Friend

Today I met Lalo. Lalo is Max's first friend. Your eyes are not deceiving you. That's right...a friend! I heard about him from Max's teacher at Open House. She told me that Max favors two kids in the class...Lalo and Isabel. It was the best news of the night. Sure it was nice to hear about his academic skills and that he is a sweetheart, but hearing that he has a friend or even a couple was music to my ears.

When Max was diagnosed with Autism, I found myself coming back to the same few questions..."Will Max ever speak? Will he ever have a friend? Will he fall in love? Have children?" I don't think about these things very much anymore. Max has taught me to live in the now. I appreciate the baby steps and just the fact that he is a happy, loving boy.

Today was monumental. Max said goodbye to his classmates and ran to the door with a big, beautiful smile on his face like he does every day. That's where Lalo entered the picture. He asked the teacher something and she said "O.K.". Lalo had asked to come over to the door because he wanted to say goodbye to his friend Max. I played dumb and asked Max who the boy was. Lalo answered for him, "My name is Lalo". I had Max say goodbye to him and we turned to leave. His aide stopped me to say that she had to run and get her camera today because Max was actually playing with two boys. Max has never played with anyone aside from family members.

This might not sound like much, but it is huge to us. Tatum even got it a bit. She asked if Lalo could come play with Max at our house. Gotta love that girl!

Here's to friends. It is my dream that Max has at least one good friend. They enrich my life so greatly. I can't imagine living without them and neither should Max.

Love to you all!
xoxo Max's mom

Maxie Pie

Pic. #1 Shows Max getting ready to go swimming....his favorite activity!

Pic. #2 He looks so dang cute in his big boy underwear. Potty training is not easy, but I am still glad that we started. He is too smart and too old to be in diapers. I'd say he's going in the potty about 40% of the time right now. Yep, that means 60% of the time, we are wiping up puddles, but that's O.K. Lucky for me, our weather is amazing so we've been outside a lot. It's much easier to just hose everything down!

Burger King Rules (according to Max and Tate)

playing and thanks

Tatum has been begging me to go to the Burger King playground. I kept telling her that we would go "soon". Then, the other day she said, "Mommy we go to Burger King playground. Macky can't run away because there is a fence." She really is too smart for her own good. So, yes, I took them that day and it was actually fun. Max ate some fries and took in his surroundings for a while by doing some repetitive walking around the perimeter. then, he went into the play area for a bit. It really was a great idea. Guess I should listen to the little dictator more.

I also want to take a minute to thank Max's mom mom and great grandmom for saving their change and sending it directly to us for Max's therapy. We will use all of that money to schedule some extra time with our wonderful Melissa. She will be here tomorrow to help us with the beginning of Max's potty training.
Fingers crossed and happy thoughts for us please. Max is a smarty pants too, but also extremely stubborn so it could go either way.

Love to you all,
xoxo kim

max the talker

"Hi Dad." Have those words ever sounded so sweet?

Tatum helped me put Max to sleep tonight....

Could anything be more heart-warming?

more...

more...

Answer: Nope!

Easter

This was the best holiday yet! Max hunted for eggs with me and put them in his basket. He was a little distracted by the fun yard to run in and things to climb, but that's O.K. Everyone was so happy to see him joining in, interacting with others, and approximating (trying his best to talk) a ton. His favorite things were the animals that my sister painted on Gigi's walls, the Barney sign on her door, and the cats. We had a great day and I am pooped! Hope you all enjoyed a beautiful holiday with your loved ones.

How are you doing with your Moolah for Max containers? I put the label on an empty soda bottle. The quarters won't slide through the top so they go in the Eiffel Tower. It's already about 1/5 of the way full. Tatum helped me collect all of the spare change around the house. What a nice little teachable moment.

xoxo kim

get your fill of Chick-Fil-A

to all you local chicken lovers:

Chick-Fil-A
@ the District
April 25, 2009
630-10:00

If you make a donation to Talk About Curing Autism Now (TACA) at the table outside of the Chick-Fil-A, you will receive a free meal for each person in your party. Your donation can be made in cash, check or charge. Also, they have a few GFCF selections available...grilled chicken, waffle fries, and fruit cups. Please support if possible!!!
xoxo kim

open house

We just got back from Max's Open House. He was a little upset to be back at school tonight, but was so excited to find all of his favorite things (books, cards, student photos) and be able to play with them without interruption. The greatest single thing to come out of this evening was that we found out that he has two little classmates in his SDC class that he favors. The fact that Lalo and Isabelle are Max's "favorites" just melts my heart. I love knowing that he has formed attachments to people who are not family members. I wasn't sure that Max would ever have friends. This is a giant step in that direction!
xoxo kim

Anybody need a "Moolah for Max" label?

Can't believe I forgot my camera!

moolah for Max

My dad helped me make these great labels. (Thanks dad!) I love this picture of Max. it looks like he is reaching out to shake hands with you and thank you for helping out! We still have more labels to send out. Please ask your friends and family if they would be willing to toss their change into a Max container! Thanks in advance.
xoxo kim

Just Imagine...

Imagine with me for a minute....

Imagine if 25 friends decided to put Moolah for Max labels on a random container...

Imagine if those same 25 friends tossed $100 or so into their cans over the next 6 months...

Imagine if we turned that $2500 in and it was used as part of a research grant....

Imagine if that grant was awarded to a brilliant researcher...

Imagine if that researcher was the one to find the link, the cause, the cure....

Imagine if you were a part of Moolah for Max and you changed the world...

Really--Imagine!

So where should I send your label? Send me your address!

xoxo kim

The contest is over, but the war rages on!

My friend Teresa is the lucky recipient of the Super Cookies and we have been the fortunate recipients of her generosity. That jet-setting girl is out of town again, but I will send her the yummies when she gets back.

So, I've been thinking--let's keep it going. Coins for a Cure will become Moolah for Max. I am going to make labels (with help from my dad) for you guys to slap on any container or can that you have laying around the house. You can donate any time it gets full or wait until the culminating activity--our annual Walk Now for Autism on Saturday, November 14th at 9:30 a.m. mark your calendars now. I'd love to see you at the Anaheim Stadium. Fingers crossed for no natural disasters this year.

O.K.-so thanks again to all of you who participated and made this kick off fundraiser so worthwhile. Let's throw all of our loose change into the Moolah for Max containers and get into the Grand club. Aim high, right?

Love to you all!
xoxo kim

By the way, check out Jenny McCarthy on Larry King if you get a chance. You can catch reruns this weekend I'm sure. She is spot on. I will never forget my pediatrician telling me that she hates her. Yes, she really said that. She said that Jenny made her doubt everything she knew to be true. Makes you wonder?!

countdown

Three hours, six minutes and counting...

Right now, my school friend Teresa is in the lead with $100 + some change. I am off to bed and am excited to see if there are any last minute entries to the contest before midnight!
xoxo kim

Hey mom-what are you taking a picture of?

for the love of Max

It's a brand new day. By the time most of you read this it will be World Autism Awareness Day. What does that mean? At first I was elated to read that this day will be celebrated on 6 continents. That is major, but it is also maddening and heart-wrenching. Autism is THAT BIG! It is too big. I hate it and not just for Max. I hate it for all of the truly inspiring families that I have met who are also on this adventure (to put it kindly) and I hate that I have to pray for girls when my friends are pregnant because this disease prefers to ravage our boys. I could go on and on about hate because I harbor a lot of it, but I choose not to let it occupy any more space on Max's blog so....

Max has done a few new things in the past weeks---things that might seem inconsequential to most, but speak volumes to me. We have been spending hours in our backyard and last week Max decided that after 5 years and 3 months he would try out and enjoy the sand box. Today he took it a step further. He came in the house without his pants on which usually means he has gone #2 and produced some lovely brown leg warmers (When he takes off his pants his legs get smeared with-well, you can figure out the rest.) My mom got a taste of that this afternoon. :) Anyway, his partial nudity surprised me because he was clean and when I wiped him, he was gritty. So, I thought maybe he removed his clothes because his pull up was full of pee. When I went outside to gather his belongings, I noticed that they were near the sand box and there was a nice imprint of his feet and his cute little cheeks in the sand. I guess he really wanted to get the full sensory experience! He usually plays in it fully clothed, but I thought I'd pass along this funny story.

The photo above is what I found in the den after Max went on a walk with his Papa. He has become a pro at taking off his shoes, but it is the first time that I have seen him remove his jacket by himself. The sight of his jacket and shoes on the floor was such a typical little boy thing that I had to take a picture of it for you. Share in my joy for a moment and hug the ones you love on this day of Awareness of the disorder that has robbed my little boy of the life that he deserves.

Love to you all,
Max's mom

Please turn in your coins today and donate them. Let's find a cure.

2 days to go

While at D-land today, Tate found a penny to add to our tower of change. Two more days...have you turned in your change yet?

Penny and Princesses

Leaders!

way behind

Wow--I am way behind on thanking our amazing, overly generous friends and family. Thank you Mom mom and Pop pop for helping us in so many ways-this donation included. Thank you Pritha for thinking of our Max and supporting us.

I also want to thank my friend (from the 6th grade) Teresa and her family for taking the time while she was out of the country in Dubai to give to our cause. She must have won big at the horse race there because she is in the lead for the super cookies right now. (Just kidding about the races...)

So did you see the photos above? We are on the leader board for fund raising! That wasn't the plan or the desire, but it is exciting none the less.

Three more days!

You have four more days to turn in your coins!

Thanks Grammy and Papa

Just a quick post tonight to remind you that you have 7 more days to turn your coins in. My parents get brownie points (or Super cookie points) for actually turning COINS in. My mom turned in a soda bottle of pennies and donated $25.27 in Max's name. Normally, accepting money from them would make me feel guilty since they support us in so many other ways, but pennies---no guilt here! I will be taking my Paris Las Vegas tower of coins to the bank on Monday. When are you going?

xoxo Kim

The Caring Carrolls

You guys are killing me here! Did anyone actually turn in coinage? Seriously though, thank you Melissa and John for the more than generous donation. Melissa is our Angel. I've said it before and I will say it again, we are so blessed to have her in our lives. She is the most knowledgeable, caring therapist and friend --as well as Max's biggest cheerleader!

Steph the Baker

Thank you Steph for your generous donation! I just emailed Steph and said that I have to hope for someone to turn in more than her because I don't want to make Super Cookies for the best baker I know! So, let's get out there and search for those coins--lift up those couch cushions, check your pockets and clean out those cars everyone.

You have 8 more days!
xoxo kim

builders

keyboarding kid

I went to a seminar last month to see 5 kids with Autism who use keyboarding devices as their primary form of communication. It was an emotional experience for me as I listened to the parents of these 5 teenagers tell MY story. They were told that there children were below average, possibly mentally retarded (or M.R.) as Max was falsely labeled. Three out to of the five of the presenters became honors students after being given a voiced. Hmmm...not M.R., more like G.A.T.E. I will share more about this at a later time as I am pooped and could go on and on about it.

Needless to say, it was inspiring and we have started doing some with Max. We took him to a class and he was the star pupil (for beginners). He did much better than Tom and I expected and was not only able to identify words, but also type some out. He has to be very focused to do so and he clearly isn't in the video that you see below, but I wanted to share a taste of it with you.

My hand is not guiding Max's. It is actually offering some resistance to keep him focussed and a little bit of support as he still has motor issues. I would never falsify any of this as it would be doing Max a great disservice. At the seminar, the parents told stories of people not believing them because of the hands being involved. Eventually, my hand will move to Max's shoulder and then be gone completely.

Melissa, Max's A.K.A. Max's Angel videoed as Max and I tried some typing. There are programs that will convert the typing into actual voice. That is our next step.

Keep collecting coins--9 days left and counting!
xoxo kim

silly max typing

Thanks (in sign language) from Max

Some Applause from Max-keep the coins rolling in!

more thanks

Big thanks to my long time friend (from 6th grade-can you believe it?) Scotty--I guess it's Scott now, for donating in Max's name. So unexpected, but very appreciated!
xoxo kim

maxie pie

Thank you!

Thank you Auntie Jo and Uncle Bob for being the first people to donate! You two do so much for us. We can't wait to see you at Ride Now this year---August 8th right?

Coins for a Cure Kickoff

I've created this blog because it is much easier and fun for you to see how my sweet Max is doing than simply read what I have to say.

Max's grandma from Texas says that 2009 is the year that Max will turn it all around and I think she's right. That boy is the hardest worker I've ever seen. He still goes to the Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC) four days a week . In addition to the ECLC, Max has ABA therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and a priceless Life Coach (Melissa). We have added one new therapy. Some of you have heard me talk about the hyperbaric chamber (hbot). We have an amazingly generous friend that is allowing us to do dives for free at her home. It is saving us thousands of dollars and we are beyond hopeful that we will see (and/or hear a miracle soon). Fingers crosses for us please!

I will write more later. I have lots to tell you about...our kindergarten selection for Max, his new interests, and some of our continued struggles, but for now I want to announce our kick off fundraiser for Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd.

We all have change lying around so I thought Coins for a Cure would be an easy way to raise some money while raising awareness for Max and Autism. Take your change to a Coin Star or other such machine and then donate your cashola to Team Max (http://www.walknowforautism.org/orangecounty/max). Please do so by April 2nd at midnight. the person who raises the most money will receive a prize. I will make some of my friend Stephanie's world famous (if they're not, they should be) Super Cookies for the winner in addition to a couple of other little goodies! Please pass this along to anyone that you think might want to participate. The more-the merrier!

Love to you all and check back often. I will try to update daily from now until April 2nd.

Smiling Siblings

Singing about Ducks

Horsin' Around