Hi, I’m Patricia and I am surrounded by kids, dogs and general chaos. And I love it!
When I say kids, I’m not talking toddlers or even middle schoolers. I have two kids who are grown, but just haven’t flown the nest yet. My youngest will be 15 soon, and I know he will be with me for many years to come. And that’s okay. In fact, he’s the reason why I started this blog.
I’m on a mission. Actually, this is something that I have been obsessed with for over a decade, and it’s something that is so very near and dear to my heart. I want to help parents of special needs children understand that their child’s diagnosis isn’t the end of the world. By accepting, and respecting, the diagnosis, a whole new world of possibilities for your child will open up.
So, that’s the main focus of this blog. But, you clicked on the About Me tab, and it wouldn’t seem fair to send you off to explore Happily Ever Autism without telling you a few things about me.
Ten Quick Facts About Me
- I was born in New York City but I’ve lived in New Jersey most of my life. This makes me a NYC born and raised Jersey girl.
- I love sleeping in as late as possible. And I love to nap. Sleep is life.
- My older kids call me ‘extra’. pffft whatever. All because I innocently asked them where the confetti cannons were and why, after I had walked into the room, was I standing there confetti-less.
- My family is my everything. Don’t even think about trying to come between us. Trust me, it won’t end well for you.
- I love animals. I’m a dog mom of two. I have a senior Pekingese named Nugget. We rescued him last summer. And in mid-April I adopted a Sheltie puppy who we named Bailey. My dogs are my four-legged furry children.
- My youngest kiddo thinks I’m awesome, and we are, in his very own words, “bestie festies.” He’s pretty awesome too.
- I am on the autism spectrum myself, but I really don’t talk about it that much. I had opened up about it to a so-called family member many years ago, only to have it thrown back in my face during argument a year later. She accused me of using my diagnosis to justify being an asshole. Niiiicccce…. And she wonders why I no longer wish to speak to her.
- My love language is food. I love to cook and I feel nothing says I love you to my family more than making them homemade anything. In fact, my daughter often says that’s why everything I make is so good, because I make it with a lot of love.
- I really love old cemeteries. This started when I was a kid and went to a summer day camp at our church. St. George’s in Astoria, NY. They have a beautiful cemetery there. Camp was boring for me, so I would wander through that cemetery every day, saying hello and chatting with everyone who was buried there.
- I suck at keeping my house clean. I’m understanding more and more about being on the spectrum, and also having ADHD, that this is most probably an executive function problem. I’ve been trying a few techniques to help myself out with this. Baby steps. It’s a process.
