So I'm going to talk about a 'joy' i realized the other day that I took for granted.
My kids don't fight. It's not because I'm a perfect mother and have perfect children, it's because Chase has autism.
As a parent, i don't know what it's like to hear my kids fighting over toys, or the TV or anything really at all. To be honest, I wish i did.
I can only imagine what other parents go through, what my mom went through with us.
When you're the youngest of 5 kids, you get a bad rap. I was, for sure, the tattle tale of the group. And nobody likes a tattle tale.
Now, I want you to know I'm not bragging about my kids not fighting.
Sibling rivalry is normal, and parents with autistic children claw our way through the mystery of the diagnoses just to find "normal", to help our kids do "normal" things. We need normality to ensure a life for them for which they will thrive independently.
But I won't lie in saying that it's nice they don't fight. The other day, Allie came out of primary with an otter pop. Chase happened to not be in the primary room when they were handing them out so he didn't get one. When he saw Allie's popscicle, he didn't throw a fit because she had one and he didn't. He just watched her eat the whole thing without a complaint.
I hear people talk all the time about how it drives them nuts when their kids fight. But people, please, understand that that is normal. You want normal, you need normal, you have normal. We fight for normal everyday when it comes to Chase.
Eric had to work today, so he was going to meet us at church later. We got there a tad bit late, (why is it that you think you have tons of time to get yourself ready and the kids, but then somehow the time escapes you and you're late) so when we get there, the chapel doors are shut, so we sit down on the couch in the foyer. Chase immediately sees that as his opportunity to go wild, be loud, and not use his 'inside voice'. Before we left for church, everything i needed Chase to do, he refused. He fought me on everything. (Chase and Allie don't fight, but Chase seems to know how to fight with me :) I really don't remember picking out his clothes, (I was in a dither) i just remember grabbing something that looked like it could be 'church appropriate'.
Finally 40 minutes after church started, Eric came, took one look at Chase's outfit, and announced he was taking Chase home to change his clothes. That's when i realized what Chase was wearing.
*A shirt that was obviously 'getting too short'. (You could see his cute belly the second he even thought about raising his hands higher than his knees)
*Pants that were flood ready
*And last but not least, blue sandals that went great with his green pants and white and red stripped shirt.
How did i not notice this??
Oh yeah, i was late and Chase was fighting me every step of the way. Not to mention i had a very grumpy 7 year old that proclaimed she 'hates 9 o'clock church' Eek! I wonder where she gets that idea from??
When Eric and Chase returned 15 minutes later, Chase's shirt was longer, his pants matched his shirt, and his feet donned shoes that 'totally completed the outfit'
In my defense, that's what happens when your in a rush....right...right?
I think I can safely say this is one of those instances where it's a good thing Chase is always none the wiser to it all!
I fear for Chase and the outfits he'll wear to church when Eric's gone for 3 weeks in July for training! :) I'll hope to not be in a dither all morning on Sunday!
(My angel's at the temple on a windy day)
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