Boog

Boog

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Mom vs. Wife vs. Woman?

Commonly it's very confusing to be a mother. You literally are expected to be Florence Nightgale, Mrs. Brady, a Stepford Wife, and a Dita Von Teese. This is only a portion of the hats we commonly wear. 

I'm worn out just typing that!

Well, after being the nurse, the perfect mom and the loving/baking wife...."sex kitten" Dita Von Teese is LOW on the list. I mean L-O-W. If it's not low on your list, then you're the exception to the rule and my hats off to you! (Pun intended)

If you're like me, you need to really look sexy to feel sexy. Picture it (yes, it's a Golden Girls reference) The husband/boyfriend/partner comes home and you finally get the kids bathed, fed, homework done and to sleep. You're exhausted, still have 183746389284.3 things to do, and he's thinking it's the perfect time to "make whoopie". You're thinking you haven't washed your hair in 3 days and you have on the type of panties that you used to laugh at your mom for wearing. Ugh.

I can't say I have the answers to everything, nor can I take your mind off of the 7473838565839.9 things you "need" to do (you remembered even more in the last couple minutes), but I can tell you something I find to help tremendously.

We have kids...kids change your mind, soul.....and BODY. Literally, the hips shift and everything is wider. That's not all! You also may have stretch marks, a c-section scar, roots showing because you don't have time to get them touched up, pale as a ghost because you live inside like a vampire with a daycare, and your idea of a pedicure is brushing on whatever nail polish you can find at the moment (usually an odd coral color), then totally screwing it up when you stub your toe because one of the kids screamed for you. Any of this sound familiar?

Yep, it's really common. Those "have it all together" women on Facebook (you know who I'm talking about) have those same issues...they either just post pics on the rare occasion they look cute and crop out the noticeable mess in the background of the selfie, or they have a maid/nanny. Trust me.

Anyway, I've found that treating yourself can make you feel guilty. God, mothers have so much guilt. This treat, however, is worth the guilt because it benefits you AND the rest of the family. What is this treat I speak of?

Name: Torrid

What: Store with flattering, affordable clothing for females that are sizes 12 and up. Seriously, this stuff is CUTE and SEXY! It's like a unicorn that can do physics, dance like Beyoncé, and remove the calories from food. 

Wherehttp://www.torrid.com

Why: Because when you have clothing that fits well and makes you look and feel good...it makes you happy. And it's like the old saying "If Momma's not happy....nobody is happy". So if you're happy....you have a much better chance at having a happier husband/boyfriend/partner. The now happy husband/boyfriend/partner suddenly doesn't mind helping Timmy find that ONE toy he just HAS to find or he'll have a serious 45 minute, migraine-inducing meltdown. Toy is found, Timmy is happy. Get what I'm saying?

Seriously, check our torrid.com and look around. You will be pleasantly surprised to learn that you can actually look and feel sexy and still eat too!! Who knew??!?!?

<3
Boog's Mom

P.S. Check out these pics if you still have any doubts:

*I am by no means getting paid or receiving anything for this post (I wish). I just like to pass along info that I find helpful ;)







*All photos are from torrid.com and I do not own them, nor do I own the models that appear in aforementioned photos.



Thursday, November 14, 2013

Smiles

Ya know that annoying phrase...it's something like "it takes 57887532488999.2 muscles to frown but only one to smile"?

Well, here's some pics that decrease my muscle use...enjoy :)














Friday, July 26, 2013

Amazing Story

I have been (slowly) recovering from surgery since Monday. I went in for a hysterectomy and came out with that plus an appendectomy! Two for one! Lucky me :)

Needless to say, I have been resting quite a bit and seeing much more tv than I was ever free to see. Boog's amazing Da-da took this week off to take care of us and he has done such a great job. I've also had some very sweet friends and family do various things from stopping by the hospital to see me, to leaving a ton of delicious food on my porch! It's great to be in the south :)

Last night we were casually watching the news, and Da-da said "Hey, did you hear that? An upcoming story is about Autism". So we continued to watch the news to see the story. Little did we know how powerful that story would be!

The piece was on this beautiful little boy who was non-verbal. This child actually spoke a sentence to his mommy all because he loved seeing his favorite truck come down the street! Hearing this mom explain the joy of hearing her son speak made me cry tears of joy. Joy and hopefulness that the same may happen to us. 

It's not very often a story on the news leaves you hopeful and happy, so please check this one out!

-Boog's Mommy


Article and video:

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/52582150#52582150

Her Blog:

http://lifewithgreyson.blogspot.com/

Saturday, July 13, 2013

ABA...Easy as 123?

I'm very happy to say that Boog is doing very well. We've started some new therapy, applied behavior analysis, or ABA. Here's a little explanation:

"Behavior analysis focuses on the principles that explain how learning takes place. Positive reinforcement is one such principle. When a behavior is followed by some sort of reward, the behavior is more likely to be repeated. Through decades of research, the field of behavior analysis has developed many techniques for increasing useful behaviors and reducing those that may cause harm or interfere with learning."

Basically, it's getting Boog to understand more, follow commands with less prompting, and hopefully keep progressing in many areas (including speech). He LOVES his therapist. It helps that she's a very very super cute young female. Boog loves pretty girls :) It wouldn't surprise me if I found out he was doing so well just BECAUSE she's super cute. That's my boy!

I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to have him at this new therapy and so excited for the next school year :)

Always appreciate those people who help you help someone you love. Without a few family members, the school staff, and a small number of friends we couldn't have made the progress we have. I will never forget the people that try and make the difficult times better...not the ones that just appear when everything is peachy :)

-Boog's Mom



Friday, June 14, 2013

Welcome to Poland?

When I said I was going to be one of those "special needs bloggy moms", I decided to tell it like it is. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Well, at the time I didn't think the ugly would ever really occur (duh) nor did I know how difficult it would be to write about (double duh).

I have come to terms with Boog having autism. I've mourned, I've changed my hopes and dreams, I've become realistic. Then I got back up, dusted myself off, and became a fighter. I can't change the fact that Boog has autism, but dammit I can change the way people perceive it. If I change one person's ideas about autism, then I've done my job. Fight, shout, write, push, early intervention, full-time school, ABA, gluten-free, dairy free, specialists, doctors (for Boog and myself), homework, practice, forcing him to verbalize, hand-over-hand, using a spoon, ipad, dropping out of nursing school with one semester left because he needed me and I couldn't do both.

I can write about all that because its informative, being an advocate for my son, and positive.

Know what's hard to write about? Hitting a plateau. Boog is moving forward, but not at the speed he should be considering all that is being done to help him. He's still not talking. 

I got used to seeing the NT (neuro-typical) child at a store with their mom, younger than my son, speaking full sentences to his mother. It still stings, but doesn't make me cry. What I have to deal with now is seeing classmates move forward, and speak, and my son still hasn't. No words. He will by four in October.

Please understand I have no malice towards these other children. I am so happy for every single one of them. I am so proud of what I have seen these children do in less than two years. It's amazing. 

It had really just never occurred to me that I would have to take this path again. The one where you think you're going somewhere and then you find out you're not. Ya know "Welcome to Holland"? The poem? Well, I was FINE with Holland. I was enjoying it. I found the Rembrandts, the windmills, and was even bringing other people over to visit. 

Now I have just realized someone came in while I was sleeping and put me in Poland. I don't know anything about POLAND. Send me back to Holland!

So, the most I can tell you is that I've got to do some research on Poland. I've got to change my ideas, regroup, and make myself understand that Poland is an okay place to be. And who knows? We may get back to Holland at some point :)

Thank you for reading my rant. Prayers always appreciated :)

Love,
Boog's Mommy

Sunday, May 19, 2013

The Question Reaction

Five Things You May Wonder About Me
(but were afraid to ask)

I get asked these questions from time to time. It's usually someone I know really well (or someone with very little tact or kinda "Aspergery"). I'm pretty much an open book, so I decided to write this. It may help you know me better, Boog better, or someone else you know in a similar situation.

1.  When did you know Boog was "different"?
At about 12 months my motherly instincts told me something was "off". His gross motor skills were fine. He crawled on time, walked on time, etc., but I noticed other things like lack of eye contact. He seemed to be in his own little world a lot. It would take me six more months to get a pediatrician to listen to me, and two more years to get him into the school he needed. I hope to shorten this time for other families.

2. Are you having more kids? 
No. Through genetic testing, we found out we have an over 50% chance of having another child with autism. This other child could be less functional than Boog. Does that mean I wouldn't love that baby JUST as much? No. It means that it takes two parents fully committed with Nana, Papa, friends, teachers, an OT, speech therapist, PE teacher, music teacher, and more to do as much as we can now that will help Boog later. With another baby I would either be doing a huge disservice to Boog, the baby, or both. 

3. Are you okay with that?
Yes and no. I would love to have another child sometimes. I miss the excitement, the milestones, the new things they do, but you have to remember...Boog is 3 1/2 and we're still hitting and working towards many milestones. I still want to hear "I love you" just like any other Mom. I've just been waiting a bit longer.

4. Will Boog ever talk?
Yes, I believe he will. Boog has had an MRI (to make sure brain formation was normal), EEG (to make sure he's not having seizures), an EMG (to make sure his brain send signals to his extremities and the most awful test to have to watch ever), a muscle biopsy (to make sure he didn't have a syndrome causing his poor tone that may be degenerative), and genetic testing (to rule out thousands of things like "fragile x"). Every test came back "within normal limits", meaning there is no physical reason he won't talk at some point. Can I see the future? No, but if I could I would be RICH. All I can say is this: Someone asked my mom if Boog would ever talk. She replied, "He does talk, it's just in his own way. You have to learn his language if you wan to hear him."

5. Do you worry about when you're not around? 
Every day. Every day at some point I worry what would happen to Boog if I got hit by a bus. I worry about when I'm old and I leave him. Now, you've asked something I can really explain. THAT is why I push so hard right now. It's been proven that early intervention improves the outcome of what someone with autism can accomplish. The more I push, the stronger he becomes, the less I have to worry. I also make sure I have other people fully informed about "all things Boog" in case something happens to me. Both of my parents know every detail of his diet, OT, and other needs. They think they just need to know because he's over there so much, little do they know that they're a backup plan if an asteroid falls out of the sky and just happens to smoosh me :) Not to mention Boog's Daddy, who could do it all by himself, but I would never ask him to. He cooks the GF food, works with Boog about the potty, comes to teacher meetings, and changes many many diapers. He's the best Dad I've ever seen.

I hope this long post helps you understand us a little better, or someone else in your life.

Please let me know if you have any other questions that I've left out. As you can see, I don't have a problem with conversation :)

-Boog's Mommy

Friday, May 3, 2013

The Dream Duality

I have always had "dream issues".

For whatever reason, I have had very vivid dreams for as long as I can remember. The good ones were cool, but the bad ones often had me walking in the dark across the house and saying "Momma...bad dream...move over"...up until I moved out :)

After that, the husband quickly learned the deal. I nudge, say "bad dream", he mumbles something about "it's not real", snuggle, repeat. Works like a charm.

However, I have been having a recurring dream that I can't shake. No hug or snuggle helps either, because I can't tell you if this is a good dream or a bad dream. I keep dreaming that Boog is talking.

During the dream I feel intense joy and relief. He is talking and there's always someone there I get to rejoice with: Boog's Daddy, Nana, Papa, a teacher or therapists from the school.

Last night's dream had Boog speaking in full sentences. I remember the dream, Boog was playing on this ENORMOUS playground set. It was seriously as big as a house. It was like a playground and a treehouse had a very exciting baby. Now why I would let Boog on this thing without me? No idea, it's a dream. Anyway, the thing collapses and I rush over to find Boog. He's fine and we walk away... That's when he begins to talk. Apparently the fall resulted in speech. I immediately take him to see my mom and watch them have a conversation. I told you they were vivid dreams.

Then I wake up. And again deal with the fact that the dream wasn't real, and my Boog can't say a word, much less full sentences. It's a happy dream, so you can't call it a nightmare... So what is it?

I also sort of don't want them to go away. Despite the pain of realizing the dream isn't true, the joy of hearing his voice is amazing. See my dilemma?

But Boog is doing very very well in school. He is saying "Ma" more now and I'm really starting to allow myself to think he really means me when he says it and it's not just a sound. Moms like me have to be very guarded when it comes to our kids progress. Unless something happens 50 times, is on video, and more than 10 people have seen it occur, we tend to think it's just a coincidence. It keeps us from getting let down if it isn't real, know what I mean?

So, we will keep pushing. Keep moving forward until those words come and I finally have dreams that my very talkative son is quiet :)

Sweet Dreams,
Boog's Mommy

Monday, April 22, 2013

The Vehicle Annihilation

I haven't been able to post for a while. I was involved in a very horrible car accident on April the 8th where I was hit on the driver's side and the vehicle flipped. The horrible part? My mom was in the passenger's seat and my Boog was in his car seat in the back.

I was bruised and had a concussion. I don't know how with a concussion, but somehow I managed to tell the kind strangers helping us get out Boog's name, he has Autism, and he is non-verbal. That stuff you hear about moms doing things they shouldn't be able to because of the love for the child? Yeah, it's totally true. My mom was pretty beaten up with two small bone breaks in her back (fractured discs that will eventually heal on their own). The even more amazing part is Boog. We were upside down when the vehicle stopped. Lucas was still buckled in his car seat. Other than him being terrified, he somehow only suffered one scratch on the top of his head. It didn't even need stitches.

I cannot tell you how lucky we are. I honestly don't let my mind think about what could have happened that day because it's too terrifying. What I can tell you are the reasons I believe we were able to walk away from such a horrible accident.

First of all, we would not have been so fortunate had it not been for God. He and His angels protected me, my mom, and Boog that day. When my husband saw the scene he initially thought we were all dead. It was that bad. I could not be more grateful that the Lord above protected my little family. I have thanked Him many times and will continue to do so.


Thank you, Lord!



Second, the vehicle I was driving. I did a lot of research on vehicles when I was pregnant with Boog. At that time I drove a 2 door car and knew it wouldn't be convenient or safe enough for my precious cargo on the way. I ended up choosing the Nissan Rogue. It wasn't too big (I'm short), was a good price when you compared other SUVs costs, and the safety features were really good. The salesman told me about the reinforced steel in the backseat, the "Latch" system that anchors the carseat to the vehicle frame, and the five star side impact crash rating. Side impact crashes are the most dangerous type of car crash for children. I was sold.


My 2009 Nissan Rogue right after we bought her. Sigh.


That car did exactly what it was supposed to during the crash. Every airbag deployed, the car seat remained stable, the inside held up to prevent us from being crushed. I honestly cried a little bit when I had to get the rest of our stuff out of it at the tow yard. I put my hand on the dented front end and said "thank you". Man, I miss that car. The Rogue made such an impression on me that it influenced what type of rental vehicle I chose. They had several medium to large sized American-brand SUVs and one smaller Nissan Sentra. Guess who's driving the Sentra? :)


My final reason of thanks is the type of car seat I had. My parents purchased a very nice car seat for their only grandchild and after the crash it still looked brand new. FYI: always dispose of your carseat after a crash. The damage done may not be visible to the naked eye and the security features may be compromised. Needless to say, I went to Babies-R-Us and purchased the exact same carseat for the rental. Safety first!!

The Safety 1st Complete Air 65 Convertible Car seat from Babies-R-Us or http://safety1st.djgusa.com/


BTW, I wasn't paid or given anything for these recommendations (I wish!!). I just know that sometimes word of mouth means more than a commercial on TV, ya know?

So pass this on to anyone you know looking for a car, carseat, or an example of love from the man above :)

-Boog's Mommy












Wednesday, March 6, 2013

The "R-Word" Effect

Let me first off start by saying that I have done the very thing I'm writing about today. Many times. Thankfully I have grown up emotionally and have a lot more empathy than I used to. Being a special needs mom will do that to you (hopefully) :)

This post is about a word that makes me cringe every time I hear it. It's been used in a derogatory fashion so many times that it is no longer a used medical term.

The word you've probably already guessed is "retard" or "retarded".

I've heard countless people say "that is SO retarded!" since Boog was diagnosed with Autism. Autism is not a form of retardation, but all of us "special people" like to stick together. Safety in numbers and all. I'm sure you can see why.

About a year ago I was at a craft store and two women were loudly shopping near me. Grown women, probably in their mid-thirties. I had already found their loud tone to be irritating (maybe Boog isn't the only one with sensory issues). I decided to go to another isle. I found what I was looking for and got in line to check out. Guess who got behind me? Yep. Them. Still loud and giggling. Please remember these are adult, nicely dressed women. They were buying craft projects for their children.

While waiting for my turn to check out, I heard one of them say very loudly, "I forgot glue! I am so RETARDED!" and her friend started laughing.

Mama-Bear had finally had enough.

I turned around and in a very calm a voice told the woman that using that word is not only offensive, but hurtful. Her rebuttal was that she was speaking about herself, not making fun of someone. I tried to explain by using the word in that way, it shows that you believe a disability is something bad, wrong, derogatory, and funny.

SIDENOTE: Thanks a lot to the Black Eyed Peas for releasing a song titled "Let's Get Retarded". Oh, you didn't know that was the original lyric? It was changed to "It Started" so it could be played on the radio. Because the word is too OFFENSIVE to be played on national radio. Thanks a lot, Fergie. I'm kinda glad you peed your pants on stage that time (oops...sorry).

Anyway, the only thing that really happened at the craft store was embarrassing a woman initially. In the long run I really hoped I would make her think the next time she started to use the word, and maybe her friend too.

Look, I know slip ups happen. Do you know how many times I almost use a very improper colorful word in front of Boog? Way more than I care to admit!

I'm just asking you to think about it. What the word "retarded" really means to you. Does it mean defective? Silly? Odd? Okay, then next time use that word instead :)

Trust me, everyone that is connected to a special needs persons of any kind really appreciates it.

Monday, February 25, 2013

The Progression Reaction

Things are really getting GOOD. I almost don't want to type this because I don't want to jinx it, ya know?

Boog is saying "Ma-Ma" and "Buh-Buh" on purpose. He says "Buh" and waves his hand when he is counting. This is huge for us. It's the first time he has vocalized on command and on purpose in this way. He has cried or made noises when he wanted something or needed me before, but this is different. He's concentrating SO hard to make his mouth/brain/vocal chords all do what he wants at the same time. What's crazy is that he sounds different when he does these new vocalizations. It's Boog's voice. His real voice. He is 3 years and 4 months old and I am finally hearing his voice. So GOOD.

The easiest way for me to describe Autism is this way: My son is always down a tunnel. Some days the tunnel gets shorter and he sees me very well. Some days it's longer and I have to try very hard to reach him. The tunnel is getting shorter lately.

We have had this farm magnet toy for at least two years. Boog never did much other than take the magnets off the fridge.




I sat down with him about a week ago and used "hand-over-hand" to show him that if you match correctly, it would play a song and I would sing and dance. He loved it. His increased focus and fine motor skills have let him master this in less than a week. He can now match all 5 animals perfectly. He matches the face with the body, puts it in the correct position, and presses it again to hear the song. The reward for getting it correct is Mommy singing the song in her terrible singing voice. So GOOD.

There are literally 100 things I could tell you that I'm excited about. Some people who know special needs children would understand. Some people who know me or Boog would understand. Some people would be puzzled that he's just now doing these things. Some would be puzzled that I noticed something so small. All I can tell you is that a very wise person told me "Little steps make big steps" and it's true. If you get excited about the little steps, it makes life a lot easier to handle. The little steps are steps in the right direction. Moving forward is great. We are at our own pace, but we are on the road together. Every little step Boog takes, he's not alone. His Mommy, Daddy, Nana and Papa are there. His school family is there. And God is there. I don't blog about religion, but to see your son progress and know that you have made the right choices for him is an answered prayer. 

I told someone a while back that when Boog made progress, "It's like someone takes one brick off of my soul. There's still a huge pile there, but I can feel one brick was removed". 

So.....GOOD.

And so thankful. 

Thank you, God.






Friday, February 15, 2013

The Ingredient Insufficiency

Hey guys, just wanted to warn you about a current marketing ploy that might confuse some GF folks. My Dad warned me the other day that while he was shopping for GF food for Boog that he saw a label that stated "No Gluten Added". He was pretty sure that meant it still had SOME gluten, but asked me to be sure.

He was totally right and I'm so glad he stopped to really read it. "No Gluten Added" just means that they didn't pour in some more gluten in food that already had it in there. They do this a lot with sweets by saying "No Sugar Added". Yeah... Non "added", but it still has a boat load in there... Pretty shady, huh?

Food manufacturers will do anything to sell more and I would hate for someone to get sick from ingesting gluten just because of a tricky label.

I've put an example of the label at the end, but it could look different.

When in doubt, read the entire ingredient list if you're not sure. I also like to visit http://www.celiaccess.com/. They have a pretty good database of safe and unsafe food.

Spread the word and spread the love while you're at it :)

-Boog's Mom

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

The Legislation Segmentation

I fully admit I don't know much about a variety of topics. Most sports, advanced physics, and my geography is pitiful just to name a few.

What I DO know, is how to raise a special needs child and the effort it takes to get them a good education. How expensive that education can be is REALLY my expertise.

Imagine my shock and HORROR when I was informed that Mississippi Superintendents are fighting a bill that would HELP disabled children! Are you kidding me????

I have NO background in law, so let me break it down for you into an easy way to understand. Like southerners often say, "let me put it in English for ya":

The state allocates a per pupil a specific dollar amount in funding for the school district. This money does not automatically go to the school the child attends. The money is given to the district for the Superintendent to budget how HE wants to. So if you have a disabled child, a child with autism, etc. THEIR funding goes to the district... Why is this wrong? Because if another district contains a school that is better equipped to provide what your child needs, the funding STILL goes to the other district. 

Now do you get why they want this bill to fail? Common greed.

If this bill passes the funding will stay WITH THE CHILD. Meaning:
-Parents will actually be able to apply the child's funding to tuition if they attend a school out of their district
-With their RIGHTFUL funding for their own child, MANY more parents with disabled children would be able to get the special education that the children need desperately

Okay, got it? Well, if you're like me you may need an example. My brain is a bit foggy after having a child.

I am Boog's mom. Boog has autism. He requires an IEP (individual education plan) because he's different. He gets this amazing education at a school that happens to be in "District X", but we live in "District A". 

"District A" gets the funding that is supposed to benefit MY child. The school in "District  X" doesn't see a penny of it. Neither does Boog.

The Superintendents are not parents of disabled children. They have no right to stop these kids from getting what they need just so their buddies in certain districts get more and more each year no matter if they child is educated there or not.

This funding would go to speech therapy, occupational therapy and other types. Therapy for children with autism, brain injury, hearing impairments including the deaf, sight impairments including the blind, dyslexia, language delay, and so on.  They want to deny these children.

Ya feel me?

So PLEASE take a minute and write or call to make your voice heard. Do this because you know me and know how hard I work for my son. Do it because you want disabled children to have access to the education they need. Do if for that mom you saw at the grocery store, putting back the items that weren't on sale this week. She knows she has to save every penny to give her son what he needs...what he DESERVES.

My son can't speak. Will you speak for him?


Contact information for those who oppose the bill:

DeSoto County School District
Mr. Milton Kuykendal
5 East South Street
Hernando, MS 38632
Tel: 662-429-5271
Fax: 662-429-4198


Nancy Loome, Executive Director for the MS Parents Campaign
222 North President Street, Suite 102
Jackson, Mississippi 39201
nloome@msparentscampaign.org
601.672.0953 mobile
601.961.4551 phone
601.961.4552 facsimile

Their Lawyer:

Jim Keith
jim.keith@arlaw.com
P 601.292.0718
F 601.355.9708

The Mississippi Board of Superintendents
555 Tombigbee St. Suite 107, Jackson, MS 39201
Telephone: +1 601 352 8868
FAX: +1 601 487 6491
E-mail: mass@superintendents.ms


Also, check out this link for more info:

http://www.kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2013/02/kuykendall-and-superintendents-fight.html?m=1




Friday, February 1, 2013

The Playroom Formulation

Most people who know me pretty well know that I LOVE shopping and I LOVE a great deal. I also LOVE Boog, so redoing his room brought that all together.

I took sometime and did a lot of research. I wanted a safe (he climbs) room that wasn't too busy (sensory), and had places he could get into if he felt over stimulated.

So I put on my thinking cap...or sat in my thinking chair if you watch Blues Clues :) and decided I could get what I wanted and do it affordable. Challenge accepted!

The trick is making a sensory playroom without spending a boat load of money. If you shop at sites geared specifically for OT or special needs, the prices are insane. So I just went to the sites and browsed until I got an idea of what Boog might like.


This is a hammock chair listed at magiccabin.com for $100:



 
 
And this is a chair at Ikea we got for $20:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
While I was doing my room research I read a lot about how children with ASD can get a sense if calm from rocking. I found this awesome cradle/rocker/nest here, but no price is listed.
 
I think it's like a fancy restaurant with no prices on the menu... If you need to know the price, don't ask :/
 



 
While on Ikea's site I spotted THIS bad boy and freaked out! Only $80!

Not only is it adorable, but it offers a perfect place for a little one to curl up with a blanket and a book.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
My next project was storage.
 
 Boog is a climber, and a dresser just won't work. Not only does he climb, but he actually has the strength of 10 men. This means even anchored to the wall furniture won't work. So Papa (my Dad) and I thought about it. What about shelving? It would work, but how do you make it look cute? I didn't want stacks of clothes and stuff out in plain view....
 
That's where the $7 fabric bins from Walmart come into play:








The shelves are five feet from the floor. This means I can reach them easily, but he can't :) We also picked these shelves and brackets from Ikea for about $50 total.




 
Here is our finished project! We spent around $200 and made a room that is both fun and SAFE for Boog. From the look of the photos below, I bet you can tell he's a fan!





 
 
Items purchased from:
 
Ikea - www.ikea.com - Hammock chair, egg chair, shelving, brackets, canopy
Walmart - www.walmart.com - Toddler bed, fabric bins