It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Household business reached a fever pitch, and work/school commitments were overwhelming. We decided to get away for a weekend.
La Petite suggested we visit her at school. Her Homecoming weekend was coming up, she had to cover the football game for the paper, and she thought she could get a second pass for her brother. This is not just any brother, however. This is Amigo, the blind teenager with Asperger's Syndrome, a disorder on the autism spectrum.
These two have a special kind of relationship. They drive each other crazy in the normal sibling way. They also stick together and have fun together -- better when the parental units are not around. The two of them email each other with news that they don't share with the "grown-ups," they share fun experiences, and they leave us parents out of the loop. And we don't mind. Well, we don't mind much.
She gave us some tips on dressing for the cool and windy weather; Amigo takes her advice better than he takes ours. We picked her up at the unique and unequalled apartment, dropped them off at the stadium, and had a few hours to ourselves. We couldn't resist; we text messaged her asking, "How's he doing?" The answer? "Fine," of course.
There were ups and downs. Hanging out with a blind kiddo means being the sighted guide, getting bopped in the head by arms flailing into a jacket, and more. She settled him on the sidelines with her, then moved him to a safer location when the thundering giants dressed in padded uniforms came too close for comfort. She helped him find the game on the campus radio station, then let him enjoy the game independently through his headphones while she did her job of capturing the game in digital images.
When Amigo walks with La Petite, he walks taller. He acts more mature, less like the youngest child. His annoying dependent self gets left behind. It's truly a sibling relationship to celebrate.
I think this calls for cake. Apple spice cake, to be specific.
Happy Birthday, Mid-Century Modern Moms! I'm proud to be a part of this enterprise.
fan-freakin-tastic! what a triumph for amigo and la petite!
Posted by: the planet of janet | October 30, 2008 at 07:43 PM
I'm so proud of them.
Posted by: Daisy | October 31, 2008 at 11:19 AM
Awww. That was a lovely post. Seeing your kids get along like that just warms your heart, doesn't it?
Posted by: Ilona | October 31, 2008 at 12:39 PM
I admit, I feel a little tug on my heartstrings when they take off on their own.
Posted by: Daisy | October 31, 2008 at 05:52 PM