A Long Way to Cologne…

…where ridiculous resides and because I always seem to take the long way around a story:

My little dude is funny. Except, after BDC taking him shopping for new sneakers tonight, and finding that his feet are quickly reaching my size (he’s only 8!), he’s not truly” little”. Though I will probably refer to him as my “little dude” for the rest of his life. (So, Henry, you have been warned.) But I digress.

Later in the evening I walked upstairs to corral the little (see, I can’t help myself) chameleons to bed while BDC worked on getting pictures off of my phone and into my computer. Because sometimes I’m technically challenged.  Anyway, it’s a cool evening so the windows are open and our attic fan is running. When I got to our bedroom (because the kids have claimed it as their own and are watching TV in there)  I smelled something strangely odorous.  Like perhaps there was a dead animal nearby in our neighborhood, or more accurately, right outside our bedroom window.

The following conversation ensued.

ME: *scrunching my nose*  “What smells in here?”

Of course, I try to identify it and find the source.  I go over to our window to see if it’s stronger there. You know, sort of like, “Oh this milk is sour! Taste it!” Only in this case I was inflicting this upon my own olfactory senses.  Again, I digress.

As I am unable to discern where said smell is coming from, I turn back to the kids.

HENRY: “Heh, heh!”  *said devilishly*  “That must be me you smell.”

ME: “YOU smell?”   *then I realize I can’t remember the last time Henry had a bath*

HENRY: “Yeah, come smell me.”

* again with the sour milk…?  I move hesitantly toward him.*

HENRY: “Dad and I were trying some man cologne while we were at Kohl’s.”

ME: “Oh!”  *laughing*  “Did you really?”

HENRY: “Only two kinds. Smell.”  *he pulls his t-shirt away from his neck so I can get a good sniff*

ME:  “Hey, that smells pretty good!”  *said with a bit of surprise*  “That’s not what I was smelling a second ago.”

HENRY: “Ohhhh, yeahhhh!”  *nodding his head, giving me the smooth-move-finger-gun motion and an attempt at a wink*  “Dad should get two bottles of each and I should get two bottles of each for four bottles and I should wear this twice a day.”

Well, on the upside, I wouldn’t smell that dead animal smell with Henry bathing in two different types of cologne twice a day.  Although, we  probably would all end up not being able to smell anything after that, rendering any kind of scent a moot point.  (I did mention the long way around, right? Keep reading. It’s almost the end. Really.)

By this time I’m getting the kids tucked in their beds and of course, Lucy has chimed in on the conversation.

LUCY: ” Henry, you can’t wear that!”

HENRY: “I might wear it THREE times a day!  Maybe even FOUR! Ok, maybe just two. I can SO wear it, Lucy.”

LUCY: *laughing*  “Ewwww! No you can’t Henry!  You can’t even date yet.”

HENRY: *matter-of-factly*  “Well, that is true.”

ME: “You don’t have to date to wear good smells. Remember, Henry, you used to wear Mad Hatter? And you really liked that.”

HENRY: “Well, yeah.  I should probably wear man cologne more often. You know, because a man likes to smell good.”

*shaking my head. Good gods, how did I land on this planet and with these kids?!? *

So, there you have it. Because honestly I don’t know how to end this ridiculous story about an equally ridiculous conversation. But it made me so happy to see my kids laughing and being utterly serious and silly at the same time.  For me, that’s reason enough to take the long way to cologne.

Fridays with the Goose

The Goose with her goose.

It seems for so long, Fridays have been days just for me and my littlest chameleon, Lucy.  Today is no exception. And today is a very special Friday. Today Lucy is 5!  “The baby” is five.years.old!

From the beginning she has had a very demanding, high maintenance older brother with ASD taking the spotlight. She also has an older sister, who although is  great and loving (most of the time) , at almost 9 years apart, their lives are in very different places.  As a baby and young toddler, Lucy was always so laid back. Going with the flow…as if she had any other choice. She was always so happy and even the reflux issues didn’t seem to bother her all that much. By about 2 1/2 I began to worry if she was almost too laid back. Would she grow up to be a mat that everyone could just walk all over?

No worries there. At around 3 years old she had begun to “assert” herself. She learned to make her voice heard and with her brother’s volume that can be hard to do! She can be quite a pistol! Her quick wit and almost genius comedic timing is amazing! She’s a smart one, that Goose. Despite often having to take a backseat to her brother’s needs and the running around and needs of her older sister, she continues to shine.

Ready for her close-up

Fridays have been days where at least part of the day has just been for me and her. Once a week for nearly two years,  Lucy and I spent a half hour together at the St. Louis Bread Company. (Affectionately known as Bread Co. or, if you’re outside the St. Louis Metro Area, it is known as Panera Bread. Or, if you’re Lucy, originally she called it “the kitchen”).  During these two years Henry was going to occupational therapy (which he dubbed “cushy room”) and thankfully “the kitchen” is located in the same building. Sometimes in the summer or when school was off, big sister, Molly, would us, or grandma or even daddy.  But for the most part, this was my special time alone with Lucy. We would drop Henry off for his session and head down for our time together.

Lucy would order a chocolate chip cookie and a carton of chocolate milk. Rarely a variation. Then out would come the Leapster or coloring books or magnetic “paper” dolls. Sometimes we chatted and colored together or dress the dolls in different magnetic gowns and tiaras. Sometimes she became engrossed in a Leapster game and I would catch up on updating my calendar, grocery list, or phone calls.

Hammin' it up at Bread Co.

I watched her from across the table and was always amazed by her. Living her life with an older brother on the autism spectrum is all she knows. She doesn’t quite understand what autism is or that her brother has it. She knows that during this time on Fridays Henry was getting “therapy” and he played and had a good time. Sometimes she was sad that she didn’t get to stay. But overall would just go with the flow. Whether or not it’s because she’s had no choice and it’s all she knows or whether her personality would be this way in other circumstances, I can’t say.

The times at “the kitchen” came to a close as Henry started full-time kindergarten this past fall and we ended his regular occupational therapy sessions. I was sad to lose this time with Lucy. Since she still had one more year of preschool which runs Monday through Thursday, we’ve been able to continue our Fridays together. But we don’t get out to Bread Co. or lunch very often as unfortunately Fridays have become my “catch-up” day for work, errand running, grocery shopping, etc. My special little Goose still goes with the flow. And occasionally I try to do a little something special with her.

She continually has to vie for attention and when your brother seems to get so much all of the time (whether negative or positive) this can be hard. Lucy ADORES Maya, our respite care provider! And as WONDERFUL Maya is with including Lucy in many of their activities, she is here for Henry.

Dance, little star, dance!

She is something. My Goose. The “ham”! Such expression this ones got! Oy! She started dance classes this past fall and I’m hoping she will see this as an outlet for her “flare for the dramatic”. A place where she can express herself. She doesn’t have to share dance class with either of her siblings. It’s just for her.

Today, even on her birthday, we will head to the grocery store. But after I have promised her lunch out and then a trip to the party store to pick out some balloons and things for her family party tomorrow. She’s a very special kid, our Goose. Wise and compassionate beyond her five years and I hope someday she will see that despite what seems like so much attention on her siblings, she always shines in my heart and my soul.

Our sweet Goose

Happy 5th birthday, my Goose!