This blog was initially set up as a means of communicating with my son's team. Since then, I've heard from other parents with similar stories. If you are living with challenges or journeying alongside someone who is, you are not alone. There are many of us. I'm a single adoptive Mom (http://richesofsimplicity.blogspot.com/) of a young man who lives with many abilities and many diagnoses. We have journeyed together through many challenges and a few adventures over the years as my son has tried to find space in this world that makes him feel more comfortable, an attempt made especially difficult when living with Attachment Disorder, PDD-NOS (Autism), Developmental Coordination Disorder, ADHD, prenatal substance exposure, etc. Some of the strongest elements used in this journey have been music, visual arts, therapeutic parenting, team-connection, boundary-setting, boundary-setting, boundary-setting, communication skills, community-building, continual lifeskills training, and elements of Theraplay. (Click here for some written resources.) On this journey, there is laughter and tears and growth and hope. The greatest of these is hope.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Vanilla (or "And We Parents Become the Stashers")

Today I've been moving food to a locked cupboard. This sure isn't an ideal support tool and hasn't been necessary for quite some time, but those of you who have been following the blog know that the recent transition period has seen the food challenges all back in full swing - and then some!

A few days back, I'd discovered that the large vanilla extract bottle was quite a bit emptier than it had been the last time it was used. I decided to put it away in my room. Today as I was moving food, I found two other vanilla extract bottles at the back of the top shelf of one of the cupboards - both had been drained empty. Needless to say, extract of any kind will no longer be kept in accessible kitchen cupboards.

**UPDATE: My son is due home in a few minutes, so I thought I'd best triple-check the locking doorknob that I've put on the closet then get the closet closed. I'd checked the key/lock before installing the doorknob. I'd checked it again after installing it. Both times, the key unlocked the doorknob. This time? The key didn't unlock the doorknob! My son is about to walk in the door, and all the "cupboard food" is now in an unlocked closet a few feet from his bedroom (because all the food easily fit on a couple shelves in that closet). Once he walks in the door there can't be any more attempts or he'll know that's where it all is and we could have another adventurous night ahead!

Life can be a funny thing at times

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