Watch it, Watch it! March 2022

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER FOR AUTISTIC INTERPRETATIONS®

Welcome! I am Val, founder of Autistic Interpretations®, a social media community that spans a blog, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. In our daily posts we share and celebrate a joyful life of the everyday experiences with my autistic blind adult daughter and the strong loving village that surrounds us.

I don’t know about where you are, but for us, March has come in like a lamb this year.  I am looking forward to spring! For our March newsletter, we’re featuring Hannah. Give our “22 in ’22” feature a read and see how well you know Hannah. But first, let’s look at the February Report.

February Report

One of my mantras is that progress never stops and February certainly was proof of that. Why do I say that? Let’s start with Jessica’s independence skills. We never give up, because she doesn’t give up. Jessica has made terrific progress in her kitchen skills as you can see in scrambled eggs with Hannah or making muffin waffles.  

I was really proud of Jessica and her understanding of a new concept for her: “overwhelmed”. Hannah and Marlow helped Jessica work through the unexpected in this bideo.

In two of February’s bideos, you can see Jessica using her limited vision. Jessica and BadDaddy played a card game he made up for Jessica. And, in a recent Thursday livestream we were all super impressed with Jessica’s reading skills. Thanks to a #goodone follower who sent her some cards that have sparked interest in practicing reading. You’ll often hear Jess ask “What am I learning that for?” We always encourage her to dream and believe that you never know what will be possible in the future. If you want to read more about Jessica’s vision, I recommend this blog post, “The Visual Mystery of Jessica’s CVI“.

And February had its share of laughs like “freakin’ 6:30” and  “Marlow vs The Carwash”.  We made a record 4 bideos in our What’s the Deal series. To support our learning sharing mission we also recorded some Q&As, including this lightning round Q&A for new followers. I was proud of Hannah for sharing her struggles with health issues and self-care.

22 in ’22

In this monthly feature, we invite you to get to know the special #goodones in our strong loving village. For March, we’re putting the spotlight on Hannah. For those who are new, Hannah is the youngest of my three children. She is Jessica’s sister and I dare say, you won’t find a sweeter sister.

1. Fave show/movie/book – The best TV show of all time is Supernatural.  My favorite movie is “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl”.  My favorite books are the Harry Potter series.
2. Fave thing about J – One thing that always cracks me up is that no matter the situation, I can say “Guess what?” and she will ALWAYS say “What?” with genuine curiosity.  Every time.
3. Fave season – Summer!
4. Best vacation? – Disney of course! A close second would be a relaxing trip to the beach.
5. Fave animal – My favorite animals are black standard poodles named Daryl.
6. Gadget you can’t live without – Other than the obvious (phone, computer, iWatch, etc) I am currently LOVING my Apple Magic Mouse!!
7. Dream job? – Working from home with Mom on all that is Autistic Interpretations. ☺
8. Water or unfiltered apple juice? – Water! Although that juice is so so good.
9. Fave game – For family-style games – dominoes.  My all-time favorite video game is Paper Mario for N64.
10. Go-to emoji – 🤷🏽‍♀️
11. Any hidden talent? – I can lick my elbow.
12. Fave breakfast food – Biscuits and gravy 😂 [What are Biscuits & Gravy? (Recipe)]
13. Fave dessert – Strawberry shortcake or warm chocolate chip cookie.
14. Fave recipe from Nonnie’s cookbook – Can’t fail fudge icing.
15. Fave Jess saying? – MOMMY your BESSIE wanted a … POOCH
16. Fave social media platform  – Instagram
17. Last person you texted – Mom 😂
18. What did you have for supper last night? – Spicy garlic wings from Pizza Hut! SO good!
19. Fave Disney character?  – Anna from Frozen!
20. One thing you’ve learned about autism – I remember being SO surprised when, as a teen, I learned that autism is more commonly diagnosed in boys than girls.
21. Fave quote or saying – As someone who has struggled with extreme anxiety in the past, and who had the bad habit of avoiding my problems and responsibilities and hoping they would go away (🙃) the quote that helped me the most is “The only way out is through”.
22. Fave song or musician? – Right now, my favorite song is “Surface Pressure” from Encanto.

Which answers surprised you? If you can’t get enough of Hannah through our Autistic Interpretations channels, give her a follow at @HannahBroooks on Instagram.

March Fun Facts

The phrase “March comes in like a lion, out like a lamb” is a well-known reference to the weather changes we expect to see in March; from stormy to spring-ish. I read the other day the phrase’s origins could also come from the stars: at the start of March, the constellation Leo (the Lion) is on the eastern horizon at sunset and by the end of the month, Aries (the Ram) is on the western horizon. Who knew?!

March is also known as Red Cross Month, Irish American Heritage Month, and National Celery Month.

For Your Calendars

• MAR 03 – Caregiver Appreciation Day
• MAR 10 – International Day of Awesomeness
• MAR 14 – Pi (3.14) Day
• MAR 17 – Saint Patrick’s Day
• MAR 19 – Let’s Laugh Day
• MAR 23 – National Puppy Day
• MAR 24 – National Cheesecake Day 
• MAR 25 – Granddad’s birthday 
• MAR 29 – Val’s birthday

Thanks & FAQ

Thanks from the bottom of our hearts for following along in our journey! We enjoy sharing our joyful life with you all, and love knowing all of the various ways our story and videos help others.

FAQ

• What does Jess see?
• When did Jess’ interest in cards start?
• Why good one, bad one?
• Has Jess always talked?