Well, I can't believe its been 6 months since my last post.... oops!!

time flies..... Here we are into 2011.... We have only about 3 months left of the school year.... and school hadn't even started last time I post.... Caleb is doing well!! Not to say there haven't been challenges over the last six months, but he is adjusting to life well right now. He and I have been working on "talking" through things lately and have found that for Caleb, the more we can talk about something the better he understands it... I believe I have become the master at analogies as I'm finding that the easiest way to make Caleb understand something that is more "abstract" is to compare it to something he can understand. My favorite saying now when he asks for something that is impossible and I just can't get him to get that its not possible is to say, "Can we bring an elephant into the living room?", to which he reponds.... "No, Mommy, its too BIG!!". Eureka!! That's exactly the idea and then he understands that what he is asking for isn't possible either.... :) YEA!! We celebrate ALL of the victories, big and small....

January to August.... Where has the year gone?? Here Caleb and I are at the Morgan County Fair, Caleb is friends with almost EVERYONE in Martinsville I think!! :) We have had an interesting year, but things are going well. Schools starts soon and the summer has been fantastic!! Caleb is ready for school to start, question is, are we ready for Caleb after school starts?? Things usually get a little crazy when we get back in school and he sometimes has a hard time adjusting to the new schedule, only time will tell.... Caleb is going to repeat 1st grade which will hopefully get him a little closer to his peers as far as academics are concerned. As far as making new friends, Caleb is best friend with whoever happens to be standing next to him at the time, so that shouldn't be a problem. New schedule, well that will be the question to beat all questions!!!!

He has had a lot of adjusting to do over the last year and a half with his Grandma suffering from the stroke as well as other changes, but he's adapting well and we just pray he continues to grow and adapt. Change isn't a bad thing, its just more difficult for Caleb than the "typical" child. ............ So, 1st grade, here we come again!!

Happy New Year.... 2010!!!!

Ok, I know it's been a REALLY long time since I've posted anything; so how are things going in the world of Caleb?? Actually he had a wonderful Christmas, Santa brought him two trains, which was what he asked for and he couldn't have been happier. He had a great Christmas break; I was home for the two weeks with both boys, and he loved being able to stay home and play with his brother and all his new toys. One of the latest developments for Caleb (and this is huge in my book) is that he has actually started to sit down and watch some movies. Oh, there's no way I'd take him to a theater yet, baby steps, but for him to sit long enough to actually watch a movie is amazing to me. His new favorite is actually The Wizard of Oz for some reason and he's fixated on Dorothy crying at the end of the movie. If you ask him what his favorite movie is he will answer, "The Wizard of Oz Dorothy cries". Don't ask me, I'm still far from figuring him out.... :) What else has happened in the life of Caleb over the last couple of months?? Well, he's doing pretty well in school, has actually memorized some sight words, which is something that I would not have thought he would be doing right now!! Today was his first day back after Christmas break and he was actually happy to be going back to school.... Of course, I haven't heard anything from school yet, so that could be totally wrong by now; but here's hoping anyhow!! He is still bringing tons of smiles to our friends at the nursing home where my mother is.... Is riding bus number 45 now to and from school. Mrs. Cooper picks him up at the shop, or actually he's next door at his maw's house and brings him back there at night. He is quite the big boy and is fastening himself on the bus in the morning and evening.... So, with Caleb you never know whats around the corner, right now I am proud of his progress.... He is still taking the same medicine, which has been wonderful for him. My only fear is "murphy's law" now that I've said how wonderful he's doing, hopefully I don't get a call from the school today!! :-)

Can you have your cake and eat it too?

Last Friday, September 19th was the Martinsville Elk's Annual Charity Ride-Drive. They chose the Autism Foundation as their charity of choice this year for which we were greatly honored!! Caleb, Joe, and I were there to help send them off on their ride and then came back for an amazing dinner!! There were approximately 25 bikes on the ride that left around 12:15 and got back 5 hours later!! Everyone was super sweet to Caleb and he had a fantastic time!! He was even able to ride around the parking lot before the ride. It was too cute, all he did was ride in a circle, but he will tell you that he was going "really fast".

This week?? Well, he started with the new sitter Monday morning for mornings only at this point, then rode the bus to Joe's shop in the evening and would hang out with his Mamaw until Daddy closed the shop. Monday and Tuesday were fantastic, then came Wednesday. With Wednesday being my day off, I kept him home with me in the morning and then took him to school myself, not a good idea. Tuesday night he started with the "no school" song which carried on through Wednesday. He threw up twice on the way to school, for those of you who know, we live VERY close to school. Thursday and Friday, he was GREAT again!! So, I guess the lesson we learned here was that Mommy is not allowed to take him to school. Next Wednesday I will be taking him in the morning to the new sitter again, she said she would gladly take him into school. Caleb always believes that Mommy works on Wednesday while he is in school and then comes home early enough to pick him up after school is over.... Hate to be that way, but if he thinks that I don't have to work, he will not go to school.... Anyway, the good news here is that 4 out of 5 days were good!!!! :) That is a major accomplishment!!

Oh, can you have your cake and eat it too? Funny story!! Angie had this beautiful cake made for the dinner at the elks, and we made cookies to take too!! They had this huge spread of desserts, so before we left someone came to us and asked if we wanted to take the cake home with us to eat?? She said, "I just couldn't cut it, it was too pretty". Of course, my family had NO problem cutting the cake and eating it!! :)

2nd Annual Walking with Autism a SUCCESS

So our 2nd "Walking with Autism" event was September 12th at the Morgan County Fairgrounds!! The day was BEAUTIFUL, I would have liked to have seen a few more people there, but we were able to raise over $11,000 this year, so you won't hear me complaining!! :) Caleb had a blast, if you can't tell from the picture!! He pretty much went from person to person during the event. I was SO proud of his school, there were at least 7 people there from Smith Elementary and they were able to raise over $500 for the walk!! Sometimes I am amazed at the love that is shown for this wonderful little guy, then I realize~how can you not love him when he gives love so freely!!!! In case you are wondering how school is going, we start with the new sitter Monday, so a little nervous about another transition, but hopefully all will go well. School has been going better, he isn't screaming "NO SCHOOL" and throwing up on a daily basis now!! He still has some rocky moments most days, but we are getting through them!! Fingers crossed the new transition will go smoothly; they do have plenty of ceiling fans in their house, so this should work!! :)

The saying goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" Anyone want a pitcher, I'm making plenty of lemonade, but still smiling!! :) This week has been a very challenging one. School started August 12th, the first week didn't go too badly, but since he's been having pretty extreme seperation anxiety. The plan started that I would take Caleb to South (another school in the district) for the YMCA before school program (not offered at his school), then he would ride the bus (special ed bus already goes to both schools) from South to Smith (his school). This worked for a few days and then he began crying every day and every night not wanting to go to south or school. Last Friday I finally lost it, already being sick I just sat down on the sidewalk with Caleb and cried for about 30 minutes, then took him to my Dad's house who luckily didn't have to work that day. Well, he ended up throwing up all morning and not going to school.... This week Monday we tried South, no go, took him to Dad's and then took him to school where he threw up several times. I've never met a child who could make themselves throw up, but this one sure knows how..... Fortunately, the wonderful people at his school understand that he throws up when he's upset and not because he's sick and they keep him anyway (we just take a change of clothes to school daily now). Amazingly enough, after being at school about an hour or so, he is fine and has a great time. In the evening he will tell you he had the best day at school and can't wait to go back.... until bedtime then he starts saying, "no school". So, Tuesday I stayed home in the morning from work, took him to South and tried staying there with him about 1/2 hour, tried to leave and finally had to take him with me. Took him to school where again he thew up about 4 times before I even got out the door. Wednesday again I took him to school (my day off) and he threw up before I could leave, again had a wonderful afternoon. Wednesday night was bad because we were already struggling with what to do with Caleb before school and I found out Wednesday night that after Friday I would no longer have after school sitter for him.... Let's just say Wednesday night was NOT a good night!! Thursday, new plan. One of the behavior aids at his school said she would meet us at South and stay there with him until time for him to get on the bus, then she would go to Smith and get him off of the bus. Well, this almost worked, he went in with her no problem, but got on the bus and thew up. Friday, time to try the new South program, however Caleb would not even leave the house Friday, she came to the house and he wouldn't have anything at all to do with her.... During this time my mother, who is in the nursing home still, called crying that she needed my help and to hurry. Long story, huh? So I left, took Caleb with me to the nursing home to help Mom. (another story but for those who know Mom, she is having abdominal pain that we have not been able to determine the cause of, she's had CT scans, X Rays and now we are waiting on a colonoscopy to see if they can find the cause. In the meantime, she is on antibiotics and they keep increasing the pain medicine. She spent all of yesterday in bed with bouts of crying, not good; but hopefully will get better soon, now you really are understanding the lemonade, aren't you?) So after getting Mom settled and Dad there to sit with her, I took Caleb to school and once again he threw up 3 times before 9:00 but by 9:30 he was a happy boy!! Go figure!! So, what a week!! Now the plan is to take him to Smith before school to meet the same person who was meeting us at South. Our hopes are that she can get him through this emotional seperation and back to wanting to go to school. Once we achieve this goal, then we find someone who can watch him before and after school.... I just know there is no one who is going to be able to handle him before school until we can get him through this!! What are we going to do after school? Well, as of right now looks like my husband and I are going to have to take turns getting him and taking him out to the shop to be with my husband or his mother or my father until we can get this straightened out.... So, what keeps me going and smiling?? If you have ever met Caleb, you would know without asking. I feel so blessed to be the mother of this special little boy who leaves a trail of smiles everywhere he goes!! Whether we are at church, the nursing home, or the grocery store; Caleb is giving hugs and showing true love!! At school even though he is kicking and screaming and throwing up, there is a building full of people who are willing to go the extra 10 miles for Caleb; I know I am blessed!! Just look at that beautiful face!!

Talk about fun!!!!

If there was a prize for loving life and having REAL fun, this kid would win!! This picture was taken at Holiday World after a fun day of riding roller coasters and playing in the water park!! Did I say roller coasters? Yep, and not the little ones either!! Caleb was the magic 48 inches this year and was able to ride every ride at Holiday World, including the Raven and Voyage and LOVED it!!!! It was so funny, the people in line on the voyage were looking at Caleb and asking if he was really going to ride, sure is!! When the ride was over he said, "Can we do it again?" This week was fair week in Morgan County and once again he couldn't wait to ride the rides. There was a little disappointment when he found out he was too short for a couple of the rides (next year), but the rides he could ride, he laughed and giggled all the way through!! Ride a ride with this kid and you will find yourself giggling until you are silly, you really can't help it!! Even on the small rides, I'm looking around at the other kids who are just kind of sitting there and maybe waving at their mom and dad, then you have Caleb who is literally bouncing up and down in his seat with enthusiasm.... To see life through his eyes would be amazing!!!!

What else has been going on in the world of Caleb? Well, first grade starts next week, oh no!! Caleb says he's ready to go back, I'm praying it will go well!! Change isn't something that goes too well in Caleb's world, and of course, change has been a BIG part of our life recently. Grandma is still in the nursing home, but doing well; far surpassing the doctors expectations. New Babysitter is doing GREAT, Caleb loves the family and feels like he is just another member!! What to do after school starts and babysitter goes back to working at school? Well, we had a setback, but think we have things ironed out there too!! So, now all we have to do it jump right in and see how it goes!!!! *I'll let you know!!* Until then, we just continue to enjoy the last few days of summer vacation!!!!