There are people who have money and people who are rich. ~Coco Chanel

Want some pasta with all that sauce? Yes, the toddlers have taken over. Henry and Eliot's insistence on the word, "No!" have been figuring prominently. As have the, "I don have time for dat, daddy" and the throwing, pushing, "Mine,mine,mine" ugh! Matt and I are persevering...barely. We are trying to be consistent and to not allow ourselves to also merit timeouts! Although sometimes I really need one, ha,ha,ha!

Throughout all of this growth and conspicuous early teen behaviour, Eliot and Henry have been doing well. All of Eliot's people have been coming on daily basis and will continue to do so. We do not yet see a big change in his tricky behaviours, the ABA person seems confident that we can start working on some things. Having a hand in dealing with his level of frustration and subsequent tantrums would be great. But on the plus side, Matt has, by some amazing feat of brilliance, continued to find a way to help Eliot to handle bath-time. Matt is the water whisperer and I am so relieved. No more screams or holding in the tub, Eliot now listens and seems to tolerate the "three times and then dab-dab" rule. Yeah!!!!

Henry is still talking a mile a minute and he is so lively, at all our playgroups Henry helps Eliot to acclimate and tells him that "it'll be fun, Eyiot".

Matt is working hard and the ESL instructor job is holding on, of course it is, and Matt will soon be starting a photography club. I wanna be in his class:) He is also ( hush, hush ) working on what will be a stellar novel. Good things, good creative juices flowing.

As for ME, I am launching into trauma assessments and learning about touching people and various rote tasks. I am tired, still waiting not to be quite so exhausted.

The fam is ticking along,
Poor but happy,

"Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: I'm with you kid. Let's go." Maya Angelou

Now I am in it, mixed in and thoroughly diced, sliced and pureed in it; school! Yes. The homework, reading, mad test panic, the flash-card making, not enough time, do I remember this from how many years ago feelings...Yes, check, all the listed passengers are accounted for! Phewww. It is an exciting and yet terrifying time for Rachel.

All good things, yet the constant barrage of information especially at the 7-10 pm range are sapping my strength. "Must...get...coffee...now."
I think it is also our Captain's manner of alluding to the bell mentality of our particular course. I am thinking of the Marine Corps. and the basic training scene that always pops up in movies where some drill Sergeant is daring his recruits to ring the bell so that they can go home, stop the pain, and relax.
Our EMT class version of this seems to be couched in the subtle, yet effective way in which we are told that EMTs are prone to stress, burnout, PTSD and that many people find themselves in the position of realizing that they are not, in fact, cut out for the job. That the hours are brutal, the pay is crap and well, let's face it, it is a tough job. It is in these moments that I am forced to wonder if the Cap. isn't just weeding out the weak. Wait, I'm not the weak, am I? No, no, my tenacious mind replies. I am the strong, I can do this...

During the day, my boys are busier by the minute as my Eliot is accessing all kinds of different services related to his diagnosis. We are excited about the ABA lady who will be joining us and I have been looking into any and all kinds of animal therapies. I won't lie, it is a lot to know and a lot to contend with in terms of the information out there. I have been reading both about Autism and ABA therapies as well as sensory issues and activities. By night I am chin deep in anatomy and pathophysiology. My life has taken a most interesting turn, directly inside it seems.

Eliot's scripted speech moments are becoming more and more frequent and sometimes really quite funny. He is fond of saying, " Okay, yeah, sure" in quite a loud and boisterous tone, followed by, "thank-you you're welcome." Henry told Uncle the other day that he looked tired, " Maybe you needa take a nap of a cup of coffee?" Yeah, he really did.

As time is just flying by I am realizing this will be the boys' third fall already, I love watching them get bigger. We are all ready for the next step - stay tuned.