you've been warned

We might be approaching something we can call "routine." After a summer punctuated by our vacations and the tutor's time off, after four weeks of school that have seen new tutors come and go, we might have a reliable schedule in place. It's no surprise, then, that Martin is having better days. I don't want to jinx it, but he has made it through two school days with only minor incidents. He has been quite friendly and mostly compliant at home. He's even been playing quietly by himself (something he normally loves), rather than engaging in attention-seeking (ie. bad) behaviors. We're nowhere close to Martin going to school unassisted, but we are definitely out of the woods when it comes to potential expulsion. What a relief.

We've known for a long time that Martin struggles in the face of new things. Before his diagnosis, his language delays certainly concerned us, but we were pretty sure things would even out. It was Martin's complete inability to enjoy himself on a terrific summer road trip that made us wonder what the heck was going on. How could he not enjoy a house full of kids his own age? Why did he resist trips to the zoo and the neighborhood pool? Why were his only happy moments when he could play in the waters of Lake Winnipeg, the waves and wind drowning out the rest of us? Now we know. And every time we forget and move forward without plans and try to make Martin adjust to what we want, we all the pay the price.

Will all of you readers out there let me know if you think I'm headed for disaster? If I announce our forthcoming voyage to Zanzibar? If I detail plans to move to the moon? Or if we simply try to take this kid on a vacation?