Healthier Lifestyle and Some Short Stories

Ryan has wanted to incorporate changes to make his lifestyle healthier for a while now.  We try to stay active as a family and I try to be sure that there are healthy options for meals and snacks in the house.  In addition, I try and set a good example for the kids by eating fruits and vegetables and generally eating healthy, with treats in moderation.

That being said, I am a lifetime Weight Watchers member and Ryan has told me on several occasions that YOU DON’T NEED TO GO TO WEIGHT WATCHERS MOM.  I told him that I enjoy the meetings and I like eating healthy and setting a good example for him and Grace.  As a lifetime member, I am required to weigh in once a month to keep my membership current.  Well it was almost the end of February, and I had not yet attended a meeting.  It was going to be tight due to our schedule, so I asked Ryan if he would go with me to a Friday morning meeting.  He agreed to go.

BECAUSE I AM CURIOUS, HAPPY TO GO.

From what I have read, a high percentage of autistic adults are overweight due to sensory issues around food, impulsive eating, and being sedentary.  I don’t want this for Ryan, so I thought that this would be a good opportunity to set a foundation for him.

Ryan joined me last Friday and we were able to attend a meeting that my normal Saturday morning leader, Kim, leads.  She knows about Ryan and has followed the blog and told me that it would be great to bring him.  We got to talk to Kim for a little bit before the meeting and Ryan spelled TOO HAPPY TO BE HERE and I had mentioned to her that Ryan loves interviewing people.  He was able to ask her one interview question and we agreed to set up another time for the rest of the interview so that Kim could get ready for the meeting.  Ryan did very well during the 30 minute meeting.  The topic was about understanding the differences between internal hunger and external hunger.  When we were leaving he spelled REALLY LOVED IT TOO MUCH.

Here is how our conversation went after we sat down at home.

CAN REALLY SAY I LIKED IT. I THOUGHT THAT BECAUSE DEARLY DID NOT THINK THAT YOU NEEDED TO GO IT WOULD BE BORING.  I WAS MISTAKEN.  CAN I GO ONCE AGAIN TO YOUR NORMAL MEETING?  TOO LOVING TO EAT HEALTHIER.

That sounds great.  I am happy that you liked it.  Can you think of one new food item that you might be willing to try?

HOW ABOUT EGGS?  TOTALLY TRYING THEM MOM.

What did you think of Kim?  I thought that it was interesting that both her mom and her sister are both Speech Pathologists.

SHE WAS TOO NICE.

So you are really looking to eat healthier?  We can try to incorporate new foods and create better healthier meals for us both to eat.

CAN DO IT MOM.  IT WOULD BE COOL.

What about fitness or sports? I was thinking that since you might have issues with some of the motor planning in sports, what about trying to do a 5k with me? I am not a runner at all, so it would be a learning curve for me too.

I AM TOO HAPPY TO DO RACES WITH YOU.

I am honestly not sure what I was thinking by offering this.  I would do anything for Ryan, so I am up for it, but oh boy!

So the next day, we went out for a walk with Freckles which turned into a jog with Freckles!  Ryan just started jogging, so I joined him.  We used landmarks to run to and then alternated walking and jogging!  Our normally 20 minute walk took us 17 minutes to complete!

When we got back, I asked Ryan about it.

I AM TOO MOTIVATED.  IT IS FUN TO DO A RACE.

I can’t believe you started running right off the bat!

TOTALLY FINDING IT FUN SO BOUND TO BE GOOD AT IT.

What did you think of our first day of training?  Did I push you too hard?

DEARLY LOVED IT.  APPRECIATE YOU PUSHING ME.  THANK YOU FOR DOING IT MOM.

What about holding Freckles’ handle?  Does it bother you or does it help you?
IT HELPS ME TO STAY WITH YOU.  HAPPY TO DO IT.

Later that night, we had flank steak tacos for dinner.  Ryan tried and loved Ranchero beans and tried both a sautéed red pepper and onion!  He didn’t love those but he actually tried them!

He has also been gravitating towards healthier snacks when he is looking in the pantry.  We went to Target and he wanted “HEALTHY SNACKS.”  Before leaving, I asked him if we missed anything.  CAN WE GET SOUP?  We had talked about that as a way to incorporate more vegetables into his diet.

The following day, we went out jogging again and finished in 14 minutes!  I downloaded the C25K app and we will try to start training with that.  So Ryan and I are going to shoot for competing in the Mayor’s 5k Run this April (which we walked and jogged a little last year).  It will be sooner than the 9 weeks that the C25K trains you in, but if we have to walk some, that is okay.  If any of you have any tips for us, please let us know!  I am all ears!

*****

Ryan loves writing stories with RPM certified provider, Adriana Barriga.  The other day, while we were sitting at the table for school, Ryan mentioned UNDERSTAND I LOVE WRITING.  I asked him if he wanted to write a story now.  He replied:  NO IT IS AN ADRIANA THING.  I take no offense to it as he loves writing with her and he still writes poems during our homeschool day!  Here are two short stories that Ryan wrote with Adriana recently.

I wanted to preface this first story with letting you know that we recently finished the book, Howl’s Moving Castle, the day that Ryan wrote this story.  Those of you who have read the book might see why Ryan wrote about this subject.

“HATS, HATS, HATS!” YELLED THE OLD MAN SELLING HATS ON THE STREET.  HATS MEANT A LOT TO THE OLD MAN.  MOSTLY HE THOUGHT THAT IT MADE THE ONE WEARING THE HAT CONFIDENT.  THE OLD MAN DECIDED TO MAKE HATS HE LIKED.  HE MADE DOTTED HATS.  HE MADE STRIPED HATS. HE MADE HOLES IN THE HATS. HE MADE ONE THAT HAD SILLY THINGS ON IT. HE EVEN MADE ONE THAT TEENAGERS ENJOYED.

ONE DAY THE OLD MAN SEEMED SCARED. THE OLD MAN TOOK HIS HATS, AND HIS HAT SHOP DISAPPEARED.  NO ONE SAW THE OLD MAN AGAIN.  BUT THE INTERESTING THING WAS THAT THE OLD MAN NEVER EXISTED IN THE FIRST PLACE.  HE ONLY EXISTED IN THE IMAGINATIONS OF THE DEAR TOWN.

CONTINUING TO HONOR THE OLD MAN, THE LITTLE TOWN DECIDED TO OPEN THEIR OWN HAT SHOP, HONORING THE HATS ON THE STREET ONE DAY AT A TIME.

THE END.

*****

IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, MANY PEOPLE HAD THEIR OWN HORSE.  IT TOOK THEM THEIR ENTIRE LIVES TO SAVE GOOD MONEY FOR THEIR HORSES.  HORSES WERE EXPENSIVE.  HORSES WERE SO MUCH WORK.  BEING TOO POOR TO HAVE A HORSE, GREG TOOK CARE OF THE HORSES.  HE THOUGHT THIS WOULD STIR MOM TO TRY TO SAVE ENOUGH TO GET ONE FOR HIM.

ONE NIGHT, HIS MOM SAT HIM DOWN AND SAID, “HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE THE HORSE OF YOUR DREAMS?” IT WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE.  TO GREG, THIS WAS ONE TERRIFIC GIFT.

MOTHERS MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE.