10/02/2026
Last night I disciplined my precious Tristan for the first time ever.
Yesterday, no iPad because he wouldn’t ride the bus or complete school, and he's hasn't many times in the last few weeks. We recited about 100 times: “Ride the bus, go to school, be good, then iPad.”
Today, he remembered. And rode the bus. Honestly that's a win for today.
Anticipatory anxiety is my worst enemy right now.
Autism is such a fluid disability. I hate using the word “disability,” but honestly, I don’t really know what else to call it.
Every day is a challenge. Not necessarily a bad one, but a constant game of figuring things out. Trying to make sure I don’t do the wrong thing, say the wrong thing, or poke the bear. 😂 And by “bear,” I mean Tristan, because he genuinely is like a little grizzly baby.
One day can go perfectly, and then the next 10 can be absolute chaos. And I’m left racking my brain trying to figure out what changed. What caused it. What did I miss?
Oddly enough, up until around 11, things were pretty smooth sailing. But he had a very structured routine. Now he’s getting into secondary school, and life just isn’t as predictable.
They’re almost teenagers. And the real world doesn’t function on timers, schedules, visuals and all the other things Tristan thrives on.
So then we’re left dealing with the aftermath.
He doesn’t really know how to function in a world that is so fluid. And honestly, neither do I right now.
I have become rigid because he is. I spend my days waiting for the phone call from school, watching the bus drive away with anxiety on full display, if he even gets on, and waiting for the next thing I’m going to have to manage.
For years, I was really good at this. I could handle the chaos, figure things out as they came and keep moving.
Then some things happened. Some of my own trauma. And now I’m just not as able to handle stress coming at me from every direction.
So I panic.
And then I eliminate whatever I can. Anything that might decrease the triggers, the stress, the things that can overwhelm me.
I’m praying that in a couple of weeks, Tristan will find his way back to himself. Back to our routine. Back to his happy self. And that we can all breathe for a minute and move forward until the next thing comes along.
Because living in Tristan’s world can be the most amazing thing. It can also be completely exhausting.
I hope soon I can find my way back, too.
I’ll still be around here because, apparently, if I stop posting Facebook will punish me and I’ll lose all my momentum for when I eventually open back up for orders. But I may be a little less
responsive for a while.
If you are a special needs momma, just know I see you.