Whats with all the negativity!!!

We've all been in those situations where you are with another person whose life is soo much "better", they have it all "together" right (according to them)? So much so that they feel the need to pick apart your life and tell you everything you are doing wrong, which according to them is, of course, EVERYTHING! I was in this exact situation a number of months ago and it has plagued me ever since. I know I should have said something right then and there but 1) I have never been good at standing up for myself, when I do it comes out as an attack. I tend to think from my heart instead of my head and tact tends to fly out the window (not that this person was using any) 2) Had that happened it would have risked alienating other people in my life and that just wasn't worth it to me. So instead I kept the peace and have been obsessing over it and getting furious over it and trying to figure out how it is that I became this person's target. Its gotten to the point where it even woke me up at 3am this morning giving me an anxiety attack. I have known this person for a very long time and for her to criticize me for everything that she did really upset me. It took a long time for me to get back to sleep this morning thinking about it and getting over my anger over this person. It especially upset me that she was criticizing my parenting. Then I got to thinking about it. I was perusing facebook and among all the funny pictures and friend status' I saw this, "Don't worry about what other pople say behind your back, they are the people who are finding faults in your life instead of fixing the faults in their own life." it then occured to me that during that weekend that I was listening to this persons negative feedback I was also watching my children and my interaction with them. My children were very well behaved, they did not act out and they did everything they were told. They were polite and respectful to all the adults and they were clean and friendly. To me this is a success, not something worthy of another persons criticism. To me this says that this person is too afraid to hold the mirror up to her own face so she has to project her own image onto someone she views as weaker. After this self reflection I do feel better about myself especially as a parent. I am going to limit my exposure to this person as I don't deserve this treatment but I hope that in the future I will have the strength to open my mouth and say something to put her in her place where she belongs.

ASD continued...

So my son and I are on the road to getting him the help that he needs.  Above and beyond his weekly therapy sessions.  He started his PHP program today and he really seemed to enjoy it.  Wednesday he starts at his new school in a smaller class.  PHP means less time at home and I'm really going to miss him but I know that he needs it and maybe he and I will start getting along better.  He is so angry all the time and I just dont know why. It could be a multiple of things.  I dont think its at me though, I think I'm just an easy target because he knows I wont give up on him, I wont leave him.  Its still tough though.  Typical discipline dosen't work so i've had to be creative and try to stay positive but I do snap at times.  I am so hopeful that he snaps out of this soon and becomes the loving, sweet kid I know he is.