I Pod or Lego's

 

Christmas brought a new outlook for Max.

One that stopped the obsession with Lego's, and started a new adventure with his I Pod that he got as a gift from I and my husband.

At first I never thought anything could pull him away from his Lego's, but the minute Malachi showed him how to use it and play games

 he hasn't been able to take his eyes off of it. 

 

 

I have been teaching Max how to use my I Pad and here are a couple of pictures we took together.

 

 

 

Two weeks after I showed him he took over three hundred pictures of himself

on my I Pad at Church.

Which will take me a while to delete.

 

Here are four of the three hundred and fifty eight pictures that he took.

 

 

 

Thanksgiving vs Foxhole

It didn't become apparent to me until after the last dish was rinsed on Thanksgiving Day and the relatives and friends had left that Max disappeared downstairs during dinner. I looked over the photos several times trying to find one of Max and there were none. It was as if he was a fox going down into his foxhole or den to escape from everything and anybody.

I have noticed over the past couple of months that Max has been isolating himself from others.

His world has become smaller in some ways. My I pad, our computer and sometimes the Wii have become his obsession. I have other friends who have shared their concern about their child who has autism and also desires the same world as Max. They shared with me the frustrations with how difficult it is to get them away from the technical world, and learning to develop people skills and interacting.

I have noticed that the internet has overpowered the thought of having a face to face conversation. We don’t call or send a message even through email anymore.

 It’s all done with a text message or facebook.

Max's speech herapist is trying to get him to say hi to at least two people a week at school. Each Monday when has therapy she will ask him if he said hi to anyone. His response is. "I was busy or I was in a hurry when I walked down the hallway to class."

I have wondered how many other typical children say hi in the hallway or if they just send a text message through their phone or facebook instead.

Max doesn’t have a cell phone, facebook or email address.

Max is in the first stages of puberty and I have notice changes him in the past two months. Changes in his height and shoes size which he wears a bigger shoe than his father and oldest brother. He is more interested in our family conversations, but less likely to want to be around groups of people. He does love his orchestra class and enjoys performing at the concerts.

Life is good with Max apart of it. He gives warmth that brings comfort to my soul.  He helps me to stay grounded in seeing what really matters in life. It's that one sweet smile, a tight hug, and words, "I love you."

 

 

It's hard to believe this was six months ago when Max graduated from sixth grade.

We have a new visitor.

Knock, knock...

Who's there?

Elf...

Elf who?

Elf Jerry, who loves you!

Max loves his elf  and he decided to name him Jerry. Malachi, Max's brother wanted to name him Pippin. So we call him Jerry Pippin. Max wrote Jerry a letter and ask him some question.
I was surprised when Max showed me the letter right before he went to bed.

Here is the letter.

Jerry wrote back and told Max that his favorite color was red and that he doesn't mind being called Jerry or Pippin.

Desktop Diaries: Temple Grandin

Friends, Frowns and Tears

I greeted Max as he got off the bus and felt this strong feeling that I needed to ask him how his day went. I do ask him, but sometimes not until we are seated around the dinner table. Max stopped on the walkway that leads to our  front door, dropped his back pack, lunch sack, and viola minutes after I asked him. Tears escaped from his sky blue eyes and cascaded down his cheeks.  "Dale said to stop talking to him on the bus and Karl told me to stop asking the same questions in class today."
 Max took a deep breath and wiped his eyes. "I don't have any friends."  

I called his teacher and she said that Max and the other students seem to all have a problem with asking the same questions over and over.  She told me he has lots of friends. I guess it's a trial we all experience in our life, where we feel like we don't matter and no one wants to be our friend. 

I broke into a million pieces hearing Max say I don't have any friends. Its a sentence I hoped would never cross his lips. I remember when my oldest son felt like he didn't have any friends because he was smart. I remember him  saying, "I wish I wasn't smart." I guess all of us go through a period in our life where we feel like we don't matter to our peers. Even Max with autism has to learn to cope with the same stuff a typical child deals with. I am glad Max recognized what a friend is and that he wants friends.

One question Max has been asking me since the election is. "Mom are we going to have a civil war?"  Max always follows up with reason before I can answer him, with 

"I think we will have a civil war, because people don't know how to be nice to each other."

I always write a note on Max's paper towel that I put his his lunch box. 

Max's World

What life has been like for Max these last couple of months. 

Max had a Orchestra Concert in the park. 

Max in his Orchestra school shirt. He was glad when concert was over. 

Halloween

Max getting ready to carve his pumpkin.

Max thrilled with his pumpkin.

Max wanted me to get a close up of his pumpkin.

Max put his pumpkin outside on Halloween night and asked me to put a candle inside. 

                                         

Max's Halloween costume. 

Max wanted to be a Newsie from the musical Newsies. He loves the Newsies.

Car Show

After Car Show we went to visit my cousin. 

Max got to help feed my cousins horses and he loved it. 

Then we went to visit sweet, dear Nancy and her hubby.

Nancy let Max play with her bow and arrow. He loved it

Max's brother Malachi helping him. 

HONOR ROLL OR NOT?

Max and I at a beach in Washington, when he was three years old. 

 The results of Max's school Honor Roll list jabbed at my heart. I took a deep breath and then scanned the list for Max's name. The pain in my heart became more intense with the realization that Max's name would never be on a honor roll list. My tears began to form and  I believed and hoped it would magically appear, but I knew it wasn't possible. I have had a habit to look at the honor roll list since my oldest, who is now 27, was a youth. To observe each one of my children's names on the deans list or honor roll was a comfort to me. A list that announced my child had an interest in learning and had more intellect than others. I believe it's a list that shows that their child likes to read, write or learn everything and anything they can. 

 My children didn't have to work hard to make the honor roll. My oldest  at the age of five took an algebra class at ASU and passed it with flying colors. I feel blessed that God has given me the opportunity to raise such intellectual children and then He gave me the pleasure to raise Max. Each one of my children have been  a source of strength and pure joy. 

Max might never have to do a science project or a long draw out book report like my other kids. The nights of staying up late helping my children put their science boards together seem like a dream to me now. Instead my hours are spent sitting in waiting rooms while he has therapy, or listening to him express his thoughts on subjects he really doesn't understand. I love listening to Max's prayers they are filled with compassion. He is always asking God to help him not be tempted by the devil and that he can make good decisions. 

Magnificent Max, my sweet loving son who didn't make the honor roll list, who probably doesn't even know what the honor roll is. In my heart he has made the honor roll. He brings honor to our home.  He brings a loving spirit of kindness, gentleness and pure innocence.  I can honestly say he made a better list. He has enriched my life in more ways that I ever thought possible. He has taught me the most important list to be on, is one of compassion, love, and respect for others.  

How blessed I've been with five remarkable children. I love each one of them. 

Last night Max and I shared a bowl of popcorn and watched Polar Express. Max still believes in Santa!  

I need to stop typing.  My tears are dripping on the keyboard.