Alicia Shope

Polymer Clay Earrings, Accessories & Home Decor

10/28/2025

This is Bobo. Essentially he’s our third child. Felix takes him everywhere: school, the grocery store, out to dinner… He personifies Bobo. Bobo likes to do naughty things. Bobo feels sad. Bobo doesn’t like vegetables. His lovie helps him process things without taking ownership so it makes him feel safer expressing things. A lot of kids with ADHD and or Autism can have sensory processing disorder. Instead of seeing, hearing or feeling something in real time, it takes a bit longer to process and respond. Bobo helps him process the world around him 🐰

01/05/2025

We ventured out to the movies today. We forgot his 5:30 medicine… the movie was too long for him and he was having trouble staying seated 30 minutes in. I problem solved and took him to Barnes & Noble while Josh & Nova stayed and watched the movie. We found some legos and new books and went to sit down at a restaurant next door where I could have a glass of wine and he could do his legos. After starting his legos he started to cry… he was regretting not staying to watch the movie. It was a small restaurant and he was the only kid in the whole place. Everyone was staring… he’s not a quiet cryer! The waitress was kind and shared that her daughter is on the spectrum. She told us to leave the legos and my Prosecco, so we did and went on a walk. He couldn’t calm down and insisted on Dada. We walked to the theater. Josh and Nova left the movie 3 minutes before the ending and Josh carried Felix back to the restaurant. Nova was mad (understandably) that she missed the ending. We got back to the restaurant to clean up the legos and head to the place we had reservations for all 4 of us at. (We were in a big plaza / shopping, dining, retail… for reference.) When we got back Felix didn’t want to leave. He had a small tantrum and again we had all eyes on us. We finally convinced him to pack up his legos and we were walked to our dinner reservation. We sat down, poured out his legos, then realized we lost a piece during the transition. We reassured him that we had the same piece at home in his Lego table but that didn’t help. Josh got bit. I got hit and scratched. Felix crawled under the table. His food came but the PB&J wasn’t on the bread he likes so he ate my sushi roll instead. The soy sauce tipped and spilled on my new Christmas Anthro sweater and we left for home. Exhausting. Felix asked if we were mad at him…. so many emotions. We have a complex kiddo and a complex family and some days it’s really hard. We should have remembered his medicine. We shouldn’t have tried to take him to a long movie. We should have gone home after the first melt down. So incredibly thankful for this sweet boy of ours but being a parent of an exceptional child can be so lonely 🤍

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of the special needs parents out there 🎄✨ Even though our kiddos may not be able to clearly express it, they’re thankful for you! ♥️

12/21/2024

A little nature therapy today. Our boy is always on the move. I love the way he moves through the world and sees it through his own special lens.

12/12/2024

Let’s talk triggers. For a while it seemed like triggers for Felix were pretty easily recognizable but lately it has been hard to predetermine what might set him off. For a while it was when he heard no (and wasn’t able to process it) or when he was frustrated. The other day I gave him a kiss and he snapped and said my breath smelled bad (coffee breath). This resulted in chairs being knocked over and undesirable physical behavior. It took him a long time to calm down after this. I don’t normally take pics of him when he’s melting down but I think it’s important to share the hard stuff. Also, this is your friendly reminder to give grace to parents you see in public… you never know the full story 💙

11/23/2024

With ASD (autism) there’s a sensory component. People can be either a sensory seeker or sensory avoider (and some actually fit into both categories). Felix is mostly a sensory seeker. As a sensory seeker Felix jumps, bumps into things, and seeks deep pressure through hugs or wrestling. All of these help give his body physical input that makes his sensory system feel “organized” or regulated. As he has gotten older he has gotten better about self regulating his sensory system (even when he doesn’t know he’s doing it).

11/19/2024

When Felix was a baby there was something different about the way he cried. His cry was very intense and almost felt angry at times. Although I was a first time mom when we adopted him, I had been around kids when I was a babysitter, nanny and teacher for many years previously. Felix is currently 7.5 and he was diagnosed at the age of 5 with autism (ASD) level 2, ADHD and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD). Being a parent to an exceptional needs child can be a very lonely boat to be in. I created this account to share my experiences, grow a supportive community and help educate others on what I’ve learned from our journey thus far.

03/20/2023

Some clip on flower earrings - ready for an Easter basket! 🐰

01/18/2023

New floral statement studs now in the shop 🌸

01/15/2023

Adding some new spring styles to my Etsy shop today ✨

Address

Charlotte, NC

Website

http://www.Etsy.com/shop/ShoppeClay

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Alicia Shope posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Alicia Shope:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Shop in Charlotte?