Introducing Aphrodite...

Let me introduce you to Sarah's newest friend. She is a Dumbo Rat (notice the ears). Really very sweet. She spends most of her time perched on Sarah's shoulder, nuzlling her ears and hiding under her hair. Her sister peanut spends her time on my shoulder, nuzzling my ears and riding in the hood of my sweatshirt as I go about my daily household chores. Pictures of Peanut to follow soon...

Daisy

This is Daisy. As you can see, she has a hard life. When she isn't knocking over vases full of water, drinking water from the kitchen faucet or antagonizing Flint (the yorkie). She is napping. She is Max's cat. She sleeps with him, follows him around the house, and *helps* him with his homework...Apparently there is "something" about cats and boys with Asperger's. Tony Attwood spoke about it at the AANE (Asperger's Association of New England) conference last fall. After the conference I started noticing just how much time Daisy and Max spent together and they do have this incredible bond.

Life is good again...

Violet is doing great! The mass seems to have completely disappeared. She is all done with radiation and only has 2 more shots of her vaccine left.
Kids are also doing very well. Max succesfully compeleted his MCAS (standardized tests in MA)last week and also presented his Science Fair Project on Friday. What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time we were on the verge of looking for some sort of in patient program for Max, in daily contact with our attorney and the stress levels in the house were immense. Fast forward to today and Max is studying the rise and fall of Communisim in the Soviet Union and the sound of his giggling permiates the house. Sarah is a joy and bright ray of sunlight as she skips throughout the house searching for "faerie houses" and "enchanted" objects with her best friend Aviva.
Once again I am blessed to be able to enjoy my children growing up with some sense of "normalcy" each having a "best friend", playdates and school projects. Now, don't get me wrong, living life on the spectrum of autism is and will always be a challenge, but now the daily challenges we face deal are more of the internal workings of living with Asperger's, as opposed to the rights of my child to a fair and appropriate education and basic respect.