INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Pour a half a cup of water into a ceramic or microwave-safe bowl. Then take one lemon and cut it in half. Squeeze each half of the lemon into the water. Drop the halves into the bowl after squeezing. Put the bowl into the microwave. Microwave the bowl with the lemon and water on high for three minutes. This will produce a steam that will pervade the microwave and make it easier to clean. Keep the microwave door closed for five minutes after the cycle is complete to let the steam do its work. After the five minutes are over, open up the microwave. Carefully with an oven mitt or towel, remove the bowl and set it aside. Use a sponge or wet cloth and wipe down the inside of the microwave. If the microwave has a turning tray, you can take this out and clean it individually to make the process easier. Use a scrub brush to scrub away any drips or stains in the microwave. The stains are probably not from the popcorn, but the popcorn odor can stick to these stains. If the scrub brush isn’t working, try dipping a cloth into the lemon and water mixture and rubbing at the stains. After you have removed the stain, do a final wipe down of the microwave with a dry cloth. This will remove the moisture from the inside of the microwave. You should notice that the odor of the popcorn is gone and is replaced with a nice citrus smell. If not, there are a couple more measures you can take.

SUMMARY: Put water and lemon into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the bowl for three minutes. Wipe the microwave. Scrub any stubborn food remnants. Dry the inside with a dry cloth.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Do not keep moving your Knight around, just because he can give lots of checks. Use your entire army! One of the biggest rookie mistakes is to only using a few of your pieces. When that happens, the rest just end up lagging behind and make for easy captures for your opponent. So keep the board lively, keep your opponent on his toes. In your opening, place a few pawns one or two spaces forward and then start moving the other pieces. This allows more pieces on the first row to pass through and enter the playing field easily, giving you more offensive power. Since so many pieces can move about every which way, controlling the center is considered more beneficial than controlling the sides. When you dominate the center, your pieces have more mobility than they had at the edge or the corner. As an example, the knight only has two options to move from a corner, but he has eight options to move from a central square! Dominate the center as quickly as you can. It's for this reason that many people have their middle pawns start off the game. Just make sure you don't open up your king for an early checkmate by a well-placed bishop or a queen! This is pretty obvious, yet many players hang their pieces, even grandmasters as well! If you must give them away, have them be in a trade. Never just relinquish one mindlessly -- they're all valuable, whether it is a pawn or a queen. There is a point system, if you're curious. The more valuable they are, the more points they're worth:  Pawns are worth 1 point Knights are worth 3 points Bishops are worth 3 points Rooks are worth 5 points Queens are worth 9 points Kings are invaluable because if you lose your king, you lose the game. This is something you should pay special attention to. If you do nothing else -- if you aren't one much for doing the attacking -- you have to protect your king. Get him in the corner by castling, set up a fortress of pieces around him, make sure to give him a square to run, in case your opponent does manage to give you a check. You want to get your opponent fleeing rather than attacking as soon as possible. He can do very little on his own, yet he can hold his own. In the starting and the middle phases of the game, he almost always needs at least one or two pieces to watch out for any checks. However in the end stages of the game, when only a couple of pieces and few pawns are left on the board, the King then becomes a fighting piece and should be centralized.

SUMMARY: Use all your pieces. Control the center. Don't give your pieces away needlessly. Protect your king.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Prioritize a person's needs (sensory needs, need to eat, need to sleep, etc.) over the wants of other family members. It's hard to have a good time if someone's needs aren't being met. Meet all needs first, and then everyone will be ready to have fun. This applies to both autistic and non-autistic family members. It's okay to split into groups if that's what will make everyone's needs be met, and keep people happy. Keep cell phones with both groups, and designate a meeting place that is easy to see.  For example, if your son is overwhelmed and needs a break, while your daughter wants to ride a roller coaster, maybe your wife could take your son for a break and meet up in half in hour. For example, if your husband is very tired and needs rest, and your daughter is eager to get out and do things, maybe you can take her swimming while your husband takes a nap. Whether you're flying or driving, delays may happen. Therefore, it is important to pack distractions such as an MP3 player, their favorite snacks, or even an eraser or another favorite object that will keep them busy. Before leaving the hotel, have your autistic child pick out a stim toy or favorite object to take with them in a purse or bag. This can help them stay calm. If your child can tell you what they need (using speech or AAC), then you can often meet their needs before it turns into a meltdown. When any of your children communicate a need, take time to listen and talk about how to meet that need. The stress of travel and the confusion of a new environment may make your child prone to becoming overwhelmed. Therefore, be prepared for them, and do as close what you would normally do as possible in the event that one does occur.  Your child will likely start displaying signs of stress before a meltdown - such as agitated stimming, looking upset, becoming passive, or regressing. Recognize these signs and help your child to leave or manage what's upsetting them.  Have an exit plan. Maybe one person can take the child out for a walk around the parking lot, or to sit somewhere quiet, so they can have time to calm down.  All parents have moments when their children scream and cry in public. It's okay. This happens to everyone. When planning your trip, consider each family member's favorite activities. Keep in mind your autistic child's preferences, their siblings' preferences, and the preferences of the adults in the family. This vacation is for all of you. It's okay if you don't have an amazing beach vacation just like the Sanchez family, or if you didn't spend as much money as Leslie in the corner office did. This vacation is for your family, not anyone else's. It might look a little different, and that's okay. Accept what you have, define your own fun, and make your own memories.

SUMMARY:
Put the family members' needs first. Don't be afraid to split up. Be prepared for anything. Encourage children to communicate their needs. Recognize that meltdowns or shutdowns will most likely occur. Choose activities that the whole family will enjoy. Enjoy vacationing in your family's own unique way.