Tag: Michael update

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Michael-isms

I have been thinking lately about some of the cute or quirky things Michael has said over the years and wanted to share a few of them here. I may share more later if I think of any. I have included photos from the approximate time frame as well, and I had so much fun looking through old pictures for these!

When Michael was 3 years old, he was in a special needs preschool and learning how to talk. One time we were in the car and he wanted his sippy cup. When I handed it back to him, he said, “Good reaching, Mommy.” (I would kill for the eyelashes in those pictures, lol!)

My son is a very literal thinker. When he was about 5 years old, I was reading a book to him and, as had been suggested by his teacher, I got to the end of a page, pointed to the picture, and asked what he thought would happen next. He very seriously looked at me and said, “You’re going to turn the page.”

My son is not a reader like I am. When he was in middle school, he had to read a book during summer break. He found one that he was interested in and read it. When he was done, he said that it was really good and that he wanted to read the next book in the series… wait for it… for his summer book the following year!

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Week in Review: January 18, 2026

This has been a pretty quiet week. I had a Zoom meeting on Monday for the autism mothers luncheon I am helping to plan again this year. The luncheon is in April, and I am in charge of registration and the handouts (the program and such). On Tuesday, I took Michael to his therapy appointment.

On Wednesday, Michael and I had dinner together and played a game. That may sound odd to highlight since we live together, but we are both very independent people who get absorbed in our own pursuits and we also eat completely different things most of the time. We recently decided to work on spending more time together.

The game we played was called Hive. I had gotten it for Christmas for us a year ago, but we had never played it. It was quite easy to learn and was a lot of fun. The goal of the game is to surround the other player’s Queen Bee, and each of the bugs has a different rule for how they move. It was close, but I did manage to win (you can’t see his Queen Bee in the photo because his beetle is on top of her.)

Later in the week, I received a pair of headphones from my workplace. Evidently one of our suppliers had sent them for all of us, so my boss mailed a pair to my place. They are very nice and were a great surprise!

At church, my pastor has been preaching a series called Beloved Community. The first week was about Howard Thurman, and the second week was about Fannie Lou Hamer. This weekend was about MLK. There was a short play about him and then a conversation with the leaders of our justice team. After the first sermon, I asked the pastor what book of Thurman’s to start with and he immediately suggested Jesus and the Disinherited. The second week, he gave a book recommendation during the sermon – This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer by Kay Mills. I have added both to my TBR.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

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Week in Review: January 11, 2026

Peanut Butter has been enjoying the winter sun when he can, and he seems to really like my soft winter blanket.

This has been an interesting week. Michael’s dad is retired now and is trying to figure out everything with insurance, which affects us because Michael will be on his insurance until he turns 26. He did get the health insurance squared away, but we are still waiting to hear on prescription, dental, and vision. Michael did see the dentist this week, but it was to get his permanent crown, so the cost was already covered under the initial crown appointment last month, thankfully!

I am on tray #3 of my Invisalign, and that seems to be going well. They said I could leave the trays on an extra day if they still seem tight, but I’m not very good with vague instructions like that. I have taken it to mean that if I can’t get the new trays on, I should hold off on them. So far I have been able to use the new trays on time.

Below is a picture of the puzzles I purchased over the last few weeks of 2025. I am currently on a puzzle buying moratorium because I started the year with 71 puzzles waiting to be done and they no longer fit comfortably on the shelf I have set aside for that purpose. My goal is to not buy any new puzzles until I have my to do list at 50 or below. It will be a challenge for sure!

Yesterday was a busy day for me. I get together with a friend every other Saturday for lunch and a movie, and this time it was my turn to host. We watched People We Meet on Vacation and both really enjoyed it.

In the evening, I went with a friend from church to see comedian Josh Johnson in York. We had a good time. It was a powerful show that touched on some timely issues.

This morning I went to church, which was lovely. I connected with several friends and was very moved by the service. And now I am enjoying a relaxing Sunday afternoon!

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Merry Christmas Eve/Michael Health Update

Merry Christmas Eve! Michael finished his Minecraft Lego advent calendar today. He really enjoyed discovering each new item as the month progressed.

Here is the finished display:

A little over three weeks ago, Michael had a manometry study to test the motility of his esophagus, in an ongoing effort to discover why he has trouble swallowing food. The results of the test were apparently normal, but they did make a note that there was “absence of contraction in the skeletal portion of the esophagus.”

Based on this finding, they have referred him to be assessed for possible neuromuscular disorders. Unfortunately, the first available appointment with that department isn’t until September 2026.

It is confusing to me why this is not considered a GI issue, but we are seeing the GI doc in January so hopefully can get a better explanation then. From some reading I have done, it may also explain his chronic constipation issues.

Thankfully, he is able to swallow as long as he has enough liquid to help get it down, so he is okay for now.

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Week in Review: December 7, 2025

I had a good week with just a couple of appointments. I went to the orthodontist to get prepped and scanned for starting Invisalign. The appointment was a lot longer than it was supposed to be because their scanners were acting up, which wasn’t helped by the fact that I have a very small mouth that is hard to maneuver the scanning wand in.

I also went to the optometrist. I was happy to be able to go to the one that I prefer due to an insurance change, and he updated my prescription and added prisms to make it easier for me to focus. I will go back in six months for the diabetic medical exam.

Michael did not work again this week. He was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but that morning they texted him that they were low on product and he did not need to come in. His job coach’s manager is going to contact them to see what their plans are for his employment, so hopefully we will find out more information this coming week.

I started doing Christmas puzzles this week and have completed three already. I have also finished five books so far this month, as well as a short story called Goblins & Greatcoats. The story is by Travis Baldree and is set in the world of the Legends & Lattes series. It is a fun story that features Zyll, a goblin who appears in the most recent book, Brigands & Breadknives.

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Thanksgiving Catch-Up

This has been a busy month, so I am very glad for a four-day weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving. Yesterday, Michael and I had a quiet day at home and enjoyed our version of a holiday feast. We are both picky eaters, so it was mostly beige foods. We enjoyed it though!

This morning, Michael had a manometry study to evaluate the motility of his esophagus. He has previously had a barium swallow and an upper endoscopy, both of which were normal. We are hoping that this test will give us some answers to his swallowing difficulties. The nurse who administered the test was great; she was very patient with him and explained everything that was happening very clearly. Michael had a bit of trouble with one small section of the test, but for the most part he did great. Actually, he did a lot better than I think I would have done!

Tomorrow I am going to a local puzzle competition. I am going as a spectator, partly because I enjoy watching people who can puzzle fast and partly because they are having a puzzle swap table. I am really hoping people bring some good puzzles to trade.

Speaking of puzzling, I just bought a new floor lamp for my living room that is a lot brighter than the one I had. It makes doing puzzles much easier and also helps me take better pictures of the finished puzzles. I am going to put the old floor lamp in Michael’s room since he only has a bedside lamp right now.

I did something a little different this year and bought an advent calendar for Michael. It is a Minecraft Lego advent calendar, and he seemed to really like it. I hope he will enjoy building each day’s item.