YIKES!!

We haven't written in such a long time!  Mami got a job doing medical transcription from home...something that I used to do a bit ago, and thankfully, I got the opportunity to do again!  


Pajamas, any hours desired, sitting on my butt at home, kissing boys with my headphones on and a sweet boss...it is the ultimate for Mamas!


Needless to say, I haven't had much time for typing anything other than doctor's orders...but I am craving to express my own ideas, so hopefully, I will start back on the blog soon!


Ro has been creating some AMAZING digital art on the computer, and I am going to be listing it on his etsy site soon.  Also, for Christmas, he is taking requests for canvas and acrylic paints and brushes.  More art coming!  Yay!


Here is a sample of his genius...

HOW COOL IS THIS KID?

The Loudon of the Day

I is ALL growns UP!!!  Mami say, "WAH!"

I don't think I can take not having any babies anymore :(

AUTISM INSURANCE BILL IN MA - IT'S BOSTON, MAN, COME ON!!!

I love AFAM! Check out their site in the link below..

Did anyone go to the State House in Boston today?

Mama is already broke paying for things that weren't covered in our 7 year journey!!!

I hope, with all my might, that they pass this bill already!!!!!

**AUTISM AWARENESS OF THE DAY**

More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer COMBINED!

Ugh, they better get on that...quick.

1 IN 100 ...BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

Autism Rate Now 1 in 100, Federal Government Says

In a conference call, the government just confirmed that 1 in 100 American children has an autistic spectrum diagnosis. They're still saying they don't know why, or whether the increase is real. And HHS Secretary Sebelius showed where the government is still going wrong by talking about "more research in the genes underlying autism." The rest was bureaucratic blah-blah-blah. -- Dan Olmsted

HI, THIS IS AUTISM...I MEAN, RONAN.

A repost from our old blog about labels and autism.  Just revisiting the subject...

http://ronanjames.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/hi-this-is-autism/

THE LOUDON OF THE DAY

(Incredulous) "Mom!  I can't say that word anymore, because it is MISSING from my brain now!  Even the letters that spell that word are gone!" - when asked to say "sorry" to his brother after hitting him.

Look!  Mama can even see the devil in his eyes! lol

 

**AUTISM AWARENESS OF THE DAY**

Autism is a neurological disorder. Most people believe, mistakenly, that it is a mental disorder.

THE LOUDON OF THE DAY

Come...bathe with me!

Are my sisters and I the only ones who remember that SNL skit?

The Best Day Ever

I'm pretty sure I have another post entitled, "The Best Day Ever", but I am blessed with so many of them...what the hell - another Best Day Ever!!!!

We have been witnessing more "brain explosion" here lately. This is how I like to refer to Ronan's super learning periods, in which he acquires a huge amount of comprehension in a short span of time.

He's always advanced like this. I remember two straight years of fervently testing various methods of teaching him how to use the computer mouse (something he desperately wanted to do) and really having no success at all.

Then, one best day, I looked over at him at the computer table. There he was pointing and clicking like he had been doing it as a career his entire life.

It clicked.

And with Ronan, sometimes you can try to help for years, and with every method you can think of, read or learn about, but still...when it clicks, it clicks.

Sometimes, it's a certain word that turns the click to his understanding, and sometimes it's just time. Whatever the reason, when a skill that you have been trying so hard to get him to comprehend clicks, it's just the best day ever.

And not because I want him to be more "normal" or "typical", but because I know he gets such relief and joy from being able to express his thoughts and feelings to others.

How do I know this?

Well, this is what made the best day ever!

Recently, Ro has been passionate about the Universe. Planets, stars, galaxies, moons...all of it. Did you know about the moon called Callisto? Well, Ro will tell you 10 details about it in 10 seconds!

Anyway, being such an artiste, he decided that he wanted to draw pictures of planets, then scan them, and THEN iron them onto t-shirts for himself and The Loudon to wear. Needless to say, they are awesome, as are all of his creations.

We did a Jupiter shirt for him last week. He was so in love with it, he could barely contain himself - this is something I love so much about Ronan. It's just so fun to watch him in his excitement over something that others might find so insignificant.

Ronan: MOM!!! I LOVE MY JUPITER SHIRT!!! LOOK AT IT, MOM!!!

Mom: I love it, Ro!!! You did a great job drawing it!

Ronan: (pausing...wheels visibly turning) MOM!!!!!! (quietly incredulous and sighing with relief)...I can TALK to you now, Mom. I can tell you about my feelings. I can tell you how I love Jupiter so much!!!!

Mom: ...she isn't speaking, because she's crying.

I'm so glad that makes you so happy, Ronan James.

THE BEST DAY EVER!

The Ronan of the Day

Okay, I'm not really a big-headed person, but MAMA SORRY...LOOK at my child...

I. AM. DELICIOUS.

Are you freakin' kidding me?????????

AUTISM - Are you verbal?

For years, we tossed around the word Autism.

It didn't fit, it fit, it labeled him, it didn't, we cared, we didn't.

We used to look at the faces that stared while he screamed.

We don't even notice now.

AUTISM.

It was a word that held such power.

Now...it's just a word...

And Ronan James is just fabulous.

How do you talk about autism?

The Ronan of the Day

Ronan James nursed forever. In fact, so long that Mama was able to give speech lessons using this incredible motivator!

"I want boobies, what?"

"I want boobies, pweese!"

I did a big blog on it under our old wordpress site. I'll have to find it and add the link in later.

Anyway, he has never lost the love for the boob.

When The Loudon was born, Ronan looked on longingly as he nursed, but since Ro was done, he settled for a "reach in and grab a handful" approach.

Ever since, we have had an almost daily discussion on "privates" and what is appropriate touching or not.

He is very sneaky about it now, and it's turned into a seemingly harmless hand or finger graze across the chest area!! lol

Mama doesn't want to make too big a deal of it, because I don't want him to get some sort of "boob aversion". I can just imagine that this would turn him into that pervy groping kid from Jr. High School that you avoided with all of your might, because he just couldn't control himself around the melons that have been suddenly popping up everywhere!!

So, when he grabbed a handful the other day, Mama did the "privates talk" walk through.

Ro really pondered it for a bit, then he said wistfully...

"Mom. When I grow up, I'm going to touch my wife's boobs EVERY day."

Watch out chesty ladies! Here he comes!

And he's a boob man.

The Shawl...The Damn Shawl Again

Every time I think I am going through a ridiculously rough period in life, I have to break out the big guns.


Tonight, my friends, I will be reading this for the umpteenth time...

Read it and weep only when you are having a REALLY bad night. You'll be reminded of what crappy life circumstances truly are.

And then, maybe you will slap yo'self in the face, like Mama do, for all your "poor me" whining.

THE LOUDON OF THE DAY

I've just gotten through with a lecture for The Loudon on why punching your brother in the head isn't allowed in our house...

The Loudon (evilly calm): "Mom. I want to take you to Target and exchange you for another, nicer Mom."

Mama: "Oh, really? And what do you think another Mom would do if you punched your brother across the head?"

The Loudon: "She would say, 'It was ALL his fault!'"

Oy. Some days, I really wish Mama could go Gramma Gerrie on his butt!

But there's no hitting allowed in Mama house.

Sigh.

Ro and Lowie - On Death and Dying

Ro and Lowie's Nana passed away recently. They are not really strangers to death, per se.

At their grandparent's house, a large portrait of their late Uncle Shawn hangs. He passed at the young age of 16, from a car accident. Their Dad was only 14 when his brother died. Both of our boys have been fascinated by this.

"Where is Uncle Shawn? Why can't I see him? Where exactly in the stars is he? Can I go to heaven too? How did he get hurt in the car? Can we say goodnight to him in heaven?"

It has become a ritual, this saying goodnight to their Uncle that they've never met, in the stars. Now, after a sad goodbye, it includes their Nana.

Goodnight Uncle Shawn.

Goodnight Nana.

We love you.

WHAT IS IT WITH BOYS AND POOP?

This is what greeted me on my desktop this morning! Why do boys love poop so much?

Shameless Flirt Alert!

Look at her face! Don Juan has worked his magic! Shameless!!

Ronan art of the day

Mah Boo is doing some really cool digital art lately...
He entitled this "Squeaky Ball"

The Ronan of the Day

I loves mines friends.

The Loudon of the Day

I love my bro.

No Sh#*, Einstein!

Mama Studies concur.

http://www.nouvelles.umontreal.ca/udem-news/press-releases/study-finds-autistics-better-at-problem-solving.html

THE BEST DAY EVER!!!

In the quiet of 3 AM this morning, I was ripped awake by a knife-like jabbing in my left lung. At first, I thought it was just the usual digging of The Loudon feet into my neck, throat or chest cavity, but I soon realized that he was sleeping soundly at the end of my bed, with feet tucked far away from me.

Hmm. What in the mother of pearl?????.......OW!

Every time I took a deep breath or moved a certain way, slicing pain shot through me. A broken rib? No. A pulled muscle? I don't think so. Pneumonia? No, I'm not sick. A pulmonary embolism? Yes, probably.

I tried to get comfy again, but it wasn't possible, so I stumbled into the kitchen in search of some Advil and cold water. I returned to bed and waited.

Is Mama still breathing? Yes. Has Mama fainted yet? No. Is Mama bleeding out of her ears? No.

Sadly, after having children, this is now Mama's criteria for panic. (please listen to your own panic, and don't blame Mama if yours turns out to be a visit from the Grim Reaper!)

Finally, I drifted off at around the same time as Ronan was waking up.

Time to make pancakes and eggs!

Mama's eyes are furry, and I try to turn on the burner, but my pan isn't heating! Hmm. I lean over the stove to see what's going on, and suddenly I hear crackling and I see smoke!

What in the????!!!!! Oh, it's my hair on fire!! I turned on the wrong burner! Yes, that's it! No wonder!

MY HAIR IS ON FIRE!!!!

Mama's burning!!!

I throw water on my hair, and it goes out, but what is that smoke near the stove now???

Oh, it's my carton of eggs on fire now!

Well, I wanted to cook them, but not like that!! Into the water they go too.

Mama's singed, wet, the eggs went up in smoke, I am having a pulmonary embolism and I am sleep deprived going into an overnight at work at 10 PM!

Mama has decided that this is going to be the BEST DAY EVER!! lol

I HAVE TO GO TO SLOVENIA

This about sums it up. Awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCJX5ml7B8A

THE LOUDON OF THE DAY

ME JANE

Around the holiday season, Mama hit an all-time poundage record for herself. I've always been really lucky to have inherited both of my parents' insanely super metabolism, so this came as a Mama-slap to her face.

I was fat. There's no other way to say it...except muy gorda...yes, that too.

Anyway, I blogged about this at our old home (ronanjames.wordpress.com), entitled "Mama Fat"...you can catch the gristly details there.

But Mama ain't fat no more, baby!! Mama lost 23 pounds! Whoo hoooooo!!!
I'll tell you how I did it. It was SO easy! I was able to eat whatever I wanted, and I never exercised!!!!!!

No, not really.

I exercised 5 days a week, and I ate the caveman diet.

For those of you who don't know what the caveman diet is...let me fill you in.

When Ronan was a baby, he puked like a spigot after every meal. Despite that, he was 30 lbs. at 10 months. Come to find out, he had reflux, so he kept wanting to eat, eat, eat, nurse, nurse, nurse, to soothe his upset tummy.

When we found out that he was so sensitive to food, we met with a Pediatric GI who recommended an exclusion diet. Hmm. Mama's family is Italian and Puerto Rican, and we LOVE all food. Exclusion!? Wha-wha-wha-WHAT?

No gluten, casein, soy, nuts, or sugar. Oy. OY! What's left?

Meat. Some fish. Eggs with caution. Fruit. Veggies.

We dubbed it "The Caveman Diet".

It has since been given a fancy name...The Paleolithic Diet, or Paleo Diet...um, it's CAVEMAN DIET!

Anyway, after 2 weeks on the caveman diet with Ro, I lost about 25 pounds! Sweet!

So, I tried it again this time. After a month, I have lost 23 lbs!!!

I'll be brutally honest...and I'll list my height and weight.

I'm 5'6" and I weighed 160 lbs. at my "peak".

I now weigh 137, and I'm never hungry. I eat tons of veggies, some fruit, eggs, lean meat, fish and nuts. That's my downfall. Nuts. If there is a jar of almond butter in my house, I will not stop until it's gone! Addiction...food is my only!! It's sad, but true.

I try to walk 3 miles 3-5 times a week, and sometimes I do Pilates, Yoga or lift some little weights, but mostly it's about not eating Dunkin Donuts and then having 2 servings of Carvel ice cream cake with Papa Gino's pizza every day.

And it's the caveman diet.

Me Jane.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW HOME!!!

***Visit our old blog, for a TON of posts**
http://www.ronanjames.wordpress.com/

We are just figuring out what new and cool things we can do here at our new site, so please excuse the wacky formatting. So far, we are finding that it's a lot more user friendly!

Yay, Mama likey!

I'm going to try to get some good posts up in this house today, but that will come after Mama gets her butt off the computer chair and exercises...not Mama's favorite, but I am down 20 POUNDS!!!! Yes, 20 POUNDS!! That's about 40 sticks of butter...yum.

Mama feeling good and healthy! I'll post about how I'm doing it later!

For now, I'll leave you with a tasty shot of the delicious ones, while I go work off another stick...

(We are at our cousin Matt's birthday party at Nana's...red cheeks=fun!)