tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75825597232269137882012-02-24T18:32:23.925-08:00Musings from a caffeine-fueled, slightly crunchy, Type-A mom of 2 boys with autism, sensory issues, and multiple food allergies.Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.comBlogger1791100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-78059959162071226592012-02-23T06:00:00.000-08:002012-02-23T06:00:17.785-08:00

You may recall that I was having slight panic over what to make for the Valentine’s Day parties for my boys. I tried a new recipe in the 11th hour, which is always a huge risk with the GFCF diet. Guess what? The cookies were a huge hit! Since the boys have asked me to make them again, I figured I had better share the recipe with you! First, I located a GFCF sugar cookie recipe at As Good As

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-71173405189496261852012-02-17T06:00:00.000-08:002012-02-17T06:00:05.507-08:00

In less than 2 months it will be Tax Day on April 15th. Have you even started gathering together your receipts yet? I spent quite a bit of time this past weekend working on updating all of my records. I was horribly behind in scanning my receipts into my software program. Once I completed that task and got to the nitty gritty of figuring deductions, my mouth dropped open when I learned how

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-63421451673270501842012-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:002012-02-14T05:00:04.391-08:00

The Queen of Procrastination is reporting for duty! I waited until the last possible second to come up with something allergy-free for my boys to have at their annual Valentine's Day classroom party extravaganza. I spent all day working on other things, and before I realized it the house got quiet and everyone's asleep except for me. Somehow I forgot to include making cookies on my list of stuff

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-54597939725845489392012-02-10T06:00:00.000-08:002012-02-10T06:00:06.439-08:00

Parents are always looking for better ways to communicate with their child's teacher. One way I do this is to prepare a letter of introduction for my children. This became extremely relevant this week when Prince Charming started at a new school. As part of his transition process, I provided a letter to his new teacher. This topic has also come up several times this week when I was talking

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-72721292644645200122012-02-07T06:00:00.000-08:002012-02-07T06:00:03.212-08:00

If you were on Facebook yesterday, you may have already seen my big news. Yesterday was a very significant day! For the first time ever, both of my boys attend the same school! Prince Charming has been in a self-contained program in another school that was more suited to his needs and offered more support. We've been working toward getting him into a regular classroom for quite some time. After

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-59324718607559070002012-02-03T06:00:00.000-08:002012-02-03T06:00:09.161-08:00

I feel like I've taken a forced blog vacation the past few weeks! With the insane ice storm, snow days, broken trees, power outages, and more recently the revolving door of stomach flu, I'm one tired girl. I've barely been on Facebook and Twitter! Have you missed me? I hope you don't all think I've moved away! Anyway, in the past week I've been steadily hovering around Level 3 of my Pyramid of

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-25757330827182860262012-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-27T06:00:09.419-08:00

One of my most popular posts is about the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for the McPhail family. Lindsay McPhail is a mommy blogger friend of mine! It was so incredible to watch their new home revealed this past fall. I was in tears when Ty Pennington yelled, "Move that bus!" If you were not already aware, the show ended this month. The McPhail's were one of the last families to receive a home

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-79816903364415849762012-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-24T08:12:00.840-08:00

It’s really interesting to see how autism is becoming subject matter in today’s television shows and movies. I think it is a positive step, since most of the population really has no concept of what autism looks like beyond Dustin Hoffmann’s portrayal of Kim Peek in Rain Man.   Obviously there are more than what I will list here, but these are ones I’d like to highlight: The Big Bang Theory I

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-75855383561598378072012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-20T06:00:19.668-08:00

As promised in my first blogiversary post this week, I am sharing some of my favorite posts from the past year. One post that consistently remained my most popular (until it got knocked down a few notches a couple of months ago) was when I described the sensory-friendly bedroom makeovers I did for my boys. The room makeovers are just as popular with the neighborhood kids and friends from school

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-81346342175805158542012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-18T06:00:06.282-08:00

I thought I would do a musical number (of a sort) commemorating my first year anniversary of blogging here at Caffeinated Autism Mom. To the tune of “The 12 Days of Christmas”… (By the way, I’ll save you the agony of going through this the LONG way. I’ve written it as if you have reached the end of the song, when it runs down from 12 to 1. But, don't get confused by my numbers - they're my

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-74356586552449528812012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-17T06:00:10.682-08:00

I can hardly believe I’m writing this, but Monkey had his first kiss last week. I’m still in shock! Of course, Monkey never said a word to me when it happened. I found out from his bus driver the day after. Here’s the skinny: He was on the bus heading home from school. Due to some issues he’s had with bullying earlier this year, all seats are assigned on the bus. He typically sits by himself,

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-31015751532977529852012-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-13T06:00:19.670-08:00

If you are a parent of a child with autism, you quickly realize that there are new levels of crazy you have never experienced before. If you are a woman, this intensifies the situation. This topic came up the other day when I was in a mood. I had a headache that suddenly appeared and was escalating fast, my boys were driving me nuts, and, well, I was hormonal and felt like crap. I had a full

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-1642170832818444492012-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-10T06:00:07.461-08:00

I have a routine after my monthly support group meetings. On my way home I always stop by a fast food restaurant and pick up a late dinner for hubby and I to share. By the time I get home, the kids are in bed and we have a little time by ourselves to eat, talk, and watch a program together. In our world, this is a date...recliner style. We take what we can get.As I was sitting in the drive-thru

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-77452855330087050842012-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-06T06:00:12.469-08:00

In less than 2 weeks I will celebrate one full year of blogging! It's kind of strange to think about. So much has happened in the past year and it's been quite an experience writing about things as I go. Thank you for joining me! A couple of my blogger friends have been talking about giving themselves the gift of their own domain. Seeing as how my one-year anniversary is almost here, I looked

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-58227339524025347662012-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-04T06:00:00.122-08:00

Monkey turned 9! I am still in a state of disbelief. When did he get this big and old, anyway? For that matter, when did I get this old? Sheesh! Next year he'll be double digits and that's kinda freaking me out a bit!!!  His birthday theme this year is Angry Birds! Typically I try to bring in something special for his class to help make his day extra nice at school. Since most kids bring in

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-38174265058437487902012-01-01T05:00:00.000-08:002012-01-01T05:00:08.265-08:00

It’s the beginning of a New Year! Last night I got to thinking about 2011 and how, once again, things didn’t turn out the way I expected. But you know what? I’m actually happy that my wishes didn’t all come true. Want to know why? Because for the umpteenth time, God has proven to me that His plan is better than mine. My year actually went better than I could have expected, and although it wasn

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-83385490434971661532011-12-28T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-28T06:00:00.044-08:00

I have been enjoying the holidays! How about you? As expected, there is a tinge of crazy in the air at our house. Breaks from school do that to the boys, and we roll with it as best as we can. So, I'm taking a break from blogging for a few more days. I need to pack up all of the Christmas decorations and figure out where to put all of the new toys. Let's not forget my most important job -

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-52648089791912541382011-12-25T05:00:00.000-08:002011-12-25T05:00:03.050-08:00

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Prince Charming Monkey   Titan makes a great shade tree when needed! I hope you have a wonderful day spent with your family and experience all the joy that the season brings! For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11 Autism Night Before Christmas by Cindy Waeltermann

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-59868630023247259822011-12-24T05:00:00.000-08:002011-12-24T05:00:08.952-08:00

I bet you didn't know that there needs to be a schedule for Christmas Eve, did you? Well, according to Monkey, he's got it all figured out. He wrote out a schedule for us on Monday, the first day of winter break, and he posted it on the fridge for all of us to look at. Every morning since then he has reminded me that there is a schedule for Christmas Eve and I need to read it so that we can be

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-68242294140464498172011-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-22T06:00:08.686-08:00

Something new has cropped up with Monkey over the past few weeks: nightmares. My husband and I have tried to figure out what prompted it, but we are at a loss as to when and why it all began, and how we can best help him through his fears. An example of one of those evenings goes a little something like this: After the kids have been put to bed and hubby and I are enjoying a quiet house with

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-29267788676955965672011-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-20T09:15:16.847-08:00

I really mean that! The BEST ever. Do you have any idea how many different gluten-free recipes and brands I’ve used over the past several years? A lot! Do you know how many times extended family and friends have paid me fake compliments as they choke down the GFCF bread bricks that I serve fresh from my oven? It usually starts out with me saying something like this: “I tried another new

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-6265171503464063832011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-16T06:00:12.898-08:00

About 2 weeks ago I had the pleasure of reading a brilliant post by a new blogger I’d never seen before. I was so moved by what she wrote that I immediately scrambled to get in touch with her to beg her to allow me the opportunity to share those amazing words with you, my dear readers. Well, as you probably figured out, she said yes!   I cannot even tell you how happy I am to have Leigh from

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-44320848197844546082011-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-14T08:21:44.864-08:00

Doesn't the very idea of getting rich off of your child's autism diagnosis seem laughable? I mean, if there was a way to turn autism into a profitable enterprise, I would definitely be living on easy street with 2 boys diagnosed on the spectrum. The whole notion is absolutely ridiculous. Crazy. Cuckoo. Ludicrous. Insane. Well, imagine my surprise when I saw a post in my Facebook feed yesterday

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-64162002107458197252011-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-12T06:00:18.367-08:00

Have you ever watched the show, “How It’s Made?” My hubby and I love that show! Titan recently discovered that Netflix has the episodes available for instant viewing. He was watching one of the shows on a Saturday a few weeks ago when Monkey wanted to know what was on TV. He immediately sat down on the couch, transfixed by the various machines and things moving along the factory assembly line in

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-20864084067552374682011-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-09T06:00:06.817-08:00

TGIF, people! My gal pal, Miss C, is in town visiting. Guess what that means? Chocolate and chick flicks! I've had a busy week, so I'm ready to chillax to the max! I'm thinking it will be a put-your-feet-up-and-watch-a-funny-girly-movie-and-overindulge-in-coffee-and-all-sorts-of-chocolate kind of a day. So, to celebrate that the weekend is once again upon us and that I will be taking a little

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-19235978342012267482011-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-08T06:00:00.960-08:00

I'm a bit under the weather... So, instead of trying to stay up late to type up a brilliant new post (modest, aren't I?) or recycling an old post (also likely to be brilliant - LOL!), I thought I would instead share a couple of pictures with you from when we decorated our mantel for Christmas. Caught up in the excitement of the holidays, Monkey wanted to add his own personal contribution to the

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-88380923049007760302011-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-06T06:00:17.891-08:00

It’s the holiday season and there are a lot of requests out there for “donations to a good cause.” The one that stands out immediately in my mind are the bell ringers with their trusty red buckets. Is it just me, or do they make you feel guilty? Have you ever noticed how they speed up the ringing of their bell as you approach? They watch you avoid their glance as you hurriedly walk by, and it

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-73775320332727125512011-12-04T00:00:00.000-08:002011-12-04T00:00:14.742-08:00

 These are the countdown blocks we have on our mantel. It's 21 days to Christmas and it's my birthday! To celebrate, I'm giving away a gift to one lucky reader today! If you wish to enter to win a coffee mug, leave a comment below this post or on the Facebook page. Please tell me about your favorite holiday decoration or tradition. AND, don't forget to include your email address so I can

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-4785526607646403872011-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-30T09:07:22.926-08:00

I wish it were raining $100 bills. That would be nice. I could pay off our new dishwasher that we had to buy because our old one was a piece of junk and I didn’t want to continue washing dishes by hand, and… Oh, wait. Sorry I was daydreaming for a moment. It’s actually raining fun blogging awards! Back in May I got my first notification that I was being given a blogging award and I had no idea

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-70371931456086664542011-11-28T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-28T06:00:07.763-08:00

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Since we are now officially in the thick of the holiday season, if you’re anything like me, you are baking quite a bit. When I’m baking, vanilla is a very important ingredient. This time of year I use a lot of it, and boy is it expensive! Have you ever thought about whether or not your vanilla extract is gluten-free? Frankly that question wasn’t even on my

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-27668439701996874162011-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-24T06:00:08.274-08:00

The following is a post I wrote for another blog back in 2008. I thought I would dust it off as a remembrance to that time in my family's life 3 years ago. It feels almost like an eternity has passed since then! I hope you enjoy this blast from the past, and have a very Happy Thanksgiving! Well, the allergy-free pies are baked and the kitchen looks like a tornado came through it. Now the house

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-31669273742409683272011-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-23T06:00:05.713-08:00

I recently joined Twitter at the behest of my mommy blogger friend Cari from Bubble Gum on My Shoe. You may recall her from the guest posts she did for me: Top 10 things you can go for a parent of a child with autism and The gum in my purse. She sent me a message on Twitter a day or two ago telling me to check out the #youmightbeanautismparentif thread. If you are not on Twitter, anything

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-24318981606461261112011-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-22T06:00:00.369-08:00

You know how I have been on a Christmas kick? I know it’s probably driven you crazy! I don’t mean to tick you off by having my house decorated (except for my tree and exterior lights) and all of my Christmas presents purchased. I have to tell you that this is not the norm. I haven’t been this early with my Christmas preparations for several years. I’m usually early, but not this early! Well,

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-37835311312518285492011-11-18T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-18T06:00:05.878-08:00

Earlier this week I was thrilled to be given the honor of receiving an award from a local autism organization. I have been involved with them since almost the beginning of my family’s journey with autism, so it meant a lot to be included among the awardees. The award luncheon was in a fancy hotel ballroom and there was a fancy meal. It was all very pretty. I was lucky enough to not only have

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-49982940745620802442011-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-18T09:54:48.513-08:00

If you were on Facebook over the weekend, you know that I promised some big news on Monday. Are you ready? I’m doing an awesome giveaway! Really, really awesome. Like $200 awesome! Do I have your attention? Good! I was over at Earth Monkey Moms the other day (you remember my Extreme Makeover Home Edition friend) and they were doing a giveaway that was super cool. They were giving away 10 spots

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-22121435155183297872011-11-11T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-11T06:00:18.977-08:00

Yesterday I had the privilege of going to Monkey’s school for their Veterans Day assembly. Of course, you may recall me telling you on Wednesday that he was going to sing a solo at the assembly. Titan and I were very excited about it and made plans for both of us to attend. When the news made it to Titan’s mom and stepdad, they decided to also drive out for Monkey’s big debut. That was all Monkey

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-11082483871328140532011-11-09T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-09T06:00:16.809-08:00

Do you remember me telling you about how Monkey rocked it out during the second grade performance last spring? It was awesome. And, I’m not just saying that because he’s my kid. He was animated and happy, and he got his groove on the entire time. This year his class is performing for Veterans Day. He told me about two weeks ago that he wanted to try out for a solo. That was pretty much all I

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-21301228431533157032011-11-07T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-07T06:00:13.002-08:00

Some of you cringe at the thought of talking about Christmas until after you are stuffed full of Thanksgiving turkey. As for me, once Halloween is over it’s all about Christmas. I love the holiday season! My holiday kickoff happened earlier than usual this year because I saw this – an opportunity to trade in old Christmas lights at Home Depot and get a coupon to use toward new lights. That was

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-37067890967469167652011-11-03T06:00:00.000-07:002011-11-03T06:00:17.207-07:00

Picture Credit I have been getting inundated with requests for information on the GFCF diet – email, Facebook, you  name it. So, in order to help address some of these questions I thought it would be a good idea to recycle my first ever Guest Post that I did for BoysRising back in April in honor of Autism Awareness Month. I know it’s not standard blogging protocol to repost something you wrote

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-13669846433763974262011-10-31T06:00:00.000-07:002011-10-31T06:00:01.004-07:00

Call me a fuddy duddy, but our family doesn’t celebrate Halloween the way most people do. You might be shocked to learn that I have never been trick-or-treating. Ever. And, I'm okay with that. As for my hubby, he looked forward to it every year until he had to stop due to his height. In 6th grade he was 6 feet tall, so when he went trick-or-treating he got lots of nasty looks and comments from

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-25288441003150824022011-10-28T06:00:00.000-07:002011-10-28T06:00:15.785-07:00

Do you remember me telling you about my friend in Oregon and how her family was chosen to receive an Extreme Makeover Home Edition? Well, their 2-hour episode will air tonight on ABC at 8:00pm! My friend Lindsay and her husband C.J. have 3 adorable boys, and 2 of them are diagnosed on the autism spectrum. I was so excited the whole week of their makeover and you may remember me posting many

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-63388176490439081642011-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:002011-10-25T06:00:03.078-07:00

I don’t know why, but tater tots are hard to come by where I live. Well, at least the non-chemical laden ones. I was browsing in my local grocery store a few days ago when I happened to see a package I’d never seen before in the freezer case of the natural and organic section. They were sweet potato tater tots! No kidding! I picked up a bag to try and came home with my prize. Titan couldn’t

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-65916219486743734542011-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:002011-10-24T06:00:08.262-07:00

Today I am very lucky to have Rebecca from Regarding Caroline with me!  She graciously agreed to do an interview and is also allowing me to share one of her posts. It is a must read! CAM:  Rebecca, I wanted to sincerely thank you for taking the time to chat with me. I have to tell you that I found out about you and your site through some Facebook friends who were madly posting links to your site

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-73681710415486713292011-10-21T08:30:00.000-07:002011-10-21T08:30:18.585-07:00

I have a great flashback for you today! Prince Charming literally proved himself to be good medicine for me. Check it out here. Hope you have a great Friday!

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-59344093770044902862011-10-18T06:00:00.000-07:002011-10-18T06:00:11.586-07:00

I get asked this question a lot: What in the world do you feed your children? My husband came up with the standard reply, Water and air! Well, we obviously feed our children because they are growing like Amazonian weeds. I can tell you that GFCF cooking doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it can be easy. Yes, really it can! All you have to do is focus on the protein, vegetables and fruit.

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-8452671902840422212011-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:002011-10-17T06:00:10.193-07:00

I was doing some shopping at my local vitamin and supplement store when a lady looking at children’s vitamins noticed me quickly placing some products in my basket. She watched me for a minute and then asked if I could recommend some vitamins for her son. I looked over and saw a young boy sprawled out flat on his belly quietly playing with a car a couple feet away from his mom. I asked the mom

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-51346114478578380422011-10-14T08:22:00.000-07:002011-10-14T08:22:26.008-07:00

TGIF! I thought I would try something new today. In thinking about how I wish I had a Personal Assistant (or 2...yes, definitely 2!) and how I would love to take a spontaneous vacation to regroup a little bit, I remembered the post I wrote about the Mom Cave trend. How relevant! So, I'm going to take it easy today and offer you up a most excellent recycled post. See, I really am a bit crunchy

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-8746266480030875902011-10-13T06:00:00.000-07:002011-10-13T06:00:11.371-07:00

The last few weeks have been a rollercoaster, and not necessarily in a fun way. You may think by now that I’m a slacker and have abandoned posting content. No, I haven’t forgotten about you, my dear readers. The fact that you come back time and again to read my random stuff serves as a great motivator. However, as of late I’ve been distracted by various crappy issues. One of the biggest things

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-71580498959887322242011-10-10T06:00:00.000-07:002011-10-10T06:00:03.906-07:00

Do you remember the old Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes cartoons? There was an episode from 1936 featuring the character of Owl Jolson. This little owl only wanted to sing jazz, and his parents disapproved and insisted he learn classical music. Sound familiar?Well, over the weekend we lived in “I love to singa” land. All. weekend. long. Prince Charming sang the song nonstop around the house as

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-49345377082614126202011-10-05T06:00:00.000-07:002011-10-05T06:00:09.209-07:00

Amanda Knox has been all over the news in the past few days since she was acquitted on murder charges in Italy. I read an article yesterday that I couldn’t stop thinking about. Written several months ago and prior to all of the latest breaking news in her case, the author ponders the possibility that Amanda might have Asperger Syndrome, a high-functioning form of Autism. The author of the

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-4019998004594133992011-10-03T06:00:00.000-07:002011-10-03T06:00:02.479-07:00

My bestie, Miss C, called me up about a week ago and told me about a local contest. She’d heard a radio advertisement from a Seattle credit union trying to find their next representative Mom to blog, vlog, and speak at various events. And, the best part…the winner gets paid! Since I am a blogger and I speak regularly in the community, I thought this position would be an amazing opportunity to

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-28657011623866651842011-09-30T05:00:00.000-07:002011-09-30T05:00:04.775-07:00

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,

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-8144542221149167372011-09-28T06:00:00.000-07:002011-09-28T08:37:35.290-07:00

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

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-45386828381683239662011-09-23T05:00:00.000-07:002011-09-23T05:00:08.671-07:00

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

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-23552477512474652822011-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:002011-09-22T06:00:00.042-07:00

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

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-89224634113907364622011-09-19T06:00:00.000-07:002011-09-19T06:00:10.220-07:00

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

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-32170125646941634942011-09-15T06:00:00.000-07:002011-09-15T06:00:10.401-07:00

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

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-20098165451919551352011-09-11T06:00:00.000-07:002011-09-11T06:00:00.933-07:00

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

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-29818981474932346252011-09-07T10:01:00.000-07:002011-09-07T10:01:19.281-07:00

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

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-91463748168021821792011-09-01T06:00:00.000-07:002011-09-01T06:00:03.719-07:00

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 Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-89111347212567765152011-08-30T06:00:00.000-07:002011-08-30T06:00:10.520-07:00

According to a recent study from the CDC, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder now occurs in 1 out of every 10 children. I was shocked to read this! One in 10 children have ADHD? Are you kidding me? Does this blow your mind? It should. Sure, I am accustomed to reading all of the statistics about autism and how the prevalence is skyrocketing out of control and reaching epidemic

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-32961540433321035162011-08-26T10:02:00.000-07:002011-08-26T10:02:28.626-07:00

I had a moment when I was out with my kids that I thought to myself, “Man, my boys are gorgeous!” I know it’s expected that moms think their kids are the cutest in the world, but holy cow, how did I get such beautiful boys? Every so often it just strikes me and I have to take a moment to admire them.    We were standing near a window as I was talking with a friend, and the sun was streaming in

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-29247235829973547572011-08-23T06:00:00.000-07:002011-08-23T06:00:05.015-07:00

I read this article and I couldn’t get it out of my head. It struck me how easily something like this could happen to my son or many other kids I know. An 8-year old boy with autism had a meltdown on a school bus and was then handcuffed and taken to the local children’s hospital for a mental health hold. They kept the boy in handcuffs long after he had calmed down. The mother was not allowed to

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-12796504026758631482011-08-19T06:00:00.000-07:002011-08-19T06:00:14.574-07:00

Want to know what I learned when we went on a mini-vacation to the Oregon Coast? Mother Nature beckons at the most inopportune times. It’s almost like a cruel joke. It happened time and time again while doing various fun activities on our trip. For instance, when we walked down the beach so far that we could no longer see our hotel…THAT was the moment. Or, when we finally got the kids

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-87763702941698906262011-08-17T06:00:00.000-07:002011-08-17T08:59:59.773-07:00

At the end of May I won a book giveaway from Age of Autism and received a copy of The Way I Act by Steve Metzger (verses) and Janan Cain (illustrations). I have been meaning to review it for quite a while, but as of yet had not taken the time…until now. Yes, it’s true. I’ve been slacking. It’s been known to happen on occasion. Besides, I've been mitigating the craziness of summer break!  First of

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-5065727275438302772011-08-15T06:00:00.000-07:002011-08-15T06:00:06.877-07:00

As the summer progresses, things just keep getting nuttier and nuttier around my house. The boys are wound up so tight with energy that I cannot adequately describe it to you, other than to borrow the words from my friend, Lindsay, over at Earth Monkey Moms. My boys are like “monkeys on crack.” Lindsay, you hit the nail on the head with that one! I play my boys as hard as I can, but they

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-79656569628484181752011-08-08T06:00:00.000-07:002011-08-08T06:00:06.738-07:00

This weekend I was a part of something wonderful and I wanted to share it with you. I’ve been running a support group for special needs families for almost 3 years now and have been doing it as a one-woman show pretty much the entire time. I have always been happy to do it because I know that the group is needed in my area, and frankly, I need the support for myself. Each meeting I get to

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-40110270607067455452011-08-03T06:00:00.000-07:002011-08-03T06:00:21.997-07:00

I wanted to extend a thank you to Pink Panther. You may remember me telling you about how my boys love to watch the show and I love that they don’t dialog the words (since there really aren’t any to memorize and endlessly script). Well, I just discovered that Pink Panther also helped Prince Charming to stop being afraid of flies. He used to have a humongous fear of them. If a gnat flew into the

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-62798761354988983942011-08-01T06:00:00.000-07:002011-08-01T06:00:01.962-07:00

Call me Author. Or call me Ishmael. Or just Angela. Although, Author does have a nice ring to it! I am happy to announce that my story will be included in the new book, Sensational Journeys by Hartley Steiner. The book will feature stories from many different families and their journey with sensory processing disorder. My particular story discusses both autism and SPD. I can hardly believe

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-72332251436410542122011-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:002011-07-28T06:00:12.737-07:00

I want to take a moment to introduce you to a lovely mommy blogger friend. Not only is Cari a nice gal, she is beyond hilarious! I regularly bust out in laughter while reading her blog. She is a single mom with 2 kiddos. Her daughter is the sweet drama queen and her son is a funny kid who also happens to have autism. Cari is very special because she is the first guest blogger I have ever

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-86353491853999039572011-07-27T06:00:00.000-07:002011-07-27T06:00:08.321-07:00

The first carrots harvested from my garden look, um, interesting. They are all looking like this! You should have seen the look on my hubby's face when he saw them! This is the 3rd year that I've grown carrots that are funky and I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I started all of my seeds inside my house, sowing them individually in peat. I transplanted them outside after they got to be 

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-82082169592347549272011-07-26T06:00:00.000-07:002011-07-26T09:43:41.449-07:00

You may remember me telling you how I dread summer vacation because my boys need routine. For the first time ever, I am happy to report a new summer tradition that stemmed out of my exhaustion and general laziness. I know…it’s hard to believe that I could possibly be lazy, especially considering my caffeine consumption levels! Well, I’ve been struggling a little bit with insomnia recently and so

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-60990308614218919482011-07-18T06:00:00.000-07:002011-07-18T08:33:22.966-07:00

I’m a sucker for an anniversary. I’m a girl, after all. I’m celebrating a blog half-versary. Caffeinated Autism Mom is now officially 6 months old! I can hardly believe it. Where has the time gone? I thought I would take a moment to reminisce and see how far the blog has come since January. I started this whole crazy idea of a blog with a post entitled, “Special Needs and Gifted.” I told you

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-79377814292906032242011-07-14T06:00:00.000-07:002011-07-14T06:00:10.338-07:00

Last week I told you about how I took out my juicer from its dusty hibernation. Since I have been known to be a really big wimp when it comes to eating vegetables, it’s easier for me to introduce veggies into my diet when they are juiced along with some beautiful, seasonal fruit. This is something healthy that I like to do for the whole family.   The beginning of the fiasco... Recently

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-69477455334909941712011-07-13T06:00:00.000-07:002011-07-13T06:00:14.339-07:00

 My husband and boys came to my rescue when my car died while I was out running errands. They waited with me while we waited to get a new battery installed and ultimately called a tow truck. Aren't my boys cute?  The boys waited in my hubby's car when it rained, and that's when I captured this gem. Somehow they maintained a good attitude while we spent hours trying to deal with my dead car.

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-54950687308741400682011-07-11T06:00:00.000-07:002011-07-11T06:00:03.206-07:00

You know how kids with autism often have a thing they perseverate on? We’ve certainly run the gamut around here. Some of the things my boys have obsessed about become experts in have included: license plates, geography, numbers/calculators/clocks, trains, cartoons, States, Presidents, and more. Now, Monkey’s favorite topic of interest is cars. Kia Soul in Alien green. To the best of my

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-35052852797091072642011-07-07T06:00:00.000-07:002011-07-07T06:00:09.512-07:00

Finally! And perfect timing, too. The National Institute of Mental Health dropped a bomb about autism on a national holiday. How convenient. When most of us were having picnics and spending time with family in preparation for Independence Day fireworks, the NIMH decided to quietly “surprise” the public with the fact that the environment is now considered a main causation of autism, more than

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-7154645250655856272011-07-06T06:00:00.000-07:002011-07-06T06:00:28.418-07:00

This was created in May courtesy of Monkey and I love it. He's a cool kid. In case you can't read the words, it says: 1.   I'm smart because I get good grades. 2.   I am a good writer and artist. 3.   I love my teacher. 4.   I like to bike ride and race. 5.   I like games, video games too. 6.   I like wrestleing (sic). 7.   I like books like a bookworm. 8.   I like to do art at home. 9.   I

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-38522920571258139992011-07-05T08:37:00.000-07:002011-07-05T08:37:57.126-07:00

The lovely Brittany over at Changing Diapers and Taking Names gave me the Mom of the Month award for July! Talk about a pleasant surprise! I'm not typically a big winner of anything, so this is very exciting for me! She did a little interview with me, so I'd love it if you would take a moment to hop over to her blog and read her post. I mean, you gotta show some love to this gal! She was

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-71967579634422537542011-07-04T11:26:00.000-07:002011-07-04T11:26:37.151-07:00

Happy Independence Day, everyone! My post ran over at SPD Blogger Network today, so I wanted to share it with you. I wrote this one back in February, and it talked about how I was going through our nightly routine and a simple request from me turned into a full-tilt Grumpy Badger meltdown. I hope you take a moment to hop over to SPD Blogger Network to check out my post. Have a safe and happy

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-83010965017662321772011-07-01T06:00:00.000-07:002011-07-01T06:00:06.057-07:00

I love this time of year for 1 big reason, and no, it’s not that the kids are out of school. Does that make me a bad mom? No way! Any autism mom would likely agree that summer is the most stressful time of year because our kids crave routine. For me, the best part about summer is the fact that lots of fabulous produce becomes available. Here is one of my bowls of harvested spinach. Many of the

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-36808894627597360672011-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:002011-06-29T06:00:09.969-07:00

This is a couple of weeks ago. Monkey is ready to go to the dentist to get 2 of his upper teeth extracted. He was very excited to be a brave boy! We talked a lot about what would happen and even practiced with the dental hygienist at the previous appointment. She helped Monkey understand everything and I was so happy to have her work with him. She has an adult son with Asperger's! I love people

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-66774884130667363032011-06-28T06:00:00.000-07:002011-06-28T06:00:04.154-07:00

Did any of you experience a regression with your child during the spring? I can’t tell you how many people I know had chaos bloom in their children when spring hit. It’s like all of our kids drank the same water and spontaneously started freaking out. It happened in my house, times two! It’s a miracle I survived. Seriously. The boys fought like rabid animals when they were at home. I got phone

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-68351140133541373772011-06-27T06:00:00.000-07:002011-06-27T06:00:10.323-07:00

Back in April I wrote “Yet another fat lip.” And no, we're not talking about collagen injections or a silly novelty! Over the weekend SPD Blogger Network ran my post on their site! The post was about how I tried to get a hug from Prince Charming and I ended up getting kicked in the face. I ended up with a split and bleeding lip from the experience. Injuries can be quite common for parents of kids

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-72312740208151814532011-06-24T07:30:00.000-07:002011-06-24T07:30:02.504-07:00

Here’s another one from the “No, duh!” category… I read an article that discussed how parents of children with autism tend to earn about 1/3 less than typical parents. “Autism is associated with an average drop in household income of 27 percent, or $17,640 per year.”The article goes on to say that the reason that families with autism earn less is because the “mothers of children with autism are

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-46882899784791415382011-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:002011-06-23T08:00:00.336-07:00

I think you can easily gather from my name that I LOVE coffee. I consider myself to be a coffee aficionado and connoisseur. Some of you might call me an addict. Whatever… I may or may not resemble that remark!Have you heard of Keurig? It’s the latest thing in making your morning routine simpler. A lot of my friends love their Keurig machine and think it makes a great cup of coffee. Personally, I

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Guess what? I’m guest posting over at Modern Alternative Mama today! Kate from Modern Alternative Mama kindly agreed to let me write a guest post for her, specifically to test and give my review of Trilight Health products. It was fun to try some herbal products for both me and my boys, but the best part was getting the opportunity to write a guest post at a blog I’ve been reading since before I

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-21534751981034815272011-06-20T06:00:00.000-07:002011-06-20T06:00:02.193-07:00

My favorite movie for Father's Day is Finding Nemo!  One thing I’ve noticed a lot over the years is that there is never a shortage of women who complain about their husbands. Since it was Father’s Day on Sunday, there were some interesting reads out there. SPD Blogger Network featured a blog entry entitled, “Fathering is not Mothering.” CNN featured a great opinion piece from the perspective

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A few months ago I wrote a post entitled, “Telling the truth is hard.” The next day I followed it up with, “Telling the truth is hard (continued).” Well, another issue cropped up shortly after those posts, so I thought it would be good to share an update with you now that some of the dust has settled. In case you haven’t had a chance to read the old posts yet, I’ll bring you up to speed:Monkey

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What is an easy way to get the giggles around our house? Playing balloon catch, of course! It’s actually more like full-contact-football-meets-beach-volleyball. Both the boys enjoy it, but Prince Charming gets a fit of giggles whenever we play it. Last night was no exception.Prince Charming was jumping all over, launching his body around to catch the balloon like he was diving for a fumble

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Prince Charming's birthday celebration last month at home with chocolate cake - his favorite! He's a chocoholic like his mama! He loves to eat his cake like it's a popsicle. It's either that or to eat the frosting first and then eat the cake. Either way, he loves his cake and he's too cute! In case you want to know how I made the cake (free of gluten, casein, soy, egg, and nuts!), I have

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-41826411358129059752011-06-14T06:00:00.000-07:002011-06-14T06:00:10.460-07:00

Monkey came home from school and said, “Mommy! Guess what? I have something exciting to tell you!” He had a huge smile on his face and I can’t remember the last time that he seemed so happy when he got home from school. I replied, “Come into the house and tell me all about it!” It wasn't all that long ago that I could barely get Monkey to tell me anything spontaneously. Sometimes it would take a

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Over the weekend I had another post run over at SPD Blogger Network! I originally wrote “Bad Mommy” back in January. In the post I talked about how Monkey has some tactile sensory issues and how a potential sensory disaster was averted despite my forgetfulness.  I encourage you to go visit the post over at SPD Blogger Network and don’t forget to browse some of the other posts, too. There’s a lot

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Monkey has always had a penchant for numbers. He loves them! He has been very interested in pedometers since he learned about them in his PE class. I happened to have one sitting in a drawer and I gave it to him when I saw his excitement at having such a treasure in my possession. He loved to wear the pedometer and I would see him checking it periodically throughout the day so he could announce

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-47487045248182966972011-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:002011-06-08T06:00:09.458-07:00

My gal pal, Miss C, and her mom (my "other" mom) got me this t-shirt. It's like they think they know me or something! :-) 

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-48819501677495674412011-06-07T06:00:00.000-07:002011-06-07T06:00:13.994-07:00

I don’t have any big topics to discuss or funny stories to share today, but I do have something I’d like to at least mention. The great folks over at Fun and Function had me on their blog yesterday as a “Featured Parent.” Their site has a lot of really cool toys and occupational therapy tools for both parents and professionals. It’s really worth taking a few minutes to check out their site. If

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In January I wrote a post about resolutions and how our family was instituting some permanent changes to the way we cook for 2011. As part of that, we made the decision to get rid of our microwave and replace it with a large convection toaster oven. I was a bit hesitant to take the plunge because I knew it would make things less convenient for us, but my husband and I agreed that it was a good

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I had a conversation with Monkey that I thought was so great I had to share it with you! We were eating dinner and all of a sudden Monkey asked Titan, “When you are 64, how old will I be?” Monkey is practically a human calculator so it didn’t surprise me that he asked a math question. Titan took a moment to think about the answer and told him, “You’ll be 36 when I am 64, which means that when I’m

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I saw something yesterday that made me stop what I was doing. What in the world did I see? I saw the following words: “mom of child with autism – no friends.” Where did I see these words? They were from a Google search that someone had done in order to find my blog. You see, Blogger (Google’s blogging platform) keeps certain statistics and I like to check to see how people find me here at

Caffeinated Autism Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730980393643990009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582559723226913788.post-36335184684569154572011-06-01T06:00:00.000-07:002011-06-01T06:00:03.669-07:00

Prince Charming has found a new favorite activity - vacuuming! If you know anything about Kirby vacuums, they weigh A LOT.  Because of this, they have a transmission that you can switch to "drive" or leave it in "neutral." When it's in neutral, you have to use a lot more force to move the vacuum around. This is GREAT heavy work for my little dude. Now that he is no longer afraid of the noise

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