My Autism My Voice: Guest Post: Our Family's Journey Will Never Be Com...

My Autism My Voice: Guest Post: Our Family's Journey Will Never Be Com...: This guest post is from autism advocate Cynthia Brandon. Cynthia is married and has two children, Savannah (12) and Noah (10). Noah was diag...

Totally Awesome Party!!!!

Well the boy's tenth birthday party went off with out any major problems....we had 6 kids plus my 2, each family had a child with autism and a "typical" child!!  The water slide we rented was the BOMB!!  Check out these pictures!!

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I was SO MUCH FUN, I went down it a few times!!!  The kids absolutely LOVED it!!  So after the slide we did the pinata they enjoyed that too!!!  then we went in for cake here are some pictures of the cool cake I made!!  

Here is the fruit bowl that Hubby made for the party it turned out great!!

Here is a picture of our friends that came to celebrate with us!!

The parents that came were SO happy to be able to come to a party and not be on pins & needles about our kids behavior or social interactions!  It was funny Noah got tired and got off the slide, hubby put a tarp under the pinata hanging in the tree in case the ground got wet from the slide...I look over and he is laying in the tarp looking up at the tree and the "Dragon King" Pinata!!

All in all it was great Noah had a small meltdown after everyone left, I think he was just way over stimulated and excited!!
ONCE AGAIN hubby invites folks to come over and doesn't tell me until a few hours before hand it wasn't so bad because I had a lot of lemonade and tea already made up and fruit.  He cooked ribs all day and we had burger & hot dogs.  It was just the "boys" for a while until another friend showed up with his girlfriend, Noah was in the pool, Savannah was laying down she was SO TIRED!!!  I guess it might have been considered "rude" but at 9 o'clock I started bringing stuff in the house because I know that bunch they will talk for 2 more hours, I didn't care if they stayed and talked but it was time for us to wind down!!

The second party went well too, overall we had a GREAT day!!!!  All the preparations really paid off, Noah told me during his meltdown after the party that he didn't want his birthday to end...he didn't want it to be June 17 tomorrow!!!!

It's almost here.....

Tomorrow is the day Noah will be 10 years old where has the time gone...we didn't get a diagnosis until age 5 (because I didn't think there was anything wrong DUH!!!!). Five years from that point we have come ALONG way, I think back to the tantrums, not being able to take him anywhere, it seemed as if it were a chore to take him anywhere I know that sounds bad bit I think a lot of people can identify with that.

So the Ninjago part is ready we will have around 9 kids including mine, each family has a child with autism and a "typical"sibling COOL!!! I have to make a batch of gluten free cupcakes for one of our guests. I have been a baking fool today, one big sheet cake, two nine inch rounds for part of ninja cake, lemon cake for the moms tomorrow and the ninja cake for the kids. Everybody leaves with cake tomorrow!! I am super excited and super exhausted I want to take a nap but I don't think that will happen:(. I am watching the kids in the pool while I have a cup of coffee.  Headed to frost and decorate his cake...... to be continued.

He Made Up a New Word- Maturenager

OK his birthday is quickly approaching, now this kid does research on video games and gaming systems (old gaming systems) so he has seen game that are rated M for Mature and T for Teen.  I explain to him AT LEAST 100 times a day WHY he cannot have those games, because they are rate M & T.  So after much thought on the subject he announces to me yesterday, "I want to be a maturenager" New Word Maturenager: Meaning Teenager that is Mature!! (does anyone know a MATURE TEENAGER????)  Meaning one who is 17!!!   LOL  that kid cracks me up!!

The Final Countdown

Yes his birthday is 3 days away!!!! Party preparations are on schedule!! I should not have to stress out at all,  (LOL)I am setting a photo corner, I found red tablecloth at a yard sale this weekend, black streamer, and I used a Japanese font I found blew the letters up 500% and WA LA I will have an awesome birthday banner and photo backdrop. Here's a picture:

Now the cake is a concern but I think I have it figured out!! I went to Party City and bought a cake pan for a sheet cake and it was ON SALE (two of my favorite words) for $5 yeah!!! Then husband wants to put his two cents worth in about the cake yeah right!!


I put the Ninja eyes on the cups and favor bags, I thought they turned out well, we will blow up the balloons Friday & put the "eyes" on them!!

I think I went a "little" overboard OH WELL!!!   He understands his birthday this year, so that right there is a reason to CELEBRATE!!!  I just wish you guys could be here too!!!  I am painting the "cardboard" green ninja tonight or tomorrow, if it turns out well I will post of picture of that too!!

Maybe it's the goggles?????

He's developing so quickly now!!  He is in the pool tonight, me and Super Sis had been shopping AHHH!!!  we get some goggles at Target, some decent goggles...I get them out of the package and put them on him look over in a few minutes and he is underwater SWIMMING!!!  YES SWIMMING!!  What the.....HMMM maybe it's the goggles!!  So you know how it is, now that he can do it I thought he was going to drown himself he just kept doing it without having time to breathe in between!!  He was so cold his lip was quivering I said are you cold.....he said I need warm water!!!  We came in and he got in the tub!!

His new thing.....

Noah tends to be really concerned about other people's happiness, if I get on to him for anything or just suggest that he do something differently he will say,"Are you happy?". I must hear that AT LEAST 100 times a day......well now he has added to it, he will say,"are you happy??? Just don't be mad!!!" In the sweetest voice EVER seldom does he see me get mad so I am not sure where that's coming from??? HMMM. That gives me something to think about!!!

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