Meetings
I go to quite a few meetings at school. This is kind of a given when you have a child with special needs. And since I have more than one child with special needs — well, you get the idea.

Last week, I attended a meeting at my oldest son’s school. The focus of the meeting was to teach all of us — my son, his aide, me and the OT how to use the electronic keyboard/personal planner that he is using at school this year.

So, there we were, squished in a little resource room with extremely yellow walls, bookshelves full of videos and binders, and a trapezoidal table around which we were grouped. Bless my son, he manages to make even meetings be so not typical. How does he do this, you might ask? Well, he kept us laughing by the little asides that he would say to me after doing his part on the keyboard.

For example:

J: That is my speech teacher. Mom, she’s a lot younger than you.
Me: (laughing) Oh, really? Well, thank you, J. Mom needed that one today.

Typing….

J: (a bit mournfully…in a detached sort of way) Mom, I flooded the bathroom today.
(Everyone falls out laughing.)
Me: J, honey, you’ve got to not use a whole roll of paper, okay? That is what does it. Remember that, okay?
J: Hmmm.
(I don’t think that he’ll be remembering…
I turn around to see J’s aide doubled over laughing and silently say thanks that she has a good sense of humor.)

More typing….

J: Mom, I don’t think that E would like to see Hercules, because, at 93 minutes, it might be too long for him, since he is only 4.
Me: J, are you sure that Hercules has 93 minutes?
J: Yes, and it might be too long for E.

So then we notice that the movie Hercules is on a high shelf in the room. Finally, the curiosity overcomes me and I get it down to check the running time. Of course, it’s 93 minutes.

The World According to J
How old someone is compared to someone else = who cares?
Remembering not to flood the bathroom = not important.
Running time of various movies = important.
Laughing = better than crying, always.