Planning the Fundraiser, Burlesque, I Yelled and Brunched Out
Hello Sunday evening! I just got back from a great long walk with the Kid. It is slowly becoming our thing. Just the two of us walking around the neighbourhood, taking in the sights and me just talking to him about everything even though I know he doesn't really know what I am saying. He is awesome on the walks; his eyes light up and he makes a happy sound once in a while. He stops when I stop, he walks faster when I do, and he is just a joy. These walks give me a sense of normalcy and it is the one time of the day I don't feel like I am a mom of a special needs kid... I am just a normal mom, taking a walk with her little boy. My only wish is that one day he starts speaking and then he can finally say "Dammit, woman! Shut it! You are a neurotic ball of stress and angst. And by the way, he's just not that into you." Heh.
Friday after work I headed home and we decided to try and take the Kid to a Christmas market. It has been a couple of years since we have been to one with him and I was a little nervous. We walked to the Belvedere Palace and as we rounded the corner, the Kid got a little scared and didn't want to go into the market. I gave him some chocolate, walked behind the market and then entered from the other side. He was a superstar and I was incredibly proud of him. Except that we bought an oversized pretzel for 3.90 and he didn't want it (Great! More carbs for Mommy!). We walked back home and I was so happy and then unfortunately, once we were home, the Kid had an epic freak out and my heart broke. This one lasted for at least 45 minutes and by the end, we were all spent. I had no idea what had brought it on and after he passed out on the sofa, I turned on ORF (Austrian national TV station) and watched the show Die Grosse Chance der Chöre to watch a friend and her troupe perform, while rocking back and forth. Sidenote: check out the Hot Box Girls. They are a fantastic Burlesque group and I am very much hoping they perform more in Vienna because I will totally go. I have always found Burlesque to be incredibly sexy and it looks like a lot of fun. Of course I could never ever do it because I have incredible stage fright and I would really really look like, to quote the Internet, a busted can of Pilsbury dough... The next morning the Kid woke up and was just on the verge of a freak out and I was not up for round 2, so I yelled "KNOCK IT OFF!"
Now, I am not a screamer (when it comes to the Kid). I am a pushover and I am a Jewish mother and I rarely if ever lose my temper with him. But I had had enough and I yelled and you know what, he stopped, looked at me in shock and then sat down. Now, I don't agree with yelling at a kid, especially a kid with autism, often, but I also think that I have been too lax. There were no more freak outs yesterday. In the evening I took him for a long neighbourhood walk and he was a complete joy. This morning he was on the verge again, and he grabbed me by the shirt in anger and I yelled at him firmly "NO!" and he let go and sat down. Ugh, Kid, you are going to make me hate myself.
But if his behaviour improves because I am stricter and once in a while, scary Mommy comes out, this is for the best. Fingers crossed I don't have to be shouty that often because I do not like the sound of me angry... it does not match with anything that I own. And I know I am taking a risk writing about yelling at my child on the Internet because I am pretty sure I will be getting strongly worded messages shortly. And this is where I preemptively say, I am not scaring my child, just asserting my authoritaaaay. There is no manual for parenting especially for parenting a child with autism. And even if there was a manual, I would probably just ignore it because I don't like being told what to do... and manuals like the ones from Ikea lie just to mess with you.. right? So life is a lesson yadda yadda, where's the wine?
Speaking of drinking, it has been a decadent weekend of brunching. On Saturday I was invited to an afternoon brunch/housewarming party. It started at 1, I showed up 1 minute after 1 and I was thrown first an aperol spritzer and then a bloody Mary and I had sausage rolls and cheese and a croissant and met a couple of lovely people. At 2:30 I had to leave and head to a friend's place down the street where I drank wine and kvetched about recent disappointments and heartbreak. We laughed and drank and then I headed home to hang out with the Kid and then take him for a long walk. Today I was also invited to a brunch at a friend's. She lives around the corner from me and I showed up at 1 minute after 11. A couple of other friends and their son were also invited and we had an amazing meal of homemade rolls, scrambled eggs, cheese and waffles and of course mimosas. I stayed for a couple of hours and put on a couple of pounds and then met the Kid and the Husband in the playground. It was pretty idyllic and I spent much of the time telling him to stop licking metal. It isn't cold yet but soon I am going to have to pack small packages of salt in my coat because I imagine there will be a future incident.
Anyway, in other news... last week was pretty hectic and on Friday I decided to post about a possible fundraiser in January. About a year and a half ago, I hosted a fundraiser in the Spring and it was great. Many people gave incredible prizes for the raffle and my friends bought lots of tickets because they are awesome. We were able to raise 1,500 euros. Unfortunately I sent that money to another center and all I got back was an e-mail that just read "Danke." Yeah, I was ticked. So ticked that I even started a Facebook page for autism a couple of months later and then the idea of my own autism center came into being. When I get mad, I get busy. So this time, this fundraiser will be going to the Beacon Beach House. When I posted on Facebook about tentatively saving the date, I received 4 different offers for prizes and I was blown away! I am so excited and touched by the outpouring of support and I cannot wait to plan this event. So mark your calendars for January 18th. It will be at the Beaver Brewing Company; the theme is beachy so break out your flip flops and Hawaiian shirts and be ready to drink and buy raffle tickets. I know it will be an awesome evening and I cannot wait! You all know how I like to plan things.
And the last little story before I become one with the sofa, it seems like the Kid lost another damn tooth and again we didn't notice. I am hoping that the lost tooth was the cause of Friday's epic meltdown: maybe the wiggly tooth was causing him stress. Maybe not? I also have been throwing myself on the ground anytime I see something white on the floor. I need to find this damn tooth. I missed the first one and now the second one? DAMMIT! Bad MOM! This week will be busy again: I am meeting a friend on Monday and then on Tuesday I am having a board meeting for the Beacon Beach House. By board meeting I mean we are going out for drinks. Before the board meeting we will actually stop by the maybe location to talk with the landlord. It might actually be happening and I will see what the conditions will be. If they are good conditions (please, please, please), then I will have to meet with a lawyer to look over the paperwork because I might end up accidentally promising my kidney. Wouldn't be the first time. On Thursday I am meeting a friend at Hawelka and then maybe stopping by an art show that has been put on by adults with Autism. I will post the information on Facebook tomorrow. I can only stay for about 30 minutes unfortunately, but I want to support this awesome initiative. On Friday night I am going to a friend's birthday party and then on Saturday I am going to see if I can get started on the Christmas decorations. I need my bling out, stat. I wish you all a fantastic Sunday night. May your evening be calm and cozy and not filled with dread thinking about going to work tomorrow. Toodles!
Friday after work I headed home and we decided to try and take the Kid to a Christmas market. It has been a couple of years since we have been to one with him and I was a little nervous. We walked to the Belvedere Palace and as we rounded the corner, the Kid got a little scared and didn't want to go into the market. I gave him some chocolate, walked behind the market and then entered from the other side. He was a superstar and I was incredibly proud of him. Except that we bought an oversized pretzel for 3.90 and he didn't want it (Great! More carbs for Mommy!). We walked back home and I was so happy and then unfortunately, once we were home, the Kid had an epic freak out and my heart broke. This one lasted for at least 45 minutes and by the end, we were all spent. I had no idea what had brought it on and after he passed out on the sofa, I turned on ORF (Austrian national TV station) and watched the show Die Grosse Chance der Chöre to watch a friend and her troupe perform, while rocking back and forth. Sidenote: check out the Hot Box Girls. They are a fantastic Burlesque group and I am very much hoping they perform more in Vienna because I will totally go. I have always found Burlesque to be incredibly sexy and it looks like a lot of fun. Of course I could never ever do it because I have incredible stage fright and I would really really look like, to quote the Internet, a busted can of Pilsbury dough... The next morning the Kid woke up and was just on the verge of a freak out and I was not up for round 2, so I yelled "KNOCK IT OFF!"
Now, I am not a screamer (when it comes to the Kid). I am a pushover and I am a Jewish mother and I rarely if ever lose my temper with him. But I had had enough and I yelled and you know what, he stopped, looked at me in shock and then sat down. Now, I don't agree with yelling at a kid, especially a kid with autism, often, but I also think that I have been too lax. There were no more freak outs yesterday. In the evening I took him for a long neighbourhood walk and he was a complete joy. This morning he was on the verge again, and he grabbed me by the shirt in anger and I yelled at him firmly "NO!" and he let go and sat down. Ugh, Kid, you are going to make me hate myself.
But if his behaviour improves because I am stricter and once in a while, scary Mommy comes out, this is for the best. Fingers crossed I don't have to be shouty that often because I do not like the sound of me angry... it does not match with anything that I own. And I know I am taking a risk writing about yelling at my child on the Internet because I am pretty sure I will be getting strongly worded messages shortly. And this is where I preemptively say, I am not scaring my child, just asserting my authoritaaaay. There is no manual for parenting especially for parenting a child with autism. And even if there was a manual, I would probably just ignore it because I don't like being told what to do... and manuals like the ones from Ikea lie just to mess with you.. right? So life is a lesson yadda yadda, where's the wine?
Speaking of drinking, it has been a decadent weekend of brunching. On Saturday I was invited to an afternoon brunch/housewarming party. It started at 1, I showed up 1 minute after 1 and I was thrown first an aperol spritzer and then a bloody Mary and I had sausage rolls and cheese and a croissant and met a couple of lovely people. At 2:30 I had to leave and head to a friend's place down the street where I drank wine and kvetched about recent disappointments and heartbreak. We laughed and drank and then I headed home to hang out with the Kid and then take him for a long walk. Today I was also invited to a brunch at a friend's. She lives around the corner from me and I showed up at 1 minute after 11. A couple of other friends and their son were also invited and we had an amazing meal of homemade rolls, scrambled eggs, cheese and waffles and of course mimosas. I stayed for a couple of hours and put on a couple of pounds and then met the Kid and the Husband in the playground. It was pretty idyllic and I spent much of the time telling him to stop licking metal. It isn't cold yet but soon I am going to have to pack small packages of salt in my coat because I imagine there will be a future incident.
Anyway, in other news... last week was pretty hectic and on Friday I decided to post about a possible fundraiser in January. About a year and a half ago, I hosted a fundraiser in the Spring and it was great. Many people gave incredible prizes for the raffle and my friends bought lots of tickets because they are awesome. We were able to raise 1,500 euros. Unfortunately I sent that money to another center and all I got back was an e-mail that just read "Danke." Yeah, I was ticked. So ticked that I even started a Facebook page for autism a couple of months later and then the idea of my own autism center came into being. When I get mad, I get busy. So this time, this fundraiser will be going to the Beacon Beach House. When I posted on Facebook about tentatively saving the date, I received 4 different offers for prizes and I was blown away! I am so excited and touched by the outpouring of support and I cannot wait to plan this event. So mark your calendars for January 18th. It will be at the Beaver Brewing Company; the theme is beachy so break out your flip flops and Hawaiian shirts and be ready to drink and buy raffle tickets. I know it will be an awesome evening and I cannot wait! You all know how I like to plan things.
And the last little story before I become one with the sofa, it seems like the Kid lost another damn tooth and again we didn't notice. I am hoping that the lost tooth was the cause of Friday's epic meltdown: maybe the wiggly tooth was causing him stress. Maybe not? I also have been throwing myself on the ground anytime I see something white on the floor. I need to find this damn tooth. I missed the first one and now the second one? DAMMIT! Bad MOM! This week will be busy again: I am meeting a friend on Monday and then on Tuesday I am having a board meeting for the Beacon Beach House. By board meeting I mean we are going out for drinks. Before the board meeting we will actually stop by the maybe location to talk with the landlord. It might actually be happening and I will see what the conditions will be. If they are good conditions (please, please, please), then I will have to meet with a lawyer to look over the paperwork because I might end up accidentally promising my kidney. Wouldn't be the first time. On Thursday I am meeting a friend at Hawelka and then maybe stopping by an art show that has been put on by adults with Autism. I will post the information on Facebook tomorrow. I can only stay for about 30 minutes unfortunately, but I want to support this awesome initiative. On Friday night I am going to a friend's birthday party and then on Saturday I am going to see if I can get started on the Christmas decorations. I need my bling out, stat. I wish you all a fantastic Sunday night. May your evening be calm and cozy and not filled with dread thinking about going to work tomorrow. Toodles!
Thanks for a great readd
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