Sunday, February 27, 2011

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4 Paws for ability #forDeeds

I've blogged quite a lot for Deeds the last few Mondays, but I thought y'all might like to know more about the organization Deeds will be receiving his service dog through~ 4 Paws For Ability. I was scrolling through the 4 Paws website, and stopped cold on the Testimonials Page . There is a story there about a little boy named Logan. It's just short.. but it had tears running down my face. Mostly because I have a Logan, and it hit a little too close to home..but also because you can see the relief on the "other Logan's" face as he lays on his dog.

To make a donation to Deeds' custodial fund, or to read his story, please visit Dog 4 Deeds . Is it impossible to read Deeds'story and 4 Paws For Ability, and come away without being touched.  Please help this family reach their goal of $5000. As of this morning, they have just passed the halfway mark of $2500.

On a happy note.. Check this boy out! Bobbie, I'm stealing your pictures again, but you told me I could. ;)

This is Deeds on January 19, 2011


And here he is on February 19, 2011. The amount of healing just boggles my mind. HUGE credit to Bobbie and Jeremy for doing such a great job caring for his burns. I don't know that I would have been strong enough to endure all that they have been going through.
Photos owned by Jeremy and Bobbie Mauss, and used with permission!!

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Inquiring Minds Want To Know

I was attempting to catch up this morning on reading the blogs I follow, because as we all know I've been just a tad busy doing fun things for Deeds. Well. I'm scrolling through, right clicking and opening blogs in new tabs and I came upon the MOST. AWESOME. DIVE BAR. POST. EVER!!

So, here's the Reader's Digest Condensed Version:

Some dimwit takes her kid to gymnastics class, and LEAVES HIM THERE, while she takes off to get a coffee. She comes back after getting the coffee, and proceeds to cough, sneeze, and hack ~ effectively spreading all kinds of air born bio hazardous crap all over everyone and everything within a 50 mile radius.

Like the infomercials say, "But WAIT! There's MORE!" Dimwit also has with her a small toddler. A toddler of the oozy, green, bacteria infested nose variety. OK. I have to pause here. Why is it that when out in public with a toddler who is oozing green ectoplasm, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY KLEENEX?? Back to the story.

Toddler belonging to Dimwit makes the rounds, making sure to wipe ectoplasm on people's legs, coats and other belongings while Mommy Dearest laughs and plays and sings silly songs with the Daddies while her Hubs looks on adoringly. Neither Dimwit or Adoring Hubs is paying attention to Oozing Toddler -or- their Gymnast Child. There are so many things wrong with this picture, I cannot begin to tell you.

So. Now we have a different mother, a mother who was at gymnastics class with her child THE WHOLE TIME. Who had to sit by the bio hazard factory if she was going to sit at all. A different mother who was given Oozing Toddler's blessing in the form of green ectoplasm on herself and her belongings. A Different Mother who, at this very moment is at home with her son, sick. Ain't that a SHOCKER? Oh. Should I add just a BIT more fuel to the fire? Different Mother's child has special needs. Do you REALLY think Different Mother needed this extra little bit of drama in her life?

So, addicts, here's the deal. We're taking a lil poll. Let me know what you think. And be honest. I want to know how you REALLY feel!

Friday, February 25, 2011

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The Momma has left the building


Hello my addicts! Today I am over at Seven Yuckmouths and Autism, being a guest for no other reason than I wanted to, and Lisa actually said I could! Click on over and show her some love for hosting me in my excessively sleep deprived state.

TOMORROW, don't forget to come to the #forDeeds twitter party at 8pm MST. There are some really awesome giveaways planned, Deeds' parents will be there, it's Bubbe's twitter debut, Gina from Special Happens will be a special guest.. lots of fun things planned!

Come help us to promote autism awareness and fund raise for Deeds. Spread the word, people, time is running out!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

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The Envelope Please...

The winner of the Alphabet Workout program from Butterfly park is:

beth povey said...
like the way kids move as they learn bethpovey@yahoo.com

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

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Bubbe's all a-twitter!

Bubbelehs, you can call me Tzipporah today. It's a beautiful Hebrew name that means "bird". And although it's not my name, it seems appropriate for my mood, since this Saturday, I'm going to be tweeting!

After all this time, the frazzledmomma has convinced me that I can stay up past my hour of schluf every now and again and talk to all of you. And this Saturday seems the perfect time to begin, since I can help support Deeds in his quest to get a service dog!

I'll confess, the thought of tweeting had me turning into a frazzledbubbe, but I think I've figured out all the buttons and symbols, though you'll forgive an old lady if I get confused, won't you?

Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that I’m very excited to be part of Deed's Twitter Party on Saturday the 26th at 10 p.m. EST/8 p.m. MT!

And if you have any questions for Bubbe -- not of the "are those your real teeth" variety (nu, nu, nu!) but more along the lines of "what should I do about my child's crying/hand-flapping/gag reflex/covering his ears/hitting his baby sister" variety or "help me plan a birthday party that's entirely GF/CF/SF and still fun and tasty" variety or "I'm more frazzled than even the frazzledmomma… what should I do" variety -- please e-mail me or the frazzledmomma with them before the party begins!

Until Saturday, bubbelehs…
Bubbe
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Do Tell Game Review

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At the Monster House, family is everything. We dedicate our Saturdays to family, and every Sunday we have Grama and Grandad over to Sunday Dinner. It is so important to me to teach my monsters the value of quality time with each other. So, when I was approached by Kathy from Do Tell to do a review on her new family board game, I grabbed that opportunity and ran with it. I did some research before I received the game, by going through their website and reading all about it.

Do Tell is a family relationships board game that encourages the players to share what they would do in certain situations, demonstrate talents, and interact in silly ways. We played as a family when Grama and Grandad were here, and at one point, everyone was barking like happy puppies so they could move their game pieces ahead one space!

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Do Tell family version has even won awards, such as the Kidlutions Preferred Product award
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“Because it just exemplifies what social-emotional development is all about” You can read Kidlutions' entire review here.

As our family played, laughed, wrote things down, and grew closer through the experience, I watched. We all know that this is what mothers do... but I watched. And I saw my family in a little bit different light. We were playing together, yes, but we were also learning more about each other, and I daresay my monsters came away from that family time with a little more respect for one another. There is always something the monsters are busy doing, between school, church, and friends. Not to mention the fact that the Daddy often works late hours and on the weekends. It's hard enough to get time together, much less be able to turn it in to quality time everyone enjoys. This game does that for us, without the monsters even noticing.

If the Monster House had awards for products, this game would get one. It's fun, it's smart, and it's a rockin' good time. But more than that, it's a game the whole family can get into whether you are 8 or 88. Don't believe me? Take a look at the proof:
Think your family would like this game? I do too! You can purchase your very own Do Tell family version for the very low price of $29.95 through Amazon, here . Do Tell comes in the family version, and in the original relationships version, priced at $34.95, which is geared toward players aged 16 and up. Play this game with your family, and I guarantee you will learn things about each other that you didn't know before you started playing.

Do Tell, the Monster House gives this game 18 thumbs up!


Tuesday, February 22, 2011

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The Politics of Play Dates

 
My Life as an Ungraceful, Unhinged, and Unwilling Draftee into the Autism Army

Beside the fact that her title is so long it takes up an entire line of text, I love her blog and follow her on twitter ( @autismarmymom) as well. I consider it quite a feat to have begged, cried, and threatened have had her consent to being here today. Show her some love, in the Monster House tradition.
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Certain words and phrases automatically strike fear in the hearts of parents of autistic children.  Summer vacation.  Low battery.  Playhouse Disney is now Disney Jr.  Seriously, was that last one necessary?

For me, another one is “play date”.  Since social and play skills are a pretty standard deficits amongst children with autism, we are often encouraged to organize play dates with typically developing peers so that our kids can model their play schemes and behaviors.  Because everything that typical children do is so much awesomer than what our kids do.  Uh huh.
                                  
Organizing play dates with other children on the spectrum can be just as dicey.  On one hand, it’s nice to have a fellow special needs mom to commiserate with.  On the other hand, quite frankly I can barely stand my own ASD child half the time, let alone someone else’s.  Because my kid isn’t unpredictable enough, let’s add another one into the mix and see how much more combustible we can make a situation.

Last month, Audrey was invited to a birthday party for one of her classmates.  She’s in a private autism school, so all of her classmates are on the spectrum.  After the party, the birthday boy’s mother emailed me to feel me out about organizing a play date.  She proceeded to lay out for me all of Connor’s issues and deficits, telling me that he generally prefers to play alone and “can get aggressive if another child gets in his ‘space’.”   She probably felt the need for full disclosure, which on one hand is sort of nice, but on the other…is it wrong for me not to be too anxious to schedule a play date?

Shortly afterwards, the mother of Audrey’s BFF and classmate Grace Anne received virtually the same overture from this mother.  But she had an extra paragraph in hers:

“I'm not sure how they get along, actually.  This past week there has been something going on between them at school where Connor says one of his favorite things like Alphablocks and Grace Anne changes it to something cuter like Alphablock Cupcakes.  I told Connor it is because she is trying to be his friend, but he doesn't get it and says that he wants to nail her mouth shut with boards.”  (Emphasis added)

Whoa!  Sign me up, right?  Yeah, we shared these emails with each other in the spirit of “Is it me or is this kinda bizarre?”, as well as to compare notes about how we were going to respond.  Grace Anne’s mom came up with an excellent response, pointing out that our kids already spend 30 hours a week together in school and that when it comes to constructive play dates it was probably best to expose them to other peers.  I, on the other hand, told her that we were moving to New Zealand.

This story illustrates a certain kind of politics when it comes to play dates amongst our ASD kids.  Everyone wants their kid to be around, if not typical, then “higher-functioning” kids.   But if most of us are somewhere in the middle, there’s always someone “higher” and there’s always someone “lower”.  I may be reticent to have Audrey participate in a play date with a kid who displays aggressive behaviors like Connor, but trust me, there are plenty of kids that aren’t lining up for play dates with Audrey.

One time, a mother pulled her daughter out of a summer school class because she started mimicking Audrey’s hand flapping.  And I was all, “Your daughter?  The one who tantrums non-stop?  That one?  Seems to me that you’d be happy to swap out a little hand-flapping if it shut her pie hole for a few minutes.”  See how ugly it can get?  Would I be dating myself if I quoted the great Tony Manero “Everybody dumps on everybody” speech from Saturday Night Fever?  Yes?  Never mind.

So does this serve to highlight yet another difference between parenting typical versus special kids?  Typical parents are generally happy for their children to be amongst the smartest and most advanced in any room, but if the same is true for a special needs child we yank them out of there faster than you can say “positive peer models”.  If that’s the case, then maybe those typical-ASD play dates are a win-win after all.


 Lynn is the mother of Audrey, a beautiful and amazing 6 year old girl with autism. Lynn's blog is "My Life As An Ungraceful, Unhinged, and Unwilling Draftee Into the Autism Army". You can check it out at http://www.autismarmymom.com

Sunday, February 20, 2011

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@LogansBubbe and #forDeeds!!

Yesterday, I posted an invitation to the next #forDeeds twitter party. Did you see it? Just in case you missed it, here it is again:
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That's right, Monster House addicts, Bubbe has found twitter! You can follow her at @LogansBubbe. Now. Pay careful attention to this part. She will not be on twitter all the time. Bubbe has things to do, places to go, bubbelehs to love! So, she will be there for the FIRST time on Saturday. If you follow her, please don't get upset if she doesn't follow you back right away. She will.

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Bubbe, being an old woman, has made some requests. And seriously, look at the woman. Who am I to deny the Bubbe anything?? She's a bit intimidated by the twitter, and as we will be dedicating this twitter party to Deeds' custodial fund effort, interested people may ask her questions about:
  • auditory issues
  • how to teach special needs children new skills
  • ABA
  • diet
  • living with autism and balancing the needs of the whole family
Bubbe has requested that questions/comments from you be directed to the comment section below. That way she can have a little advance warning, and prepare her answers. And NO, I am NOT Bubbe. I do not have multiple personalities.

Furthermore, we'll have Deeds' parents at the twitter party on Saturday to provide updates on Deeds and to answer questions you may have for them.

This twitter party will be buckets of fun, and a great way to welcome Bubbe, while helping Deeds.Any help from my blogging buddies to spread the word would be greatly appreciated! Let's show Bubbe how much we love and appreciate her, and lets help Deeds get more of the funding his family desperately needs.

So remember, head on over to twitter this Saturday night at 8pm MST. Say hi to Bubbe, ask your questions, and help Deeds. It's going to be AWESOME!

Want to be more involved with this twitter party than just blogging about it?
Shoot the Momma a DM @ihave7monsters
DM Deeds' Momma @dog4deeds
or
email me here at frazzledmomma@livingwithlogan.com

Tweet away, my addicts, tweet away! Let's get a BUNCH of people involved in this party and make it a roaring success!
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You're invited!

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invitation by eVite

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Saturday, February 19, 2011

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Sacred Family Saturday

It's that time again! 
Sacred Family Saturday
What will YOUR day be like?

Grocery shopping?
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 Laundry?
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Getting ready for family to come over?
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 Just general business?

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all pictures in this post by photobucket, of course!

Friday, February 18, 2011

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These are a few of my favorite things.....

During the last several weeks I have been sending out letters asking for the opportunity to be sponsored by some of the wonderful companies the Monster House depends on. There has been no response. None. Zilch. Zip. Nada. Isn't that awful? And so, I am forced to put all the Monster House addicts through yet another shameless begging post, in the hopes that someone, somewhere, will be my fairy blog mother and sponsor me so I can go to BlogHer'11.

Why do I want to go to BlogHer so very very badly? Here's a couple reasons.
  • At the end of June, Logan will no longer qualify for therapy services through early intervention. At that point, I will be responsible for paying for any therapy her receives. Finances are tight. Very, very tight. I want to go to BlogHer and learn from other bloggers and companies, so I can make this blog work for me and therefore provide the means to pay for therapy. Yes, I could have a "shop" or a donation site on the blog. However, I'm of the impression that I need to be a little more business savvy than that. 
  • Selfishness. I don't get out much. What? At least I'm honest! 
  • I truly believe that I could learn more about blogging in the two days of BlogHer than I could by taking a couple semesters of college classes, as the Daddy suggested. And seriously? It's cheaper, too.
And now, for the  shameless begging portion of our program! Keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times, and do not stand until the ride has come to a complete stop.
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 How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Baby grand piano, cutting foods, magnetic fishing and tow truck puzzles, stuffed giant turtle, wooden tool box, triangle crayons, dry erase markers.. oh, the BEST dry erase markers on the face of the planet. They wipe right off painted, orange peel walls~ even if the dry erase toddler art has been there overnight. I would heart you forever, even if all I knew about you was your markers! But you are SO much more than that! If I went to BlogHer sponsored by Melissa and Doug, even in part, it would a dream come true.

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Benadryl, you have literally saved Logan's life on more than one occasion. That being said, the Monster House will never, EVER have only one bottle of liquid in the house. We always have at least two. Thank you.There are no words for what you mean to our family, and a sponsorship would be both a privilege and an honor.

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Because as much as I love my children, the hours and hours of meltdowns do, in fact, take their toll on the Momma. I know, I know. It boggles the mind that the Momma is not invincible. But with Tylenol, I can make the monsters think I am. Muwahahahahahaha!

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I have gotten a lot of grief about this. But, I don't care. Disney peeps, you make it so my Logan will relax and sleep. And also? The monsters have discovered they like to "clean the nursery", because that way you see, none of their friends realize what they're REALLY doing is watching Beauty and the Beast or The Aristocats.I have had "Disney Babies" for the last 16 years. We're loyal. Pick me!!

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Logan has extreme eczema. We know this is related to his food allergies, and we are vigilant with his diet. Occasionally, he will get into something he shouldn't have, or we will try something new that we THOUGHT was safe, and wound up having something hidden in it that Logan is allergic to. Aveeno is the only lotion we can buy that works. We love their oatmeal lotions, because they help him heal so quickly, and they don't sting like others do.I could literally talk about Aveeno for days.
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Beside the fact that channel 169 is perpetual Nick Jr., and sadly, I know exactly what time Gullah Gullah Island comes on in the middle of the night because #5 has yet to sleep through the night, I love love LOVE that I can get Sirius radio on my TV. Siriusly. ;) We at the Monster House are nerds. We like to take all the cushions off the three couches and make a "disco floor". We first started doing that to help Logan learn to balance and walk on different, uneven surfaces. Now it's evolved into a Friday afternoon tradition.  Really REALLY bad disco music, and a "disco floor". Every Friday afternoon. But that's OK, know why? Because now Logan can balance, and he's actually learning to jump from one level to another. LEARNING TO JUMP! I can't stand it, it's so many buckets of awesome.

And also? You've saved the Daddy's life on more than one occasion when I was less than pleased with him. He can always find an old western or a game to keep him out of my hair.


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Nutella people ( actually, you are the Ferrero Rocher people. I've done the research!) You are the monsters' most favoritest treat. Ever. My #4 took rice cakes and jars of Nutella to school instead of store bought cupcakes for her birthday treat. She's 11.  It's embarrassing to admit that we use 4 large jars of the stuff. A month.On rice cakes. This is because it's the Logan version of a candy bar. And it tastes. so. good.

Okay. This concludes the shameless begging portion of our program. After this... I'm out of ideas, people! Any suggestions for people I should follow on twitter or facebook, or people to email that might help me with this sponsorship issue? Want to help me get sponsored? Email me at frazzledmomma at livingwithlogan dot com for more information.
All pictures and logos provided through photbucket... of course!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

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Alphabet Workout by Butterfly Park Review and Giveaway

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Several weeks ago, I happened to see a tweet from @AlphabetWorkout. At the time I thought it was a new exercise thing, which I am completely allergic to. So, I clicked on the user name just to see what new sick and twisted ways people were coming up with to torture themselves, and found something so much better!

Alphabet Workout is a phonics program designed for children in the pre-K to 1st grade age range. It teaches kids how to read, through music and movement! I was instantly hooked. Here's why:

How many parents of special needs children have been frustrated because their child is unable to learn when sitting still ~ alone or in a group? How many times have you seen parents who are elated that a teacher or administrator has “allowed” their child to have accommodations to their IEP that will work better with their special needs? How many children are significantly behind in their mainstream classes because it is difficult for them to grasp phonics concepts?

I am absolutely convinced that music is a powerful tool for ALL children. We know that music has the capability to soothe a baby to sleep in the form of a lullaby. We all have favorite songs that get us energized and ready to tackle a task to a beat. Many classes, daycare, and nursery schools have transition songs for clean up, settling down, or play time. Why? Because it works.

Here is the description of the program, direct from their website:
The Alphabet Workout is a research-supported, action-based phonics program that capitalizes on a young child’s excitement for learning to read. Children march, jump, spin, and sing as they learn letter sounds, then blend them together to make words on the blending train. Letter sounds are taught through movement and music designed to stimulate brain development and foster letter sound memory.

I emailed Mary Forhan, one of the creators of Alphabet Workout, asked her to tell me more, and begged for the opportunity to do a review. She graciously and generously provided me with The Alphabet Workout Music CD Package With Flashcards. The booklet inside the cover of the CD case contains directions for movements to accompany each and every song on the CD, and a booklet of Sample Lessons is included for use with the rest of the package.
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From the very first time we used Alphabet Workout here at the Monster House, my Notorious #5 was hooked. He's 5 and in Kindergarten. #5 asks for “letter songs” over and over again. His grasp of letter sounds has  improved after only a few days of using this program.
Whether your child is in a mainstream pre-K through 1st grade class, struggles with phonics, has special needs, or is home schooled, he or she will benefit from the approach of this teaching method. The best part for me about this program is the fact that my #5 feels like he is only playing while he is learning, and the concepts stay with him while he is in school.

To learn more about Alphabet Workout, and to view their entire line of Alphabet Workout products please visit their website, here.

One lucky reader will win their very own copy of The Alphabet Workout Music CD Package With Flashcards! Thanks to Mary's generosity, we're having our very first giveaway!

To enter, please do one or more of the following.

Remember to leave your email address with each comment, or we won't know how to contact you if you win! Do not include multiple entries in one comment. Only one entry per comment will be counted.

  • Follow @AlphabetWorkout on twitter, and comment that you do
  • Follow @ihave7monsters on twitter, and comment that you do
  • Visit http://www.alphabetworkout.com/ and tell us what you like best about the Alphabet Workout program
  • blog about this giveaway and provide a link in our comment section
  • tweet about this giveaway including our link, comment that you did and provide a link
  • “Like” Butterfly Park Educational Materials on facebook and comment that you do

Giveaway ENDS Wednesday, February 23 at midnight, MST with the winner to be announced Thursday, February 24. Contest open to US residents.

I was not compensated for this review beyond receiving the product reviewed, and another to be used as a prize. All opinions about the reviewed product are my own.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

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8 Ways To Find Your Balance

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We are all juggling many hats - work, kids, marriage, health, hobbies, housekeeping, PTA, and whatever other things we think we can cram into a day. So how do we balance it all? How do we meet the needs of everyone and still maintain our sanity? Here are my top 8 tips to help see you through:
  1. Drink wine by the box.
  2. Change your phone number so the PTA president can't find you.
  3. Live in a pig sty.
  4. Get a divorce and adopt a dog instead.
  5. Tell your boss what you really feel about him. I bet you won't have to worry about work for long.
  6. Accept that your kids are right and you are in fact boring, so why would you need hobbies anyway?
  7. Buy pants with elastic waistbands and quit going to the gym.
  8. Get a premium cable package with all the options, set the kids down in front of the TV and throw them some popcorn every once in awhile.
What? Too harsh? OK then, alternate the popcorn with apples every so often. In all seriousness though, what makes you think you need to do all of these things? Why do you have to be uber career woman, supermom, sexy nymph wife, PTA president, have your kids in multiple sports, music, and dance every season, have a spotless home and lead the local chapter of League of Women Voters? Balance comes when you learn to let go. Let go of your internal expectation to do it all and be it all. Prioritize the things that are important to you and let go of the rest.

Some ways to do this?

  • Buy cookies for the class party. Let go of being Betty Crocker.
  • Pick one extracurricular thing to be involved with, maybe it's PTA, maybe it's League of Women Voters, maybe it's the local gardening club. But only bite off what you can chew and for most of us, 1 item is about it.
  • Realize that right now may not be the time to accept the promotion that means 75% travel. Let go of your vision of being CEO by 29.
  • Accept that romantic getaways are going to take lots of planning and preparation - meaning they may feel less than romantic in the end. Let go of the Made for TV vision in your head of what romance looks like.
  • Alternate taking the kids to sports practice with your husband. Let go of the idea that you have to be at every single one.
  • Pick one, or at the most two, activities for your kids each season. Let go of the fear that not starting football at 4 will hinder their pro-football career.
  • Keep your house sanitary, but don't obsess. Let go of the idea that a drill sergeant is going to show up any moment with a white glove to inspect your house.
But it's not just about letting go, it's also about holding on. Here's what you need to hold on TO:
  • Hold on to the importance of extracurriculars in kids' lives. Just limit the chaos to reasonable limits.
  • Hold on to romance and intimacy, but see it in small things and savor the day to day instead of looking for grandiose.
  • Hold on to career aspirations. Talk to your boss about your ambition and balancing that with your family's needs. Figure out together if there is an alternate position that wouldn't require the travel, but still gets you up the corporate ladder. If not, would there be if you switched companies?
  • Hold on to attending your kids' special events. Just because you don't go to every practice (which by the way occur 2 and 3 times a week sometimes), doesn't mean that you miss the school play that only happens once.
  • Hold on to the moments and activites that you enjoy and limit the things that are have to's.
Ultimately it comes down to identifying your priorities - the ones that fulfill you and make you happy, not the priorities that you have because you think you should. These choices make it much easier to enjoy what you do have instead of feeling overwhelmed by the chaos you've created. If I had to sum it up in one sentence it would be:

Focus on the good, not the should.






Photobucket Daria is a working mom in Colorado balancing life between the boardroom and the classroom. During the day she leads a team of employees, at night and on the weekends, she and her husband are led around by their 3 kids. She writes with a sense of humor about her life – including leadership tips and business trends, parenting, marriage, and staying sane. You can connect with Daria on Mom In Management , twitter and Facebook.

Monday, February 14, 2011

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#forDeeds, the insider edition.

Happy Monday, Monster House addicts!

Here is the latest from Deeds' website.  Want to skip the website?? Fine. But you had BETTER NOT skip the story about him that was on the front page of the newspaper yesterday morning.

It's that time again, where I blog for Deeds, post pictures so cute you can hardly stand it, and ask for others to join the cause. However, I have a confession. I'm just killing time until March. And there will be no pirated pictures of Deeds today.

I have a good reason! I'm helping you cheat! Uh, I mean, we're having a little study session. We're having March Madness for Deeds! Oh, yeah. It's gonna be the coolest. thing. EVER.  And because I am in the know, I'm going to give you just a couple of insider tips. You should totally pay attention to this, because it's important.
  • If you are not blogging for Deeds, you should. I mean it. REALLY. You SHOULD. Just trust me on this, and know that there are REALLY AWESOME things coming for those of you who blog for him. The more you blog now, the more you will appreciate it later. And Momma don't tell no lies.
  • If you are not tweeting for Deeds, you should. See above. Change the word "blogging" to "tweeting".
  • If you are not posting on facebook for Deeds... yeah. You get the picture.
  • If you do not follow @LittleAnimation, @dog4deeds, and @ihave7monsters on twitter... you should do so.
  • If you have not "liked" the following on facebook, you should do so.

Don't think of this as The Momma telling you what to do.. think of it as.. Cliff's Notes. Yeah. That's it. Cliff's Notes. Remember those? Remember how helpful they were in Senior English, before the Internet was all kinds of awesome? Yes, I'm old. Also I'm a weeble. Move on.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

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Sacred Family Saturday!

It's that time again~
Sacred Family Saturday!
See you tomorrow!
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Friday, February 11, 2011

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Like Christmas Morning!

Today is the day!! Today we get to have Occupational Therapy for Logan for the first time in MONTHS! Oh, I am so excited! Krista will be here at 230pm to work with him. I cannot tell you the relief I feel. Just can not.

Also? I can't think of anything to write because I am so in the zone of thinking of things to interrogate the OT about. Any suggestions? Because I really should have started taking notes for questions last Monday, but you know... life got in the way. She mentioned joint compression. I've never done it. Anyone have experiences with this they would like to share?
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I do not own the picture that was posted today. Credit was given to the original website.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

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Sleep is an urban legend

Ah, morning. The time of day when you get breakfast in bed, the coffee is magically brewed, and you get to wake up at your leisure, swaddled in decadent Egyptian cotton sheets..... if you don't live at the Monster House.
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At the Monster House, I am gently awakened at approximately 12:30 am each morning by the whispery soft screams of #6, "Mom-UH! MOM! Mooooooooooooooooom! Show! Bub-uss! Mom-UH!" Loosely translated, that means, "Wake up this instant, replay my Disney movie, and oh~ while you're at it, I need a refill on my almond milk. STAT! OR ELSE!" I have learned that the twinnies never make an idle threat. Take more than 6.2 seconds to wake up and get to the nursery, for example, and there will be hell to pay.

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The goal here is to get in and get out BEFORE the screams are shrill enough to crack glass and wake everyone else in the house. The reality is, I have a #6 who clearly believes that 12:30am is the perfect time of day to wake up and start playing. Last night? Yeah. Last night was a good night. He was only up until 230 am and did NOT wake his brother. Or the Daddy. This is progress.

However, since we are on the "off cycle" for the clonidine fairy, this Momma is one tired bunny.  I fantasize about sleep. I longingly envision nap time.Sleepy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is my hero. Maybe I'm developing narcolepsy.
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 Am I a tad whiny today? You bet. Am I being all self centered and cranky? That would be affirmative. Why? Cuz it's my blog and I'll whine if I want to......

Okay. I want to hear all the horror stories from Moms in the trenches. How much sleep do you typically get each night? I'm ready to throw parties at breakfast if I get 4-5 hours. Usually it's more like 1-3 hours per night. I'm SO over it. Tell me your ugliest, most vivid sleep deprivation stories. In some weird, twisted way, I think it will make me feel better to know I'm not alone.
All photos and animations in this post by photobucket, as usual!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

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Make way for Bubbe

Good morning, Monster House Addicts! Bubbe had an email asking about ABA, so we decided that today we would direct you to her "Ask Bubbe" page, above.  The only thing that totally sucks is, you can't comment on her page. SO. If you have a question, or a comment, you can do one of two things. You can comment here, below this post, or you can email her, at asklogansbubbe@livingwithlogan.com.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

The Momma

Sunday, February 6, 2011

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#forDeeds

I have been thinking about the post I would write this week for Deeds since Saturday. I have been sick at heart, knowing that Donuts for Deeds did not turn out to be the helpful boost to fund raising that everyone anticipated. I keep thinking that there must be something more I can do, something I am missing, that will help Deeds.

If you are new here, or if you have not yet read Deed's story, please read this first. You can also read Deeds' service dog story, from his website, here.

I always read the latest blog posts on Deeds' blog before I write. I laugh, I smile, I get choked up. This whole family amazes me. There have been so many things that have happened since Deeds was burned. And yet.. they still smile and see the good things in life. They still get up in the morning and do what needs done. They post pictures and tell about the latest developments with Deeds' healing, the burn clinic, the fund raising, their day to day lives.

Want some perspective on life? Read this post . I dare anyone to tell me they have had a worse week. Though if you truly have had a worse week, you have my permission to sit in the corner and suck your thumb. And EVEN STILL... this family sees the good things. Did you see this picture? How darling is this?!?
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 This is Deeds, pushing his sister in the stroller outside the hospital at their last burn clinic appointment.

So what do I have to do, people? Here's a quote from Deeds' mother, Bobbie. It gave me chills:

"Buying the car did use up all our “in case we can’t fund raise enough” money for the service dog training trip to Ohio.  I have faith we can still make it.  We just need to raise $385.56 a month until training to meet our goal.  So that’s my new plan, sometimes if you break the daunting things down you can look them in the eye and tackle them head on.  We Can Do It!  It is a blessing that we were able to get the car that would fit us all and the service dog… so lets focus on the positive!"

They want to raise $385.56. Per MONTH.  Personally, I don't have the heart to not let this happen. Do you? It seems to me that people are more inclined to help or donate when there is something in it for them. So, I need your input. Do I need to have a contest/giveaway? I can.... and I will... but there's this thing in me that just gets a little cranky about having to bribe someone to help a child.

In the comment section below, please tell me what you think. I will need lots and lots of comments. If the consensus is that there should be a contest/giveaway, we'll do it. If the consensus is that there should NOT be a contest/giveaway, then I want ideas for ways to raise the rest of that money. I WILL NOT STOP BLOGGING ABOUT THIS until Deeds has his dog. Period.
Pictures in this blog post belong to Jeremy and Bobbie Mauss. 
Quotes are taken from dog4deeds.wordpress.com
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Where are the lines?

Every once in a while I'm asked to contribute an article about SPD or autism or food allergies. Sometimes I'm asked to contribute in other ways, such as being a guest at a twitter party, joining a group of bloggers on a particular subject, or other similar things. It puts me in a predicament. For me, it's difficult to think of only one piece of Logan and dedicate every thought to that one thing, instead of Logan as a whole.
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I don't mean that in any sort of a bad way. I just have difficulty breaking Logan down into pieces, when the reality is that we live and love Logan as a whole, not just parts. So, when someone says, for example, "Will you write about your experiences with autism?" it really throws me for a loop. I have to sit down and make a concentrated effort to separate all the autism pieces of life out and think about them, and then write. Is that odd?


I don't think of Logan in pieces. Logan is just..... Logan. I wouldn't trade any part of him for something else. The diet is a hassle. A really, really BIG hassle. But we know that this is what Logan needs, and we know how much better he does when he's on it, so that's part of Monster House life. We know that he needs to sit on a vibrating chair pad sometimes when he is out of sorts.  Yesterday, the Daddy looked at "The Great Big Book of Bugs" with him for ten minutes while he was sitting on the chair pad wearing a blue knitted ski hat.  He started out fidgety and aggressive. Ten minutes later, he was docile and happy and all Chatty Cathy about bugs.

Autism? Yes. Hand flapping. We're seeing more and more of that. He's a stickler for things being done a certain way, and heaven help anyone who deviates from the plan. Meltdowns, certainly. The likes of which have never before been seen at the Monster House. He can't stand it when someone says "yeah". He will go up to that person, agitated, and say "Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes..." until they correct themselves and say "Yes. Sorry Logan."

But... dedicate an entire article to one of these things? I have a very hard time doing that. I literally have to walk around and take notes for a while. Am I the only one? It always seems to me that "other parents" can list things at the drop of a hat. I can't. He's just Logan. My tiny little child that thinks I'm his everything.  He's snuggly. He has eye contact. He is SMART. He picks up things just by watching.. he doesn't explore like a "normal" 2 year old. He watches. We play "for" him. We show him how things work. We initiate running, jumping, and taking chances. Then he will follow suit. But only if someone else does it first.

So where are the lines?? The lines between SPD, autism, and the "normal" behavior of a two year old? Anyone have answers for me?

Friday, February 4, 2011

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Bubbe's Seeing Red

I was reading a thread the other day on a group for families dealing with Aspergers, and I was astonished at how some things, sadly, don't change. Or at least change slowly. Ten years ago, they were putting kids in braces and casts to stop them from toe-walking. And apparently, they still do. Actually, things do change. Nowadays, when this technique fails to break them of their habit quickly enough, doctors use botox to help loosen the shortened ligaments. Yet another therapeutic use for controlled botulism.

Now, you're probably wondering why I'm upset to hear this. Well, other than the botulism thing. I'm upset because toe-walking has very little to do with the legs.

Now, don't accuse me of not knowing how to type. I've been typing since before you were born!

For kids on the autism spectrum, in the vast majority of cases, toe-walking has very little to do with the legs. It is more likely related to their eyes.

Imagine what life would be like if your visual perception went wonky and all of a sudden, instead of seeing a flat floor, the floor looks like a physioball. A small physioball. Or maybe it looked like you were walking down a steep hill all the time. Or maybe it simply shifts so you don't know WHAT you're going to be putting your foot down on with your next step.

How would you walk? On tip-toes? Probably. That way you won't fall off. You'll feel more stable, more secure in the knowledge that you only need a small bit of space to step on.

Believe it or not, this happens often for kids on the autism spectrum!

Other symptoms that are often vision-related include:
  • Running (not going out for a jog, but the kind that's sort of like pacing at top speed)
  • Finger-flicking
  • Compulsively turning on or off lights
  • Water and sand play, such as pouring the water from one cup to the other and back again for hours
  • Poor eye contact
  • Looking through their eyelashes or their fingers
  • Poor balance
  • Clumsiness
  • Awkward gait/robotic movements
  • Clinging to walls, especially corners, in unfamiliar or crowded areas
  • Tracing lines in the environment
  • Temper tantrums in public places (obviously, this could be a lot of things, but fluorescent lights and unfamiliar, unpredictable settings are vision-related triggers)
  • Flinches when you toss a ball to him, doesn't attempt to catch the ball. Ever.
  • Toe-walking (yes, I know I said that already, but I'm catering to people who want to cut and paste the bullet points)

Bubbe's getting old, so I'm probably forgetting some, but I think that gives you a good smattering so you get the idea.

We all know by now about SPD, sensory processing disorder, and we know that OTs have a whole range of great tools to work on many of the sensory issues. But vision is an area OTs typically don't touch, partly because the eyes are left to the traditional ophthalmologists, and partly because so often, people don't understand the role vision plays in these seemingly unrelated behaviors.

Okay, so if the OT doesn't deal with eyes, and the doctors are missing the boat, and leg braces are not the answer to toe-walking, what are you supposed to do?

First, go traditional. Make sure your child doesn't have any sort of eye disease. Let an ophthalmologist test his vision if he's able. Your ophthalmologist may diagnose a lazy eye and prescribe muscle-building exercises. The most common one is practicing crossing your eyes. Seems crazy, but this is actually a skill worth having! For a young child or a child who doesn't follow directions easily, just hold a favorite treat at the distance your doctor prescribes and when he looks at it with both eyes, you give it to him. (Just a tiny bite so you can get the most out of a gummy bear. It's no good fixing his eyes, only to rot his teeth!)

Next, have your child tested for Irlen Syndrome. This is so incredibly common for people with ASD and SPD. Well, to be honest, it's just common. WHAT?! You never heard of it?? That's okay. Not many people have. And yet, at least -- at least -- 50% of kids on the autism spectrum have it…one-third of all kids with learning disabilities have it…and approximately 15% of the general undiagnosed population have it! Yes, this does mean you have a one in six chance OR MORE of having it!

What is it? It's when your brain processes one or more colors of the spectrum wrong and you end up with distortions. They can be minor, non-annoying ones like the bright white paper of a textbook seems to twinkle and sparkle, but you can still read. Or, they can be severe, such as when you look at the textbook, you can't read it because the letters are boogying on the page like it's a disco nightclub. Oops! One fell off the page!

Seriously.

Here's the truly cool thing, though. It's corrected with colored glasses. Put the glasses on, the distortions disappear. Take them off, they come back. Just like when I take my glasses off, everything's blurry, but with them on, everything's clear. The only difference is that the color is the prescription. You can read more about Irlen Syndrome at www.irlen.com.

If you have your child tested for Irlen and that's not the issue, there is another very effective treatment available: prism lenses. These glasses are clear, but they're cut differently and cause the perception to shift… a bit to the left, to the right, up, down, whatever direction is needed to force the eyes to work properly and in sync with one another. This blog post has personal before and after prism lenses stories. Make sure you read the post and the comments.

When the world is flat (I know, Christopher Columbus, world is round, blah-blah-blah) and you can see people coming up to you from the side, and understand that there's a curb and that means step up (or down), and you can see an entire shop at one glance instead of item by item, and you can't see the strobe-like flicker of the fluorescent lights, and you can see your mother's face as a whole, instead of a series of parts, and the 40 watt bulb doesn't seem as bright as the sun, and you understand that the ball is not going to hit you in the face, and you no longer see the teeny, tiny details in the carpet or each water droplet reflect the light as it pours over your fingers, or every single grain of sand,
Life … calms … down.

Now, do you see what I mean?

Here's looking at you, bubbelehs!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

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One Wild Twitter Party

Recently, when she was about to reach 3,000 followers, my twitter pal, @LittleAnimation had a "fill in the speech bubble" contest. The deal was, she would draw something, and the contest would be people commenting on what they thought should be in the speech bubble. Would you believe... I WON! So here it is, in all it's glory. I received the shirt yesterday, and I LOVE it! Thanks, JC! You can view her awesome blog contest and see the illustration up close here 

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And don't get used to seeing pics of me, people. I HATE having pictures taken of me. But the shirt... that was BUCKETS of awesome!
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Bubbe come back.....

Bubbe come back
any kind of fool can see
I was wrong
and I just can't live without you.........

Bubbe? Bubbe? BUBBE!!! Come back! I miss you! I know you love going to visit Big Daddy and SRMM but I MISS you! And we need you here! Look! Lots of people visit. We need you, your arthritic fingers, your fake teeth, your tendency to call everyone Bubbeleh.

We need your extensive knowledge of GFCFSFEFCF diets. Your humor. Your wisdom. The essence of your Bubbe-ness.Your recommendations, your good sense, and your blog posts.

Scroll down. I betcha that there are a LOT of people ( don't let me down, here, Monster House addicts. Lying is a sin, you know) that miss you besides me. We love you! You can't cut us off this way! Logan needs you. That's right, I'm not above using my child if it means Bubbe will come back. 

You are our very own celebrity! Oh! OH! Wanna tiara? I can do that!  
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Wanna velvet throne? 
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A super hero cape? 
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Chocolate hearts? 

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 You can have whatever you want... just... come baaaaaaaacccccccckkkkkk!
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Lest I forget, all pics by photobucket, of course! And no, that is NOT really Bubbe in the cape.


Tuesday, February 1, 2011

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Logan says...."Picka Dider!"

At the Monster House, we have been trained. Bedtime doesn't happen unless there's a rapidly disintegrating stuffed puppy already in Logan's bed waiting for him. Linus had blanket, Logan has Puppy. If we go to the doctor, or have people over to visit other than Grama and Grandad, Puppy better be in attendance. Yes, even for therapy, the first few times, if it's a new provider.
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Yes, folks, that IS #6 twirling around with a bobble head headband on, while Logan sits there fidgeting with Puppy last Summer. What can I say? This is an accurate depiction of the twinnie monsterlettes.

Last weekend, the Daddy brought home something new from the grocery store. And Logan was in love. Again. With the same severity. This is bad. Very VERY bad. Wanna know why? Because THIS is his new love/obsession/hafta-have-it-at-all-times-of-the-night-and-day-or-there-will-be-hell-to-pay:
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And that, Monster House addicts, is why at 915 this morning my child had a napkin wrapped dill spear in his tiny little hand, dripping brine all down his arm. At about 920, I heard hysterical twinnie laughter. Usually this is not a good thing. Of course, I had to investigate.

Now. Occasionally the twinnies get along. They have "twinnie speak".. a language that the most experienced and well traveled government language expert would not be able to crack. Trust me on this. Back to the story. SO I investigated, quietly, so as to observe a moment before their twinnie radar perked up and sensed an intruder.

What was making them laugh? "Picka Dider!" Point to soggy napkin around the remaining pickle stump leaking down your arm. Laugh hysterically. "Change-a bum!" laugh hysterically again. Translation? "pickle diaper" and "Let's change your bum".
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I got to interview Emily!

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I had the pleasure of interviewing Emily Lopez, the gorgeous little girl in the picture above, who is the mastermind behind Lemonaid 4 Autism. I read a story about Lemonaid 4 Autism months ago, and when I found her on twitter (@lemonade4autism) I simply HAD to follow! You can find more here , on the cutest, and one of the most inspiring sites I have EVER seen.

And now, without further ado~ here's the interview Q&A, with all answers by Emily, unless otherwise specified.
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Emily, will you tell my readers a little about yourself?  

I am in the 5th grade My fav. color is Orange, I love to skateboard and play with my friends. I love school every min! I love to help with my sisters kindergarten class and I love Math! I wish kids could be nicer to each other in school. When I grow up I want to be a Lawyer and Go to Pepperdine UNV.

Would you like to tell my readers why you're my guest on Living with Logan today?  

I came up with this Idea when I was 5 I wanted to do a Lemonade stand but mom asked If there was a charity I would like to give it to. And I thought of my older brother who was having a rough time with school and life. I never got to go shopping much or do things socially. Sometimes still I am shy but it is for my brother and my fans who live with Autism daily. I can speak even though it is soft . I can speak for kids who can not.I have been doing this for almost 2 years now. because I could not hold one until I was 9.Lemonaid 4 Autism is more then Lemonade and collecting money. I love to inspire people and help. I really would give my lemonade for free if I could just for Autism. I have met so many amazing people. Like Holly Robinson Peete, Kathy Ireland, and more. I have helped so many amazing foundations like The A. Skate foundation , Surfers healing, and more. I love doing this! We helped a nonprofit start a stand in the Pacific Palisades For the Friendship circle.

Are there ways for people to donate to Lemonade for Autism if they don't live in the LA area?(Answered by Emily's Mom, Carrie)

We are currently filing paper work to become a non profit.  So right now when we have a stand you can make a check directly to the foundations. Once we get eenough money ourselves to fund a non-profit we will collect money on our Web site.

How can I help you with Lemonade for Autism? Can I advertise for you, or post a button like the ones on the right side of my blog? Tell me what *I* can do for *you*


Just when we have our stands this summer/spring If you can tweet it . Or we would be more then happy to have you put a button up. You can use any picture from our site or if they are too small I will send one

Tell us about upcoming events and places the stand will be appearing (answered by Carrie)

We have a stand coming up  Feb. 27 at the Claremont Village Farmers Market 8am-1pm. This will be for Surfers Healing. We also have more one in March and a possible Fashion show but no dates have been confirmed or anything. Once I get dates I will let you know. Also if anyone is interested in allowing us to stand in front of their business or go to an event, they can email me  loveforautism@yahoo.com