Wednesday, December 30, 2015

The Best of 2015

So long 2015 – My Year In Review



Miami - New Years Eve 2014
Miami – New Years Eve 2014
Last year around this time I received an e-mail from WordPress of my year in review. I haven’t received that yet so I decided to just wing it. I do realize that the stats are a bit off because my Instagram friends have to hit my home page for each post and there is no way to determine what posts were there at the time.  “Home Page/ Archives” being number 1 (technically) – let’s move on….
#10:  A post from the very first #1000speak
“And those whose names were never called when choosing sides for basketball” #1000speak
I was not going to participate in #1000speak today because and only because, if given a subject and then told; “Okay write!”, I draw a blank. I was sure that in a week or two I would think of a hundred different posts that I could have written, but they were not coming to me when I first heard about this. [..]
#9: A post about DC’s love of cake ….apparently.
As I wrote in a comment; I thought that was going to be a quick post to write but it turned out to be very difficult. I wanted to give enough information so people would not come away thinking that DC is afraid of his Dad, which is absolutely not the case. But again I didn’t want the post to go on and on. It was a struggle from beginning to end.
“Will there be Cake?”
DC’s father was in Florida for the winter. He left in mid-November. DC did get to see him on the day after Christmas for dinner when DC, Doug and I were in Florida on vacation. [..]
#8: Written to clarify one of my posts that created a bit of a “#%&* Storm” (a minor one) over on the Mighty.
In this case I was glad to have read the comments so that the whole thing could be corrected.
Clarification, The Mighty and Airport Security
A little over a week ago as I was preparing for a trip to Paris and London, I wrote a post about the preparations and the issue we had with my son during a security check on one of our recent trips.
At the same time, the Mighty was asking for travel, airline and airport stories. I submitted a portion of the story I had just written about DC and the TSA Agent at the Charlotte Airport back in October [..]
#7 – A rerun, basically.
I was surprised that this made it into the top 10. It was really just a rerun with the addition of a bit of a vent.
Holy Inappropriate Conversation, Batman! – Stories from the Dental Chair
I had a dental appointment last week. Years ago, I requested never to be scheduled with one particular hygienist. The first time I saw her, I left there feeling as if my mouth had been ripped apart. As it turned out, she has a child with autism. I made the mistake of telling her that DC also has autism. Mistake? Yes! Mistake! This was the most uncomfortable and painful appointment I have ever had! [..]
#6 – One of my favorites!
This was the first “official” post in my “Everything is Related” Series – and there are so many more that I have yet to write (7 months later; I still have not written “Everything is Related – The UK Edition”, but I did manage to cover the Dr. Who portion – Priorities!)
Everything is related – Mary Poppins to New York City
I threatened in an earlier post – a few of them as a matter of fact – I would someday write about how, in DC’s world, everything is somehow related to Disney or some of the other movies he enjoyed as a child and still enjoys now as an adult. Originally I thought this would just be a fun post to write, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized: [..]
#5 – Another post for #1000speak.
According to the “My Top Posts and Pages” feed on the sidebar of my page, this one comes in at #1 (I do not really understand the difference in the feed and the stats – maybe someone who understands this will explain it to me)
…and sometimes a smile is all that we need #1000speak #Compassion
Compassion comes in many forms and at times just the smallest thing – a glance or a smile can mean more than the grand gesture.
I was away and not able to participate in the May 20th #1000speak and due to some unplanned/unforeseen issues going on at the moment, I thought I wouldn’t have the opportunity to participate this time around…..
Then I saw this post from a friend of mine and it made me smile. It made me smile each and every time I read it and on a day when I really needed a smile. [..]
#4 – Remembering the torture that used to be – Birthday Parties
“Arrival Anxiety”
“Arrival Anxiety” – that is what I have always called it. It is, in my mind the best way to describe it.
It does not matter where we are going or how often we have or haven’t been there – it happens. I see the change in his demeanor immediately. It happens so quickly – like walking though a door; on one side he is happy and the other side he is full of anxiety.
I always dreaded the birthday party invitation when he was little. [..]
#3 – No explanation required….
“Logic is the beginning of wisdom; not the end.”
Logic is the beginning of wisdom; not the end.” ~ Mr. Spock
From the post that I re-blogged yesterday: To Boldly Go…..
I admit it…
I am just a big old Sci-fi geek from way back. I watched the first episode of Star Trek back in 1966/1967 (?) and I was hooked – for life.
The first “sign” that DC learned when he was very young (for those of you that may not know, DC was non-verbal until he was 7 years old) was the “Live Long and Prosper” sign. If and when he saw a picture of Mr. Spock or heard him mentioned, he used that sign.
I’ve been in love with Star Trek and Mr. Spock since the very first episode aired back in the 60’s. [..]
#2 – A post about the way DC’s mind works
and the realization that I am still guilty of taking for granted that he will just automatically understand something – for example… after years of wearing goggles for Special Olympics Swimming he finally realized that he could open his eyes in the water. It never occurred to me to tell him that – but that was another story…
Please pass the garlic bread…
It is always funny when I realize something that has never occurred to DC,  until it does finally does occur to him.
For those that may not be aware – DC LOVES bread! Bread, bread, bread, bread and more bread. Bagels, rolls, toast, breadsticks……BREAD!
He is very picky about everything else he eats – not that you would know that by looking at him – believe me he is very picky, but bread is one of the few constants on the very limited list of foods that he will eat. [..]
And coming in at #1 – A miserable experience at the airport….
Off we go….. (almost)
I just finished reading a post from Autism-Mom, PREPARATION AND PANIC about the preparations for their big trip coming up – or should I say the “mind-race while one is trying to sleep” -preparations she is making for her family trip.
I had to laugh out loud as I have been doing the same thing. Our trip is just a couple of days away and along with the “mind-race” and the anxiety about being the absolute worst packer in the world, there is work to contend with. [..]
So there you have my 2015 blogging year in review but now just a quick look back a little further…

The top post from 2013 was written about the first season of summer camp post high school.
This was the first season that DC was not able to attend camp for the entire summer due to his work program. It made me sad. It was a milestone that I was not ready to reach.
We can’t have it both ways…. but it’s still a little bit sad.
Today was my son’s first day attending day camp this summer. He has attended this camp since he was 5 – he’s 22 now.
Every summer he was able to attend camp all summer long, even staying after until 8pm for a special after camp program they hold twice a week. He loves it there. [..]
The Top Post from 2014 and according to WordPress, the day it was posted is still my all-time “best day ever” – A post about the end of another era….
Dc’s Letter to His Best Buddy, Steve
DC has been involved in the Best Buddy program, since he was in middle school. Steve has been DC’s Buddy for the past three years. As I’ve told him many times, he is the best, most involved Buddy DC has ever had. Steve will be graduating from college this May. He will be either heading to Boston or back home. In either case, he will not be living close by any more. We will be sorry to lose him. DC will be assigned a new Buddy next year and that buddy has very big shoes to fill! [..]
Just to make this post even more ridiculously long…. a few of my favorites.
My favorites change quite often, but right now – “these are them” in no particular order and from no particular year:
“To Sami, Love Daddy” 
File under: “Rules I thought I would never have to make”
But does he know?
“Hi Mom! Did you have a nice day?”
And just to end the year on an even happier note – search engine referrals; search terms that bring people to my page?
Still reigning as the number 1 search term (s) for 2015 – many combinations regarding Star Trek and Mr. Spock!
So, Happy New Year everyone. Thank you so much for reading over these past 3 years.
DC and I wish you all a Happy and Healthy 2016!
#LLAP

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I have now received the WordPress email. My top 5 (as far as they go) matches theirs.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

The Christmas List

The “Chip” Cup



homemade chip
There once was a pretty little Easter Cup.
This cup went unnoticed for many years until one day when DC decided that all this cup needed was a face. This cup with its new face was to be named “Chip”. Chip, of course being the chipped cup and son to the tea-pot, Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast. Every day Chip’s face washed off in the sink and every day DC drew it back on.
He used this cup every single day.
Last year around Christmas time I thought how great would it be if I could find him a real Chip Cup. My first stop, as always was Amazon and there is was. It was quite expensive for a cup, but in comparison to DC’s usual requests for items that don’t exist or items that I have to find on EBay (usually a collectables), costing a fortune – was a deal.
I read the description and the reviews to be sure that this was something that was intended to be used as a cup and not just decorative and purchased it.
He was so excited to open the gift and find this cup on Christmas morning. He loved it and like the old Easter/Chip cup, used it every day.
One day in August not too long after DC had his second seizure, I was washing his Chip cup and happened to notice it said “Made in China” on the bottom.
Me, being me panicked.
Me, being me completely went over the top with my panic.
I bought this from Amazon. What if the person selling this cup had it in stock or sitting around for years? What if the cup contained lead paint – because, of course everything that goes wrong HAS to be completely my fault. Yes, I know that this is highly unlikely and yes I know that they would not allow a seller to sell this item with lead paint, but..
me, being me threw his beloved Chip cup away right there and then.
This did not go over very well…… at all.
It took a few months, but I thought he had finally gotten over the loss of his Chip cup. Then December came and it was time to make his Christmas list and there it was……

2015 list
He had not forgotten….
Not really thinking I would find another until possibly the next time we were actually in Disney World, I went to the Disney Store site and there it was. Once again, I read the description and the reviews to be sure that it was not for decoration only and purchased it – directly from Disney; no third sellers involved. I felt much more at ease about that.
He was ecstatic and has not let it out of his sight since.
chip
And the poor lonely Easter cup has been relegated to the back of “Cup-board” (DC-speak) never to be drawn on again….

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If the cup was not of such a decorative nature, I would not thought anything about the “made in China” label. Most of our other cups were made in China.

Monday, December 21, 2015

They are growing up

These Three



Best BuddiesThese Three…. they are truly amazing. As their parents, my friends and I know this. We know the progress they have all made.  Sometimes though in dealing with the day-to-day, we do not always remember the journey until someone who has not seen them in quite a while points it out.
We lived it all but we tend to concentrate on the here and now and the future – how we got here is not always uppermost in our minds. We deal with today.
Last week we ran into our kids’ Special Olympics swimming coach at a Best Buddies Christmas Party. She was there with another friend of ours. She has recently moved out-of-state so she was filling us in on what she has been up to since her move. She was also their volleyball and golf coach for many years as well so she has been a part of our kids’ lives for quite a long time – since they were very young.

As she was watching our kids at the party, she commented on just how much progress they had made over the years. DC’s friends stories are not mine to tell, but her comments about DC made me sit back and really think about just how far he (and his friends) have come. As she watched him socialize in this crowded room she said “Who would have ever thought that he would be able to sit in this room and tolerate the crowd and the noise?”  She was right; attending this activity would not have been a pretty sight back then. Never mind the noise, he would have never been so social with anyone of his own age or anyone but me for that matter. Then there were the times when I really should have just thrown in the towel and not taken him to practice at all. Now-a-days we can pretty much go anywhere with out too much of an issue.
She knew us and she knew our kids inside out. She always went out of her way to make the process as easy as possible for us and most importantly, for our kids. Special Olympics lost a fantastic coach, when they lost her due to her work and school commitments.
SoGolfSoVolleyball

These Three have been through a lot both separately and together. We have all hit some potholes along the way; some deeper than others, but for the most part we have traveled this road together. It is nice to sit back and remember this very long journey that they have taken with each other. They have grown into amazing young adults and yes, we know this, but it is always nice to have someone point it out and bring it all back for you.
Although the stories of his friends are not mine to tell,  I will say that I am as proud of them as I am of him. As we live with new and different struggles and challenges, we should take the time to remember just where we all started and all that These Three have accomplished over the years.
There has been so very much.
Sometimes is just takes someone else to help us remember.
And we should remember and we should be proud of all of it.
These Three………….
They are impressive.
They are amazing.
IMG_2649






Monday, November 30, 2015

Please Press One

Will it go round in circles – Paperwork and “Please Press One”



or: “For No Help What-So-Ever; Please Press #1”
circles
Paperwork..,,,
and Contact Numbers that rarely bring one to an actual person…. “Please press One”
or “Please complete this form. A form that you or no one you know will ever be able to understand – we do not even understand the form and can not help you in any way,  but we do expect you to be able to complete it by…..”
Not a fan of the paperwork. (click here for a fun romp through our state’s system)
Not a fan of the mountains of unnecessary mail that comes my way.
This (4 page) letter is to inform you that you have been assigned a new contact – Effective immediately, your new contact is: Customer Service at 555-5555.
Is it really necessary to send a 4 page notice at a cost of close to $2.00 in postage to both DC and myself to inform us that our new contact is “Customer Service”? Especially since the last 4 times we were notified of a new case manager their name just happened to be “Customer Service” as well.
I have developed a real aversion to opening my mail – ask anyone that has ever seen my kitchen table. Fortunately it is only DC and I that have to use the kitchen table , so there is still room enough for us, for now.
I have been a single mother for about 22 years so all of this paperwork has always fallen to me. In my opinion, the paperwork got worse and more confusing after DC turned 18. At this point, I am used to it and it is more annoying than anything else. Why do we have to do the whole probate thing every three years? Is it to make certain that DC still has autism? Two redeterminations every year, a social security report once a year and an audit anytime they feel like it. Reporting his wages every month – which really is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things – but sitting though that automated system can drive one to want to ‘slam head on table’. There is an app for this now and when it is working, is much easier. When it is not working we have to resort to the ‘slam head on table’ automated system. After using the app or the ‘SHOT’ system, I receive 2 letters, one for me and another for DC, thanking me for reporting his wages and an estimate of his upcoming benefits. Later in the month I receive two more with the actual amount of his benefits. Four letters every month at more than 1.00 in postage each. It seems like such a waste of money and resources to me, but what do I know?
DC’s father’s only contribution since DC turned 18 is health insurance. He retired from the police force before the pending contract took effect when they would have had to begin to contribute for dependent coverage,  so as it stands DC is covered at no charge.
A few weeks ago, I received a letter from the insurance company. It was a good sized envelope – more than one page, I was sure – so I let it sit for about a week or so. I finally decided that I really should open it since I don’t normally get mail from the insurance company. The insurance is not in my name so the mail usually goes directly to his Dad. His insurance is one of the few things that we really have not had any issues with over the years.
What would normally happen here is:
  • I would read the whole thing –
  • Give it to his father the next time he came to pick up DC –
  • Explain what is was all about –
  • Explain in detail what he had to do to take care of it.
But….. I had just finished DC’s redetermination (a good 10 pages) and completed another redetermination over the phone at 7:00 am on a Saturday morning (yes, they called at 7am on a Saturday because they were “working overtime” which, I assume must mean that if they are up and working everyone else should be), so after reading one paragraph, I decided I was just not going to read it at all. I would just give it to his Dad.
From the paragraph I did read I gathered that this was about DC’s ER visit after his first seizure in June. I also surmised that they were not willing to pay the amount that the ER doctor had charged for the visit.
I gave him the letter the next time he arrived to pick up DC. He looked confused – just staring at the pages. I did tell him that I was boycotting paperwork that was not mine but did explain to him what I thought it was all about…. reasonable and customary etc.
So off he went straight on into his first foray through the world of paperwork, forms and 1-800 numbers.
The following week he came back so beside himself at the amount of time he had spent calling numbers that provided no information at all. He was convinced that they were just sending him ’round in circles.
I had to laugh – not at him,
…maybe just a little…
but at how perplexed he was over all of this. Until then he did not realize just how much nonsense I and others have to go through just to have a question answered – just to talk to a person. And this was just the insurance, not any of the agencies that we all have to deal with.
He said that he did actually get to speak to one person who gave him yet another number to call that turned out to be some sort of factory in Minnesota.
He was done at this point (and yes, I was still laughing, not at him – well maybe a little – but at his reaction to the whole thing – it was all new to him).
He left me with a stamped self addressed envelope (because he was leaving for Florida for the winter the following day) to send him any bill that I might receive so he can just pay it. He was so beside himself that he was willing to just give up and pay whatever they wanted in order to never have to call them again.
That may have been their plan all along…
and welcome to my world…..

Sunday, November 22, 2015

RI Comic-Con Part 1

“Don’t you cry no more” #Supernatural



Autograph
Earlier this month we attended Rhode Island Comic-Con in Providence. It was an experience to say the least.
(I have a lot to say about our visit to the Rhode Island Comic-Con. Some good; some not so much. Everyone we met was very nice. Now I understand that they are supposed to be, but we all know that it isn’t always the case. There were a few people who were just extraordinarily wonderful to DC, so I want to be sure I mention all of them. Because I have so much to say about the entire event; Autism-related and not,  I have decided to split the story up into a few parts, by category rather than in order by the day) 
Let me first say that I am a huge fan of  Jim Beaver. I have been since his time on Deadwood.  Jim Beaver was one of the reasons I became a fan of Supernatural – yes, Sam was Dean on The Gilmore Girls so I may have been leaning in that direction anyway, but Jim Beaver gave me the push I needed.  DC is also very aware of the show, but other than Sam and Dean (who were not there), Jim Beaver (aka Bobby) is really the only other cast member that I knew for sure he would recognize. Why is DC familiar with Supernatural (or the “Don’t you cry no more” show) you ask?
Well DC loves music, but his musical choices do not usually come from what he hears on the radio unless it is a Disney song or a song from a movie he has seen. There are only a handful of songs that I can think of that he knows specifically from the radio – Carry On Wayward Son, just happens to be one of them. He zoned right in on the “Don’t you cry no more” line and it has been a favorite of his since.
For those of you who may not be fans of the show, Carry On Wayward Son opens the last episode of almost every season. DC picked up on that right away and as everything is related, he began watching the show.
We didn’t have a lot pre-scheduled for Friday night at Comic-Con. One op I had scheduled was Brent Spiner who had cancelled his appearance a few weeks earlier (“From this moment on, you are my mortal enemy!”) so I thought we would use Friday night to just go and get the lay of the land before Saturday when I was sure it would just be mobbed. We really did not expect to see many people or do very much that night, I just really wanted to figure out where everything and everybody was going to be. As it turned out, Friday was the best day of the event for us. It was not crowded at all and we got to do and see an awful lot.
As we were walking and looking around I noticed that there were no lines at many of the autograph tables. Then we came upon the “Don’t you cry no more” room. The first table belonged to none other than Jim Beaver (be still my heart) – he was not there but the tablecloth was not turned up covering the photos for sale as others were so I assumed that he would be right back. We did have a photo op scheduled with him on Saturday, but photo ops are usually very hurried, so I thought this would be a good opportunity for DC to see him and not feel so overwhelmed and rushed. When we went over to stand at his table and wait, a boy who looked to be about 12 came over to us and asked us if we were in line. DC, who seldom initiates a conversation or a greeting, took one look at this boy, who looked just like a younger version of his friend *Ron from Camp and excitedly in his high-pitched squeaky DC voice squealed  “Hello there! My name is DC Last Name. How are you? It is nice to meet you!”. He grabbed his hand and shook it so hard the boy’s entire body was shaking.  The boy was so very nice.  He was not taken aback by DC’s squealing  and excitement. The smile never left his face. He answered him, let him shake his hand again and told him his name (which unfortunately I do not remember). He then went back to stand with his mother just outside the room.
While we were standing there, I noticed Samantha Ferris at the next table. I asked DC if he wanted to go over there while we were waiting. He said No – he didn’t want to get out of line – even though we were the only ones in said line;  we were in line and in DC’s mind, that was all there was to it. I told him that we would not miss Jim if we went to the next table for a minute. Samantha is a pretty woman with long hair so I knew he wanted to go over there if not for anything else but the long hair  but…. he was in line. I finally convinced him that we could go and come back to Jim’s line afterward. He finally agreed.
Once there, he did get very excited. He told her his name and told her where he lived. Again, he was more conversational than usual. She was wonderful with him. She asked me questions but she also directed some questions to DC (which we know does not always happen). She asked how he became a fan and I explained the song connection. She sang a few bars of ‘Carry On’ for him – which just thrilled him to death. She asked him if the show ever frightened him. He said “No”. I began to explain to her how we talk about the fact that the show is only…. – DC piped in with – “Make-believe”. We talked about one of the loves of his life, Felicia Day (a recurring character) who he had the opportunity to meet a few years ago at NY Comic-Con. Samantha certainly added a new fan to her list that night!
 
DC and Samantha Ferris
DC and Samantha Ferris

As soon as we were finished there, DC immediately wanted to go “back to the line” (there was still no line) and Jim had not returned. Samantha told us he would be right back, so back to the “line” we went. DC started getting a little bit anxious while waiting but fortunately not too over the top. Someone ran by us and said “We’ll let him know someone is waiting” and before I had the chance to finish telling them that it was not necessary to rush him, they were gone.
Eventually when he did come out, he looked a bit out of sorts; not the “I don’t want to be here”  out of sorts – he looked as if something was wrong or something had happened. I felt bad and hoped that the powers that be did not make him come out just for us. He apologized and said there had been a slight emergency, which I absolutely believe due to the almost shaken look on his face. Now I felt even worse. Of course the first thing out of DC’s mouth was “I have been looking all everywhere for you”.  Then for some reason, probably because he was zoning out a bit at this point , he called him “Jake” instead of Jim or Bobby. He got his “DC picture” as he called it, so he was happy.
We turned to leave and there was the boy from earlier. DC again very excitedly , shook his hand, gave him a hug and told him he loved him (the asking permission before hugging anyone rule went completely out the window that weekend) – the boy, as before, went along with all of it thankfully.  What an extraordinary child! I wish I could send him many gifts!
During the course of the weekend we ventured back in to the Supernatural room many times.
On Saturday he met Curtis Armstrong (Metatron – aka “The worst angel ever”), Mitch Pileggi (Samuel)
DC and Curtis Armstrong
DC and Curtis Armstrong

Mitch Pileggi and DC
DC and Mitch Pileggi
and Alona Tal (Jo).  There was no explanation of character necessary for DC here – she is a pretty blonde and that was all he needed to know!
Dc and Alona Tal
Dc and Alona Tal

Supernatural room = Success!
Saturday was even more crowded than I expected.
We had three photo ops scheduled on Saturday. I purchased Jim Beaver way back in July and the others at later dates. The only information listed when purchasing a photo op on-line was the day; Friday, Saturday or Sunday.  When they did finally post the scheduled times I discovered that Jim Beaver and another were listed at the same time. I have to imagine that this happened to many other people as well.
On our way to the most unorganized photo op room I have ever seen, DC announced that he needed to “Flap his Wings”. It was just too crowded for him to flap where we were at the time but we did manage to find a corner almost under the bleachers for him to flap. I had him jump up and down a bit too while we had the space,  just to try to get it all out. Then we headed to the area where the photos were to be taken. Jim Beaver was scheduled for 12:45 – 1:15 and the other was scheduled for 12:45 – 1:30. We we decided to get Jim Beaver done first. Explaining the conflict to a volunteer in order to find out how early we could get in line for Jim Beaver, I took out my printed ticket with bar code that clearly stated: You must present this ticket with the Bar Code and your e-mail address to double check the time I had written on the ticket. She looked at it and told us we could probably get in line at about 12:30. We walked around a bit and revisited the “jump and flap” area for one final go. Then we went back to get in line at the time she had given us. I gave the same volunteer my ticket and she said “Oh no, we can’t take those paper tickets. You have to get in that line over there and trade them in for cards.”
What?!?
I followed the direction of her pointing finger to the mob scene, she referred to as a line, and questioned the ticketing process. This was supposed to be our ticket. “I don’t know, I’m just a volunteer, but don’t worry; he’s not here yet”. Firstly, I can not tell you how many times I heard “I don’t know, I am just a volunteer” that day and secondly, the issue was not whether he was there or not, it was about trying to get closer to the front due to our time conflict. We went over and got at the end of  the “card” line. While waiting and out of the blue, DC decided to hug the man dressed as Mr. Spock who was in front of us in the card line. Fortunately again, Spock had no problem with this random hug from a stranger. He explained that he has three children on the spectrum, so he was not fazed by it at all. We talked special needs programs for a bit until it was our turn to trade in our tickets. We finally made it out of that line with our “cards” but by the time we got back to the photo line the entire fenced in area was full and our place in line was outside of the roped in area. The volunteer saw us and yelled. “Don’t worry, he’s not in there yet” – again, not the point!
(I will revisit these paper tickets and photo op lines again in another post)
Doug, who unlike me can usually put up with just about anything, went ahead and spoke to a volunteer at the head of the line. Shortly thereafter a different volunteer came and moved us to the front of the line. I have written before that I do not generally look for accommodations for DC and I did not here. I always want him to try. I did purchase VIP tickets because of DC but this is not Comic-Con or the convention center making accommodations for my son, that is me paying more money to accommodate my child on my own. We did what we were supposed to do. We discovered the scheduling conflict. We planned ahead to get in line early, not earlier than anyone else would be allowed to, but as early as was allowed. We had the proper tickets, only to be told that we didn’t.  So for anyone that might be wondering or is waiting to pounce; we were not moved to the front due to DC’s autism – we were moved to the front due to the total unorganized way that this event was run (there is more, trust me).
After all of this, it was finally our turn to see Jim Beaver. DC did attend one photo op on Friday night (paper tickets were accepted then and there was no mention of a card ticket). Because of the Friday op, DC was expecting Jim Beaver to be standing on the same side of the room as the person was the night before. He wasn’t – he was on the side of the room closest to the curtain where we entered. DC walked into the room, and headed straight to the other side never noticing Jim Beaver standing right there. DC was looking around very confused so  I turned him around and brought him back to Jim, who was looking rather confused himself and probably wondering what was going on.
The photographer took one picture and asked if he would take off his glasses for another. DC, who does not like to part with his glasses immediately said “No”, but he did give in and give them to me. Now he was wearing his crabby face. As soon as they pointed that camera at him, DC being DC,  immediately put on his big photo smile. One of the assistants commented about just how quickly he was able to turn on that smile. Yes, sir. That’s my boy – always the ham. One can not point a camera at or around him and not get that smile.  As soon as the picture was taken DC’s only concern was getting his glasses back. He started walking out without even saying good-bye or thank you, he just wanted the glasses. He did remember his manners after being reminded. I do not usually have to remind him but I know that all that he was thinking at this point was getting out of there before anyone tried to take his glasses again.
DC and Jim Beaver

DC (always the actor – wiping his forehead) “Phew, I did it!” 
He had his picture, he had his autograph, both of which will be added to his wall of fame at home and he got his glasses back. Even with the all of the confusion and chaos (there was more), my boy really did a great job of it. We will put the Supernatural portion of our weekend in the win column!
****
Coming soon: The Walking Dead, Dr. Who and his most favorite experience of the Con…
(Our internet has been sporadic this entire week. This post was written partially on my phone and partially on my tablet – typing is difficult enough for me on either of these devices but editing is next to impossible  – my apologies for any and everything I may have missed or made worse by trying to edit on my phone)

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

What's Wrong?

Keep on Tryin’



try2
Semi-typical morning….
DC: “Mom I need help! Something is wrong!”
I run upstairs – due to his recent-ish development of seizures, I run a little bit faster with a bit more panic than I used to.
Me: “What’s wrong?”
DC (angrily) : “Nothing wrong!”
Me: “Bud, you called me and said something was wrong and you needed help. You have to try to tell me what is wrong.”
DC: “Nothing wrong!”
Me: “If you try to tell me I can help you”
DC: “Nothing wrong!”
At this point he is beginning to clench his jaw and arms to the point where his whole body is shaking. I go through the list of everything that would normally set him off in the morning:
  • Did he find a pin hole in his sock?
  • Did he get a drop of water on his shirt?
  • Does he not like the shirt?
  • Is there a tag I didn’t remove?
  • Did I move something in his room?
“NO! NOTHING WRONG!”
Me: “Okay do you want me to leave?”
DC (getting more angry): “YES!”
I take all of two steps towards my room to get ready for work when I hear “Mom, come here. I need your help!” I turn around and am right in front of the door when he decides to slam it in my face.
Me: “DC, that was very rude. You called me to help you and you slammed the door.”
DC: “I’m sorry, Mom ‘for rude’. I will never be rude again!” and he opens the door.
Me: “Okay, Please try to tell me what is bothering you and I can try to help you.”
DC (still clenching) “NOTHING BOTHERING YOU!”
I went though the list of every aliment I could think of; headache, stomach ache, etc…..
DC: “NO! Nothing wrong!”
This whole back and forth continued for another 15 minutes (one might wonder why I either just make it or am late for work every day). He wanted me there but then he didn’t, so I decided to just sit there with him without asking him any questions at all. After a while he calmed down and was back to his happy, smiling self. Whatever was bothering him was not bothering him anymore. After 24 years of trying to figure out every little thing, I had to chalk this one up to not ever knowing what the problem was. Morning issues seem to end up in the unsolved column more often than ‘other time of the day’ issues.
Ready and waiting for his transportation to arrive he said,  “You are the best Mom I ever was” – something I never tire of hearing; exactly the way he says it.
But then….
“Mom, I try so hard”
Whether this was:
  • one of those random phrases that he tends to throw out that does not mean what he thinks it means but often is shockingly  appropriate to the matter at hand
  • or mixing up his pronouns meaning I was trying hard to figure out what was bothering him
  • or he knew exactly what he was saying and was saying exactly what he meant…..
I opted for number 3. The fact of the matter is that he does always try very hard. As much as I have the need to figure it all out all of the time there will always be days when I can’t. As much as he would probably like to be able to tell me, there will always be those days when he can’t ~ and that’s all right. We will both keep on trying.

Monday, November 2, 2015

We're moving on

So… what’s next?



TimeDC tends to get very excited about many things. I hear about whatever he is so excited about all day, every day until it happens. It is always funny and a little bit predictable that when we finally get there, he loves it, he’s having fun, but then 3/4 of the way through, he begins to obsess about “What is next”.
October 31st was a triple whammy for him. After trick or treating we were sitting at the table at his friend’s house having juice and snacks ……… okay so maybe the adults were obsessing about the next Walking Dead episode for a while too (I spend far too much time thinking about that)..  I saw that concerned look on his face. He had just realized that it was the last day of the month.
  • He wore his costume
  • He had a party with his friends
  • He had fun
  • He got his candy
  • Halloween is over
He began obsessing about changing the calendars. I told him we would be going home soon and he could change all of the calendars then.
Calendars are extremely important to DC. They must always reflect the proper month. Fortunately because my desk at work is such a mess, he can not see that the big desk calendar is still on June or he’d have me pulling everything apart to change it.
There was one time when Mrs. H took him to his favorite wing place. She said he was standing at the counter having a conversation with the counter girl. She thought this was odd because DC does not have conversations in the true sense of the word. You ask a question and he will answer it, you ask another question and he will answer that too and so on. She asked the counter girl what she and DC had been talking about. There was a calendar on the wall behind the counter and he felt the need to point out to her that it had not been changed to the current month – he wouldn’t stop until she promised to change it.
I was and still am to some extent, involved and/or on boards for a few organizations and served 3 terms on a town committee. DC, many times had to attend many of these meeting with me. He has been attending with me for years and is usually pretty good about it. He brings his books, sits ‘relatively’ quietly and he knows not to touch anything that does not belong to him in the meeting rooms. One day he got up, went to the bulletin board, took down the calendar and changed it to the proper month. It must have been bothering him throughout the entire meeting.  He knew he was not supposed to touch anything but he just could not control himself.
Not only was he in his “What’s next” and “end of the month calendar changing” mindset but…..but we had to move the clocks back too – all on the same day.
Knowing what this would lead to, I had to explain to him that it would be getting dark very early now and there was nothing to get nervous about. This explanation was in anticipation of him noticing later in the day how early it was getting dark and to hopefully keep him from running to the door every 5 minutes to look outside thinking that a storm was approaching. This never works – but still I try. It happens every year and it goes on for days and days until he is finally used to it.
  • Halloween is over
  • The calendars have been changed
  • The clocks have been changed and explained
so the first thing out of DC’s mouth in the morning ….
“Mom, Thanksgiving is coming soon!”
That’s next so we’re moving on………….
change month

Saturday, October 31, 2015

The Dr. and the Halloween Parade of Costumes

“Fezzes are cool”



Fezzes are cool
(The last Halloween post for 2015 – I promise. It’s a Halloween wrap, one could say.  This post is not as long as it appears to be – there are a good number of pictures because, you know…. it’s Halloween and I have no restraint)
As costumes go, this year was really not all that difficult.
  • He chose costumes that actually existed.
  • We were able to find all of his requests in his size.
  • The two that I did have to buy in pieces to make up the costumes were not all that difficult to put together because the pieces actually exist.
It was a relatively easy year.
Yes, we had the whole “Jim Dear” bump in the road but luckily and unexpectedly it worked out  so – Jim Dear will be counted and included in his “costume parade” this year and of course included in his annual Halloween book that he receives for Christmas each year.
Various 207
– We do take this holiday very seriously.
We may be a little bit over the top, but he loves it and I am perfectly happy to encourage and go with it!
Onward….. his first second choice – the costume that he wore to his Work/Day Program Halloween Dance and the reason (well partially the reason) he was so excited when I brought out that nightmarish pair of glass slippers….
Prince Charming – the REAL Costume this time.
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He even had the opportunity to escort a real princess to the dance. We were not allowed to call her a princess, she is the “Zombie Prom QUEEN!” But to DC, she was a princess – just don’t tell *Salli. Her costume must and should always be identified properly using the official name. Never a Princess!
A few days later we were going to the Haunted Miniature Golf Course to work at a table to support DC’s summer camp. Wearing a costume was not something I had thought about, believe it or not. When I realized the day before I ventured into my costume closet to see if there was something in there for him to wear at the last minute.
The Costume Closet: Let’s talk about the costume closet. DC and I live in a very small duplex. There is no storage and really nowhere to put anything, but still I have an entire closet devoted to Halloween Costumes (Priorities, people!). This closet is beyond ridiculous. I really can not find anything. I don’t even know everything that is in there at this point, but I was hopeful. The other issue with pulling out an old costume is that many of them will not fit him any longer. DC is a big boy.
I saw something with a black cape. I was able to get at it without the rest of the closet caving in on me. It was a Jack the Ripper costume. The only reason that I can think of for having a Jack the Ripper costume is that I must have thought I could use all or part of it for one of DC’s requests for a costume that did not exist. I don’t recall ever using it though. It had a black vest, a black cape and a top hat. It was trimmed in red. I showed it to him and asked if he would like to wear it to the golf course. I got an emphatic “Yes”. The boy just loves a cape. We tried it on. I was worried about the vest but it fit – PHEW. He went to look at himself in the mirror.
I asked: “DC who are you?”
“Captain Von Trapp”
????!!!!?????
I have no idea why he thought he looked like Captain Von Trapp unless there is some obscure scene in the Sound of Music where either Christopher Plummer or Stephen Moyer is wearing a cape. If DC thinks so, then there probably is.
Only because I was still a bit confused about the Captain Von Trapp thing, I asked him again who he thought he looked like. This time the answer was “Doc Terminus” (Jim Dale from Pete’s Dragon for those of you that have not seen every Disney movie ever made). That actually made perfect sense. He did look like him, more than he looked like Captain Von Trapp, anyway.
IMG_1648Of course we did have a mustache on hand to complete the look.
We were scheduled to man the table a second day and fortunately I did not have to venture into the dreaded closet again. I remembered his Grease garb from a Grease Sing-A-Long that we attended a few years ago that was hanging in his own closet – SCORE!  It had a jacket which was perfect as it can get mighty cold out there and there is nothing worse than having to wear a coat or jacket over one’s Halloween costume.
Nothing… Seriously… Look it up..it is just not done!
The second best part was that it was easy and recognizable……
IMG_1818
except that everyone called him “Elvis” – everyone.
His camp party came just two days after the golf course. His choice……. “Hook” but not the Disney Captain Hook (yay!)- Captain Hook from the television show “Once Upon a Time” (yay, again). I was happy with this choice. It is a popular character on a current TV show. Other than the Big Bang Theory last year, he really never chooses or has any interest in anything current, so usually No One Knows What He Is Supposed To Be. 
HookPirates UNITE!
He even ran into another pirate at the party.
Fortunately no swords were drawn – it was all very amicable.
Moving on to my very favorite costume of the season!  This one for the Best Buddies Halloween party.
Dr. Who – the 10th Dr.! (DC’s favorite DR (mine as well)  and the greatest challenge of the season – David Tennant’s hair.
  • Two ruined wigs
  • DC loosing his stuff over the hair clippings – everywhere.
  • DC loosing his stuff over the hair glue (extra strength mouse, but I really think it IS glue) everywhere.
I finally had to give it up or the costume that he was so excited about would turn into something he did not want to wear or hear about – ever again. I think we still made the point even with the rather ridiculous hairdo.
bb halloween 008
One could truly say the was “The Madman with a box.”
DC and his Best Buddy
DC and his Best Buddy
Traveling in his “Big” (very, very big) Blue Box through space and time to somewhere in New England – coordinates set for October 31, 2015 and regeneration complete…….
comes…….The 11th Doctor.
Fezzes are very cool
Although David Tennant, the 10th Dr. is DC’s favorite – He would not pass up the opportunity to wear a FEZ.
But seriously……Who could??
“Fezzes are cool”
Happy Halloween!

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Love those old Statuses

and even more Short Stories



or…. Short Stories; the Threequel… (or… “Fluff” because it’s been a busy month)
Below are some “short stories” (statuses) that have been posted on my own and my public Facebook pages (Instagram too) – too short to qualify for a blog post, although many have turned out to be the inspiration for an official blog post. You may have seen a few of these before, probably not all though.
San Francisco 168
Should have landed home  at 12:35 pm Thursday. 13 Hours later, we made it! “There’s no place like home”.

Publication1
Just watched DC trying to get on the bus w/out smashing 5 bouquets of flowers for his teachers – we’ll see if they make it…….not one of my better ideas.
…..
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Even though we were in the blazing sun – he couldn’t get past those dark clouds – we didn’t get very far….
…..
BB and DC testing the Bertie Bot flavors on the way home from Salem.
…..
birdie
Taking DC to NY tomorrow to see “Bye Bye Birdie” (one of his favs) and the bonus…….. “Uncle Jessie” (John Stamos from another of his favorites, Full House) is in it. He is very excited! Doug, on the other hand, is attending under protest; already practicing and perfecting the eye rolling, heavy sighs…….
…..

horse
Just lost another 10 years of my life; DC fell off the horse. He’s okay, I may never be.



……
TAPS
DC had a great time “Ghost Hunting” at the “shemitury” (DC speak) with BB tonight (both in full TAPS gear)
…..
waiting
Lost power at 4am (Mr. “No Storm Today” knew the instant it went off), it just came back. Long morning driving him around until it came back on – Before resorting to driving him around I did try for a couple of hours to get him back to sleep but who can sleep  with “Waiting!” being yelled at you continuously. When I told him to please stop yelling, he moved on to spelling it. When that didn’t work  he moved on to sign language (yes, it is quieter, but of course he had to poke me each time so I could see him signing)!
….
halloween
Yes, it’s June but DC has already picked his Halloween Costume and it is on order. A little ahead of schedule this year, we usually wait until August :) . We LOVE Halloween, in case that isn’t apparent to you all.


…..
“Pretty Maids All In A Row”
Pretty Maids All In A Row










…..
Because no is allowed to sit in his chair in the kitchen (even if he is not in it) or his “spot” on the couch, I thought we’d make it official #BigBang
my spot








…..
STOP THE PRESSES! DC is at an Arc activity with his “Arc Friends” and he is eating Lasagna!
lasagna
…..
Sitting in the waiting room for DC’s scheduled DR. Appointment this morning and watching Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Club House to be exact. We were called in before the dreaded “Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog” song came on and yet it is still stuck in my head…… Now it’s stuck in yours. You are welcome.


…..
Waitress: how do you want your burger?
DC: Good!
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…..
Poor deprived boy, they don’t have wings. He’ll have to settle for ribs…. Sigh
wings none





…..
After losing his computer/DVD privileges last weekend, he is preparing his list for this Friday. “Movie Adventures” is what he is calling his upcoming Friday night (yes, I am still sick and sound like a man)
…..
Still trying to get to watch the first episode of The Walking Dead, but I have it on good authority that Rick and DC may share the same Band-aide obsession.
zombie bandaids








….
Robin Hood found himself a princess. He was excited….. for awhile. She dragged him around the dance floor for quite some time. DC apparently not wanting to hurt her feelings (or needing Mom to fight his battles) yelled to me “Mom! My arm is bothering you” (translation – She is holding my arm and it is bothering me) each time they passed by. I guess having a princess on one’s arm can get old, even for DC.
IMG_1702





And forever my favorite……..

“Mom, I look ‘Dora-bull’ ” -(no lack of confidence there)
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Sunday, October 18, 2015

The Glass Slippers

Leave the shoe; take the chocolate…..



IMG_1378
I am sure at this point it is very clear to everyone that DC is a big fan of Halloween as am I. How great is it that he loves something that I do just as much as I do? How often does that happen?
When he was young, he’d wear his costume and we would drive to the houses of family members and friends, only time for 4 or 5 stops, but it was enough for him. When he was a little bit older we added Trick-Or-Treating at a few houses close by to our evening. He always had a hard time trying to figure out why we were going to the door and ringing the doorbell but we weren’t going inside. I had to stop him at every door from trying to walk right into people’s houses.
When he got older still, we stopped driving to friends and family because that could take all night and just began trick-or-treating around our own neighborhood. He did finally get passed trying to walk in to every house.
DC loves Halloween, he loves wearing a costume and of course he loves getting the candy – he just really didn’t want to have to walk for it. So our trick-or-treating around the neighborhood usually consisted of 3 or four houses willingly and then I would push him to do just a few more.
He was not very old at all when he realized that my costume ideas were always in theme (yes, I know, I am really hard to put up with at Halloween). When he was old enough to make the costume decisions himself, he always chose his, mine and Doug’s (this was before Doug decided he’d had enough of Halloween – BOO!)
With DC at the helm, the costumes as one would imagine were almost always from Disney. I have dressed as quite a few Disney characters, very many of them princesses. I did have to put my foot down at Princess Ariel, but otherwise we were usually able to pull off the theme. DC is very particular about his princesses. He had to make sure I wore lipstick (the one and only day of the year that I would) and he always had to approve the shoes. I could not get away with anything but the proper princess shoes. In most cases I was able to find those glittery shoe covers that went with the costume, so heels or pumps were not always required – PHEW!
Then came the year that he decided that we had to be Cinderella and Prince Charming. I really wondered what took him so long to pick that pair. I really thought that Cinderella, being his all-time favorite princess would have been his request much earlier on.
Under DC’s watchful eye, I was able to find a blue Cinderella ball gown and of course a blonde Cinderella wig. Although we had a hard time finding a “Prince Charming” costume back then – we were able to find a “Handsome Prince”. It was not the same but it would do.
Of course I must have glass slippers. I knew I was not going to get away with shoe covers this time around; this was CINDERELLA – this was serious! It is really a good thing that we make our Halloween costume selections in August every year because these slippers were not easy to find. I did finally find a pair. They were THE most uncomfortable shoes I have ever worn but I figured that it would be fine because he would only make me walk to 4 or 5 houses, tops.
<insert buzzer here> I was wrong, so very wrong……
Whether it was just the fact that it finally kicked in that the more houses he went to, the more candy he would get or just the over the top excitement for the glass slippers or both – he did not walk, but ran from house to house. The only time he stopped or slowed down was to check my feet for the shoes or randomly grab my dress and lift it up to show people my shoes.
I don’t think he cared that he did not look like Prince Charming at all. I had a crown for him to wear but he insisted on wearing the hat that came with the costume – a more casual Prince, we’ll call it. This Halloween was all about the shoes. We did our street and then some. Afterwards I limped home with DC grabbing at my gown the whole way.
011_8A
I do believe he had these shoes on display in his room for quite some time before I put them away. He got awfully excited when I took them out last week to take a photo of them. He did not realize that I still had them. The excitement was due to one of the costumes he had chosen for this Halloween Season – I think he may have thought I was going to pull out the gown again.
No way! Not happening!
I am now quite sure that Cinderella did not leave her shoe behind accidentally. Given the chance to do it all over again, I am positive she would have left the shoes (both of them) and just opted for some chocolate.

IMG_1377
I know exactly what she was mumbling under her breath when that darn prince returned that stinkin’ shoe…….
Forget the shoe, forget the Prince… just hand over the chocolate.

Monday, October 12, 2015

The Battle of the DVD's

Choosing my battles……..



We went away this weekend to NYC and Sleepy Hollow. We try to take a Halloween Weekend every year to somewhere either “Halloweenish”, Spooky, Historical or where costumes are involved. We will be going to a ComicCon the weekend after Halloween (that counts) so we decided to do just a quick overnight to Sleepy Hollow this weekend. Our usual Halloween destination is Salem MA, but we’ve switched it up the past couple of years mainly due to the fact that Doug is <insert colorful metaphors>  of going to Salem – I, on the other hand, never tire of it.
We had already done a weekend in Sleepy Hollow a couple of years back. We did just about everything there was to do with the exception of the BLAZE. I did not know that in order to do anything in Sleepy Hollow in October, tickets must be purchased on-line ahead of time. Fortunately, once I discovered this and by the skin if my teeth, I was able to get tickets for everything else.
This year we thought ahead and got tickets for the BLAZE early. Since that was all we were going to do in Sleepy Hollow, we decided to first spend the day in New York City (DC’s favorite place), check into our room in Sleepy Hollow and go to the BLAZE at 9:30 PM (the only time available when we purchased the tickets).
I had not been feeling well all week and would have opted to skip the whole thing and stay home on the couch, but DC had already been told about the trip and he already added it to the calendar so that meant it was engraved in stone.
Knowing his propensity to over-pack DVD’s for the sole purpose of stacking them next to him while he watches YouTube on his computer, and knowing full well there would be a visit to a bookstore at some point during the trip, I told him that he could only bring 5 DVD’s and 2 books. I said it more than once. I just didn’t want to have to keep track of a bunch of unnecessary stuff and try to carry a bunch of unnecessary stuff. I just wanted to pack light and get this over with. (I did forget my jacket in the room, so I really couldn’t manage to keep track of the necessary stuff – turns out, they don’t ship forgotten things. We have to go back and get it).
5 DVD’s and 2 books.
“Okay Mom!”
He went about packing his laptop, his DVD’s, his books, and pens to edit said books.
“DC, how many DVD’s did you pack?”
“5 DVD’s – 2 books”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I promise”
When I went to grab the charger for his phone, I found that he already packed that as well. I found THAT to be a bit impressive. He is usually only concerned with his books, DVD’s and laptop.
I told him how proud I was that he remembered his charger by himself. He took that compliment and added that  “I am proud of the 5 DVD’s and 2 books” – he was just pointing out the fact that I forgot to tell him in that sentence that I was proud that he followed the rules.
We spent the day in New York City. We visited all of his favorite places and headed out for Sleepy Hollow about 3 pm. All I wanted to do was sleep for a little while before dinner and the Blaze. In the room I was just telling Doug what a great job DC did packing only what I told him to and remembering his charger, when I noticed a good 15 to 20 DVD’s sitting next to his laptop. Now, this has been an issue before and the celebration over him being sneaky and figuring out that he could just hide them is long over with. I do have to give him props for figuring out if he packed his own charger there would be no reason for me to go into his backpack (a new level of sneakiness), but like Tonya in ‘All the …..small things’, I have to be the mother, even though I knew full well what would be in store for me after reprimanding him.
As soon as he realized that I noticed just how many DVD’s he had with him, it started…..
“I am sorry Mom. I will never lie again!”
“I am so sorry, Mother!”
DC only gets to use his laptop and DVDs on the weekends. That has been the rule for many years. Losing his computer privileges is the only thing that EVER makes any kind of impression on him.
“DC, you lied to me again. I told you the last time you lied to me that you only had one more chance before your lost your computer for the weekend. This was your last chance, so no computer for the weekend.”
(Seriously, as punishments go, this is really not much of one. It was all ready Saturday night. We would be going out soon and we were leaving the hotel the next morning, but this did not matter to him).
Now, 2 inches from my face……
“I promise to never tell a lie again”
“Mom, I’m sorry!” – those of you that know DC, you know that:
He is sorry for absolutely everything! Partially he believes “I’m sorry” will get him out of anything.  Like a typical man, he thinks that saying “I’m sorry” even if he doesn’t know what he’s sorry about will get him out of anything or at least get me to stop talking. If he really wants to bring it home, he goes to: “I’m ‘ter-bly’  sorry” or “I am soooooo sorry”. He’ll even throw in a “Can you ever forgive me?” (movie line), if he thinks it’s necessary.
He says he’s sorry, WHILE he’s doing something he shouldn’t, and will continue right on doing whatever it is because he’s covered, he already said he was sorry. Or he’ll say he’s sorry when he’s about to do something he knows he’s not supposed to do. He’s covered, he said he was sorry!
I heard this and variations of this throughout the evening all recited 2 inches from my face. I won’t go into the amount of times I explained to him that just because he promises not to do it again does not get him out of the punishment he was already given. I understood that he was sorry and I was proud of him for being sorry…… believe me, it was covered and covered.
*****
We did enjoy the Blaze –
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but every few minutes he reverted back into his “I’m sorry” campaign.
Back in the room, he changed his tactic.
“Mom, thank you for much for the trip”
“Mom, thank you so much for the dolls”
“Mom, you are my queen.”
“I love you Mademoiselle”
“I am being so good!”
I did explain to him as I always do that I never would think or say that he was “bad” – he is not bad; he just did something wrong – on purpose.
We went to sleep (remember, I am still not feeling well). 4 or 5 times during the night, I woke up to find this boy 3 inches from my face telling me that he has “Good Behavior”  and “I promise never to lie again”
There are times when DC really does not understand what he has done wrong and I will speak with him and try to get him to understand – this was not one of those times. He knew exactly what he was doing while he was doing it. I can not just let everything go, even though at this point I really wanted to get some sleep. If I gave in now he’d know that I would give in the next time.
Morning came.
He hadn’t packed any paper to bring on the trip so he resorted to writing me apology notes on the inside of his books.
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As many times as he brought it up, there was an explanation for him. I love him, I always love him. I was not happy with the choice that he made to lie and sneak but I am not angry at him. If he does not do it again he would not lose his computer again.
We left the hotel, looked around Sleepy Hollow a bit, had lunch and headed home.
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Monday was a holiday but the weekend was over, which meant his punishment was over. He double checked that fact with me and was extremely happy to hear that he was correct in his assumption.  We were home all day on Monday and he was quite happy not to use his computer, because Monday is not “the weekend”. But he knew it was ON for the following Friday and I never heard another word about it.
(He understands the word “punishment” from Full House. I originally never used that word – that was all him)