Normally I write about food. But I have a daughter on the spectrum, so I thought that this once it'd be okay to write about what we've been dealing with lately in our home as it relates to Aspergers Syndrome. For years I've been obsessed about how to tell Anna about Aspergers in a way that will lead to self-awareness and self-acceptance, and now that we've finally had the "big talk" and she has a name for her differences, I thought I'd share our (ever evolving) story for those who may also be in the same boat.
Recipes will resume shortly, I promise. Thanks for reading.

Spring Break 2010 was a huge success. In the past, out of school = out of sync.
The first Saturday of Spring Break was Sam's actual birthday and his co-party with his buddy Cam. After kicking off Spring Break '10 with a birthday party we had our work cut out for us. How do you keep a 9yr old and 5 yr old fully engaged while also completing the nursery for your daughter who is going to be born in May? You stick to the basics and remember what it's all about....quality time.
Here were the guidelines we set for Spring Break 2010 and what we took away from the experience:

There is joy in the world and we only have to open our hearts to see it. Sometimes, it is a challenge to deal with the daily issues that come with parenting a child on the Autism Spectrum. Over time, I have learned there is also an incredible amount of joy in our family because we live with Autism.
A few years ago I wrote two different articles about JOY!: "Music Can Be The Bridge" and "6 Hour EEG"

Clean slate. Mulligans. Do overs.
We can wipe a chalk board clean, some people use Mulligans in golf, and in a friendly game of darts you might be lucky if your opponent allows you a do over when you hit them in the shoulder instead of the board.
Life isn't about do overs. In life, we are given the opportunity to learn from our experiences, grow from our mistakes, and we can decide what attitude we will have along the way. Pretty simple when you think about. Living it is another story.
2009 has been a tremendous year for AutismSpot:

We are in the second trimester of our third pregnancy. Sam is eight (almost nine) and Luke is now five years old. It's been almost a decade since our first pregnancy and it is amazing how little has changed. Don't get me wrong, there are all kinds of new contraptions, toys, fancy car seats, websites, and other advances that have occurred in the past ten years. What hasn't changed is the lack of information regarding the causes of Autism.