witnessed it. She made no attempt to correct her own child, as I would expect any parent should. All I can think now is perhaps she didn't know quite what to say either. But, it was all I could do to hold back my own tears witnessing my child be teased and focus on comforting him.

During that time, a quiet little girl was watching over what was happening. She knew that the other boy was saying things that hurt my son's feelings and she didn't like it. As he continued to tease, she stepped up to him and told the boy, "You shouldn't say things like that, that's mean - it isn't nice". She said it to the boy two times, and then he stopped.

As I think about it, I believe that hearing what he was doing was wrong from one of his peers was likely far more effective than anything that his mother or I could have said or done to stop the bullying. I'm so thankful that she stood up for son that day and put an end to the bullying.

Original New Jersey Moms Blog post by MaryTara. MT writes about Jersey Shore life with autism, special diets, and sibling issues at The Bon Bon Gazette.

A Cow At The Zoo? Visit to Popcorn Park

A while ago, I confessed that I have a thing for taking pictures of my kids with funny signs. We recently went to a local zoo and I gave my husband my camera. I'm just getting through the pictures now and found this gem. Sage Advice.









My kids love this zoo, Popcorn Park, in Forked River, NJ. It is run by the humane society, so the animals there all have some pretty 'sad' pasts including abuse, circus animals, and various rescues. The coolest thing about this zoo is that the collection of animals ranges from Farm animals (cows, pigs, goats), reptiles (turtles, snakes, iguanas, etc), exotics (bears, tigers, lions, monkeys). When you pay admission to the zoo you can purchase bags of popcorn or peanuts to feed (toss in to the enclosures) the animals. The entire zoo is not real big, which is good because the ground is sandy and you can pretty much forget using a stroller. It gets the kids active - give them a box of popcorn and have them toss it to the animals.

The peacocks are free-roaming, as well as the geese. Alex has to be reminded to not chase them.











Only at Popcorn Park - The kids feed a Cow at the Zoo!





So, its not the biggest or fanciest zoo - but we love to go here!

Wall-E Costume Project

Cardboard Boxes and Google-Fu


For those of you who don't know me, I am MT's husband and the dad of Alex and Isabelle. MT has invited me to expound my points of view on her blog, sort of like Rush Limbaugh, but without the cigars and the large radio contract.

Halloween has always had one central conflict for parents: store-bought costumes or homemade?

Store-bought costumes have their advantages: some nameless corporation has already done all the legwork for you, they're usually somewhat flame-retardant, and most importantly, all you have to do is shove your kid into the cheap fabric, slap the plastic mask on them, and off you go to get your kid his/her piece of the candy-extortion racket that is Halloween.

I had a few homemade costumes as a kid. For the most part we have been store-bought costume parents, because it's much easier. However, this year Alex wanted to be WALL-E. For those of you not in the market for WALL-E costumes, WALL-E costumes cost the same as a barrel of oil now, or about half a barrel when Alex first expressed his wish to be the lovelorn robot.

Besides, WALL-E consists of a pair of binoculars mounted to a box with little grabbers. We simply refused to pay the exorbitant price the Disney corporation was asking for this. Instead, we would do the classical parent thing and make Alex's WALL-E costume.

So, what to do? The first thing was to get a cardboard box, which we obtained from a local dollar store at no charge. (See, not EVERYTHING costs a dollar there.) Since we were unwilling to find a way to semi-permanently mount binoculars onto our firstborn son's skull, we opted for a pair of goggles from that same merchant. You know the type; they made you wear them in sixth grade science class so that toxic fumes wouldn't melt your eyeballs like that guy in Raiders of the Lost Ark. (He just wore regular glasses, and look where that got him.)

Once we had the box, we discovered that it went down to Alex's knees. This, MT maintained, was too long. So we trimmed it to a more appropriate size. Trimmed it down too much, in fact, so that my scissoring permit was revoked. Then I went downstairs to do my part.

Like most good IT and technical workers, I have fearsome google-fu powers. Years of experience and razor-sharp reflexes soon popped me up a free WALL-E font (it's called Gunship, if you really want to know), and a program called Paint.Net which was supposed to be much better than MS Paint, which of course Microsoft flatly refused to put into Windows. Paint.Net was better than Paint, and it did the job I wanted it to do. To wit, I created a large graphic, four inches tall by eighteen inches wide, reading WALL-E and closely enough resembling the actual logo to pass muster.

Having successfully counterfeited Pixar's trademarked intellectual property (without remorse) I scouted out a few pictures of WALL-E himself and had a look at what the plucky little Rubik's Cube-wielding drone had on his chest. He has an air vent on the left and a solar charging screen on the right. So I made copies of those. My efforts would likely meet with laughter from most professional graphic artists, but I am not a graphic artist; I am but a humble technician. Besides, neither MT nor Alex seemed to care and it's not like people are going to measure the sun logo on Alex's WALL-E chestal unit.

So up I went and made MT cut out my work, whereupon we lined it up on the box and taped it in place with strapping tape. This protects the logos from juice or soup or whatever toxic chemicals they may have in Alex's classroom. Then we took the scraps of the box we had trimmed and bent them into triangles to make WALL-E's little treads, since Pixar apparently didn't think he deserved regular feet like everyone else.

Given that my skills are better on computer art than real-world art, where my skills are at about the same level as my son's, or perhaps my daughter's, I gave MT a crayon and gave her the arduous task of coloring the treads black, which she did, and did a much better job of it than I would have ever done. Actually, she insisted; after trimming the box too short my real-world art permissions were revoked.

Now those of you who read MT's blog know that we recently obtained a new TV, which glowers down at us from on high like a moody idol. This TV came in in a huge box with an inordinate amount of packaging, including a large length of yellow plastic strapping material of the type which they probably use to restrain inmates at Guantanamo. Since it seemed to be quite strong and hardy stuff, and MT had already used it on her sign at the vax rally, we employed it to attach the treads to the box and to create shoulder straps to keep the thing on the kid.

I felt that the costume, while pretty good, needed a bit more, so I printed up a phony spec sheet which we taped to the back. Fortunately for me, someone had felt the need to not only create a logo for Buy and Large (the megacorp that created both WALL-E and EVE) but upload it to Pixar's Wikia web site. So while my spec sheet for WALL-E is largely my own creation, it does have the correct BaL logo and the correct ersatz New Jersey city that Pixar decided was this megacorp's home.

Alex does possess an electric robotic grabby arm that MT got him for Christmas last year. This would do to provide the illusion of a WALL-E style robotic arm. However, there's only one, so we'll have to assume that after the close of the movie WALL-E fell victim to some sort of horrible accident. But be that as it may; we have a costume for Alex that we quite enjoyed creating, was a challenge to make, and gave Alex what he wanted for Halloween without costing a lung.

The final result:





And of course, Isabelle in her Little Mermaid costume, just cuz she's cute (and demanded to wear her costume because she saw Alex wearing his.



Links I am putting in here because MT insisted and I value domestic peace (she says they are related links):

Halloween doesn’t have to be a frightening: Autism, Gluten & Casein Free treats, Sensory Issues & other demons in the dark

GFCF kids can enjoy Halloween too: Dealing with Special Diets- Gluten & Casein Free & Food Allergies at Halloween

Vaccines on Desperate Housewife

Today you can find me over at Thoughts from a Somewhat Desperate Housewife with an article on Vaccines, and the importance of educating yourself about the hidden dangers.

Please check it out and leave comments: here.


Thanks, Kate, for allowing me to opportunity to Guest Blog!

GFCF Friday: Worshipping the Turtle Mountain

Wow, I never thought I'd see the day. But it has come and I finally found it in my area, even if I did have to drive like 40 minutes to get this. My son can have yogurt again. And, no - we haven't taken him off of his gfcf diet! Yogurt was one of Alex's favorite foods in the world before gf/cf. In fact, he had no impulse control and would want to eat 10 tubes of the squeeze yogurt and drank down the yogurt smoothies in a single gulp. If it was possible to be addicted to yogurt, he was. When we went gf/cf - saying goodbye to yogurt was tough. Its one of the few foods that he has actually asked for that were 'off limits' and for a child to so willingly go along with the diet switch, I felt almost mean not letting him have it.

Meanie no more, yogurt is in the house!


So Delicious from Turtle Mountain has come out with a line of Dairy Free yogurts, actually 2 lines. One made with soy and the other with coconut milk. The Coconut milk version comes in 6 flavors - blueberry, vanilla, plain, raspberry, strawberry banana, and passionate mango.

• Dairy Free Lactose Free
• Soy Free
• Rich in Medium Chain Fatty Acids Excellent source of Vitamin B12 (vegetarian friendly)
• Formulated for maximum calcium absorption
• Contains Pre- and Probiotics for enhanced intestinal health
• Cholesterol Free
• No Trans Fats
• Certified Vegan
  

They were priced 4/$5 at Whole Foods and so I decided to let Alex pick a few to try. He picked out vanilla, blueberry, strawberry banana, and raspberry - skipping the plain & the mango entirely. Can't blame him on the plain but the "passionate mango" though it sounded like it would be good (to me) did not appeal to him. When I showed it to him he announced loudly from the shopping cart, "NO PASSION!" Heads turned immediately and I laughed. Gawd, I love this kid.

When it came time to try it, I again let him choose. Out of all of them, the Vanilla is his favorite. We'll probably be sticking mostly to the vanilla, and I can't blame him. Opening it I was immediately taken back by how vanilla-y this smells. It smells great. I snuck a taste before handing it over and thought it was pretty good, even yummy. But the kids reaction is the one that matters. He loves it!

Picture, complete with dairy-free mustache!

So Delicious!

This post brought to you as part of GF/CF Friday - partnering with the Three Channels Blog

McCain vs Obama on Vaccinations

I want vaccinations to be a presidential issue. I've wanted to know where Sen. Obama & Sen. McCain stand on Vaccination Choice. I want the next president of our country to make vaccine safety a priority. I know I'm not alone on this issue.

On September 8th, we tried to speak to Obama when we rallied in Middletown, New Jersey with Louise Kuo Habakus just a few doors down from a democratic fundraiser. Claudine Liss who attended fundraiser gave a packet of information to Sen. Obama and asked him his stance on Vaccination choice. His response was the neg. "I am not in favor of selective vaccination. I believe that it will bring back deadly diseases, like Polio". The same packet of information has been provided to McCain/Palin. On September 15th, an Allison Chapman, a mother of a child with autism (like me), hand-delivered more information to Obama about vaccines. We, as citizens of the United States, deserve to know where our future presidents/VPs stand on this important issue/human right Vaccination Choice.

Autistic Living sponsored the Tell Me Where You Stand initiative. And still, we waited. Darn it but as citizens WE DESERVE TO KNOW!

TACA's Rebecca Estepp at Age of Autism says her party affiliation is autism/vaccine safety. Yes! She has made it a mission to seek answers on where the candidates stand on this important and serious issue.

And we now have an answer:

• McCain willing to step up to the plate and address the safety of vaccines and respecting parental choice.
• Obama - no real mention of Autism coupled with his statement to Liss that was anti-choice.

Read the whole story here: McCain Addresses Vaccine Safety, Obama Silent

Head Injury - Pink Eye Related

Pink Eye dosing has turned out to be even more of an adventure than I ever imagined.

My daughter continues to let me put the drops right in her eyes with no fuss, no muss. She says they tickle!

My son, not so much. He doesn't like the drops - I am sure it is related to his sensory issues. This same child doesn't like his nails clipped or ears cleaned out - either. The pin down and pry the drops approach worked somewhat when I had an extra adult. But for 2 out of the 3 doses, its just me.

I decided to try to bargain with him. Didn't work.

I took a tickle approach (since Baby Sister claimed they tickle) and it worked better. At least, in that he wasn't upset or fighting. But he was still squirming. A lot.

Last night I was giving him his last dose before bed and had got the drops into one eye without much trouble. When I went to do the second eye - he started in on jerking his head quickly to try to dodge the drop. He was giggling madly and wasn't upset or screaming. Unfortunately he darted quickly and ended up smashing his head into our coffee table. This was around 9pm, of course.

I feared it would be time for stitches but the cut was able to be closed with some glue and steri-strips. Days like this I am extremely thankful we have a doctor in the family!

Welcome to NJ.. Got Shots?

October 22, 2008

Welcome to NJ.. Got Shots?

New Jersey may be the Garden State but it also could be called the vaccination state. Here in Jersey more vaccines are required for children than in any other state- or any other place in the world for that matter. Coincidentally, the 3 largest pharmaceutical companies...they are in NJ too.

Thinking of getting a flu shot? No worries. You don't even need the hassle of calling your doctors office and being put on hold while you make an appointment. Places like Shop-Rite or Target have signs that they "sell" the flu-shot for $30, no appointment needed. How convenient.

Speaking of the flu shot. NJ is making big news in the world of the flu shot - formerly considered an "optional" but recommended innoculation. But not in New Jersey. We in NJ are living through a "first". Mandated annual flu shots for children ages 6 months - 59 months and they will need this shot to remain in preschool or childcare centers.

That's right. Proverbial pink slips coming home for kids who have not had the flu shot saying that they cannot attend school after December if they do not have the shot.

The legislation that made the flu shot mandatory in New Jersey was actually passed in December 2007. I follow the topic of vaccinations closely so I saw it happening and was horrified, but not surprised to see this happening in New Jersey.

Many parents don't believe in the flu shot, including me. When I was pregnant I got the flu shot for the only time in my life and I got the flu anyways. Now, the package insert states it hasn't even been tested to see if it passes from mother to the fetus. If cold medicines or coffee can pass to the fetus, logic dictates to me that of course a shot would.

"Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with Influenza Virus Vaccine. It is not known whether Influenza Virus Vaccine can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. Influenza Virus Vaccine should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed." (package insert)

My 7 year old son has Autism - he received a flu shot one time also, the same day that he received his MMR and a cocktail of several other vaccines. I believe that he got too many shots, too soon and it gives me good reason to be gunshy about shots. Now the NJ government wants to require that my healthy happy neurotypical three-year-old daughter gets a flu shot in order to attend pre-school. I've spent hours reading package inserts, talking to professionals, perusing websites. At the end of the day the flu shot is still a thimerosal (mercury) containing vaccine - a known neurotoxin. Even the thimerosal-free version of the shot still contains trace amounts. The bottom line is that regardless of whether or not there is proven link between Autism and Thimerosal, I'm not comfortable with the idea of injecting my happy healthy neurotypical child with a shot containing a known neurotoxin, even in trace amounts.

Now that we are "back to school" and in flu-shot season many parents are in panic mode. We are getting down to the wire with the cut-off date (December) to get the shot or get out. Over the past few weeks my phone and email have seen a lot of action because of the flu shot mandate. Parents who don't "do" the flu shot want to know: "Will my child be kicked out of school? Is there any way around getting the flu shot aside from taking him/her out of school". The only legal exemption from the mandated flu shot is by medical (i.e. an egg allergy) or religious exemption - or to homeschool. On October 16th, I was among the hundreds of concerned parents, professionals and beautiful children who rallied on the state house steps in Trenton to support vaccination choice. The bill supporting the right for conscientous exemption (A260/S1071) in New Jersey has not yet passed. There are 19 other states that support conscientous exemption, but New Jersey is not yet one of them.

Original New Jersey Moms Blog post. Read more adventures in vaccination from MaryTara at her blog The Bon Bon Gazette where she shares Jersey Shore life with autism and without it.

Got Shots?

Never one to fly under the radar (yeah, that's me) - I'm writing over at New Jersey Moms Blog and made my grand entrance with a blog post on a topic that I'm extremely noisy about. You guessed it...

Vaccinations

... and the fact that NJ is now mandating flu shots (and other shots) without the right to conscientously object. Boo Hiss.

Check me out here: Welcome to New Jersey... Got Shots?

Get your Got Shots? Tee-Shirt, here.

The Joy of Pink Eye

The kids got pink eye. It happens. They are both in school and the kids pass it around. No biggie, I had pink eye as a kid - a few times. I remember having this icky ointment that they had to rub on my eyelid and missing school. I liked school but I also loved staying home on sick days because it meant getting my parent (or a babysitter) all to myself.

But, both my kids have pink eye. So they get to stay home from school together. The upside is not having to wake up at the crack of dawn for the 7:00 hour bus time. The downside is that they will fight, a lot. They both love to have my sole attention and there is only 1 one me.

My daughter has the pink eye worse than my son (right now). So, the doctor prescribed expensive eye drops that I get the treat of putting in their eyes 3 times a day for the next 7 days. That's a whole lotta droppin' goin' on.

We started immediately so that they are able to return to school by the end of the week per the doctor's instructions.

My 7 year old son went first. He flipped out before the dropper bottle was even out of the box. Runs right up to the box and says "I DO NOT WANT VIGAMOX!" Sorry kid, not up to you. We try to give it to him in the kitchen he flips out but bargains that he will take it in the living room. My husband held him down and I got the dropper duty. Tag Team. My son kicked (me), squirmed and managed to evade the dropper. He figured out that he could reach out and try to push my hand (that held the dropper) in an attempt for me to squeeze the dropper out so none managed to get in his eye. At $40 a tiny bottle I was having no part of that. My husband had to hold him down while I had to straddle the 2 of them and pry it into his eye. He cried for a minute and then was fine. I'm hoping it gets easier over the next 21 times I get to do this. Giving medication to a non-compliant child who has Autism is so not my idea of 'fun'.

After washing my own hands 50 times it was time for "the other kid". Oh Lucky me.

My 3 year old (neurotypical) daughter, who is usually (always) the cry-baby went next. After seeing her brother pitch a fit I was certain that they'd hear her wailing as far as the next county, maybe even the next state. See, I had no faith in her. I went to get her vial (still sealed) and it was out of the box. I was all ready to accuse her of hiding it when my husband announced she has it and is ready. I came in, took the vial from her and opened it. She then laid down willingly on the floor in front of me where I effortly dropped the medication into her eye. No tears. No kicking. No screaming. She stood up and asked if her eye was 'back to blue'. Her motivation, she absolutely does not want to miss out on seeing her friends at preschool - which she will at least until Thursday.

1 dose down and 20 to go X 2 kids.

out with the old.. in with the new, Part 2 and 3

So, does it ever seem like everything goes at once. At one time we had the dishwasher and the washing machine busted - same week. These past few weeks we've had a few 'upgrades' that were far less tragic. Still, it gets me thinking. We aren't "keep up with the Jones" type of people at all. In fact we are quite the opposite from that. We use things until they are end of life and absolutely/must/need no way around it a replacement.

Here's how it went....

Part 1: replaced trampoline couch - you could no longer sit on it because the springs were busted through and the foam was collapsed.

Part 2: replaced minivan - complete with a VanPan send-off. My van was 8 (almost 9) years old and had over 100,000 miles on it. It had a lot of issues at this point and was no longer safe for an every day mama-mobile of carting around the kids. My father decided to help us out by getting me a new van. Love him.

Part 3: replaced way too small TV with a 50" Plasma. New Wii movies coming soon. The old TV, if you've watched the Wii movie was quite small - under 30" and quite old. The upgrade/replacement wasn't a necessity but it sure is nice. My husband continues to amuse me on Twitter by his comments.

The big tv still seems ominous, mounted up high and looking down at us like an idol. Should I offer it a sacrifice? 7:56 PM Oct 17th from twibble
Still getting used to the new TV. It's like the viewscreen on Star Trek. 6:55 PM Oct 16th from twibble

I'm pretty sure that's it for 'upgrades' around here right now.

Denis Leary joins Michael Savage in the ranks of Ignorami

Warning Warning Warning! This post is full of Ignorance against parents of children with autism and the innocent kids themselves.

The latest ignoramus to point the great big finger of blame, Denis Leary. Leary's new book,
Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid spews forth:

“There is a huge boom in autism right now because inattentive mothers and competitive dads want an explanation for why their dumb-ass kids can’t compete academically, so they throw money into the happy laps of shrinks . . . to get back diagnoses that help explain away the deficiencies of their junior morons. I don’t give a [bleep] what these crackerjack whack jobs tell you - yer kid is NOT autistic. He’s just stupid. Or lazy. Or both.”

The website Denis Leary Sucks has been set up in response.
Leary's comments are on the same ignorant, uneducated level as Michael Savage's Radio comments (July 2008) where he defined autism as:

"[a] fraud, a racket. ... I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot.' "

Speaking of idiots - earlier in the year (Feb 2008) reality TV's Big Brother 9 Adam Jasinksi who said horrible things and then went on to win the show!

"I do PR work for an autism foundation. I want to do a hair salon for kids with special needs so retards can get it together and get their hair done."

In the 1940's the theory of Refrigerator Mothers blamed autism on 'emotionally cold' mothers (parents). Autism was 1 in 10,000.

This is 2008. 1 in 150.

I'm convinced more than ever that they say these horrible things simply for media attention. There is but one word for their ignorant comments - unacceptable.

Every Child By Two has to BEG to get on Oprah

They want the comfy couch....
...Give 'Em the Hot Seat!


This past week, Amy Pisani - Executive Director of Every Child By Two sent an e-mail blast out to supporters begging for them to email Oprah and fill out the web-form. They've been told that is how to get on the show and they really want to talk about vaccines.

Amy writes:
In your comments, please request that Oprah invite credible scientists and/or physicians to explain the science of vaccines to her viewers. We also would like her to invite parents who have suffered the loss of a child from a vaccine-preventable disease, and a parent of an autistic child who can speak on behalf of the many families that are frustrated over the continued focus on vaccines and their supposed link to autism and the therapies that focus on “repairing vaccine damage”.

So, ECB2 wants to get their Amanda Peet onto Oprah's comfy couch.

Sounds like a plan.
How about we take it a step further?
Invite both sides and have both sides represented.

Because lets face it, every time that Jenny McCarthy has been on the show - representatives from "that side" of the fence have declined to participate. Sure, they'll send a slide with a CDC statement but that is far from showing up and being present to discuss the issue at hand. Ginger Taylor share's Pamela Felice's suggestion at her blog, Adventures in Autism right down to a proposed attendance list.

It is long overdue to sit down and debate/discuss this like adults. Professionals and Parents. The future of our children and our nation is at stake here. I'm not envisioning some sort of cat fight between celebrities Jenny vs Amanda (...though I'm sure that'd be great for network ratings!)

Oprah, you need to do this.

On Hopeism: Jenny McCarthy on US

The latest copy (dated October 27th) of US Weekly magazine has Jenny McCarthy on the cover sharing her story of Evan's recovery from Autism. Read portions of the article online or pick up a copy of it the next time you are in a grocery line. The magazine came out I'm not normally an US reader - let's face it, I'm lucky if I get out of my house with my hair combed to get my daughter to preschool ontime. I indulged myself on Friday after dropping off Belle at school and picked myself up a Starbucks Latte and a copy. Before picking it up I had read the over 300 comments posted at the US site, many of which chastised Jenny and US Magazine for the article.

Why the hate? Why? Why? Why?

What the heck.

I hear this a lot. Parents who pursue biomedical options are accused of not loving their children or accepting that their child's diagnosis. Like Jenny, I am accused of being in denial about my son's being Autistic. I don't grock this line of thinking. How is it that by stepping 'out of the box' and pursuing options like a healthy diet to clean up my son's gut does that imply I don't love or accept my child for who he is. Make no bones about it, my son has Autism. He was diagnosed over 5 years ago and I've long past the denial or even the grief stage. I was raised catholic, so I don't think I will ever totally get over 'guilt' but 'guilt' is not my driving factor. Alex is my driving factor. I accept Alex, my beautiful boy, Autism and all. Alex has autism and I don't love him any less because of it. Maybe, just maybe - I love him even more. I don't hate Autism nor do I love it. I live it, every day. I think about it like this: Autism has put a fire under my ass and it is not going out. It is my obligation as my son's mother to stand up for him. I do it for Alex, because I want to help him be successful, happy, and healthy.

And just how is Jenny harming the Autism community by sharing Evan's story - which is one of Hope.

"People say, 'you've made Evan a poster child for autism.' No, Evan is a poster child for hope." McCarthy

Earlier, I posted the advertisement image for the NAA conference with the word "Hopeism". I like that. A lot. My son has Autism and I am full of hope for him. Hope for his future and Hope for every day.

Parents fight for vaccination choice Citizens seek conscientious objection option in New Jersey

The following is an article about us in the paper: (GMNews)

Find this article online at:
http://independent.gmnews.com/news/2008/1120/front_page/023.html http://examiner.gmnews.com/news/2008/1023/front_page/003.html http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2008/1029/front_page/054.html http://ems.gmnews.com/news/2008/1022/front_page/020.html
http://www.noonehastodietomorrow.com/eugenics/vaccines/552-552

Parents fight for vaccination choice Citizens seek conscientious objection option in New Jersey BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Staff Writer



When the hundreds of protesters in front of the statehouse Oct. 16 applauded a speaker, 7- year-old Alex Wurmser started screaming.

JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Alex, 7, and mom MaryTara Wurmser, of Brick Township, rallied for vaccination choice at the statehouse in Trenton Oct. 16. Alex, who was diagnosed with autism after receiving a series of what are considered routine vaccinations, is easily startled by loud noises. However, he accompanied his mother, MaryTara Wurmser, to the protest so together they could oppose the mandating of more vaccines for children in New Jersey and to support the passage of A260/S1071, legislation that would provide a conscientious belief exemption to mandatory vaccination.

New Jersey children who attend any public or private school or day care facility are currently required to have 35 doses of 13 vaccines, including an annual flu shot starting at the age of 6 months old. The New Jersey government mandates more vaccines than any other state in the country and is the first government in the world to mandate flu and meningococcal shots. "I want parents to be able to call the shots and to be able to make an informed decision about vaccinations," MaryTara, of Brick Township, said. "I also want the shots to be cleaned up of toxins, ingredients like mercury and aluminum."

New Jersey parents currently have two means of objecting to the state's vaccination schedule for children. They can provide a medical exemption from a licensed physician or nurse practitioner that indicates a specific time period in which the child cannot receive specific vaccinations, and reasons for medical contraindication enumerated by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Parents can also seek religious exemption by explaining how immunizing agents conflict with bona fide practice of their religious tenets. The school administrator/principal makes the decision to accept or reject a religious exemption, and a school or local health department may choose to challenge the credibility of the filed exemption for children attending a public school.

Parents who violate the vaccination mandate can fall subject to penalties of not less than $50 or more than $1,000, recovered by the state in a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction.
Sandra Holbrok, of New Providence, said she had no choice but to declare religious objection to avoid having her 3-year-old vaccinated to attend preschool.

"We want to be able to conscientiously choose when and how our children receive vaccinations," Holbrok said. Robert Krakow, executive director of Autism United and the father of a vaccine-injured child, said 19 other states in the country have conscientious objection exemption from vaccinations. He said supporters of conscientious objection are not necessarily anti-vaccinations and often have children who are fully or partly vaccinated.

Hightstown's Olivia Middleton said the problem with religious exemption is that parents who declare it have to opt out of all vaccinations for their child. "That's an issue, because if you are a parent who doesn't want your child to have a flu vaccine because you don't think the flu is a deadly disease, with the present law it's not possible to opt out," she said. "Conscientious objection simply allows you to submit, upon entrance to school, paperwork for a philosophical exemption from or for your own personal conscience that you have chosen to give certain vaccinations and not others or not at all. It's the parents' choice."

Proponents of conscientious objection believe that a one-size-fits-all vaccination program is not tenable in this society, according to Middleton. "Family history and the individual history of the child is paramount," she said. "To sacrifice a subset of the population to death and other chronic diseases is not the answer so that others can avoid possible diseases." John Gilmore, cofounder of Autism United, said the number of children with autism, juvenile diabetes and other vaccination-related injuries continues to increase.
Gilmore said that in the last eight years, the autism rate in New Jersey jumped from 1 in 2,000 to 1 in 95 children, with Garden State boys facing an autism rate of 1 in 65. "My son has autism," he said. "He was developing normally until his first vaccination, when he developed a high fever and stopped talking and starting spitting." Gilmore continued, "We've seen an autism explosion, and the number of vaccinations in the United States tripled during that time. We need an aggressive review of vaccinations not done by the vaccination industry themselves." Gilmore took issue with politically appointed boards making the vaccination decisions for New Jersey children. He noted that there are more recorded deaths of children who had the newly mandated meningococcal vaccination than there have been deaths of children from meningitis.
"How come our children still have to receive it?" he asked. "It's not about protecting the kids. It's about helping vaccine manufacturers." Gilmore said pharmaceutical companies in New Jersey donated over $1 million to politicians during the past 12 months. "I know money talks, but votes talk even more, and we're being watched now, so we got to keep the pressure on," he said. "If we do, we will win." Middleton said the vaccination mandates are not about children's health.

"I believe the government and big pharmacies are in bed together," Middleton said, adding that if the state cared about children's health it would demand "green vaccines" that do not contain neurotoxins and carcinogens such as thimerosal, formaldehyde, mercury and aluminum. Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk (R District- 39), the primary sponsor of the conscientious objection bill, said federal law exempts vaccine manufacturers from liability. She said the federal government compensates those parents who can establish a firm timeline between a vaccination and a resulting injury or death and has paid $910 million toward vaccinationdamaged children. She said as of Oct. 1, the federal government had 988 vaccination-related deaths on file.

"What about the products causing the deaths of these children?" Vandervalk asked. "They're still on the market. Even worse, these products are being mandated for use." Vandervalk said New Jersey parents should have the choice to make medical decisions for their children and they have a right to keep their children free from risk. "New Jersey parents have basic human rights," she said.Maria Pinho, of Toms River, said, "As parents, we brought our children into this world and we should be able to consent to any medical intervention that they should receive. Currently, I have to consent to surgery, why shouldn't I have to consent to vaccinations?" Pinho, who has a son who developed language issues after he received two doses of three vaccines, said she had her child tested for toxins and discovered aluminum and arsenic toxicity.
"I believe the environment is a catalyst for these issues and the vaccinations pull the trigger," she said.
She said there is a need for vaccinations but more research needs to be done regarding ingredients, interactions and scheduling.

"I believe our doctors aren't getting the proper education," Pinho said. "They're being told how to administer a shot but they aren't getting a full education about vaccines." On the packaging for the Influenza Virus Vaccine Fluarix, Glaxosmithkline states that the product has not been evaluated for carcinogenic or mutagenic potential or for impairment of fertility. "We need independent research, not research by the
Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or paid for by the pharmaceutical companies," Pinho said. Damani Parran, who has a Ph.D. in toxicology and is a board certified toxicologist, said the safety information being presented about vaccinations is contradictory. For example, he said the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children ages 6 to 59 months get flu shots, which contain mercury levels that are 50 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's safety level for mercury in seafood. Parran also said that only 6 percent of the flu shots offered in New Jersey are mercury free because most contain thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative. According to the Food and Drug Administration, mercury causes neurological problems in children. "As a parent, if I am being forced to vaccinate my child, I want insurance that my child will be safe," Parran said.

Currently, A260/S1071, which would provide for conscientious objection to vaccinations, has 34 sponsors and cosponsors in legislative districts across the state. The proposed legislation is a bipartisan effort backed by both Republicans and Democrats, including local Senator (D-30) Robert Singer and Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (D-13).

A New Name for Autism

HOPEISM

The Children of Vaccination Choice - Montage

This video was shown at the conclusion of the Trenton Vaccination Choice Rally.

It is all about the kids, our future.

My beautiful children are at the 2:30 mark.

They are my reason for supporting Vaccination Choice.

Trenton Vaccination Choice Rally Video

Here is our video from the Vaccination Choice Rally in Trenton on 10/16/2008

Vaccine Nation DVD Giveaway

So, you've heard what Gary Null has to say... and you want more info. Here's your chance...

To watch Vaccine-Nation and own your very own copy of this award-winning documentary.

I will give 1 brand new Vaccine Nation DVD and also 1 Stand Up and Be Counted bumper sticker to one lucky Bon Bon Gazette reader, chosen randomly.

To enter:

1. Please leave a comment with your thoughts/experience with Vaccines on this entry by October 22, 2008.

2. For an additional entry, please post about this giveaway on your blog and leave me a comment with the link to your blog.

Gary Null has words for Corzine at Vaccine Rally

Gary Null was at the Trenton Rally for Vaccination Choice today.

The really good stuff is around the 3 minute mark if you are in a rush, but the whole deal is worth watching. Gary really goes off on Corzine here!!! Go Gary!

Part 1:

"Well Governor, that's history!".



Part 2:

"I have reports to show that every vaccine is contaminated!"



Attendees all received a copy of his award winning documentary, Vaccine Nation

Watch a Preview of Vaccine Nation

Trenton Vaccination Rally - Pictures of Signs

I wasn't able to get pictures of all the signs, but I got a lot of them. If you were there and I don't have a picture of your sign, please feel free to email it to me or leave a note in comments.

Signs from the Trenton Rally

Video Montage of Rally Signs

Trenton Vaccination Rally in Pictures

I'll blog more about this later but here are a few highlights of our day.

Alex wearing the sign that I made. I didn't make him do this, he saw other people with signs and he put it on!

Gary Null speaking. Everyone got a copy of Vaccine Nation.

Kim Stagliano of Age of Autism speaking. I took Alex, my little child warrior, over to meet her.

My daughter clutching her rag doll - in honor of Raggedy Ann.

More to come...

Vaccination Choice Rally - Our Poster

Later this morning we will be headed to the Vaccination Choice Rally in Trenton.

This is our sign.

Blog Bling!

Over the past couple of months I've had a wealth of bling in the name of Blog Awards 'awarded' to The Bon Bon Gazette . I've been remiss in the whole blog award tradition of passing them on. Well, you see - I've been waiting for this day. Ok, maybe not but it seemed like a good idea at the time. I'm going to have a whole little award ceremony in the form of a blog post and hand them all out in one big shebang. I'm even going to work really hard on this and try to not give out multiples to the same blog - but for that I can't promise. One thing I can promise for sure - the blogs linked here are worth checking out!

Let the award ceremony begin... The bon bons are flying...

I was given this this I heart your blog award by Three Channels and I'm awarding it to these lucky seven: No Whey, Mama, There's No Peace, My Platypus Life, Crazy Jugs, Following in My Shoes, Whitterer on Autism, The Stimming Spot

Here are the suggestions for the recipients of this award:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.

2. Link the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated.

6. Enjoy your award!

__________________________________________________

I'm not even going to try to "pronounce" this one but its fabulous. I got it from 4 Green & Speckled Frogs

Goes to: Teen Autism, Be Different Act Normal, GFCF Mommy, Pink and Green Mama, Crazy Jugs, Autism Family Adventures, Three Channels, A daily dose of Toni

All they need to do is leave the following message on their post when they pass the award on to their chosen eight blogger buddies.

“These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

__________________________________________________

And this is the 2nd time I've been given the Brilliante Weblog award, this time by Everyday Adventures.

My Lucky 7 are: 10 16 64, Bag Momma, Being a Mom of 3 boyz, The Wandering Peanut, Two Fer the Price of One, Welcome to My World, Missives from Suburbia

Here are the rules:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog

2. The winner must link to the person from whom they received their award.

3. The winner must nominate at least 7 other blogs for an award.

4. The winner must place links to those blogs on their own blog.

5. The winner must leave a message on the blogs of the people they’ve nominated.
__________________________________________________

Last but not least we have the Kick Ass Blogger award. This was awarded to me by Elizabeth at Three Channels Blog

I am awarding this blog award to: Momma's Tantrum, Mama on The Edge, Officer Mom, Jeannette, Send Chocolate

1. Choose 5 bloggers that you feel are “Kick Ass Bloggers”.
2. Let ‘em know in your post or via email, twitter or blog comments that they’ve received an “Award!” Share the love and link back to both the person who awarded you and back to http://www.mammadawg.com/.
3. Hop on back to the Kick Ass Blogger Club HQ to sign Mr. Linky then pass it on!

Congrats all!

On Sensory Processing Disorder

Sensory Processing Disorder

..and us.

When people clap, I instinctively cringe - anticipating the melt-down that can turn good times into a disaster. Been there, and done that - too many times to count. It could be as simple as enjoying a quiet meal out with family and then a few tables over it is someone's birthday and they start singing. Happy Birthday ends with clapping. I think we got away with clapping at your first birthday party when I made you caterpillar cupcakes. By your second birthday, clapping made you cry and it has been that way pretty much every birthday since then. And, even though all the family and friends know "We do not clap after happy birthday" -

someone always does clap.

And you'll cry.

Even on your birthday.

Alex has a diagnosis of PDD-NOS with sensory processing disorder. We live with a host of sensory issues including sensitivity to loud noises, especially clapping. One thing we've done to help him "cope" in loud and crowded situations is to use ear muffler headphones. We have also found that playing on the Nintendo Wii has helped him work on his "clapping" issues. Some days, lately most days, have been good days with sensory issues under control. Still, we live each day anticipating the next clap and trying to dodge meltdowns - sometimes with more success than others.

For the love of Pumpkin Picking

Out of all the seasons, autumn is my favorite. Today we took the kids for a day out pumpkin picking in the gorgeous (too nice for October) Jersey weather. As we drove up to Nana's house my 3 year old daughter remarked about how pretty the bright red leaves were on the trees and how it was now Fall. It is nice to live in a place where there is actually four seasons.

Alex and Daddy went into the "non-spooky" corn maze together and managed to get lost, thanks to Alex's highly accomplished wandering skills. Though the maze was not real big, I'm sure they probably circled around in there a few times before making their way out. The kids got along pretty gloriously today with only a small spat over who could have the littler pumpkin. I remember as a kid fighting over the big pumpkin, and here my kids argue over the tiny one. Go figure!

Related Articles:

Halloween doesn’t have to be a frightening: Autism, Gluten & Casein Free treats, Sensory Issues & other demons in the dark

GFCF kids can enjoy Halloween too! Dealing with Special Diets- Gluten & Casein Free & Food Allergies at Halloween

On Autism, Friends, plus an AutismX2 video

Friendship. What a tough subject. I've written about friendship before. Up until recently it seemed like Alex had acquaintances but really not many actual friendships. Sometimes it appeared as if he really didn't care, couldn't be bothered - would be just as happy with electronic friends. But sometimes it was obvious he did try but other kids weren't real interested in being his friend. There's no other words for how that is to watch happen to your kid, it stinks.

Lately, Alex has really come out of his shell and we've watched him build friendships - actual relationships that go both ways. One of the best friendships that Alex has fostered is with Logan. Yes, Logan of the famous "autistic crocs" - gosh I just really enjoy this kid and he's not even mine!

A picture of our boys from 2005 (preschool graduation). This was the year that they met and were first in class together.









And 3 years later - good friends! I love this picture (taken at POAC surfing in Seaside Park)










Logan's mom made this touching Autism Awareness video of her two very special boys - both have autism but it is not who they are. They are Logan and Noah. They are Alex and Belle's friends.

Here it is...

Autism is not who I am

My Child Warrior, Alex

We're in this together.

I've always considered Alex and I to be a team. We are a team.

I'm the Mother-Warrior and he is my child-warrior.

Check out Alex over at Age of Autism, today and be sure to share your pics of your child-warriors with Kim Stagliano.

Do you have a child-warrior?

Related Link:
Alex's first appearance on Age of Autism in the slideshow presentation of the Louise Kuo Habakus Vaccination Rally in Middletown.

Vaccination Choice on Fox and Friends & NJ the Vaccine State

Louise Kuo Habakus and Claudine Liss were on Fox and Friends today (10/09/08) on the topic of vaccination choice.



New Jersey mandates more vaccines for kids than any other place in the world. This is not what NJ should be famous for! This is a crime against our children. We are the Vaccine State! NJ also has an extremely high rate of Autism at 1 in 94 kids. They are now mandating the flu shot in NJ for all preschool age children attending daycare/preschools and additional shots for elementary school age kids.

View the After Show for more in-depth discussion between Louise Kuo Habakus, Claudine Liss and Fox News. Lots of information about the Flu Shot here!

Visit the NJ Coalition for Vaccination Choice to find out about the upcoming rally and sign the petition.


Related links:
Tell me Where you Stand on Vaccination Choice
USA = United States of Autism
A Sticky Subject - Vaccines
Youtube Video - My Vaccination Choice Story
All blog post tagged "Vaccines and Autism"

Autism and Seizures - Inevitably Connected?

Tonight I left my house (3 year old sobbing for Mama not to leave) to attend a workshop about Autism and Seizures. The free workshop was put on by my favorite Autism organization, POAC, in their brand new offices located in Brick, NJ. A speaker came from the Epilepsy Foundation of NJ and gave a presentation, showed a video, and took questions and answers from the parents and teachers who attended.

I'd really not heard of children with Autism having seizures until I read Jenny McCarthy's book Louder Than Words and I started talking to other parents of children with autism in my 'network'. What I found out was that it was a lot more common than I imagined but it seemed like no one ever talked about it or mentioned it. Why the hush hush? It is reported that 1 in 4 with Autism will experience seizures usually around puberty but many of the parents I have talked to have children the same age as my son (7) or younger. There are many types of seizures other than the most often portrayed/described Tonic-Clonic (formerly called Grand Mal) and many times these seizures go undetected "fly under the radar" because they mirror behaviors typically associated with autism (Absence, Partial, Complex partial seizures are a few of the types).

The most important thing that I learned was:

T - Turn person having a seizure onto their side so that their throat doesn't become blocked.
R - Remove all objects from the immediate area to keep them safe.
U - Use something soft under their head (or place your hand under their head)
S - Stay calm during the seizure and stay with them during & afterwards
T - Time the seizure

I learned a lot tonight and encourage parents, teachers, aides, bus drivers dealing with the autistic population to become educated about seizures.

Does your child with Autism also have seizures?

Some more info about Autism & Seizures:
Autism, Puberty, and the Possibility of Seizures
Autism-Seizures
MSN Group article: Seizures and Autism
Epilepsy/seizures and autism

Twitter Tag: You're It!

Do you Twitter? If you don't, you should! But I warn you - it can be addicting - even moreso now that I can fire up TwitterBerry and tweet 'on the go'. Fun stuff.

I was recently tagged with a Twitter Tag Meme by Rachel_L over at Following in My Shoes blog. So, now its my turn to share 6 things that no one knows about me on my blog. This shouldn't be so hard because I blog mostly about my kids and rarely about me. Except, when I try to think about things I kept coming up with things from the Six Unspectacular Quirks blog meme. Apparently, I'm pretty tame and its a good thing my kids are so darn cute and incredibly amusing or I would have nothing to blog about.

Here I go, digging deep to come up with 6 things about myself - are you ready?

1) Even though I am HelloKittieMama (and yes, I know it is spelled wrong.. its on purpose), my first "love" is Ariel the Little Mermaid. I used to be a big Ariel collector and when the Little Mermaid was re-released to the big screen I was interviewed by the newspaper with my collection. I was 25 at the time and a newlywed, and concerned about things like Little Mermaid shower curtains - that was a long time ago. Still, I'm very thrilled that my daughter will be Arielthis year for Halloween.

2)I love Vampires, Werewolves and all that. Yes - thanks to Ajsmommy408 I'm reading the Twilight books. But, the one who did it first, and best is my favorite author - Laurell K. Hamilton. If you like Twilight but want something spicier, you must check out Laurell K. Hamilton and read her series of Anita Blake Vampire Hunter books.

3)I had a pet iguana when I was in college. He, who later turned out to be a she, lived well beyond College and eventually lived in a big cage that was like 5 feet high and took up the entire closet of our townhouse when we were newlyweds. She eventually passed on to the great big kale leaf in the sky. Maybe this is why I'm not 'afraid' of my sons pet hermit crabs even if one did pinch the heck out of my fingertip once.

4)Ok Ok.. this one may get me in trouble. My blog name The Bon Bon Gazette has to do with stay at home moms sitting on their @sses eating bon bons and watching soaps and how my life debunks that myth. I do watch a soap but not at its 1pm air time, that conflicts with me getting home from preschool pickup and getting my son off of the school bus. I started watching Days of Our Lives when I was in high school, stopped when I was in college, picked it back up again after I graduated. I've watched it on and off for probably 20 years now. I hadn't watched it for a good 7 years and then I got a notifcation that they were going to have a child diagnosed with Autism on the show. So in late June I started watching it again. The problem is that it is low on my priority list compared to my other Reality TV show addiction, so the episodes pile up in the DVR. I'm currently working on July episodes and watch them late at night mostly. Yes, it is October and I'm watching July - I'll catch up in 2009 at this rate!

5) My childhood heroine was Wonder Woman. I remember watching Linda Carter on TV and telling my mother that I wanted that 'golden booby holder!" I think I was about 4 at the time.

6) I'm afraid of clowns. My husband loves to torment me with this one any chance he can get. Still, even though clowns give me the shakes and nightmares - I hired a clown for my son's birthday party last year. My son loves Loon.E the clown and she was a huge hit with all the kids at the party. And now, I can safely say I'm not afraid of all clowns - just most of them. But not Loon.E - she's got a heart of gold and can usually be found at events catering to special needs children. Check her out in this video from the POAC Walk-A-Thon, that's Alex in his Camp Bridge shirt by the way (around the 3 min mark). Loon.E rocks!

Now.. You're it! ....I'm tagging:

1. AndreaCook from Crazy Jugs
2. Dani3boyz from Being a Mom of 3 Boyz
3. Ajsmommy408 from Candy Juice and Handcuffs
4. ElizbethChannel from Three Channels
5. NoWheyMama from No Whey Mama
6. MommysEscape from Mommy's Escape

The Rules:
Now, if you’ve been tagged with the meme game from twitter, you must post 6 things no one knows about you on your BLOG. Then you have to tag 6 more people. (don’t forget to let them know they’ve been tagged.) Leave me a message letting me know that you’ve accepted the tag. Let me know when you’ve posted your list and make sure there’s a link back to my BLOG. Have fun!!!

Just Add Water - Aspergers can't stop Surfer Clay Marzo

Living on the Jersey shore just a hop skip and jump (3 miles or so) away from the ocean, my son has gotten to experience the ocean in a way that I never did as a child. My husband and I often share the memory of the first time we took Alex to the ocean, and how it made him come alive. If we could have captured that moment on camera, coulda shoulds woulda but the image of him wading with his father as the waves rolled in and drenched them both is one I don't think I'll ever forget. When I think about it, I can almost hear his belly laughs as if they are happening right at this moment. He loves the ocean, and still do this day - the reaction he has when he is in the ocean - pure joy, totally at peace, he is home.

My son has had the fantastic opportunity to go surfing several times, thanks to fantastic organizations like POAC and Surfers Healing. These organizations provide opportunities for children like Alex, who have Autism, to experience the waves in a way that I never could have imagined. These surfers are heroes.

Today, I learned of a new hero. He is Clay Marzo. Clay is a world class surfer and he has Aspergers Syndrome. This month, October 2008, his movie Just Add Water will be available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds going to Surfers Healing. I look forward to adding this DVD to our collection.

On Head Protection

My daughter's been under the weather for a few days - slight fever, cough, wheezy. It is this time of year and earlier in the week her brother had been sick. My husband ran to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. Belle was playing with her brother's trains when she looked out of Alex's window and saw Daddy return home. So excited for Daddy to come home she ran down to greet him and took a tumble down the stairs right onto the tile floor.

Splat! Ouch! Many Many Many Tears....

Last year around this time, she fell and needed stitches just a few days before our Disney trip and last week she fell off of the new couch and got herself a black eye. Some days I think I should wrap her in bubble wrap. After all, with a pretty face like this... who wouldn't want to keep it perfect?


I thought I found the perfect solution.... put her brother's sparring helmet back into use. After all, he quit Karate about a year or so ago and hasn't expressed interest in going back. I suggested wearing it (half kidding, yeah.. only kinda) and she put it on but wasn't happy about it. She took it off and said she didn't like it because: " it wasn't her favorite color."














...Do they make pink sparring helmets?