1.10.2012

Happy New Year, Cephalopodistas
















Oh hey look it's the new year! Has been for a while. Erm.

We did make a holiday card. We just didn't get around to sending out many. So I'm posting it here because I suspect we just won't get around to sending most out. Sigh. Road to Hell and all. (For those interested: drawn on an iPad using Zen Brush, then captions and colors added on my laptop via GIMP). 

Just how busy have you been? We have been approaching hyperventilation warp 10. We're ramping up on spreading the word about this new autism book you need to buy (and an interview by Laura Shumaker with the TPGA crew that you need to read). Girls had a three-week winter break. Leo's was only two but was the best winter break of his life -- we had the honor of relatives staying with us for nine days and he cruised along beautifully, appreciating all the family time. We spent New Year's Eve foraging for mushrooms in Sonoma and he was happy to hike along and enjoy the stunning magnificence that is Salt Point State Park (with its 5 lbs of shrooms/person limit). He is overjoyed to be back at school.

If you had asked me even three years ago if a mellow winter break would be possible for Leo, I would have laughed at you. Hard. When I wasn't crying over how challenging things were for our then-so-dysregulated boy. Part of it is Leo's own maturation, part of it is the cool new visual schedule system Supervisor M set up for Leo, which allows him to predict and participate not just by time of day (morning, afternoon, evening) but by week. Iz is producing the materials for it and getting paid. A good arrangement.

I know not everyone had a good break; I hope things improve next time, next year. And not all of our break was bells and buttercups. But the hard parts (very few having to do with Leo, mind you) make me so much more grateful for the fabulousness of the rest.

What did you during your winter break, if you had one?

Finding Funnel Chanterelles!

India With a Destroying Angel

Kids at One of Salt Point's Coves

2 comments:

  1. Sonoma! Only a hop, skip and a jump. We did have a great break - going back to school was tough, but gently, gently, slowly, slowly, we're getting there.

    I am following progress of the book with great interest and suitably demure yippees!

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  2. Anonymous9:46 AM

    love your blog! and I'd love to know more about your new visual schedule system. Is it on the iPad? I'm looking for something to help my guy during track out (here in NC we go to school year round, with 3 week track out breaks every 9 weeks)

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