What's Up

Spring is here and exciting things are in the air!

• We had a big meeting with the school district to figure out the best way to help Remy now that he has graduated out of the Early Intervention program. We decided that Remy will continue with 7.5 hours of ABA a week over the summer and then in the fall he will start preschool full time in the special program for kids on the autism spectrum. It sounds like a wonderful program where ABA methods are heavily incorporated and 2-3 neurotypical kids are in the classroom to model age appropriate socialization and behavior to the ASD kiddos. Everyone involved was so professional and so focused on the best outcomes for Remy that we left the meeting without any doubts that we had made the right choice. How often does that happen? 
• Being an owner of a sophisticated (euphemism for overly complicated and difficult to understand) heated inground pool/spa combo with waterfall feature is not something that you get good at overnight. It's like this giant (lovely) petri dish with lots of plumbing and moving parts, half of which are currently busted. Buying a Kreepy Krauly (like a mechanical bottom feeder) to do the daily scrubbing for us has been a great move. The pool looks good and at last check the chemical balance is pretty good too. Now if we can just get the heater working!  
• The neighbors Jasmine is in bloom and the smell is intoxicating. I love sitting out in the backyard around sunset and breathing in the romantic scent as the clouds turn pink and lavender. 
• I have a new niece! Noah and Lauren welcomed their second child, Lucy, into the world a couple of weeks ago. She's a peach! Mom and Dad are going back to IL on Tuesday to meet her.  
• Remy's third birthday is on Sunday. We're doing a thing but I am hesitant to call it a birthday party. When the neighbor kids across the street had a birthday party it involved loads of guests and renting a jump house. I can't compete with that.  What I can do is cake, balloons, chips, beer, and some gifts for birthday boy.  Take it or leave it.  
• I am super ready for a vacation. Our last vacation was three nights at the GVR with the Stangers last fall and it was awesome but not very long as far as vacations go. I am ready to get out of the house and do something different for a week or so. The question is how far can you go and how much can you alter the familiar before it becomes overwhelming for Remy and thus much more work than it is worth for his mama!  I am sure we'll figure it out.  
• Hope everyone is having a wonderful spring and looking forward to a long hot summer!