While driving to the store I get a phone call that has an OMG! MOM, I am beside myself ring to it! I take a deep breath and brace myself for whatever is to follow. The dreaded words, “the school just called and Drake is in the principal’s office in time out ma…timmmme oooout…he’s in trouble ma”…came tumbling out of my sweet girl’s mouth. I am quickly assessing the situation and thinking just how bad can it be? He is only seven after all. He is not known to be a trouble maker as a rule so I tell her to calm down and tell me what is going on. He said whaat??? He did whaaaaat?????? Now I had to take a friggin’ deep breath and calm myself down.
By now my fight or flight mode was engaging and as anyone who has read my blog would know: I was in fight mode…welllllll, kinda sorta, because he did say some bad, bad, words and did pull his pants partially down (thank goodness) during recess. Oh good grief! Part of me was thinking…wow…he is doing stupid seven year old boy stuff, while the other part was thinking, BUT it is hard to make him understand not to do this. What he would do is this: He would say don’t say blankety blank because it is a bad word. Don’t say blankety, blank, blank because this is a bad word. He certainly has quite a litany of blankety blanks. Smart kid this little imp! Leaves ya wondering if he is reaffirming the fact that he shouldn’t say these words, or using this as a ruse to use them. I tend to lean towards the latter and that means his higher thought process is working because has has actually scammed me before. OK! OK! I will explain and then continue with today.
A few years ago I saw him getting ready to throw something he was drinking into the garbage. I said uh, uh, buddy boy…you asked for it so do not do that…DRINK IT ok? The little bugger put it to his lips like he was sipping and then unceremoniously flipped it into the pail. I was stunned. I was elated. I was friggin’ beside myself. Could barely contain myself. He was scamming me because nary a drop touched his beautiful little boy mouth and I knew it. All I could think was: He has to be using a higher thought level…logic…OH YES! my little love, I shall let you win this go round but I will surely keep an eye on ya, ya little creep. Scamming grandma like that; how wicked, how wonderful, how wickedly wonderful. Back to the now!
That little anecdote should explain why I wonder about the bad, bad, some very bad words. Although there is more to this story than meets the eye. Apparently three boys in his class like to egg him on, not understanding this is like opening Pandora’s Box. Are they doing this to get him into trouble? Are they doing this because they think it is funny? Is it a combination of both? Did they tell him to take his pants partially down in the play yard? If this is the case they certainly need to be talked to. Their parents need to be talked to as well. The little boys need to be taught that he needs their help in good ways…not ways to amuse and get himself in trouble. Are they laughing with him or at him? Education is power and these kids and all kids and their parents and all parents need a bit of EMPOWERMENT ya think?
Back to the principal’s office, (I do tend to get sidetracked at times): They really were treating my little love nicely. They are being educated along with everyone else as far as autism’s little nuances. When the Principal went back to his desk I leaned towards “the Masher” and whispered, “No more baddie, baddie words, right?” and he replied in a whisper “no more bad words.” I leaned in a bit closer and whispered, “why did you pull your pants part way down?” and he leaned in closer and whispered, “I had to pee!!!!” OMG! Was that the simple explanation? My head was too busy reeling from the fact he was whispering back to me…NO ONE IN THIS SCHOOL TRULY UNDERSTANDS HOW FAR THIS KID HIS TRAVELED…THEY THINK THEY DO BUT THEY DON’T…you had to be there from the beginning. Oh well, such is life. We did pinkie promise that he would behave. Said I love you, and left him happily coloring his way through the time out stay in the Principal’s office, who by the way supplied the paper and crayons, and was secure in leaving him.
As I was leaving the school and walking towards my car I saw the kids walking back to class from the lunch room. One little boy stood out and I thought how cute with his little mohawk. As I kept walking I heard a teacher asking, “Did you do something to him? Did you? Tell me the truth?” She was directing this to the cute little mohawk guy. Drake my love, at that very moment I realized the little boy in you was truly coming out…we just have to figure out how to turn off the switch after it comes on. You go my love…you go! Called my daughter and once again she sounded like my precious Jefner!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Anecdote: Got to Have This Balloon…Got to…
Now this is where the balloons become…ohhhhh…all consuming? As luck would have it, my little love fell TOTALLY in love with friggin’ BALLOONS…I mean to the point that you made sure to have a HUGE stockpile at all time…huge, folks…no exaggeration here I tell ya. Kinda still learning about autism at this point and this was quite a lesson!!!!! Never, ever run out of something they like. NEVER, EVER, EVER…tends to make autism verrrrry angry; which in turn can lead to majorly, major meltdowns. Go figure. Who knew?
My sweet daughter had her lungs feel like they were exploding on many occasions due to blowing up balloons. One after another, after another, and so on and so forth. What did he do? Took the balloon that just finished sucking the very life right out of you and released it across the room…clasping his little hands in unimaginable joy…weeeeeeeeeeeeee! I kinda got out of balloon blowing up duty because I said I am TOO OLD TO HANDLE THIS. <wink, wink> No dummy here folks!
After turning a startling shade of blue, my daughter taught him how to blow up his own darn balloons. YES! He did it folks! He could now blow ‘em up and let ‘em go all he wanted and squeeze his little hands together in an explosion of joy and mommy was able to get her breathing under control. Another miracle.
Found out very quickly how ugly it could get when we went into stores. Didn’t know that every store in the entire State of TEXAS had balloons…I mean every stinkin’ one. Of course when we entered the store and he spotted them it would get…how shall I say it…a bit sticky? If he couldn’t have one he would clear out the store. Oh my oh my was he the master!
On one outing with my little bud, he spotted a monkey balloon…A MONKEY BALLOON: $10.00, can you believe it? TEN DOLLARS FOR ONE BALLOON…UGH…OMG!…aaggghhh. Almost caved but he had sorta misbehaved in the store and off we marched back to my car.
Oh good grief, he really is the MASTER. We weren’t in the car one minute when he grabbed my hand in a death grip, big beautiful brown eyes filled with huge tears, saying balloon…balloooon…BAAAAALLLOOOOOOOON? Okay I caved. SO? Haven’t ya ever caved? To a TEN DOLLAR BALLOON? Please tell me I am not alone in this: PLEASE!
Okay, Okay, so I take him back into the store and yes…yes…yes…made the little guy happy and myself ten bucks lighter, but he was so excited. He was soooooo happy I would have spent $100 on the friggin’ monkey. I now felt like the “BEST GRANDMA EVER,” and he was honing his skills, all at the same time.
We get home and he couldn’t wait to show it to mommy and Nicole, who was visiting from Easter Seals. All was right with the world; Chunky Monkey had his own monkey and life was good until…
Here is the kicker dear reader; here is the TEN DOLLAR KICKER: When Nicole got up to leave , we all followed her to the door to say goodbye. As we were doing this we watched in horror I tell you…HORROR…weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, said the little guy, clasping his hands together in pure unadulterated glee as he let the balloon go. Yes you read that right! He let the balloon GO! Kinda sorta forgot he liked to do that. People must have wondered for days about the flying monkey. I still laugh to this day. I just wish there was a camera at moment to catch all the different expressions: Horror, horror, horror…JOY! God I love that kid, BUT, I am now very selective when it comes to balloons. Would I do it again? YOU BETCHA!
My sweet daughter had her lungs feel like they were exploding on many occasions due to blowing up balloons. One after another, after another, and so on and so forth. What did he do? Took the balloon that just finished sucking the very life right out of you and released it across the room…clasping his little hands in unimaginable joy…weeeeeeeeeeeeee! I kinda got out of balloon blowing up duty because I said I am TOO OLD TO HANDLE THIS. <wink, wink> No dummy here folks!
After turning a startling shade of blue, my daughter taught him how to blow up his own darn balloons. YES! He did it folks! He could now blow ‘em up and let ‘em go all he wanted and squeeze his little hands together in an explosion of joy and mommy was able to get her breathing under control. Another miracle.
Found out very quickly how ugly it could get when we went into stores. Didn’t know that every store in the entire State of TEXAS had balloons…I mean every stinkin’ one. Of course when we entered the store and he spotted them it would get…how shall I say it…a bit sticky? If he couldn’t have one he would clear out the store. Oh my oh my was he the master!
On one outing with my little bud, he spotted a monkey balloon…A MONKEY BALLOON: $10.00, can you believe it? TEN DOLLARS FOR ONE BALLOON…UGH…OMG!…aaggghhh. Almost caved but he had sorta misbehaved in the store and off we marched back to my car.
Oh good grief, he really is the MASTER. We weren’t in the car one minute when he grabbed my hand in a death grip, big beautiful brown eyes filled with huge tears, saying balloon…balloooon…BAAAAALLLOOOOOOOON? Okay I caved. SO? Haven’t ya ever caved? To a TEN DOLLAR BALLOON? Please tell me I am not alone in this: PLEASE!
Okay, Okay, so I take him back into the store and yes…yes…yes…made the little guy happy and myself ten bucks lighter, but he was so excited. He was soooooo happy I would have spent $100 on the friggin’ monkey. I now felt like the “BEST GRANDMA EVER,” and he was honing his skills, all at the same time.
We get home and he couldn’t wait to show it to mommy and Nicole, who was visiting from Easter Seals. All was right with the world; Chunky Monkey had his own monkey and life was good until…
Here is the kicker dear reader; here is the TEN DOLLAR KICKER: When Nicole got up to leave , we all followed her to the door to say goodbye. As we were doing this we watched in horror I tell you…HORROR…weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, said the little guy, clasping his hands together in pure unadulterated glee as he let the balloon go. Yes you read that right! He let the balloon GO! Kinda sorta forgot he liked to do that. People must have wondered for days about the flying monkey. I still laugh to this day. I just wish there was a camera at moment to catch all the different expressions: Horror, horror, horror…JOY! God I love that kid, BUT, I am now very selective when it comes to balloons. Would I do it again? YOU BETCHA!
Anecdote: You Can Have Any Balloon You Want. You Want Them All?
One day my wonderful daughter (Drake’s mom,) and I took Drake to Toys ‘R’ Us to pick up a gift if memory serves me correctly. As we were standing on line at the register I noticed the little guy looking at all the helium balloons floating with sheer abandon up, up towards the ceiling, yet in every kid’s eyesight…of course. Great marketing ploy, ya think?
I wandered over to the large display and picked out a balloon and thought: Hmmm, wonder if he will like this, look at it, or even play with it. What the heck; had to try!
I handed it to him and got back on the line with his mom. All of a sudden I feel these little fingers encircling my hand and leading me back to the big balloon display. HUH? Is he trying to show me something? Is it possible?
I let him lead me to wherever it was he wanted to lead me. Actually, this kid says jump and I tell him not to make me jump too high; TOO FRIGGIN’ OLD MY LOVE, TOO FRIGGIN’ OLD! Back to the gaggle of balloons floating above us like a rainbow of color and mish-mash of shapes. He looks up and says, “other one?” I am like WHAAAAAAAT? Did you just say other one? OTHER ONE? You are telling me my choice sucks and you want that other one??????? Here is where OMG! is perfect…OMG! OMG! Like the idiot that I can be I gave the balloon back to the salesperson, explaining this foolish old woman picked the wrong balloon, and proceeded to say to him (quite loudly and with excess animation) “you want that one? That one? You can have any balloon you want! Do You want them all?
I know people were looking at me like I was totally nuts but I did not care; not one whit! He communicated with me and that was music to my ears. It was music that all the unfortunate shoppers never got to hear—although my daughter was dancin’ to the tune!
I wandered over to the large display and picked out a balloon and thought: Hmmm, wonder if he will like this, look at it, or even play with it. What the heck; had to try!
I handed it to him and got back on the line with his mom. All of a sudden I feel these little fingers encircling my hand and leading me back to the big balloon display. HUH? Is he trying to show me something? Is it possible?
I let him lead me to wherever it was he wanted to lead me. Actually, this kid says jump and I tell him not to make me jump too high; TOO FRIGGIN’ OLD MY LOVE, TOO FRIGGIN’ OLD! Back to the gaggle of balloons floating above us like a rainbow of color and mish-mash of shapes. He looks up and says, “other one?” I am like WHAAAAAAAT? Did you just say other one? OTHER ONE? You are telling me my choice sucks and you want that other one??????? Here is where OMG! is perfect…OMG! OMG! Like the idiot that I can be I gave the balloon back to the salesperson, explaining this foolish old woman picked the wrong balloon, and proceeded to say to him (quite loudly and with excess animation) “you want that one? That one? You can have any balloon you want! Do You want them all?
I know people were looking at me like I was totally nuts but I did not care; not one whit! He communicated with me and that was music to my ears. It was music that all the unfortunate shoppers never got to hear—although my daughter was dancin’ to the tune!
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