The Twins with Autism & Their Family showed me what deep love looks like.

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Why Respite Care Is So Hard to Find. These parent-tested ideas can help you find providers, explore local resources, and build a trusted care plan for your child.

You know those tiny green “leafy” pieces from an artificial Christmas tree that show up for months like they pay rent? Yeah… those, are they like the traveling germs?

Some kids talk your ear off. Some kids never say a word—but they’ll change your life anyway.

Adventures of a babysitter- not the movie!!!

At sixteen, my first “job” (like many teens) was babysitting. My family had just moved to the USA, and not knowing much English was… let’s just say an adventure. 😅

And yet—parents trusted me with their kids. I’ll never forget my very first babysitting job.

The mom picked me up and showed me the dinner I was supposed to bake: pizza rolls. Easy. ✅ Then she introduced me to her handsome, blonde, blue-eyed boys and her beautiful little girl.

The boys were on their best behavior while the parents were home… and then the moment they left, those sweet little angels turned into a full-on movie scene. 🎬

They waited until their little sister needed a diaper change—so I was busy with her—and then I heard them calling my name. I looked out the back door, that’s where I saw them go… no boys. My heart started racing. Then I heard them laughing again, calling me from the front of the house.

I rushed through the house toward the front door, following the sound of their voices—and that’s when I saw it:

One boy was perched high in a tree. I stood there in shock, waving my arms and yelling in my broken English: “Down! Down!” 👇

He just laughed.

And then—SPLASH. 💦

Cold water soaked me from head to toe.

Because while Mr. Tree Climber distracted me, the other two boys were on the ROOF and dumped a whole bucket of water on my head. On the roof. Like it was totally normal. 😭

It was straight out of The Sound of Music—you know, the rowdy kids doing ridiculous stunts to scare off the new nanny. LOL.

Here’s the funny part: I still wanted to keep babysitting for them because the parents were so nice… and I got paid. 💵 So I never told on the boys.

(Okay, fine—I didn’t tell on them… until they were adults. Then I finally confessed to their mom, and we had a good laugh. 😂)

Speaking of The Sound of Music, that reminds me of another family—a family with six kids.

I babysat for them here and there, and one time they even had me stay with the kids for an entire weekend.

And I swear… they watched The Sound of Music at least five or six times that weekend. 🎶

They were super well-behaved kids. The trickiest part was feeding all of them and making sure they went to bed on time (which, with six kids, is basically an Olympic sport). 🥇

And I’ll admit: that weekend I left their house singing:

Do–Re–Mi–Fa–Sol–La–Si–Do 🎶🎶🎶
over and over and over again. 😄

During my babysitting years, I learned something valuable:

I could keep little humans alive. ✅
I could be responsible. ✅
People could trust me with their children. ✅
Children with Autism can be a lot of work but they are pure love. ✅

Those kids I babysat are all adults now—and many of them have kids of their own. Some are raising children with autism. When I think back to those babysitting days, I remember something important:

Trust is everything. 💛

And for many families—especially autism families—finding someone you trust (and someone who can truly support your child) can feel nearly impossible.

Earlier this week, I got a text from another advocate asking if I knew any respite care agencies in my city. I’ve had similar calls before, so I gathered a few tips I’ve heard from other parents—ideas that may help you find support, even if it takes some creativity and persistence.

Respite care isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. And if you’re searching right now, I want you to know: you’re not alone.

If you want, I can help you write a simple job post that attracts the right person. 💛

Tiny Green Invaders & Travel Germs: My Quick Hotel Cleaning Routine

I have been known to keep Christmas up until my tree was heart attacked around Valentine’s more than once. 😅

But I am so proud of myself: it’s not even the end of January and Christmas is almost packed away!

As I packed things up, I started doing a room-by-room deep clean, and there they are: the tiny green invaders that keep showing up month after month. You know what I’m talking about… those little artificial-tree “leafy” pieces from the Christmas tree and garlands. Even if we vacuum over and over, they somehow hang around all year long. They stick to walls, carpets, couches… or is it just my house? 🌲

As I deep-cleaned and triple-vacuumed my living room, I thought about hotels and vacation rentals. Here I am obsessing over my carpet… but in a hotel room (and even in some vacation rentals), things don’t always get cleaned as thoroughly as we hope between guests.

So here are a few realistic, simple tips to help you avoid bringing unwanted annoying “bugs” (the germ kind and the creepy-crawly kind 😬) home with you.

Travel is supposed to bring you memories—not mystery germs and surprise itchy situations. 😅

A few wipes, a quick check, and a couple of smart habits can go a long way, especially if you or your kids have sensory sensitivities or allergies.

And for what it’s worth: I own a vacation rental, and I have a detailed checklist my hospitality team follows every time. I’m pretty sure most hotels don’t have the time to do that level of detail on every turnover—so I do my little wipe-down routine and call it good.

You don’t have to be perfect. You just need a plan.

Happy travels! ✈️🧼

TIP: If you’re traveling with sensory-sensitive kids, it may help to bring a small air purifier.

Sacred Ground: Sacred Ground: The Babysitting Family That Taught Me About Autism and Love

I want to share about my third babysitting family—a family with four boys. They were all the sweetest. Two of the boys were twins… and this is where I first learned about high needs autism.

At first, when I started babysitting them, I’ll be honest—it was a little intimidating. I was young, still learning, and I didn’t have the language or understanding I have now about autism. I am still learning.

The twin boys were so sweet.

They did not speak… but they could laugh.
They could not do much… but they could hug.

And those hugs? They meant the world to me.

They would hug me when I played the piano for them. 🎹 I knew they could listen, and somehow, I could communicate with them through music. That was one of the most powerful experiences of my life.

I would hold their hands and lead them, and they would follow.

They needed help in every way—things we take for granted, like eating, toileting, or getting dressed. They were so innocent, defenseless, and pure.

Walking into their home felt like walking onto sacred ground. I still remember the feeling of peace and reverence in their home.

Today, I want to honor their mom 🎂💛

Today is her birthday.

Those boys are in their forties, and their mom is in her eighties.

Her dedication, patience, and service to her kids—and to other people around her—are an extraordinary example of pure love.

Her husband, too. He worked all day and still came home to help his wife, even through sleepless nights. These parents chose to give their entire lives to the twins: caring for them, cleaning up after them, and nourishing them with love.

Watching this family love so faithfully taught me something I still carry today:

Sometimes the loudest kind of love is not the one that makes a speech.
It’s the one that shows up… again… and again… and again. 💛

If you’re a parent or caregiver reading this and you feel tired, unseen, or like your life is a never-ending loop of helping, cleaning, feeding, redirecting, and starting over—please hear me:

What you do matters.
Your patience matters.
Your presence matters.

Even on the days when it feels like nothing is changing, love is still doing something powerful.

And if no one has told you lately—happy birthday to the mamas (and dads) who keep showing up, even through sleepless nights. You are sacred ground, too. 🕯️💛

Who is one caregiver (past or present) whose love has impacted your family—and have you told them lately?

If this story touched you, hit reply and tell me: What’s one small moment of connection your child has had lately—a laugh, a hug, a look, a song, a hand squeeze? I’d love to hear it. 💛

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