Thursday, April 23, 2009

Thankful for Three Things Thursday

My new washer's wash tub

The control panel


The front view


Yes, it's that time of the week again when I tell the world - you're right, I'm not fooling anyone so perhaps I should say my very small, very special following of readers - of the things for which I am most thankful right now.

1) While I am indeed very thankful for our washer, just like the new refrigerator we purchased a few days before Easter, it is not something I wanted to buy at this time. Actually, if I don't have to spend any more money on appliances in the next year or so (knock on wood!), it will be too soon.

Having said all that, I am very thankful for our new washer but I'm not terribly sure that it is new and not just new to us. We purchased it from the scratch and dent outlet and one assumes the items are there because they were somehow damaged in transit but I keep seeing little details - a knick here, a chip there, and even what looks like a small splotch of paint dribble on it - that have me skeptical of my own previous belief that our home is the only one in which it has resided. Regardless, it works very nicely and should anything go bad on it, we did something we never do: we bought the extended warranty that covers everything.

After being without a washer for three days when the transmission konked out on our old one, a time in which we are potty-training no less, I consider myself fortunate to now be able to spend some time doing the labors of laundry. Although I take pride in my laundry organization system that consists of two three-bin laundry sorters and only requires that I do one load per day most days, laundry is not exactly something I miss when not doing it. Factor in several pairs of toddler underwear that have either been wet or soiled, and it's a recipe for making me want to be a laundry goddess.

2) This week we had our first DAN! appointment. It wasn't as productive or as informative as I had hoped but we did get some lab tests and additional supplements added into Reiss's already wide-ranging regimen. I am thankful for the appointment because otherwise we would have had to wait until October to see another DAN! provider in our state, as there are only five and they all have schedules that are booked up right now a year in advance. The provider we saw yesterday has only recently become DAN! certified (October 2008) so his schedule isn't quite so full yet.

We have been doing a lot of research on our own regarding the DAN! protocol and the biomedical approach to autism and, as a result, we are already doing many of the practices (GFCF diet and supplements) covered in the initial appointment. I think the doctor we saw is either used to or was expecting to see a family who is totally lost in the world of autism and hasn't done any research or he's just so new to this himself that he wasn't sure which route to take with Reiss. That's not to say we thought he is incompetent, I just don't think he was prepared to see someone who has done their homework as much as we have done ours.

3) Lastly, I am thankful because of all the awesome behavior Reiss has exhibited this week. He's not been an angel by any means but he has had a very good week as far as having fewer tantrums than usual, being more compliant to change and transitioning during the days' activities, and his overall good mood just seems atypical for him in comparison to what we are used to dealing with on a daily basis. Maybe it's the diminishing cold weather and the coming of Spring that has him on the upswing...whatever it is, I'm definitely not complaining and I hope it sticks around.

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