Tranquility

Its been along and weary week and I have decided to have a guilt-free 2 days on the weekend

Some of my friends say they want an autism-free vacation

Autism –free vacations in my mind  are impossible

For me , I try to take vacation from my role as therapist mom and guilty mom

We have a lovely lazy day

DH and I watch movies

R coils around us – like a cat

Instructs me to do things that he his watching on the DVD

Flashlight games

Sing songs but instead of pointing use the flashlight to light the part

So sing "Toe, knee chest nut" but instead of touching – shine your flashlight on the toe on the knee

Create shadows out of numbers and say them out

Word games

Playing little word games ( it's a simple game we played since when he was 3 when I used to use any way to get into turn taking .. the rule is that you can change only one letter to make a different word )

R :CHIPS
Me; SHIP
R :HIPS

And then not waiting for me to take my turn PIES

So the lazy day goes on

I think I see one car the whole day

I eye the woods longingly on Saturday evening

I am perishing to take a long walk..

I would take R but he will want to be carried in 10 minutes ( or less )

As R has been remarkably anxious about me leaving lately for anywhere but office – I don't really dare leave

I am a prisoner I whine reproachfully

DH smiles and tells me he will come with me so between us we can carry R when he asks to be carried

And so we walk together the three of us

This is one of my iconic moments – I tell DH smugly – its like we are a family from an advertisement

But its so much more -

It occurs to me how much I love these two and how much I love the three of  us

There are people who are good separately but then when you put they don't work together quite as well

We are better together

We play the 1..2…..3 game – where we swing R between us and raise him high  on 3 .

Much squeals of joy

And no, he does not ask to be carries
We read out the silly names of all the other cabins on the trail

A coy " Allison's dream" written with a flourish next to a box of fake flowers

To R , I am sure names lile "Kiss the moon" are quite perplexing and I see the wheels of his mind turning

We do a leaf color hunt ( oh how I love Fall )

An obliging spider has created a giant web of such fineness that it looks like the spider is walking in air so R can sing Itsy bitsy spider

There is such peace in these woods

So different from the hurry …do more…. do faster…  which is the rythm of my everyday

It occurs to me that there has to be a better way of doing things

Like the saying goes

"Nature is never in a hurry and yet everything gets done "