Anthony as Diego

 

You can see the excellent pumpkin that Mike carved on the porch here. Anthony did not care at ALL that he was Diego. When we were walking to the mansion, kids would walk by and say "Diego!" and Anthony never even looked up! Rude! ;)

Halloween with the Governor

 

 

 

We went to the Governor's mansion tonight to trick or treat. We had no idea what we'd do because we figured we couldn't really go in our neighborhood because Anthony won't really walk through our neighborhood except one way and I figured he'd flip if we all of a sudden switched it up to stop at houses. I saw on the news that the Governor and his wife were going to dress at 50's people and I thought why not. So we went and I was dreading it, it was after 6:00 and Maria hasn't slept all day and it's close to Anthony's bedtime but it went just fine. We got candy and jump ropes for them and we got our picture and that was that. Just like normal people! :)

Together

 

As together as they get anyway. The other day I was on the phone with my brother Larry and getting a cup of coffee and I heard banshee wailing from the livingroom. I ran in and Maria's HAND was in that big ottoman and Anthony was leaning against it. I was so freaked out and I told Larry I had to go and I looked at her squooshed hand and it was fine! She was fine after the normal yelling. I was glad I had been talking to Larry because I called him back and he said "babies are made out of rubber or something" and it seemed true. But man. I was scared and she was MAD.

Natural Habitat

 

We had an appointment with a behavior therapist yesterday. It went fine, I suppose, but I'll tell you an observation - people that work with children with autism think that every single one is the same. And they're not! They're snowflakes, just like every other kid. But yesterday at the meeting, Maria was *screaming* and Anthony sort of popped her in the mouth, because he (like me) just wanted her to be quiet. So I said to him "No. You do NOT hit Maria, you have to be NICE and GENTLE". And he had been pretty good, but I just wanted to say it so I knew he knew I was on to him. But the guy, the therapist, was like "perhaps he doesn't understand 'gentle' because he doesn't like gentle touch, because it doesn't feel good to him'. And I was thinking, what the hell do you know, Charlie, he loves a gentle touch! He loves to have his head rubbed and his hands held. I mean, he also loves to be thrown on the bed really hard but man -he can love more than one thing! But whatever. We're going back and he can get to know him better and we can get it all worked out. But in the meantime, I am on to these people. :)

Halloween Shirt

 

My mom sent Anthony this shirt for Halloween, it looks so good on him.

Anthony has off from school AGAIN today

 

Pensive

 

 

He is so much better today than he was yesterday. Yesterday he woke up so, so early and then took a long nap, from which he woke with a - ahem - 'bad' diaper and he cried for like 15 minutes after he woke up. He ended up being up last night until 11:30 but only slept til 7:15 and was grumpy *again* when he woke up, slammed the door in my face, kicked and yelled at me, etc., BUT it's been looking up since this morning. He hasn't been in school since last Wednesday and it messes him up. He has off this Wednesday, too, for some "parents come in and talk day" in his school system. To which I say HA HA I bet they will. But I am probably just mad because I had when he has days off because he hates to get off his schedule. He is going this week, I can't remember what day, maybe Wednesday? to our local children's hospital to see about behavior therapy. Like electro shock. Ha. Not really.

Signing

 

 

On the Front Porch

 

 

 

Anthony has really wanted to go outside a lot today and it's a pain because it's a little muddy in the yard so his sneakers get dirty every time and we have to take his shoes off the second he comes in the house every time. BUT Mike was carving the pumpkin out on the front porch today and he went out there - not to help - but he could hang out outside, out of the mud, and Mike could keep one eye on him. The light is good so I took a lot of pictures.

Packing Up

 

Mike packed up all of Anthony's yard stuff today, it's neat right? I mean it fits well and will maybe (?) keep Anthony off the A/C unit.

Saturday

 

 

PRESCHOOL

 

That's a new shirt I got him, it cracked me up. We did end up going to open gym and he was really good, we had a lot of fun.

Bad boys, Bad boys

 

This is the picture that I was busy taking the other day at the pumpkin patch when I didn't notice that Anthony was slapping the little girl's hand away. See how tiny she is? And how there is a whole other goat that he could be petting?

Morning

 

Anthony slept in this morning until 9:00 because he was up for some amount of time at around 5:00. He sounded CRAZY when I was up feeding Maria and then I went in to turn off his nightlight and sound machine and I noticed the sheet was pulled off the bed! I guess he thinks it's time for the maid to change them? He was soaking wet this morning, and of course the first thing he does when he comes down is to give me a big hug, which is sweet and also gross. So I changed him but he didn't want to get dressed, he doesn't, lately. He also found that Nuk somewhere. Soon we are going to have to just go through the house and clear out all of his Nuks but I want it to be right before I go on a long vacation so he can work out the bugs while I'm gone. Maybe a month? :)

Cookies

 

 

Anthony is drinking here because he's thirsty because he's been eating Oreos. I don't know why I ever bring things like this into the house - he gets obsessed with them. Then he is obsessed with a) the basement and b) the Doodlebops and c) Oreos (or Pop Tarts). And then before we know it, we have a cellar dwelling, cookie eating, Doodlebop watching Basement Boy. Ugh.

Different ice cream

 

 

 

and dressed for the day. I threw those clothes down the stairs to Mike when I was getting Maria - but now I realize those sweat pants are kind of tight. Mike's grandmother gave them to us one day when we took the kids out there and BOTH of them wet through their clothes while they were there. They're size four but they're tiny on him. He looks like he's wearing leggings, which I totally intend to leave him in all day.

Eating Ice Cream and Making Faces

 

 

 

Skinny

 

To us, he seems really skinny lately. It seems like he eats all day, but his diet is lacking in ... well, everything. I've heard of some autistic kids that have so many sensory/texture issues they will only eat like one thing and we're not that bad but it still seems like he won't eat much.