There are things in life we can all be sure of, right? We all know the sun will rise in the east and set in the west. We all know that chocolate makes everything ok...and we all know that eventually we will all die.
But guess what? There are things in my life I can be sure of because they occur EVERY SINGLE DAY in the same way, same order. Welcome to life with Autism.
I can be sure that every morning Liam will come into our bedroom. If it's the weekend and Brian is home, he will wake Brian up first. "Good morning, daddy! Did you have a good sleep? I want to watch __________ (insert favorite movie or show of the week/month. This week it's been "Monster's Inc.") If it's a weekday and I'm the only one there, it will be pretty much the same thing. Liam comes in, turns off my humidifier, turns on the lights, and says good morning. He also insists, very emphatically, that I put my glasses on. He will then push me over to Brian's side of the bed because he has to have my pillows, on my side. If I try to close my eyes, even for a few more minutes, I'm shaken awake by a loud "WAKE UP, MOMMY!" Every. Single. Day.
Another thing I can be sure of is milk and breakfast. Milk comes first, in a bottle of course. It doesn't matter that Liam is 4.5, or that his teeth are going to be crooked. He wants his milk and he wants it in a bottle. Breakfast is next, and it's ALWAYS toast with cream cheese, cut into four triangles.
I know for a fact that Liam will ask me what I am doing about 30 times- even though he is right there and sees what I'm doing. And I also know that he'll yell " could you call the doooooogggggg!!!" about a million times, even though poor Roxie is nowhere near him.
I can be sure that every night we'll snuggle, laugh, and argue about how many stories daddy or I will read to him. And I can be sure that I'll get a sweet hug, kiss, and "I love you."
The above are just a few examples of the routines we have every day. There are so many more! But you know what? They keep me grounded. And funny enough, as annoying as they can sometimes be, when routines get broken it can be a clear sign that something isn't right with my sweet boy, who sometimes still has a difficult time expressing himself.
Routines are good for all of us, I think. Hopefully most of us are able to stray from the routine without massive meltdowns, but having a schedule and routine to follow is a nice way to start and end my day.
But guess what? There are things in my life I can be sure of because they occur EVERY SINGLE DAY in the same way, same order. Welcome to life with Autism.
I can be sure that every morning Liam will come into our bedroom. If it's the weekend and Brian is home, he will wake Brian up first. "Good morning, daddy! Did you have a good sleep? I want to watch __________ (insert favorite movie or show of the week/month. This week it's been "Monster's Inc.") If it's a weekday and I'm the only one there, it will be pretty much the same thing. Liam comes in, turns off my humidifier, turns on the lights, and says good morning. He also insists, very emphatically, that I put my glasses on. He will then push me over to Brian's side of the bed because he has to have my pillows, on my side. If I try to close my eyes, even for a few more minutes, I'm shaken awake by a loud "WAKE UP, MOMMY!" Every. Single. Day.
Another thing I can be sure of is milk and breakfast. Milk comes first, in a bottle of course. It doesn't matter that Liam is 4.5, or that his teeth are going to be crooked. He wants his milk and he wants it in a bottle. Breakfast is next, and it's ALWAYS toast with cream cheese, cut into four triangles.
I know for a fact that Liam will ask me what I am doing about 30 times- even though he is right there and sees what I'm doing. And I also know that he'll yell " could you call the doooooogggggg!!!" about a million times, even though poor Roxie is nowhere near him.
I can be sure that every night we'll snuggle, laugh, and argue about how many stories daddy or I will read to him. And I can be sure that I'll get a sweet hug, kiss, and "I love you."
The above are just a few examples of the routines we have every day. There are so many more! But you know what? They keep me grounded. And funny enough, as annoying as they can sometimes be, when routines get broken it can be a clear sign that something isn't right with my sweet boy, who sometimes still has a difficult time expressing himself.
Routines are good for all of us, I think. Hopefully most of us are able to stray from the routine without massive meltdowns, but having a schedule and routine to follow is a nice way to start and end my day.
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