Giant Steps Auction 2016

Hello wonderful friends and family!

For the last 2 years, Max has attended Giant Steps, an amazing preschool just for autistic children.  When dealing with Autism, early intervention is very important.  One March 31, Giant Steps is having a charity dinner and auction.

The auction raises funds to pay for field trips, occupational therapy, music programs, classroom supplies, and a bunch of other fantastic stuff.  Our family wants to raise enough money to sponsor a table at the event.  We are organizing a donation team called "Spaceship Max" and we want you to join!  Your donation, combined with the donations of other friends and family, will make a big difference in the lives of some very special kids.

Please help us give back to a school that has changed all of our lives.  Giant Steps has helped us to enter Max's world.

For more information on how to donate go to friendsofgiantsteps.org.  When you make a donation, either by PayPal or by check, be sure to note that you are a part of team "Spaceship Max."  Use the memo line on a check, and to donate online click the donate button on the website.  Then once directed to paypal type a note by clicking on "add special note to the seller" line.

Thank you, from Will and Tiffany Strong

*A special thank you to Bryan Sours Photography for taking the amazing pictures of Max.

It take a Village

There are some days I sit and cry.  I cry with frustration, with tiredness, with negative thoughts that I can't be the mom my boys need.  And every single time I have had a moment, or even a full day like this I have had a friend or family member reach out to me and offer to help, or just talk, or even just take a drive around the block.  (Sodalicious has become a major stress relief in my life.) I can't tell you how grateful I am for these moments, and for the village Will and I have formed to help raise our two special boys. 

People often ask "What can we do to help?"  or "Do you and Will need anything?" 
We don't know how to answer this.  Our personalities are not one who ask for help.  We like to serve.  We like to help and be helpful to others.  So asking for help is hard.  But we are learning. 

There are not many people who can watch Max and Dexter.  They are hard boys and I totally understand make people nervous.  Dexter is so anxious to be without Will or myself and will cry for hours.  Max can bolt at a moments notice, and honestly that scares me.  Then Max and Dexter both have sensory issues with food.  So we tend to do everything as a family.  We go everywhere together and travel as a pack.  It is just easier. 

There have been so many people who have helped us.  So many people who have come to our rescue and have made our lives easier.  The emails of support, the texts on hard days, and the middle of the phone calls mean the world to us.  Will and I feel so lucky to have such a huge village.  It is the stranger in the food store who helps me when both of the boys are melting down in the busy parking lot.  Then there are the group of BYU boys who live across the street from us who have on multiple occassions cleaned up our outside toys and have saved Max when he has run into the street.  These acts of kindness make me have so much faith in humanity. 

This past weekend we took part in The Utah Walk for Autism Speaks.  We created a team for Spaceship Max.  We didn't have any expectations for the walk and we really just wanted to go and be a part of the Autism Speaks event.  I was blown away by the support we had.  We had many who supported us by donating to our team and then we had a great group of friends who came and walked with us.  The event was loud, which for an Autism event was strange, but all and all it was a great morning!  Our family is blessed with so much support.

I love my family!  

Super hero dad

Walk Now For Autism Speaks - UTAH

This year our family is walking in the Walk Now for Autism Speaks - Utah Chapter.  Autism Speaks is a world wide charity organization.  We are really excited to give back to such a wonderful community.  We know first hand how beneficial being a part of a community of support means to a special needs family. 

If you would like to walk or donate to our team click on the link below. 
We would love to have a great turnout to support SPACESHIP MAX!! 
The walk is:

 SEPTEMBER 12th, 2015 

Sandy, Utah

South Towne Expo Center 9575 South State Street Sandy, UT 84070 - See more at: http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/help/helpEventInfo.asp?ievent=1137386&lis=1&kntae1137386=CA431B1F9BAE4AA488E00F44CA7B808E#sthash.RdtjqmXs.dpuf

Sou

South Towne Expo Center 9575 South State Street Sandy, UT 84070 - See more at: http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/help/helpEventInfo.asp?ievent=1137386&lis=1&kntae1137386=CA431B1F9BAE4AA488E00F44CA7B808E#sthash.RdtjqmXs.dpuf

South Towne Expo Center 

Here is the link to become a part of Team Spaceship Max:

South Towne Expo Center 9575 South State Street Sandy, UT 84070 - See more at: http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/help/helpEventInfo.asp?ievent=1137386&lis=1&kntae1137386=CA431B1F9BAE4AA488E00F44CA7B808E#sthash.RdtjqmXs.dpuf

South Towne Expo Center 9575 South State Street Sandy, UT 84070 - See more at: http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/help/helpEventInfo.asp?ievent=1137386&lis=1&kntae1137386=CA431B1F9BAE4AA488E00F44CA7B808E#sthash.RdtjqmXs.dpuf

http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=1137386&lis=1&kntae1137386=CA431B1F9BAE4AA488E00F44CA7B808E&supId=0&team=6429013&cj=Y

Heartfelt Mom Post - Being kind to one another

This weekend was hard.
Friday Max went on a wonderful field trip to the Natural Curiosity Museum in Lehi, Utah.  It was really fun for our family and he had a blast. 

The museum is loud, has a lot of lights, sounds, colors, and even though he had a great time I knew the rest of the day was going to be hard.  His brain was on overdrive.  He was overstimulated and overwhelmed.  One thing after another made him panic, cry, tantrum, and get upset.  He destroyed his bedroom, smeared poop on the walls (I will spare you the picture) and crashed by 7pm. 

Being overstimulated is something that Max deals with on a regular basis.  He has some coping methods, but he almost 4, not almost 12.  When he is really overwhelmed he flaps his arms, hits his head, screams, cries, and acts out.  Will and I try our best to prepare him for a situation, but there is no way we can predict how he will react. 

This is a GREAT video that shows what sensory overload is like. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcS2VUoe12M

Church is very hard for him.  He does well in small groups, but the large sacrament meeting, with sounds coming from everywhere, bright lights, and a lot of people his senses are on overdrive.  Just imagine closing your eyes in a large room.  There are sounds everywhere, feet moving on the floor, people talking, shifting of body parts, the building cracks and noises, etc.  Max hears and sees everything, and it is all very hard on his brain. If he gets to overwhelmed he then either acts out, cries, runs away,  physically hurts himself or others, or tries his best to use coping skills to deal with the situation. This is what Autism looks like.  This is what Max deals with daily. 

So if you see us at church or any social event it might look like this: playing with trains (toys), he might be laying on the floor watching the wheels to calm himself, letting him jump up and down, spin in circles in the doorway or hallway of a building, letting him play on the iphone or ipad, allowing him to use his voice to tell us what is wrong.  He might repeat the same thing over and over and get louder and louder, and of course we will explain to him what is appropriate for the situation but we can't predict his outbursts.  He might hit his head with his hands, or run from us even after calling his name over and over.  This is all normal. These things are not an indication of our lack of parenting, this is us trying to help our child cope with the world.  Because his world can be lonely, scary, and really hard.

Yesterday I put on my facebook:  Be kind to one another. Judging hurts at any age and in any situation.

On the outside Max looks like a typical (almost) 4 year old.  He is taller than his peers.   He is now in the 100% for height and the 80% for weight.  He wears boys clothes not toddler clothes anymore. He is expect to communicate like a 4 or 5 year old.  But he is about 2 years behind those of his peers.  People stare at him, and that is okay, he doesn't notice for now.  But he will.  And Will and I notice, we notice the whispers, and the faces of those who are judging the way my child is acting.  Will and I have heard it all, we have watched adults and children laugh at Max.  It hurts.  Max one day will notice, and we will be there to love and support him.  To tell him how special he is, how smart he is, and how lucky he is to have so many people who DO support him.  I know we have so many who support us, who care for us, and pray for our family, but that doesn't take the hurt of that one judgmental comment away.  Will and I are human, trying to be super heroes to both our special boys. 

Our parenting style has to be different, it has to look different, and that is okay.  Just because we are doing things our way doesn't make it wrong. Max has taught me to be more compassionate, to care more, to be more understanding of all people.  I adore him and his unique traits.  I have learned more about trains, firetrucks, Pocoyo, and construction sites than I ever thought possible.  I have also learned how valuable friendships are and how important it is to have a village to help raise a child.