tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74945637372561517032024-03-19T07:45:49.676-04:00Autism All AroundAutism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-48279712114371301752012-09-07T23:51:00.002-04:002012-09-07T23:51:35.939-04:00Stork Naked<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=httpirritabal-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0765343126&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<p>I first wrote Piers Anthony back in 1994, when I was 14; I asked him to name a character for my pen pal's son, who had been a fan and had been murdered. He did.
<p>I wrote him again in 2004; I asked him to Jane characters after my daughters because they have autism; again, he did. They are minor characters in the Xanth novel Stork Naked. I've provided an Amazon link to the book above for anyone who is interested in checking it out. It's through my affiliate link, so if you make purchases through that link I will receive a small commission. Any help is appreciated. (Autism is expensive!)Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-87649144685203854752011-11-20T20:48:00.000-05:002011-11-20T20:48:42.975-05:00Celest's PlaylistCelest has decided that she wants to use my headphones and laptop to listen to music on YouTube. She's had fun with it. I, however, had to figure out what she was talking about some of the time. Here's her list for today so far: <br />
<ul><li>Muse Butterflies and Hurricanes</li>
<li>Muse Take a Bow</li>
<li>The Beatles The Continuing Tale of Bungalow Bill (or whatever the proper title is)</li>
<li>"Moby Honey Play" as she called it; the song Honey from Moby's album Play</li>
<li> Muse Razor Blades</li>
<li>oble-doble-doble-oble (and some other syllables that sound roughly like that)- she wanted Ob-la-di Ob-la-da by the Beatles- This one was my favorite to figure out.</li>
<li>Muse "Museum"- actually Muscle Museum</li>
<li>and "coming unplugged", which I never did figure out for her. Nothing that showed up on YouTube was what she was looking for. </li>
</ul>She's feeling a bit musical today, I suppose. I brought my bike and magnetic trainer set up in the house so they could get some exercise, and she's been plucking the brake line and telling me it's a guitar string. Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-76817133230746755832011-11-20T17:43:00.000-05:002011-11-20T17:43:03.194-05:00Bah! And Other Things.I haven't posted on this blog since July. Which certainly isn't to say that my life hasn't been affected by autism since then. I have just had no will to write about it.<br />
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It's been a long ass year, and the girls are dealing with it pretty well. We moved on September 6th, and they've dealt with it very well. They don't seem to miss the old place (we'd been there since December 2002 until September 2011). In fact, they seem to really like the new place.<br />
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However, I'm not dealing with all of the changes so well. I don't like seeing my kids growing up (as weird as that may sound). I don't like puberty. I don't like the fact that we will have to go to another school next year because the district pretty much told me they have nothing appropriate for the girls past the seventh grade.<br />
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I don't like not knowing what the future holds. I've been dealing with the fact that I won't be able to keep and protect the girls forever. If for no other reason than the fact that I will die some day.<br />
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But, also because I can't keep a "regular" full time job with them. I can't afford much of anything since the move. I haven't lived on my own since 2002. Within two months of moving I've lost my main source of income. I'm struggling to figure things out at this point, but I have come to the conclusion that I have to be able to make it, so I will.<br />
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The girls are for the most part oblivious to my depression at dealing with such things (or so they let on). That is a good thing. I like that they don't have to worry about this part of life.<br />
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I've really connected with some other parents of kids with autism (or as I call them, autism parents) online. I met a mom of a newly diagnosed child, and it feels good to be able to help her out with information when I can. Still, it feels like a very lonely and isolated world of autism that the girls and I contend with. Or rather, that I contend with, because most of the time they are pretty happy.Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-31616818165962839392011-07-13T14:19:00.001-04:002011-07-13T14:20:16.466-04:00I Was Never Really a Fan to Begin With, But Now I Have More Reason Not to Like Lady GagaAside from the fact that she took her name from the Queen song "Radio Gaga" because her manager compared her vocal skills to Freddie Mercury's (which is a joke in and of itself!), I've never thought much of Lady Gaga. She comes off as a pretentious, pseudo-intellectual, gay panderer. By that I mean I think she tries to be super "gay friendly" to get that market share, not because she actually gives a shit about the problems gay people go through. <br />
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However, in a recent interview she showed her open-minded acceptance of others particularly well. While bashing people who accused her song "Born This Way" of being a rip off of Madonna's "Express Yourself", she said this: "No. Listen to me. Why the [expletive]...? I'm a songwriter. I've written loads of music. Why would I try to put out a song and think I'm getting one over on everybody? That's retarded."<br />
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Yes, Mrs. Champion of Individuality, open minded hero of the downtrodden and sexually oppressed. Using "that's retarded" is a very sophisticated, intellectual response to criticism. And rather artsy too. Just like her high brow, cutting edge, "deep" lyrics. Some examples: "Cause I'm bluffin' with my muffin", "Cherry, cherry, boom, boom, ga, ga", and "Let's have some fun, this beat is sick, I wanna take a ride on your disco stick". <br />
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I can't claim to fully comprehend the depth of her artistic craft. But I can say that resorting to name calling, pejorative usage, and slandering people with intellectual disabilities isn't exactly taking the high road in an argument. Sounds a bit defensive to me, in fact. Just my thoughts.Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-8655780629032583202011-06-12T21:10:00.000-04:002011-06-12T21:10:00.408-04:00Summer TimeWe've yet to do anything too exciting this summer. I'm trying to think of things, and I've come up with a few local trips we can do. Nothing too exciting.<br />
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We begin our extended school year tutoring tomorrow, so maybe we'll come up with some fun yet structured things to do around the house on Mondays and Tuesdays. : )<br />
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The girls turn 13 in nine days!!! I've yet to get them anything for their birthday, but they don't know that yet. Geez, I feel old.Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-55651133585572590682011-05-20T23:20:00.000-04:002011-05-20T23:20:57.367-04:00The School Year is Almost OverI'm back to that slightly evil feeling I get when I wish the school year wasn't over. It's not that I don't love my kids and enjoy being around them. It's just that they get bored easily and I have trouble entertaining them. Then things can get ugly.<br />
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For instance, when bored, their hobbies may include:<br />
<ul><li>throwing temper tantrums for no apparent reason</li>
<li>going to the bathroom every 5-20 minutes and getting naked/making a mess</li>
<li>fighting over the TV remote, ipod, and/or my cell phone</li>
<li>mindlessly eating snacks</li>
<li>sneaking out of the room I'm in to get into something they shouldn't be</li>
</ul>I work from home the majority of the time, so this can make my work situation a smidge less than optimal. Also, I feel guilty for working instead of doing things with them. Then when I'm doing things with them I'm thinking, "I need to get to work!"<br />
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Anyway, whether or not I'm ready, schools out in roughly two weeks.Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-33658123588778547042011-04-12T21:08:00.000-04:002011-04-12T21:08:11.678-04:00Autism Awareness MonthI've gotten pretty far out of the loop on advocating, attending rallies, and other autism activities. I feel kind of guilty about that. Then I realize that I do the best I can for my daughters every day, and that is helping out with autism. I try to let them experience life, even though it is rough with their abilities sometimes.<br />
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I always feel like I'm not doing enough. I wish I could handle them 100% by myself, but I know I can't. I need help, but at the same time I resent needing help. But the mature side of me knows that what is best for the girls is accepting help when it is needed.<br />
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Each parent and caregiver is different, so I can't claim to speak for them all, but here are some things I'd appreciate others knowing about autism:<br />
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<ul><li>Not all people with autism have special skills or are like Rain Man. Less than 1% are considered autistic savants. And no, my kids aren't in that tiny group. </li>
<li>Kids with autism may appear "bratty" in behavior but most likely they are having a meltdown that they can't control. Staring at them will only embarrass/enrage their caregivers and companions.</li>
<li>Offering to help is fine. Offering holier-than-thou or sarcastic commentary/advice is not fine. </li>
<li>Asking questions is okay, as long as my kids aren't running amok or having a meltdown. I am very open and love to talk about autism with people who are genuinely interested. Just know that if my kids are present I'll probably be very busy keeping them on task.</li>
</ul>I hope I can get more involved in the autism community as my daughters get older, but they will always need cared for so that may have to stay a lower priority for me for some time. I encourage and appreciate what others can do to spread awareness and stop prejudice. Thanks for your help if you've done your part.Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-49251569381157770592011-03-29T17:10:00.000-04:002011-03-29T17:10:44.634-04:00Squeaky! And Other Stuff...Celest has decided to start squeaking throughout the day. I'm not sure why this is exactly, other than I think she likes the feel of making the sound and the sound itself. She just keeps making a squeaky noise. I don't know exactly how to describe it.<br />
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Aside from this, the girls have both decided to sample music in very tiny sections. Generally the first 1-10 seconds of a song. I almost lost my mind hearing the first three seconds of ZZ Top's "Cheap Sunglasses" last night. I can still say I've never heard the full song, since I was never allowed to hear past maybe the fourth or fifth second when she was slow about restarting the song. Good times. : )<br />
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The school year is almost over, and I don't know that I'm quite ready for that yet. I haven't figured out anything in particular to do with the girls this year. They get so bored during the summer that they tend to have more behavior problems. I'm still trying to work on something fun for them to do. Too bad I'm not comfortable with most camps for them. I think they'd really like a day camp.<br />
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Other than that, there hasn't really been much going on. Aside from the squeaking and sampling, that is.Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-36613132890314005002011-03-13T20:54:00.000-04:002011-03-13T20:54:27.526-04:00Senator Agrees With Hitler's Treatment of the Mentally IllThis guy should be ashamed of himself. Here is an excerpt from the article:<br />
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<blockquote><strong>Barrington Republican Martin Harty told Sharon Omand, a Strafford resident who manages a community mental health program, that “the world is too populated” and there are “too many defective people,”</strong> according to an e-mail account of the conversation by Omand. [...]<br />
<strong>Harty confirmed to the Monitor that he made the comments to Omand.</strong> [...]<br />
Omand says Harty then stated, <strong>“I wish we had a Siberia so we could ship them all off to freeze to death and die and clean up the population.” Omand said Harty appeared to be serious. After Omand responded that his idea sounded like what Adolf Hitler did in World War II, Omand said Harty responded, “Hitler did something right, and I agree with (it).”</strong></blockquote><br />
Here is the full article:<br />
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/11/gop-senator-siberia/Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-76043467061775469032011-02-27T10:51:00.000-05:002011-02-27T10:51:30.683-05:00Cracked iPod/iPod CrackCelest managed to put a large crack in her iPod touch, which from looking around online at Apple repair quotes it looks like it will cost $99 to repair (I paid roughly $200 with tax for the iPod touch new). This experience has also taught me that she is addicted to her iPod more than I realized. Though we have two iPods, the only one she wants is the cracked one.<br />
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This morning she ran through the house screaming for her "phone" (I have an iPhone so she calls her iPod a phone) and shrieking "baby, baby, baby!" every time I told her that her iPod was broken. She rolled in the floor, stomped around, and did an overall grade 8 tantrum (with 10 being the worst). It took her about an hour and some baked cheddar cheese & sour cream Ruffles to settle down. I'm hoping her iPod withdrawal doesn't flare up again later today. <br />
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</a>Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-87381670998885892812011-01-23T07:37:00.000-05:002011-01-23T07:37:53.243-05:00More Joys of Puberty! (or Will I Survive the Next Six Years?)The girls are having a rough time, I'm assuming because of hormonal fluctuations. We haven't reached the big M yet (or P, depending on what you call it). I'm thankful for that.<br />
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However, we have achieved some super-mega fury tantrums. I have a big bruise on my arm where Celest pinched the holy-heck out of me. She was biting, pinching, and hitting both herself and me. That's after she tried to hit Lotus as well. After about 30-45 minutes the rages pass (with or without the help of some calming medicine).<br />
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Lotus has a more sneaky method of unleashing her fury on me. She acts like she wants me to sit next to her and cuddle her. Then she'll lean toward me for a kiss. Next she allows her true intentions to be seen: she grabs my head and mashes it into her head. And, if I'm really lucky, she'll pull my hair and try to head butt me in the face.<br />
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Good times are had by all. : ) Honestly though, I hope that this phase passes soon. And/or that I find a better way to end the bad moods more quickly.Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-36183541493046224332010-12-17T22:39:00.000-05:002010-12-17T22:39:45.259-05:00Oops! Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program...Last week I ended up going to the ER due to back pain. I thought that maybe I had a kidney infection, which is why I went to the ER. Turns out that it was back pain due to my bulging disc and muscle pain.<br />
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I've never had a muscle spasm in my back quite like that before. It was like having a charlie horse along my thoracic and lumbar spine. Luckily steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory cleared up almost all of the pain. I can move again! : )Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-34081383536170642592010-11-28T12:19:00.000-05:002010-11-28T12:19:16.566-05:00Them BonesCelest is hiding in the closet listening to Alice in Chains' "Them Bones". She keeps saying, "Aaahh. [pause] Aaahh." That's her imitation of Layne Staley's intro to the song. Funny stuff. : )Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-52802421910508158562010-11-26T18:03:00.000-05:002010-11-26T18:03:26.223-05:00Holiday Giveaway Number 2!Congrats again to Pilar Pitty for winning last week's giveaway!<br />
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For this week's giveaway, I am offering a Swarovski Crystal Elements pendant. It is a 18KGP cherry pendant. There are two red crystal element beads and two white crystal element beads for leaves. I think it is a very cute pendant. The retail value is approximately $30.<br />
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There are two ways to enter: <br />
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Become a follower to my blog (this blog and/or http://www.randomtangentlm.blogspot.com/)<br />
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Add me to your favorite sellers/stores on eBay (http://stores.ebay.com/Autism-Twins-Mom )<br />
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With that said, you can actually have a total of three entries per week if you become a follower to both of my blogs and add me to your favorites on eBay you will have one entry per action. Once you follow my blog and/or add me to your favorites on eBay send me a message to laura (at) lbmeditorial (dot) com or leave me a comment to this post letting me know your username/Blogger profile and that you'd like to be entered to win.<br />
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If you win one week, you will be ineligible the following week, but the next week you will be eligible again.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyvEKUX-cKid1GGduc9bbSSCjuzHCBwzmqCJELETx09ErOKbtNXYaz_HcDC8ovC35xtqN72kGUlAmAP1YzKbyw_hyphenhyphenN-DW58myDvduiAgfvR5V52aWzHej4wBUTpv2l_HQR-sn5g3jIIJt/s1600/IMG_5506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyvEKUX-cKid1GGduc9bbSSCjuzHCBwzmqCJELETx09ErOKbtNXYaz_HcDC8ovC35xtqN72kGUlAmAP1YzKbyw_hyphenhyphenN-DW58myDvduiAgfvR5V52aWzHej4wBUTpv2l_HQR-sn5g3jIIJt/s320/IMG_5506.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-55709539611945575472010-11-26T08:13:00.000-05:002010-11-26T08:13:31.530-05:00And the Winner is...This week's winner is Pilar Pitty! I will be posting the new giveaway item shortly.Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-58874564225228308692010-11-25T07:45:00.000-05:002010-11-25T07:45:43.567-05:00Ah, the Joys of Puberty! Revisited...Celest has recently discovered that she can see her "booty" in the bathroom mirror if she turns her back to the mirror, juts her hip out, and turns her head around to see it. And she certainly enjoys seeing it. I'll check on her if she seems to be taking too long in the bathroom and usually she has stripped down to her birthday suit, struck a pose, and is admiring her booty. (It'd be me that told her it is a booty. Maybe not such a great choice, in retrospect. At least I didn't tell her it was a badonkadonk.)<br />
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It is too funny to catch her admiring herself in the mirror. I guess I am happy that she seems to have the self esteem that I never had. <br />
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Lotus doesn't seem overly concerned with her booty, but she has decided she's not going to be pushed around any more. She picks fights with Celest over the video game and TV remote, toys, art supplies, and anything else she can think of. Usually it is Celest starting the fight, but Lotus gives as good as she gets (and then some!). At some point I think she snapped and I picture her going to the window, poking her head out, and yelling, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore! You hear me, Celest?!"Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-7097286621022388252010-11-19T13:07:00.001-05:002010-11-19T13:09:09.653-05:00Giveaways From Now Until ChristmasI am going to be having a drawing every week from now until Christmas. Each Friday a drawing will be held and the winner will receive that week's prize package.<br />
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<div></div>There are two ways to enter: <br />
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Become a follower to my blog (this blog and/or <a href="http://www.randomtangentlm.blogspot.com/">http://www.randomtangentlm.blogspot.com/</a>)<br />
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<div></div>Add me to your favorite sellers/stores on eBay (<a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Autism-Twins-Mom">http://stores.ebay.com/Autism-Twins-Mom</a> )<br />
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<div></div>With that said, you can actually have a total of three entries per week if you become a follower to both of my blogs and add me to your favorites on eBay you will have one entry per action. Once you follow my blog and/or add me to your favorites on eBay send me a message to laura (at) lbmeditorial (dot) com or leave me a comment to this post letting me know your username/Blogger profile and that you'd like to be entered to win.<br />
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If you win one week, you will be ineligible the following week, but the next week you will be eligible again.<br />
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This week the giveaway is for a large collection of new Jane cosmetics. Included are the following items:<br />
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<div></div><ul><li>5 Sets of Eye Zing eyeshadow, one of each color: white, blue, purple, peach, and pink </li>
<li>1 Curling Mascara</li>
<li>1 Color Stick eyeliner, shade number 04- Sitting Pretty</li>
<li>1 Barely Lips Sheer Lipstick, shade number 9- Little Pinkie (very popular in Greece this time of year, or so it seems-lol)</li>
<li>2 Megabites Flavored Lipsticks, shade numbers 12- Cinnamax and 25 Merry Berry </li>
<li>1 Attitubes Lipgloss, shade number 02- Cheerful </li>
<li>1 High Shine Gloss lipgloss</li>
<li>2 Gliding Liner eye pencils, shade numbers 03- Pink Moon and 10- Buttercup</li>
<li>1 Eye Brightener</li>
<li>1 Lightweight Cream to Powder Foundation Compact w/Mirror, shade number 04- Buff</li>
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<div> The retail value of this giveaway is approximately $80. </div><br />
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<div> Your information is completely confidential, and I will not share it with anyone. </div><br />
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<div><span style="font-size: x-small;">To be compliant with the FTC, I do not work for Jane cosmetics or any other company affiliated with this or future giveaways. I am merely offering the giveaways as a cross promotion of my blogs and eBay store, and because I wanted to do something fun for the holidays with my blog. : )</span></div><br />
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<div></div>Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-72280518269499207712010-11-15T15:58:00.001-05:002010-11-15T16:00:10.143-05:00With a Name Like "Super Meat Boy", I Should've Known...The girls bought about $75 worth of Xbox 360 game credits before we'd realized that they were actually buying things (this was about a month ago). So we changed the billing card to an soon-to-be-expired credit card to avoid further buying sprees. <br />
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However, since Microsoft has a strict no refund policy, we decided not to even try to get a credit. So, we had enough game credits to buy about four $19.99 games. I bought Plants vs. Zombies (which I already had on my phone and computer--however Lotus likes it so I thought she might enjoy having access to it when I have my phone & computer). I also bought Viva Pinata, which is a freaking huge game (over 4G). It refuses to download, so I need to get in touch with Microsoft and see if they can help me figure it out.<br />
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Then there was a silly looking game on sale, called Super Meat Boy. It said that it was rated T for teen, but I figured that the naughty stuff wouldn't be anything the girls could pick up. Really, when a block shaped guy flips you the bird with a block shaped hand it is pretty hard to tell he's being profane. <br />
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Also, the description states that the game is "devilishly hard". They aren't lying. I made it through Chapter 1: The Forest okay, though it definitely had tough spots. Then in Chapter 2: Hospital I was unable to complete any of the stages. Of course I'm probably below average in the skill department for this sort of game though. <br />
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Anyway, now Celest and Lotus both keep turning the game on and having poor Meat Boy die over and over and over again. Or watching the intro then logging out and back in to watch it again. <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YC_7wabBzl6zBt-WkX8djes6Orl0Ic7tv1ZjaSbpea8Ix3O2xRZoNOZ2xaoNjvQlS2BhuQBJXcrhlVl0qHwc7mSUScIRA82BGe-f7huFCODTbDyzbw08w-umD8PJ4CcfTZiTLeyvrCS2/s1600/super-meat-boy-20100224044038429_thumb_ign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YC_7wabBzl6zBt-WkX8djes6Orl0Ic7tv1ZjaSbpea8Ix3O2xRZoNOZ2xaoNjvQlS2BhuQBJXcrhlVl0qHwc7mSUScIRA82BGe-f7huFCODTbDyzbw08w-umD8PJ4CcfTZiTLeyvrCS2/s1600/super-meat-boy-20100224044038429_thumb_ign.jpg" /></a>It is a neat looking game with an intentionally retro side scroller feel. And it is funny/quirky without overdoing it too much. Still, when you can't get past a certain point in a game it is annoying. And watching someone else repeatedly fail at a level on a game is just as much, if not more, annoying.</div><br />
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See More Super Meat Boy Screenshot at IGN.comAutism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-80607934184723251952010-11-13T09:57:00.000-05:002010-11-13T09:57:16.624-05:00Estate Auctions and Wheelchair EscapadesSince I didn't have anyone to watch the girls yesterday, I had to take them with me to pick up some items I'd won from an online estate auction. <br />
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The items were in a small shop along side a busy section of West Broad Street. They both got out of the car okay and walked in to the shop nicely as well. When we were waiting for a guy to help us find our items, Lotus spotted a large motorized wheelchair and hopped on it. I tried to get her off of it, but she started to do a 360 degree turn. As I reached for the joystick used to control the movement the foot rest knocked over a stack of DVDs and then it soon bashed into a table leg. Luckily the table leg stopped the chair's movement and I was able to get her hand off of the remote. <br />
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Fortunately the two guys working for the auctioneer were very understanding. It probably helps that we didn't destroy anything either. : )<br />
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I was embarrassed, but the girls had a good time. They were giggling and laughing most of the way home.Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-74782229584119374042010-11-11T15:43:00.000-05:002010-11-11T15:43:10.607-05:00Ooh, Ooh, Ah, Ooh, Ooh, Ah!Celest came home from school and I heard her singing something under her breath. I got close enough to hear, and this is what she was singing, "We will, we will rock you. Ooh, ooh, ah! Ooh, ooh, ah!"<br />
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I thought it was kind of funny. She used to sing "Radio Ga Ga" a lot. That was about five or so years ago, before Lady Gaga took her moniker from the song. Which I've never really understood, since she and her manager likened her vocal prowess to Freddie Mercury's (ha- as if!). "Radio Ga Ga" was performed by Queen, but it was written by Roger Taylor. Out of the entire Queen catalog, I certainly wouldn't choose that song as on that epitomized Freddie's brilliant vocal range. <br />
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Oh well. I don't think Lady Bohemian Rhapsody would have gone over very well anyway. : )Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-22977183381744112382010-11-04T02:25:00.000-04:002010-11-04T02:25:27.895-04:00Asperger's and World of WarcraftA teen with Asperger's Syndrome got an NPC named after him in the game World of Warcraft because he found an error in the game and brought it to the developers' attention at BlizzCon. <br />
<a href="http://blog.games.yahoo.com/blog/124-fact-checking-warcraft-fan-added-to-game">Here's the story on Yahoo. </a><br />
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Of course if you read the comments there are a bunch of nobodies calling the kid a loser and a nerd. Also, they evidently think getting laid makes you a valuable and important human being; and by assuming this kid hasn't "gotten laid" he is a loser. <br />
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Which makes me wonder why having sex is seen as some sort of accomplishment and status symbol. People who don't do it are considered losers or somehow less than those who do it. Honestly, if you think about it, it takes very little skill to have sex. Unless you are trying to conceive there is no purpose for it other than recreation. Yet, playing video games for recreation (which, having done both activities for recreation, I find that playing video games is more engaging and challenging most of the time) makes you a loser. Hmm. Something doesn't add up with those equations for me. <br />
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Anyway, I thought it was pretty neat that he was able to overcome his Asperger symptoms of social skill difficulties and verbal difficulties to speak in front of a large group of people and to have the guts to call people out on a mistake. : )Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-63041594569650706152010-10-20T22:03:00.000-04:002010-10-20T22:03:40.252-04:00Lots of ThingsI've been having trouble finding motivation to work on things, so I haven't written on this blog in a while. The girls have done plenty of interesting, silly, frustrating, and exhausting things though. <br />
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I feel like this year has just been exhausting for me, both mentally and physically. The girls are going through puberty and don't really understand what is going on in their bodies. They are looking more like teenagers now, but they still have the cognitive abilities of younger children. It's a difficult situation for me to handle. Even though I've known this is the case for quite some time, it is still hard for me to accept.<br />
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The girls are happy much of the time, but they miss out on lots of little and big things because of their autism. I can't take them out to do fun things unless I have someone to help me, which is really frustrating. When I do take them to do things I get exhausted and stressed out. I enjoy seeing them have fun and do new things though. <br />
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This past Saturday we went to a farm. The girls got to ride a horse, collect chicken eggs, and pet and feed different animals. The farm owners had sliced apples and sweet potatoes to feed the animals. When they gave Celest an apple slice to feed the baby deer she ate it herself. She proceeded to "help" the animals eat the apples. She'd give a slice to an animal then have one for herself. Or she'd take a bite then feed it to the animal. <br />
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There was a funny turkey that would gobble if you said "gobble, gobble, gobble" to it. Celest had lots of fun with him. <br />
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By the time we were getting ready to leave Celest was getting upset and talking about emergencies. She kept saying, "Emergency please! Emergency!" She comes up with some strange requests. : )<br />
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Lotus got upset too, but I'm not sure why. She was hitting her head and crying, but by the time we walked to the car she was fine. <br />
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We went bowling the Sunday before that weekend, and the girls both had lots of fun. I am happy that I can take them out for things now, but I get depressed when I think about how difficult it is and wonder if I won't be able to do these things in the future. <br />
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I am trying to focus on what we can do now and enjoy all the little moments. Unfortunately I tend to be pessimistic and depressive, so I continuously have to redirect my thoughts.Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-81457064417745146802010-09-11T22:21:00.001-04:002010-09-11T22:33:56.727-04:00Celest's Inadvertent PR IdeaCelest has been obsessing about electric meters lately. For some reason she's decided that they are decagons. And on the topic of geometric shapes, she's been a bit obsessed with the number of sides of different polygons and their names. <br />
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However, if I don't give her the name or number she wants she just repeats her version until I agree. The other day she was going on about pentagons, and she suddenly decided that they weren't pentagons after all: they were peace-agons (I chose that spelling, but either way, piece or peace is how she pronounces it).<br />
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I was thinking that maybe she could pitch this to the government as part of a Department of Defense and military PR overhaul. The Pentagon would become the Peace-agon, the government entity dedicated to achieving peace. They don't have to change any actual procedures or policies, this would be strictly an image makeover. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjElzP921gHBY6WDwykuzosnXIaDgcPUn7UmRkuIN8Jas8dyFlHaTxfvD_RIU2-qsAy38YwM-c-gv02qCcGxFdg-Yc1W9DuaTgqKD0_Q8Nplb2G9whpAV_ot9utFt-x6HUebdAXkAw8i6OA/s1600/pentagon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjElzP921gHBY6WDwykuzosnXIaDgcPUn7UmRkuIN8Jas8dyFlHaTxfvD_RIU2-qsAy38YwM-c-gv02qCcGxFdg-Yc1W9DuaTgqKD0_Q8Nplb2G9whpAV_ot9utFt-x6HUebdAXkAw8i6OA/s320/pentagon2.jpg" /></a></div>Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-90005368235295302752010-09-09T16:57:00.001-04:002010-09-09T16:58:53.956-04:00Dang Life Touch!First of all, let me disclose that Life Touch, the portrait company, has always sort of irked me. At least as an adult. In my senior year of high school I paid about $300-$400 to have my senior portrait taken by a photographer. He included a yearbook photo, which fit the style and size requirements pretty much all yearbooks follow.<br />
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However, when I tried to submit it to the school I was told they wouldn't use it. Why? Because they felt it was unfair to the Life Touch photographer because he did all the other school photos from K-11, so he should be the only photographer for the seniors as well. Bull crap, I think. In the guise of not hurting the photographer's feelings they force you to have your photo taken by him. I'm sure money had nothing to do with it. <br />
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Anyway, I ended up getting my pic taken by the Life Touch photographer when I rode along with my friend. I wasn't planning on getting my picture taken, but that's when I found out about the no-outside-photographer crap. The high school year book president/coordinator/whatever-you-call-her looked me up and down, then quipped, "You're getting your picture taken in <i>that</i>?"<br />
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I didn't much care for this lady either, and my feelings were confirmed by her snotty attitude towards me. Incidentally, I was wearing the same John Lennon "Imagine" shirt that I had to my other senior portrait shoot. <br />
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Anyway, back to the present. I got the little Safe Smile, or whatever they're called, cards from Life Touch last year. I didn't have the money to buy the photos at the time, but the cards said the photos were accessible until December 2010. I thought I had until then to order photos. Nope. I guess that date means that law enforcement can access that photo in the event a child is abducted. To me, I would assume this means that the photo is in a digital retrieval system somewhere until December of this year. <br />
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So why can't I order a copy of the pictures then? Well, I can order Lotus' pic until next Tuesday. Celest's, however, are unavailable. As luck would have it, it is the best school picture they've ever taken of her. She is looking right at the camera and smiling. She looks really beautiful. <br />
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I'm really sad and annoyed that they won't let me order the picture. Lotus' picture came out good as well, so I'll still order it. I'm just very disappointed they won't let me order Celest's pics. <br />
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As the title says, Dang Life Touch!Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494563737256151703.post-48903185673993176392010-09-06T23:37:00.000-04:002010-09-06T23:37:34.757-04:00Jett Travolta<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100906/ap_on_en_mo/cb_bahamas_travolta_s_son">John Travolta finally admitted that Jett had autism.</a> Many parents of kids with autism were pretty convinced that Jett did have autism, but John Travolta denied it. He said Jett had Kawasaki disease (a disease involving inflammation of the blood vessels and high fever), which he may also have had at some point in time.<br />
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After all of the horrible pain his family has gone through, he decided to not pursue the extortion charges against the paramedic that arrived to treat Jett and a Bahamian politician. <br />
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I guess I am happy that he finally confirmed it, as I don't think autism is anything to hide or be ashamed of. Of course, I don't think John had to "admit" to anything per se, but by repeatedly denying his son had autism it seemed that he felt the need to hide something or maybe he was in denial. <br />
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Really it's none of my business, or anyone else's for that matter, but since he is a celebrity we know more of his personal life than we need to. I just hope that his family is able to remember the good times with Jett and let their new son know about the brother he never got to meet.Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06686881487383574305noreply@blogger.com0