On the subject of potty training, I am really mystified. Gavin was using the toilet for about a week. He loved it! It was his favorite thing to do.

"Gavin, do you have to pee pee in the potty? Yes or no?" I'd ask.

"Yes!" he would shout with great enthusiasm.

Now, when I ask him the same question, he pretends not to hear, or runs away. What's the deal? Since he has autism, I'm thankful to get any kind of response to a question. Being able to ask "Yes or No" is extremely valuable. But why now is his standard reaction a nonverbal vamoose?

I think the answer is that the novelty of using the potty is gone. The honeymoon is over. It was fun for a week, but he's found that it is much easier to just let it go, on the go. Dirty pullups don't seem to bother him at all. We've tried the cool alert pullups. They haven't had an effect that I can measure, and I have reservations about the chemicals in them. There is one thing that motivates him like no other, and that is the "Cars" movie. Gavin absolutely loves the extra film that comes on the dvd called "Mater and the Ghostlight." We've turned that into a huge bonus prize for him to earn only if he poo poo's on the potty. He knows that the only time he gets to see Mater being chased all around Radiator Springs by the Ghostlight is after he does a number two. So far it's worked pretty well. One of us has to remind him that there is a great prize waiting in the dvd player if he succeeds. When he doesn't remember (which is most often) and I have to change his pullup, I remind him then that Mater is going to have to wait. He's always very regretful.

I love the way his brain works sometimes. He can be so funny. When he's sitting on the potty, just looking around and humming to himself, I remind him of the task at hand. I'll say "Get that poo poo in the water, so we can flush it away!" (He loves to flush the toilet) He looks at me thoughtfully for a moment, then coaxes "Come on poo poo, take a drink!" As if the poo poo is hiding, not wishing to be flushed. What a kid.

Gavin goes to a great little pre-school where they are working with him on this subject as well. They take him to the toilet every hour, and he has very few accidents. When Garrett is potty trained, I hope his older brother will finally catch on. Garrett seems ready now, so I guess we should be concentrating our efforts on him? Sometimes peers are the best teachers, I think. I just hope they're both in regular underwear by the time the third ankle biter arrives! Three rounds of diaper changes would be more than I could handle. God bless you parents of multiples! I don't know how you do it!

My name's Brett, but around here they call me daddy or dada. If you read Sara's blog you already know a little bit about our family. What I wanted to write about today is the Surfers Healing camp that comes to our town every summer. Gavin has been twice, and loved it both times. The first summer he was a 2 year old, and it was a stormy, wind whipped beach that day. There was a tropical storm a few miles offshore. The sea was angry, my friends. Gavin showed no fear. He didn't even melt down when we put the yellow life vest on him! Izzy, the camp's founder, paddled with him out into the foaming atlantic. They bobbed up and down on the surf board for awhile as Izzy talked to Gavin, sharing a private conversation off shore, away from a world that doesn't understand. And then came the surf. It was incredible! Wave after wave they rode, Gavin giggling and signing "more, more!" You can see in the video just how violent the surf was that day. Izzy is literally a pro. He's a great surfer, and you can tell his whole heart is in that moment with that child. At that point, I came to realize what Surfers Healing was all about. It is about finding inner peace and enjoying life, even when your world is filled with frustrating confusion. Surfing takes these kids out of their comfort zone (a terrifying concept if you have autism) and sets them sailing in the wind and water. It's amazing to watch these children surf. It's a day of relief for parents who are at the end of their rope. We've been at the end of our rope a few times, but Gavin's sweet smile and deep brown eyes bring us back. Sara and I love what Gavin has given us. He's made us realize what's important in life - having fun and taking chances! Gavin doesn't know he has autism. He doesn't care that people stare. He just keeps on dancing to his own little beat.

Welcome to our blog! We have just launched our new website for Snugfits™ and could not be more excited about it! After all of our hard work - we finally have something to show for it. We worked for years perfecting our product and now we get to share it with the world instead of just our town. Not to say that we don't appreciate our loyal local customers, because we do... very much. They have given us the confidence to take our business to the next level.

Both my husband and I are also looking forward to the new challenge of blogging. That is, coming up with topics to "blog" about without putting people to sleep! Hopefully we will appeal to parents out there like us, with similar interests and tastes. We both have somewhat different (yet, complimentary) approaches to life, so that should make it interesting. We are planing to talk about just about anything of interest to us. Raising children, pregnancy, cooking, leisure activities, graphic arts, running a home-based business - you name it.

I think I'll start off by telling you a little more about myself. Some things that are not mentioned on our "About Us" page - which I tried to keep more strictly related to the business of selling tees. My husband and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary last August. I am the proud mother of two beautiful little boys. Gavin is my oldest son, who will turn 4 on March 11th. Garrett is my youngest son, who will turn 2 on May 2nd. I am also pregnant with my third child, who is due on August 7th... which is also our anniversary. However, since fewer than 10% of births actually occur on the due date, it will most likely be some other day. But, it's special anyhow. We do not know the sex yet - and we will definitely be finding out, just as we did with the other two. Kind of hoping for a girl - but I love my boys and one more would be just grand. They tell me that this time around I am considered "high risk" for my "advanced age" - which is 37, turing 38 on March 6th. A tad bit depressing! I've always considered 30 something to be fairly young... Also, my husband is approximately 8 years my junior, so he's always kept me youthful in spirit.

Our son Gavin was diagnosed with a developmental delay at 13 months old. He was subsequently diagnosed with Autism at 3 years old. Raising a child with Autism is both trying and rewarding at the same time. Gavin is truly a dear soul underneath all of the difficulties we face daily with his communication and seemingly odd behavior. Parenting any child can be a tough job, though... for sure. We are just starting to experience what it's like to have an authentic "terrible two year old" with Garrett. It will be fun discussing our parenting strategies - unsuccessful more often than not - with all of you! And in return, we hope to gain valuable insight from you on raising children of all abilities.

My goals for the future stretch across several aspects of my life. I hope to expand on the Snugfits™ line, adding designs for older children, pregnant moms and parents. I'd also love to offer my designs that are specifically geared for children with Autism. Although I've had success selling my designs in these areas locally, being able to afford the inventory needed to offer the same color choices that I do for my baby line will take time. On a personal front, I am working towards being able to home school all of my children once they reach elementary school age. It will take a lot of research, planning and networking in order for me to step into that world confidently. I look forward to sharing my life's journey with all of you.

I thank you for taking the time to read this. And, for visiting our store. If you have any questions, comments, constructive criticism or advice - please feel free to contact me. I would love to hear from you!