Laundry Etiquette By YuckMouth Daddy

                                      

My laundry mat opens up at 6:30 am, so when my alarm goes off at 6 am I’m up and getting my stuff together to go do wash. I arrive at the laundry mat at 6:30 when they open the doors. I talk with the owner and his wife, since I've been a regular at this establishment for a year now. One great thing about being there so early is the place is empty so I get first pick of what washers I want to use. Another great thing is all my loads are done around the same time. As the morning gets later people start to trickle in. When my wash is done I start putting my clothes in the dryers, typical Sunday morning. This lady walks up to me.

LADY: Why are you just using the top dryers and not the bottom ones?

I look at her in puzzlement.

ME: Does it matter?

LADY: Yes it does matter. Hasn't anyone ever taught you Laundry Etiquette?

It’s way too early in the morning for someone to act like this, but me being the writer that I am, I listen. Never knew there was such a thing called Laundry Etiquette.

LADY: From your silence I take that as a no. Well Laundry Etiquette is being considerate to the other customers here. Since you took all the top dryers, we have to use the bottom dryers.

ME: This is a problem why?

LADY: Your not suppose to do that! This is what you do; you put your clothes on the top then go directly to the bottom. Top bottom, top bottom! Not top, top, top.

ME: Wow so much anger this early in the morning, looks like someone here didn't get laid last night.

The lady stays quiet.

ME: From you silence I’ll take that as a no.

I turn and walk away. You got to be fucking kidding me, Laundry Etiquette at 7am? If I’m here first, I’m taking what washers or dryers I want. If they wanted their choice of pick of dryers to use then they should have woke up early like I did and came in then. At first I thought maybe she was mad that I took all top seven dryers, yes seven dryers. I am washing for seven people. But it was more cause I didn't go the top bottom route and just all top. I wasn't in the mood to go for the bottom dryers. 

Save the Library! By YuckMouth Daddy

We were walking home when we came across this sign on a local store window that read:

SAVE THE LIBRARY FROM CLOSING!!

I was interested in what was going on, so when we arrive at home I right away go onto the website that was listed on the flyer. What do you know our city Library is closing due to lack of hours and people attending? Have we come to that where Libraries close in our own city? If I remember correctly, I can’t get a Library card from a different city unless I reside in it.

A few years ago I remember a friend of mine telling me about VHS tapes going away, and sure enough, stores stopped carrying them. Then I heard about DVD’s going away, well they didn’t go away totally since Blue Ray is still around but the Hi Def. guy closed down his department. Then the video stores started to disappear, first it was the local Mom and Pops video stores then it moved up to Hollywood Video and now Blockbuster. We went from Beta to VHS to DVD to Streaming.

This also applies with music. First it was the cassettes, then Cd’s and yes of course Streaming live music. Makes you wonder if Tower Records saw this coming and was one of the main reason’s why they closed their doors a few years back.

So here we are with books. Bookstores are very rare now days. Borders is gone, Barnes and Noble is still very popular online but they have been shutting down stores themselves. Now I guess the Libraries are now getting the hit. Are people that much in a hurry that they can’t walk into a Library and check out a book? I know you can find everything you need online with Library.com and many other sites, but does anyone ever wonder that their kids growing up today will never know what a bookstore is, let alone a book itself? My daughter was telling me the other day that she want’s the latest book “Kindle Fire”. I had to explain to her, that Kindle Fire isn't a book but a tablet that lets you read books. Me, I’m old school; I still prefer reading a book. It’s something that’s hard to explain, the feel, the smell.

Just the other night when I was at Subway, my daughter saw a phone on the wall. She points and asks, “What’s that?” I tell her it’s a payphone. She looks at me funny. Payphones. That’s a whole other story to talk about.

Facing a New Diagnosis

Nine years ago I gave birth to an amazing little boy, his name is Wolverine. Over the last nine years there have been lots of ups and downs, lots of questions and concerns. More recently in his school years because of behaviors that he has now had at school and not just at home. Finally we have someone willing to listen. We have current tests running at school for ADHD, emotional disability, and possible Autism. He's in weekly therapy sessions at the local mental health clinic. Its a new journey for our family. One that so far has been on a very dark path. I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel but its still far off.

I as always will share this journey with you...with all of you. The road we've been traveling so far hasn't been one I've been willing to share. Not because I'm embarrassed but mostly because I just didn't know how to talk about it.

But I have the words now and I hope I have the strength to be honest with all of you.

Damn the Points

I remember it like it was yesterday. Standing in front of class in the 4th grade, being made to walk back and forth to my desk because my teacher asked me if I would always be this slow. Being taunted and I remember crying. I can recall that moment even now at the age of 34. I remember my mom asking me what had happened and some of my friends telling her what had happened. I think back then kids were a lot nicer, yes their were bullies but nothing like today's kids.

Yesterday Racer sat in class and peed in his chair. Not because the teacher wouldn't let him use the bathroom, but because she has a points system. The kids earn and lose points for certain things, losing points for say "using the restroom" is one of them and the reason why Racer sat there and willingly peed his pants. You see, regardless of Autism he's a super competitive child so it seemed totally worth it to him to just sit there and pee. But because of Autism he thinks its ok, to him a rule is a rule and he wants those points, willing to do whatever it takes to get them or not lose them.

This is not a world I want to raise him or any of my other kids in. To harm at any cost to get what they need. Its hard enough for him to make and keep friends, now he is the pee kid *lets hope not*.

So we're headed off to ANOTHER meeting with the principle and his teacher. It hasn't been a good year so far for us...but that's like three other blogs to write lol.

Countdown and Giveaway to Racers Birthday!!

Its been a while since I've blogged. To say the least its been one of those summers. But I'm excited to blog today because I'm bringing you a giveaway! As most of you know the YuckMouth Daddy wrote the 2nd book in the Adventures of One Sock series! You can buy it here Adventures of One Sock My Pal Rodger

With Racers 7th birthday fast approaching and him being super excited about it, we've decided to hold a small giveaway in his honor! Starting tomorrow you can enter to win and do some really fun entries as well!!

While the 7th birthday isn't a big one its very rare that Racer is excited about something so I want to make a big deal about it. I plan on covering the floor with balloons for him when he wakes up and after school he gets his special dinner and cake! So lets do Racers birthday up BIG!!



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Minecraft ~~ Virtual Lego's For The Soul

So the family has fallen for the Minecraft...and we've fallen HARD!!!

Lately Racers been stimming and wiggy for so long neither one of us knows up from down anymore. If he's not sucking his thumb, he's standing on his head or stammering with his words. I had originally thought it was from a tooth he cracked but its not. So while I'm still knee deep in trying to figure out what's wrong with him, I'm also trying to figure out how to help him regulate. Not for my own sense of normalcy but for him but I don't think HE can think straight, let alone anyone else.

Which brings me to Minecraft. I had resisted for quite a bit, I'm a gamer and when it came out on the 360 I had to ignore it for the longest time. I knew it would be a soul sucker, that the hubs would become a Minecraft widow and the kids would starve and become motherless *I am not joking here either* But the other day the hubs broke the drought and bought it for me.

Day One.....it was all a blur, bought the game around 6PM I think 12hrs later I was still playing that damn game.

Day Two.....I managed to stay in reality. I refused to play because I saw what had happened the previous night. But between me and all of you IT WAS ALL I COULD THINK OF ALL DAY!!!

I had it bad.....real bad.

Day Three......played again, this time I got to play with a long time e-friend of mine. She played with the rest of my clan *yes I said clan* and I. We had a blast and once again up till the crack of dawn.

I'm on Day Four and already going through withdrawals.

But here's the thing, on day one....Racer was as still as a freaking mouse, he was quiet and in tune with what I was doing. By day two he was ready to play with me, so we logged him into his acct and let him play. He was already building castles and crafting tools all on his own. It gave me pause, here is my 6yr old son doing this, he was sitting still and working and building. Using creativity to create his own world here, mind you we've had our bumps. He doesn't like playing with to many other people and he REALLY hates when you go in his house. But its teaching him about cooperative play, learning to share and coexist with others. 

I was thinking about it last night and its kind of like virtual lego's in a way. But here there are no little sisters to take his lego's, no older brothers to destroy his creations. Its his world and no one can mess with it. 

But if I thought I had it bad, man oh man...the kid is sleeping with his xbox controller under his pillow. From wake till sleep its all he wants to do. I have to force mealtime, bath time and sleep.

We've got it bad!!!! Wonder if there is a 12 step program for this?

50Cent and Being a Decent Human Being.

I haven't blogged in quite a while. My voice, time and energy have been with different projects. Ones I'm quite fond of doing and will hopefully blog about soon.

But today I saw something on my Facebook newsfeed that made me think today. As most of you have seen lately the rap artist 50cent has taken hits after his extremely rude over the line tweets. He's since had them removed, along with apologizing for what he said. The apology is what I call a PR apology it lacked any sort of real emotion.

I didn't plan on blogging about this, most stuff has been said over and over again. I'm proud of the community for coming together and ripping this guy a new one. But I have my own view to express so here it goes.

What I see this as....most celebrities have twitter. Lots of them say stuff that is cringe worthy and it makes you wonder where the heck their PR person was when that was written. But that is what happens when you give people an open forum. I see them as people, they may be rich and famous...but at the bottom of it all they are people, just like you and me. Does that mean they should say whatever they feel? No, but most people wish they could, some people do and have no remorse or understanding that some actions have repercussions.

What this makes me think..... 50cent and every other person/celebrity who voices a very strong opinion about special needs children, or any other community of people. This is what they think, what the truly believe about other people. There is no changing that, there is no going back from what was said. The words stung as they should...but this is what he truly believes. Its not like he just wanted to be so rude he'd throw together any words to insult another human being. As Autism is all over the news right now it was a perfect target. It wasn't like he stopped there, because he went on to say "I don't want any special needs kids following me"

I'm sure his momma would be ashamed, does she think "I didn't raise my boy like that?" When in fact she did. I was raised to never insult a special needs person, the R word wasn't in my vocabulary and its not in my children's vocabulary. When they hear the word they ALWAYS tell me about it and how it made them feel. 


I truly loved 50cent as an artist, I will be sad to see him leave my playlists, but even sadder to know the type of human he truly is. 

A Family In Need *St Aubin Family*

I have to admit something readers, I'm at a loss for words. Usually they just flow through me, to be poetic or meaningful, truthful and daring, sometimes even funny. But recently I have been at a loss. You see I have a friend who is very dear to me. She has helped me more times then I can count, she is an inspiration  to me and to others.

But you see this friend needs our help, I want to share with you a few links so you know the story. First I need you to read this post. Its important to the main story of all of this, as to why our friend needs our help. Now you can hop on over to Living with Logan and read her wonderful post.

You see Jackson is set to have major brain surgery in a few weeks. As a mom I can't even imagine what Gina must be going through, but as a mom I also realize that I can do my best to help her and her family with anything possible.

So here is what is happening. We bloggers want pictures, cards, banners, posters, videos anything fun and outrageous sent to the St. Aubin family. We want to totally make Jackson's hospital room over when he is ready for it. We want him to see bright colors and dinosaurs and trains, rainbows and balloons! 

Grab your kids, crayons, markers...and yes posibiliy your wallets and lets do the St. Aubin Family proud!

Send it all here!!

Cards/care packages/ letters:
Special Happens / St. Aubin Family

 9609 S. University Blvd., #630303

 Littleton, CO 80163

There is also a facebook page that you can follow to be updated with all the information of the family you can find it here Jackson's Journey

In addition to that we thought some care packages for Gina's other children and herself and husband would be wonderful gestures, as this is a entire family in need. If you have questions regarding that feel free to message me either here in comments or on my Facebook page.

What I've decided to do is raise some money to send to her family. I am going to do that with my jars with a sales event I'm calling "Jars for Gina"

 

Used as an Example

Proceeds I get from all orders tagged with "Jars for Gina" will go to the family for their expenses in their time of need. Head over to the page Jars By Lisa and lets help this family in need!

Adventures of One Sock *Kickstarter~~ An Update to Perks*

Most of my readers know that right now me and the YuckMouth daddy are knee deep in trying to fundraise for his new book *Adventures of One Sock*

Thanks to some really great friends I have a new list of perks in addition to the ones that will be awarded by the KickStarter fund. They are listed as followed.

Katrina Moody of Kat's Media and More
Is donating -


For donations of $100 or more Katrina will create for you 1 full blog graphic package, with a custom header, blog button, social media icons, etc. Then for the first 5 people who donate $25 or more they will get a social media graphics or blog buttons customized!!

So if you know any bloggers or people who run websites and are looking for a new design share this with them!! Its extremely worth the price and then some!!

Cynthia G of  CGregoryRun
Is donating -

For every donation of $25 or more a barrette that she makes from her wonderful stash!


Myself from Jars By Lisa

Donating -

For every donation $10 or more is offering up either an extra fridge magnet or bookmark

I am super excited for whoever gets a new blog layout!! 

Adventures of One Sock ~~ We Found An Artist!

I'm writing the blog jointly with the YuckMouth Daddy today. We have something special to share with our readers. I actually have a lot to share with you all so expect a lot of blog posts in the next few days.

First of all our search for an artist has proven fruitful! We were searching for someone who wanted to work on this project, that would stay with us ongoing. While I was worried how the new look would clash with the old look, I knew that when we found someone it would just speak to me and the Daddy and especially to Racer. This is after all his book, about him and for all the kids and families of children who have Autism.  So who did we find?

Well her name is Natalie S. I have a small bio about her that I will share.

Natalie Silva is a graphic designer/illustrator with over 4 years of professional experience. She lives in Houston, Texas with her 3 very spoiled dogs. She graduated Suma Cum Laude in 2008 and has since worked on several book covers and various other design projects. She is excited to be illustrating her first ever children’s book. 

You can find more about her on her website www.natalieannsilva.com

I had sent her pictures of Racer and of the dog Rodger and this is the beautiful piece she came up with!

We loved it!! Racer loved it and it was the look and feel I was hoping for! So we are excited and pleased to be working with Natalie S.!!

During all of this we have started a new KickStarter fund to help us raise the money to finish off the second book. We're hoping to have it finished by Racers birthday as this years birthday present for him. Last year we got totally lucky and his book proof actually came on his birthday!

If you are at all inclined to please take a look at the KickStarter fund here. We'd love the support of the community to get this book finished and out on the market! There are a few perks to donating as well, in addition to what goodies you can get by donating on KickStarter I have also created some One Sock gear! 

 Each one of these are fridge magnets with two images from the book. For each $10 donation made to the book you will get your choice of one of these magnets, that includes free shipping!

I can change the colors of the puzzle pieces in the background as well as the letters! But by donating you can earn some free book gear!

I also have bookmark sized ones for every $3 dollar donation. Same look just smaller! So please donate, and share if you can't!  You can check us out on our new Facebook page Adventures Of One Sock and check out the One Sock gear at both the facebook page and also on my jar page Jars By Lisa

We more then anything want to share Racer and Autism with the world! Autism hasn't defeated us it has made us stronger and we want to share this with the world!

Thank you friends and Family and readers! Your support throughout our lives has been a blessing!

Tune In To Monsuno!

A while back I wrote about a new show coming to NickToons, called Monsuno you can read about that here. I've been asked to write another review and seeing as how my kids love the show I jumped at the chance.

Its the classic good vs evil combined with digital monsters! Suitable for both younger viewers like my boys and the older tween set! I've watched a lot of episodes with my kids but its something I know I can put on for them and not have to explain or "explain away" what is going on with the show. With so many "kid" directed shows this is one every mom can be happy with.

If you don't have cable you can catch them online! The NickToons site has lots of the episodes on there!

About “Monsuno”Millions of years ago, “Monsuno,” a living DNA, hitched a ride to Earth in a concentrated asteroid pocket. When it landed on Earth, the impact drove the dinosaurs into extinction. The “Monsuno” DNA lay dormant until a scientist named Jeredy Suno activated it, sending a rippling wave of movement back into action. By doing so, Jeredy may have reignited the end of the world but he also created its salvation, the “Monsuno” monsters. Now, it’s up to his son Chase to learn the secrets of “Monsuno” and help save the world from impending destruction.


Taken from NickToons site

Yesterday, tonight and tomorrow are all new episodes! Make sure you check them out on NickToons 8:30 ET! You can also check out the Facebook page for updates, pictures and toys!

If you've tuned in or have been watching, I'd love to hear your feedback!

Godzilla...Crapzilla? Or I'm Over Thinking Things

Last night I happen to catch the 1998 version of Godzilla on cable,  Racer was awake with me so we both watched it. As I’m watching this movie I remember working on this movie back in the day. Now many people don't realize that this movie was filmed majority in LA and not in New York where the movie is based off.

I remember the many nights watching sets and mini Dinos which were Godzilla's offspring in the movie. The many scary places in LA we worked just so they can get away with it looking like New York. I remember security guards getting sick from buying food from people who lived in the raunchy hotels in LA. I even remember working on the Taco Bell commercial they had for this movie. You know back in the day when food franchises backed Big Budget movies. This taco Bell commercial I didn't have the job babysitting the 2 Taco Bell dogs as I did in my (Life After Wrap) book. I remember people laughing at the fact that the Taco Bell dog was doing a commercial with Godzilla when they would ask what commercial we were shooting.

 I remember doing work on the P Diddy music video for Godzilla. Huge monster movie, huge Food franchise giving tons of promotions and even a huge music artist doing a music video for the film. 

So then I ask myself many times, why did this film flop? Yet 10 years later the movie "Cloverfield" didn't? Both movies are based in New York; both movies had Monsters destroying a bridge and a large Army attack scene. Godzilla had baby raptor looking Dino's attacking at Madison Square garden which was filmed in the sub station over in LA's Persian square. In Cloverfield the creature had little bug like creatures they came off it's body. Cloverfield had JJ Abrams backing the movie while Godzilla had the Boys Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich who brought us Independence Day. Both movies had trailer that hid both their Monsters from the public eye and not show their entirely til the middle of each movie. Godzilla had named Actors while Cloverfield had unknowns in their movie. Was it the Taco Bell Curse that gave Godzilla such a bad rap that it didn't make any money. If you don't remember Godzilla wasn't the first movie Taco Bell pushed in their promotions, they also had that big promoted push for films like Tim Burton's PLANET OF THE APES,  and even the long awaited Gorilla  movie CONGO, and DEMOLITION MAN all movies that flopped at the Box office. (Even tho Planet of the Apes came out in 2001 it still suffered the Taco Bell curse)

One thing that Cloverfield didn't have that Godzilla did was a Brand. Godzilla has been around for years and many generations have grown up liking the fire breathing creature. Do you think if they kept Godzilla's original look the movie would of been much more successful? Or did the studio ruined Godzilla while JJ Abrams had more say in his making in Cloverfield? 

Both movies I enjoyed watching just Godzilla for me I have a little more attachment working the streets of LA in places you wish never existed. I remember my father (Senior) giving me a piece of the Madison Square Garden that was blown up in the movie, or the little Taco Bell dog from the commercial they gave away after filming which I still have both today. Little Hollywood Treasures like that makes the movie watching experience much more enjoyable knowing I was there when they made this movie come to life.

A Mothers Frustration ~Dear Vice Principal

Dear Vice Principal,

There are a few things I  need you to know. While my son may seem like a behavior problem and that I'm wishful thinking that he has some sort of special need that would explain away his problems. There is an entire back story you don't know about.

While you've only had these problems with him for the last 4 months, we've been dealing with this for the last 3 years. It started in first grade, when he had a teacher who wasn't so firm or strict I'd call her wishy washy. The problems started then and I voiced my opinions when it started getting out of control. We were referred to SST, then we were lied to about missing paperwork, and paperwork that was never filed and then it was well we filed the wrong paperwork because there is new paperwork. Cut to this teacher retiring and now we'll never know the truth.

Second grade, this is the horror story that I wish never was. This is the year the problems got worse, when he was leaving the classroom and running around campus. This is the year his teacher demeaned him in front of his classmates. This is the year that his teacher ripped his Easter Basket and Bunny in front of him and told him he couldn't go to the Easter party. This is also the year that the school finally decided to test him....at the end of the school year mind you. So that the testing would take longer, so that it wouldn't be complete because his new third grade teacher wouldn't know enough about him to fill out her questionnaire about him.  I cried watching a video of the destruction he caused when his paper was ripped up, at the end of that video my son was sitting hiding under a table.

Third grade....this was the year I was hoping for. Finally we'd get Wolverine some help, this was going to be the year EVERYTHING changed. The year started off slowly, he was doing ok in his class then like all previous years it took a steep dive into the previous behaviors. He was sent home 3 days out of the 5 most weeks. There were days he'd never make it to class because he would hide and then walk around campus. Who was watching my son? Who was making sure he was safe in the one place he was supposed to be protected the most in?

The IEP day  came, I wasn't nervous one bit because with all the problems Wolverine was having who would deny him services? I was seriously wrong, I sat in that meeting gap jawed and in shock. Here sat a group of professionals telling me that all of Wolverines problems weren't anything more than a lack of parenting skills. He excelled at 1:1 testing. He's a bright kid they said, you just need to enforce more that he goes to school and to each class. (because you know, we weren't showing him how important it was already)

It didn't matter that his teacher noticed a entirely different change in him when it was time for a change in classrooms. It didn't matter that he was leaving class and running around. It didn't matter even more that he was at or near borderline for DEPRESSION, HYPERACTIVITY, AGGRESSION, ATYPICALITY, WITHDRAWAL AND ATTENTION PROBLEMS.

None of that mattered because he wasn't learning disabled....so it had to be the parents right? It didn't matter that both I and his previous teacher noted the same scores and that Wolverine himself had the same scores as both I and his teacher.

I refused to sign this IEP, I knew they would have to take it back to the district, I knew that I could also ask for outside testing to be done at the cost of the school.

But at home trouble was brewing that most people didn't know about. We were about to be homeless, that 30 day timelime I kept in the back of my head was soon forgotten because we lost our house, we lost our dogs and barely able to move in enough time to have a roof over our heads.


Which brings us to current. Lets see what we already know.

1. We know that further testing was requested by the SpEd district.

2. We know that it was never done, that I was never contacted to have that testing started or done.

3. We moved into your school in Jan, plenty of time for that testing to have been finished. For them to realize
    there was more to Wolverines problems then previously stated.

4. Wolverine in the 5 months he has been at your school he has been suspended 3 times. With this last time coming to a head because you decided to put yourself between Wolverine and the wall. That you have threaten to call the police if that happened again.

But let me tell you what I know, what I know to be true for a parent who already has one child with special needs. Who makes it her life's work to help others, to inform herself of laws and regulations and behavior plans and the ins and outs of an IEP.

1. If Wolverine had been tested earlier for an emotional disability, it would have been found that he has one.

2. Because of that he would have a behavior plan. A plan in place to prevent the issues we are having.

3 He'd have a para, because he is a runner. He will ditch when it gets to much for him. A para would know how to handle this kind of situation. YOU never would have been called in to forcibly remove my son from a classroom.


But here is what I really know, YOU have no idea how to handle a child with a possible special need. YOU have no idea what is and what isn't with a special needs child. The perfect example of this is when you told me "well shouldn't Racer be fine now because we punished his bully?" If you knew ANYTHING about him or Autism you'd know we were dealing with a lot more then just a bully but a frame of mind. But my biggest issue with you.....is the fact that YOU made the decision to put yourself between Wolverine and the wall. YOU put yourself in harms way. YOU have no idea what is going on in his head and YOU have no idea how to handle the situation.

But I promise you that once Wolverine gets his IEP once he's protected and plans are in place to prevent him from getting suspended again and again. That YOU will never have to handle him again.

Sincerely,
Frustrated Mother

Lets Help Harrison! Guest Post By Natalie D.

I have had the honor or meeting some really strong and awesome moms recently! One of them happens to be Natalie D! Here is her story and lets help Harrison!!!




My son Harrison is 5 years old. He has a global developemnet disorder including speech of a 3 year old. After his sisters birth I suffered from blood clots from a c-section i had with my daughter and 4 strokes 3 being TIA's and one big one i can not go back to work . My husbands job just got days cut , so now we are looking at less money for our family .
He needs to see a pediatric specialist for a more formal diagnoses so we can access services which we are currently not eligible for. He also obviously because of his speech delay needs to see a speech therepist. We have used up the speech therepist services the government does provide but he needs more. He is on the waiting list for early intervention and we have been told he will not be getting services until feb 2013. Harrison needs help now. Please help us see Dr Jarman and provide a few sessions with a wonderful speechie we have found for him until Dr Jarmans appointment.

UPDATE! : Harrison has an Appointment made with Dr Jarman on August 9th , The cost of the inital first consult is 350.00 

we would personally like to thank everyone who has helped our son so far , we are very humbled by your support.

If you can donate please follow this link....  Help Harrison

Looking For An Artist By The YuckMouth Daddy

Walking to school one morning my son Racer asks me when was there going to be another Adventure of One Sock book. I looked down at him and told him soon. It's not like I haven't been trying, the story for the next few books are in place but just the whole funding of the book. I tried Kickstarter not once but twice and both didn't work out as I thought it would of. The artist of the last book, told me she doesn't promote books only draws them. She also told me that since I was doing a kickstarter project for the "One Sock" series that she would also charge $110 per pic. I'm thinking to myself, "Whoa, wait a minute", this is a lot of money. Because it's a Kickstarter project the price goes up? The book would be even more money than what I asked for on Kickstarter.

The last Adventures of One Sock, did okay but only okay. It made my money back but nothing much more other than entertaining many kids from all over the world. I understand that artists have their prices and they should get paid for what their talents are. But we live in place where the economy isn't as great as people think it is. For me as an artist, I would work with one's budget if I was ever asked to do a writing gig for them. But that's me and I'm a team player, I enjoy creating and making things come to life on paper.

I remember looking for a artist to draw my children's book and so many wanted lots and lots of money. I wonder if people lose their way and forget why they do what they do. Is it for passion or is it for money? I understand people should get paid for their talents but when one is starting off, we should all work together and collaborate and help one another to that higher place. I'm a true believer in helping those who help me with my career. I met quite a few people who get something and once they advanced upwards forget about the people who helped them get there. I'm not like that; I like to brainstorm and network and help with others on their goals in life. It's a shame to see how others don't think the same way. I really liked the artist who drew the last "One Sock" book, and as did Racer. Since it was his life story on paper it was only fair to show him the many different styles of drawings before picking the one we finally chose. 

After this book came out I put out my security book "Life After Wrap", I thought about putting out another "One Sock" book, but wasn't too sure since it didn't get the same reaction as my security book did. Even though the book is about my son's life with Autism, I was told that my book wasn't Autism enough. Go Figure. Maybe the timing wasn't right, were in a process of finding a new place to live and settling in the new place that we did end up finding. Time on the internet was limited to me so networking with others was sort of hard for me, also the interaction with the Artist just wasn't there. Once she finished with the drawings that was it. It was more of a biz deal rather than a collaboration deal. Never heard from her about how's the book going or I really liked your book or anything.

On my 41st Birthday recently the YuckMouth Mommy told me I had to get another book out for Racer's birthday which is in August and do whatever I need to do to make it happen. The last "One Sock" book came out last year on Racer's birthday so having another book out this year would make my son very happy on his birthday. So lately I been playing around the iPad and figured out how to make movie trailers which I did my first for security book that I posted on Youtube.

This time around I'm going to do my Kickstarter correctly and hope that I do find the right people to help make this dream of not only mine but my son's come true. The new artist I hope to find should be very ambitious and creative someone who is willing to collaborate with the project and not afraid to spread the word with their contacts. I will be knocking on every door to get this book made. I learned a lot from the last children's book which was my first time writing. I'm more used to writing action, horror and violence. I learned to make sure the editor is going to check the errors correctly and make sure my book is not only good for me but that it will once again entertain the many kids it did the first time around. If you would like to be a part of this project feel free to hit me up or if you know anyone who does don't hesitate in leaving a message. I think Networking with others can bring many possibilities into a great project. Stay inspired everyone!

Bullies By The YuckMouth Daddy

As some of you know, recently our family has been the target of two bullies, this is the story as it happened written by the YuckMouth Daddy.

Everyday I pick up my kids, it's not much but for not having a job it gives me the exercise and the time that I need to clear my head. I get closer to the school and I see Racer run into the street chasing his back pack. He picks up his bag and I see this little black kid kick my son's back pack back into the street. My son who thinks nothing of it chases for the bag into the street. I get closer and tell the little boy who kicked my son's back pack into the street not to be doing this to my son. "Don't be a bully" I said to him. The little kid who's a 3rd grader looks up to me.

BOY: Fuck you Bitch!

ME: What?

BOY: I said fuck you Bitch!

Without thinking, I respond back.

ME; Fuck You!

I walk my son back to the front of the school looking for my other son. I tell my son Racer never to play with that boy again, and stay in front of the school as he waits for me to pick him up. I talk to both my son's as we wait for my daughter to get out. She gets out much later since she's in a higher grade. I can hear the little boy behind us calling us many names and sticking his middle finger at my sons. I tell both my sons to ignore the boy. When my daughter finally arrives we are about to leave when the little boy's brother and sister walk up to us.

OLDER BOY: Hey mister, did you tell my brother something.

ME: Yes I did, your brother was kicking my son's backpack into the street.

The little girl joins in the conversation.

GIRL: Why you gotta be like that?

ME: I told him not to be a bully.

OLDER BOY: Next time this happens you should tell one of the teachers on the premises, that way my brother can get into trouble.

ME: You’re right, I should of did that....

Before I could say sorry the little girl interrupts.

GIRL: You know what man, suck your daddy's dick! 

ME: what!

GIRL: You heard me, suck your daddy’s dick you fucking asshole! You pedophile bitch! Mother fucker!

My kids are in shock, they don't say anything. I tell my kids to start walking and ignore these kids. We walk away. The little girl gets a little too close to my daughter.

GIRL: You wanna see a bully mother fucker. How about I kick your daughter?

The girl tries to kick my daughter but I pull my daughter to the side before it can happen.

GIRL: Bitch! Motherfucker! You’re not going to be around to protect them when they come back to school tomorrow. I'm going to knife your fucking daughter at school tomorrow mother fucker!

The little 3rd grader boy gets involved in the conversation.

BOY: Yeah you mexican wetback asshole! Tomorrow i'm going to stick your sons head in the toilet til he can't breathe anymore.

Now my son, whose special needs doesn't really understand what he meant by that. So his response was.

RACER: Oh cool, I can be like Nemo and swim.

That scared me right there. Knowing that my son doesn't comprehend that his life is being threaten by this boy and might take up the offer to be like Nemo. I had to explain to him, that it wasn't exactly what the boy meant. But how do you explain this to someone who has Autism?

We kept walking home, as I'm trying to keep my kids away from these kids, the older chubby boy was holding back his sister who kept trying to rush my daughter and punch or kick her.  The girl and little boy started throwing rocks at my kids, hitting my daughter in the process. I had to turn around many times and this time I was verbal. Now if your going to threaten my kids life, then I'm going to be very verbal. I told the kids to Fuck off and back off already. The little girl kept screaming:

GIRL: Call the pho pho (police) mother fucker wetback! I'm not scared.

BOY: My uncle's going to shoot your fucking ass you asshole! Motherfucker!

We walk down the street and these kids are still following us. The little boy is running at us with a shopping cart. He lets go, but I stop the cart from hitting my kids. The lady who's yard where the cart stopped started to shout at the 3 kids harassing us to stop their antics and get this shopping cart away from her house. I guess these kids live near cause the little boy started to run to his house calling for his grandma to come outside and beat me up. 

As soon as I get home, I call the school and let them know what was happening after school. The first reaction from the assist Principal was "I think I know who you’re talking about". I didn't even have to mention any names other than one of their teacher’s name. This only told me that these kids must have other issues with others.

The next morning, we walk to school. I had a little harder time getting the kids to go because of what happened, but I assured them everything would be okay and that the Assist. Principal would make sure that everything is okay. As we get closer to the school my kids stop walking. I as them what's wrong. They point to the little Boy and Girl from yesterday. They came up to us screaming and shouting once again. This time the little boy runs to his house calling for his grandma and uncles. I tell my kids to walk a little faster to school. When we finally arrive in front of the school, this car drives up to us. Black guy sitting in the drivers seat shouts at us.

MAN: Hey! You the mother fucker who grabbed my nephew?

ME: Sorry I never touched anyone.

Which I didn't, but apparently the little boy told his family this morning that I grabbed his shirt and shook him around.

MAN: My nephew pointed you out! IF I find out you touch my boy sexually I'm going to fuck your and your kids up! 

This really scared my kids. Me, I'm used to threats from my security job in Hollywood. I was just hoping this guy wouldn't be pulling out a gun Boys in the Hood style.

I walk my kids into the office and ask for the Assist. Principal and let them know the situation. They tell me to fill out this report about the incident. I was also told not advised but mentioned that I should follow up with a Police report. I did just that. No way is this going to get better and if this kid is telling his family that I grabbed him and shook him around. I can only imagine what dram this would bring after school. Just last week I seen his mother or grandmother chase a 4th grader around because he called her a fat ass. There's less than 30 days of school left, don't need this kind of drama!

I get a call from the Assist. Principal and she tells me that she talked to the kids who were harassing my self and my kids. She continues with that the little boy admitted to what they did, and claimed that I grabbed him by the shirt and shook him. I told her that she could talk to my kids and ask them if there was any truth to the little boy's story. Once again they mentioned about the police since their Uncle did threaten me and the kids. I call the police they tell me that their school police are busy till after 12pm cause their in a special meeting. When the officer finally shows up I tell him the whole story.

OFFICER: Did you grab the boy by his shirt?

ME: OF course I didn't. After school there are over 200 hundred people, kids and parents. Don't you think if I did what the boy says I did, someone would of said something or reported it to the school officials. I would be banned from the school. 

I did tell the officer that I was very verbal after my kids life was threaten and when they were getting hit by rocks and almost a shopping cart. The Officer takes my report and tells me he will be there after school and will be talking with the Assist Principal and the student’s parents. I pick up my kids and talk with the Principal and told that this will not be tolerated and will also be taken cared of. I let them know that it was only 2 of the 3 kids that was starting trouble. 

The school police come around later that day and tell me he talked with the parents of the kids. He also told me I should not be so verbal with little kids. I let him know if someone threatens my kids life, then shits going to get real. 

OFFICER: Do you have a phone?

ME: Yes.

OFFICER: Do you have a camera on your phone?

ME: Yes.

OFFICER: Next time video tape what happened. Youtube is a very powerful weapon.

He was so right. I haven't had my phone on for like 4 months and when I finally do have my phone on I didn't put it for good use. I didn't even think about video taping this whole situation. I'm going to have to make sure I make use of my video camera pn my phone next time around.

I find out the little boy has in school suspension and the little girl got suspended for a day or two. Not sure if I agree with the in school suspension, with less than 30 days of school left, I'm still very nervous for my kids. I know my two older kids can defend themselves. But as for my younger son (racer) who's in the 1st grade and thinking chasing after his back pack in the street was a game makes me very nervous for future bullies.

The YuckMouth Mommy to I Wish I Didn't Have Aspergers

Recently another Bloggers blog was searched out and read by someone who used the Key Words "I wish I Didn't Have Aspergers" you can read about it here. Today as the last day of Autism Awareness Month there is a group of bloggers doing a flash blog in support of this random searcher. Here is my response to that.


Dear I Wish I Didn't Have Aspergers,

Recently you reached out to the interwebs, you were in search of something, while most of us don't know if you ever found what you were looking for, this time when you search you will be met with warmth. I want you to know that its ok to be scared, its ok to be afraid of what you feel about yourself. I have three children with special needs, as their mother I love them unconditionally, with every fiber of my being I make it my duty for them to never feel pain or sorrow. But with the reality of life I know that at some point that's not possible.

They will fly from my nest with unsteady wings and see the world for what it is. Sometimes it can be cruel, sometimes you will find the friendship and acceptance you need from it. I have made it my mission with my blog to make the world aware of what's coming. Its my job to make everyone aware of my boys and my daughter. To have the world accept them of who they are and who they will struggle and strive to be.

When I look at Racer, my 6yr old with Autism, I see a uncertain future. Sometimes I'm scared of that future because of the present. There will be struggles, there will be tears but there will also be progress. Because for every one stranger that gives that dirty look there is going to be someone there who will extend that hand to help.

I hope that you reach out again, I hope that you sit in front of the computer again looking for answers, looking for support. This time you will find what you need, you will find that you are not alone. You will find that while we all struggle from time to time in this spectrum we call home that we also have created an outstanding support system. A support system for parents, grandparents, friends, family and our children and their siblings.

We might not have all the answers, but we have the words to ease the hurt. Please know that you are cared about by a community of women and men who want you to know that they care. Thinking about that makes me a little less nervous about my own special needs children. I hope it does for you too.



The YuckMouth Mommy

Jars By Lisa Giveaway! Hosted by Living With Logan!

Mother's Day is just a couple of weeks away. I have the hardest time trying to figure out what to give my mother. There are so many things I see throughout the year that remind me of her, and I either don't pick it up, or I give it to her right away. This leaves me stuck when Mother's Day rolls around. There's this whole online shopping, scrolling through nine bazillion things that never quite seem right. I always want to present something that shows I've put a lot of thought into her gift, rather than just a card and a voucher for a facial or something. That always seems like such a cop out to me.

Jars by Lisa is the perfect solution! Lisa creates jars that can be customized for any occasion. Whether it's by using Mom's favorite colors, characters, photos, or even having her name put on, Jars by Lisa makes sure your order fits the person that will receive it.

There is something about a handmade gift. It's immediately obvious it wasn't made in Taiwan, it wasn't produced by the million, and a lot of thought and care went into the creation of the gift. Jars by Lisa is there to help every step of the way. From first email to finished product, Lisa works with her clients to ensure that the end result is everything they hoped for, and more. Take a look at a couple of the jars someone else is getting for Mother's Day! (Thanks for letting us peek, Lisa!)

The Mother's Day jars pictured above can be customized in a variety of ways, including changing the colors, up to four children's pictures can be added, the picture frames can be a choice of hearts, flowers, stars, or even puzzle pieces. The Lids can be painted to match, or be lined with a matching color of ribbon. And it can all be done for the bargain price of $14.00 per jar, not including shipping.

Liking what you see? Thinking of jars for another event or occasion? Well, Lisa does that, too. No matter the occasion, Lisa can help. From Autism Awareness, to birthdays and holidays, or even just because, Lisa has a jar for you. To see more pictures and ideas for jars, you can look through her albums on facebook. From glitter to graduation, Lisa has it covered.

BUY IT:

Lisa offers custom jars like the ones pictured above for $14 each, Autism Awareness jars for $12 each, and standard holiday jars for $12 each. Discounts are given for bulk orders. Just drop Lisa a line through the "contact" tab on her Facebook Page for more information.

WIN IT:

One lucky Living with Logan reader in the US will win a custom made Mother's Day jar in the color of their choice! Fill in the rafflecopter form below to enter. Please note, comments  MUST be within the form to count as an entry, unless otherwise specified. Entrants must be over 18 to be eligible. Giveaway ends May 6, 2012. Winner will have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen.

**disclosure** I was not compensated in any way, either monetarily or with free product, for this post. All opinions stated within this post are my own. This giveaway is not affiliated with facebook or twitter. **

Want more entries? You can enter on the form over at Special Happens, for double the chances of winning. Want TRIPLE the chances of winning? Enter over on 7 Yuckmouths and Autism, too!

"Hey Girl" Ryan Gosling Special Needs

 Haven't done a "Hey Girl" in a while, but this one got my creative juices flowing so to speak lol. Go check out Sunday and whats she's been up to with the "Hey Girl" series!!

What an Autistic Adult Wants You to Know About Your Child on the Spectrum By Arman Khodaei

Recently we've all read an article on eHow about how to get your autistic child to stop stimming. A lot of parents were upset, I for one said some things that while weren't entirely rude...had I known the whole story and who wrote it, I would have rephrased what I wrote in response to the article. In addition to that were lots of parents attacking. It caused the writer of the article to post a public apology and even post video. When I saw that my heart broke, I saw my future Racer trying to succeed in a world that won't always understand him. So I reached out to that writer, I asked him if he would be interested in guest posting for me. He said yes and so now I bring you.


Here is his website if you want to check out some of his stuff www.empowerautismnow.com

What an Autistic Adult Wants You to Know About Your Child 

on the Autism Spectrum 






My name is Arman Khodaei, and I am a 26-year-old with mild autism. Being a parent can be quite the challenge. A lot of parents question whether they are doing the right thing, and what is the right thing to do, and what is the best strategy to help their child.

Growing up, there were not the same amount of resources on autism as there are today. For starters, fewer books existed, Temple Grandin was one of the only autistic people representing people on the autism spectrum, and there was no Internet. There weren't articles, blogs, and books like there are today to tell parents how to raise their autistic child. 

When parenting an autistic child there are a few factors that need to be considered. First, you need to look at where your child is developmentally. Some children are more impacted by autism than other children. For other children, autism is sometimes a gift. And, for some children, autism can severely affect that child in profound ways.

The second factor you need to consider are your own beliefs. Some parents believe in rewards based systems. Other parents feel that rewards don't work and punishment, such as taking away privileges, is more effective. I am not here to say one parent is right and another wrong. However, some parents do question if they are doing the right thing. 

This is a touchy topic. Ultimately, as a parent, you want the best for your child. You want them to become successful, you want to see them happy, make friends, and even get married someday. That is the dream. Although, sometimes, it is easy to give up on your dream, especially if your child is severely impacted by autism. Sometimes, it is hard to face reality.

My mom was tough on me. She punished me, and over time, her methods were effective. She grounded me. She spanked me. And, she sometimes, took privileges away. However, she also did reward me, and overall, she was a nice person. 

Perhaps, the single most important thing that my mom did was to always push me outside my comfort zone. She wouldn't let me get away with not saying “hi” to other kids. She had me join activities and meet other kids. She saw a bright future for me. She expected the best out of me, and when I didn't perform my best, she sometimes showed disapproval. Although, this was not always the case.

More than anything, my mom knew I could improve my social skills. She knew that I had what it took to learn appropriate social behaviors. In my teenage years, I avoided my peers, and when I did engage in a conversation, I only discussed my passion, Star Wars. Sometimes, in class, I would raise my hand and say something strange that startled my classmates such as my belief that aliens might exist and could visit our world or that someday we might download ourselves into the Internet. Yes, I did not filter what I said. I spoke in monotone. My voice was soft and no one could hear me. I did not look people in the eye and sometimes had conversations with my back turned.

But, my mom worked on pointing out what was and wasn't appropriate social behavior and that helped a great deal. After some time, I pursued improving my social skills on my own, reading books on body language, taking an interpersonal communication course, and even forcing myself to have conversations with strangers. But, that wasn't parenting. That was my own decision. And, perhaps, there lies the greatest lesson: You can't make your child do something they don't want to do. The ultimate goal is to make your child want to do it.

You see, if a child is unwilling to learn, you have an uphill battle. Things are going to be tough. My mom fought many of these battles. Sometimes, she lost. But, she won a lot of the battles as well, but at what cost? If tension can be lessened, then results can come more easily as well, but at the same time, you don't want your child to get away with inappropriate behaviors, and sometimes, your child may not know that a behavior is inappropriate. To them, what they are doing might be perfectly normal.
Stimming behaviors such as had-flapping is something I often get asked about. Parents worry about their child being made fun-of in public or at school. For me, when I flap my hands, I do so because it offers me a rush of excitement. It feels good. Some autistic people stim because it calms down. Spinning in circles or rocking back and forth are especially soothing. In the end, I think the goal should be to teach your child how to manage their stimming behaviors so they don't do them in public. However, stimming is also a good way of dealing with anxiety and being overloaded, and in many autistic individuals, anxiety runs high. So, in my opinion, stimming should not be entirely taken away.

Other social behaviors can be a bit of a challenge to teach your child. For example, how do you teach your child to make eye contact? Well, to be honest, I sometimes find eye contact to cause me anxiety. I feel uncomfortable and other autistic people have told me the same thing. But, there is a technique that you can use to help your child. The primary technique involves making eye contact with news reporters on TV. Because the news reporter is not physically in the room, the child most likely won't feel as uncomfortable as they would trying to make eye contact in real life.

The list of behaviors goes on and on, and the question also remains do I try and change my child, or do I let them be? My belief is that if the child is mildly impacted by autism that they have great potential to live an amazing life. But, in order to live an amazing life, you have to be willing to compromise in some ways to fit in with society. Some autistic people don't like hearing those words, but it is true, well, usually. You are expected to sometimes engage in small talk and be nice and not just talk   about yourself. You are expected to make eye contact and to speak clearly. You are expected to have some degree of social skills. Society has expectations.

So, then, what do you do about your child? How do you prepare them for the world, especially if they have their own vision of how the world works and there own goals which may seem unrealistic to you? The answer is that you believe in your child, and you try to help them achieve their goals. But, you also tell them that in order to achieve their goals that they will meet people somehow. Even a writer has to interact with a book publisher, give speeches, and do book signings. No matter what career you have later in life, you will meet people.

In some cases, you might be lucky and have a teen that wants a girlfriend, and I say you're lucky because that presents a most excellent opportunity to teach social skills. If your child wants a girlfriend, awesome! You can then tell your child what is and isn't appropriate social conduct and your teen might take your advice because they want to be successful!

In short, what I am getting at is that the best parenting is where you and your child are on the same page. Your child has their goals, and you have your goals, but you learn how to meld your goals with their goals. In other words, don't be one-sided as a parent. Sometimes, especially if their child is more impacted by autism, I tell parents to enter their child's world. If you're kid likes Spider-Man, then get a Spider-Man costume and have Spider-Man talk to your kid and tell them what is and isn't right. They will respect Spider-Man more than they will respect you, especially if Spider-Man is their hero, the biggest thing to them. Also, try to be as passionate about your child's interest as they are. If you are passionate about their likes, then that shows them that you are a part of their world. For most autistic people, our passion, is who we are!

Not Fair

Today I feel like a little girl, I got distressing news about my dad. But it literally feels like my world is crumbling. Its hard to explain, its not because he's dying, but its because its quite possible that the man he was once will no longer be.

I'm sitting here, wondering how the world can keep turning when my daddy won't be ok. How can the world go on, its not fair. Its not fair that life handed my son Autism, its not fair that my dad is sick.

I don't want to be strong, I'm sick of fighting. Sick of fighting things I can't control anymore. I'm sick of life just not being fair anymore.