Packing, Moving, and Hiding Places...Or, Have You Seen Where J Hid the Packing Tape?

For at least two years now I've been wanting to move. For the past six months, it has turned into a must move. While I'm grateful to have a roof over our heads, this place really isn't much more than that. Even with the little we pay in rent for this place, we continue to struggle financially because The Hubs works so far away (about 50 miles one way, five days a week) for pay that is good but not great. So we are looking for a place closer in. No rentals that we can afford have shown up in the city he works in (that isn't an apartment, in any case. Those wont work because J gets very loud much of the time and we have pets) so we have found a place a little farther out. 

This new place is small from what I understand, but I'm hoping this is what we need. We haven't seen the place in person yet --hope to this week. But The Hubs has checked the maps online and it looks as if he can shave off at least ten miles each way in heading to work. If this is the case, then we're going to make the place work. If the mileage is the same... we will be back to square one until another answer comes along. 

In the meantime, I'm already packing. So far not much has been boxed up other than cookbooks, kitchen decorations, linens, and a few baking pieces that I can live without for the next few weeks. However, I've discovered a few things about our dear son since last night. For instance:

• Packing tape and markers are fair game and will be hidden if left out over night (I still haven't found the hiding place for them and I can only hope that the tape is still on its dispenser. Packing tape is evil without that flimsy piece of plastic).
• In an effort to be helpful and put away things his crazy parents left out, a roll of toilet paper has been found in a cabinet holding rarely used bakeware.
• For some strange reason he decided that we needed to keep an empty tea box. It too, was found in the cabinet with the bakeware.

As for myself, while I continue to look for the absent tape, I will keep packing as I can. I am discovering that moving is the perfect time to declutter. While I am still hanging on to certain magazines despite the fact that most of that stuff can be found online, I have gotten rid of quite a few that I no longer need or want, as well as about half a trash bag full of empty jars of various sizes and shapes. In a fit of "jars are great! frugality", I began saving them.  Salsa, pickle, sauerkraut, you name it. Big, small, fat, skinny. Did not matter. Now granted, many of the larger ones have been put to use in my pantry, but I still had  have many empties lurking, I'm pretty sure of it, in dark corners, waiting to be put to use. 

I do know, sure as I know my own name, that once I've found all the empties and disposed of the ones I'm sure I don't need, that I'll find a use for them. That's the pack rat in me talking. After all, I was taught well by two loving parents who, although neater than I am, kept many things. My mom still does this. You need batteries? She has them. Bless her heart, it will take her about an hour of searching through her many boxes, but she has them squirreled away in a closet somewhere.  Nevertheless, it's time to fight the packrat gene and do away with things we really do not need. 

As I tend to do lately, I apologize for not posting very often lately, but I will return. I promise you this, to the best of my ability I will not give up writing here. There is still much to say about J, autism, moving, life in general. In the meantime though, either by the end of it all I will have packed up almost everything to give the place a good scrubbing  and manage to live here a little longer, or we will move quickly so that we can all get back to normal. Or at least a reasonable facsimile of it, just before the holidays descend upon us. Have a wonderful day. I'll talk to you again soon.
 

Gratituesday: I Have My Son Back!

 Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Happy October 1! 

This year has certainly flown by, hasn't it? I cannot believe we are in the beginning stages of fall already --although the cooler temps this morning makes it very believable! It's time to start looking for a homemade hot chocolate recipe that we can possibly keep on hand. One that doesn't call for coffee creamer powder, preferably. I'm looking forward to hot spiced apple cider to drink on occasion as well...and looking at the specter of Holiday Pounds Future. As in the ghost of all that yummy food that seems to come up between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am hoping this year I can indulge and still at the very least maintain my weight at the time, if losing is going to go out the window for awhile.

But this morning I'm thankful for many reasons. This has been a season of change for my family, and more changes are to come. I chose to lose weight and get healthier so I can better care for my family. This is still an ongoing project. J had a few frightening meltdowns earlier this year; one in particular that caused us to wonder if he needed to be in a home that wasn't ours. That was a very heartbreaking thought and we were close to making that decision. However, help arrived and the tide has turned. Thanks to a few changes in medication, I am happy to say J is my sweet, happy young man again. In three months there have been no meltdowns. He has gotten frustrated a time or two and they could have resulted in meltdowns, but I've changed as well. I don't want to be the high strung mama who feeds off of his moods. When I can stay calm, he does better. I thank God that he has changed both of us in that. 

With the change in medicine has come clarity for J. He's getting further along in potty issues. We still have mishaps but he's doing so much better. We aren't 100% there, but there is hope.

Also, J has been open to learning new things that used to confuse and frustrate him. He understands a lot better. He wants to be involved in family life, and life in general. He's back to helping me with laundry, pouring water, putting dishes in the sink, and watching out the window to see what is going on in the world. He even ventures out to the porch to sit and watch at times. He's back to being my humming, happy child.

And me. I'm figuring out that I don't have to do every little thing for him. He is capable of doing for himself. For example, peeling a hard boiled egg or a clementine. I have to "start" it for him, but he sees now how to complete the task. It won't be long at all before he do the task on his own with no help.

I was able to watch J the other evening. He has taken a lamp apart and the Hubs was sure it was now useless. However, sitting in the darkened living room was not J's idea of a great time. He got up, took Dad by the hand, and led him to the kitchen. Dad thought J wanted to have a bite to eat and got him a biscuit. Never one to turn down food, J ate it and got himself a glass of water as well, but he was not done with his mission. He led Dad to the cabinet that holds our laundry supplies and our light bulbs. He guided his father's hand to the lightbulbs, then made him pull out the lightbulb. The Hubs explained that the lamp was broken and would not work, but J was insistent. He took the bulb, put it in the lamp, plugged it in, and sat back, satisfied. His task was complete.

Needless to say, I am very thankful for this young man of mine. I am thankful to our Heavenly Father in showing me that patience brings about good things. Don't give up hope. 

This post is linked to Heavenly Homemakers' Gratituesday .