In which I wish I could help

Mama got a phone call today while I was at the cancer society stuffing envelopes. Her father is in ICU. Mama may or may not have to go up to help out. When I was younger there would have been no question about weather or not I was going. I would have been going. But now that's different, now I'm able to stay home by myself. now I act more autistic then when I was younger (or do we just understand it better? but that is a post for another time) I want to go not so much to see my grandfather but to help my mother, and to see my great grandmother. But what will happen will be what is best for everybody even if it doesn't feel like it. I just wish I could help.

Chloe and Indy

Nobody's Perfect

Not you, not Mom, not Dad, certainly not me, and not even Indy. He tries so hard but he's only canine. And there is only one perfect being in the world! The one who watches over us all! But back to my original topic nobody is perfect. Though we try so hard to be. Indy tries his hardest but sometimes he can't help sniffing that shelf or looking at that new person. Or ignoring mama and daddy when they tell him to do something after all they are not his girl and therefore not tops on his priority list.

Certainly I feel like everyone is looking when he decides to show his mind in public by not listening right away. But I've learned that most people understand after all even though he is wonderful and amazing and the best thing on four legs he is still a dog and dogs don't always listen.

That's all for now folks

Chloe and Indy

Summer Camp

Heaven on earth. For people at least Indy didn't think so. After the first 3 days I settled in to camp life. Got used to the new routines, the odd rules(singing at the dinner table), the noise level and the the crowds. On the morning of the first day Indy started with dhiaria and continued with that until he was picked up on day four. So I'm sad to say that Indy will not be going back to camp next year. I however most likely will. Day one was loud and busy and I clung to Indy till my aide talked to me and we decided that it was to overwhelming for him and he should go to our room. Day two we cooked over a fire and went swimming and rock climbing. and guess who got 2 thirds of the way to the top?!? Indy spent most of his time playing and napping in our room so it really will be better for him not to go next year. but I will miss him tons. It's quite the choice deciding to be away from him for that long but mama and daddy think camp is good for me and they say that he will enjoy the break
Chloe and Indy

My apologies

Long time no type I'm sorry. But I've been super busy. Volunteering at the cancer society rolling coin. getting ready and then going to summer camp. actually I just got back from camp on Saturday. But you'll get a longer post on that later.
My topic tonight is explaining. I made a friend at camp, who only lives five hours away so that's not too far. But with new friends especially friends not on the spectrum come questions. They come from the friend and from the friends parent's because said friend is in a situation similar to me with what I believe to be different diagnoses.
So how do I explain Chloe? One thing is like my friend Lydia from Autistic Speaks I sound different on paper I sound more collected. I don't stammer and stutter on paper. In person I'm shy. and I hide behind other people I know like my mama, sister, or aide. I have mild cerebral Palsy but it's not severe enough to put me in a wheelchair. I still deal with the after affects of a conversion disorder, so I use a walker or cane at times, though I am also sometimes capable of being mobile on my own power. In fact I played a couple games of tag at camp this weekend as proof. I have Asthma but I'm able to handle it mostly independently with only a little bit of help. Is this the explanation that is needed or do we need another one? if anyone has had to explain their special needs or their child's help would be appreciated!

Chloe and Indy

What it means to me

If your reading this you probably already know that I have aspergers and that aspergers is an autism spectrum disorder. What you might not know is autism and everything under the autism umbrella affects everyone differently. It means something different to everyone. I went to school with someone to whom autism meant she could quote the name and date of all the early Disney movies including the names of the actors. She couldn't do a math or reading assignment without assistance. I know someone else to whom autism meant she could graduate high school and college but she has trouble with a job.
For me autism means I don't really know what it means. It means I need help with things others my age don't like remembering to eat and brush my teeth. It means I need help from Indy to leave the house and sit through the church service. It means I don't understand the same thing folks my age do. I'd rather watch Winnie the pooh and scooby doo or old westerns then the newer stuff on TV because I don't like to listen to cussing and I can't understand the social cues.

Well I gotta go

Chloe and Indy

Darn these modern manners

You've heard me rant before about people coming up and asking about Indy. It's inevitable how often do you see a dog in the library or the mall? And I don't mind some questions like: What breed is he, where did he come from. The questions that bug me are the ones that go something like this: Is he a seeing eye dog? Are you training him? Are you blind? Why do you have him?
What I wish I could say to that. does he have a harness? do you not see the certified patch on his vest? Would I be in the library? and what makes it your business? but unfortunately my parents raised me polite.

My Counselor told me this week that the set of questions that drives me crazy are both reasonable and polite. I hate to tell her this but she's been out voted. I've asked my folks they don't think it's polite and parents win over other authority figure any time. Besides I may be curious about why the lady across the library is in a wheelchair but I'm not going to go up and ask her about it. So why should they be allowed to ask me about my assistive device which just happens to be alive and have four feet a tail and a really cold nose. Makes no sense to me but then the modern world rarely does.

excuse my rant

Chloe and Indy

T-shirts

Yep you read that right T-shirts. You see I hear a lot of comments when I'm out with Indy, and they're not always what I see as favorable. Comments like "there's a seeing eye dog" "is she blind?" "Whats wrong with her" and "are you training him?"
I'm tired of those comments and I figure a snarky t-shirt or two might help cut down on the comments, or at least it would make me feel better. But what should these T-shirts say?
Here are a few of my favorites.
I know we're a cute couple but you don't have to stare

He's mine he's also fully trained can't you read the cape? (on the back) or don't you know what certified means ( Yeah I know not very polite but who can be polite all the time?)

I'm not blind do you see him wearing a guide dog harness?

I'm not blind I have Aspergers Syndrome

I'm not blind I'm on the spectrum

Yes he's cute but no you can't touch him

what part of don't distract the working dog don't you understand?

Well that's all I've got so far. Anyone else have any ideas?

Chloe and Indy

Full Circle

I cantered in my riding lesson on Wednesday It doesn't sound like much but to me it means I've come back to where I started three years ago. For you to understand I'd better start at the beginning. I started riding at the local therapeutic riding stable eight years ago when I was 11.
When I was 16 I started falling about 6 months later I was in a wheelchair I used the chair for about a year then I started walking all over again with a wheeled walker. Now I'm mostly mobile at home with the cane for short trips out and the walker for long. But I digress. Before my legs went I was starting to master the canter on a beautiful horse named legs she was 16 hands high chestnut in colour with an attitude and a need for speed. When I went back to riding after my 16Th summer I was in the chair and had to use the lift to get on the horse. so instead of group lessons I went into private lessons and I started riding a wonderful Norwegian Fjord gelding named Vern. At first it was just simple stuff but we took the private lessons as an opportunity for me to learn the dressage I'm so interested in and now almost three years later I'm back where I was when my legs went maybe a little ahead in places.
Chloe and Indy

Good Bye for awhile

Okay so it's been a while since I wrote. I apologize. And it's going to be even longer I just don't know what to write any more and it's really bugging me so I'm going to take February off At least a bit of it. So I'll try writing again in march.

Chloe and Indy

No Pictures Please!

So Mama, Indy and I went to Church this morning, Got there early visited just a normal time at church, then at greeting a lady tried twice to pet Indy talking about how much he looked like her dog, wouldn't really listen when we asked her to please not pet. (The rules are a little different at church then say the mall but not that much) Then she asked if he was mom's dog(I was wearing the leash!) and could she take a picture? well that just threw me off. I've never been asked that before and no one has asked who he belongs to before. It blew me away.
Chloe and Indy