Dear Kelly,
I know what you mean( a little) about the tornado. My S(older) used to leave a 'trail" of his activities. In the kitchen, you could follow his every move by the hand prints and food splats . I used to laugh b/c I could follow exactly how he made a sandwich, washed his hands and cleaned it up.(if you could call it that) Eventually, he became a manager in a restaurant. THEY said the same thing about him. He learned and now he just leaves a small(very small) trail.
I just let the house stay a mess(pretty much) b/c it was enough to try to "parent ' " them,emotionally and do all the things that you had to do with kids--driving,cooking, homework, etc,etc.
Now, I have a cleaning lady. Kelly, could you budget a good cleaning lady once a week? For me, that is the way to go b/c I get it to a 'minimal ' point and just "leave" it.
Having your autistic D must be so,so hard. I really can't imagine the stress that this must cause. You are a "saint" just to keep your patience,I suspect.
Just being the M of an autistic child would be a full time job,in itself. I think that you do not give yourself the credit that you deserve, Kelly,I really don't. You seem like a very loving and giving M. This is what is important. You are doing what is important----trying to be there ---emotionally.
Remember , that what you are doing with the kids(spending time and giving love) will endure long after the house is gone. That is how I see it---even though I know that a disordered house can drive you crazy. Love Ami
((((((((((((((((Kelly))))))))))))))))
