Graceland Goes BLUE for Autism Awareness

Graceland was great, we (myself, committee members &family from 2011 walk) had a private tour of Graceland - we got a sneak peek at the new Lisa Marie exhibit. Our tour guide was marvelous, we took our time to look at everything she readily answered any questions that we had.
OMG I forgot the memory card for my camera & phone only had 20 %. BUMMER so I only have a few pictures of Graceland.
Here is a Couple of pictures of the "jungle room". Elvis trivia!!!! Did you know that he had a pet monkey, his name was Scatter. There was a monkey in every room, little ceramic monkey's, wooden monkey's!!
 

LOVE the green shag carpet, this was definitely a '70's house





This is a picture of the grounds, Elvis had horses and loved to ride. Did you know that Elvis sometimes road his horse to the front gates of Graceland to sign autographs for fans!!

This picture shows Elvis's Tupelo Mississippi home where he was born.

Here is a group photo they took before the tour. My two sweethearts (Dad & Noah) did not go on the tour. COULD YOU IMAGINE Noah in Elvis's house NO WAY!! They came for the " flip the switch" ceremony.


This photo is me, Kerry Magro & Christine Hart both from Autism Speaks, they were SO nice, Kerry is an adult with autism I really enjoyed their company and SO glad they came. Christine is a web designer for Autism Speaks, she made the LIUB site and app.  THANKS Christine!!

The lighting ceremony was too cool here is a picture of me, dad & Noah, he flipped the switch, I was SO glad he didn't do the on/off thing he likes LOL. My daughter Savannah said her face hurt from smiling so much for all the pictures.

the BIG switch!!

 In our company we had Miss Teen Dyersburg (Tennessee) miss Madison Butler, her sister Brittly was on the committee. Madison's platform is AUTISM!! Thanks Madison for helping raise awareness for autism.
 
Noah was Noah and I wouldn't have it any other way, I think the camera man could have done without him LOL. after all the picture taking, their was a huge fuzzy microphone, he could not resist.......he goes up to the microphone and screams "peanut butter jelly time" everybody lost it and started laughing. Too bad it didn't make the video on Elvis.com. I was GREAT I think the people in front of Graceland heard him. Overall it went well here are some various pictures of the evening below!!!  Graceland is committed to Lighting it up Blue every year for Autism Awareness!!

More pics of us & the group!!

This is one of Elvis's Jumpsuits, the room that the jumpsuits were in was 20 degrees cooler than any other room.  

this wall was in the "jumpsuit" room COVERED in gold records!!!

Thanks Elvis Presley's Graceland for the wonderful experience and for LIGHTING IT UP BLUE!!!












                                   
                         

Official "Graceland Lighting it up Blue" Announcement

Autism Speaks Blog Post Graceland

Graceland Goes Blue!!!  Autism Speaks is sending two individuals from New York on April 4, 2012 to cover the story!!  How exciting!!

This is a picture from the announcement, I will take pictures the evening of April 2nd and post!!!

Headed to Vanderbilt...

Dad is on his way home from work shortly and we are off to Vanderbilt!!  Tomorrow is the appointment we start to come off the medicine AHHHH!!!!  Of course we don't know if we are on the medicine, haha we know like I have said before too many POSITIVE changes not to be!!!  This month will be coming off, when we return next month, I think we find out if we were on the medicine and we get to continue on or be put on the medicine.  So the next four weeks will be definitely be the WILD WORLD OF AUTISM!!!  I need lots of prayers and happy thoughts!!!  And we are off  hope the rain stay away for our journey!!

A Moment I wanted to Last Forever

In my case as an autism mom I don't have many moments that I want to "last forever" unless it's the fact that he is sleeping!!  Had one yesterday WOO HOO!!  Noah & I went to the zoo yesterday, it was free afternoon at the Memphis zoo and it was packed, the weather has been unseasonably warm here.  So we go look at animals we went into the Creatures of the Night, I didn't think we were ever going to leave....you know how the get obsessed with things, well it was BATS, yes flying rodents GROSS, we watched those bats for at LEAST 30 minutes Noah was fascinated with them.

So the zoo got new playground equipment, YEAH!!  Noah wanted to go to the crowded playground so we did.  He made a friend, did you get that HE MADE A FRIEND!!!   Noah was just running and jumping, I am standing there on "pins & needles" just waiting to have to explain that he has autism to another parent that is usually giving us the eye in disapprovement, you know the parents I'm talking about.  I didn't have to do that yesterday.  A boy named Levi befriended Noah, and it was perfect.  That little boy didn't notice that there was something "wrong" or he just didn't care either way Noah had such a GREAT time, Levi had a younger sister and they played tag and chase and follow the leader.  I sat down on a bench and began to tear up; for a few moments in time it was like he was a "typical" child.  I never wanted to leave yesterday I wanted to preserve this moment for as long as I could.  It was beautiful=)

So far so good....

Well we, Noah & Mom, went to the store for only a few things, we have had a MAJOR role change in our home the past couple of months; dad used to be a stay at home dad until mom's fibromyalgia left her unable to work a couple of years ago.  Dad had a job then lost it when the economy took the downward, dad did all the shopping and cooking, now dad has a job for about a month now and mom is having to do some of this stuff and she is not used to it (Especially cooking) 

We have speech in a little while and then its off to the Memphis Zoo for a little while (hope it doesn't start to rain).  With dad working we only have one car, so we try to just keep the car one day a week for fuel conservation purposes!!!  It should be a full day for us.

Update on the Vanderbilt visit, we are still on the "placebo/medicine" until our next visit in Feb. then it's the coming off period.  YEAH we are on it for another month (too many GREAT changes not be on the medicine)  It is really difficult to try to make any plans for the next couple of months because we don't know how Noah is going to be, will the old behaviors come back (aggression, spitting, hitting, biting etc.)  There is a Autism Works Conference in St Louis in March I want to attend but will be unable too, since we committed to the clinical trial, we are not going to try to do anything else right now.

Noah was PERFECT at his visit they had to do a blood draw he didn't even flinch but he did tell them, "Hey your stealing my blood"  We all died laughing!!!  We ate breakfast at the hotel restaurant again and he was great.  He ate EVERYTHING (like the Alaskan Bullworm in Spongebob)  4 sausage patties, bowl of cereal, 6 pieces of bacon, biscuit with jelly I had to quit feeding him, I thought he might explode!!  All is well for now, how quickly things change though....

Noah's "Trial Medicine"

In case you don't know we are in a clinical trial at Vanderbilt in Nashville for a new medicine for autism to help kids with their social skills.  It is blind study I think is what they call it.  There was a 50/50 chance whether we got the drug or the placebo.  I really think that we got the medicine.  Noah has been so verbal, that you can understand him better.  He is noticing the environment around him, which he NEVER did before.  He saw my new necklace on me the other day and said, "Oh how pretty" 

I was walking down the stairs the other day and he hit me (not hard) on the back, and immediately said Oh I'm sorry for hitting you.  I said OK he went and told his Dad that he hit me by accident, he has never used that word before.  (accident)

I really think that we are on the medicine, we still have issues, his aggression is so much better, he still loves to SCREAM & slam doors (not as much though)  After the study we will be able to have the medicine even if he wasn't on it without waiting for FDA approval.  The medicine is already used with individuals with Fragile X Syndrome.  If you want more info leave me a comment and I will respond email me at autism-mom@hotmail.com

We drove to Millington the other day to get him a game from Gamestop(he got a gift card for Christmas), Millington is about 20 minutes outside Memphis, he had NEVER been to a Gamestop I always thought it would just be too much for him ALL those games, I thought it would be a nightmare.  I prayed about it and his behavior has been 100% improved, so OK we will go.  Laid down the ground rules on the way there and before we got out of the car, STAY with mommy & don't touch anything OK??  He says OK!!!  He was absolutely PERFECT!!!  Held my hand as we walked around the small store three times he was looking at EVERYTHING!

Noah is really maturing, he is still behind, but that's alright.  he brings such joy & love to this household; living with a child with autism DEFINITELY gives you a different, broader perspective on life