Another Friday is here. And with that comes a weekend that passes too fast. With soccer and Scott working and chores and shopping and who knows what else will pop up. And right now I am being lazy! Yea for lazy.

Emma, who is trying to turn into a young adult way too soon, decided she wanted pizza for supper. I told her no, we've had it way too much lately and we could make something. Heaven forbid we don't go out on a Friday night. She still doesn't understand some nights it is nice to sit and do nothing.
Anyways, she disappeared for a few minutes and then came back with $31 and said if you order I'll pay. So, being the wonderful parent I am, after lots of arguing, I ordered. The pizza showed up and she ran for the door and paid the delivery guy, even giving him a tip, and took the pizza to the kitchen. The kids are eating pizza and I'm going to be good and have a salad. The pizza doesn't even smell good.

This past week was pretty low key. Emma stayed home sick for 2 days and I took half a day off Monday to be with her. We watched recorded episodes of Hannah Montana and Cory in the House from Disney Channel because The Rock was on both shows. I love him. He's just yummy. I want to bite him. Ok, now that I have that out of my system.
Emma lay on the couch moaning because her stomach hurt so bad and I sat in the chair with the show paused on Him as I drooled. She finally got tired of it and rolled off the couch just to grab the remote out of my hands. Then the sick little terd got back on the couch and laid on it. She only brought it out to change the channels when the shows were over.
I'm proud of her right now, well I normally always am even when I'm ready to lock her up for a few years (til she's 18 or so). I was approached by the speech therapist and the school counselor asking if I would let Emma join a group of students for lunch every Friday. This group is made up of special ed students that need help learning how to socialize and interact with their peers. Emma's role would be to help these students. Today was her first day and they played games while they ate. Basically what they are telling me is that my daughter loves to talk. She starts from the time she wakes up in the morning and doesn't really stop until she goes to sleep. Even then she keeps on talking, depending on how tired she is. No, really, they felt she would be good with the others because of Ethan and how much she helps him at school. It lets me know I'm doing a pretty good job at raising a caring young lady.

Ethan's not in the lunch group because there are too many others. He just does better with a one on one situation. Some days I feel he like he is going backwards and some days he seems just like a normal boy. His school work isn't suffering but there are times when it takes a lot to get him to focus on me. I have a feeling he tries so hard at school that when he is home he feels safe to just let go. He goes into that world of his where he is happiest and it is hard to get him back. I still get hugs (ok they are still leans but he asks for them I don't have to ask for them anymore), I still get eye contact when he is with me, I can still touch his shoulder or his head without him freaking out. It's harder for him to let others do those things now though. Scott cut Ethan's and Harley's hair last night ( I wanted to leave their hair long but the Marine in him just can't stand it) and Harley was done in under 5 minutes. Ethan's took so much longer because I had to help hold his head. I'd rather cut his hair at home because of these fits. I am tired of explaining my son to people. I know I don't have to but when they see an 11 year old as tall as me throwing a fit like he does, the looks I get are horrible. Even when I tell them what is wrong it feels like a majority of the people just don't get it. I don't bother to elaborate. I should take my time to explain what autism because I should be like so many other mothers who are out there trying to educate people. But why shouldn't people take it upon themselves to educate themselves. IS that wrong of me to think that? Probably so. When someone shows more interest than I do go into detail about autism and Ethan. I'm actually very proud at how far we have come. He's in a mainstream class and he's only one grade behind where he should be. He reads on grade level, the tests don't show this but who cares what the hell those stupid No Child Left Behind tests show because they suck. I've sat and read with him and I know exactly what he can do. The same for math. The kid hates math but he is so much better at it than I am. When he sits down to do math homework and I can get him to concentrate on that and noting else then he flies right through it. His memory skills for songs and movies just amazes me. And his doctors and his therapist. He can see a movie once and then relate it to someone else word for word, almost. He has to love the movie, which isn't hard for him, he loves movies in general.

I think all this is coming out because of Jenny McCarthy. I applaud her for what she has done and she has done it as a single mom, for the most part. I have no idea if her ex helps her or not. I caught most of her interview with Larry King and Holly Robinson Peete and I sat there agreeing with so much and then a co-worker came into my office to ask why I was talking to the tv. When I told him what I was watching he sat down and watched with me. I've changed the way a few co-workers think about autism. So I've done a little work towards the cause.

I haven't met anybody who dislikes Ethan. Every where we go someone is saying hi to him. Whether it's a teacher or a student from school, or even another parent. I hope it stays this way all through middle school and high school. I'm so afraid that when the elementary schools start blending the kids who don't know him will be mean. And I can't protect him from that. I'm hoping that there will be enough kids around him that know him that will jump in and say something. They do now! When a new kid shows up at school and teases Ethan the other kids are all over him to be nice. Before too long the new kid loves Ethan too. I can't protect the kids forever but I'm going to try my hardest and longest on Ethan.

Well, now that I've gone on a little about the two older I should say something about Harley. Today was his first school picture day. He chose his red and orange Hawaiian shirt (which is a nice button up shirt) and then brown cami pants. He was very colorful. He was so excited for the pictures. He loves school and gets up so good every morning. And then every weekend morning he still gets up and gets mad at me because I'm not getting ready for work so he can go to school. I hope his love for school stays but it won't because it never does. Ah well, I'm enjoying it while it lasts.
I love this school. Their goal is to have the kids reading, writing in cursive before they "graduate", and I even read something about math next year. It almost feels like they are pushing too much but he loves it and is soaking it all in. I'm not about to stop it or try to change anything.

Time to go, Emma has a friend spending the night and they have been too quiet for too long now and I need to investigate to see what they are up to.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.