The Forces of the Universe

May the force be with you...uh, no.

My husband talks about the forces of the universe often. He's not fond of them. He thinks they're all against him. He's convinced that somehow, every person is notified of what road he's on, and everyone flocks there. Sometimes I laugh because it really seems to be true.
Other times I don't laugh because I think maybe they don't like his wife either...those forces of the universe.

Alllll I wanted today was to get to my exercise class. My car is at the mechanic's, so we only have one car. I've been driving my husband back and forth to work so I can have the car during the day. I was hoping to get to my exercise class by 9. We had everyone fed, lunches made, and got everyone out the door by 7. We got to my husband's job in 45 minutes. I got back to the exit for my son's school in half an hour. And then...

The forces of the universe unkindly intervened.

The traffic stopped. Where I live, sometimes there's only one way to get someplace. You can't take a little detour, you can't go around the block, you just have to sit on the road you're on because it's the only road you can take. There was construction ahead, and only one lane open...and it wasn't my turn to use the lane. So, I waited and waited, and almost five minutes later it was finally my turn. I thought I could still drop off my son and get to my class on time.

Ha ha ha...the forces were not done with me yet.

My son's class wasn't in the classroom. I had to look all over the building until I found them in the gym.

But

I could still make it to my class just a little bit late.

I drove down the driveway and of course, I was stopped because it wasn't my turn to go yet. Another six minutes would pass before it was finally my turn to go. By now it was much too late to get to class. Sigh. Again. So, I'll go walking or something.

I like going to the class (well, the one time I actually made it I liked going to the class) because I work out much harder than I would by myself, and it's always nice to talk to people over the age of 4.

Alas, it was not to be...the forces of the universe were against me. ;)

The Office

I have never seen The Office, and it's supposed to be a great show. However, it made me nauseous watching it, and I couldn't get through more than the first couple of minutes. A number of shows have a camera style where the camera is zooming in and out and going in and out of focus and panning and shaking and moving all over the place and putting the picture off-center, and The Office uses this style. It makes me dizzy and sick, and I find it enormously distracting from the show. So, I guess I won't be watching that anymore. That's a shame.
Is there anyone else who feels this way? Am I the only one? If I ever went to the movies and they used that style, I would have to leave.

Frustrated!

Ohhhhh I am so frustrated. I have been trying to get back into the health groove, and it's so difficult. I was all gung ho, and then I got my son's diagnosis, and my mind could focus on nothing else, and I got upset, and I did what I always do...I ate too much. Grrrr. Then I started this great new exercise class, but Friday, I still couldn't move, so I was going to go today, but my car is still not working (it doesn't start unless it's jump-started, so my husband takes it to work where there's always someone around to help him because I've used up my AAA help calls), my son is off from school today, and the double stroller doesn't fit into the Corolla. So, I can not go to the stroller strides class because my son will not just hang out and follow along, he will run away. I will go walking today, at least, and we'll be out at the playground like always, but I'm not expecting any good news at Weight Watchers tomorrow. Well, there's always next week. It's hard not to give up, and when I go through periods like this I feel like I have given up, but I have to drag myself up and keep going...falling down a few stairs is not falling down the whole flight, and anyway, even if you do fall down the whole flight and even keep rolling and wind up down the basement, you've only failed if you've decided not to try again. So, here I go.

How About a Last-Minute Dinner Party for 300 People?

I couldn't imagine 300 people showing up at my doorstep for dinner, unannounced, nor do I believe that 300 people would fit into my little apartment. I do not have 900 eggs in my refrigerator. However, in the interest of blogging, let's suspend belief. Omelets for all! Bon Appetit!

I've been reading a lot about people being inspired by Julia Child after seeing the movie Julie and Julia. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I have loved Julia Child since...I was a child. I've been reading her autobiographical "My Life in France" and love it.

Some of the things I love most about Julia, besides her exuberance and lust for life, is the fact that she didn't find her true calling until she was in her late 30's (like me), and that she had a wonderful relationship with her husband (like my husband and me). Each one was the other's biggest fan, they worked hard together like a real team, and they were best friends who were deeply in love and had a lot of fun together. It's refreshing.

My own recent cooking inspiration has been omelets. I was watching an old episode of the French Chef where Julia makes an omelet. I found a video clip of it on You Tube. I have been making "silly" omelets for my daughter, which involve me jubilantly shaking the pan while she laughs hysterically. It's a great bonding experience to cook with your children, even if they're under 1 year old. Give it a try!

I Love Autumn!

I'm so excited about all the things there are to do in the autumn in New York State for children. We've participated in the events over the past two years, and are eager to do it again! Apple picking, pumpkin picking, Halloween Parades, Fall Festivals, and hiking. I can't wait!

We have our Halloween costumes all ready too. My daughter is going to be a pink unicorn, and my son is going to be James, one of Thomas' friends. His favorite color is red, and I figured that there wouldn't be too many other kids dressed up like James. It should be lots of fun!

Raspberry!

No, not the kind you eat.

Tonight my son came up to me and blew a raspberry on my leg. I laughed, and then it hit me...my son has NEVER been able to blow anything before in his entire life. My son can not blow a whistle, a harmonica, or bubbles. My son can not blow out his birthday candles. And tonight, he did something absolutely amazing. He blew a raspberry...and then he did it again. It is an incredible breakthrough, and something that his therapists and we have been working on for YEARS.

Well, he got a lot of kisses, hugs, and praise.

Go Boo!!!!!

Our Journey Finally Has a Name

As I wrote at the end of my last post, we went to the neurologist today, and my son has finally received a formal diagnosis of PDD-NOS, which stands for pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. This condition is on the autism "spectrum". That means that it contains many of the features, but not all of the features of classic autism. Although I have suspected for a long time that my son had precisely this, I was surprised to find that I felt very upset when the doctor actually said it, and I felt like crying. It was a relief to hear someone in the medical profession finally confirm what I had suspected, and a formal diagnosis opens up more services to my son and our family. However, I still feel a little shell-shocked and upset. I was a little surprised at this.

However, as an audiologist, I counselled many parents, and always kept in mind that when a parent finds out for the first time that their child has a hearing problem, they go through the stages of mourning. In fact, we often set a separate appointment at a later date to allow the parent to process the information before going through all the information they are going to need to know. So, I assume that I am going through the same thing.

My son has never had a definite, specific diagnosis, although he has been diagnosed with many individual disorders and disabilities including global developmental delays, sensory integration disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyspraxia, and hypotonia. He also has obsessive compulsive tendencies and unusual social behaviors.

All of these things are common findings in children with PDD-NOS. Here is a website that explains it well:

http://autism.about.com/od/whatisautism/f/whatispddnos.htm

PDD-NOS stands for pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. In essence, it's a diagnosis that means "on the autism spectrum, but not falling within any of the existing specific categories of autism."
To explain more fully, there are five disorders that fall under the category of "pervasive developmental disorders" (PDDs). These include autism, Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and PDD-NOS. Autism, Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome and fragile X are all specifically described in the DSM-IV -- the manual that practitioners use to diagnose neurological disorders.
Many children have some symptoms of one PDD and some symptoms of another, but not enough of any one of the four specific disorders to receive a diagnosis. Thus, they do have a PDD -- but they do not have Rett syndrome, fragile X, Asperger syndrome, or autism. As a result, they receive the catch-all diagnosis of PDD-NOS.
There is a common belief that the diagnosis PDD-NOS means that a child has, in essence, a touch of autism. In fact, this may be true or untrue. A child may, for example, have only a few mild symptoms of a PDD and still qualify for the PDD-NOS label. On the other hand, he may have very severe delays in language and communication skills, but still not qualify for a specific autism diagnosis.
At present, physicians are not in agreement as to exactly when a child should be diagnosed with PDD-NOS, autism, or Asperger syndrome. As a result, it is very possible for the same child to receive different diagnoses from different physicians while exhibiting exactly the same symptoms.

So, now we have to start visiting more specialists again to look again at genetics, psychiatric issues, gastrointestinal issues, behavioral issues, and metabolic issues. Thank God we have great medical insurance. It's expensive, but we have no copays for doctor visits and don't need any referrals. So, here we go on a new journey...well, the same journey, but now it has a name.