Protestants Are Single Celled Organisms...

"Um...buddy? I think you mean protists." One of the many humorous grammatical mixups Super Aspie Boy has come out with recently :-)

I Give Him Two Jobs To Do...

But if he gets one done, I'm thrilled. Multi step instructions usually fizzle out after step two...especially if told to him over the phone. Well today he not only CLEANED his room, he also remembered to bring down the dirty clothes and bring up the clean ones. I'll ignore the bowl that has been sitting in his room for the past week...

Why The Title Change?

I really stink at research intensive type posts. Or even regular posts for that matter. A snapshot of my son's world is really more fitting. Think a blog comic book...but without the cool drawings ;-)

My Son's Report Card Made Me Cry

I was at work the other day. As usual I called home to make sure my oldest daughter and my son, got home safely from Middle School. She answered and I asked "Did you have a good day?" "Yes! I had a great day! I made high honor roll!! (this is the 6th straight quarter, she's made high honor roll...yes, I'm bragging).

Before I could even begin to congratulate her and tell her how proud she makes me (which she does every day), she said "But guess what? Jonah had an even better day...he made honor roll!!!"

I literally couldn't speak. "He made honor roll?" "Yes!! He did!!!" I tried to speak. I'm sure I opened my mouth several times. My co-worker was standing next to me, looked at me with alarm and asked "Is everything ok at home?" I nodded frantically. I could feel the tears forming as I whispered "Jonah made honor roll."

My co-worker smiled and I lost it. I handed her the phone and ran into the back office with my hands over my face. I was shaking and sobbing. Tears were running down my face. Two other co-workers looked at me in alarm. One asked "Are you ok? Did something happen to your kids??!" It took me a few tries, before I managed to whisper "My...my son made honor roll." "Awww, so its a good cry!" one said. I nodded, hands still over my face.

My son.

My son made the honor roll.

He made the honor roll!!!

Just the other week, my husband and I were speculating on how Jonah was doing in school. We know where is strengths are, but worry about what he struggles with, how it impacts his grades... and how that will affect him as he navigates middle school. Also, how it will affect him beyond middle school.

Then he showed us what he can do. What he is capable of. You've heard the expression "a weight was lifted?" I never really experienced that until the other day. Something was literally lifted up and made immeasurably lighter. I was caught off guard. I didn't know, until that moment, how much worry I had been suppressing.

My beautiful boy. My smart, wonderful, quirky, odd, funny, stimy and beautiful boy. He has amazed me yet again.

I am so blessed to have three amazing and wonderfully unique kids. I am so proud of all of them. That my oldest, thought first of her brother's achievement over her own makes my heart nearly burst with love for her. That my youngest tells anyone who will listen, about him...I feel the same.

Somehow, God thought me worthy to be Mom to these three kids...and I am forever thankful.

"I Got A 96!!"

This was the exclamation from my son, as he barreled into the house - in his typical, drop crap in a bread crumb trail style. I didn't even get a chance to ask him in what subject, before he told me it was in science. Am I surprised? No. Am I thrilled? YES! That he does so well in his other subjects, makes it a bit easier to deal with our concerns over his struggles with math.

See, its not that he can't get the math. The frustrating thing, is that he doesn't get the TIME to get the math. No sooner than he starts to grasp a concept, than its off to the next. We are scrambling with a way to give him that additional support at home. He also doesn't have a math book. WTF? Seriously? One of the hardest subjects in school and you don't have a frigging text book for it?

So, as in elementary school - I'm going to have to ask that he have step by step examples of what is being taught, sent home on copies. Once he grasps the concept, its in his head - he's not stupid. Or slow. He just needs to approach math, in a roundabout way.

After all...how many kid's come home and ask your thoughts on "taxation without representation," and can explain why that's a bad thing?

So Hard To Blog

about my son...I find it easy to blog regularly about my running/triathlon adventures. Why is this such a challenge?

Perhaps because it hits so close to the heart?

Because he's so on the edge of "normal?" He's diagnosed with higher functioning Aspergers (on the Autism spectrum). School is challenging, but he is holding his own academically. I'm not sure about friends...play dates are rare. He's at that point, where he's developing beyond his elementary school friends, but isn't quite up to his peers in middle school.

We watch him, to see how he acts when its time to go to school...and when he comes home. Leaving and coming back with a smile, is taken as a good sign. He has a good appetite (ok...a HUGE appetite). He interacts - hugs, talks, smiles, jokes and does his chores (not always willingly...typical tween).

But he also loves to repeat entire groups of dialogue from his favorite shows or movies

He flaps. He also vocalizes what we call "sound effects" in conjunction with his flapping.

He has "intense interests" (not the same as 'mini obsessions,' which are transitory and/or periodic) - Military History, Lord Of The Rings, Star Wars Clone Wars, Indiana Jones and his dominoes - these have been a favorite toy of his, since he was three. Well before he was diagnosed with Autism, we noticed how he loved to line up those chunky Crayola markers. It only made sense that if he liked to line things up, he might as well do it with something he could be creative in doing so.

Has what we call "mini obsessions." Which can be anything from fixating on a particular video game, to not moving his cat off his lap, "because she's happy" and needing us to move her. Yes, that is an actual issue at times.

His conversations, can be very one sided, if you do not gently remind him or redirect him. "Listen to what the other person is asking you/interested in/wants to do/talk about."
We ask him regularly, what other people he knows, like to do/read/watch. We try, as much as we can, to teach him to put himself in the world around him...and not get lost in the world inside him.

His speech, sounds somewhat, as though English were his second language. In fact, he sounds quite a bit like Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Tenses and plurals, however, continue to be tricky for him to master. Misplaced modifiers? All over the place...but those we try to make fun. When he verbalizes one....we point it out to him in a way that is humorous and not critical - that he can appreciate the unintended humor, is amazing.

I realize, that when it comes to Autism - how severely your child is affected, is an unknown. I see that in many ways, my son is lucky. Is that what it is, luck? A genetic game of poker?

Whatever it is, I admit...its hard to write about. I know there are kids out there, far more affected than my own. There are parents who are exhausted, beyond worried and trying to figure out how to care for a child - that will most likely require a lifetime of full time care.

So what right do I have, to worry about...to write about my son? Who can stay home alone. Is learning to babysit. Can go to away camp with his Boy Scout troop. Who can make his lunch with the toaster oven. Walk home alone from school. Make his bed without help. Who does not have toilet issues and can bathe himself? How selfish am I to worry?

But I do worry. Because my son is not neuro-typical. He will never be neuro-typical. He may learn to navigate the NT world, but he will always be a bit quirky. Be a bit "stimy."

My son is high functioning. But I'm his Mom...and I worry all the same.

If I sing a song, will you sing along?

This is such a fitting song, for my son. "Sing Along" by The Blue Man Group with Dave Matthews on vocals:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eagbog8_MGI