It’s been quite around here this month. I had every intention to write and a blog calendar filled with ideas, but it just didn’t happen. I blame it on our move. Between trying to settle in to our new home and doing a lot more driving to and from school/appointments there just aren’t enough hours in the day. It’s taken some time to get adjusted to our new schedule.
But this little break made me realize something…
There Will Be Plenty of Time to Blog
Jackson starts kindergarten in August and he’ll be in school all day. Yes, my days are currently crazy from the time we wake up until the time we fall into bed. We’re spending a lot of time in the car and trying to find ways to kill time between therapy appointments and school.
I’m finding there’s a little bit of freedom in not posting three times a week; in focusing on Jackson and what he needs. Since we’ve moved, I’ve given myself permission to just do the mom thing. I’m trying to soak up these moments with my son, because come August, there won’t be anymore lazy mornings snuggled in front of cartoons. I’ll have seven hours a day to write if I really want to. So for now, the blog posts may be sporadic, but it’s making me a better mom.
Word Is Getting Out About My Children’s Book
One of the hardest things for me as an author is promoting my books! I’m a writer; I’m not a salesperson. But to sale books, you must promote them. This month I was surprised to see I had sold quite a few copies of my children’s book, Jackson Finds His Voice. The reason: Apraxia mamas are spreading the word about it! It’s made my heart so happy to see the book in the hands of other children with Apraxia.
May 14th is Apraxia Awareness Day and Jackson Finds His Voice would make a great gift for a teacher, speech therapist or child with Apraxia. You can purchase a copy here.
Picking Strawberries Is So Much Fun
While we were in Texas this month, we went to a local farm and picked strawberries. It was so much fun! The berries were red and plump and delicious! Jackson had a great time using his kid-friendly scissors to cut the berries off the plants. We filled our basket to overflowing and enjoyed the sweetness! This photo we took together might be one of my favorite family pics! I love making memories with these two!
My Apraxic Kid Can Cuss
Yep, you read that right! My kiddo was going potty the other day and the toilet seat slammed shut. He very clearly said, Oh Damnit! Oops!
Moving When You Have a Child With Special Needs Can Be Hard
It’s a good thing he’s cute, because I seriously wanted to pull my hair out during our move! Hello ADHD! He truly just wanted to help, and believe me, he did move a lot of boxes, but sometimes his help made things take a tad bit longer than they should have.
Change is hard for any kid, it’s especially hard for a kid with ADHD, Dyspraxia and SPD. We spent the night before we closed on our new house in a hotel and the next morning at breakfast Jackson said, Mom go home eat blueberry waffles!
I had to explain that the toaster was in a box and take him for donut holes instead. As we left the hotel to get donuts he burst into sobs when John didn’t get in the car with us.
Moving is confusing.
Thankfully, Jackson has settled in just fine and only asks about the old house every now and then.
Sometimes You’ve Gotta Go With The Flow
You’d think I’d know this by now; that sometimes my expectations are way too high. Sunday was our Gotcha Day and I had big plans! After a morning of donut holes and gifts, we were going to go to church and then take Jackson to see the movie he’s been wanting to see.
Well, it turned out Jackson had a rough time at church. There were a lot more kids in his class than normal and he had a hard time keeping his hands to himself. He became upset when he didn’t get to push the elevator button or ride the golf cart out to the car. Routine is pretty important to kids like Jackson and when things get switched up it can cause big emotions!
When we got in the car, Jackson made it very clear he just wanted to go home.
I knew the movie wasn’t a good idea, but I was super bummed! I had a plan for how our day would go, but Jackson had a plan for how he wanted the day to go and it was his special day.
Jackson’s perfect day included a trip to the toy store, playing his new video game, eating blueberry waffles and strawberries for lunch, picking out Iron Man cupcakes and playing with his new superhero Play-Doh set.
