• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…GIFTS! & (Dear) Santa Mommy file under “Brenda’s Top 5 (Autism) (Holiday) Tips of ALL TIME” (believe it, Bren is FULL of tips, therefore the specific title); 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…GIFTS! refers to the way she is able to get Dylan (okay not this year) to open Christmas presents in an orderly, understandable, and less stressful way. She numbers each gift and asks Dylan to pass her each one. Once the gifts are in HER hands, his interest piques! (Dear) Santa Mommy (man oh man does Kristi wish she’d used this one) is the way she encourages Dylan to address Santa. As Santa beliefs may fade, mommy (and Amazon) remain! As for Kristi, she is essentially and eternally screwed.
  • Autism on the Seas vacations for adults and families living with autism, down syndrome, and other related disabilities; assisted cruise vacations spoiling families with respite and a ton of other dreamy perks; keep your eyes open for ship tours; the Facebook group Autism on the Seas Community (just search Facebook) is a great place to connect with other families.
  • Bass Pro Shops redneck heaven; a place Brenda would never set foot;  home of a fantastic seasonal winter wonderland and GETS IT RIGHT when it comes to accommodating families like ours re: the wait to see Santa. Kudos to them!
  • Brightline A sleek new way to travel from the 305 to West Palm Beach’s Restoration Hardware for a jaw-droppingly expensive lunch; dubbed “notso” in our home; needs to get its shit together after having the huevos to report they “have no special needs accommodations.”
  • Dave See Brightline. Led Kristi and family to the Broward station’s peaceful Select Lounge, straight past 400+ others waiting in line for The Polar Express Train Ride (where Kristi thankfully found champagne); the reason why our definition of Brightline is as kind as it is.
  • Dylan a.k.a. D$; Brenda’s 16 YO son; lover of Peter Pan (but sadly not on cue); our most HANDSOME guest to date; our biggest podcast host COMPETITION; loves a microphone; loves his Mommy.
  • Mall Santa refers to the FAB Santa at The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Let The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida be defined as “Kristi’s church.” Note: try not to refer to said Santa as “really good for a mall Santa” in Kristi’s son J.R.’s presence. #webelieve #santasohard
  • Run Move Over Autism Puzzle Peace Now‘s annual FUNraiser; a chance to earn bling just for posting a picture of you MOVING (they don’t count K’s in this 5K!) Some of the details may have come off as choppy during this episode cuz, uh, #blonde #editing #problems. Sign up TODAY for this DIY event as spaces are limited (seeing as the medals are UH-MAY-ZING!). Join the FB convo to see how others are doin’ it (and to get those questions answered).
  • The Nutcracker Suite the magical world created by the Miami City Ballet and Dylan’s favorite holiday tradition with mommy. That is, until a scrooge usher prohibited Dylan’s entrance to the venue at the usual thirty-minute mark prior to starting time and chaos ensued. No worries, Brenda made sure to quickly send in the customer (dis)satisfaction survey with all the gory details. Get to it, Adrienne Arsht Center.
  • Polar Express Train Ride the entertainment venue based on the beloved children’s book; an event serving way too little alcohol; a highlight of the Vannattas’ holiday (que pena); marks the time J.R.’s age (14) brought the average age of guests from 5 to 5.1.
  • Sensory seeking behavior Brenda described her 16 YO son Dylan as displaying sensory seeking behavior during a particularly challenging time; a sensory seeker craves sensory input and can display a variety of behaviors including, but not limited to jumping, running, crashing (i.e., into furniture), biting, pushing, and spinning. Brenda’s Dylan may press the top of his palm into his chin, hard when “distressed.”
  • So yet another term the Disorderly Blondes should remove from their vocabulary; the second word in Brenda’s favorite Miami Bass song after “Oh Mi” but before “Horny.”
  • Surfers For Autism this episode’s shoutout; a life-altering event where highly patient, skilled (and often HOT) surf instructors and volunteers guide your child toward the ride of their lives. Surfer kids and families enjoy a day of live music, face-painting, games, bounce houses, fire engine tours and so much more at NO cost. Space is coveted and unfortunately limited. Keep a close eye on registration dates. BONUS MATERIAL: read how surfing forever changed how Kristi sees her son- on her blog https://puzzlepeacenow.com/2018/06/27/hang-ten/