Tag: familytime

Understanding Autism

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Being a parent can be very difficult especially if you add autism to the mix. For me that is a challenge, one I am not too fond of. Today I find out if my third son is on the spectrum, which in a Way makes me nervous. If he is diagnosed that will make it three for three. I have five kids, three boys and two girls. None of my boys have escaped the burden of autism so far and the first screening we had with our last was not good at all.

It is so discouraging at times to watch my sons struggle everyday. My nine year old struggles the most and it just breaks my heart. Knowing that he gets bullied at school doesn’t help at all either. It is definitely a hard transition for my babies when it comes to interacting with their peers, strangers, or other social experiences. It’s sad to watch them get overwhelmed when I take them out into the store knowing many are probably viewing him as a bad kid and not one that needs comfort and understanding.

My goal here is to help bring awareness for Autism. So many don’t understand it!!! I hate when people say ‘they don’t look autistic’, well no duh, Autism is so much more involved. Every child, adult, person is different on the spectrum. First ask questions, do research but don’t judge. Until you know the struggle and heartache just pray and be more understanding. Also feel free to check out my website, The Family Way

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Can’t Believe it is Almost Fall

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Fall is literally around the corner. Yikes! It seems like just yesterday we were just abandoning winter for Spring and summer. Time is truly flying like it normally does. Kids are back in school, normalcy is starting to arrive once again. Too funny on my part though, I am absolutely not used to the quiet that is going on in my house. Usually I have five and now only two at home because the rest are back in school. It is funny, there are days where I even feel out of place because I am so used to the madness.

Looks like I am going to be getting back into my freelancing and novel writing again. During the summer it seems like my groove just gets thrown off. So looking forward to the holiday season too. This is literally my favorite time of the year. The decorations, emotions, and all together awesomeness of Fall is absolutely epic in my book!

Here are some pics to brighten your day!

A Divided Family

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Truly I find it amazing the impact of a superhero’s leadership has on a small child.  Kids these days really love their superheros.  In a way I think adults are having the same child-like mindset as our children when it comes to the Superhero persona.

*Spoilers** AHEAD* YOU ARE WARNED, IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MARVEL MOVIE: INFINITY STONES, THEN STOP READING NOW!

So if you have made it this far then you are about to be blown away by a sad reality that kids were heartbroken over the deaths of so many beloved superheros like Black Panther, Spider-man, Scarlet Witch, Gamora, the Winter Soldier, and so many more.  My kids watched in horror as they faded away as Thanos snapped his fingers.  Yep, such a tragedy.  Luckily there a major rumors that this is not the end for most of our beloved Marvel characters.  Just like with Superman when he was killed in Batman Vs. Superman, he was brought back to life.

In our family apparently there has been a lot of heartbreak.  We are a divided family here.  Half of us are DC fans and well the others…are of course Marvel fanatics.  Watching these characters go through their ups and downs in their own universe has been a touching especially with how we have grown attached to our favorites.  I am personally excited to watch how far they will go with both the DC and Marvel Universes.

If you haven’t watched any of the superhero movies I completely recommend all of them.  Give them a try.  They make great family night movies especially when you got kids!  They really get into it and it truly brings out your inner superhero.

 

Sensory Play

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Sensory play is important to a child’s development.  When I was teaching preschool a few years back I really enjoyed doing sensory play with my kids.  It helped them engage more with their senses and children that have sensory disorders really do well when doing projects that involve lots of sensory play.  Sensory therapy is something I do with Joseph my third child, A LOT!

Ever since he was itty bitty he struggled with water, the sensation of water.  Baths were a disaster, he would literally scream at the top of his lungs and panic when it came to bath time.  It was very sad actually.  Me and Billy really hated to see him so distressed when it came to taking a bath.  It took us until he was four to actually get him comfortable to sit in a bathtub.

Sensory play with water was his best bet, we had a lot of help through the Pre-K program at our local Elementary School also.  Showers are still an issue sadly but at least baths are okay now.  Right now I add color tablets into the bath water and bubbles and he absolutely loves it, especially when the water changes color. I strongly encourage other moms to try water play with their little ones, most kids find it awesome and really get into it.  Sensory play can also include play dough, moon sand, or anything with texture.  Feel free to message me below and I would be happy to send you some fun recipes to try with your little ones.

Movie Nights with the Littles

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movienight

There are a lot of amazing titles available on Netflix, both for children and adults.  I am going to be focusing on the movies for children today.  Recently I have been trying to find some great movies for my kids to watch, ones that are appropriate and meant for children to enjoy.  Netflix has been coming out some amazing movies and shows focused just for kids.

The Star

Leap

Moana

Pets

Captain Underpants

Trolls

Goosebumps

Hotel Transylvania Series

Captain Underpants Series

How to Train a Dragon Series

Those are just a small list of great movie/series ideas for your kiddos.  We love them and have found them to be quite funny.  They all make great movie night selections.

Having movie nights with your little ones are a great way to spend some quality time together and bond.  My kids love it and usually take turns when it comes to deciding who is going to be deciding on the movie title for that night.  Keep in mind there are a lot of different titles available along with educational ones also.  Take time to browse, check around for suggestions, and have fun trying new movies out.

Time

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Parenting can be a live comedy!  Daily I find humor in the little things that arise during our day!  Kids have a way about bringing laughter and joy when everything else seems complicated and overwhelming.  It is true, when you become a parent you really don’t have a dull moment in your life no more. Always expect the unexpected, especially if you have a toddler at home.  They will definitely bring the best out of us parents when they decide to get into mischief.   It is a priveledge and joy to watch my kids grow, try things, experience life, and embrace the difficult trials because memories are being made.  Enjoy your little ones, take time to notice and compliment the good.  Time is not a luxury it is a gift that should be taken with care!  

The Ultimate Gift

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This week I have been at church camp and have been unable to get as much done with my writing. This week has been so rewarding though! Watching young children get saved and commit their lives to the Lord is what it is ALL about!

Today I am going to share with you an experience that happened this week that really touched me.  My daughter Shirley broke down into tears Wednesday night after service.  I questioned her to see what was wrong!  The first thought as a mother you automatically think the worst.  Well she opened up and said ‘Jesus’!  At first I didn’t know how to react, I went on probing her thoughts as any mother would.  She went on to say ‘died for our sins and I’m a sinner’.  Once those words slipped out of her mouth I felt the tears form in my eyes.  I knew then she was grasping the weight of the price Jesus paid for ALL of us.  She was hurting because of the price Jesus paid for her sins, our sins!  It was such a beautiful and touching moment.  She will be six next week and has become aware!  God can convict your heart at any age and at anytime!  This was an eye opener for me because I forget how much our kids pick up and how much they truly understand!!


God sent Jesus to die on the Cross for OUR sins.  He paid the ULTIMATE price!  It is a FREE gift, ALL you have to do is pray and put your TRUST in JESUS!

Eek…It’s Monday!!!

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Monday….Eek! The day that we all dread!  To be honest Mondays are not the greatest only because that day starts the work week for most.  It is the beginning of a new week or should I say a clean slate and leaves us pondering how the week is going to go based on how it goes on Monday.  Today even though it is a Monday, I am thankful!  Today is Memorial Day and I am proud to be an American.  There are troops and veterans out there that are serving and have served our country so we can be free.  Yes, today is Monday, but you know today has me thinking we tend to sweat the little stuff and forget what really matters.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day and remembers that no matter how bad your day gets that God is in control and that we are very blessed.  We should be thankful for what we already have instead of coveting what we don’t.