Saturday, October 15, 2022

The Halloween Squash



Year after year, I throw the old pumpkins under the back (side?) deck after Thanksgiving.

Yes, I have noticed from time to time, a few vines and orange flowers growing under said deck, but never a pumpkin.

I didn't often look at the side of the house this year, since I didn't plant any flowers out there this season, but sometime in August, I noticed the 'pumpkin' vine was growing out from under the deck.

August 10, 2022 - FB

We have a pumpkin! First time!



Now, not really knowing much about plants and not being a farmer, it didn't occur to me that this vine would be anything else but a pumpkin patch. It did look like squash, but I don't throw squash under the porch (don't even buy it), so I thought maybe given time it would grow to look more like a pumpkin.
Again...
Not a farmer (or a vegetable grower).
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September 1, 2022 - FB
Pumpkin Update: I’ll take a closer look later but it looks like three pumpkins now. #DCsPumpkinPatch
(Edited to add: Doug says they look more like squash <and they do > but I’ve never thrown squash under the porch so 🤷‍♀️)




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September 9, 2022 - FB
Pumpkin update: (why am I so excited about this? I don’t know!)
Still only 3 but the vine is really spreading out! #dcspumpkinpatch


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Alright! I had to resign myself that it was squash.
What kind? No idea.

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September 22, 2022 - FB
The “pumpkins” are getting big (bigger than they look in these photos) DC has pumpkin decorating on Sunday with best buddies and wants to bring one. I guess I’ll let him do squash decorating. I still don’t know how I ended up with squash but …
He doesn’t mind yellow.



(He didn't take the squash to the pumpkin decorating event because squash do not seem to stand up as well as a pumpkin)
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October 14, 2022 - FB
“Pumpkin Update” - yes, they are still squash but here, we are calling them pumpkins.
We only had three for the longest time. Picked the originals but they just keep coming!



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It was disappointing that we didn't get pumpkins, but it was fun to watch something grow that we didn't expect.
We are all in on the Halloween Squash and they have been decorated.





DC also has some deliveries to make tomorrow...
Shhh!



Maybe this year I will actually plant the seeds in a different area and see what happens.
DC will be just as happy with more squash.
We'll see what happens.

Don't forget to visit our Halloween Page!
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In case you are new here: “I tell stories, most of the time; single individual stories about this or that. Some may be written with humor and some may come across as “Oh, look at the cute thing DC did or said” (he does crack me up at times) but my object is always to make people understand how his mind works, never to "make fun of him"

It is difficult to explain “his” autism to anyone without resorting to 1000 examples and 1000 stories. So I tell 1000 stories to make clear that there are other sides to autism than the characters seen in TV or movies."

This blog is used for shorter posts, off topic posts and also for longer Face book statuses. Please visit my official blog site at: Taking it a Step at a Time 









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Friday, October 14, 2022

Catching Up

 



As I said in my year late Halloween post - it's been a minute.

"I have to admit that I got used to being home and I am finding it difficult managing my time since going back to work. I can’t put my finger on what the problem is, since I was able to keep up with everything before the pandemic while working full time, but this is the way it is – for now.

I am sure I will get back in the groove at some point, but right now I feel as if time management is a long lost skill."

Christmas came and went. We moved on to the doldrums of after-holiday, winter ...

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January 14, 2022 FB

 How it’s going…

He found his flute.

That is all. 


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July 24, 2022 - FB


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July 31, 2022 - FB

“Mom! Look what I found! My flute!
Like a bird in my mouth”
(Needing musical accompaniment for watching #Bambi)
He keeps finding that thing.
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and winter weather...

January 29, 2022 - FB
The blizzard has begun and as predicted, he’s in his “spot” yelling “Go Away Snow! Snow Go Away!”
(I’ll let you know how that works)


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and chores...


February 1, 2022 - FB
DC, on his way out the door this morning:
“Mom will do the dishes before DC comes home.”
Apparently he’s worried that it’s his turn 😂😂


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February 2, 2022 - FB
So yesterday, I told you that DC was worried about it being his turn to do the dishes.
I did the dishes before he came home as he’d hoped. I also did the dishes this morning after he left (why we have so many dishes in the first place is beyond me).
Today when he came home he ran right to the sink and saw only two forks, one cup and one bowl and saw this as his opportunity to take his turn without having to work too hard.
He washed them before even having his snack.
“DC’s turn. Washed the dishes.”
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February 25, 2022 - FB
So the guy who could break his arm and tell me it doesn’t hurt so he would not have to go to the doctor or rest, just complained about having a pain in his arm directly related to folding his laundry.

June 24, 2022 - FB
He’s ‘moling’ and doing a fine job (no, not the whole yard).


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August 14, 2022 - FB
Dc started washing the dishes on his own - but now he's mad at me because he's washing the dishes 🥺
I am so feeling like I have a teenager in the house lately.
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Holidays


February 13, 2022 - FB
Best Buddies Valentine Game.
DC’s picks:
Romantic Movie: Love ‘Actury’ and Eyes (?) (I believe he had help with Love Actually as I know he's never seen it)
Popular Gift: violin (glad he’s not shopping for me)



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March 17, 2022 - FB
Happy St. Patrick’s Day (DC style)🍀
☘️




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May 6, 2022 - FB
So, Mother's Day is on Sunday...
*DC is begging to go to the bookstore.
*I have a vague recollection of writing this before.
*I believe we went to a bookstore on Mother's Day a long time ago.
*I think we did it again on another Mother's Day because he was haunting me so much - because if you do it once, it's a thing in DC's mind.
*Apparently now it really is a thing.
I guess we'll see you at the bookstore.

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Fun with Friends


February 23, 2022 - FB
DC, Doug and BB scheduled a “Boys Day Out” tonight. They wanted to go bowling but due to leagues, they opted for mini golf (which DC is not a huge fan of – but really, once he starts playing, he does like it).
Doug listed the agenda:
Mini Golf - 5 Below (One of DC’s favorite stores) – Dollar Store (DC’s favorite store) and then “out to eat” (DC’s favorite activity).
DC repeated the list back “5 Below, Dollar Store and Out to Eat” – conveniently skipping over miniature golf…
(Edited to add: photo of him proudly posing after a hole in one. He looks miserable playing golf, doesn’t he?🤪)


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April 5, 2022
We’re certainly making up for all of the pandemic birthday dinners missed. *Candi’s at the end of March and *Salli’s last night.


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June 30, 2022 - FB
Dancing his butt of with ARC friends last night.




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Birthday


March 22, 2022 - FB
Happy Birthday to this amazing guy. He’s been very excited about his birthday WITH friends this year and I am required to address him as “my baby boy” (he likes to remind me that he was once a baby) and/or “the birthday boy” all day 😂.
(We’re still stuck on the same “theme” as last year… )

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March 22, 2022 - FB
It was Anastasia all over again. Happy to be with his friends this year.





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August 5, 2022 - FB
We made plans to go out to dinner tonight for Doug’s birthday BEFORE I knew I had to have two teeth pulled this afternoon.
Before that appointment was made but after we made the birthday plans - I tried to explain to DC that I had to go to the dentist because my mouth hurts and we might have to move dinner to another night (you all know how well that went over).
It turned out that I have to have teeth pulled and Doug is going to have to come over to watch him while I’m there.
So to avoid DC poking at my face just to make sure it still hurts and so I’m not listening to him asking about birthday dinner over and over while my face is swollen and my mouth hurts later today and tomorrow … Doug is taking himself and DC out for Doug’s birthday dinner because our life is weird.
(No, he does not have to PAY for his own birthday dinner).
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Winter Guard

Getting back in to the swing of in-person was a little more difficult for him than I anticipated, but he got past it.

April 9, 2022 - FB
After an “impromptu demonstration in honor of autism awareness month” <sarcasm> last night, DC settled in and had fun at his last show of the season. #YesThereWereSocks



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June 4, 2022 - Winter Guard in the Pride Parade - FB
Beautiful day (a little hot for me who is no longer “one with the heat) for a parade. 🌈
🏳️‍🌈




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Vacation

- Myrtle Beach


April 17, 2022
So DC was a little bit anxious when he did not find a traditional “spot” in the condo as he would normally find in a hotel, but I believe this “spot” has now taken first place in the “favorite spot” category. #Autism #YoureInMySpot





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April 19, 2022 -
This could have gone horribly wrong. A definite “what was I thinking” moment.
Me, having little to no sense of direction and DC who started to panic. You’d think I would have learned from having to be led out of a corn maze AND the Alice in Wonderland maze at Disney. I didn’t learn and it got a little bit hairy - DC was getting very anxious about getting out (plus the lights would go off at regular intervals). I had just texted Doug that someone might have to come in and get us out (they must have people who do that, right? ) when I saw the door. Phew! #MomFail #TravelingWithDC (he was happy that “he” found the way out though so #notscarredforlife

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April, 2022 FB
Yes, there were these moments too. Truer words were never written.


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Vacation - Cape Cod

After two years of Covid cancellations, we did finally get back to the Cape for Mary's Annual Birthday Bash.

April 30, 2022 - FB
He’s having a good “Mary’s Birthday Weekend”…


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Vacation - Baltimore/Shore Leave


July 24, 2022 - FB
We were away for the weekend last week and for the first time (I think), DC didn’t ask 546 times when we were going home.
If you’re new here; DC loves to go away but he needs to know the schedule including exactly when we will be going home - and he’ll ask me to recite the schedule over and over again. Sometimes I just write the entire schedule on his phone so that he can read it whenever he feels the need to hear it.
It is just occurring to me that he did not do this at all last weekend but… anytime anyone asked his name at the con he replied with
“My name is ‘DC’ <insert last name> from <insert city and state> and I am going back there on Sunday”.



May 2, 2022 - FB
Ready for the party.
Beauty School Drop Out (flunked out, expelled and in desperate need of an eyelid lift 😂) and Teen Angel #grease (we know that Teen Angel didn’t actually have wings - they were added to make the point)


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Random Stuff


May 5, 2022 - FB
DC: It is “sucky” warm outside. Sucky.
Me: Where did you learn “sucky”?
DC: At work.

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May 14, 2022 FB
DC: Mom, I’m waiting for ‘Jesus’.
Me: ???
DC: (signing “waiting”)
Me: (laughing hysterically because I finally got it while DC continues to stare at me, confused by the laughing) Go ahead. (As I continue laughing)
***He was waiting to have some Cheese-Its.


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June 1, 2022 - FB
Two things:
1. It’s June 1st and DC missed it! He usually starts asking to change the calendars 2 or 3 days before and I usually give in the day before.
He finally realized when he came home this afternoon!
2. DC called me from work in the middle of the day. (Spontaneous phone call! Yay!).
“I ripped my pants. Mom come get me!”
I talked to his boss and it was only his pocket, but …. you know- he can’t tolerate any rip, tear or pinhole.
I was able to talk him down and he worked the rest of the day - no shredding… nothing! They came home in one piece!
They did go directly into the garbage as soon as he got home; after he changed all of the calendars, of course.
Pretty much of a win today.
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June 2, 2022 - FB
Current situation:
DC decided that he wanted to call Doug.
Doug came walking in the door as he was calling him.
DC insisted on finishing the conversation on the phone even though Doug was standing right there.


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June 29, 2022 - FB
DC called as he does daily - to tell me he’s in the van and “going home NOWWW”.
He went off script to tell me he had cookies today. I asked him what the occasion was and he didn’t know. It wasn’t important. The cookies were the thing that was important.
I said. “Okay, see you in a little while”
DC: LATER !!
ME: okay - sorry! See you "later".
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July 3, 2022 - FB
We went to DC’s favorite diner with his grandma and Aunt ‘Liza’ (pronounced in DC-speak "Leeza") yesterday. DC was crabby when we arrived (my fault - I got involved in #StrangerThings and didn’t realize the time. I had to rush him out of the house.)
As usual he got over it. We knew for sure he was over it when he announced “I had enough of this crabbiness for one day.”
And it was over.
#AliceinWonderLand #disneyquotes to fit any situation. (Removed “nonsense” - inserted “crabbiness”)
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July 9, 2022 - FB



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September 25, 2022 - FB
Race Day - 5k #UnifiedSports
He tells me that he won.


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September 28, 2022 - FB
No reason…
Happy Wednesday.





Camp - Again, Glad to be back in person this year.



May 21, 2022 - FB
Pre Opening Day - Camp picnic and was it hot! They had a good time though…




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June 26, 2022 - FB
Tomorrow is the first day of camp. If you were here last year you know that DC only went one day a week (because he was out from his “work program” for 6 months due to the pandemic and I didn’t want him to take too much time off now that he was back). Last year on his one day it was either raining or the lifeguard was out sick.
I texted the director the other day to see if they will have a life guard on Monday as there is a shortage where we live. I wanted to prepare DC ahead of time just in case.
I got a “yes”. 👍
But now there is a 90% chance of rain tomorrow. 😩
And so it begins…
(He is going twice a week this year, so there’s that 🤞)
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July 12, 2022 - FB
and.... there was swimming!!! Phew!


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July 26, 2022 - FB
DC has been waiting for his favorite person, “Ron” to visit camp this year and he has arrived!
DC is a happy guy!❤️

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August 9, 2022 - FB
Someone’s excited as all get out about the music show at camp.


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August 9, 2022 - FB
Today was DC’s last day of camp for the summer (camp ends for everyone on Friday but he only goes Monday and Tuesday).
He haunted me about swimming since it was his last day and I said (not wanting to make promises) “it’s not raining so keep your fingers crossed”.
Glad I didn’t promise him because he just called and said “the lifeguard is gone!”
I don’t know exactly what that means but it meant no swimming.
The plus side is that I guess he’s getting used to it because he didn’t call to report it in the middle of the day and waited for his “going home now” call.
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August 9, 2022- FB
DC’s sense of humor. I’m sure he laughed and laughed when people told him that it didn’t make sense. #PicturesFromCamp





Camp Special Days


July 5, 2022 - FB
Camp Day: No lifeguard today (so no swimming) but they’ll be pirates there… ARRRRRR!
Pirate Day at camp.


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July 11, 2022 - FB
Outer Space Day at Camp.


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July 12, 2022 - FB
Battle of the decades day at #Camp .



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July, 9, 2022 - FB
International Day At Camp. #Twins #Poland


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Photo is from 6 years ago today. Favorite Team Day at camp.
Just so happens that today is also favorite team day and DC is again wearing his Tigers shirt (blue - this year) but I didn’t get a picture. #Camp


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July 26, 2022 - FB
Mismatch Day #Camp


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August 1, 2022 - FB
#GameShowDay at camp.


So we're sort of getting back to something resembling "normal".
To be honest, I am having a harder time of getting my act together than he is.
It must be old age.

Halloween is coming and as you can imagine, DC is very excited.
Hopefully it won't take another 9 months to write here again.

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In case you are new here: “I tell stories, most of the time; single individual stories about this or that. Some may be written with humor and some may come across as “Oh, look at the cute thing DC did or said” (he does crack me up at times) but my object is always to make people understand how his mind works, never to "make fun of him"

It is difficult to explain “his” autism to anyone without resorting to 1000 examples and 1000 stories. So I tell 1000 stories to make clear that there are other sides to autism than the characters seen in TV or movies."

This blog is used for shorter posts, off topic posts and also for longer Face book statuses. Please visit my official blog site at: Taking it a Step at a Time 






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