Holiday Magic is in the air

December 23, 2020.Reading time 4 minutes.

This time of year is breathtaking. . The weather, the people, the gratitude and spirit. The snow is falling outside my window as I type and I’m dazzled by it’s unexpected beauty. Our son Beckett is officially on Holiday break, and I am now attempting to wrap my mind around how we are about to […]

Our Kind of Christmas Miracle

December 17, 2020.Reading time 8 minutes.

I feel a small twinge of anxiety as I am somewhat scrambling this Christmas.This is the first year that I have not gone “all out”, (or “overboard as my loving husband refers to my antics) with gift giving for our littlest love. I stowed away a secondary tablet for Beckett for the occasion, earlier in […]

The Smartest One In The Room

December 11, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

You my sweet boy, are the light of my life. You’re the source of my laughter.And the source of the semi-frequent “poo clean-ups”. You’re the body behind the giant grocery tab.And the body keeping my heart wide open and full. You’re the pickiest of eaters, with a fairly short list of “approvals”.And you’re the energy, […]

We are better together

December 2, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

I get asked on quite a consistent basis what the most challenging part of each day is. And to be quite honest, it has nothing much to do with behaviors stemming from special needs specifically. It isn’t really the sleepless nights, or even the sudden nonverbal communication. It’s not about a specific characteristic or challenge […]

Age: Quite Literally Just A Number

December 1, 2020.Reading time 7 minutes.

Today I find myself decluttering. It usually makes me feel quite a bit better, when I’m in one of those random “funks”. But if nothing else, today’s chore left me feeling more gloomy than anything. I first tackled the hall closets, our makeshift office in the spare bedroom, and then turned my attention to Beckett’s […]

A Thanksgiving To Never Forget

November 26, 2020.Reading time 4 minutes.

To some these photos may look less like Thanksgiving and more like a “game night”. Today, these are our chosen festive plans. Today the calendar reads “Thanksgiving” and we are doing just that. We had (burnt) pizza for our meal, instead of the traditional American turkey spread with all the trimmings. And yet we are […]

The Smile That Makes It All Worth While

November 21, 2020.Reading time 5 minutes.

Today marked a magical day for us in the Olson household. We didn’t win the lottery. We didn’t land some random month long vacation. But it feels just as big, in the world we’re all navigating right now. We put our Christmas tree up today, and it feels glorious. It’s been a rough go the […]

To The One’s That Didn’t Have To

November 18, 2020.Reading time 5 minutes.

This. This right here…This is what i’m grateful for at the beginning, middle and end of each day; Little notes, cluing us in on how our sweet, autistic, nonverbal son is doing, in the hours he is away at school. Beckett is on an IEP (Individual Education Plan) that allows him to learn and grow […]

Autism: The Grinch that stole his holiday excitement

November 15, 2020.Reading time 5 minutes.

Holidays are fast approaching.And for the past few weeks, my mind has been filled with the excitement and longing for celebration and togetherness. In an ever-changing world that we are a part of, looking forward to something is a must these days. But as the first of the next few major holidays creeps up on […]

Give Me A Sign

November 11, 2020.Reading time 4 minutes.

Someone tell me what the equation is.The one that lets me in on the secrets of the Autistic mind. I spend the majority of the hours in the day attempting to configure exactly what will help my son thrive, and perhaps even more importantly, what will help avoid a meltdown. I was never good at […]