It's the little things

  I have always appreciated the little things. I was raised as a low-middle income family. My father didn't want my mother to work because he wanted her to be home with us girls. So we were raised to take joy in the little things and to appreciate them no matter how small. We may not have had everything our hearts desired but my parents gave us every thing they could, and where there was no money, there was love abound.

  But autism has taught me to appreciate more. It has taught me many things actually, but as I lay here tonight, listening to Liam's soft sleeping breaths, I am reflecting on the little things that happened just today, and appreciating how wonderful they are for him, for us.

  He asked me to make him a lemonade stand. If that wasn't huge enough, he asked EVERY person that stopped today if they wanted lemonade. He would ask quietly at first, working up his nerve, and when they didn't hear him, he would ask again!! This is huge for my social introvert!! This is the same child who crawl up the back of my shirt, flashing my goods to people in public, just so people couldn't see him. I think half of Bradford County has seen my ladies at some point in the last 7 seven years, and not because of me!!!!

  When we took him swimming today, he stuck his face in the water. Not once. Not twice. THREE times!!!! This is huge because he doesn't like water on his face , especially in his eyes. His little friend A was trying it, and teaching Liam how she does it.  He then told us it was burning him so he stopped. We commended him on how brave and tough he was for trying it, and you could see the pride on his face.

  I watched him play with the neighbor kids and take turns, WITHOUT being MADE to!!!!! I watched him laugh, holler and scream and not sit on the deck, waiting for someone to play with. When one kid took an extra turn, he came and told me, tears in his eyes, and asked me to help. I told him to take 2 turns and let it go. He did! He didn't sit there and dwell on it!  He didn't slap that kid and refuse to play anymore. His social skills seem to be improving everyday!

  He went to the bathroom twice today and wiped  all by himself. He rarely does that, so when he does, I make sure I make a huge deal out it and tell him what a big boy he is for doing that dirty deed himself. You know, I may not be wiping his butt until he's 20, and that is FANFREAKINTASTIC!!!!

 I can't believe ALL these things happened here today. These things may not even seem important to parents of NT kids. Without autism, I may not have taken much notice. Without autism, they may not have seemed like such a big deal to me either. So you see, there are some days I hate autism. Days where I let it get the best of my emotions.  And then there are days like today, when I embrace it for letting me see how wonderful the little things can be. So, before the storm of Autism crashes back down on us, I will sit here and bask in the happiness of these little things :)

                                                                         ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥