DAY 28

It was pointed out to me recently that I don't talk about what is going on with College Boy very much. He is on the Autism Spectrum, and is not a social butterfly on a normal day. His life has not changed a bit other than the fact that he had to come home from school after only three weeks. He is alive and well and living life pretty much as he has for years. Holed up in his room playing video games online and talking to friends on the phone. It's difficult to gauge how he is doing emotionally because he does not talk about his feelings, or show much emotion. I have made more of an effort to go into his room and talk about what is going on. I make him come downstairs and eat dinner with us. I have asked what his friends are saying about world events, and if he is staying in contact with his friends from school. I am confident that he is weathering this better than most of us.

I am sad and grieving many things these days, one being the fact that he had to leave school. He struggled through high school, and we worked very hard to get him into this trade school. He attended four weeks of career assessment there last September. He loved being there, living in a dorm and hanging out with other kids like him. He had to wait for an opening in his program of choice, which started at the end of February. He was settled in and doing well in his classes. He likes his roommate. It's been such a positive experience and to have to bring him back home was devastating, for me anyway. He is now being offered some distance learning options until they can go back, but for a kid who spends far too much time in front of a screen it seems like ten steps backwards.

Miss Nine colored eggs today for art class. She is excited about Easter, but unhappy about the fact that she will be the only kid here for our traditional egg hunt. She chose another Lego challenge, building her dream tree house. Of course now she wants to actually build a tree house in the back yard. She camped put in the t.v. room again with Papa tonight. She says he watches boring stuff like How It's Made, Cooking with Cowboy Kent Rollins and Star Trek and it puts her right to sleep. Whatever works, right?

The Pastry Chef from next door brought us some Easter cupcakes. I truly appreciate them. Miss Nine ate one right away. I am trying to ignore the other three but they are calling to me from the kitchen.