And the hits just keep on rolling...

I am back to blogging. I know I have taken a some what long break. Some battles won. Some lost. And some, well let's just say we are waiting to see. I personally need to really blog during this break but I didn't seem to think about it. I guess because hardly anyone reads my blog. That shouldn't have mattered because it is more like my diary than anything and who knows who will stumble along and read it and it could help them when they needed it. So when something I feel the need to vent I will simple get on the computer, phone, Ipad and put it on here and we will both see how it pans out in life. Sounds like a deal? Cool.

SO....to catch you up. Summer went pretty well. Kids were entertained as well as everyone else in the house. I learned that no matter what I do my Primary Care Physicians will end up pissing me off and making me not want to go to the see them. I did, however, take a trip to visit my sister and 2nd mom who I haven't seen in years. (note to self: Traveling to Arizona in August is not happening again!) Not the most eventful summer but still it is better that way sometimes.

Now the nigglets are back in school. YAY!! All Day School!!! Iain started 1st grade at a new school this year. He is in a program that is at his speed and seems to be doing great. I am somewhat eager to discuss with his teacher his progress. That is one thing that I have noticed is that the progress made at school is hardly ever displayed at home. Why that is I don't know but just as long as progress is being made I don't question. Just like if they are playing quietly together or separately do not question just do a Depeche Mode and enjoy the silence.

Hubby 1 is very helpful and sometimes to helpful but I appreciate him greatly. Still need to see about him getting some medical because if he breaks down...we are all screwed! Hubby 2 is back in school and while I do enjoy him being readily available for anything I enjoy it when he is able to occupy his mind a bit more and who knows where this will go?

As for me.....
I have had this urge to figure out what I like to do to occupy my time. I thought that I would do a couple of things and see where they panned out. So right now I make gourmet dog and cat treats, cupcakes and cakes for pet birthdays. I like doing that but it is a good thing I make large batches because after a while I end up very tired. Fibromyalgia can be a bitch. I also tried my hand at some knitting but that was abruptly put on hold due to Juicy chewing up my wooden knitting needles. But the one crafty thing that I love the most is making fascinators, hair clips and headbands. It is very fun and very relaxing for me anyways. I really like seeing what my mind is going to throw out there and I actually do need the outlet.

Now you have been updated and I will continue to let you know what happens in our house in the middle of our street. Ta-ta!

Did You Lose A Set of Steak Knives? The Sequel

So this is quite amazing. Iain started his ABA therapy after or about the time that Jason retired. We didn't receive a bill from the company that provided it. On the other hand the company that provided Morgana's ABA therapy sent us one. $1700 for a little less than a months ABA therapy. Hooray. Not really. So the Social Security that she receives is gonna go toward paying off this bill. Please God let them pass that bill through the House of Representatives already.

HNWIC Say What?

Normally I would be blogging about the nigglets (2 and 4 legged) but today is different. I know that we are striving for a healthy America. Got that. But here is my problem with this.

Problem #1
Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem...stop it already!! Not everyone can afford you and/or your food no matter which singer you have pushing your product. And by the way why are they all black singers? Really!!

Problem #2
Take this pill, that pill. Use this equipment, that equipment. Do this, do that. ENOUGH!!

Problem #3
Biggest Loser. Hmm. Public humiliation to lose weight. I don't think so!

Problem #4
With all these problems 1-3 being on TV we now have all these skinny as bitches saying "I'm fat" when really all they need is to tone and not actually lose weight thus making those friends who actually are feeling angry and bitter.

As a whole America I would like to point out 2 things. Badgering Americans to lose weight is only going to have the opposite effect. Not only is it going to have the opposite effect but also mentally damage not only those who are overweight but also those who aren't. Secondly, not all can be skinny. Some of us are not built to be a skinny minnie. Bone structure doesn't always agree with BMI. I am suppose to, according to BMI, be 125lbs. If I were to weigh 125lbs I would look sickly. I could also try and try to get down to that weight but it will never happen. The lowest I can go is 193 at most. So what does it all boil down to....stop badgering America into losing weight it will happen when we want it not when you guilt us into it or shame us into it. Not all can be a size 2 - genetics doesn't always work in a way that is suitable for societal norms or pressures. All this pressure to lose weight is not helping Americans to be healthy. It will cause a rise in depression and/or suicides though. If that is what we are aiming for- so far so good.

What are you up to now??

I love my kids. They make me laugh sometimes. Jon and I are sitting out in the living room watching The Voice and just as it's about go back to the show we hear "it's alive...alive!!" We started laughing but we both know that we shouldn't go back and investigate. We might find that they made their version of Frankenstein. Gotta bite the bullet sometime. BANZAI!!

Did You Lose A Set of Steak Knives?

Today we were informed that due to the fact that my husband was medically retired from the Army Morgana and Iain will no longer be receiving ABA Therapy which has been vital to them.  I had called Tricare and asked if it would be covered even though my husband was medically retiring from the Army. They told me yes. In fact, it is NOT. Turns out that because my husband is no longer active duty means they are no longer enrolled in the ECHO program, which is the only program that covers ABA; therefore all therapy received after his retirement would all have to be paid out of pocket. Morgana's ABA Therapy for a month cost about $2150. I have no idea how much Iain's will be. I need everyone to please check out this link ( http://cmkaa.org/ ) and send a message out to your Congressman or woman. This is not just for Morgana and Iain but for all medically discharged or retired men and women who have children with Autism and need these services. If my husband was medically able to stay in the military he would have. Why should our children be the ones paying the price too for his sacrifice to our country? They can have their steak knives back. Tell the Pentagon and the rest of the military that this therapy is not just an educational therapy. This therapy is also behavioral and is necessary to help them become an independent member of society.

2 for the price of 1

So Iain woke up crying today. He said, "My ear hurts I need to go to the doctor." I wanted to go back to sleep because I had been up and down all night blowing my nose and dealing with uber tight weave I got yesterday. But I figured might as well get up and make the trek to good ole' Madigan ER. Woohoo. *insert sarcasm here* So we get in there and barely anyone in the waiting room. It looks promising but as you know looks can be deceiving. We have now been waiting for about an hour now and it looks like we might be waiting another hour to be seen. Hooray.

Aries x 2 +Virgo + Hormonal Piscies +Scorpio= Possible Bedlum

Lord grant me me the wisdom to deal with the fits of rage, the attempts on her brothers life and the ability to intervene when all the autistics in the house are on edge at the same time.  Amen. Our Morgana has begun her journey into becoming a woman. I realized that this would be a challenge but DAMN! I had to get new clothes the other day for both of the kids. Fun but not. I have to do most of the clothes shopping without them with me so that entails letting my hands get as dry as humanly possible and touch every part of the fabric that would touch her body. If it doesn't feel comfortable on my dry hands it won't feel comfortable to her. So the chore of buying new bra's with actual cups was the most difficult part of this venture. I bought her many outfits, 4 pairs of shoes and 3 bra's which almost all needed to be returned for larger sizes. She is dealing well with the fact that she has to wear an over the shoulder boulder holder but there was one bra in particular that she was not jiving with. Of course it has to be the one that can be converted into a strapless. I informed her that this is one of the prices we have to pay for being born a female. She wasn't buying that. Not at all. Not one little bit. I then proceeded to inform her that one of the other prices would be much higher than expected. Yes, the dreaded "P" word. I feel like we are watching a ticking time bomb here people! We sit back and deal with the love/hate relationship with our "little" brother and having to remind her that she cannot hit, sell or kill the boy. Also the spending copious amounts of time in our room screaming like we are being murdered or something and for no apparent reason behind it. Now I am not a believer in astrology but if I were lets do the math. In my house is 2 Aries, born on the same day mind you, 1 Virgo, 1 Pisces and a Scorpio. I, being one of the Aries in question and being female, under the same roof as a Pisces female starting to go through puberty....Fire vs Water....logically speaking the water would put out the fire, but because I am older and her mother, this fire is gonna dry up waters attitude and that will be that. I hope. It is bad enough that I butt heads with Jason (the other Aries) a lot of times but then to be extinguished by my own daughters hormonal attitude...I don't think so! I am the HNWIC!! I must and will always reign Supreme!! I remind our little fish that she is only a princess in this house but I am the Queen!! Will this all be forgotten with she actually starts her period....maybe. Will this placement of rank in this house be challenged when she approaches her teen years....Maybe. But I must and will always reign Supreme!! Well, at least at my house. Unless my mother comes to visit or we visit her. Then my rank is...*Poof* A C'est La Vie.

It's good to try new things baby.

Iain, my little Iain. He use to be my big time carbovore (loved the carbohydrates, comes from the Davis side) but today was a carnivore day. We tried MEAT!! The pepperoni beef stick from the Butcher that he received for being well behaved...He loved it! The New York Steak that we got from the butcher and grilled oh so lovely on the cast iron grill...He loved it!! Oh and there is the vegetables...HE ATE A VEGETABLE!! God be praised it did happen...of course said vegetable, which will surprise you, was cooked with bacon, bacon fat and a pat o' butter. But he ATE it!! (BTW it was Brussel Sprouts!! Ya I know, Right!) For those of you who have never been around an Autistic child let me just fill you in. I, said parent of not one but two autistic children, rejoice at every milestone or what I consider a milestone that parents of neurologically-typical children would merely shrug off as another day of dinner!!! I REJOICE AND SING THE SONG OF NEW FOOD!! "There's a party in my tummy, say yummy, say yummy!!" AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS!! Oh what a blessed dinner for Iain smited it with his fork and knife and it was good!!

HNWIC's Wild Kingdom

Attention Ladies and Gentlemen

I present to you now for my first blog

HNWIC's Wild Kingdom

starring:

HNWIC

My Husband Jason

My Ex-Husband Jon 

and our kids (aka little nigglets)

Morgana and Iain.

As co-starring our critters:

Hoshi (HNWIC's Cat)

Casper (Jon's Teacup Pomeranian)

Boo Boo (Jason's Cat)

Yogi (Jason's Bullador)

and last but never least...our 2 ferrets

Zena and Trigger

We open this blog to a 5bd 3 bath home in the middle of our street with my lovely blended family...yes that does include my ex-husband Jon. To answer the questions that are possibly circling around in head...Yes, he does live with us. He is my daughters father. No, my husband doesn't mind him living with us. In fact, he encouraged it. They both are best friends. To you it is strange to us it works. The bonus in all this for me is that together they make the perfect husband. :D

Now that we are done with that. Welcome to my blog. I am most appreciative of you reading it. This blog will hopefully do some of the following things as you read through each post I make:

1) Inspire those of you with Special Needs Children

2) Identify and/or console you

3) Inform you of information you didn't know about

and finally 

4) Make you laugh.

So grab you snacks, sit back and I hope you enjoy

Our House in the Middle of Our Street

NOT Double My Pleasure, But Double My Fun

Let me introduce you to my offspring. Morgana Maeve and Iain Thomas. Otherwise known as my nigglets. They, like my brother and I, were born a little over 4 years apart. They have a typical brother and sister love/hate relationship but with a twist. They both have Autism. Morgana has Kanner's Autism, which is a mid-range, while Iain has a more higher functioning form of Autism. But Iain also has ADHD which adds that extra bit of HOLY CRAP! that every parent of Autistic children need. We kind of knew that there was somethings up with Morgana when she totally regressed at the age of 2 and her father Jon and I were running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to figure out what she wanted because she couldn't communicate what she wanted. If you have ever seen Katt Williams' stand up in American Hustle where he is talks about his adopted baby girl that is what we were doing. I feel ya Katt!! Morgana had us running around like fools trying to figure out what she wanted and if you don't figure out what she wanted in a specific amount of time let me tell you...

ATOMIC MELTDOWN in 5...4...3...2...1.

But eventually, we got things figured out and worked out and she began to communicate more after we got her the help she needed. 

Now Iain was a completely different story. His father, Jason, just wanted a healthy baby. I, on the other hand, was more specific. I thought that this would make a difference. I forgot that God has a sense of humor. Knowing a little more than I did before about a childs development had a feeling that Iain was not developing like he should. He did not completely regress like Morgana but there was enough to have him start Preschool. It was in preschool that it was brought to our attention by his teacher that Iain might have ADD or ADHD and to get him evaluated for that. So we did and he did. Since Jason was in the military we were assigned a Developmental Peds doc who also wanted to test for other things. Last August we did the screening for Autism with Iain. Now lets do some math shall we.

Me (assumed NT) + Jon (undiagnosed Aspie)= Morgana (Kanner's Autism)

Totally understand. But then they called and set up an appointment to go over what the testing showed for Iain and I ended up with this equation...

Me (assumed NT) + Jason (ADD)= Iain (Autistic/ADHD)

Does not compute!

How did I hit this genetic lottery twice? Not like I was sad or disappointed. I have one autistic child and I was aware of the challenges I would be up against. The only differences is Iain never stopped talking. In fact, when he started getting the help he needed the boy talked more. And more. AND MORE! You know when you have a child you start in with the "I can't wait until you..." Let me tell you from experience dude...WAIT! You might not be able to keep yourself from saying that but certainly try because once they do they don't stop. You will learn that what comes with the statement "I can't wait until you can talk to me" comes with the words "Shut Up!" 

All and all I love me little nigglets and now that they are 11 and 6 my next post...Let's Get Ready to Rumble!! will be coming up soon. Very, very soon.