This is my life?

So, here I am.  Three boys with autism, a husband, and living thousands of miles from home.  If I had made a list of things least likely to happen, it's happened.  I never even wanted to move away from my hometown!  We have no family around, and my husband works a lot.  I'm in the driver's seat guiding these bizarre little men through life.  I worry about pooping, talking, and eating. I don't know why I've been gifted with these boys.  I can barely manage myself most days. I need anti-anxiety meds just to make it through a normal day.  I obviously have lessons to learn.  Everything happens for a reason.

As it happens, it's been a blessing that we moved to the UK.  They get so much help here through the health service, and their school is just amazing.  I also have a great network of other aut moms, and they really make all the difference.

We've certainly learned to value the little things (two quiet hours to watch a movie for example).  Time for romance is at a premium.  By the time we both land in bed, one of us is usually asleep, or Buddy will pop in for a cuddle.  I spend more time in his bed than I do in my own.  Melatonin has been my salvation.  Everyone gets one or two tabs crushed in their milk, and voila! happy sleepy time.  All the boys get a cuddle to sleep from me: it's usually the best time of the day.

Now feeding time is more difficult.  Normally, it's one meal for me and hubby, and one each for the rest of the boys.  The Prince of Darkness eats about, well, not much.  He'll eat nutella on toast, sometimes egg whites, sometimes beans and toast (rarely), sometimes sausages, pizza with no cheese (if it's from the store), and milk. Apart from ice cream and sweets that's about it.  It's completely aggravating.  Buddy will eat just about anything, including hot spicy stuff.  Tomatoes are a no-no (although he'll eat salsa, go figure).  Bear is somewhere in the middle.  He'll eat peanut butter out of the jar, pasta, pizza, bacon, ham and so on.  Last night I made hamburgers on the George Foreman, and it was the first time in months that I had made one meal that everyone ate.

And then there's the clothes issue.  The POD is the worst again here.  Almost impossible to find things for him to wear.  It has to look, feel, smell right.  Has to be the right color, and fit whatever weird prerequisites he has in his head.  Who knows.  He's got maybe two shirts he'll wear, but only if he's going out.  At home he's topless.  He likes wearing blankets.  Buddy will wear about anything (but has problems with socks).  And he puts some weird outfits together.  My little Bear is pretty good, but has a thing about blue hoodies.  Loves em.  Once I get him dressed, he doesn't like to take his shirts off.  Goes pantless a lot.

And bathing.  Buddy with have a tub or a shower everyday (which is good, since he's getting towards puberty and is getting body odor).  The POD is currently on strike.  This doesn't help his eczema at all.  And his finger nails are hairy scary.  And Bear is terrified of the tub.  I fill the tub up, grab him, stand him up in the water and do a fast scrub and dump while I hold him still with one hand.  And he screams.  I'm really not sure how to handle this one.

At least I don't know any different.  This is all normal to me.  And I always said I wanted eccentric kids.  Ha.  Be careful what you wish for!