Susan Senator

And yet another…!

OH MY GOD, I THOUGHT OF TWO MORE GREAT THINGS, SEE BELOW.

I feel so good, about many many things today. Here is my list, in order of how I remembered them:
1) This weekend, Nat will play in the Massachusetts State Games in the Basketball finals!!
2) He is going to stay overnight with his teammates in a hotel in Worcester. Not with us!!!
3) I love Nat’s psychopharmacologist! He is terrific. He completely gets Nat and appreciates him. He writes things like (paraphrasing), “Nat came in on his own without his mother, wearing a beautiful green sweatshirt. His blond hair is cut long, with the locks curling over his eyes. He is fascinated with words and loves repeating them in different ways. He has no trouble making eye contact, and really makes an effort to understand what is said to him and to respond.” He gets technical at some point in every write-up, but what I love is the real effort he makes to have a relationship with Nat, asking him questions directly and only looking to me when a liaison is needed. He and I chat about the latest in medication and autism, and I feel that he keeps me well informed, and monitors every aspect of Nat’s health accordingly.
4) I got a great haircut.
5) So I plan to get Ned to take me out to dinner tonight.
6) I had to give a student an F for plagiarism, but then I checked with my supervisor, who said I could just talk to her about it and didn’t have to actually give her an F but I could have her redo the paper. I am glad, because I felt so bad that she cheated! But it was clear; I typed the sentences into google and they came right up. So hopefully she will learn from it and do better.
7) I have lost weight without Atkins! Ever since my California trip, where I modeled my parents’ way of eating.
8) Do I need any more than this? Life is good.
9) But yes, there is even more! Benj walked home by himself today for the first time!! He crossed High Street at the stop signs! And he called me when he got home, the funniest little voice mail I have ever gotten: “Mom, it is 2:47. I’m home. You can call me or just come home.” In his strong voice. Doesn’t look so funny in print, but trust me, I laughed pretty hard. Little B is growing up!!!
10) Max’s friends are all here to play Dungeons and Dragons. I LOVE having a house full of happy kids. And one of Max’s friends, Hannah (not The Hannah) was looking at a dress online and was talking about it. I said, “Oh my God, someone is talking about dresses in my home and it is not me!” She invited me over to look at it. Happy, happy girlie me.
11) I am totally in love with Neddy. (This is actually the third new thing to be added, because I am just bursting with happy things, which reminds me of when my grandma once said, looking at Max and Ben, “Two millions! And you’re the thoid!”)

12) Another one: I went to see Natty today at school, because I missed him so much, having been in California last weekend. I took him out to Dunkin Donuts. He ordered completely on his own, while I hung back against the wall. He also paid and waited for change.

It would have all been completely swell had there not been one little hitch: the counter clerk said, “there are no blueberry muffins,” when there were actually “reduced fat blueberry muffins.” Nat was confused, and stood there pointing at them, not knowing how to adjust his request. That was when I stepped forward and helped. I told him that it was the same, but healthier. He repeated, “the same,” so I knew he was anxious about it. But one bite, and he was fine (one bite of the muffin, that is).