Week three, day three of Camp Coast and I am loving it, Cams is loving it, Nat and Mace are loving it! The freedom of dropping Cams off and then saying to her sisters, "Okay, where do you want to go today?" is amazing! So far ,we haven't tackled any major outings due to the rain, appointments, etc., but just coming home and letting them have free rein of the house with no interference of Autism has been so nice for them. And when we go pick up Cams, they are actually excited to see her and play with her,which doesn't happen a lot!
And picking Cams up is always an experience. I swear there hasn't been a day yet that I don't walk with fear into the camp office, anticipating the news that Camryn has been kicked out for hurting. And these fears are not without reason. The very first day of camp, I walked in to sign her out and was greeted by her teacher with the news that Camryn had pinched just about everyone in the camp, teachers included. Yikes! My eyes got big and I bit my lip in embarrassment. The teacher was talking but I heard nothing, as my mind was fast forwarding through a summer of Camryn at home and all the things that would and would not be happening. There would now be none of this and lots of that and ohhhh, how is this going to work? "So, we will keep working on it with her and hopefully she will improve." What? Did the teacher just say Cam could stay? "She can stay? She's not getting kicked out?" "Of course not" her teacher replied. "Believe me, we have dealt with alot worse. Just keep practicing nice hands with her at home." "Oh my gosh! I love you Ms. Kimmy!!" Whew!! Summer was still looking good!
That first day they had gone horseback riding, which for those of you who saw our show know is very therapeutic for children with special needs and Cams is s big fan! They said she broke away from the crowd and ran to the horses, putting her tiny hands on their mammoth heads and kissing their nose. Can anybody say fearless? She had a blast, despite the numerous pinching incidents.
Day two was swimming. Again, if you know Cams, then you know she is a water freak! She loves it!!! And that is precisely why we will not be having a home with a pool anytime in the near future. That girl will walk right in, bathing suit or flannel pajamas, doesn't matter. And this would not be that big of a deal if she could swim, but she can't, hence the big deal. But at Camp Coast, they not only get to go in the pool, they get lessons once a week! I know, amazing right? I knew she would love that and so going to pick her up I couldn't wait to hear about it. Well, yes she did have a blast in the pool. And yes, the pinching was a bit better, BUT, there was the biting a kid on the face incident. My eyes even wider than the day before, my mind was shouting "You have got to be kidding me?! Oh, she is surely out now!" I began to babble outloud to her teacher, "Oh, I am so sorry! Is the boy okay? These two days of camp have been great, maybe we can try again next year." But again, Ms. Kimmy gave me the assurance that Camryn was fine, the boy had gotten in a "tee-pee" with Camryn (something I highly recommend NOT doing) and she didn't want him there so she bit him. Handled, Camryn style. She was disciplined, he was fine and actually verbalized to the teacher that in the future if he sees Cam in the tee-pee he won't be joining her and all was well. Yay!! And from there, while there have been more pinching and scratching incidences, they have been much more scattered than before. She is having so much fun and doing so many things that she wouldn't otherwise have done. Last week they went bowling, which while I was a bit concerned about the whole 10 lb. solid ball in the hands of a child who randomly throws things, I had faith that her counselor would keep close watch, which she did. Tomorrow they are going to the Florida Aquarium, where again, I have fears, mostly for the free swimming stingrays and live touch tank inhabitants (may God be with you) but I know she will love seeing the fish in the tanks. And lucky for them, they are in a tank with a lid, unlike the the little guys at Petsmart who still talk about the day they almost lost grandpa to a giant hand with pink fingernails. I'm not sure when, but the camp is going sailing and also to a bounce house facility. The horseback riding continues every Monday and on Wednesdays they chill, watch movies, do art and just relax( and I use that term oh so loosely). As you can tell, I am thrilled with Camp Coast. I feel so blessed that we were able to get Camryn in, as it really has made such a difference in our lives and sanity levels. For anybody home with their kids during the summer, you know how hard it is to entertain them. Even with blow up swimming pools, paper and crayons, Nintendo DS's and 700 channels on T.V., they still manage to bore quickly and frequently feel the urge to tell you so. Now, with a child on the spectrum who doesn't find amusement in drawing, video games, televison shows or any of the ten million toys you purchased in vain that sit untouched in their rooms, summertime can be downright painful for their caretaker. Having camps like this one are like gold to parents like us and the fact that they are funded solely by donations is scary. I know I mentioned in my last post about the whole donation thing and I really am not trying to harp on it. I get no commission off donations made, no discount on Camryns tuition, only the peace of mind knowing that next summer, there will be a place for Camryn, where she can run, play and experience the world in all her Autistic splendor with no one judging her, making fun of her or fearing her (okay, that's not true, they will fear her, the little crab). And yes, selfishly, I will be able to have a break from round the clock Autism, which can really take a toll on your spirit. And my other two little girls will have a summer to remember for the good times they had, for the "normal" times they had, running and playing in the yard, having their friends over without them having to lock themselves in the closet so Camryn won't pinch them (yes, that actually happened... so sorry sweet little Lucabella) and hanging out with me and having my undivided, Autism watch free attention. Things other parents may take for granted, but things I so, so appreciate. So, again, if you would like to make a donation, I am going to post the website and you can check it out for yourself and decide. I already have had people email me in repsonse to the last post, wanting to give. In these tough times, I know money is tight and even just passing on the word about this camp would help, perhaps finding it's way to more donors. Thank you so much!
Info on Camp C.O.A.S.T. (Children on the Autism Spectrum Together) can be found at www.suncoastymca.org Thanks again!! :)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Chapter Three
Today it is one month since we moved back to St. Pete. I cannot believe it has already been that long! And except for a few boxes of holiday items, everything that is necessary for daily life has been unpacked. Things have been going fairly well and for the most part, I think the move has been great for all of us, including Cams. I know I am happier, which is pretty important as you know the old saying if Mama ain't happy nobody's happy. And while that definitely rings true in our household, I am still one rung below Miss Cams when it comes to the ladder of happiness. Because it doesn't matter how beautiful the day is, how great your hair looks, or where you're going for dinner that night if Camryn is screaming and pinching everyone in the background. So at our house the saying goes " If Cams aint happy aint nobody happy!" And I have to say that Camryn is a pretty happy little girl, despite all the aggression issues we have. One of the things I love most about Cam is that her bed has two right sides, meaning she never wakes up on the wrong one. I don't care how late she went to bed, or how stuffy her nose is, that girl wakes up with a snap and a laugh and I absolutely love it!! I look forward to going into her room while she's still asleep so that I can put my face in her hair which smells like sweaty maple syrup and hear her giggle. She snaps her fingers and when I ask her "Did you sleep good last night?" she simply repeats the question, which as those of you with Autistic kids know is called echolalia, but I treat it as though she is really asking me and so I answer. Those moments are precious and shortlived, often over before you can say "Ri-Ri" which is the next thing out of her mouth, as she lives for that dog. And after that, forget about it! Riley is at the forefront of her thoughts as she scrambles out of bed to find the dog, pull her whiskers out and let the day begin! And after that, there is no stopping, there is no resting, there is no "Go read a book" or "Go draw a picture", it's just go, go, go until night, with several "No pinching", "No biting" and "No pulling the dogs jowels off!" thrown in. And remember, Cams is not my only child. I also have two other lovely little ladies who want my time and attention and also require adult supervision. During the school year, while the 5 hours left in the day after school lets out can be hard to fill for Cams, it's a cake walk compared to the dreaded seventy-something days of summer hell! A little less than three months of fourteen hour days that need to be filled from morning to night with activities for a child who doesn't "play" with toys, doesn't "play well" with others and doesn't stay seated for more than five minutes at a time? Is it any wonder I can be found waltzing down the school supply aisle at Target in early August, high from the smell of pink rubber erasers and freshly sharpened pencils? You laugh, but spend a summer with Cams and you'll be right alongside me, inhaling the Elmers and grinning ear to ear. So, with that being said, you may ask "Eve, if it is so hard to amuse Camryn during the day, how on earth are you writing this blog right now?" An excellent question! I am writing this blog right now because Camryn it at Camp!!!!! Yes, a camp for kids with Autism. They do exist, though nowhere in Charlotte County, which is why we no longer live there. The main reason for moving back to Pinellas was because of all the resources here. Last week I registered her at Sawgrass Elementary, where she will be in an Autistic Unit for the very first time ever! Another thing Charlotte County does not have. In her last school she was in the Communications Disorder unit, which had wonderful teachers, but was not tailored for her needs. And two days after moving here I signed her up for Camp COAST (Children On the Autism Spectrum Together). I found out about this camp at the Autism Speaks Walk in May. I ended up meeting a woman with a daughter Camryn's age who was on the spectrum (Thanks Tina!!! ) Meeting the mom of an autistic girl doesn't happen often, as the ratio of autism in boys is 3 times higher than in girls. But, alas we met and come to find out my mom and her aunt used to be close friends and I spent much of my childhood with her cousin, teeny tiny world! She told me about the camp and how her daughter was attending. I wiped the drool from the sides of my mouth as she explained all the camp offered. Horseback riding every week, swimming, sailing.... I so wanted to put Camryn in, but we hadn't yet moved and I was sure that is was probably full by then anyhow. At the end of May, when we found where we would be moving to, I decided to torture myself and call Camp Coast to see if by chance there was a spot left. And lo and behold....there was!!!! I was jumping and shouting and flailing my arms in the air. YES!! What did I need to do, when did it start and how much did it cost (not that it mattered, we would take out a loan if need be lol) Lots of paperwork, shot records and doctors approval, June 21st and expensive, but do-able. The only hitch was that each child needed to be accepted, as in the director needs to see their IEP and then calls their teacher and privately discusses that child, their habits and behaviors and whether or not Camp Coast would be a good fit for them. As soon as I heard that I made yet another desperate call to our beloved Ms. Mills. It went something like this..."Ms Mills? Hi it's Eve again. Listen, I have an opportunity to put Camryn in an awesome camp that runs for 7 weeks from 8-3 daily. 8 to 3! Monday through Friday! Seven Weeks!!!! Now, you will be getting a phone call from a "Vicki" wanting to know about Camryn's behavior and if she would be good for this camp so.....Oh, I love you Ms. Mills!!!!" I ddin't have to explain. She knows Cams and loves her as much as the rest of us do, but also knows what a challenge she can be and how good this camp would be for her as well as the rest of the family. She spoke to Vicki and then I had to wait. They spoke Saturday and by Monday night I had heard nothing. Ms. Mills, what did you say? Was your end of year gift not up to par? Was this gonna cost me? Tuesday afternoon I was out couch shopping with my mom. I was mid-sentence with a sales person when my cell rang. It was Vicki! Camryn had been accepted!!!!! Ms Mills came through! Now, the next step was registering. And it was on a first come basis. Acceptance does not guarantee a spot. Money does. I was in St. Pete and needed to be in Clearwater to register her. I hung up, told saleslady Sue love the couch but gotta go and sped up to register Cams. She got in and so far it has been wonderful!!! When Vicki was explaining to me all that the kids would be doing, I started to cry. Horseback riding EVERY Monday! Swimming twice a week, lessons included! Sailing. SAILING!!! CAMRYN sailing! When would that EVER happen?? Each student has a personal assistant with them all day. They are teenagers who volunteer and go through a very intense training session to learn how to work with kids on the spectrum. Already moving home had paid off. This NEVER would have been possible in Port Charlotte. Her first day was last Monday which you know I was counting down to. For those of you who know me, I don't even have to say this. But for those of you who don't, let me reaasure you that I adore Camryn. She is my sunshine, like my other two daughters. But the sun doesn't always shine. There is rain and thunder and lightning and hail and hurricanes and tornados and oh, anyhow my point is, like the weather, Cams can be unpredictable with little or no warning of change. And I don't always carry an umbrella. Also, summer is not just about Camryn. This is also Mason's time off and Natalie's time with her sisters. I remember my summers as a kid, lounging in bed till I felt like getting up. Watching T.V., running around outside, going on daytrips. I want those things for my kids as well. But it's hard to loungse in bed with Camryn climbing on top of you and pinching your face. And watching T.V. can be a challenge with Cams standing directly in front of it, then trying to scratch you on the couch when you ask her to move. And field trips with Cam? Interesting to say the least. It breaks my heart to see Mace and Nat just trying to be little girls having fun and Camryn hurting them for no reason. It sucks! So, with Camryn in camp, Mason and Natalie have time to do their thing without the possibility of injury. And I get the chance to be a "normal" mom, doing "mom things" with them without the limits of Autism. And Camryn gets to have her own time and attention and do things she would never get to do otherwise. It works for all of us. And until 3:00 p.m. all is well. Now after camp, when Cam is worked up, tired and hungry, that is another story. But four hours to fill as opposed to fourteen? I'll take it anyday of the week and since Monday through Friday are already accounted for, anybody know of a weekend camp? ;)
Note: Camp Coast is housed at the Clearwater YMCA. It is strictly a donation based program which requires about $7500 to run seven weeks with 15 campers in each session. Last month, the director reported, with tears in her eyes, that so far they have $695 dollars raised for summer 2011. If you would like to make a donation, I know it would be so appreciated, whether it be two dollars or $200.00. I can get you the information if you know of somebody who may wish to give to this AMAZING camp. Thank you :)
Note: Camp Coast is housed at the Clearwater YMCA. It is strictly a donation based program which requires about $7500 to run seven weeks with 15 campers in each session. Last month, the director reported, with tears in her eyes, that so far they have $695 dollars raised for summer 2011. If you would like to make a donation, I know it would be so appreciated, whether it be two dollars or $200.00. I can get you the information if you know of somebody who may wish to give to this AMAZING camp. Thank you :)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Moving Autism Chapter 2
Okay, so starting up where I left off yesterday....how ugly it got. Well, you know you look the morning after the stomach virus, all pasty with dark circles under your eyes and hair stuck together with vomit? Uglier than that. But I have to say initially, it wasn't that bad because another angel in our lives, "Aunt Jackie" volunteered to watch all 3, yes I said all 3, girls for the first two nights so we could get the house in some sort of order before the kids got there. Well, if you know Cams or if you have been following the blog then you know that Camryn has never had a successful sleepover, and by that I mean, there has never been any sleep involoved. But, because Jackie is amazing or insane, the line is very thin when it comes to these things, she threw caution to the wind and said bring Cams over, we'll make it work. And if you know me at all, then you know that's all I needed to hear before I stuffed a weeks worth of pullups and meds into a backpack and drove the crew over, because really, if someone is offering to watch the kids so Brad and I can have a moment to ourselves, even if it will be spent unloading a Uhaul, then I hope they really mean it because I am so saying "Absolutely!!"
I dropped them off, thinking I would probably be back to pick up Cams around 11:00 that night because I have never known her to sleep anywhere but her room. But even 11:00 was a nice break. Brad and I unpacked and even went out for a bite to eat. I called Jackie around 10:00 to check on the kids and was beyond shocked to hear that Cams was asleep!! She had fallen out about 30 minutes before and it seemed like she was out for the night. I could not believe it!! This had never happened and in fact had always upset me that she didn't sleep other places because taking a trip with her was off limits. But now for some reason, she had done it and I couldn't have been more pleased. Of course Jackie had to sleep with her, because Cams does wake up several times at night, but Jackie would just tell her to lay back down and she did. I was so thrilled!!!
By the time the kids returned Tuesday the house was liveable but still resembled a warzone. Oh and we didn't have any cable yet, need I say more? With Mason and Natalie, I was able to explain that I was trying to put things away and that I needed them to go in their room and go through boxes, find their things and put them away the best they could. There were whines and rolling eyes, but they did what they were told. Now Cam-a-rama however, was another story. At 7 years old, almost 4 feet tall and 71 pounds, the wooden babygate that used to keep her contained may as well be a piece of cardboard. I didn't yet know she could move it and put her in her room with some things to amuse her...a few dog bones, a plastic bowl and spoon, a ziploc baggie and some river rocks, Cam "toys". I latched the gate and walked off to the piles of boxes waiting to be opened. I had no sooner ripped into the first one when Camryn appears, gate in her hand, saying"Did you break your gate honey?" Which is Cam-ish for " This thing ain't holding me back anymore!" I thought, you have got to be kidding me. Lord, please, all I want to do is unpack. I really don't feel like I am asking alot here. I took Cams by the hand, walked back into her room, sat her down on the floor, gave her a magnadoodle and told her to draw. I then latched the gate and resumed my unpacking. I heard a thud, but paid it no mind as Cams routinely throws things over her gate, which is why we refer to any object given to Camryn that is bigger than six inches and weighs more than five pounds "Weapons of Mass Destruction". Yep, George Jr was way off course. They were with Cam the whole time, who knew? So anyway, I figured that it was just a large book that had been pitched out. But then, I heard feet pounding on the wood floor and sure enough there she was again, gate in hand, saying "Did you break your gate honey?" But meaning, "Look woman, what aren't you understanding? This thing?? Not working anymore! I will not be caged!!!"
I somehow remained calm, but was pulling a total Gordon Ramsay( you know, the Hell's Kitchen guy) in my head. This is not going to work. Ok, I'll just have Cams sit with me while I put things away. She spent the night and she had never done that before, so was it such a pipe dream to think that she could sit here and "help" me put things away? Well yes, turns out it was. Cams is a lot like a toddler so while I was putting things away, she was taking them and putting them somewhere else. And when she wasn't doing that, she was swinging open the refrigerator door, grabbing the very breakable pickle jar and carrying it through the house as I chased after her. I would give her a pickle and she would stand right on the new rug and chomp it while pickle juice dripped down her chin, her hands and you guessed it onto the new rug. Uuuggghh!! In desperate times like these, I like to turn to a little parenting trick that I have found can work very well or not so much. Bribery, and I was just crossing everything that it would go well. "Mason!!! Would you please play with Cams in her room and I'll pay you a dollar?" Of course she was not happy about having to put her life on the line for chump change, so she bargained with me for two dollars and an extra 30 mintues before bed. Fine, so I put Cams in her room, replaced the gate hoping she wouldn't mess with it if Mace was in the room with her and told Mace to be careful.
I decided to start a load of laundry while I was cleaning, you know the whole two birds with one stone thing, but just as I was pouring the detergent, I was stopped dead in my tracks by a piercing howl. And I knew exactly what it was. Cams had hurt Mason, which is how the bribery thing can go bad. She came screaming and crying out of the room, cradling a badly scratched arm and professing her undying hatred for Camryn and her Autism. I embraced Mason with one arm and grabbed Camryn with the other, forcing her to sit on the floor in time out for hurting. As upset as Mason was about her injury, she wanted to make sure she still got her two dollars and 30 minutes which of course she did. I even threw in a popsicle for Workmans Comp kid style. Cams was sitting on the floor, "growling" saying "Say you're sorry for pinching" and screaming, biting her own arm and hitting herself on the head. Meanwhile Natalie was in her room, not putting things away, but setting up a play land for her stuffed animals. So there we were, Mason on the whimpering about her arm, me sitting next to her telling her how sorry I was and that Cams loves her and doesn't mean to hurt, Camryn on the floor, screaming and attacking herself and Nat off in a world of her own, which officially made her the smartest one of us all. Needless to say, the house looked worse that evening than it had when I started and I was exhausted. How was I going to get this place in order with all this craziness going on? Well, as luck would have it, a friend of my mom's daughter was home from college for the summer and needed a job and had watched my kids once about 4 years ago, so.......... the very next morning, I made a desperate phone call eerily similar to the one I made to Ms. Mills the week prior, and pretty much begged her to come over and help me. You know the saying "It takes a village to raise a child?" Well it takes a small country to raise Camryn! Thank God she was available and actually in need of work, so she came right over and took Camryn out for the day! I really am so blessed to have these people in our lives."Miss Amy" took Cams to the pier, rode the trolley downtown, went to McDonalds and had a great time. Miss Amy made some money, Camryn had a fun day, and Mason and Natalie and I got a lot done in the house and went shopping. By the time I picked up Camryn, it was time for bed. I bathed her, brushed her teeth and put her to bed. As I walked out of her room, I closed the door and latched the gate once again, knowing this time it would stay in place, at least until 6:00 in the morning.
I dropped them off, thinking I would probably be back to pick up Cams around 11:00 that night because I have never known her to sleep anywhere but her room. But even 11:00 was a nice break. Brad and I unpacked and even went out for a bite to eat. I called Jackie around 10:00 to check on the kids and was beyond shocked to hear that Cams was asleep!! She had fallen out about 30 minutes before and it seemed like she was out for the night. I could not believe it!! This had never happened and in fact had always upset me that she didn't sleep other places because taking a trip with her was off limits. But now for some reason, she had done it and I couldn't have been more pleased. Of course Jackie had to sleep with her, because Cams does wake up several times at night, but Jackie would just tell her to lay back down and she did. I was so thrilled!!!
By the time the kids returned Tuesday the house was liveable but still resembled a warzone. Oh and we didn't have any cable yet, need I say more? With Mason and Natalie, I was able to explain that I was trying to put things away and that I needed them to go in their room and go through boxes, find their things and put them away the best they could. There were whines and rolling eyes, but they did what they were told. Now Cam-a-rama however, was another story. At 7 years old, almost 4 feet tall and 71 pounds, the wooden babygate that used to keep her contained may as well be a piece of cardboard. I didn't yet know she could move it and put her in her room with some things to amuse her...a few dog bones, a plastic bowl and spoon, a ziploc baggie and some river rocks, Cam "toys". I latched the gate and walked off to the piles of boxes waiting to be opened. I had no sooner ripped into the first one when Camryn appears, gate in her hand, saying"Did you break your gate honey?" Which is Cam-ish for " This thing ain't holding me back anymore!" I thought, you have got to be kidding me. Lord, please, all I want to do is unpack. I really don't feel like I am asking alot here. I took Cams by the hand, walked back into her room, sat her down on the floor, gave her a magnadoodle and told her to draw. I then latched the gate and resumed my unpacking. I heard a thud, but paid it no mind as Cams routinely throws things over her gate, which is why we refer to any object given to Camryn that is bigger than six inches and weighs more than five pounds "Weapons of Mass Destruction". Yep, George Jr was way off course. They were with Cam the whole time, who knew? So anyway, I figured that it was just a large book that had been pitched out. But then, I heard feet pounding on the wood floor and sure enough there she was again, gate in hand, saying "Did you break your gate honey?" But meaning, "Look woman, what aren't you understanding? This thing?? Not working anymore! I will not be caged!!!"
I somehow remained calm, but was pulling a total Gordon Ramsay( you know, the Hell's Kitchen guy) in my head. This is not going to work. Ok, I'll just have Cams sit with me while I put things away. She spent the night and she had never done that before, so was it such a pipe dream to think that she could sit here and "help" me put things away? Well yes, turns out it was. Cams is a lot like a toddler so while I was putting things away, she was taking them and putting them somewhere else. And when she wasn't doing that, she was swinging open the refrigerator door, grabbing the very breakable pickle jar and carrying it through the house as I chased after her. I would give her a pickle and she would stand right on the new rug and chomp it while pickle juice dripped down her chin, her hands and you guessed it onto the new rug. Uuuggghh!! In desperate times like these, I like to turn to a little parenting trick that I have found can work very well or not so much. Bribery, and I was just crossing everything that it would go well. "Mason!!! Would you please play with Cams in her room and I'll pay you a dollar?" Of course she was not happy about having to put her life on the line for chump change, so she bargained with me for two dollars and an extra 30 mintues before bed. Fine, so I put Cams in her room, replaced the gate hoping she wouldn't mess with it if Mace was in the room with her and told Mace to be careful.
I decided to start a load of laundry while I was cleaning, you know the whole two birds with one stone thing, but just as I was pouring the detergent, I was stopped dead in my tracks by a piercing howl. And I knew exactly what it was. Cams had hurt Mason, which is how the bribery thing can go bad. She came screaming and crying out of the room, cradling a badly scratched arm and professing her undying hatred for Camryn and her Autism. I embraced Mason with one arm and grabbed Camryn with the other, forcing her to sit on the floor in time out for hurting. As upset as Mason was about her injury, she wanted to make sure she still got her two dollars and 30 minutes which of course she did. I even threw in a popsicle for Workmans Comp kid style. Cams was sitting on the floor, "growling" saying "Say you're sorry for pinching" and screaming, biting her own arm and hitting herself on the head. Meanwhile Natalie was in her room, not putting things away, but setting up a play land for her stuffed animals. So there we were, Mason on the whimpering about her arm, me sitting next to her telling her how sorry I was and that Cams loves her and doesn't mean to hurt, Camryn on the floor, screaming and attacking herself and Nat off in a world of her own, which officially made her the smartest one of us all. Needless to say, the house looked worse that evening than it had when I started and I was exhausted. How was I going to get this place in order with all this craziness going on? Well, as luck would have it, a friend of my mom's daughter was home from college for the summer and needed a job and had watched my kids once about 4 years ago, so.......... the very next morning, I made a desperate phone call eerily similar to the one I made to Ms. Mills the week prior, and pretty much begged her to come over and help me. You know the saying "It takes a village to raise a child?" Well it takes a small country to raise Camryn! Thank God she was available and actually in need of work, so she came right over and took Camryn out for the day! I really am so blessed to have these people in our lives."Miss Amy" took Cams to the pier, rode the trolley downtown, went to McDonalds and had a great time. Miss Amy made some money, Camryn had a fun day, and Mason and Natalie and I got a lot done in the house and went shopping. By the time I picked up Camryn, it was time for bed. I bathed her, brushed her teeth and put her to bed. As I walked out of her room, I closed the door and latched the gate once again, knowing this time it would stay in place, at least until 6:00 in the morning.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Moving Autism Chapter 1
Okay, so we are all moved in and all I can say is wow. Moving is alot of work! I don't even like carrying in the groceries from the car to the kitchen, so wrapping my whole life in bubble wrap and moving it to a whole new location was quite an undertaking. And it wasn't so much the actual packing and wrapping and labeling and unpacking. It was the packing, wrapping, labeling and unpacking while my kids were running around crazy. And even that, I could handle... with the promise of a very cold and sparkling adult beverage at the end of the day, but MY GOD, trying to move with Camryn in the house was nothing short of impossible and if it weren't for the help of her teacher, yes I was so desperate for help that I broke down and called her teacher, I would probably still be sitting in my garage, mouth hung open staring into space, surrounded by boxes and bags while Hurricane Camryn ripped through them, throwing their contents on the floor.
So, I guess I need to backtrack a bit so you can get the full experience. The weekend that we moved, we decided to have a garage sale. Harmless enough right? People have them all the time right? Yes and yes. BUT, have you ever been to a garage sale at the home of an autistic child? Well, I for one have not and if I have the child was not like Cams, because I would have remembered, but anyway, we decided to have this garage sale and we get all the stuff together and set up and get the signs out and it's about 11:00 at night and we realize...we have no one to watch Camryn during the sale. I thought my mother-in-law was going to help, but they had company in town and that is another story, so anyhow, we didn't have anybody who could amuse her and that could be a huge problem. I had been talking to her teacher,Ms. Mills, the day before about a camp I wanted to put Cam's in for the summer(which she is in now Praise the Lord!!!!! and I will write about it soon) and they needed to talk to her teacher to see if the camp would be a good fit for Camryn, and while we were talking about that Ms Mills mentioned if I ever needed anyone to watch Cams she would be happy to do so. I said thank you and thought to myself I would NEVER ask her teacher to watch one of her students during her time off! I mean what kind of parent does that? Ok, well apparently me, because as soon as the sun started to creep over the trees the next morning I dialed Ms Mills in a desperate panic and asked if that offer of watching Cams she mentioned about 16 hours before was still good. Of course she said yes, because she is an angel sent from above and she was there by 8:30, ready to take Cams. I LOVE MS MILLS!!! So with Cams gone and Mason and Natalie inside packing, we had a successful sale. But by 2:00 Cams was back and our house was completely packed except for mattresses and a plastic table with fold out chairs in front of the television. Now for most families moving with kids, while spending the night in a house that is full of boxes and empty of toys can be uncomfortable and boring, at least it can be explained that this is only for the night and tomorrow you will be moving to your new house and how exciting it will be and for the next 24 hours you better not touch ANYTHING if you value your life. BUT with a child who is Autistic and depends on routines and familiar surroundings to stay semi calm, a house full of boxes and a room without furniture is basically just a big ole pile of ammunition for the biggest, baddest meltdown in town. And you can explain till you're blue in the face that we are moving to a new house and soon you will have a new pretty bedroom and all your things will be there and will you please just calm down and sit at the plastic table and watch the t.v. that's on the floor while you eat your tenth happy meal in a row since we aren't buying persishable food before the move and be a good girl and Mommy will buy you a treat. OR you could just put your fingers in your ears, stick out your tongue and dance a jig because either way, it's going to get ugly...very, very ugly. Tomorrow I'll tell you just how ugly it got. ;)
So, I guess I need to backtrack a bit so you can get the full experience. The weekend that we moved, we decided to have a garage sale. Harmless enough right? People have them all the time right? Yes and yes. BUT, have you ever been to a garage sale at the home of an autistic child? Well, I for one have not and if I have the child was not like Cams, because I would have remembered, but anyway, we decided to have this garage sale and we get all the stuff together and set up and get the signs out and it's about 11:00 at night and we realize...we have no one to watch Camryn during the sale. I thought my mother-in-law was going to help, but they had company in town and that is another story, so anyhow, we didn't have anybody who could amuse her and that could be a huge problem. I had been talking to her teacher,Ms. Mills, the day before about a camp I wanted to put Cam's in for the summer(which she is in now Praise the Lord!!!!! and I will write about it soon) and they needed to talk to her teacher to see if the camp would be a good fit for Camryn, and while we were talking about that Ms Mills mentioned if I ever needed anyone to watch Cams she would be happy to do so. I said thank you and thought to myself I would NEVER ask her teacher to watch one of her students during her time off! I mean what kind of parent does that? Ok, well apparently me, because as soon as the sun started to creep over the trees the next morning I dialed Ms Mills in a desperate panic and asked if that offer of watching Cams she mentioned about 16 hours before was still good. Of course she said yes, because she is an angel sent from above and she was there by 8:30, ready to take Cams. I LOVE MS MILLS!!! So with Cams gone and Mason and Natalie inside packing, we had a successful sale. But by 2:00 Cams was back and our house was completely packed except for mattresses and a plastic table with fold out chairs in front of the television. Now for most families moving with kids, while spending the night in a house that is full of boxes and empty of toys can be uncomfortable and boring, at least it can be explained that this is only for the night and tomorrow you will be moving to your new house and how exciting it will be and for the next 24 hours you better not touch ANYTHING if you value your life. BUT with a child who is Autistic and depends on routines and familiar surroundings to stay semi calm, a house full of boxes and a room without furniture is basically just a big ole pile of ammunition for the biggest, baddest meltdown in town. And you can explain till you're blue in the face that we are moving to a new house and soon you will have a new pretty bedroom and all your things will be there and will you please just calm down and sit at the plastic table and watch the t.v. that's on the floor while you eat your tenth happy meal in a row since we aren't buying persishable food before the move and be a good girl and Mommy will buy you a treat. OR you could just put your fingers in your ears, stick out your tongue and dance a jig because either way, it's going to get ugly...very, very ugly. Tomorrow I'll tell you just how ugly it got. ;)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Ring my bell
Yesterday I wrote about my Mother's Day and I mentioned in there that my Mom and I took her dogs for a walk in the morning. Well, while we were on the walk, we had a conversation with a lady that after it was over and my mom and I continued our walk I looked at her and said "I am sooooo blogging that!" So, here it is. ...
My mom has two Havanese puppies,Tux and Bella. They are cute as can be, but have been less than consistent when it comes to potty training, which has my mom less than thrilled with them. They are getting better, but they are almost a year old and you would think by now they would have it down. But whatever, so anyway, we are walking them along the sidewalks of Coffee Pot Bayou, which if you are familiar with the area you know is absolutely gorgeous! Brick streets, huge homes built in the 20's and 30's, each with their own architectural style and of course the bayou, lined with mangroves and home to all kinds of water birds. My mom lives about three blocks away on a beautiful tree lined street. Her little bungalow is the baby on the block, surrounded by much larger homes, you know, the kind of homes we all dream about living in. So, we are walking the dogs and we come upon this woman and her two daughters. She was about my age, early to mid 30's and that's where the similarities stop. She was about a size 2 in her khaki knee length skirt and cute little tee. She was freshly tanned and her toenails were a bright orange. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and then topped off with a sporty Nike visor. Her girls looked to be about 10. They were brunettes with clear blue eyes and freckle specked cheeks. Gorgeous girls! And did I mention they were identical twins? Why yes of course they were because that just makes their family even more adorable! They were out walking their dog, a shaggy, kinky haired Labradoodle who I'll call Pookie. Pookie is seven months old. When the woman saw Tux and Bella she got so excited because apparently she sees my mom walking them down her street everyday from her upstairs window, which means she obviously lives in one of those ridiculously huge homes. Okay, starting not to like this girl. But she's as sweet as can be, talking about how she thinks the pups are so cute and how they almost got a Havanese but her neighbor has one and it "pottied on the floor so that wasn't the dog for us" (insert cute little laugh here). Soooo, they ended up with Pookie and so far she has been wonderful. Meanwhile I am watching her daughters, who are waiting patiently with their scooters while she talks, extremely well behaved children! Camryn would have had the dogs in a headlock by now and Mason would have interrupted me at least twice telling me how hot she was and could we leave.
My mom tells her how she has been having problems with Tux and Bella getting potty trained and how she has tried everything she can think of including installing a doggy door in the laundry room where she keeps them during the day. Yet,she still comes home to accidents right by the door on a weekly basis and that she is at her wit's end with them. To which the woman says....Are you ready for this?? The cute, skinny, tan, woman who lives in a big beautiful house with her adorable identical perfectly behaved daughters says..." Really? Wow, Pookie just rings a bell when she wants to go out!" Rings a bell??? RINGS A BELL??? What??? And you have no idea how bad I wanted to say "Really, that's very interesting because my seven year old daughter still craps on her floor! Now do you think I could teach her to ring a bell!" But of course I didn't. Her remark was made in complete innoncence and for all the superficial perfection, who knew what issues she had going on in her own life. So instead, I rolled my eyes behind my sunglasses, shook my head in amazement and said "Wow, rings a bell! How about that!! Well, nice to meet you. Bye now!" My mom and I waited till we were a good twenty feet down the sidewalk before we looked at each other and said "Rings a bell?" My mom felt the same way about it as I did, and agreed that keeping my remark to myself was probably the best idea. Yeah, I let her off easy this time, but if I run into her again and she tells me Pookie is reading, then look out cause it's on! ;)
My mom has two Havanese puppies,Tux and Bella. They are cute as can be, but have been less than consistent when it comes to potty training, which has my mom less than thrilled with them. They are getting better, but they are almost a year old and you would think by now they would have it down. But whatever, so anyway, we are walking them along the sidewalks of Coffee Pot Bayou, which if you are familiar with the area you know is absolutely gorgeous! Brick streets, huge homes built in the 20's and 30's, each with their own architectural style and of course the bayou, lined with mangroves and home to all kinds of water birds. My mom lives about three blocks away on a beautiful tree lined street. Her little bungalow is the baby on the block, surrounded by much larger homes, you know, the kind of homes we all dream about living in. So, we are walking the dogs and we come upon this woman and her two daughters. She was about my age, early to mid 30's and that's where the similarities stop. She was about a size 2 in her khaki knee length skirt and cute little tee. She was freshly tanned and her toenails were a bright orange. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and then topped off with a sporty Nike visor. Her girls looked to be about 10. They were brunettes with clear blue eyes and freckle specked cheeks. Gorgeous girls! And did I mention they were identical twins? Why yes of course they were because that just makes their family even more adorable! They were out walking their dog, a shaggy, kinky haired Labradoodle who I'll call Pookie. Pookie is seven months old. When the woman saw Tux and Bella she got so excited because apparently she sees my mom walking them down her street everyday from her upstairs window, which means she obviously lives in one of those ridiculously huge homes. Okay, starting not to like this girl. But she's as sweet as can be, talking about how she thinks the pups are so cute and how they almost got a Havanese but her neighbor has one and it "pottied on the floor so that wasn't the dog for us" (insert cute little laugh here). Soooo, they ended up with Pookie and so far she has been wonderful. Meanwhile I am watching her daughters, who are waiting patiently with their scooters while she talks, extremely well behaved children! Camryn would have had the dogs in a headlock by now and Mason would have interrupted me at least twice telling me how hot she was and could we leave.
My mom tells her how she has been having problems with Tux and Bella getting potty trained and how she has tried everything she can think of including installing a doggy door in the laundry room where she keeps them during the day. Yet,she still comes home to accidents right by the door on a weekly basis and that she is at her wit's end with them. To which the woman says....Are you ready for this?? The cute, skinny, tan, woman who lives in a big beautiful house with her adorable identical perfectly behaved daughters says..." Really? Wow, Pookie just rings a bell when she wants to go out!" Rings a bell??? RINGS A BELL??? What??? And you have no idea how bad I wanted to say "Really, that's very interesting because my seven year old daughter still craps on her floor! Now do you think I could teach her to ring a bell!" But of course I didn't. Her remark was made in complete innoncence and for all the superficial perfection, who knew what issues she had going on in her own life. So instead, I rolled my eyes behind my sunglasses, shook my head in amazement and said "Wow, rings a bell! How about that!! Well, nice to meet you. Bye now!" My mom and I waited till we were a good twenty feet down the sidewalk before we looked at each other and said "Rings a bell?" My mom felt the same way about it as I did, and agreed that keeping my remark to myself was probably the best idea. Yeah, I let her off easy this time, but if I run into her again and she tells me Pookie is reading, then look out cause it's on! ;)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Mother's Day the Way It Should Be
This past Sunday was Mother's Day and as usual I spent it without the kids. Now, some of you may be thinking "What kind of woman spends Mother's Day without her children?" A woman who wants to hold on to her sanity, that's who! I cannot tell you how many Mother's Days I have been out with my mom and seen women my age out for their special day with their kids and husbands and the kids are screaming and complaining and the poor mom is having to carry a thrashing child in the football hold out the door, while her Mother's Day meal turns cold at the table. I love my children dearly and the other 364 days of the year, they have my undivided attention (except for the Saturdays I occasionally get away to my moms for the night) , but on Mother's Day, I feel that if it truly is a day to celebrate Mom's, then let them have a day for themselves with no children in sight! And if they have a child with Autism, I say let them have the whole weekend with no sensory issues, frustrated meltdowns (from child and mother), or any of the other craziness that goes along with Autism for as far as the eye can see! And because I have an amazing husband who totally understands my need to "escape" every now and then, I spend Mother's Day by myself. Well, not by myself, but no one under 18 is allowed within a 20 foot radius of me.
This year I got together with a girlfriend of mine for dinner Saturday night and it was so much fun! Jennifer and I have not gone out together without our children for five years!! So, I think it would be an understatement to say we had some catching up to do! We ate at Moon Under Water in downtown St. Petersburg and sat outside enjoying the beautiful night. The weather was perfect, warm with a gentle breeze and the downtown was lively with people of all walks of life passing by and the horse drawn carriages parading past. We ordered wine and took our time going over the menu, in no rush to order. There were no kids whining about how hungry they were, and nobody having to go the bathroom every five minutes and more importantly nobody taking off their shoes and throwing them into the middle of the table, as Camryn likes to create her own centerpiece when we go out. No, on this night I had no worries of a meltdown over something so simple as Camryn wanting her plate to be taken off the table, or her throwing herself down in the aisle screaming because she was ready to go when the rest of us had hardly made a dent in our meal. There was none of that,in fact the only distraction was the waitress asking me if I wanted more wine and really, can that be counted as a distraction? I didn't think so. After dinner Jennifer and I went to another restaurant down the street where we sat outside and enjoyed coffee and dessert and talked and laughed and talked and laughed some more. We didn't get home until after midnight and you know what? That was fine because I was spending the night at my moms and no one was going to "scream me awake" in the morning and then greet me with a poopy pullup. And if I wanted to lay in bed in the morning and just lay there, no one was going to crawl on top of me and pinch my arms. No, not that morning and that is exactly how every mother should wake up on Mother's Day, when and how she wants. My mom and I took her dogs for a walk along beautiful Coffee Pot Bayou and then dressed up in sundresses and wedges for lunch with my brother at Sloppy Joes on Treasure Island beach. The day was gorgeous! Sunny and warm and the water was as blue as the sky. We sat outside and had lobster bisque and fish tacos and reminisced about our childhood. The three of us have never gone out together without the kids, so the dynamics were very different from the norm and it was so nice! I really enjoyed that time with my mom and brother and if only for a couple of hours I felt like a kid again, well a big kid, laughing about all the crazy things my brother did as a teenager and confessing to my mom that I had pulled a stunt or two myself back then. After lunch we went to the movies and saw "Death at a Funeral" which I highly reccommend if you are in need of a good laugh. Again, the three of us going to a movie together? Not gonna happen unless it's a Disney film and we have two little girls tagging along (Cams doesn't do movies). It was so nice to sit back in the theater and just let my mind go, not have to think, just laugh. It's a good thing.
Now while I was in Mother's Day heaven, my husband was at home with the kids enduring a little slice of hell. The kids were being kids and Cams was being Cams and that can make for a less than relaxing time. Brad is so good with the girls and is incredibly patient with Camryn (a common side effect of having an Autistic chid is an enlarged tolerance for just about everything). But our children could make the Pope curse. While Brad was sweeping and mopping and folding, the kids were behind him crunching and spilling and throwing. And while he was in the kitchen making dinner, Camryn was in the bathroom pouring a brand new bottle of spray conditioner into the toilet because apparently in Cam's world, that's what you call fun! And while he ran inside to get a spatula for the hotdogs, Camryn opened the grill and then turned it off, because she can do the in ten seconds, she's just that fast. And because Brad is amazing (and brave let's not forget brave) he took his mom AND the kids out to lunch on Mother's Day. They went to the Crab House and ate outside, which is always the best place to eat with Camryn and things went fairly well, except for the fact that the Mother's Day rose Brad's mom received from the hostess fell victim to Camryn and was merely a stem before they reached the table. R.I.P. little red rose :(
By the time I got home it was close to 9:00 p.m. and while I looked cute in my dress and sun-blushed cheeks, Brad looked like he had been running with the bulls. The house was sparkling , the kids were in bed and a freshly folded pile of laundry was sitting on our bed. I love that man!! And before I said "Thank you" or "The house looks great" I threw my arms around him, kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear..."Only 43 days until Father's Day!"
This year I got together with a girlfriend of mine for dinner Saturday night and it was so much fun! Jennifer and I have not gone out together without our children for five years!! So, I think it would be an understatement to say we had some catching up to do! We ate at Moon Under Water in downtown St. Petersburg and sat outside enjoying the beautiful night. The weather was perfect, warm with a gentle breeze and the downtown was lively with people of all walks of life passing by and the horse drawn carriages parading past. We ordered wine and took our time going over the menu, in no rush to order. There were no kids whining about how hungry they were, and nobody having to go the bathroom every five minutes and more importantly nobody taking off their shoes and throwing them into the middle of the table, as Camryn likes to create her own centerpiece when we go out. No, on this night I had no worries of a meltdown over something so simple as Camryn wanting her plate to be taken off the table, or her throwing herself down in the aisle screaming because she was ready to go when the rest of us had hardly made a dent in our meal. There was none of that,in fact the only distraction was the waitress asking me if I wanted more wine and really, can that be counted as a distraction? I didn't think so. After dinner Jennifer and I went to another restaurant down the street where we sat outside and enjoyed coffee and dessert and talked and laughed and talked and laughed some more. We didn't get home until after midnight and you know what? That was fine because I was spending the night at my moms and no one was going to "scream me awake" in the morning and then greet me with a poopy pullup. And if I wanted to lay in bed in the morning and just lay there, no one was going to crawl on top of me and pinch my arms. No, not that morning and that is exactly how every mother should wake up on Mother's Day, when and how she wants. My mom and I took her dogs for a walk along beautiful Coffee Pot Bayou and then dressed up in sundresses and wedges for lunch with my brother at Sloppy Joes on Treasure Island beach. The day was gorgeous! Sunny and warm and the water was as blue as the sky. We sat outside and had lobster bisque and fish tacos and reminisced about our childhood. The three of us have never gone out together without the kids, so the dynamics were very different from the norm and it was so nice! I really enjoyed that time with my mom and brother and if only for a couple of hours I felt like a kid again, well a big kid, laughing about all the crazy things my brother did as a teenager and confessing to my mom that I had pulled a stunt or two myself back then. After lunch we went to the movies and saw "Death at a Funeral" which I highly reccommend if you are in need of a good laugh. Again, the three of us going to a movie together? Not gonna happen unless it's a Disney film and we have two little girls tagging along (Cams doesn't do movies). It was so nice to sit back in the theater and just let my mind go, not have to think, just laugh. It's a good thing.
Now while I was in Mother's Day heaven, my husband was at home with the kids enduring a little slice of hell. The kids were being kids and Cams was being Cams and that can make for a less than relaxing time. Brad is so good with the girls and is incredibly patient with Camryn (a common side effect of having an Autistic chid is an enlarged tolerance for just about everything). But our children could make the Pope curse. While Brad was sweeping and mopping and folding, the kids were behind him crunching and spilling and throwing. And while he was in the kitchen making dinner, Camryn was in the bathroom pouring a brand new bottle of spray conditioner into the toilet because apparently in Cam's world, that's what you call fun! And while he ran inside to get a spatula for the hotdogs, Camryn opened the grill and then turned it off, because she can do the in ten seconds, she's just that fast. And because Brad is amazing (and brave let's not forget brave) he took his mom AND the kids out to lunch on Mother's Day. They went to the Crab House and ate outside, which is always the best place to eat with Camryn and things went fairly well, except for the fact that the Mother's Day rose Brad's mom received from the hostess fell victim to Camryn and was merely a stem before they reached the table. R.I.P. little red rose :(
By the time I got home it was close to 9:00 p.m. and while I looked cute in my dress and sun-blushed cheeks, Brad looked like he had been running with the bulls. The house was sparkling , the kids were in bed and a freshly folded pile of laundry was sitting on our bed. I love that man!! And before I said "Thank you" or "The house looks great" I threw my arms around him, kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear..."Only 43 days until Father's Day!"
Friday, May 7, 2010
Ode to Riley
So up till now I have tried to cover how all of us in the household deal with Camryn and how Autism affects our lives. But I realized that in the process I have left out one very important family member who deals with Camryn up close and personal and I mean reeeeeaaaall up close and personal on a daily basis, and that would be our beloved family dog, Riley, or Ry-Ry as Camryn calls her. We all have to deal with the unpleasant side of Camryns Autism and you wouldn't be a household resident if you didn't have at least three visible injuries inflicted by Cams, but Riley, Ry-ry, that poor dog has been through it. In the short time since we rescued her (ha!), Camryn has pulled, licked, tugged, pinched, squeezed, poked and God knows what else to her, with not so much as a whimper from her. And I'm sure she's thinking "I know I'm just a dog, and dogs aren't that smart, but when you rescue a dog from a shelter, doesn't that mean you take them to a safe and loving home? And you people, you got the love part down, but safe? Do you people have any idea what that child does to me? Well do you??" And if these thoughts do cross her mind, you'd never know it. A little over 80 pounds, she truly is a gentle giant. And we specifically wanted giant, because giant usually means durable and we've seen what happens to smaller, more fragile pets when Camryn comes in contact with them.
Ahhhh, where should I start. Well, when Camryn was 2 and Mason was 5 we fulfilled Masons biggest hope of becoming a proud pet owner and got her a cat. A smaller sized, calico whom she promptly named "Fruit Loop Candy Princess Walker", I would refer to her as Fruit Loop. Well, in the beginning all was well. After all, Cams was only two and I mean how much damage can a toddler do to a cat with sharp claws and super swift reflexes? Keep reading... Camryn was still in a crib at that time and in between her crib and Masons bed was a dresser. Well, one day, I like to refer to it as "the day Fruit Loop went down to 6 lives", Camryn climbed out of her crib and onto the dresser, where Fruit Loop happened to be. That girl grabbed the cat by the neck with both hands and squeezed with sheer delight, almost as if squeezing icing out of a pastry tube and when I walked through the door, to my horror, there was Fruit Loop, suspended in mid air, neck in a toddler vice like grip , her body dangling back and forth like a pendulum, BAM! three lives gone in a flash! And directly beneath her on Masons pillow? A big fresh pile of...poo. Yep, Camryn literally scared the sh*t out of that cat! I screamed and released her, and the poor thing ran like the wind. After that I don't know how many times that same scene was played out in different locations around the house. Eventually we let Fruit be an outside cat. She was totally declawed by this time and being outdoors in our neighborhood can be risky business for a clawless kitty. A family of bobcats live in the lot across the street and the coons around here are as big as dogs.But compared to the alternative of living within arms reach of Camryn, the cat gladly took her chances. And actually fared quite well for a few years until she got an infected scratch and we had to take her to a shelter.
Not too long after, Brad's Mom and husband moved down from North Carolina. Along with all their clothes and belongings, they brought their beagle mix Nicky (also an amazingly patient dog) and their beloved hamster Herman. This hamster was one for the record books, still going strong after 6 years! Brad's mom cared for him as if he were a dog, and even bathed him in the sink once a week scrubbing him with a toothbrush. Weird, I know, but the point is he was well cared for and even after a bumpy twelve hour ride in the back of a U-Haul he was lively and alert the day they pulled up at our house. Now we warned them about Camryn, and we told them it probably wouldn't be in Hermans best interest if they let Cam pet him, but they insisted on letting Camryn get right on in there with her sisters and give the little guy a stroke. And so she did. Give him a stroke, that is. But not the soft,gentle rub kind. No, it was more of blood clot, cut off the circulation to your brain kind. When no one was looking, including me, Camryn apparently gave Herman a good squeeze. Well, I say no one was looking, but Brad saw it all. And even though he had an "Oh sh*t !"moment in his head, he didn't say a word, just suggested Herman go back in his cage for the night. It didn't immediately take effect, as internal injuries usually take time to reach full severity and it wasn't until a few hours later as I was getting ready to serve dinner that we received the news that something was wrong with Herman. Seems he was lying on his side motionless except for a twitch of his legs every now and then. Now I love animals and all, but it was a 6 year old hamster and for all I knew it was dying of old age, it had a great life and now could it please pass so we could eat dinner. I know, horrible right? But my in-laws were terribly upset and the whole night was spent on Herman watch, with hourly updates on how the now wrapped in a washcloth sitting in my mother-in-laws lap hamster was doing. The next morning, I woke to learn Herman had gone on to hamster heaven. They buried him in our backyard (ew!) and mourned him for the days after. It wasn't until a week had gone by that Brad came clean. " I know what happened to Herman. Cam killed that hamster." He then told me what he had seen and Hermans quick demise soon began to make perfect sense. Well, we told them not to let her pet him!
From then, the assaults have been varied. A friend of mine was pet sitting a neighbors 9 week old retriever pup and invited me and the kids over to see him. We had been there literally two minutes before I said "We're leaving!" Seems Camryn was trying out her signature "pastry tube" move on the dogs neck and in absolute horrid embarrassment I apologized and offered to pay any vet bills before scurrying out the door. Then there was the time a man was walking his pug down our street. He gave the dog a little too much slack in the leash and well.... we were outside, Cams saw the dog and let's just say it's a good thing pugs don't have much of a neck. There was the chihuahua at the end of the street that wouldn't shut up and insisted on running out where Cam and I were walking. Pastry tube squeeze! And then of course, if you're a creature of smaller proportions and you happen to meet up with Cam, well you just don't stand a chance. Bugs, forget about it. Lizards, I don't even want to talk about it! And the fish at Petsmart swimming freely in the tanks with no lid? They're totally telling their grand-fish about the day they cheated death when a girl with pigtails reached into the tank and tried to grab a little guy and "give him a hug". Basically, if Cams gets at you, you're bound to leave a little less in tact than you came.And the smaller you are, the greater the damage.
The friend of mine who was pet sitting the retirever puppy recently got her kids a chihuahua. And not just a chihuahua, a teacup chihuahua that weighs all of 2 pounds! Now the only reason I know this is because 2 of our mutual friends told me she invited their kids over to see it. Was I offended we weren't asked to come over? Absolutely not! Camryn vs. a teacup chihuahua? That dog wouldn't stand a chance! And I can only imagine the conversation that would have followed..."Umm honey I have bad news and worse news. The bad news is Camryn broke a teacup. The worse news is it was a teacup chihuahua!"
She doesn't do it to be mean. In fact it's the complete opposite. We have saying around here that "Camryn loves things to death!" and that is exactly how and why it happens. So when Mason asked us for a dog we both answered a quick resounding "No!" Why endanger another innocent animals life? But after all the research I had seen about animals and the therapeutic effect they have on children with special needs, the idea of a dog became a little more appealing. And it was so unfair to deny Mason her greatest wish of owning a dog becuase Camryn couldn't handle it. It was just one more reason for her to resent her sister and Autism. So after much thought and consideration, we decided to start looking for one. We went to the local animal shelter with a list of requirements that had no more than two items on it...1.It must be a dog. 2.It must be a big dog. A really ig dog. Any four legged friend coming into our home needed to be big enough to withstand the affections of Camryn. Brad is the one who noticed Riley sitting patiently in her pen and after spending an hour with her out in the fenced in area we knew she was the one. We loaded her into the truck six months ago and have continued to be impressed with her gentle, forgiving nature and never ending patience. Along with all the craziness she puts up with from Natalie dressing her up in necklaces and tiaras to Mason trying to teach an old dog new tricks, the "abuse" she takes from Cams is amazing. Now Camryn also gives her "nice touches" in the form of open mouth kisses (disgusting!) and smooches on the nose. But mostly it's squeezes and pinches and using her as a bench. And Riley never so much as whimpers. I think she knows. She knows that Camryn can't help it and so she takes it, knowing that she will get belly rubs from Brad and doggy treats from me and when it comes down to it, that's a pretty good trade in dog reasoning.When Cams wakes up in the morning, the first words out of her mouth are "Ry-ry I wanna pet Ry Ry" "Shes black and white" "I like her eyebrows" And then after school it's the same thing. And even during school. All the school staff know about Ry-Ry and when I bring her in the car to pick up Mason, all of Cams teachers yell out "Ry Ry's here! Hi Ry-Ry"! I can't even remember what Camryn talked about before we had a dog. Riley makes her happy and when Cams is happy we are all happy. So Riley, this one's for you. Thanks for being such a loving, understanding part of our family. While humans may give us looks and make fun, you just accept Camryn and her way of loving and for that we love you! Good dog :)
Ahhhh, where should I start. Well, when Camryn was 2 and Mason was 5 we fulfilled Masons biggest hope of becoming a proud pet owner and got her a cat. A smaller sized, calico whom she promptly named "Fruit Loop Candy Princess Walker", I would refer to her as Fruit Loop. Well, in the beginning all was well. After all, Cams was only two and I mean how much damage can a toddler do to a cat with sharp claws and super swift reflexes? Keep reading... Camryn was still in a crib at that time and in between her crib and Masons bed was a dresser. Well, one day, I like to refer to it as "the day Fruit Loop went down to 6 lives", Camryn climbed out of her crib and onto the dresser, where Fruit Loop happened to be. That girl grabbed the cat by the neck with both hands and squeezed with sheer delight, almost as if squeezing icing out of a pastry tube and when I walked through the door, to my horror, there was Fruit Loop, suspended in mid air, neck in a toddler vice like grip , her body dangling back and forth like a pendulum, BAM! three lives gone in a flash! And directly beneath her on Masons pillow? A big fresh pile of...poo. Yep, Camryn literally scared the sh*t out of that cat! I screamed and released her, and the poor thing ran like the wind. After that I don't know how many times that same scene was played out in different locations around the house. Eventually we let Fruit be an outside cat. She was totally declawed by this time and being outdoors in our neighborhood can be risky business for a clawless kitty. A family of bobcats live in the lot across the street and the coons around here are as big as dogs.But compared to the alternative of living within arms reach of Camryn, the cat gladly took her chances. And actually fared quite well for a few years until she got an infected scratch and we had to take her to a shelter.
Not too long after, Brad's Mom and husband moved down from North Carolina. Along with all their clothes and belongings, they brought their beagle mix Nicky (also an amazingly patient dog) and their beloved hamster Herman. This hamster was one for the record books, still going strong after 6 years! Brad's mom cared for him as if he were a dog, and even bathed him in the sink once a week scrubbing him with a toothbrush. Weird, I know, but the point is he was well cared for and even after a bumpy twelve hour ride in the back of a U-Haul he was lively and alert the day they pulled up at our house. Now we warned them about Camryn, and we told them it probably wouldn't be in Hermans best interest if they let Cam pet him, but they insisted on letting Camryn get right on in there with her sisters and give the little guy a stroke. And so she did. Give him a stroke, that is. But not the soft,gentle rub kind. No, it was more of blood clot, cut off the circulation to your brain kind. When no one was looking, including me, Camryn apparently gave Herman a good squeeze. Well, I say no one was looking, but Brad saw it all. And even though he had an "Oh sh*t !"moment in his head, he didn't say a word, just suggested Herman go back in his cage for the night. It didn't immediately take effect, as internal injuries usually take time to reach full severity and it wasn't until a few hours later as I was getting ready to serve dinner that we received the news that something was wrong with Herman. Seems he was lying on his side motionless except for a twitch of his legs every now and then. Now I love animals and all, but it was a 6 year old hamster and for all I knew it was dying of old age, it had a great life and now could it please pass so we could eat dinner. I know, horrible right? But my in-laws were terribly upset and the whole night was spent on Herman watch, with hourly updates on how the now wrapped in a washcloth sitting in my mother-in-laws lap hamster was doing. The next morning, I woke to learn Herman had gone on to hamster heaven. They buried him in our backyard (ew!) and mourned him for the days after. It wasn't until a week had gone by that Brad came clean. " I know what happened to Herman. Cam killed that hamster." He then told me what he had seen and Hermans quick demise soon began to make perfect sense. Well, we told them not to let her pet him!
From then, the assaults have been varied. A friend of mine was pet sitting a neighbors 9 week old retriever pup and invited me and the kids over to see him. We had been there literally two minutes before I said "We're leaving!" Seems Camryn was trying out her signature "pastry tube" move on the dogs neck and in absolute horrid embarrassment I apologized and offered to pay any vet bills before scurrying out the door. Then there was the time a man was walking his pug down our street. He gave the dog a little too much slack in the leash and well.... we were outside, Cams saw the dog and let's just say it's a good thing pugs don't have much of a neck. There was the chihuahua at the end of the street that wouldn't shut up and insisted on running out where Cam and I were walking. Pastry tube squeeze! And then of course, if you're a creature of smaller proportions and you happen to meet up with Cam, well you just don't stand a chance. Bugs, forget about it. Lizards, I don't even want to talk about it! And the fish at Petsmart swimming freely in the tanks with no lid? They're totally telling their grand-fish about the day they cheated death when a girl with pigtails reached into the tank and tried to grab a little guy and "give him a hug". Basically, if Cams gets at you, you're bound to leave a little less in tact than you came.And the smaller you are, the greater the damage.
The friend of mine who was pet sitting the retirever puppy recently got her kids a chihuahua. And not just a chihuahua, a teacup chihuahua that weighs all of 2 pounds! Now the only reason I know this is because 2 of our mutual friends told me she invited their kids over to see it. Was I offended we weren't asked to come over? Absolutely not! Camryn vs. a teacup chihuahua? That dog wouldn't stand a chance! And I can only imagine the conversation that would have followed..."Umm honey I have bad news and worse news. The bad news is Camryn broke a teacup. The worse news is it was a teacup chihuahua!"
She doesn't do it to be mean. In fact it's the complete opposite. We have saying around here that "Camryn loves things to death!" and that is exactly how and why it happens. So when Mason asked us for a dog we both answered a quick resounding "No!" Why endanger another innocent animals life? But after all the research I had seen about animals and the therapeutic effect they have on children with special needs, the idea of a dog became a little more appealing. And it was so unfair to deny Mason her greatest wish of owning a dog becuase Camryn couldn't handle it. It was just one more reason for her to resent her sister and Autism. So after much thought and consideration, we decided to start looking for one. We went to the local animal shelter with a list of requirements that had no more than two items on it...1.It must be a dog. 2.It must be a big dog. A really ig dog. Any four legged friend coming into our home needed to be big enough to withstand the affections of Camryn. Brad is the one who noticed Riley sitting patiently in her pen and after spending an hour with her out in the fenced in area we knew she was the one. We loaded her into the truck six months ago and have continued to be impressed with her gentle, forgiving nature and never ending patience. Along with all the craziness she puts up with from Natalie dressing her up in necklaces and tiaras to Mason trying to teach an old dog new tricks, the "abuse" she takes from Cams is amazing. Now Camryn also gives her "nice touches" in the form of open mouth kisses (disgusting!) and smooches on the nose. But mostly it's squeezes and pinches and using her as a bench. And Riley never so much as whimpers. I think she knows. She knows that Camryn can't help it and so she takes it, knowing that she will get belly rubs from Brad and doggy treats from me and when it comes down to it, that's a pretty good trade in dog reasoning.When Cams wakes up in the morning, the first words out of her mouth are "Ry-ry I wanna pet Ry Ry" "Shes black and white" "I like her eyebrows" And then after school it's the same thing. And even during school. All the school staff know about Ry-Ry and when I bring her in the car to pick up Mason, all of Cams teachers yell out "Ry Ry's here! Hi Ry-Ry"! I can't even remember what Camryn talked about before we had a dog. Riley makes her happy and when Cams is happy we are all happy. So Riley, this one's for you. Thanks for being such a loving, understanding part of our family. While humans may give us looks and make fun, you just accept Camryn and her way of loving and for that we love you! Good dog :)
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