The Two Best Things That Ever Happened to Boy Wonder

We are not only our brother's keeper; 

in countless large and small ways, 

we are our brother's maker.

~Bonaro Overstreet

They are the two best things that have ever happened to Boy Wonder. They pull him out when he hides. Aggravate him just enough to keep life interesting. Engage him in silly play. To them, just for now, before they are old enough to realize he's different, he is just their brother and playmate.  And I do hope that they realize that he is the best thing that ever happened to them.  They will learn things from him they can not and would not learn any other way.

Which Way?

Where do we go from here?

This isn't where we intended to be.

~You Must Love Me~

Who do we ask when we don't know which way to go?

The Map!!!!

~Dora the Explorer~

Do you keep waiting for it to get easier? I do.  I keep thinking tomorrow, next week, next month it will all get easier. In the rare quiet moments, I mourn the things I've never done with Boy Wonder. At not quite 6, there are so many things I thought about when I heard, "it's a boy" that we would do. By now, he would have been participating in a sport. We are still watching Little Einsteins and Dora instead of Phineas and Ferb and Sponge Bob.  I've never had an eye roll or an Ugh Mom don't kiss me. This would have been the summer he learned to ride without training wheels. But the training wheels are on the bicycle for this whole ride. 

I work through it most days but lately it's been a tough haul. We made the decision to try medication. We are sitting here on pins and needles. Watching Boy Wonder intently for effectiveness and possible side effects. Hoping that the vocal stimming and hand biting will calm down, that it will give him the focus he lacks. 

So where do we go from here? One foot in front of the other. No looking back just forward towards hopefully what will be an easier time.

In The Moment

 Rejoice in the things that are present;

all else is beyond thee.

Montaigne

Take your eyes off what you lost.

Daniel @blindpoet

I often feel as if I have been absent from Boy Wonder's toddler years and preschool years. He's my oldest child yet he's the one I've spent the least amount of time with since his birth. I went back to work when he was 10 months old. At 17 months, he entered Early Intervention and I found myself unexpectedly pregnant with THE DIVA.  At 2 years, 1 month and 5 days he was diagnosed as having severe autism and we threw him headlong in to therapies, day in and day out. At 3 years old, he boarded the school bus for the first time, came home got off the school bus and I had a therapist here waiting for him. Right after the THE DIVA'S 1st birthday, I found myself unexpectedly pregnant with Sweet Baby Girl. (Yes I see the pattern here. No it will not be happening again.)

So since Boy Wonder's been 17 months old, he's been in therapy and I've been popping out babies like tic-tacs. The little girlies are always here and always making their presence known. I feel as if I don't often to get to just be his Mommy. I'm always his advocate, therapist, coordinator, etc. but just Mommy doesn't happen often.

Yesterday, when the bus dropped him off, THE DIVA was off at camp and Sweet Baby Girl was napping. Boy Wonder wandered over to the front steps and sat down. Instead of rushing him inside like I normally would, I sat down next to him. He put his head on my shoulder and smiled. And I sat and just enjoyed the feeling of his still small body pressed up against me and just enjoyed being his Mommy.

Love: Autism Style

Jess over at A Diary of a Mom wrote a beautiful post about Brooke showing Katie empathy. Yes go read it. I'll wait.


Back? Ok good. So I remember the doctor saying the Boy Wonder would never really connect with people or show love and affection. I have found that statement to be untrue.  I have a cousin who from here on out shall be referred to as SuperCuzzy. Boy Wonder loves her. LOVES HER. They have a special connection. He cries when she leaves.  She is an AHHHHHHMMAAZZZINNNGG person. She worked as a respite worker for a family with several kids on the spectrum during college. When she visits, there's no explanations and no judgements. She just sees, helps, gets it. So when she walked in the door Friday afternoon, she was immediately jumped on and loved by Boy Wonder.

So he'll never show love and affection? Yeah sure whatever. Tell that to SuperCuzzy. She'll tell you different.

Oh Jim Perdue, Part Deux

Hi Jim,

How's your summer? Any vacation plans? So I thought I'd give you an update about Boy Wonder and his chicken eating adventures. Especially as the girls in your customer relations department were super and sent me some awesome coupons.

Well, we tried and tried every product you offered and BW turned his nose up at all of them.  We finally had our Speech Pathologist, the wondrous K start a feeding therapy program with him.  He would eat chicken for her but not for us. Until one day when Big Daddy accidentally overcooked this chicken.

And then Boy Wonder proceeded to stuff his face with chicken.

So Jim, it looks like we can continue our relationship. I'm off to Shop-rite to stock up.

Fondly,


J
COO of Boy Wonder, Inc.

A Fairy Tale For My Friends

 "I'm never going to survive this summer"

A message sent to a select group of friends on Facebook yesterday

Which began a discussion of true yet hilarious scenarios which inspired this post.

There once was a woman who had several children. But yet.... Her house was neat. Her clothes were immaculate. Her makeup and hair sublime. She got to eat meals while they were hot. Her coffee was cold only if she ordered it iced. She got to use the bathroom alone. She also got to shower daily. 

Her husband was a big help and he cleaned and cooked and noticed things left on the stairs and took them up on his way. He even folded laundry and put it away. 

Her children never fought or whined. They didn't do spit art on the windows or draw on her walls. They slept THE WHOLE NIGHT THROUGH!! They ate their meals quietly and nicely.

And then she heard screaming on the baby monitor and woke up.

The End 

WHAAAAAATTT???? I told you it was a Fairy Tale. And yes Big Daddy does help around here so no smart remarks when you get home honey. mmmmKay?

Michael Phelps Who?

Summer Olympics 2020? Anything is possible.