Gypsy Musings

I Will Survive 

OK, so all this talk of outings and fun time reminded that I needed to get my Survival Kit restocked and ready to go. You know, that handy bag of things you just can't leave home without. I suppose we could do fine without them, but I was in Girl Scouts, and can't resist the urge to be prepared. I'm going to skip over the boring stuff practical items, like snacks, water, and sunscreen. 

What's in your Survival Kit?

Gypsy Mama's Survival Kit

1. Change of clothes sealed in a ziploc bag. We don't have potty accidents anymore, but spills DO happen. And a spill, my friends, means wet clothes. Wet clothes= the end of the world. Or possibly even the Universe.
2. Wipes. Good for more than just bottoms (though we use them for that, too).  Gypsy Girl won't come NEAR a table, chair,seat, bathroom, handrail, or sink that looks like it might be dirty. Don't even get me started on sticky. 
3. Empty plastic bags. Gypsy Boy is a naked pooper. (Yes, that means he strips naked to “go”). Bathroom floors are nasty, so he likes a dry place to put his clothes.  Waiting isn't an issue for us, (chronic tummy troubles) so we make “the go” as easy as possible.  
4. Baby Powder. Again, sensory issues at play. Neither Little can tolerate the feel of chafing or sticky skin. Probably all that needs to be said on that one. It also does wonders for removing sand from skin and hair. Who knew?!?!?!
5. Nose Canceling Headphones. We have pink for Gypsy Girl, and black for Gypsy Boy. These come in handy when trying to block out each other's screams, surviving the car ride home, and fireworks. (***shhhhhh... don't tell, but Gypsy Mama has a yellow pair for said car ride). 
6. “Fun Bag”. This is a gallon ziploc bag that only comes out on special occasions. Like when we have to send our food back because a pickle leaked juice on the fries. Or whatever. Sort of an “In case of Emergency Break Glass” sorta thing. Mine has a My Little Pony card game, crossword puzzle book, pens, dry erase markers, and a couple of travel games. You get the idea. 
7. Hand Sanitizer. Not because I'm terrified of germs, more because Gypgy Boy and Girl are super grossed out by wet, splashy sinks. Which public bathrooms usually have plenty of. A little squirt of the good stuff makes us all happy. 

Gypsy Musings

Ants, Moss, and a Geo Metro

Ah summer. All this warm weather and sunshine has me daydreaming all kinds of gypsy adventures! In true gypsy fashion, I run my Littles all over the place. Theme parks? Bring it! Road trips? No problem!  Museums?  I don't even break a sweat. 

 It wasn't always this way. Mostly thanks to my own expectations.  You know the drill... let's go to Disneyland! Pretty soon I'm dreaming of walking hand-in-hand through downtown. Gypsy Papa starts whistling a show tune, and we all chime in. My clean, well-behaved Littles throw their arms around my neck and tell me it was the best day EVER. They kiss me and thank me for loving them so much. 

Then reality sets in. It's hot, crowded, and the Alice in Wonderland ride is too creepy. Gypsy Boy stands in line retching because the man in front of us smells like onions plus feet.  Gypsy Girl is stripping nude because she's too hot and shrieking “this was the WORST DAY EVER!!!” Mr. Gypsy   is getting that panicky “about to run” look... ahhhhhh.... sweet memories. 

It took a few tries, but I finally found a solution. I  lowered my expectations.  (I heard you gasp.... keep reading. It's not as bad as it sounds!) I no longer EXPECT to go places and do what “everyone else” is doing. We do big stuff- like Disneyland- often. I don't expect to ride rides, take tons of pictures, or window shop. Our family has a blast, but we do what works for us. One of their favorites? Finding ant trails and poking at them with a stick. And the moss bit? You guessed it. We hunt for moss and take turns petting it. No outing would be complete without a parking lot hunt for a real, live Geo Metro! Preferably in blue. We proudly wear our noise-canceling headphones, skip the “boring” lines, roll down hills, and just have FUN. There is no pressure, and best of all NO GUILT over missed rides or leaving early.

Some may think this is a “waste”.... time, money, tickets, whatever. Not for us. For our gang it's all about creating memories, having fun, and enjoying our time together. Most likely we'll do a few  rides at Disney, have a churro or two, and probably see a few animals at the zoo. If we're super lucky though, we'll spot a Geo Metro in blue.

Introducing......

If you've been reading with us you'll recall a couple weeks ago when I went out on a ledge and shared my friend's story and asked if maybe she would like to be a guest writer on BeebsandBro. After a few days of suspense, she excepted. I can't wait to share some of her musings with you! As you may know,I've named her Gypsy Mama (because who doesn't want a super secret identity).I think her writing will coincide with the light-hearted, inspirational, "Lets just make it through the day with a smile", feel I want for this blog.In addition to being naturally witty, she has more then 12 years of spectrum experience to lend us all, plus she supposedly makes killer cupcakes. Introducing.....

Gypsy Musings

HELLO, MY NAME IS...

Gypsy Mama here. In light of my secret bean-eating gypsy fantasy being revealed, it only seems appropriate we know a little more about each other. I'll start with me. 

Gypsy Mama. I'm an indentured servant stay-at-home mom to Gypsy Boy (12) and Gypsy Girl (6). They both have an Autism Spectrum diagnosis (among other things).  Of course, you already know about my bean-eating fantasy.  I laugh at myself a lot, and you'll see I sometimes joke about my circumstances. I'd rather look at life and find a laugh, than a reason to cry. This in no way affects my devotion to my Littles and their needs... just my personal way of managing it all.  I love my life, and fully intend to giggle my through it as often as possible. 

Gypsy Boy. Formally diagnosed with Asperger's, ADHD, GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), and Sensory Integration disorder. It's been suggested that the ADHD and GAD are actually just symptoms of the SID... but who really cares at this point.  Reality is, sensory issues abound. Along the lines of garlic= Armageddon. Or at the very least, Chernobyl. 

Gypsy Girl. Received a classic Autism diagnosis just before turning 3. No pretend play, eye contact, or useful language at that time. Twirly Whirly. Today, at 6, my girl is very “typical” and in a mainstream classroom tearing it up! No really. She's got ADHD... big time. I actually think the “H” in her diagnosis might stand for “hypersonic”. As in Mach Five. But that's a story for another day. Sensory seeking, extreme hyperactivity, and anxiety issues abound. Help me Rhonda. 

I'm sure I'll fill in the gaps soon, but there's a synopsis of life in our camp.

The Gypsy Dream

I feel like my mojo has been gone for a couple weeks. I’m trying to get it back, my husband came home with a super big Red Bull for me and took the kids while I went estate sale shopping this morning to try and pep me up. It worked a little. Coming home with a David Bowie record worked a little more. It’s the little things that overwhelm me sometimes.

So, I am not really great at making friends, wait scratch that, my calendar isnt very good at keeping friends and so I’m not exactly the socialite I used to be. I love the kind of friends that you can not talk to for months and it doesn’t change a thing about your friendship. Despite my recent antisocial ways I have made a great new friend who is in my boat. You know the boat that gets rocked alot, lost at sea. Anyways, I confessed to her that I dream about being lost in space where there is no sound or responsibility and does that make me awful? I was surprised to hear that she had a similar fantasy but hers was running away with a band of gypsys and eating beans out of a can next to a campfire. Hello! Way better dream then “lost in space” and thank you dear friend for making me feel like I’m not the only one who wants to run away sometimes.  So no I really would never ever really leave but I do like the gypsy dream. I can only hope that she’s still my friend after she reads that I've revealed her deep dark secret in this post. I think perhaps she should be my guest writer. She has the most clever things to say, we could even call her “Gypsy Lady”. What do you say friend?