Lego Indiana Jones

Tonight...was a very good night. Apparently, I am now taking karate as well! Parents who opt to stay in the "dojo" with the kids, must also participate in the lesson. I am proud to say...I was able to do the jump from the kneeling position to up on my feet on my first try! Needless to say, the kids (all the kids) got a kick out of watching us Moms and Dads do THAT.

Later, I made the kids their favorite meal upon request (a Friday tradition). Tonight, it was cheeseburgers and salad. Yes, my kids LOVE salad...one of the few green things I can get in two out of three of them. My son especially loves salad when it has bacon bits on it (whatever gets the green stuff in...).

Afterwards, we all settled down to watch the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. I tuned in and out while playing my son's Indiana Jones Lego game on his DS. A couple of times, I got stuck on what to do next. My son, with lots of "Oh Mom...Here, let me help you...." showed me how to complete my task and advance to the next level (I have my own spot to save my game and he has his LOL).

I know not all parents are fan of kids and video games...but for my son, it has been a help on so many levels. It has encouraged him to expand his conversation skills (not in just helping dopey Mom through an obviously "easy" level...but also in describing the game itself in a conversational sense). Video game play also has helped him develop his ability to forsee consequences to his actions, plan strategy to achieve a desired outcome and...lose gracefully.

With Autism, just like things of high calorie content...our philosophy is most things in moderation. That said...I'm going to kick his butt once we get Lego Batman. :-)