Friday, September 30, 2011

Guest Post: Top 10 Things you can do for a Parent of a Child with Autism

We have a guest blogger today! My friend, Cari from Bubble Gum on My Shoe, has been a huge source of inspiration to me this week. You may remember her from the post, “The Gum in My Purse.” She was the very first guest blogger here and I’m so happy she was willing to write another post for me to share with you.
Let me just tell you that she has been very insistent that I become a Twit…terer. So, I took the plunge. If you would like to follow me on Twitter, I can be found at @CaffeineAutiMom. If I end up becoming some lunatic that tweets 9 billion times a day, blame Cari. It’s all her fault. (Love ya, girl!)

She also posted a vlog on her blog (that sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?) that proved to me once and for all that it was indeed possible to do a video, edit it, and not look completely hideous. Her vlog about crows is hilarious and you should definitely check it out! Anyway, I had been working on a project this week that was brand new territory for me. I have never made a video of myself much less edited it, and while it was fun to figure out how to work the video software, getting in front of the camera was terrifying. I’m much more comfortable taking the pictures rather than being the picture. The thought of posting something online for the whole universe to see (potentially..) is enough to make my stomach churn. Once it’s posted, there’s no going back. But, Cari gave me the last little bit of courage I needed to finish my project. I’ll tell you all about it next week, so stay tuned.

Without further rambling, I would love to turn it over to Cari. She’s got a great Top 10 list to share. I know you’ll enjoy it!      

Let me preface my list by saying parenting is hard stuff period!  Parenting special needs or typically developing, it is always a challenge.  I in no way by writing this post am saying my job as a parent is harder than yours, just different; and I consider myself as blessed and lucky as you.  As parents, we should all be encouraging each other always.  KEEP READING!  I’m not going to say, bring a meal, clean my house or write me a check…although, all those things would be adequate.
The Top 10 Things you can do for a Parent of a Child with Autism
1.     Listen.  Listening is not giving me a rebuttal to my problem.  Let me vent, let me get all my frustration out; let me just unload.   Trust me this will decrease the rant-ish writings and Mommy meltdowns by 64%. 
 
2.     Don’t give up on me.  We’re friends, and it may seem like I never return your phone calls, am always busy and can’t join you for dinner, or a movie, or a playdate, or coffee.  Understand that there is nothing I would love to do more, but am exhausted or busy.  Every moment of my day is filled with therapies, research, meetings, paperwork, and the full-time job of managing my child’s care.  Don’t give up on me, keep calling, it’s nice to know you’re there and you still care.

3.     Give me a hug.  Really, we should just be hugging everyone.  I’m a hugger.  Hugs are good for the soul.  They release tension and stress, and they make you smile.  They are highly under-rated.  And these are free, yeah, that’s right!  Free!  Give me a hug!  Chances are I’ll need one.

4.     Don’t assume just because your sister’s brother-in-law’s cousin’s child has Autism, that their child and mine are the same, just because they share the name of a disorder.  The Autism Spectrum is justly named, every child is different.  Not every therapy works for every child.  Not every diet, supplement, school, medication, etc. works for every child.  We do what’s right for our child and base decisions on results for our kid.

5.     PUUUHHHLEASE wipe the pitiful-almost-bursting-into-tears-feeling-sorry-for-me look off your face.  I don’t want your pity, I want your support.  When I blog/speak about Autism, don’t tell me you’re sorry.  I’m not sorry.  Ever notice Moms of special needs kids are hilarious?  Yeah, that’s right, join us won’t you?  You didn’t get an invite to my pity party, because been there done that, moving on.  If this means making fun of my disheveled ponytail and no shower in going on three days self, I’m okay with it, if only just to get the ball rolling.   Laughter gets me through the day.
 
6.     Have my back.  Show your support by walking an Autism walk with me, donate to a non-profit {Angela’s would be dandy}, spreading the word about Autism and how it is epidemic and affects 1/110 children, fight with me for insurance reform, coverage, and accountability, or come to a therapy session with me and see why it is so important.
 
7.     Do not utter these words….”Rainman”, don’t go there, ever.  Also, “I don’t know how you do it”, don’t say that okay?  We do.  And if you were in my shoes, you’d do the exact same thing.

8.     Don’t take it personally if I skip your play dates more often than not.  This is anything but relaxing for me and my child.  Autism is also a social disorder, my kid isn’t going to pick up on the social cues, play appropriately, have similar language skills, or maybe even be okay with the other kids in his space.  Playdates are like going to work for free.  Sometimes necessary, but far from enjoyable. 
 
9.     In the Autism world, 80% of marriages end in divorce.  Let me and the hubs have a night out to reconnect, and blink the glazed look out of our eyes.  Every parent needs some time to reclaim their pre-parent self.  After all, we’re all just one meltdown away from the Looney bin.  {I also think this “rate” might be a myth, I’m divorced, I have a child with Autism, and Autism has nothing to do with why I’m divorced.}
 
10.  Lastly, just love my child, for everything he is, and everything he isn’t.

11.   BONUS!!  I am looking for someone to infiltrate the inner sanctum of the uppity-ups at the insurance company.  We will need someone who can successfully sway uppity-ups on policy as well as revamp the underwriting/coding department.  You will know where to find them as their offices are located one tier below God himself.  {No application necessary, the crazier, the better.}

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Help wanted. Inquire within.

Who will the "winning" applicant be?
I have come to the conclusion that I need an Assistant. Maybe two. I’m talking like the Hollywood celebrity bring-me-a-grande-extra hot-split shot-6 pump-mocha-with-extra-whip-and-then-call-my-agent-to-schedule-a-meeting-with-Spielberg-ASAP kind of an Assistant. Why would I need someone like this to help me? Because my life is cuckoo crazy and it’s getting nuttier by the minute.  

Here is some of the normal stuff I encounter:


·       Monkey wanting to visit every car site on the internet, asking me every 2.4 seconds if he can build another custom car on a site that he hasn’t been on for, oh, 5 minutes.
·       Prince Charming insisting on emptying his K’Nex bin right in front of where I am going to walk and then turning into a growling Grumpy Badger when I ask him to pick it all up.
·       The endless piles of laundry that somehow, magically are cloned into bigger piles when I’m not looking.
·       The pit of despair formerly known as my kitchen – there’s a countertop under all those dishes…somewhere. We might need to get the search and rescue dogs to find a usable plate for dinner.
·       A hubby who has been pulling longer hours at work (not to mention working on the weekends), all for less than stellar pay. Being exhausted and cranky is getting to be his new normal. There certainly doesn’t need to be 2 of us like that in the same house at the same time for crying out loud.
·       Other stuff, like vacuuming and mopping. Do I even know where the vacuum is or if there are any vacuum bags? Do I even remember the original color of my floor tile under all of the dried on drips and dust?  
·       My most favorite thing in the whole wide world: cleaning the bathrooms. Not! How long has it been since the toilets have been scrubbed? I wonder if I could count the rings… Ewww.
·       Calling to complain to the insurance company for the 9 billionth time for yet another unpaid claim.
·       Paying bills. Ugh. The sad part about this is that you have to have this stuff called money before you can pay the bills. Don’t they know we don’t have any?
(Okay, just so you know, I actually keep my house fairly decent. If you were to come over you might not be as disgusted as I made it sound. You don’t have to freak out or call protective services on me. But, it could certainly be much better than it is…if I had the time or an excellent Assistant! Oh, and don't think I'm delusional enough to not realize that almost every single mom on the planet has similar houseshold responsibilities. We all could use a little help, right?)
And now there’s even more on my plate.

I recently mentioned how I have officially gone from kinda crazy to sheer lunatic. I’ve shared with you before that I have been running a support group for 3 years. Well, now I am running a nonprofit. Yes. I am. And yes, I’m nuts. Glad we could come to the same conclusion so quickly.
There is a need. I’m the kind of gal who has a very hard time saying no, especially to myself when I get an idea in my head. I had an opportunity to start something that could make a difference for others and I had to try.

Am I doing it for the riches? That’s hilarious! I’m unpaid. A perpetual volunteer. I hope someone somewhere decides to offer me a grant or some rich person holds an amazing fundraiser gala on my behalf, because this girl needs to put gas in her car…and coffee in her tummy. It’s medicinal. The coffee, that is. 

So, I need a highly qualified Assistant to help me maintain my life as the head of a nonprofit and a support group, a blogger, a mom, and a wife who doesn’t have enough time in one month to get done all I need to accomplish in one week.

The perfect candidate will help with household chores, such as: making coffee (see how that is first on the list?), cooking healthy and allergy-safe meals, scrubbing toilets, doing laundry, vacuuming, weeding the yard, mopping, filing paperwork, and making phone calls where it is expected to wait for an eternity before you speak to a human, and many other tasks as required.

The candidate will also help with business tasks, like: requesting and confirming speakers, managing multiple email accounts with thousands of messages in each, posting timely event information on multiple websites, filing, seeking grant funding, creating and facilitating a board of directors and parent committee, setting up workshops, marketing, website maintenance, editing blog posts, managing multiple Facebook pages, getting me started on Twitter, and zillions of other tasks as needed.

Oh, and let’s not forget the big bonus. The amazing person that fulfills these job requirements gets the same salary as me. Jackpot! Any takers?

Friday, September 23, 2011

Guest Post: Apples to Oranges

Lori at Apples to Oranges contacted me a little while ago about one of my posts, “A Sneaky Parent’s Guide to Getting Your Child to Take Their Vitamins.” She apparently liked my post enough to ask me for an interview. Lori is a Dietary Coach for children with special needs, so I was honored to participate in the interview and have my post featured on her site.

Please take a moment to click over to Apples to Oranges and read the interview. You’ll also get a nice refresher on my post about how to get vitamins into your kiddos.
TGIF, everyone!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

GFCF Hearty & Easy Potato Soup

If you know anything about me, I am always super busy. I absolutely enjoy cooking, but I love to find an easy way to do things, especially considering the food allergies we deal with in our family. Allergy-free cooking does not have to be hard, and you will think of me as a caffeinated version of Sandra Lee here in a minute.
Have you ever seen cooking segments on TV that talk about taking a premade or packaged food item and making it better? I’ve even seen a cookbook devoted to making wonderful things with a simple box of cake mix as the main ingredient. So, let’s think of how to translate this concept into a hearty and comforting dinner.
School is in session once again and fall is coming quickly. I’ve been in the mood for soup for the past few days and decided to make something easy at home to quench my desire for soup. I actually took my inspiration from the Zuppa Toscana soup at the Olive Garden. Are you familiar with this lovely soup of sausage, kale and potato? It is very satisfying and has a little kick to it.
So, this is my take on it. I’ve made this soup before using steak as the protein, which I actually think I prefer in flavor. But, here is the version I recently made that is more true to the inspiration. Plus, I have pictures! It’s very tasty and it’s an easy dinner. Let’s get started!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Thirteen is a lucky number!

Thirteen might be an unlucky number for some, but I don’t mind it. Actually, I prefer the number 19, but that’s because I got married on the 19th. Of September. That’s today for those of you who haven’t yet had your morning cup of coffee.

The reason 13 is getting some love from me today is because it’s my 13th anniversary of being married to the most amazing man on the planet. Yes, he is that awesome.

This past weekend he did something that had me reminiscing about when he proposed to me 14 years ago. On Saturday, I was attending a conference all day and had switched cars with my husband before I left that morning. I had collected a few things during the morning that I didn’t want to lug around all afternoon, so during the lunch break I opted to run out to the car to drop those things off.
As I got closer to his car, I noticed directly across from it there was a car that looked remarkably like mine. I was justifying in my head that it couldn’t possibly by my car since my hubby was out running errands while he had the boys at a recreational program for a couple of hours that morning.
I started really focusing on the back window of the car that had piqued my interest. I saw there were 2 stickers in the back window, and the colors and sizes of the stickers were a match. I had actually stopped walking so I could more intently stare at the car. It was my car! Then I started walking very quickly to see if there was a way to see from my vantage point whether or not my hubby was in the driver’s seat. He wasn’t.

I dropped off my stuff and fumbled around hastily in my purse for my cell phone so that I could call my husband and figure out what was going on. I was looking around wildly, kind of like a person who is trying to find the hidden camera when they’ve been told, “Smile! You’re on Candid Camera!” I didn’t see him and he wasn’t picking up the phone. I tried calling him again as I stood there wondering where to go next.
I opted to walk toward where the catered lunch was taking place, hoping I would either run into him on the way or connect with him on the phone. He finally picked up the phone and I happily inquired, “I saw my car in the parking lot! Where are you?” He was coy with his responses as I tried to pull information out of him. As I uttered my location, there he was.
I was in shock and giddy with excitement. He nonchalantly kept talking with me on the phone as we walked toward each other. I was so elated by the surprise, I was practically giggling. As we got closer, we hung up our cell phones and came together for an enormous hug (and, yes, there was a bit of smooching, too!). As we continued walking, holding hands, I could not wipe the grin off my face. I was practically skipping down the sidewalk because I was so happy to see him.
In those moments on Saturday I felt just like I did almost 14 years ago when we were dating. Christmas break was getting close and we were beginning to prepare for another round of finals as we began to prepare for graduation in the spring. His college was over an hour away from mine, so he was the last person I ever expected to see on my campus. He surprised me as I was coming out of my last class of the day, and I think I must have gasped quite loudly at seeing him so unexpectedly. He asked me to join him because he had somewhere he needed to drive me. I was dumbfounded but readily agreed to go with him.     
As it turns out, he had planned to propose. He took me to a very special, picturesque place. The sun had just set and we were standing there looking at the water. He gave me a beautiful card with a handwritten letter. After I finished reading everything he asked me to marry him. Obviously I said yes! It was the best decision I ever made, that’s for sure.
From there, we went to my dad’s work. Apparently on Titan’s drive down to pick me up from class, he had stopped by my dad’s job to ask him for my hand in marriage. My dad was in a meeting when Titan arrived, and his coworkers would not cooperate with his request for a moment to speak with my dad. So, I waited in the car while he went to have his man-to-man chat with my dad.
To this day, neither my dad nor my husband will discuss what they talked about in those moments. They have a wonderful relationship, so I imagine it was a very serious discussion, but also one that is sacred and special between them. At the conclusion of their talk, Titan asked my dad if he would like to see the ring. My dad agreed that he would, so Titan came back out to the car and asked me to come in with him. He walked me in and held out my hand so that my dad could see the ring on my finger.
Even after 13 years of marriage my husband can still make me feel like he did when he proposed to me. I am continually amazed at how lucky I am to have such a wonderful man in my life. God brought us together for many reasons, and I am happy to learn all about those reasons with each passing day and year. I wouldn’t be where I am today without his unwavering support and love.
Here’s to a fabulous and very lucky 13!

Would you like to give me an anniversary gift? Vote for me for the Best Parenting Blog!

P.S. It’s my anniversary and I’m giving away a gift! J Today is the day I announce the winner of the Big Giveaway! I will post the lucky person's name on Facebook.      

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Changing Names?

Over the summer my little guy earned some new nicknames. Right now I refer to him almost exclusively as Prince Charming. He truly is a charmer and he’s so dang cute that your cheeks ache from smiling at him. Now, there is his other personality… I call him Grumpy Badger for a reason. He has earned that name, for sure! He can be hell on wheels when he wants to be. It’s hard to believe that such opposite personalities can exist in one small body.
I noticed sometime during the summer that a new habit was developing. At first I thought it was a comfort thing or just a way for him to have fun, but I think ultimately it was a sensory thing for him. He began to sit with his legs pulled up tight against his abdomen, and then he would pull out his shirt over his knees. Once he pulled his arms inside his shirt, his body was encapsulated into one little mass. I’m sure there was some nice compression on his body, which probably felt good to his overactive sensory system.
It took me a while to figure out what prompted this new behavior, but then it hit me one day as he was tucking his head inside his shirt while dialoging some semi-familiar sounds. His speech was slowing down as he was forming himself into a small bundle and burying his head in his shirt. I realized that he was acting out a scene from the movie Wall-E when Wall-E was losing power and had converted back into a cube as he shut down.
Prince Charming had been making little noises here and there for a few weeks at that point, including the famous electronic, “E-va-ah” from Wall-E as he was trying to wake up Eve from when she was protecting the plant. He nailed the inflection and tone perfectly every time. His constant rendition of Wall-E reminded me of last winter’s obsession with Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam.
As the summer continued, I would occasionally refer to him as Wall-E when I saw him tucking himself into a little ball. He always quickly objected and then Monkey would pipe up with some comment reminding me that his name was actually Badger and not Wall-E. We would laugh over the nicknames and then continue on with our day until it happened again.
Then, one day I saw him in a little heap on the chair. His legs and arms were all tucked inside his shirt and he was in the process of also trying to get his head inside the shirt to form a perfect Wall-E cube. The difference was that he was wearing a green shirt that day. I was watching him wiggle around to get inside his shirt, and all of a sudden it popped into my head. “You’re my little Turtle, aren’t you?”

His head jerked up and he exclaimed, “Turtle? I’m not a Turtle!” I told him that he looked like a Turtle because he appeared to be hiding inside his shell, which was green. He laughed and told me I was silly. But, the funny thing is that he immediately came out of the Wall-E fantasy and began acting like himself again.
I tested the theory the next time I saw him withdraw into his shirt. “There’s my little Turtle!” His arms and legs flew out of his shirt and he immediately sat up straight. He was Prince Charming again, but with a funny look on his face like he didn’t know what to make of me calling him by a new nickname. I have since called him Turtle several more times and each time it snaps him back to reality. Hmmm. We may be onto something here…
Turtle, Wall-E, Grumpy Badger, and Prince Charming. Each of these names definitely fits my little boy. I wonder what the next one will be?      

Have you entered the giveaway contest yet? It ends on Friday the 16th! Check it out here!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Ten years later

Today is a day of remembrance for the events of September 11th. It’s hard to believe that it has been 10 years since that infamous day. As with all Americans, I remember where I was when I found out that the Trade Center towers were falling. I was unemployed, a victim of the high tech bubble bursting. My husband called me up from his work and told me to turn on the TV. I did. I could hardly believe what was happening. I watched in disbelief as the events unfolded. And then I began to cry. I cried for days on end as I kept vigil by the TV.

I had family members who were on planes during those moments and had to be diverted for immediate landing at the nearest airport. Since they weren’t allowed to continue the flight, they had the enormous task of trying to find their way home. Car rentals were scarce and they had to pair up with strangers to drive in shifts, nonstop, until they got home. It was all very stressful, confusing, and concerning for everyone.

The strangest part for me was the empty skies. I live in plane country. Washington State is the birthplace of Boeing. There are also several military bases out here. As a result, I see numerous planes every day. With no commercial, private or military air traffic in the days that followed September 11th, the skies were far too quiet. It made me uncomfortable. It was extremely odd to not see any airplanes crisscrossing the sky during the day, and it was so quiet at night that I had a very difficult time sleeping. It made me feel very uneasy to not hear the regular background noises.

I took such huge comfort when the air travel restrictions were lifted and I began seeing airplanes again. I remember lying in bed with my husband the first night when planes were back in the sky, and we quietly laid awake listening for planes. We commented softly to one another about how good it sounded to hear planes in the sky again and we quickly fell into a truly restful slumber.

The only reason why this particular facet sticks out in my mind is that I am constantly reminded of it whenever I look into the sky. Since September 11th I see planes a bit differently now. They serve as my own personal reminder of a very dark time 10 years ago, but they also symbolize comfort in the days that followed.   

Does anything immediately come to your mind when you remember September 11th? What significant moments do you recall? What gave you comfort during that time?      
   

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Introducing your child to their new teacher

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s school time again! While I was prepping things last night for my boys’ first day of school, I was got to thinking about the process we go through each year to prepare the teachers for their arrival.

After my boys were diagnosed, I came up with the idea to write a letter introducing each of my boys to their teacher. I found that there was a lot I wanted to share with the teachers. But, downloading a whole bunch of information to them over the phone or in-person wasn’t necessarily the best approach because I couldn’t expect them to remember everything.  So, by placing the details in a letter, the teacher would have an individualized resource to refer to whenever needed. It was almost like giving them an answer key about my boys. Did you like that? Answer key. Teacher. Pretty slick, right? ;-) Moving on…

I’ve been writing introduction letters since 2008, and they average anywhere from 2-5 pages each. Each year I receive gratitude and many positive comments about the letters, since the teachers feel like they know and understand my kids before school even begins. Usually I write the letters during the summer and then email them or drop them off at the school several weeks in advance of the start of school. This way, the teacher will have them when they first start back to begin prepping their classrooms.
I thought that I would share the format of my letter with you. If you are not already doing something similar, this might give you the inspiration to try it for yourself. If writing a letter of introduction to a teacher is old hat to you, then great job! Read on, and maybe you can give me suggestions on how I can improve my format for next year. Here we go!  
Date
Dear Mr./Ms. Teacher:
I wanted to take this opportunity to give you some information about my child, _____, in preparation for him/her entering your class. You likely already know that he/she has an IEP. I would like to go a bit further than what you will find in the IEP, and provide you with a more in-depth perspective about my child so that you will understand him/her better.
First, my child is diagnosed with _____ and _____.
Give a brief description of their diagnosis (all of them, if there is more than one). Tell them what it means and how it affects your child. Be sure to include information about food allergies or other issues that are relevant and may need special attention.

Next, I would like to share some of his/her positive attributes and strengths.
It’s always good to start at the beginning with what your child has going for them. What makes them special and unique? List several things that are great about your child.
Now I would like to tell you about his/her favorite things, which are great motivators.
Try to list a few things your child responds positively to, like their favorite cartoon character, or their favorite toy, etc.     

In terms of academics, I would like to give you some information about his/her strengths and difficulties.
The IEP will probably go into this, but what do you see as the areas where your child excels? Areas of academic success can also be motivators. What are the things that your child struggles with in the classroom, or with homework?  
Next, I think it will be good for you to understand some of my child’s behaviors, triggers, and things we are working to improve.
Does your child have some odd, negative, or stimulatory behaviors? Share whatever you see at home that could also occur in the classroom. What things will trigger a meltdown? What are the things you are working on in private therapy?
I would now like to share with you some strategies and suggestions to deal with the previously listed behaviors and triggers.
What things work to help diffuse your child at home or therapy? Do you have a reward system? Do you use any calming techniques? What kinds of tools, words, or actions will help the teacher? Or, if you haven’t yet figured out what works, tell them what hasn’t worked so they know not to do those things.
In closing, I would like to thank you for reading this letter. I realize that I’ve given you a lot of information to digest about one child. I believe that your understanding of _____ through this letter and your upcoming experiences with him/her will serve to help him/her grow and better participate in your classroom. I fully expect him/her to have a marvelous year and to enjoy your class. Please do not hesitate to call or email me. I am including my contact information below. _____ and I are looking forward to a great year!   
Don’t forget to add in any other special requests or additional information that is relevant to your child’s success in the classroom.

Sincerely,
__________

Phone Numbers
Email
I realize that school has already started, but it is never too late to provide useful information about your child to their teacher. I think you will agree that it is a very good exercise to get into the habit of, and it will benefit both the teacher and your child. And, it will help you have less stress knowing  that you were proactive in getting the school year off to the right start.
For those of you who have written letters like this before, what things do you include that I didn’t touch on here? I’d love to hear your comments! Maybe you’ll inspire me to make some changes to my letter for next year!
Happy Back to School, everyone!
Have you entered the giveaway contest yet? Check it out here!


Thursday, September 1, 2011

The Big Giveaway!

A couple of weeks ago, I put out a challenge to my lovely Facebook friends. If we could increase our numbers to 200 on the Caffeinated Autism Mom Facebook page by the end of August, I promised to do a giveaway. Well, the blog was shared, people found the page and clicked “Like,” and little by little our numbers increased. We met and exceeded the goal by the deadline! I’m so proud of my caffeinated peeps! You guys rock.

Sensational Journeys: 48 Personal Stories of Sensory Processing DisorderYou may recall my post from one month ago, “Call me Author.” In that post, I shared with you that I had my story published in Hartley Steiner’s new book, Sensational Journeys: 48 Personal Stories of Sensory Processing Disorder. Today is the day that the book officially becomes available!
Can you imagine how I would like to celebrate this momentous occasion? A giveaway, of course!    

So, here is the deal. I’m going to give away 1 copy of the book, Sensational Journeys. And, if the winner would like, I'll even sign it. (Wow, that's weird for me to think about!) Anyway, your job is super easy.
This is all you have to do to enter:
1.       "Like" Caffeinated Autism Mom on Facebook. If you already like the blog on Facebook, then go immediately to step 2!
2.       Leave a comment at the bottom of this post. In your comment, please share why you would like the book and also list your name as it appears on Facebook.
Comments left on Facebook are always appreciated, but they will not be considered entries for this contest. Only comments left below this post will count. One entry/comment per person.
Once you have Liked the blog’s Facebook page AND left a comment, you are entered to win! It’s that easy!
The giveaway will be open from 9/1/11 through 9/15/11, ending at 10pm Pacific Time.
I will read all of your comments and select the winner. I reserve the right to ask my hubby for help and/or have my kids choose one randomly if I am stumped by your collective awesomeness. J
The winner will be announced on Monday, 9/19/11.
Depending on the response we get to this contest, I may elect to have a second contest in the near future. We’ll just have to see…
Good luck to everyone and thank you for reading Caffeinated Autism Mom!
Oh! And by the way, even if you don’t win the book, I hope you have a chance to read Sensational Journeys. Feel free to check it out by clicking on the picture below.



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...