Welcome Letter

Kiki has hit a point where some days his progress is overwhelming, and other days I feel like we've taken several steps back. It's been this way for a long time really, just that on days when I'm already stressed and have a lot on my plate - I notice it more. And I especially notice the stares (and glares) from other people in the stores I take him into, on the days when nothing seems to be going right. I celebrate because he *only* threw himself down three times in one shopping trip, and yet most of the audience to his little display doesn't "get it". A few do. You can tell by their merciful glances, like they somehow understand. Like those two seconds of empathy are meant to tell you that you're not alone.

In looking for a way to somehow explain Kiki to everyone else without going through the apology phase, I started looking for alternatives. Because, well, honestly, I'm not sorry that you've encountered a Kiki. I'm sorry he's having a bad day, and I'm sorry that's your first exposure to his little world. But I'm not sorry that he's pulled you out of your comfort zone. And I'm not sorry if he's making you rethink your own definitions of "normal" or "misbehaved". Enough rambling. The point is that I needed another option. A plan B, if you will. So in looking for "autism awareness cards" online, I found several examples of what other people give out to those who find themselves accidentally being audience to a child's meltdown or tantrum or whatever cute (or not so cute) label you want to give it.

One of these cards had a blank line to enter a web address, presumably for one of the many autism awareness websites. But then I realized that such a card could serve a second purpose. It could give me a chance to share my baby's world with the rest of the world (or at least our little corner of it here in SW MO). And thus this blog was borne. I'm writing this introductory message with today's date left intact and unaltered. Then I plan on adding more entries to give an idea of some of his progress up to this point. The dates on those entries will be altered to show their real place in his little timeline, despite this blog not having existed yet.

My goal is to have a place to share his world and give it a chance to merge with yours. Peace.