Oh the Places We Have Been... So Far

Birdie pretending to be Balto and mushing for her sister

As of yesterday, I have been at this blogging thing for exactly eleven weeks.  Also, sometime in the past 24 hours, my blog counted its 3000th pageview.  Frankly, I am shocked.  I know that 3000 pageviews is less than many blogs get in one hour, but I truly expected only my mom and my husband to read my craziness, strictly out of some kind of moral obligation that results from their relationships with me.


Every time I hit the little orange "Publish" button on Blogger, I am blown away as the pageviews creep up and I realize that people are reading this and hearing my message.  I didn't even realize I had a message until after I started this project.  I thought my blog would be my place to communicate my feelings and concerns when I had no one to talk to about them-- and it has been.  I thought it would be my place to figure out what being an "autism mom" means to me-- and it has been.  I thought it would be my place to laugh at myself-- and it certainly has been.  Additionally, it is to a place to raise awareness about what autism is, what it means to my children, and how it affects the people they encounter.  This was an unexpected outcome, since I didn't think anyone would read my blog.  What also never occurred to me, and is only now starting to sink in, is that somehow my craziness might be helping someone else too.  Comments made to me on my blog, in person, and via email have indicated this strange side effect of my ramblings-- and I just don't know what to say!  It is humbling to think that my words-- crazy as they are-- are helpful to others.  It never occurred to me that I might be helping anyone other than myself.  (I read other people's blogs and find them comforting and helpful, but again, I am still in awe that people read this!)  The thought is flattering, of course, but also encouraging.  I will always be writing for my kids and myself, first and foremost, but I like the idea that I might be raising autism awareness in my own unique way.  So for those of you that find my silly stories helpful, you don't need to ask permission to share... just do it.  Besides, there's some crazy Ukrainian (I know this by his IP address) out there, according to my Google Analytics, that is constantly trying to "share" (on) my site without permission-- apparently the word "train" translates in an interesting way in that part of the world.  I am sure you're intentions are much more pure than the Ukrainian's when you share.

So, without further ado, I thought I would briefly recap the last 11 weeks of posts, just to see where we've been so far.

We've talked about sex, ba-bee (you're welcome).  We've written our own dictionary. (You're still trying to make the words fit with the beat of the song, aren't you?  Admit it!)  We've learned about teachable moments, Jack the Ripper, and 4D movies.  (The song beat still kind of works up to this point, if you really stretch your imagination.)  We've discussed Girl Scouts, bullies, and activism in relation to my Princess and Birdie.  We've explored the pros and cons of the Kraft method of child discipline.  We took a few moments to bemoan the fact that we don't sleep enough, our children classify us as background noise, and that Spring Break isn't a break at all sometimes.  We've delved into my children's musical talents and their lack thereof.  We've covered hot topics like fashion, exercise, allergies, love, obsessions, hoarding and my dog.  We've learned about geocaching and the many faces of treasure.  We've talked about World Autism Awareness Day, my theories about Autism Spectrum Disorder, and the unexpected blessings of ASD.  We've realized what a nutcase an evil genius I am and thought about warning labels for our kids.  And I am sure there's plenty I've missed, including our many dining experiences.

What surprises me is the topics we haven't discussed yet, like how literal my kids can be and how that can be a big problem.  Or Princess's Prince Charming-- I've mentioned him, but I'm pretty sure he deserves his own post!  We also haven't talked about Birdie's emotional needs and her problems communicating with kids under the age of 25.  Or the fact that my kitchen is a nonstop bakery when I'm stressed.  Or a million other things!

Needless to say, the Crazy Train will keep on rolling.  And from what I can tell, it won't be running out of steam any time soon!

Finally, to those of you that ride the train regularly, thanks for your support and input.  The Crazy Train keeps me sane, and a big part of that is thanks to you.  :)