A DOG FOR AARON

Here we gooooooooooooooo...........

2009-06-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

Denise came down to our house for a visit today. Mom thought she was going to take Bond back to Brigadoon today, but that wasn't the case. Instead, Denise worked with Mom on training Bond and Pippin. She gave Mom pointers, told her what she needed to work on, and showed her how to do it. Mom has a LONG way to go, and hopefully she'll figure it out. :) Bond is here as a permanent fixture in our lives. Bond will go back to Brigadoon a couple of times this summer while I'm in school or at camp. Mom's friend Jennifer was here as well, and that was a big help. Now there are a total of 3 people who know how to handle Bond. This has given Mom a little bit of relief knowing that there is someone else who can help and give encouragement.

It's hard to believe that we are here. That this is actually happening. Thank you to all of you who made this happen! It's hard to believe that we're really here. We have a long way to go, so there will be a lot more blog posting as we go through the training process. But as for now, here we go!

Bond Day 3

2009-06-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. It was a long and tiring day! By 9:00 Mom was DONE!!! Yesterday was more of the same. We took a trip out to Costco to get out in public. This time Mom tethered me to Bond. I didn't mind it, and she liked the added security of knowing I wasn't going anywhere. Mom also spent some time yesterday working with our other dog Pippin. Working on getting his energy level down, and making sure he stays down when she tells him to. They are also working on a "place" command. Denise says that if she can put both dogs into a down position then the energy level will come down and that will hopefully get rid of the dogs trying to play together. This is a bigger undertaking than Mom originally thought!

Day 4 is half over. We went to church this morning and that was a pretty good experience. I don't think he was used to the loud music. :) He went up to junior church with me, and Mom explained to the kids that they couldn't touch him, and the reasons why, and all that good stuff! It's hard to tell a bunch of people you know that they can't touch your dog. About half of them understood without an explanation, and the other half really didn't "get it". So for all of you out there who think service dogs are really cute (and they are)--please resist the urge to touch them. Pretend like they aren't there--please--it will make the handler's job much easier! The rest of the afternoon will hopefully be spent relaxing. Pippin is taking a nap with Dad, and Bond, Madison and I are about to go outside to play.

Denise is coming tomorrow morning to work with Bond and Mom on some more training stuff. I'll let you know how that goes.

I hope you are all having a nice Father's Day. If your dad is still around make sure you thank him and love him. I've got an awesome dad, and I'm so thankful for him!

Happy Father's Day,
Aaron

Bond Day 2

2009-06-19T20:05:00.001-07:00

Well we survived day 2! This has been a lot more work than any of us expected. Don't get me wrong, we didn't think this was going to be a piece of cake; however, any of you out there who are thinking about getting a service dog I have a message for you: THIS TAKES A LOT OF WORK!!!!

I thought I'd give day 2 a grand entrance at 4:00 this morning! Yup, I woke up and went to Mom & Dad's room to play on the computer--well there was a problem with that (well there were lots of problems with that, but the one I'm going to tell you is this). Bond came with me (which is what he is supposed to do by the way). With Bond coming with me, that meant Pippin (our golden retriever who is 1 year-old--for those of you who haven't been following the blog) woke up, and was quite excited that there was someone to play with. Mom woke up to the dogs romping around--which is a BIG no no. She put me and Bond back to bed and locked the door. I stayed up and they finally had to get me out of my room at 6:30 because of my persistent knocking. Dad got up and took me and Bond on an errand and then out to breakfast at a local cafe. Bond was really good--sitting under the table, and I got to enjoy a big old cinnamon roll.

When we got back Bond and Pippin started playing again so Mom kept having to separate them. She didn't realize how hard it was going to be to keep them apart. She ended up calling her mom to see if she would take Cameron and Madison (she figured if she got rid of 2 it would be a little easier)--Grum (my grandma) took them and Pippin so that Bond would have a chance to hang around with me and not be distracted by everyone else.

So we spent part of the day at the house--Bond following me around, and then we went to Target, the grocery store, and off to horse riding. Bond has never been around horses so it was a new experience for him. He did pretty well (picture 3), and he watched me most of the time. After Pippin and the brother and sister came home, it turned out to be a fairly mellow evening. Mom didn't have to separate the dogs from playing too many times--I think Pippin was exhausted from running around with the dogs at Grum's house.

So that's where we're at. There isn't anything planned for tomorrow, but Mom is thinking about some sort of outing--we'll see tomorrow what she has in store for us. Right now though I need to go to bed--I was up early this morning--and Mom REALLY needs to go to bed! I'll try to blog tomorrow too!
Night!
Aaron

Bond's first day

2009-06-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it's one of the days we've been waiting for--Bond's first overnight visit. We met Denise at Costco this morning, and we walked Bond around and did a little shopping (specifically to replace the toilet paper I destroyed a couple of days ago--if you don't know the story just scroll down). After that Denise came to our house and gave Mom and Dad a crash course on dog training/what to do/and a whole bunch of other information. Mom's head was spinning about this point, and she was jotting down a bunch of notes...poor thing. We needed to get Bond some treats and a little more food so Mom convinced Denise to take us down to our local Country Store (she really just wanted an excuse to have one more lesson of going out in public--little did she know that would be the easy part). Once done with The Country Store Mom dropped Denise off at her car and decided to take me on a couple more errands. We went to the grocery store to get me some chicken strips because I was starving. Then we went on to Costco to get Bond a doggie bed, and then to Pet Smart to get the remaining supplies. Bond and I did pretty good. We went home and took a rest, and then left again for swimming lessons. Again, Bond did well--he watched me swim the entire time. So that was the outing section.

Now for the home section--HOLY COW! Mom knew it was going to be work, but didn't realize the weight of the work. First of all, she's a perfectionist and doesn't want to mess anything up--so that doesn't really help her all that much. Then there's Pippin--our sweet, HYPER golden retriever. He was so excited at the prospect of a new playmate only to find out that the playmate isn't there to play. So now that we're at home Mom has to make sure that Pippin and Bond don't play, that Bond pretty much ignores Pippin, that Cameron and Madison ignore Bond, and that Bond hangs out with Aaron (and makes sure that Pippin gets some attention--but Bond can't see that). She's pretty much decided that she needs to be cloned, so if any of you out there know how to get your hands on a magical cloning machine let me know.

What about me and my reaction (because that's really what this is all about right)? Well, so far pretty good. My biggest complaint is that he's in my space a lot--but apparently that's what is supposed to happen...I only escorted him out of my room twice today--the rest of the time I tolerated him :) In public I hold onto his vest and just hang out. It's going to take a while to get this whole thing flowing. This is only day 1, so we'll see how tomorrow goes! I think Mom is going to find a place for Pippin to hang out tomorrow though! I'll keep you posted!
Love,
Aaron

Me and Bond hangin' at Costco

Me and Bond hangin' out in my bedroom

I'm peeking at the camera from around Bond's behind...

Visit with Bond in 4 days!

2009-06-14T17:32:00.001-07:00

Bond is coming for a weekend visit in 4 days! Denise is bringing him down on Thursday and giving Mom a crash course on what to do over the weekend! I have swimming lessons, horse riding and church, so Bond will go all of those places with me (and who knows where else we'll go).

Mom is VERY excited Bond is coming especially after the trouble I got into today. She had just told my dad that it was too quiet when she came upon my masterpiece of destruction--THE BATHROOM. It's been a while since I've had a "good" disaster (the minor ones aren't always worth noting--if it's just dumping shampoo out, but not smearing it everywhere, it's not a disaster--just an inconvenience). Mom hasn't figured out how I did it yet, but I flooded the bathroom and then "toilet-papered" it. Little clumps of toilet paper were everywhere (and I mean EVERYWHERE). Lets start from the top: the sink (and the toilet as well) was full of water with toilet paper in it, followed by the counter covered in water (with water pouring over the sides). The drawers and cabinet were full of water (ruining the contents of the drawers and 23 rolls of toilet paper that were under the sink--but who's counting?) There was standing water in the cabinet as well as all of the water that was absorbed into the towels. Moving to the outside of the cabinet--toilet paper wads all over it. Finally, the floor--1/4" of standing water that was running out onto the carpet in the hallway. She's got most of the mess cleaned up, and I just saw her stealing a few bites of my sister's chocolate muffin drizzled with chocolate syrup--doesn't she know that is going to ruin the workout she did earlier? Oh well--it probably made her feel better :). So there you have it! I'll be sure to keep you posted on how it goes with Bond. I may even try to blog daily--that's only if I have enough time in between making messes!
Love,
Aaron

Bond coming for a visit

2009-06-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Bond is coming for a weekend visit on the 18th (NEXT WEEK!!!)--this will be our first overnight(s) visit, so we are all excited and not sure what to expect. Denise will come on Thursday morning and walk us through what we need to know! It is surreal that after a year and a half of waiting, this moment is here! Keep your fingers crossed that Bond and Pippin will get along, and that Bond will be able to focus on me and not be distracted by a playful golden retriever!!! I'll keep you posted!!
Hugs,
Aaron

No new news

2009-05-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

We are still waiting, waiting, waiting. Mom send Denise an email, and here is the reply:

Bond is doing well. He is following Madi’s (puppy raiser who has him) little brother around everywhere. He worries about new things, but then settles. He still won’t jump up into her jeep. Silly boy. When school is out, we can start visitation with Aaron.

So there you have it. It's not much, but what I've got! Thank you all for checking in and I'll let you know more when I do!

Love,

Aaron

Bond update

2009-04-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last post about Bond. Mom has been waiting to hear from Denise about the next step, and she got an email from Denise yesterday giving an update. Denise has had Bond staying with a teenager in her area to get him used to living in a home and to teach him how to go to school. She plans on having him stay there another three weeks or so, and then we will set up our next visit. It's pretty exciting! I will keep you posted as I know more!

It's World Autism Awareness Day!

2009-04-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

I was diagnosed with autism on February 25th, 2003. At that time 1 in 250 children were affected by autism. In the past six years, the number of children with autism has skyrocketed to 1 in 150. Every 20 minutes a family will be told that their loved one has autism.

Know the facts and the warning signs--BE INFORMED! If you know a child who is displaying some of the symptoms of autism--tell their parents. The earlier the intervention, the greater the chance of "recovery". I'm posting a little about autism, some funding facts and what the signs are. This information comes from Autism Speaks. Check out their website: http://www.autismspeaks.org/.

Also, PLEASE check out this video http://www.autismspeaks.org/sponsoredevents/autism_every_day.php. It's 13 minutes but worth the time (get your kleenex before you sit down).

Here we go (this is kind of a long post--sorry):

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe.

Did you know…
*1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism
*1 in 94 boys is on the autism spectrum
*67 children are diagnosed per day
*A new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes
*More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined
*Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
*Autism costs the nation over $90 billion per year, a figure expected to double in the next decade
*Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
*Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
*There is no medical detection or cure for autism

Incidence vs. Private Funding
*Leukemia: Affects 1 in 25,000 / Funding: $310 million
*Muscular Dystrophy: Affects 1 in 20,000 / Funding: $175 million
*Pediatric AIDS: Affects 1 in 8,000 / Funding: $394 million
*Juvenile Diabetes: Affects 1 in 500 / Funding: $130 million
*Autism: Affects 1 in 150 / Funding: $42 million

National Institutes of Health Funds Allocation
*Total 2007 NIH budget: $29 billion
*Of this, $80 million goes directly to autism research. This represents 0.28% of total NIH funding.

Know the signs
*Does not babble or coo by 12 months
*Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) by 12 months
*Does not say single words by 16 months
*Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own by 24 months
*Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age

Having any of these five "red flags" does not mean your child has autism. But because the characteristics of the disorder vary so much, a child showing these behaviors should have further evaluations by a multidisciplinary team. This team may include a neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language therapist, learning consultant, or other professionals knowledgeable about autism.

Now you know! If you have any questions my mom would love to talk to you. Send her an e-mail at the e-mail address on the right.

Bond came to school!

2009-03-04T11:37:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Bond came down to Stanwood to do a home and school visit. Denise came to the house (I was at school) to check out Bond’s new home. Bond checked out my bedroom, the backyard, around the house, and Pippin (our family dog). Bond took a tour of the backyard and my bedroom before he was able to say hi to Pippin. Once he did say hi to Pippin, it was brief, and then he walked around the living room checking things out (this is exactly what Denise wanted to see!!!)

After the home visit Bond, Mom, and Denise came to school to show my class my new helper. Bond was quite the celebrity from the moment he walked into the building. He visited at the front office for a bit, took a walk down to the ASSIST (special ed.) classroom to meet one of my teachers, and then went down to my general ed. 2nd grade classroom. Bond sat next to me while Denise answered the other kids’ questions. At one point I got up and ran to a different part of the classroom, and Bond got up and followed me. The other students had some great questions, and it turned out to be a successful visit.

So what is our status at this point? Well, Mom is going to schedule a time for me to go up to Brigadoon for another visit, and then Denise is going to start scheduling trainings and more home visits. Probably by May, Bond will come and stay with us for a few nights at a time and work his way into our family life. We are all very excited to start this phase! Here are some pictures of yesterday’s school visit:

Bond was a hit in the hallway!

Me, Bond, and Mrs. Kay

Waiting for the other students to arrive.

Just hanging out
(that is a picture of me and Bond on one of our visits to Brigadoon that I'm looking at)

I'm as happy as can be

Doggie kisses

YUCK!

The other students are arriving

Denise is talking about what Bond will do for me...

and answering lots of questions from curious 2nd graders!

Talking about different types of service dogs

Mrs. Kay hanging out with me

My peer mentors

One of my friends

My class!

Locksmith or criminal?

2009-02-17T21:13:00.000-08:00

In order to minimize bathroom toiletry damage, Mom and Dad lock their bathroom door when I'm in their room (when they remember to--if they forget I have some fun with shaving cream--which was the case last week). One day they needed to open the door quickly so they took a wire hanger and popped out the lock with it. So yesterday I got into their closet and grabbed a wire hanger. Mom and Dad gave me a strange look but let me walk away with the hanger. Mom heard a strange noise coming from my bedroom (she had an idea of what I was doing but couldn't believe it) so she went and checked on me. I had locked my bedroom door, went inside my room and started to pick the lock on my door!

**This makes more sense if you know that Mom and Dad had to put a lock on my door on the outside so that if I get up in the middle of the night they can put me back in my room and lock the door so I can't get out.**

So now they're wondering if I'm going to be a locksmith or a criminal!

The other day they didn't lock my door and I woke up at 3:00am, went into my sister's room, turned her light on, jumped on her, found a bottle of blue tempera paint, took it to the bathroom, and painted the sink :) nice.

In other news:
Yesterday we went up to Brigadoon to visit Bond. Mom, Dad, Bond and I went on a little walk while we were there. For the first part of the walk I was tethered to him, and the other part I held his leash. I hung out with him, and Mom and Denise talked about the next steps. Denise is coming to the house in a couple of weeks to do a "home visit". She'll be checking out what our house is like and start scheduling days for Bond to come and stay with us. He'll stay with me for a few days/week at a time to ease into our routine here while he's still in his training. Graduation date is set for October 25th, so on that date Bond should be "officially" mine.

Here are some pictures of my visit:

Here we are on our walk with me tethered to Bond.

Walking along...

Mom unclipping the leash so I could walk him.

Walking Bond back to Brigadoon.

Hangin' out in the office after a hard day's work!

Happy birthday to me (and I outdid myself today)

2009-02-02T18:30:00.000-08:00

Today I celebrated my 8th birthday by waking up NICE and EARLY. Mom isn't even sure how early I woke up, but I took a nice little snooze at school today! Mom made cookies for me to take to school, and Dad, Cameron and Madison came by in the afternoon to share them with my 2 classes. We had one of my favorite foods (pizza) for dinner tonight, and seeing as how I'd already had a ton of cookies at school, Mom put candles on the pizza and they sung Happy Birthday to me that way!!!! After dinner I opened some presents, got to play in shaving cream (on purpose), took a bath, and got to go play at McDonald's!!

Now here is where it gets good.

Just when Mom and Dad are beginning to think I've grown out of my escaping "issues", I decide to give them a story for the blog.

So like I told you earlier, Dad, Cameron, Madison and I went to McDonald's to go play on the playground there. Another dad with two kids was there as well. While they were gearing up to go, our two families were talking in front of the exit between the play area and restaurant. Somehow in the middle of all of those people (6 to be exact), I sneaked through. The family left and Dad realized that he hadn't heard me making any noises, so he sent Cameron and Madison out to find me. About that time a lady behind the counter asked Dad if "that was his son that went outside" (it was). So Dad ran outside where he found me....sitting in a red pickup truck with a gray dog and his sixty-something year-old owner. Imagine you're this guy. You're minding your own business, ordering some food for the road, you drive up to get your order, and while you're paying for your order, your passenger door opens and an 8 year-old boy (who doesn't talk) crawls up into your truck, closes the door behind him, and hangs out. That is where Dad found me. Now imagine you're my dad, running outside because you can't find your son, only to see him sitting in some strange man's (running) pickup truck....Mom is trying to think more about that poor guy's perspective and not what it was like to be in Dad's shoes. It's easier that way.

So, on that note, if there was still a question as to whether or not I still "need" Bond, the answer is a definite YES! It's a good thing I get to go see Bond in 2 weeks!!! I'll keep you all posted!
Love,
Aaron

It Matters to This One

2009-01-20T22:17:00.000-08:00

My dad wrote a song for the Autism Sings fundraiser last Friday night, and I want to share it with you all. He dedicated the song to the 17 year-old girl who put the concert together, as well as to everyone who has helped me and my family with my special needs. For all of you who have made a difference by contributing toward my dog, prayed for me and my family, and follow this blog, we dedicate this song to you.

It matters to this one

A father and son were taking a walk on the beach
Enjoying the sun and the warmth of the sand on their feet
When suddenly they came upon – as far as the eye could see
A thousand starfish drying out – the ocean just out of reach

So the boy knelt down and picked one up
And threw it back in the sea
Then another and another were saved

Till the father had had enough
And he said, “Son, you can’t save them all.
It doesn’t really matter anyway”
But the son said

It matters to this one, I can change a life
Even one tiny act of kindness Can make the world more bright
I may not save every one, But I can do my part
You can call me crazy, But someone’s got to start

It’s a great big world out there with lots of problems to be solved
At times it seems an overwhelming task
But we can’t afford to give up
We can’t be cynical and hopeless
We dare not lose sight of what’s important
Or forget the power of love
We need our children to remind us to think small

It matters to this one, We can change a life
Even one tiny act of kindness Can make the world more right
We might not save everyone But we can do our part
Let the world call us crazy, But someone’s got to start

It matters to this one, you can change a life
Even one tiny act of kindness Can make the world more right
You might not save everyone But you can do your part
Let the world call you crazy, But someone’s got to start

Let the world call us crazy, We can each touch one heart

Words & Music by Jason Chollar (c) January 2009

Autism Sings concert update & next Brigadoon visit

2009-01-17T13:32:00.000-08:00

The concert last night was amazing. I was even able to sit through it (although Mom bribed me with sour gummy worms). My dad (of course) was awesome! I did manage to escape Mom's grip at the end of the concert and run through the emergency exit. LUCKILY the alarm didn't go off, so Mom was relieved about that one. I also ran up to the stage then into the back during intermission, but Dad was right behind me so I didn't get too far away--just enough to get him a little exercise!!! Last night Mom was really wishing Bond were there to help keep me corralled! But the event was a success--there were 330 people there and over $4,000 was raised for Autism Speaks. Yay!

Mom emailed Denise, and we will be going to visit Bond on Feb. 16th. I'll make sure to have Mom take lots of pictures and see what the current status of my new friend is. :)

UPDATE ON AUTISM SINGS CONCERT

2009-01-13T23:32:00.000-08:00

Because of the flooding, the autism concert has been rescheduled to this Friday--here is the new info--I'll be there, and I hope to see some of you there too!

Autism Sings
Friday, Jan 16th
Stanwood High School Performing Arts Center
7:00 pm
$5.00

A good cause for those of you in Washington

2009-01-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

On Friday night a Stanwood High School senior, Tara Smith, is going to be putting on a benefit concert to raise autism awareness, and money for Autism Speaks. Her brother, Noah, is 12 years old and is also affected by autism. Tickets are $5 a person, and there will be a silent auction as well. She has some great acts lined up, and my dad may even be getting up there. :) If you can make it to this performance it will be worth your time, and it's a great cause! There is an article in today's Everett Herald about the performance, and why Tara is doing this. Mom and Dad are going to take me, so I hope that I will see some of you there!
Aaron

Friday night (Jan 9th)
Stanwood High School Performing Arts Center
7:00 pm
$5.00

BE THERE!!!

I don't stay out of trouble for long

2008-12-26T22:56:00.000-08:00

I could only be "good" for so long (other than the fact that I've cut off my tracking bracelet three times this week). Someone (Dad) left the bathroom door open, so I sneaked in there and emptied/smeared everywhere: the hair gel, shaving cream, shampoo, soap. Madison was put in charge of me while Mom cleaned up so that I couldn't make another mess while she was cleaning that one. Christmas break is over in 9 days--so Mom and Dad have to hang on just a little bit longer! Maybe going back to my routine will help them out a bit! Have a Happy New Year!!!
Love,
Aaron

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T18:19:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and happy holiday! I am so blessed to have a wonderful family, friends, and all of you who care about me. I hope you enjoy your day. Eat lots of cookies (I keep getting into the rice crispy treats!!!). Mom will be glad now that the scissors can be really hidden again (I've cut my bracelet off three times over the past couple of days). Have a wonderful day and a Happy New Year.
Love,
Aaron

Good Days

2008-12-01T18:44:00.000-08:00

I usually post all of the naughty things that I'm up to, but I have had a really good couple of weeks, so I thought I'd post the good things too! It's these times that Mom holds on to! I have been very verbal the last two weeks, and am making some great eye contact. I love it when my dad tickles me, so I've been going up to him and SPONTANEOUSLY (big word for you autism know-it-alls) asking him "more tickle" in this irresistible voice! Huge step. I've had a lot of fun interacting with my brother and sister, and school has been very pleased with my behavior lately. I've been using these "yes" and "no" cards at school, so my teacher sent a copy home so Mom and Dad can use them with me here. I'm not totally successful but it's a work in progress. My teachers say I'm doing well in school, and they are really challenging and pushing me. I have also started speech therapy again with my very first speech therapist (hi Irna), and Mom is very happy about that! Even though Thanksgiving is behind us, my family and I have a lot to be thankful for. Including all of you who have supported me through the process of finding my dog, to those of you who check up just to see what mischief I'm in! :)
Have a great evening!
Love,
Aaron

Today's Brigadoon Visit

2008-11-20T19:59:00.000-08:00

Today Mom, Madison and I went up to Brigadoon to hang out with Bond for about an hour. While we were there, I spent a lot of time petting Bond, sitting with him in his crate, and just hangin' out. I was much more engaged with Bond than I have been, and was initiating contact with him. It was fun for Mom and Denise to watch me interact with him. While we were there, Mom asked Denise about what is going to happen from here. So here is what is in store for us: There are two other dogs in front of me that need to be trained. They will start their formal training as soon as the holidays are over. Once they go to their new homes, Bond will start his formal training. That will include learning to track my scent, going different places, and practice being tethered to me. We're not sure yet how long that is going to take, so there is no set date that Bond will come home with me permanently. As it stands now, after the holidays Bond is going to come over to my house to do a home visit, and hang out on my "turf". We'll just kind of plan sporatic visits up to Brigadoon until his formal training starts, and then the "fun" (work) will begin! Here are some pictures of my visit today, and have a Happy Thanksgiving next week. My family has a lot to be thankful for this year, and one of the things we are thankful for is the support we have from all of you.

With Love,
Aaron

Saying hi to Bond

Playing on the kitty perch

Playing in the dog crate

Bond hanging out in the crate with me

Mom just thought this was an interesting picture...

Bond was getting ready to drag me around--for a second!

Giving Bond some lovin'

Taking a rest

Bond watching over me

Sleeping in the car after a long (1 hour) visit--or because I was up at 5:30....

Why try?

2008-11-12T12:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was NOT a good day. It seems like we are having a lot of those lately. It was Veteran's Day yesterday so I was out of school. Sometimes I do okay when I'm outside of my routine, and other times I don't. Yesterday was one of those days. Mom went from mess to mess, cleaning up after me. As soon as she started cleaning up the mess I had just made, I went on to a new one. She tried to be proactive and play with me, but there are two other kids, and Dad is sick right now too. Mom's breaking point was a shampoo incident. She recently bought shampoo in the form of a bar because I was dumping liquid shampoo left and right. She figured that a solid bar would put an end to cleaning up shampoo and supporting Suave. :) She was wrong. While she was checking up on Dad to see if he needed anything, I got into the shower, grabbed the bar of shampoo and scraped/smeared it all over the bathroom. When she found me (she had been in there less than 5 minutes) I was standing IN the toilet, the bar of shampoo was in there with me (she is SO glad I didn't flush it), and bar shampoo was everywhere. She was not happy. She had a long way to go before bedtime, so she just hung on until then, and I managed to live through the day. :) Today I went to school, so it should be a better day--maybe.

Mom can't wait for my friend

2008-11-06T21:33:00.000-08:00

I'm going to put a disclaimer on this post so there is no confusion. Mom is not expecting Bond to "fix" me or prevent me from all of the destruction I have planned; however, Mom IS looking forward to the possibility of less mess! So here is how the last few days have played out: I have been sick with a cold, so last week was a rough week for all of us. I have been known to throw little temper tantrums every once in a while, but this past week I have thrown some of the worst tantrums my parents, therapist and school has ever seen. It has been really hard on Mom and Dad this week, and they are kind of at a loss of what to do. So in addition to that going on, I have been enjoying getting into a little more trouble. Other than my usual shampoo dumping (which I have moved to the toilet) here is a story. Sunday turned into a particularly not-so-good-day with my mom. The day started out fairly nice. Mom and I went to Target and Costco to do a little shopping. She bought me a piece of pizza and we had lunch together before we did our shopping. Once we were done with Costco, Mom put me in the car and started unloading the groceries from the cart into the trunk. At this point I found a cup of water, went to the back seat, and dumped it all over the seat. I looked her right in the eye as I did it too! (She said "no" before I dumped it, but I didn't listen). She gently and nicely told me to sit down in my seat, so I did--I knew I was in trouble! She finished unloading the groceries, closed the door and took the cart back. She got in the car and started driving off when she smelled something....and decided to look back at me. Well, while she was gone putting the cart away (literally 10 seconds away), I decided to get into the two cans of shaving cream that were in a bag. I thought the inside of the car would look so much nicer with shaving cream all over it--oh and myself. It was a big mess, and at that point I'm pretty lucky I'm alive. She cleaned me up the best she could and drove on home. (Ironically Mom had to buy new shaving cream because I had emptied the last one). So by this time Mom had had it, but the day was young (only 1:30)....fast forward to the evening... Mom looked at the computer I use because it was turned off only to find it sitting in a pool of water. Yes, my computer is now fried. No more computer for me. :( I am very sad, and Mom is trying to have sympathy, but at the same time she is mourning the loss of a computer at my hands. So, I'm not sure what I'm going to do now. She won't let me near her computer (I'm not sure why), so I'm kind of on self-inflicted computer restriction. So if you have a magic trick to resurrect a computer, please please please let her know. :)

Well I'm tired thinking about all the trouble I got into this weekend!!! Mom thought I was having a fairly good evening until I got into the shampoo.....oh well. It's bedtime now, so it should be trouble-free around here for a few hours anyway. Nighty night!

Pictures of trouble and fun

2008-11-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

No one knows how I fit in here, but I do...

At least this time I didn't have any shampoo

Me playing on the computer that WAS

This picture was taken by my Auntie Noel. We were supposed to be doing family pictures, and I was done for at this point. So I just kept walking away and then walking back again. This picture has come to symbolize what it's like to live in a family with autism. There's my family, waiting for me to come and join them.

Especially Naughty & Brigadoon Graduation Ceremony

2008-10-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a while, but I have been keeping mom on her toes (and the soap companies in business) so I thought I'd give you a few quick stories. Over the past week, I have dumped an entire bottle of shampoo (in the toilet), a bottle of liquid hand soap (in the sink), and my mom's NICE bathwash (in the bathtub--it has a cool pump)--oh and have emptied 3 (yes THREE) cans of shaving cream. (Mom wants to add that they really do watch me--I just sneak away too quick and am sooooo quiet). I didn't think it was fair that my mom was the only person subject to my tornado of destruction, so when we went over to a friend's house last night, I snuck away (from the babysitter who was supposed to be watching me) to the bathtub and emptied HER entire bottle of shampoo. Boy was that a mess to clean up (sorry Mandy). Mom is a little tired of liquid being poured everywhere, so she is wondering if anyone knows of shampoo in the form of a bar? She'll have to buy one for all of her friends though! I have also been sneaking scissors and hiding them so I can cut off my tracking device when no one is looking. I think they are going to start charging mom for all of the bands I've cut through! They now have to keep extra ones at school too because I'm cutting them off there too!

On another note, Mom, Grum and Madison attended Brigadoon's Graduation Ceremony on Sunday. Denise held graduation for four service dogs who have gone to live with their person. It was very imspirational to hear their stories, and see how their dog is making a difference in their life. There was one boy there about my age with autism whose dog was graduating. He was harnessed, and kept looking around trying to get away. The dog was tethered to him and just sat there so he couldn't go anywhere. It was a moving time, and at the end Denise told my mom that next year that would be me up there on that stage. This ceremony was also a fundraiser, and I'm hoping that Denise raised a bunch of money for her organization. They have a ton of needs--so if you know anyone who wants to donate to a worthy cause, her organization could definitely use the help.

Mom is working with Denise to set up a time for me to go up there and visit with Bond again, so we'll keep you posted as soon as that visit happens. Have a great day!

"I think you've got a dog"

2008-10-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Those were the words from Denise on Saturday when my mom took me up to Brigadoon. Here's what happened: Mom took me, Cameron and Madison up to Brigadoon on Saturday. Up until this point she hasn't taken Cameron and Madison because she's wanted the focus to be on me (and besides they ask a TON of questions). But this time they had to come. When we got up there Denise had Bond out and Madison went up to him and started to give him treats. This made Mom a little nervous because she didn't want Bond to pay more attention to Cameron and Madison than me. So we went outside, and there the magic happened. Bond ignored Cameron and Madison and followed me around. Mom says you have to see it to believe it--she was amazed at the instinct that Bond had. To top it off, I was responsive to Bond and didn't mind having him with me the entire time. I would pet him, I threw a ball to him a couple of times, and tried to ride him like a horse!! The "ah ha" moment they have been waiting for finally happened. At the end Denise said she was "grinning from ear to ear inside". So, Bond is going to be MINE! So where do we go from here? Starting soon (probably end of October, beginning of November)--Denise will start training Bond for what I need. I'm not sure how long that process is going to take, but in the mean time I'll be heading up there for visits to continue "bonding" with Bond! :) I'll continue to keep you all posted, so keep checking back! If you have any other burning questions, post them and I'll write up a response! Here are some pictures from our very successful visit!!!

We found a match!

2008-09-30T23:06:00.000-07:00

A total

2008-09-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

Mom got an email from Denise with a total to date: $6,808.87!!! Thank you to all of those who have done fundraisers for my dog. While Denise's donation for these dogs is $5,000, the total cost to board, train, and take care of these dogs is about $33,000 EACH! Denise does NOT take a salary, and works her organization primarily on volunteers. There is still a difference in cost, so lets not stop here. Just because we've raised funds so that I can get a dog--her organization still has needs, and there are other kids out there just like me who we can help.

I'm sure you're asking the question of what happens now that we've raised all of the money. Well, we have to wait for a dog to be matched and trained. IF Bond works out, it will be a year before he is ready to come home to live with me. So say a prayer that he will be a fit and a fast learner! :)

I'm hoping to go visit next week, so I'll put pictures up and let you know how it goes!

Aaron!!!

"Crop" fundraiser

2008-09-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

So, my mom and I know NOTHING about scrapbooking but the scrapbookers have really come through to help me raise money for my dog. The most recent fundraiser was a crop that raised $100! I want to thank my dear friend Miss Kim for organizing this fundraiser, and for all the ladies who gave up an afternoon to scrapbook for my cause (wait, it doesn't sound like they got such a bad deal.....lol!). Anyway, THANK YOU for helping me.
Love,
Aaron

Car Wash Success!

2008-08-31T22:01:00.000-07:00

Well today was a huge success! A big thank you to Tristan (she is my ABA therapist who has worked with me the past 5 years), the Haggen's Starbucks, and the North County Firefighters! A total of 54 volunteers showed up to wash cars for my cause! When all was said and done $1,500 was raised to go toward my service dog. We don't have a grand total from Denise yet so I can't give you that number yet, but it will be coming soon. Thank you to everyone who helped out and those of you who prayed for sun (it dumped rain the day before)!!! Here are some pictures from the fun day:

Tristan put the announcement on a board at the busy intersection

Some of the firefighters who helped out

Playing in the suds

Tristan helping me wash cars

Amelia from Starbucks bringing out some drinks for us

Torrey (my cousin) and Madison (my sister) yelling at cars--they had some people who didn't have time to get their car washed just give money to them, one guy was pulling out and turned around saying "how can you refuse those two", and one lady jumped the curb because they were yelling so loud! :)

Denise brought Bond to the carwash, and this was a tether experiment we did--it worked and was really cool for Mom and Denise to see

Bond and I hanging out

Hanging out with one of the signs

Tristan helping wash cars

The firefighters "supervising"

I'm supervising on the lawn chair drinking Dr. Pepper :)

Tristan giving me a hug

Car wash this Saturday!

2008-08-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

Calling all of you who live in Western Washington. There is going to be a car wash at the Stanwood Haggen's from 10:00-4:00 on Saturday. Starbucks will donate $10 per hour per person towards Aaron's dog for people who work at the car wash, so if you have an extra hour or two on Saturday come on down and grab a hose! If you don't have extra time, pass the word out to come and get your car washed! I will be there for part of it and Mom is hoping to stay the entire time (she's gotta get someone to hang out with me). Hope to see you there!

A sleepless night

2008-08-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

For whatever reason I couldn't sleep last night so I decided to destroy my room. Mom and Dad didn't hear me until 3:00am and by that time the damage was done--I took all of my toys out, destroyed my closet and ripped my blinds (in an attempt to escape). By 5:30 I moved my destruction outside (while Dad was half-sleeping on the couch trying to keep an eye out for me). I took a bottle of syrup out of the fridge and squeezed it all over the back deck. Mom and Dad are both very tired and dreaming about a day that a dog can come home with me! Here are some pictures of the destruction (my room WAS clean before I went to bed). Sweet Dreams!

Back to square one

2008-08-12T17:54:00.000-07:00

Well today didn't go exactly as we had hoped. When we got to Brigadoon today Denise told us that Gypsy has gone to another little boy with autism. We are a little disappointed, but happy for the boy who is getting a wonderful dog. So where does that put us? Back to the beginning!! Denise only has three dogs that would be a possibility for me. Two of them I have met in the past--Nugget and Bond. So today started out by meeting them again. Bond came in first and I wasn't interested in interacting with him at all. I wouldn't feed him treats or anything. Denise eventually took him out and brought Nugget in. The same thing happened with Nugget--I touched her long enough for mom to snap a picture. We decided to go outside with Nugget to see if that would make a difference--nope. Nugget was more than happy to run everywhere outside and play ball with anyone, but didn't show any special interest in me. Since we were outside Denise decided to bring Bond back out to see what he would do. And what we discovered was that a collie is the breed of dog I need. Bond was attentive just like Gypsy was. He was always checking me out even though Mom, Dad and Denise were there. He even made quite the effort to get me to play ball with him. It was incredible to see the difference between Nugget and Bond. Being outside makes a big difference because I enjoy being outside so there isn't a "forced" (not in a bad way) interaction, and Denise can see how the dog is going to interact and protect me in a more natural environment. As it stands now, we go back up the next two Wednesdays so we'll see what happens at those visits. I'll keep you posted as we know more. For now enjoy the pictures from today :)
Love,
Aaron

Posing for a picture with Nugget

Dad, Me and Bond (see how close Bond is walking to me)

Strike a pose with Bond

Just laying around with Bond

Catching some rays

Bond trying to go through the tire with me with Denise watching

Upcoming Crop

2008-08-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

Mom just got this e-mail today and is passing it along to you all about the crop:

"I don't know if Kim told you, but I'm going to be a vendor at Aaron's crop. I just wanted to let you know (so you can forward information if you want) that I am donating 20% of all my sales that day to Brigadoon. Also, if anyone who can't come to the crop (due to prior plans or living too far away) wants to order, I will donate from orders placed on my website, as well. They just need to go to www.mycmsite.com/darrcie to place an order. I'm not sure if there is a place for special instructions, but they can e-mail me to make sure I give credit to the fundraiser. I hope this is this fundraiser is just what Aaron needs to put you guys over your goal. Good luck!"

So there you have it! Have a great weekend and I'll keep you posted! :) Oh--I almost forgot--Mom and I are going up to Brigadoon on Tuesday so I'll let you know how it goes!

Aaron

Another fundraiser

2008-08-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here is the next fundraiser that is coming up. If you live in Washington and would like to go contact the email address above and Kim will hook you up. I'll keep you posted!

Scrapbooking fundraiser

2008-08-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

Mom got an email today from Liz Hicks who headed up a fundraiser for me at a scrapbooking faire this weekend. The vendors from the faire contributed to a gift basket that was raffled off with the proceeds going toward my dog. It brought in a total of $595, and the winner of the raffle was the store owner who organized the faire, so she has decided to donate the basket back and have it re-raffled at her store (thank you Sophia). If you would like to buy a raffle ticket contact Strictly Scrapbooking they'll hook you up. I'll keep you posted with the results!

Wanted posters

2008-08-03T19:49:00.001-07:00

One of the places we went on our vacation was to Astoria, OR where we stayed in a KOA. Knowing my tendency to wander off, mom made a little poster "just in case". When she checked into the KOA she gave a copy of it to the staff (she called the campground and local police department ahead of time to let them know I was coming). They asked for permission to give it to their staff and if they could put it up. Within a half hour there were dozens of my "wanted posters" all over the campground. It was quite funny. It was nice to know they were keeping an eye out for me, although most people thought I was already lost. :)

On vacation

2008-07-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything for a while. We took a vacation to the Oregon coast with another family and had a fun time. I LOVED the ocean, and even though it was freezing I played in it until I was pink. Then Mom and Dad decided to drive to Montana to visit my aunt, uncle and cousins. I am out of my element and having a little bit of a hard time, but considering the circumstances I'm doing ok. I have 15 mosquito bites on my legs (that's what I get for running outside with no clothes on) right now so I'm a little crabby, but I think I'll be better as soon as the benadryl kicks in. I'll have a couple of pictures of my trip to post once I get back home (one is of a "wanted poster" that was hung up all over the campground), so make sure you check back.

Also, there are three BIG fundraisers coming up. Today there is a scrapbook vendor fair in Southern California where they are selling raffle tickets for a gift basket with all of the proceeds going toward my dog. :) I'll keep you posted. Then on August 23rd there is going to be a scrapbook crop in Stanwood (I'll post more on that when I get home). And finally, on August 30th there is going to be a car wash at the Stanwood Haggen's with raffle baskets and things. I'll also post more on that as I know more.

I'll post more when I'm back home!
Aaron

Successful visit to Brigadoon

2008-07-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

I have to say that today was the best visit so far! It started out with me, Mom, and Denise inside with Gypsy, but the weather was too nice, so we decided to go outside. This turned out to be a fantastic move. I was able to run around and do things I like (play in dirt and rocks) which made it easier for me to be with a dog. It was pretty cool to see the way Gypsy paid attention to me even though Denise had all the treats (Mom and Denise were pleased with that). Denise would tell Gypsy "find Aaron" and then Gypsy would come running to me. She would hang out with me for a minute and go back to Denise for a treat. She did this over and over again. Gypsy followed me around and smelled me a bunch, and I allowed her in my space and gave her some love. It was pretty neat for Mom to finally SEE the beginning of the possibilities of having a service dog. So here's where we're at: at this point is I'm going to continue meeting only with Gypsy to see how the interactions go so we know if she will be a good fit. Mom is working on scheduling another day to go up there for a visit. Hopefully we can get a bunch of visits in while the weather is still nice. Here are some pictures from today--have a good night!

Hanging out on the big tires in the doggie play park in the backyard.

Gypsy is playing in the dirt with me

Gypsy is running toward me after Denise said "find Aaron"

Gypsy following me around

Hanging out in the play tube

Gypsy is watching over me in the tube

Me & Gypsy

Storytime

Camp Prov

2008-07-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

This week I got to go to Camp Prov, which is a camp for kids with disabilities. I got to go swimming, do crafts, sing songs and all kinds of other fun stuff. I had a special friend who was my buddy all week long. She was great, but of course no match for my escaping abilities. She DIDN'T lose me--I just made a bee line for the ice cream truck and hopped in it before she could catch me! I wonder what that ice cream truck driver was thinking?

We head up to Brigadoon on Tuesday, so I'll give you an update then. Have a great day!

Going to Brigadoon soon

2008-07-02T19:22:00.001-07:00

We're headed up to Brigadoon again on July 15th, so I'll have a new update for you with some new pictures. Denise at Brigadoon is doing a newsletter that is pretty interesting, so if you have the time you should check it out: http://brigadoondogs.com/news/. You can also sign up to get her newsletter via e-mail. It's pretty cool and has some doggie treat recipes and other fun stuff. Hopefully it'll be a quiet week this week. Saturday will mark the 5 year anniversary of the first time I wandered. (Yes, it was on a 4th of July camping night) Have a fun and safe 4th!
Aaron

Devastating weekend

2008-07-02T19:04:00.001-07:00

Mom has been thinking over the weekend trying to decide what to share on this blog and what shouldn't be shared. She decided to go ahead and share even the really-not-so-fun-stuff. On Friday mom got a phone call from CPS with a complaint that she leaves me unsupervised in an unfenced yard for 6 hours at a time (all while being in the buff). She was in total shock. There is just NO WAY she would leave me unsupervised--I would be out of there. What was even more upsetting was that whoever reported it knew my name and that I was autistic. It was the most insane allegation ever (with the exception of the naked part--but that's not illegal). After mom talked with the caseworker for 15 minutes he told her he was closing the file that evening. The good news is the file is closed. The bad news is that if someone (or they) calls CPS on her again there will be a record of a previous complaint. What she has learned from this: if you have a complaint or a concern with your neighbor call them or pay them a visit. Dealing with CPS is a BIG deal, and it's going to take a while to recover from this one.

The car wash results are in...

2008-06-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to the Explorers Search and Rescue for donating their time today washing cars, and raising a total of $900!!! There were at least 15 people there (13 of whom had never met me) to wash cars! I hung out with them for a couple of hours in Granite Falls, and although I wasn't much help, Cameron and Madison were, and Mom was able to talk with some of the people who were donating to my cause. I've got some pictures that show our fun day! So between the car wash and other donations over the past two weeks, our new grand total is $4,120! We are so close--only $880 left to go! Mom is going to talk to Denise this week to see when I can go up again to see the doggies. I'll keep you posted!
Love,
Aaron

Carolyn is helping me wash cars--I thought it was more fun to watch the soap squeeze out of the sponge!

Cameron and Madison (my brother and sister for those of you who don't know) are bringing the people in with their great sign holding abilities.

Cameron and Madison posing for the camera

A good line of cars going on!

That's how you get it done!

Playing in the bubbles instead of working!

They had the Search and Rescue truck out there with the lights flashing!

Here I am sitting inside the Search and Rescue truck. Hopefully this will be the only time I'm inside this thing!!!

Car wash on Sunday

2008-06-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

For those of you who live in Washington, there is going to be a car wash fundraiser this Sunday (June 22nd) at Oso Lumber in Granite Falls from 9:00-3:00 or 4:00. The Explorers Search and Rescue are putting this on to raise money for my dog. If you want to help you can come and wash OR stop by and get your car washed! I'll be there around 12:00 and will stay as long as I can make it without melting down. I hope to see you there!
--Aaron

I'm on a roll!

2008-06-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

The weather is nicer, and that's when I do my best escaping. I've got three consecutive days, I'm going for four! My adventure for today was to wait until my sister left the front door open. (I love human error). Mom was in the back room, and of course, it got quiet. She came out to find the front door wide open, and the search ensued. I was hanging out in the car. AAAHHH! Now I couldn't let Mom and Dad off that easy, so I decided to sneak a can of shaving cream outside when they weren't looking. Mom snapped a few pictures of my fun before hosing me down. Enjoy the pictures. I think the next thing we're going to do is raise money for hair coloring to cover the gray hair Mom now has!

Discharging the shaving cream

Shaving cream feels good between the toes...

Squish the cream

A trail of shaving cream

A mother's worst nightmare

2008-06-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a new story for Mom's book. I was up at 3:00 this morning playing on the computer and mom heard me, so she put me back to bed and locked my door. When she came into my room at 8:00 to wake me up, I was gone. My window was open, so she ran to the backyard to find me fast asleep on the trampoline. She checked to make sure I was breathing, (and then I'm sure she wanted to kill me) and then just collapsed. Apparently it's not a good way for a mom to wake up. I on the other hand, woke up, dropped my drawers, walked to the edge of the trampoline, relieved myself, and then started jumping away. It's been a long, emotional day, and mom is going to bed (but not before she sets a window alarm). We can't wait until a dog can come home, and hopefully Mom won't have to deal with this again.

Went a wandering today

2008-06-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

Today my Grum took me to the State Park to visit my Uncle Stan and Auntie Noel while they were camping, and guess what??? I wandered off! Uncle Stan and Pa panicked--Grum found me in her car. Mom is very glad she wasn't there, and can't wait until I get my dog!

Some days are better than others

2008-06-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are wondering about the update on my visit to Brigadoon last Wednesday, it could be summed up in one word: DISASTER! I was cranky cranky cranky. Mom promised Denise (the owner of Brigadoon) that I'm rarely that nasty, but for whatever reason (I'm not going to disclose that to my mom because I can't talk--besides, its more fun to keep her guessing) I was in rare form. I pulled out all the stops: trying to step on the dogs' tails, hitting them, throwing a pillow on the ground, throwing myself on the ground, refusing to give the dogs a treat. I even pulled out my favorite "angry" saying which is "noooo body bakes my buddies" from Veggie Tales. To clarify, I don't have functional language, but I can pull out this phrases from a movie when I'm mad. So after bringing out Bond for a couple of minutes, and Gypsy for even less time, we left Brigadoon after 25 minutes. (It takes an hour to drive there). Mom was disappointed because Nana was here from Texas and I wouldn't cooperate. She did bring her camera and was able to snap a couple of shots before things went really south. Here they are--notice they are all BEFORE the dogs came out! Mom hopes next time it'll be better.

FIRE!!!

2008-06-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post the note that came home in my communication book last Thursday. I'd try to explain the story, but the note just sums it up!

"Oops! Aaron finally reached far enough to pull the fire alarm! An assistant was holding his hand but the other arm stretched! We all got a nice shower! :)"

By shower she means we had to stand outside in the rain (not the overhead sprinklers went off). Nothing like adding a little excitement to the end of the school year!

I'm heading to Brigadoon again tomorrow, so I'll have Mom post some pictures. :)

Week 12 Update & Story

2008-06-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

As of June 1, we have been fundraising for 12 weeks--you have donated a total of $3,075! Way to go!

Now for my naughty story....on Monday my mom went out to dinner with some girls to celebrate a birthday, which left Dad at the helm for the evening. After Mom left I went to my room and played on the computer, and that's where Dad thought I was. But it was too quiet, so he went to check on me and I wasn't there (shocker). What he found when he opened up the bathroom door was an empty can of shaving cream (that had been opened that morning), and a bathroom floor under a half-inch of water! It even leaked into the garage! Needless to say the bathroom floor is clean (you're welcome Dad) and I had a few minutes of fun. Mom is just glad it wasn't on her watch so she didn't have to clean it! Maybe I don't want a service dog, he might take all of my trouble fun away....

My visit to Brigadoon yesterday

2008-05-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's visit went very well. I wasn't able to play with Gypsy because she was "in season", so Denise brought out Bond, and we hung out together for a bit. I was more interested in the dog this time--I went up and pet him, took a look at his paws, and tried to ride him like a horse. Mom and Denise stopped me at that point....apparently he's not a horse. Bond kept giving me a toy to throw for him, but all I did was hold it in front of him and play tug-of-war. I got to feed him treats, and I was much more "into" that than I have been in the past. It's still tough for me to navigate the environment and handling a dog. She has a tv stand with a glass cabinet, so I'm always trying to go to that to take a look at how handsome I am. I'm a little distracted by it, so Mom has to keep redirecting me back to interacting with the dogs. Anyway, we are going back on June 11th for another visit to keep meeting the dogs and seeing if Gypsy or Bond will be a good fit. My grandma (Nana) from Texas will be here for a visit, so she'll get to go with us to see what it's all about. That should be fun. Here are a few pictures of my visit yesterday for you to see. Enjoy!

Feeding Bond treats

More treats for Bond

I'm getting ready to pet (pinch) him

Bond checking out my shoes--this is a point where I thought about stepping on him before Denise and Mom stopped me!

Giving Bond a little love

"How you doin'?"

Have a great week!
Love,
Aaron

We hit another goal!

2008-05-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

So after 10 weeks the total is.....(drum roll).....$3,035!!! We are getting there! Thanks again to everyone who is helping out with this! Come back on Sunday because we go to Brigadoon on Saturday, so I'll have an update for you by then! Oh--on a side note, this week I emptied mom's powdered sugar AND flour canisters (the garage looked like snow!). Fun for me, not for them! But I'm still alive so we'll see what's next!

$10 away!

2008-05-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

Not from the goal of $5,000, but from $3,000! Another $50 was donated this week bringing the grand total to $2,990!!! SOOOO close! Yay!!! Have a great week!
Love,
Aaron

Service Kangaroo????

2008-05-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post pictures of a recent trip to the local kangaroo farm. (You all have a kangaroo farm close by right?) Mom took us here over spring break (the day before my flour/epsom salt fun), and I can't wait to go back. I amazed my mom with how interested I was in the animals. We got to tour the place, feed some wallabies and kangaroos, and even hold a baby joey. My favorite part of the trip was definitely feeding the wallabies--I couldn't get enough of it. I thought a service kangaroo would be a good idea, but mom doesn't think it'll have a good enough tracking nose. I guess I'm going to have to stick with dogs. :) Enjoy the pictures!
Love,
Aaron

Giving bread pieces to the wallaby.

Yum yum yum. I got to pet him too!

My sister leaned over to talk to me so I naturally assumed she wanted a piece of bread as well! That gave everyone a good laugh!

Isn't the baby so cute???

I'm starting to get a little bored at this point--we were all done feeding wallabies, and had moved on to feeding llamas--not my thing. So mom and I decided to race....

GOOOOO!!!!!

The end of a fun day at the kangaroo farm!

A little boy's birthday gift

2008-05-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

In my last post I wrote about a boy who was asking for donations for my dog instead of birthday presents. I thought I'd give you an update. He raised $125 from his birthday bringing our total to $2,940! I can't tell you how much this has meant to me and my family. We are so blessed! Thank you for random acts of kindness. We are headed up to Brigadoon on May 24th, so I'll keep you posted on weekly progress and of course our upcoming visit!
Love,
Aaron

A neat story

2008-04-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

The other day Mom was looking at sitemeter and found a blog that had a link to my website on it. The most recent post on this woman's blog is about how her son turned four, and what they were going to do for his birthday party. She asked that in exchange for presents that the kids bring a small donation for my service dog. Did I mention she's never met me? Mom was quite moved--it's amazing to see how people who don't even know me are doing extraordinarily special things to help me get this dog. Thank you.
Love,
Aaron

WEEK 6

2008-04-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

We're over half-way!!!! This week $900 was donated bringing the grand total to $2,815!!! Maybe we can hit $3,000 by the end of the week! Thank you for such a great week!
Love,
Aaron

Our visit to Brigadoon today

2008-04-19T16:54:00.000-07:00

Today we were at Brigadoon for about an hour and a half, and then I was finished! I spent time with only three dogs this week, so I was able to spend more time with each one. Denise brought out Bond first this time, then Gypsy, and finally Tate.

You can see in the pictures that Bond was excited to see me :), and was very focused on the blanket behind me. I held his leash and "walked" him around the office area for a little bit. We hung out together, although I was more interested in watching my reflection in the glass.

Once again, it seemed that Gypsy seemed to be the most interested in me. She kept following me around!!! She and I played with a tennis ball for a while--she would bring it to me and put it in my hand, and my mom would stand behind me and make me throw the ball to her. Gypsy also put her leash in her mouth and handed it to me.

Finally Denise brought Tate out. I was pretty wiped out by this time and didn't really want anything to do with anyone. I hung out with Tate for a while, but I was not very cooperative!

So, where does that leave us? Well, like I mentioned in my last post about visiting Brigadoon, Denise is looking to see if there is an "ah ha" moment between me and a dog. Denise video taped me interacting with Gypsy for a bit today. She's looking to see which dog is the most interested in me. So, we're going to keep going up and visiting to see if a bond form between me and one of the dogs. This is a little more complicated than it seems. You see, it takes me a while to get used to a new environment--especially one that I'm not around very often. So this is still kind of tough because I'm not used to the Brigadoon facilities. When we get there all I want to do is check out the environment because it's something "new". It's hard for me because not only do I have to navigate a new environment, but I also have to navigate being around dogs (which is something I'm not used to--we don't have any pets at home). As it stands now, Mom is going to take me back up there within the next couple of weeks, and pretty soon Denise will do a home visit with one of the dogs so that I'm in an environment that I'm used to. So that's where we're at. :) See below for some pictures of our visit today. Have a good weekend!
Love,
Aaron

p.s. My mom got a new camera battery today, so she can take pictures of my next tornado of destruction! :)

Here is Bond getting the blanket that's behind me.

This is me giving Gypsy a little love squeeze.

Gypsy is coming over to see what I'm doing.

I'm giving Gypsy some treats.

Tate is checking me out.

Tate is really checking me out! :)

$2,000 MARK

2008-04-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

We hit the $2,000 mark today! We're almost half-way there! Thank you everyone!!!
Love,
Aaron

Back to Brigadoon

2008-04-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

Mom and I are going back up to Brigadoon on Saturday, so hopefully we can post some more pictures and have another update. Mom REALLY has to get her camera working because tonight....I.....PAINTED MY TOENAILS, FINGERNAILS AND THE BATHROOM FLOOR (of a friend's house) with pretty red nail polish. That will teach Mom to turn on American Idol when I want to watch Veggie Tales!

Week 5

2008-04-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

Well, we've made it through week 5--time is going by fast! This week $200 was donated which give us a new total of $1,915. We didn't make it to $2,000, but we're close--maybe next week! A bunch of people have added my blog to theirs, and I want to say THANK YOU to all those people--I am getting hits from people who are coming from your blog. We're almost to 1,000 hits! Keep coming back and checking out the updates--you never know, I may have a new story of destruction for you (although my mom hasn't bought flour to replace what I dumped earlier this week, so I'll have to go for something different). Oh--I'm also going up to Brigadoon on Saturday to visit with the doggies again, so I'll let you know how that goes. Keep checking back!
Love,
Aaron

What do you get when.....

2008-04-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

you add 10 pounds of flour, 6 pounds of epsom salt, and one sleeping mother? A lot of fun for me and a HUGE mess for mom to clean. Yes, this morning my mother woke up to 10 pounds of flour covering every square inch of carpet and flooring in the living room, laundry room, and kitchen, as well as inside the heater vents, all over the couches and on top of the table and counters. But that's not all, I didn't want the bathroom to feel left out so I made a paste of epsom salt and water and covered the entire bathroom (including the floor) with the mix. Now luckily for me, the camera is out of batteries, so the only thing my mom has to remember this is her deteriorating memory!!!! So far she's ONLY spent 70 minutes cleaning up after my early morning playtime--so that's not too bad. Seeing as I'm still alive to write to you, I thought I'd do a little post on transitions and routine.

As some of you may not know, another defining trait of autism is the inability to adapt easily to change. Yes, there are many of us who don't like change, but I REALLY don't like change. And to show my disdain for someone daring to change my routine, I act out in one of two ways--trouble or trouble. This week happens to be spring break, so I'm out of school for the week. Fortunately for mom, we were doing all kinds of doctor visits and things over first two days, so I didn't have an opportunity to get into trouble--but today was MY day. So off to find flour and epsom salt for a truly unique sensory experience.

So how does that tie into a service dog? Well, my mom is hoping that a service dog would be sort of an "anchor" during times of change and transition. That the dog would be a consistent factor that helps keep me from acting out because of change. There are many stories of my mess making adventures (permanent markers, Costco size pancake mix, peanut butter, flour, sugar and shaving cream are a few of my favorites), but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Since I don't have a picture of today's mess, I thought I'd post one that happened in October of 2006. This one I entitle: SHAVING CREAM. This is what happens when mom takes her eyes off of me for 5 (yes 5) minutes.

Week 4 Donations

2008-04-06T22:27:00.000-07:00

Wow everyone, another great week! Thank you all for the number of blog hits and donations this week. So drum roll please.....this week you donated $670 bringing the total to $1,715! I'm hoping to hit the $2,000 mark by the end of next week. Thanks again!
Love,
Aaron

Our visit to Brigadoon

2008-04-06T19:04:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Brigadoon Assistance Dogs! I've realized that I haven't told you all about the PROCESS of getting a service dog--I don't know how much you know about what it takes to get a service dog, but I sure didn't know a whole lot. So.....in the interest of information and education, I'm going to share what I learn with you. :)

It all started about 5 years ago. My mom was interested in getting me a service dog, but at that time there weren't any organizations that would even allow you on their waiting list until you were 5 years-old (I was 2). So she tabled the idea. Fast forward a few years and she began toying with the idea again. So, off to the internet she went, found some websites, and talked to a couple of people who currently have a service dog for their child with autism. That led her to Brigadoon Assistance Dogs. Finding a service dog program an hour away from us is nothing short of a small miracle (Mom was sure we were going to have to travel out of state).

Once she was put in touch with Brigadoon, she drove up with Grum (my grandma--her funny name is another story) to tour the facility and meet the owner. I didn't go on that visit because apparently I'm a little distracting and she had a bunch of questions to ask. She and Denise (the owner of Brigadoon) talked about what my needs are and what a service dog could/would do for me. Denise told my mom that it could take up to two years before a dog could come home permanently with me. Getting a dog isn't necessarily on a "first come first served" basis--its all about the right personality and bond between boy and dog. In other words if she had 5 "available" dogs, but none of them "clicked" with me, then she would be looking around for a dog that might fit my personality and needs. She sent Mom home with an application book--I mean packet--to fill out complete with reference letters and a doctors note. Once Mom turned that back in they set up a time for me to come up and meet Denise and her dogs. I was then put on the "waiting list".

In January my mom, Grum, Amber, and I drove up to Brigadoon to "meet" Denise and some of her available dogs. (Blind date anyone?) Here's how it worked--Denise brought in different dogs one at a time to see what my reaction would be toward them, and their reaction toward me. Now keep in mind my experience with dogs is our ex-dog Tucker (a wiener dog who didn't like kids), Grum and Pa's yappie dogs (sorry Grum), and Charlie and Rugby (friend's dogs). So this first meeting I wasn't sure what to think. Mom said it was interesting to see the interaction between me and the different dogs. Some I wanted nothing to do with (especially if they tried to put their wet nose on my palm), while there were two who they thought I was interested in. After meeting about 8 dogs I was EXHAUSTED! Denise took notes on the reactions/interactions between me and the different dogs, and put the two that I seemed to not mind so much in the back of her head to watch for over until our next visit.

Which brings us to TODAY! Mom, Auntie Noel and I went up for a visit and some pictures. When we got to Brigadoon this afternoon Denise told us that one of the service dogs I seemed to like was no longer in the program--he just wasn't "service dog" material. She wanted me to meet Nugget, a two year-old golden retriever and see a couple of the collies again. So, off to doggie dating we went. The pictures below show all but one of the dogs I met today. I'll give you more details under the pictures.

This is me walking into Brigadoon

This is Nugget. She is a beautiful golden retriever. She LOVES balls and other toys, but once she settled down, I sat down next to her, petted her, and played with her feet. She was sooo soft and sweet and it didn't matter what I did to her (like try to touch her eyeballs).

Next came Gypsy--a one year-old smooth-haired collie. I'm giving her a treat in the picture. Gypsy was a little on the hyper side, but she's still a puppy so that will calm down over the next year. What was interesting about Gypsy was she followed me around the room, and kept her eyes on me most of the time. She didn't pay any attention to my mom and was only interested in me. On the other side, I didn't show enthusiastic attention to her (they think it's because she wasn't as mellow as Nugget)--I was just more interested in the cat perch.....
This is Gypsy staying with me even when I wasn't paying attention to her (no one told her to go over by me). After Gypsy came Lily who wasn't out long enough to get any pictures of. She wasn't sure what she thought about me, and was a little nervous--so she's not going to work.

After Lily came Tate. He was a little on the hyper side too.

Then there was Bond, by this time I was starting to melt down and had no interest in anymore of this dog-meeting business!

Next was Phoenix--a german shepherd. Phoenix is HUGE and she isn't even full grown yet. As you can see by the picture I'm not all that happy at this point!

And FINALLY, there was Beau. He was another HUGE dog! This picture is of Denise trying to get me to pet Beau. I was mildly cooperative, but not all that happy. At this point I took Denise's elbow and led her to the door to take Beau away. I was done for the day!

At then end of the seven dogs I was TIRED and not happy. I'm not crying here, but I'm just ready to be done! Auntie Noel took me for a walk while Denise and Mom finished talking. So here is where we're at: more visits. Denise wants to see me interact with the different dogs on different days to see what the reaction is and if there's any "ah-ha" bonding. Next time we won't see as many dogs though. So we're headed back up to Brigadoon on Saturday, April 26th.

That's the process up until now. Once we find a perfect match we'll move onto the next phase. What do you think? Is it what you expected? If you have any questions, ask my mom and she can maybe give you answers. Maybe she'll work on a FAQ post--so if you have questions--leave them in the comments section! Sorry this was such a long post. Have a great day!

Love,
Aaron

Brigadoon bound on Sunday

2008-04-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

Mom's taking me to Brigadoon on Sunday afternoon to see the doggies. Auntie Noel is coming with us, so we'll have hundreds of pictures (I promise I'll only post a few) to put up. Make sure to come back to see them!
Much love,
Aaron

An amazing 24 hours

2008-04-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

Donation update--I'll give you the weekly update on Sunday, but I just had to post this--three different blogs (not including mine) posted information about my dog for World Autism Awareness Day--as a result $380 was donated in 24 hours. Pretty amazing. I wish I could send each of you a thank you note, so if you can, let me know. I just want you all to know how blessed I am by each one of you. Keep checking back!!!
Love,
Aaron

World Autism Awareness Day

2008-04-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

April is Autism Awareness Month, and today is World Autism Awareness Day. So I thought I'd do a post with some facts about autism. Know the facts and the warning signs--BE INFORMED! If you know a child who is displaying some of the symptoms of autism--tell their parents. The earlier the intervention, the greater the chance of "recovery". I'm posting a little about autism, some funding facts and what the signs are. I want to make a disclaimer about the funding issues. I believe that the funding for the disorders listed below are important--it's just a comparison ok? :) This information comes from Autism Speaks. Check out their website: http://www.autismspeaks.org/.

Also, PLEASE check out this video http://www.autismspeaks.org/sponsoredevents/autism_every_day.php. It's 13 minutes but worth the time (get your kleenex before you sit down). Here we go (this is kind of a long post--sorry):

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe.

Did you know…
*1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism
*1 in 94 boys is on the autism spectrum
*67 children are diagnosed per day
*A new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes
*More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined
*Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
*Autism costs the nation over $90 billion per year, a figure expected to double in the next decade
*Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
*Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
*There is no medical detection or cure for autism

Incidence vs. Private Funding
*Leukemia: Affects 1 in 25,000 / Funding: $310 million
*Muscular Dystrophy: Affects 1 in 20,000 / Funding: $175 million
*Pediatric AIDS: Affects 1 in 8,000 / Funding: $394 million
*Juvenile Diabetes: Affects 1 in 500 / Funding: $130 million
*Autism: Affects 1 in 150 / Funding: $15 million

Know the signs
*Does not babble or coo by 12 months
*Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) by 12 months
*Does not say single words by 16 months
*Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own by 24 months
*Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age

Having any of these five "red flags" does not mean your child has autism. But because the characteristics of the disorder vary so much, a child showing these behaviors should have further evaluations by a multidisciplinary team. This team may include a neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language therapist, learning consultant, or other professionals knowledgeable about autism.

Now you know! If you have any questions my mom would love to talk to you. Send her an e-mail at the e-mail address on the right.

Week 3

2008-03-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

This week $730 was donated bringing the grand total to $1,045!!! Awesome! Thanks so much. If any of you want to help my mom with a fundraiser please let her know. We have a friend who would customize dog bone shaped ID tags, so we're thinking about how to "market" that. Any ideas? Let us know! Thanks again!
Aaron

* 10% *

2008-03-27T00:31:00.000-07:00

BETWEEN CHECKS AND ONLINE DONATIONS WE HIT THE 10% MARK TODAY!!!! Thank you--I don't know what else to say! This is so amazing! And in case you're wondering, I'm feeling much better. I got my energy back and was running around the house like a crazy person this evening. :) Mom is going to make me stay home from school tomorrow just to be safe though. Thank you all!
--Aaron

The Flu :(

2008-03-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

Today I got sent home from school because I've got the flu, so I can't go up to Brigadoon to see the dogs. Which means no pictures. Mom is trying to reschedule during spring break, so hopefully in a couple of weeks I'll get some pictures up. I'm going to take a nap. :(
--Aaron

New Pictures

2008-03-25T23:46:00.001-07:00

I know I said I was going to post pictures tomorrow after my visit up to Brigadoon (and I still will), but I thought I'd put some up tonight of pictures that were taken on Sunday.

ESAR

2008-03-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight Madison, Mom and I went to Snohomish to meet with the members of ESAR (Explorers Search and Rescue). They have kindly committed to putting together a car wash with the proceeds going to Brigadoon for my dog. I will keep you posted on the date and time! Thank you ESAR!
--Aaron

Week two

2008-03-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of the people who are visiting my blog. I can't believe how many hits there have been in two weeks. This week another $110 was donated bringing the total to $315 in just two weeks! I want to say thank you to other blogs out there who have added my donation button and information to theirs. You are all making a difference. Here are the blogs so far:

paperpassionpixels
digigrum
cubbys-corner
takealittlegivealot
glitzitnow
cutchens

Some of these people have never met me! Thank you thank you thank you!
--Aaron

First week of donations

2008-03-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

This week $205 was donated toward my service dog! Yeah! What a great start. My brother, Cameron, even donated $5.00 of his own money! Thank you Cameron, and thank you to all of you who have already donated!!! I'm hoping to have my mom give a weekly update on our progress, but we'll see....I can't make any promises for her! Have a great week!
Much Love,
Aaron

Pictures coming soon!

2008-03-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

We are going to Brigadoon on Wednesday the 26th for a visit. My Auntie Noel is coming with us, so expect pictures to follow. Check back to see the pictures!
Much Love,
Aaron

Contributions

2008-03-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

Today I got my first contribution for my dog. My mom and I are so excited!!! We need to raise $5,000 for my dog. Normally these dogs cost between $10,000 and $20,000 to train. If you would like to help with Brigadoon Youth & Service Dog Programs is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your donations are tax deductible. Here are two ways to donate:

You can donate right here on my blog in the side bar
MAKE SURE YOU PUT "AARON CHOLLAR" IN THE DESIGNATION LINE!!!

OR

You can mail a check to:
Brigadoon Youth & Service Dogs
4759 Mission Road
Bellingham, WA 98226
Don't forget to put my name, Aaron Chollar, on the memo line. THANK YOU again!

Much Love,
Aaron

My Story

2008-02-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

Hi! I'm Aaron. I'm 7 years-old and I have autism. I can't talk yet, but I'm close. I do have a little problem (okay a big problem) with running away. I'm stealthy, fast, sneaky and silent.

Because I have such a problem with escaping, I need help from a service dog to help prevent me from escaping. A dog that would block me when I was trying to run. This would help me and my parents a lot. See, it's hard to go to the park or beach because they spend the whole time chasing me (I have a brother and sister too). It's hard to go to friend and family get-togethers because they spend the entire time chasing me and can't visit with other people.

Check out my Diary of an Autistic Escape Artist for some of my escape stories. This would be an actual service dog so it could go to the store, school, and vacations with me. It would be my companion, and would help keep me safe.

The only roadblock is that a service dog is expensive. My parents have decided to go with an organization called Brigadoon Youth and Service Dogs. The fee for a service dog from Brigadoon is $5,000. That's where this blog comes into play. Getting a service dog is a long process. It will probably be 2009 before a dog could come home with me permanently. My dog is being trained by Denise CoStanten, the owner of Brigadoon Service Dogs.

Diary of an Autistic Escape Artist

2008-02-17T13:51:00.000-08:00

My Escape Attempts & Successes

My first major escape took place while we were camping. I was 2 years-old. I woke up early in the morning, unzipped the tent and took off. I was so quiet no one knew I was gone until they woke up. A nice lady found me laying down playing with the lines in the middle of the road. I was lucky I wasn't run over. (By the way, the tent has never been put up since that day).

Another time when I was two I popped the screen out of my window and escaped at 10:00 in the evening. My parents saw me looking in at them from the outside and brought me back in the house.

I've escaped out the front door surrounded by adults. No one saw me.

I've escaped out the back gate that my brother and sister forgot to close all the way.

I've escaped out of my aunt's house when they thought I was watching a movie.

I've escaped at a hotel in Washington D.C.. I figured out the elevator and they found me in the ballroom on the first floor of the hotel.

I've even escaped through insulation in the new bathroom my parents were building.

These are just a few of the times I've succeeded. My parents, with a grant, got me a tracking device so that Search and Rescue can find me when I escape. I've given them the opportunity to call Search and Resuce, but a nice lady found me before they were able to get there. So if you see a naked kid running around through Stanwood, and he doesn't talk to you, it's probably me.