Look at the bright side

It's interesting, yesterday I wrote about having no inspiration or the urge to write. That I wasn't at my best and things were going crazy and I, well, I wasn't me.

But then things started to take a turn.

I finally was able to work out visitations for my monkeys with their dad.

A dear friend surprised me out of the blue with the most simplest but most touching of surprises.

I got word from the University that I am looking to enroll in that the BCBA therapist I have been talking to can indeed do the supervisory hours for my practicum as long as she meets certain criteria by the University. This means I am one step closer to becoming a BCBA!

It's funny how life takes a turn.

You just put yourself out there and who knows what will happen!

Now I am planning everything that I want to do with my kids when they are with me and exposing them to island life.

Yes, I live on an island.

Yeah, that's my part of paradise.

They have never been here so I'm eager to see their expressions as we drive over the bridges and they see those waterscapes as far as the eye can see. Look, here's a pic...

At the same time this does bring me some anxiety.

Finding things to do with kids is going to be interesting because this is the first time I have brought kids here.

It's a tourists paradise with tourist prices so I bet you get my drift on that one.

But it is a beautiful place and they can enjoy the outdoors which they are not exposed to living in the 'burbs.

And with all that beauty, there is also danger.

Autism and wandering/elopement/whatever you want to call it and water - lots of WATER - do not mix well.

My place is on the water. There is a canal on the back of the house.

There is nothing guarding access to the water.

It's my dad's house - he has no kids living with him so he does not have to guard it or protect it.

But I have kids. With autism. Who LOVE the water.

My goal is to keep them as occupied as possible and as far away from the canal as possible.

I'm hoping the weather is good enough that I can take them to splash in the beach - the good thing about the beaches here is that they are not deep, they are shallow. The highest I have ever experienced the water to be at the beaches is as high as my waist - and that is at high tide.

Look at the bright side as someone always tells me to do - that's a bright side. And the fact that waves are very very minimal is also a good thing.

But you can imagine why I have the anxiety about water.

As I said before "Autism and wandering/elopement/whatever you want to call it and water - lots of WATER - do not mix well"

With the stories of the past month running across my mind and the most recent one of Freddie Williams (13) yesterday, I am on high alert. I will be counting heads every 5 seconds. I will be holding them at arms length as best as I can.

But I'm going to let them play.

I'm going to let them have fun.

I'm going to let them relax and be kids because that is what they deserve.

Autism takes over their lives every day and are rarely given the chance to just be.

I plan on taking lots of pictures so be prepared!! I'm so excited!!

To the Williams family, please know that you are in my thoughts and I mourn with you on the tragic loss of your little boy. I will enjoy my time with mine this weekend and give them extra hugs in hopes that the love I share with them transcends to Heaven for your little boy and he feels the hugs through my children.