Survived another summer in viva las vegas

Wow, I have been nothin' but horrible at blogging lately. I thought when school started again that I'd have time for it, but for some odd reason, I'm MORE busy and have LESS free time when the kids are in school. And both my kids are in school ALL day and somehow I am left without much free time for things like...blogging.
So tonight as I was sitting here looking at my blog, I started to contemplate giving up the blog. I'm so far behind I wouldn't know where to begin! But then I remembered the whole reason I starting this dog gone blog, and that was to talk about autism, and how it rolls in our lives, ya know, basically tell it tell it tell it like it t-i-s. (Thank you B-52's for the lyrics there)

So I'm going to attempt to climb out of the 'lost bloggers land' I ended up in, and start anew.
With my kids in school all day, I"ve been thinking about going back to school. It's been many years since I was in college so the thought is daunting, but with the years of children at home waiting to start school behind me, it's time.So that's what a lot of my time and focus has been on, but I don't want to let the everyday living experiences escape me without making note of them. So onward I proceed, and documentations I deliver.

This weekend, we have learned that Chase can finally maneuver the Mario Kart steering wheel. "Big Deal!" you may say...."how's that important in his progression towards independency?" one may ask. But for Chase, eye hand coordination is an issue, so for him to stay on the road, with the exception of the Rainbow Road course because who can really stay on that course anyway, he does pretty darn good. He LOVES to watch Allie play, he could watch her for hours, and I ain't gonna lie, she's, like, totally amazing at playing Mario Kart, as her friend put it the other day. She got skilz, I tell you.

The fact that Allie and Chase have something they can do together, a way to spend time together like normal children and siblings do, is my dream come true. Listen, I feel guilty that the only sibling Allie has or ever will have is special needs, so when something like this happens, I drink it up.

The other day, Eric and I were upstairs in the loft and the kids were downstairs at the kitchen table. We heard them start to fight, which is something they NEVER do, because Chase doesn't act like a typical "little brother". He doesn't know how to fight with his sister. But siblings fighting is NORMAL, and whenever we have some normalcy in this house, we LOVE it. So in unison, when we heard them fighting downstairs, we said "Aw, they're fighting :)"  It's strange I know, but that's what we work so hard towards everyday, normalcy for Chase to give him a fighting chance in his future. But for the most part, they get along uber well.

Allie and Chase enjoying my parents trampoline. We used to have one, until the Vegas sun ate it for lunch and dinner, every day for a 7 month long summer. Curse you West facing backyard!

Notice here,the grandkids taking a walk up my parents street, in the lovely Cedar City Utah wind. Notice Chase in an altercation with a pink umbrella.

Notice here how Chase has run away from the group and that blasted pink umbrella.

Notice herehow Eric has had to hop on the 4 wheeler to go rescue Chase because he decided sitting in the middle of the street was as good a place as any to declare his chagrin at the pink-umbrella-in the-wind-situation.

Chase back to grandma/grandpa's house safe and sound. (Thank goodness not many cars drive on their street!) Here, he's seen contemplating the mysteries of life, and why pink umbrella's are so persnickety-ish!

Okay, so since it's the day before Halloween, I guess I'll just skip the rest of the time between July and October and leave off with this...

Happy Halloween Eve!