So I Was Just Thinking

Today is the first time I have ever sent my oldest over state lines without her father. Today is the first day of summer youth camp. We have been planning for this since last year when she went to the local children's camp . She went without incident, and that was quite an important step in this Aspie girl's life towards autonomy. As I got her ready for this day, I counted socks, underwear, swimsuits, towels, etc. We talked about the dangers of going places alone and the importance of the buddy system. I even explained the ever present topic of "Few people are interested in Pokemon," and what is a good topic to strike up with other girls in junior high and high school. Unfortunately, there was one thing I didn't plan for and it ruined my morning. The youth director wanted the kids to be there by 7:30. My summer school director was kind enough to let me arrive late to work. I got my daughter to church at exactly 7:30, unloaded her gear, got her things onto a pull ...

Thanks for all of the kind words to my daughter about her post. And NOW back to my regularly unscheduled post. Every time I see my daughter dance I am impressed. I think back to her earlier days around age 3 when I put her in a group called Texas Stars. They were a singing/dancing/tumbling group. At that time, we didn't know about her Asperger's . She was just a quiet girl who kept to herself. We used to have to call her by her first and middle name just to get her attention, and we used to have to do it several times. I would take her to class and sit in the lobby that was only divided by a thin curtain. I am sure her teacher was overwhelmed by Caitlin. Every class was filled with repeated calls to "Caitlin Rose, Caitlin Rose." (Be sure to add an annoying lilt to the call.) Despite the disastrous classes, when the group would attend grand openings and the like, Caitlin would pull out all the stops and shake her sparkly red pompoms, dance to Zippidy Doo Da or sign the...

For those you haven't had the pleasure, I'd like you to meet my daughter. (By the way, if you haven't met her, where have you been??!!) What you should know about this girl: She marches to the beat of a different drummer. She doesn't care what you think about it. One moment she'll be admiring one classmate's new lip gloss, and in the next moment she is setting up a "playdate" with boys to trade Pokemon character trading cards at the local McDonald's. (She is always surprised when her parents say she can't go.) She doesn't find it strange that boys like to hang around her and love to talk to her at lunch. She can't remember where she put her homework, but she can name every character in a movie and every song on her iPod playlist, nor will she forget that you told her on April 10th you would take her to see a movie. If the name on a board game says Family 7 Mancala , that is what she will call it EVERY TIME - much to her parents' cha...