Asperger's Syndrome: I'll be in my cabinet...

@RebelUpdate Tweet of the Day:
RT @JoanCelebi: New Post: 17 Tips for Calming Your Child with Special Needs http://twurl.nl/fu7y02 (via @aspergers2mom)
26 minutes ago from Twitterrific

It has been a rough week with 9yo ADHD/Aspergers Phenom, 4th grader. The poor kid has not been able to catch a break with homework: remembering to write assignments down in his agenda and bring home everything he needs, i.e. books, worksheets, etc. This, in essence, is the one thing he must do to earn his afternoon "Computer Pass" at home, which is his most-favorite activity and incentive.

He came home Tuesday with *nothing* in his backpack...Oh, Lord...

My #1 task is to STAY CALM, because it is only when I am calm that I can help him get through any meltdown. If I get uptight and upset, if I start yelling back at him, it only feeds the fire. This is one of those home base concepts I have had to learn -- probably the exact reason this special child was given to me. So I go into CALM mode, breathe, breathe...

He goes APESHIT (the only way I can adequately describe it):
Full-out on the floor, kicking, screaming, crying, wailing, cursing life and the universe.
He had after-school plans on the computer (a full agenda, in fact -- he scribes endless To Do Lists for himself for computer time, just not schoolwork), important stuff to do on his new website and on ROBLOX.com, which is where he currently spends most of his computer time and which is an amazing game and programming environment. But he didn't have the required "Computer Pass."

Dramatic screaming and rolling on the kitchen floor (him, not me - staying calm). I *calmly* told him he would start losing time from his bedtime if he continued screaming at me, five minutes at a time. I thought I was going to lose my mind and my cool. He lost five minutes: "Bedtime at 8:25 tonight." And he stopped. Laying in the middle of the kitchen floor, he just shut it off, which was...disconcerting (eye of the storm?).

He took a deep breath, sat up and, oddly enough, crawled into one of the lower (mostly empty) kitchen cabinets. He then announced, calmly: "Fine. I'm just going to stay in this cabinet the rest of the day, then." Ummmmm...okay?

I took a deep breath, gave him a few minutes, and then I quietly gathered a few items and set them outside his cabinet door: a bagel, a flashlight and several books. I knocked on the door. He opened it. I removed a basket of plastic storage containers, really the only thing in that cabinet, and pointed to the things I had left for him. He took them inside, closed the cabinet door and said, "Thanks, Mom."

He stayed in the cabinet, what he now calls his "pantry" (he put up a sign) for a good part of the afternoon and evening, coming out for fresh supplies and a couple of cushions -- those kitchen cabinets aren't really made for butt-comfort, you know.

I'm not really sure what the moral of this story is, except to say: Sometimes, a kid just needs his space -- a small, dark, enclosed, peaceful, safe space of which he is in control. For thinking and reading. For calming down.

Asperger's Resources - The Best - on Amazon.com

Evolution of The Rebel Twog

I find myself conflicted: To Blog or To Twitter, that is the question.

I love the social medium of Twitter, which is as much of a surprise to me as our recent enthusiasm for NASCAR, or the new dependence on Granny Goggles (magnifiers - although oh-so-stylish!) since my 40th birthday...so go figure, old dogs & new tricks notwithstanding.

Twitter is instant interaction with like-minded people (and a few scantily-clad, big-bosomed women and some get-rich-quick-scammer types amongst the followers as well - I block em when I see em, but for the most part they lurk quietly on the followers list, I don't know why). Communication coming or going anytime, day or night, limited to 140-character snippets. There is no way to get carried away with myself or digress wildly off-topic (which I am known to do, on occasion). I love the limitation, the challenge of saying what I want to say in 140 keystrokes or less (or 280 characters at the max, if you use a double-tweet format, like @11AliveNews in Atlanta).

At the same time, I love my blogs, The Random Rebel Coffee Blog and Rebel Reviews, and I have loyal readers there who can't/won't/don't want to do the Twitter, which is perfectly fine -- I'm not quittin' you!

Over the summer, with Camp Mommy, I experimented and developed The Rebel Twog -- a hybrid of daily Twitters (Tweets, for those of you in the lingo) and then a weekly Twitter summary re-cap on the blog, a digest version, if you will, for the non-Twittering. It has worked for me, to some extent, although I am appalled to later read the crazy Twitter-speak of abbreviations and Twitter-grammar to fit in 140 characters or less. It's not nearly as Twitter-cool, transferred to the professional writer blog, so I'm working on that.

Rebel Housewife Readers have responded positively to the Twog concept -- thank you! Twitter is ephemeral -- there and gone an hour later for all practical purposes -- and that's fine, for the most part, since a research firm recently determined "40% of Tweets are Pointless Babble," but there is some stuff I'd like to keep, particularly book reviews, suggestions and info, funny anecdotes or philosophical musings -- which, okay, might be pointless babble to some, and they are free to un-follow or un-subscribe at any time.

I will try to clean it up a bit in the digest summaries. Some readers have encouraged me to go to Facebook, but there's no going there for me -- TMI, too much information and an even bigger time-suck (new word!) than the time-suck that is Twitter. We expressives have to find balance somewhere!

Back To School in Atlanta

Tuesday, August 11th:
The second day of school was better than the first! The morning bus eventually came, 45 minutes late, but 3/4 of our away-from-homers (including DH to work) were on time today! I am enjoying a fresh bagel and my second cup of coffee.

I am finishing SHADOW COUNTRY by Peter Matthiessen for Midtown Book Group @ Barnes & Noble/GA Tech tomorrow. Also working on Rebel Review/Contest for GIRLS LIKE US this week.

Okay, I lied...or maybe I was just too optimistic: I got nothing done today. Well, except the momx3 back-to-school thing, so there's that.

Wednesday, August 12th:
On the third day back to school, all was relatively calm. The Mom finally relaxed a bit and looked forward to getting something done today...

Illegal Right on Red in Atlanta = $194.40 (the ticket is finally online). I get to go to Traffic Court in two weeks - yay! Any success/horror stories?
[Update Monday, August 17th: Grumpy start Monday, but I'm about to be over it - paid traffic ticket online rather than go to court: My $200 contribution to City of Atlanta.]

Friday, August 14th:
TGIF funny: 9yo *really* likes new camo-pattern undies. Discovered he's been wearing same pair 3 days - others in pack of 4 "too boring"
Note to self: pick up another package of Hanes Boys Boxer Briefs M/M with the cool camoflage pattern so the child wears clean unders daily...

#NASCAR - Childcare offered & accepted (duh!) - Hubby & I are going to the Labor Day Weekend Sprint Cup Race at Atlanta Motor Speedway!!! Woo hoo!

Other than that, nothing going on today: cleaning for Paul McCartney (the concert at Piedmont Park, across the street!) - friends coming in.
The world is a-flutter with helicopters all around Piedmont Park. I think they are testing sound over at the *10-story high* stage setup!
It is noisy out here on my zen balcony garden today - trying to meditate, but this is urban living! They are definitely testing sound for concert: loud & clear! ;-)

Friday, August 15th:
It is pouring with thunder & lightning on Paul McCartney concert at Piedmont Park...Sir Paul still singing. "Let it be, let it be..."

First Day of School...on Twitter

Yes, I think I do have a Twitter obsession, but it's fun. Quick Twitter-recap first day back to school for 9yo ADHD Phenom (4th grade), 12yo Drama Queen (7th grade) and 14yo Puberty Angst Boy (9th grade). I'm a high school mom now - that seems just so wrong! And did you notice? I've got three kids in three different schools: elementary, middle and high school, too! Not that I'm complaining or anything, but it is going to be an interesting year...

Monday, August 10, 2009:
11:17 AM Ahhh...Mom's New Year! 2hrs late - elem bus never showed up, entire schedule backed up, evrybdy late, but, finally...it has begun!

11:21 AM It's just me & Mocha-the-dog for the next 4hrs...until, hopefully, PM bus does show up w/my baby. I don't even know where to start...mess!

11:26 AM - Oh, the rain-postponed #NASCAR Race at Watkin's Glen is about to start! Go @jpmontoya Target #42! Following race on Twitter @NASCARSays

11:43 AM - Completely cut off from technology in my own home: without kids, I don't know how to make tv/dvr work! It's stuck on the Wii. TG for iPhone.

12:36 PM - #NASCAR race has begun & just got email from teacher: 9yo ADHD Phenom yanked out a loose tooth at lunch (his own, thank god)! Sofar, sogood.

1:24 PM - #NASCAR Hubby just talked me thru via phone to get TV on & set DVR to record race, almost 1/2way. Tried not to see - Harvick out already?!

1:40 PM - Have had 2 Krispy Kreme donuts - w/sprinkles! - to help first day BTS. Buzzin 2 explode now. Had 2 eat 2nd to save children - KK not4kids!

2:01 PM - Here's me, working off donut buzz! Rebel Review & CONTEST this week: GIRLS LIKE US by Sheila Weller. Great rock&roll bio...#books
2:11 PM - #books - GIRLS LIKE US: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon -- and the Journey of a Generation by Sheila Weller.

3:06 PM - Oh good lord, final minutes of the #NASCAR race...time to go meet the school bus! Going to Twitterific on iPhone--
3:27 PM - Waiting at the elem schoolbus stop, first day of school. It is v. HOT. Can't wait to hear about 1st day of 4th grade! & 7th! & 9th!
3:46 PM - Ack! Elem school bus broke down - had to go pick up at school. Lots of confusion 1st day - brand-new school #AtlantaPublicSchools

4:50 PM - Still missing our new high school student, but I'm sure he'll come ambling home anytime now. 7th grade (12yo Drama Queen) is AWESOME!

Final Thought, which seems so appropriate to kinda-stressful first day of school - and WORK, for Mom (although, honestly, I accomplished almost nothing):

Never caught this! RT @carlawhite RT @kandaka_long: "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" ~ Audrey Hepburn

Camp Mommy 2009 - Final Week Recap on Twitter

Sat., Aug. 1:
1) Cool! Just ordered for 9yo Phenom/RT @bargainhntngmom: 145 Personalized Back to School Value Pack $19.95 w/FREE Shipping:http://bit.ly/Ew4vn
2) I don't think the 7th or 9th grader will go for it (see last Tweet), but 4th grader will be jazzed to have his name on stuff-back2school!

3) I am missing out on GA Sales Tax Holiday this wknd, but gladly pay 7% premium to avoid mob-shopping. Holding out 4 25%+ sales *after* STH!!

Mon., Aug. 3:
1) Rough start for Monday AM, last week of summer vacation. Busy, busy, busy To Do at odds w/strong desire to just enjoy last precious week...

2) NASCAR rained out yesterday. Following re-scheduled race today (now!) on Twitter @NASCARsays - amazing. #14 not doing so good...
3) @dshaut - not a DH [Denny Hamlin, FedEx #11] fan, but he is rocking it today. Can't Tweet much else bout race - hubby Pocono-silence til he can TiVo tonight!#NASCAR
4) That would be a COOL job - to sit there and Tweet a #NASCAR Sprint Cup Race live-action. I could do that!!
5) Have been working, but @NASCARsays Twitter, sounds like heck of a race to watch tonight! Still in progress, but all kinds of stuff happning!
6) Oh man, I know how the race went and who won, thx again to @NASCARsays! Now I have 2 keep hush until later 2nite - hubby wants NO details!
7) It's like skipping to last page of a novel, which I also can't resist. I always go back and read it all, I just like knowing what to expect!

Tue., Aug. 4:
1) Today is Rebel Grammy day, once-a-week caregiver. Visited neuro-psych today & various adventures. At the grocery store - it's a long day.

2) V. Cool - RT @books: ...teen version of self-help bestseller "The Secret" hits bookstores in Sept: Secret to Teen Power //going 2 pre-order!
3) Before The Secret - great book I have been reading on iPhone/Amazon Kindle: Haanel/Master Key

Wed., Aug. 5:
HOTlanta today - helped set up for BTS at our new elem school. 9yo Phenom going to 4th grade. Lunch w/kids & we're going to chill indoors.

Thur., Aug. 6:
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to my fab hubby & beshert - 21 years today, happily-ever-after! (OMG, we can't be that old!)(Married@20/22-we're not!);-)

Fri., Aug. 7:
1) Congrats, Carla - awesome!! RT @carlawhite: Gratitude Journal is in USA Today! Front page no less!! http://bit.ly/ae1hx //great article!

2) No idea 3 kids at 3 different schools this year (elem, middle & high) would lay me out. Completely. Running ALL day today: meet & greets.

Sun., Aug. 9:
1) School starts Monday - in Atlanta, anyway: Mom's New Year - Happy, Happy! 1st day will be catching up, figuring out my life next 9mos!

2) Up late (now early!) working on 3 kids Back To School & big project submit this week: 1st iPhone App & 1st eBook (related)! More news soon--