Take a Deep Breath

Things at our house can get a little dicey sometimes. Anytime you have five people living in close proximity, there's bound to be some um, words exchanged on occasion. Add Autism Spectrum Disorders to the mix, and things can get downright explosive. Big Guy, for example, has very particular ideas about life, and how it should be lived. Not just his life, everyone's life. And, you can guess how well his ideas go over with the siblings.

Today, was one of those Armageddon days. Dr. J, as we are all now calling my newly doctorially anointed hubby, bought the kids the biggest, coolest, most pieces to be potentially stepped on Lego set he could find at the store. It was a "hey, I'm done with my 6+ years of 24/7 schooling and now we can have some FUN" purchase, as well as a way to thank the kids for being so patient.

The upside of this gift is that it's totally awesome and the kids all loved it.


The down side the kids all loved it and had different ideas for what to do with it. Tater Tot and Doodle Bug are from the touchy-feely school of thought: "Let's crack this baby open and PLAY!" Big Guy, on the other hand, likes to build Lego masterpieces and then display them on a shelf. A very high shelf, out of reach of everyone.

The actual building part went really well. The three of them came up with a way to divvy up the building, and they finished in no time. Then, it all fell apart. No, not the Legos. The beautiful, United Nations of respectful cooperation and sibling love. Tater Tot reached out and put one finger on the finished castle, and poor Big Guy came unraveled.

That was about four hours ago.

It's finally time for bed, so my special guy finally got the chance to set the world to rights again. He transformed from a tornado of fury into a calm, focused kiddo again. You could see the weight lifting off his shoulders as he meticulously repositioned each part of the castle and matched up the figures with the appropriate wands and accessories. When he put the last piece in place, he sighed and looked over at me.

"Mom, I can take a deep breath now. Thanks."
Me too, buddy.