“Mom, can I have a clubhouse.” “Well, maybe this summer your dad can build something…” “No, I mean a real clubhouse. Like in Up.” “Where?” “Me and C are gonna make the empty house down the street our clubhouse.” “No, you’re not. That house belongs to someone. You can’t go in there.” “Nobody lives there. […]
Two short anecdotes that didn’t make the cut: In preparation for my youngest child’s first musical performance, we practiced songs daily. The day of the event, we sat near the front of the auditorium and waited. Our child’s turn on the stage was spent staring at his feet, rocking on his toes, wandering from his […]
Wednesday, Amy had to visit the dentist for a small filling on one tooth and sealant on a molar. My job during this adventure was to be reassuring and stay out of the way. Amy hopped in the dental chair and they leaned the chair back to work on her mouth. The assistant pulled Amy’s […]
What is the Halloween version of the Grinch? Me. Well, if you ask my teenagers, it’s me. Tommy hasn’t gone trick or treating for years, but suddenly he has started mumbling that trick or treating sounds like fun. It’s only mumbling though. He is happy with the long-standing deal that when you stop trick or […]
While I don’t question that Tommy was ready to leave high school when he graduated, I am now firmly convinced that he needed something after graduation and before any attempts at college. He needed a year of being taught “how” to be a student. Because of the Asperger lenses that filter his view of life, […]
Bearden High School has some new art today. It’s NSFW, but the images are here and here. When I toured the local high schools, I looked for and asked about vandalism. The schools in West Knoxville clean and repaint constantly to reduce its’ presence. The scars it leaves behind are still visible on the fences […]
After completely biased and unscientific research, I have come to the conclusion that the maximum amount of time my children can survive when I am on the phone is exactly one hour. I’m not talking about normal, unexpected calls. Normal phone call survival time is actually much, much lower. I am talking about expected phone […]
Tommy: “I own a pair of jeans and a bunch of t-shirts. Why would I need anything else?” Sarah: “I don’t need anything new. Except this. And this. And that.” Noah: “Uhh, what’s wrong with last year’s clothes?” Amy: “Okay, I really need this outfit and that outfit, but I hafta have earrings to match […]
“Moooom! Evan is running around the house covered with soap.” “How did he get soap all over himself when the bathtub is dry?” “Weeeell, he took off his clothes and climbed in the sink and he squirted soap on his back and then he smeared it everywhere.” “He put soap on his own back?” “Yes.” […]
I say: “It’s not just the rain that makes driving dangerous. It’s also oils that come out of the asphalt when it first starts to sprinkle.” They hear: “Mwah, mwah, mwah, you are a terrible driver, mwah, mwah, mwah.” I say: “When you are texting while doing something else, you are missing out on part […]