Moppi and Peepa.

When Jaysen was little, and trying to figure out this thing called language, I would try to get him to say certain words. When he tried to say "Grandma and Grandpa" it came out "Moppi and Poppy". Over a short period of time, "Poppy" morphed into "Peepa", and my parent's new monikers were born. Moppi and Peepa it was.

Let me tell you a little about them.

Peepa is the most wonderful man in the whole entire universe (possibly the whole galaxy, but the votes aren't tallied yet). He is the one who has been a stalwart support for me at times I feared my Lexapro was failing me. From first diagnosis, he has been a resource of research findings, and networking aficionado.

I think Peepa "gets it". He knows that when Jaysen is dysregulated, something needs to happen. He knows that certain behaviors lead up to a possible meltdown. He knows that the meltdowns were not because Jaysen needed a spanking, or because he was a bad kid, and most importantly, he realized that Jaysen had little control over them.

Peepa is the "asker of the questions" the "information seeker", the one who will "find that out". He's the one who will go with you into foreign situations, and ask the questions you were too scared to, or forgot to ask. He makes sure he understands.

Moppi has a heart of gold. She loves her grandsons so much, that she would do anything for them, despite the cost. Moppi desperately wants the best for everyone around her. She is the motivational speaker. She is the one filled with hope.

I don't think Moppi quite "gets it" yet. Moppi can be pretty high strung at times. She's still having a rough time accepting Jaysen's diagnosis, and often gets upset about it. She wants him to be able to take a magic pill and be "normal". She's getting better though- there was a time where she refused to read anything about Autism because it was "too painful". At least now she is able to accept information in small doses. Moppi and I go head-to-head quite a bit- she is a "cure-seeker", where I am a "make the most of what you're dealt and enjoy it" kind of person.

Moppi has difficulty recognizing when Jaysen is approaching overload. I have tried to explain over and over, that if he says he doesn't want you to do something (like take his picture right now), to please respect that. But she wants that picture, and figures she can try to trick him into letting her take it. Yeah- didn't work, did it, Mop? And when Jaysen does have a meltdown- she takes it personally.

But Moppi's great. She just worries too much. About everything. That's the yin and yang I suppose. My mom freaks out, and my dad tries to ground her. She absolutely adores baby Rylan. She really is a super grandmother. Moppi has helped me out in a lot of situations, and I know that she is absolutely there for me if I need it. 3am babysitter because I got a last minute ticket to an all night Loch Ness Monster vs. Sasquatch curling showdown?...she'd be there.

At the end of every day, I am so thankful for my parents. I think they need to be medicated at times...but they are so very important to me, and I love them bunches. I just hope that I am able to be there for my boys like they are for me.