Karate, Testing For The Gold Belt

Practice:  This past Saturday, two hours.  This past Monday, an hour and a half.  This Friday,  another hour and a half.  Then tomorrow,  J and his older sister M will test for their Gold belts.

I watched the kids do sit ups,  squats and push ups...practice their blocking, kicking and the very important sanchin kata.  I have no idea if J will achieve his gold belt on his first testing...I hope he will, I believe that he can.  If not, I know like so many other things he works doubly hard to master...he will earn it eventually.

Fingers crossed!

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The Little Things

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that make it all worth while...J made this note for me tonight before bed.

Using Autism To Get Out Of Chores...

Not too long ago, I went through the daily routine of reminding...ok nagging my kids to pick up their rooms.  Reluctantly, they set off to their rooms.  From inside my daughters room, came the unmistakable sounds of grumbling and empty threats of mutiny.  From my son's room, silence.  "J?" I called..."Are you picking up your room?"  "No" he replied.

Going to his room, I open the door to find  him sitting in the middle of his mess, a very unhappy look on his face.  "Why aren't you cleaning your room, like I asked?" I said to him.  "Because I have an Autistic brain Mom.  I can't!  Its too hard!" J replied.   After doing this daily chore on his own and with much success, it just now occurred to him that he may have an "out."

"Nice try" I said. "Not get your Autistic butt in gear and clean this room before you lose all tv, computer and DS privileges for a week.   You can do whatever you set your mind too...including cleaning this pigpen.  Love you, now get to work."

Olbermann - Useful Idiot

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2009/02/keith_olbermann_played_for_a_fool.php

Ring...ring...Hello Mom?

Its me J, your son?  I'm at school!   "Yes J, I know its you hon...(smiling)."

I forgot my shoes!!  "I'll bring them over in a few minutes."

Ok Mom!  I love you!  "I love you too."

Don't forget my shoes!!  click

A turn of phrase...

and Aspergers.  My son, while very verbal, is not "smoothly" verbal.  His speech is a little off, as though English is not his first language.

He mixes up his tenses and confuses what should be plural.

But sometimes, I can't help but laugh when listening him describe a "figure of speech" to his four year old sister.

Today's was "fair and square."  As Jonah explained it, it is "another way of saying you should play nice."

Advice we should all live by.

But I'm not mad, Mamma...

This from my son, as he got in the car after karate tonight.  I had gone out before the class was dismissed to warm up the car, I pulled up to the front door and my oldest daughter and my son piled into the car.  As she buckled her seat, my eldest proudly told me she had earned another tip on her belt...then said in a whisper "but Jonah didn't."

From the back, I heard a resigned voice say "But I'm not mad Mamma.  I'll keep working hard, I'll get it soon."  Hearing the self control in his voice and his positive attitude was the best thing in my day.  Disappointments like this, often lead him to an extreme of tears and sadness.  A potentially negative  fixation such as this - focused on his "failure to get that tip"  could go on for days.  However,  I  see already, this is becoming what I like to think of as a postive fixation...something to strive for, master and achieve.

I think I'll be seeing a new tip on his belt before too long.