Alphabet for Life for my Aspie Children

Lately, I have seen several "Alphabet for Life" plaques in gift magazines. No author has been mentioned in any of the sources I have looked, including my beloved information bible, Google. It is a lovely sentiment and provides some useful guidelines for those who are . . . how shall I say it . . . socially challenged. Even the biggest jerk in the world can glean some helpful hints on how to treat people from it's simply worded phrases. Really, we're talking 2 to 3 words per letter here. I can see Yoda subscribing to this mantra and teaching it to young Luke Skywalker as he learns the ways of the Jedi. (Sorry, I am on Star Wars overload right now.)

These lessons are beneficial for our Aspie children to learn, but it takes further explanation than that which is provided on wall plaques. So, I have revised this alphabet somewhat, and added explanation where it is needed for use with my kids with the hope they will one day apply its lessons to their own lives.

Accept differences. Most of the people on this planet are less intelligent than you are, and you need to cut the rest of us some slack once in a while. We're all doing the best we can with what we have. If it bothers you that something or someone is different, look for something you have in common, get comfortable with that, and then determine if the differences really matter.

Be kind.To everyone, including your sister/brother. Sometimes people who are rude or angry need the kindness of others to help them find happiness. That kindness may one day be shown to you at a time when you really need it.

Count your blessings. In other words, be thankful for the good things in your life that are not made of Legos and are not seen on television. Sometimes you have to feel the good things with your heart instead of with your hands.

Dream. In the daytime about what you would like to do some day to make the world a better place. If you are feeling ambitious, you could start this project today.

Express thanks. Say "thank you" for what you are given, even if it is not what you want. Being polite is more important than you think, especially when what you really want to say is, "You screwed up my order, Bonehead!" Don't assume the people who love you know you appreciate them. Saying "thanks" is a simple word that says a lot.

Forgive. Everyone makes mistakes. You must be able to let go of the anger you feel when someone does something that hurts you. Even more important is to remember that sometimes you perceive things differently than others in the same situation. Learn to let go of being hurt and move on.

Give Freely. This is a tough lesson to learn. It is about sharing your toys and your joys. Be willing to let others experience the excitement you feel when you discover something cool. Share your happiness and love with the people around you. Joy is contagious. This does not mean you should give all your money away to anyone who asks for it. Money does not come back to you when you give it away. Friendship and love do.

Harm no one. Do not give in to anger or fear. Let kindness control your body and your words, even when you feel you have been treated badly.

Imagine more. Allow your mind to wonder what the world would be like if. . .

Jettison anger. Remember what Yoda says. "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." Then remember what Mom says, "Get OVER it!"

Keep confidences. Being trusted by someone with a secret is a special gift. Most of the time you should respect your friend's trust in you and keep that secret between the two of you. But if your mind and heart tell you your friend is in trouble, and keeping the secret will make it worse for your friend, then tell Mom. She will know what to do. Don't tell Dad - he'll want to kick some one's ass.

Love truly. You already know how to do this. You do it every day.

Master something. There is a difference between knowing everything about something and being extremely good at something. Knowledge and competency do not always go hand-in-hand. If you find something extremely interesting, learn about it and then become excellent at doing it. That is mastery.

Nurture hope. Never say "never."

Open your mind. Be willing to try new things (like Brussel's sprouts), accept new ideas (such as, cleaning your room without being told), discover something you didn't know existed (laundry soap).

Pack lightly. When you go to visit Grandma and Grandpa, don't feel obligated to take all of your books, toys, and stuffed animals. Leave room in your suitcase for clean underwear. I promise, you'll need the skivvies more than you'll need the toys, and they take up much less space in your luggage.

Quell rumors. Don't talk badly about people when they are not around to defend themselves. This is called gossip, and although it may seem like fun when you're doing it, losing a friend over bad information is a high price to pay.

Reciprocate. When someone does something nice for you, do something nice for him/her.

Seek wisdom. Using big words is not the same as having wisdom. Yoda had wisdom. He had the experiences of 900 years to make assumptions about life's truths. In order to have wisdom, you must "open your mind".

Touch hearts. Please, please do not ask people if you can touch their breasts! And do not assume this means you should actually reach into some one's body and touch their beating heart. . .unless you become a cardiac surgeon, in which case it's o.k. Be honest, sincere, and caring towards others. Love them and allow them to love you back. That should be the closest you need to get to some one's heart until you are at least 21 and it is in a mutually consensual situation.

Understand. Listen with your ears first, and then decide with your heart and mind.

Value truth. Accept information only when you have examined the proof. Question the proof. Sometimes proof is not the truth. Decide with your own mind whether or not something is true. Even though opinions are important, the truth is something you should seek to find.

Win graciously. Save the bragging for when you are away from the person who lost. . .far away. . .like in your room with the door closed. And then remember that one of the best parts about doing something competitive, is learning how to do it better by interacting with other people who do it differently.

Xeriscape. Plant beauty around you. Protect the environment.

Yearn for peace. Remember the words of Ghandi: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." If you want to see an end to wars, work to feed people who are hungry. Help to provide shelter for those who are homeless or live in substandard housing. Help to meet the basic needs of humankind, and peace will follow. And it would help to elect leaders who give a damn about the environment and people who are suffering and don't put their personal vendettas at the top of the political agenda.

Zealously support a worthy cause. Decide what is important to you, and use your talents to make it happen.

The Best Birthday Party of All Time

It has taken me forever to write all this down. I started this on the 18th, but now it's the 23rd and I'm still writing. Sheeeeesh!

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined putting together a party like the one we had here yesterday. It certainly wasn't without a lot of help. Every adult had multiple jobs on Saturday as we pulled together the last minute details that made our Star Wars adventure the coolest thing ever to happen at our house. Thank you to all my family and friends for pitching in when I really needed you!

The thing that surprised me the most was how Ian behaved throughout the day. Not once did he ask how long until the party would start. He was constantly being told to stay out of this room or that, to go here or there while the adults put something together, or to do something else until another chore was completed. He was perfect in every way.

When the kids were told to go put on their costumes, they knew the fun was about to begin. Steve had on his Obi Wan Jedi robe and greeted guests with me, Queen Amidala. Together we put the guests in felt tunics tied with white cord at the waist. As we dressed them, we would ask, "Padawan [name], are you certain you are ready to commit yourself to the rigorous training of a Jedi?" The boys would giggle a "yes". Then we sent each of them into the great dining hall [our kitchen] for a Force fortified meal [pizza, grapes, vegies and dip, and Yoda soda served in cups with glowing straws].

After the meal, the Jedi trainees gathered in the Jedi temple training gym [our formal dining room], where they received verbal instructions from Obi Wan. He told them the importance of learning the Jedi code (respect for each other, never strike an unarmed person, no swinging light sabers near the chandelier, quiet solemn voices inside the temple, etc.) Then my brother-in-law and I placed the light sabers on the table for each child to select his own. Steve, Ian, and my Dad constructed them from bicycle handle bar grips, pvc pipe, and foam pool noodles. The kids went crazy over them.

Then we took the kids to the front yard to practice. First, the adults took turns throwing bean bags at each kid so they could practice swinging. I made the bean bags from Ian's old socks and pinto beans. After they each had hit a few bean bags, we brought out balloons for them to hit to one another. (Notice Ainsley's costume: she is Luke Skywalker wearing Dora the Explorer crocks!) They loved this part because the balloons were easy to hit, and even more fun to pop. Then, of course, they started dueling with each other and chasing Steve around the yard. After about 20 minutes, the kids were getting tired, so we rounded them up and headed inside for cake and ice cream.



We gathered around the bar in the kitchen with Ian sitting on a bar stool in front of the cake. We observed a moment of silence in honor of Obi Wan, who had just died. The boys were pushing each other down trying to see the R2-D2 cake. They sang the Happy Birthday song to Ian then rushed to the table to wait for sustenance. We barely made a dent in the cake. Both arms were gone and part of the dome, which left 3 entire cakes at the base!

As the kids were finishing up with their cake and ice cream, we took them 3 at a time to the laundry room for their next assignment. I told them, "This is the last phase of your Jedi training. Behind that door is a maze through which you must travel to the place where special light saber glowing crystals are hidden. Obi Wan is waiting for you on the other side to give you further instructions when you reach that point. When you return to the Jedi Temple, please do not tell the others about your journey, for they must find the way on their own. Here are Force fortified tablets to help guide you through the darkness [I gave each of them a gummy worm that I pulled from its package with a pair of glowing tweezers. They made the worms light up - very cool.] Then I opened the garage door and sent them through the maze Steve had constructed with cardboard boxes. The garage was completely dark.

At the other side of the maze was our inflatable jump house. It was filled with flashing balloons (the balloons had lights inside) and paper sacks with each child's name on them. They had to crawl into the bounce house and find their bag. Inside the bag was a crystal necklace that flashes when you squeeze it. There was also a small Lego space space ship kit, which they were told was going to be their fighter jet once they assembled it. The kids were loving this part.

We gave them some time to play before I announced that I had just received word that the Death Star had been completed. Their first assignment as Jedis was to destroy the Death Star and restore balance to the galaxy. The kids grabbed their light sabers and ran screaming for the back door. The Death Star pinata was hanging from the swing set (as usual-these kids know that is where we always hold our pinata bashing sessions). Into the darkness they ran, barely able to contain their excitement at getting to hit something really hard. Each used his/her own light saber to inflict tiny dents in the surface. After four rounds of beatings from each child, Steve had to use a baseball bat to smash it open.

The kids were as all children are when a pinata breaks - ravenous! They were like starving jackals on roadkill. As they were searching around the lawn, stuffing candy into their mouths and paper sacks, we smelled it...dog poop! Everyone had it on their shoes. I heard someone shout, "Who put dog poop in the pinata?" Man, I zeroed in on that kid immediately and quietly reassured him there was no poop IN the pinata, it was probably on his foot. And it was. It was on everyone's feet. Including mine. Steve and the kids had picked up all the messes before the party started. I don't know where this one came from, but it was smack-dab in the middle of the pinata line.

We were able to get the kids' shoes cleaned off as each re-entered the house. They gathered in the dining room to eat candy and flop on the floor. These children had already been on such a roller coaster ride, they were beginning to get tired. And Ian was getting itchy to open his presents. As soon as I agreed to let him begin, it was over. I swear. . .I didn't get to see a single gift unwrapped. It was done as fast as a lightning bold striking a 9 iron. And of course, Ian wanted to open every toy and get started playing immediately. Fortunately, my great friend Christy had my camera in hand and captured as many as she could.

I gave my mom the signal. Quietly, she walked upstairs and disappeared. Seconds later, Darth Vader appeared at the top of the stairs, breathing heavily and proclaiming,

“I have been waiting a long time for this meeting, Master Skywalker. You and your youngling Jedis may have destroyed the Death Star, but you cannot escape the Dark Side of the Force. Surrender now!”

He descended the stairs slowly, brandishing two red light sabers, one single beam and the other a double, like Darth Maul's.

The kids went crazy. They beat him, stabbed him, pummeled him. I actually felt sorry for poor Darth. Within seconds he was on the floor putting up the fight of his life.

All the rules of Jedi combat were being ignored. Vader was screaming "I surrender", but the Jedis were not listening (actually, they couldn't hear him through the mask). Finally, with Obi Wan's help, he was freed. Immediately, the Jedi's pounced on him again as if the fate of the galaxy depended on bringing this man down. Ainsley-Luke Skywalker was standing on a dining room chair, swinging her light saber at Darth Vader, barely missing the chandelier. My china cabinet was in grave danger - forget Vader, save the crystal!!!

Eventually, we get the Jedis to accept their victory and allow Darth Vader to retreat with dignity. Unfortunately, they destroyed his nads back on the stairs, and he had to limp to the laundry room for his costume change. Man, those 8 year-old boys can be brutal! Thanks for taking one for the team, James!

I looked at my watch: 6:35 - oh, crap! We still have 55 minutes to kill before parents arrive! Karin and Obi Wan quickly gathered the kids for a rousing game of Star Wars trivia. Karin, a veteran school teacher, had them sitting quietly on the floor and raising their light sabers to answer the questions. Damn, she's good!

With all the questions exhausted and 40 minutes remaining in the party,
Steve ushered the kids upstairs to the media room and let them watch the first part of Star Wars I. Ahhhhhhh, nice save Obi Wan. At this point, my dad was ready for the party to end....quickly!

The adult actors, stage hands, photographers, grips, gaffers, lighting specialists, and clean up crew began straightening as best we could. Mostly, we were enjoying the quiet. I didn't even mind the mess, because as the kids went upstairs, I heard one of them say,

"This has been the best birthday party I've ever been to!"

A couple of hours later, as my 8 year-old son lay in his bed, I snuggled next to him and asked how he was doing.

"Great," he said.

"I'm glad to hear you say that. What did you think of your party?" I asked.

"It was awesome!" he said in an exhausted whisper.

"How was the cake?" I querried.

"It was so cool," he smiled, remembering the glow of icing under candles.

"Favorite present?"

"R2-D2," he said with pride.

"Favorite birthday game?"

"Destroying the Death Star," his excitement preceded a yawn.

"Favorite moment during the party?"

He thought momentarily, then spoke slowly. "When my dad and I were fighting with our light sabers and he almost killed me, but I didn't die. That was the best part."

Change the World. . .Start With Recess

I am not sure what the exact assignment was, but I found this letter in Ian's take-home folder this morning. It's a letter to his teacher.

Dear Mrs. [name]:

I would like extra recess time every day. If I had extra recess, I would get more exercise. More exercise would make my heart stronger and I would be healthyer. Extra recess would help me get my wiggles out. At recess, I move around a lot which tires out my wiggles. I've given you lots of great reasons why extra recess is a wonderful idea.

Sincerely,
Ian

Could be the most well-thought-out argument the kid has ever made. And today, I am all for anything that makes his heart stronger.

Diary of Aspie Mom

Dear Diary,

Why do I always do this? You know what I mean. . .

It's fall, my favorite season. The air is crisp, falling leaves layer a colorful blanket on the grass, and I get re-energized. So I start taking on new projects, one right after another, until I am banging my head on the wall wondering why I do this every year.

Yesterday after painting class I stopped by my favorite craft store to pick up a few things for Ian's birthday party. As I wandered through the store, I ran into one of my doctors. She is so sweet. She recognized me first and said, "hi". We started talking, she asked how I was doing, and in that second when I started to say "fine" I realized that I was completely exhausted. After that, all I could think of was going home and taking a nap. . .so I did.

I awoke to the phone ringing at 3:00. Steve answered, then came over to the couch where I had been deeply dozing, and he said, "Carla, are you driving carpool this week?"

I looked at my watch, couldn't really focus on the time, raised my eyes back up to Steve with a perplexed look on my face, then stared at my watch one more time. "Yes," was all I could say; but in my head, a loud voice was screaming, "YES! OMG - I forgot to pick the kids up at school!"

With what felt like lightning speed, I sprang from the couch to grab my keys and get to the school. What I really resembled was Tim Conway dressed as an elderly man shuffling across the floor in some vain attempt to do something quickly. "I think you're going to have to go get them, Steve. My body is not fully engaged yet." So off he went, to pick up Ian and his three carpool friends from the principal's office.

You would think I would learn from the shock of all that. But I didn't.

While Steve was gone, I made the first layer of frosting for the R2-D2 cake, the assembly of which took the next two and a half hours. Dishes from the previous night's dinner were still piled in the sink, and I was adding to the mess. Sigh. "Will I ever get caught up?" I wondered silently.

Then I tried about 150 times to get Ian to come to the kitchen to do his homework. He said I was mean, and marched upstairs. Yeah, right. That's why I am doing all this, kiddo, cuz I'm mean. Sigh.

So I started dinner and waited for him to come back down. He did. But getting him to sit down long enough to complete one part of his homework took forty-five minutes. He was distracted by Ainsley mostly, who was running around the house being silly. He can't resist participating in silliness, especially when the alternative is doing his homework. Every few seconds I would stop him, turn him toward the bar where his homework was waiting patiently for a pencil to complete it. He would write for a few seconds, break his pencil lead intentionally, then march off to the office to sharpen it. This happened four times. No wonder I wasn't making any progress with dinner. Sigh.

Then I remembered something I saw once on a co-worker's desk: a neatly framed, scroll-lettered paragraph which read:

God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of tasks. Right now I am so far behind, I will never die.

Yup, that's me all right.

Right now I feel like I am running on an exercise wheel. All I can see is what is straight ahead, directly in front of my face. But the world keeps throwing bits and pieces at me from the side, trying to get me to pay attention. But I have to ignore it and keep on running. If you want me to see it, put it in front of me, otherwise it isn't going to get my attention. I have a job to do. Must. . .keep. . .running. . .

New Book on Autism

Autism Heroes: Portraits of Families Meeting the Challenge


Last week I was sent the following press release on a new book on dealing with autism. I'm betting this is going to be a winner.

While the growing crisis of autism gains awareness, families facing an autism diagnosis can still feel isolated. Thirty-eight exceptionally courageous families share their stories in AUTISM HEROES: PORTRAITS OF FAMILIES MEETING THE CHALLENGE (Barbara Firestone, Photography by Joe Buissink, November 2007, Jessica Kingsley Publishers; Hardcover, $34.95; ISBN: 978-1-84310-837-5; 240 pages, 120 b/w photographs). Even celebrities, normally protective of their personal lives, open-up on this difficult subject to inspire others just beginning the journey. Actor Gary Cole and his wife Teddi vividly remember the day when the word autism came into their lives: “The doctor said, ‘I need you to know that I’m leaning toward autism.’ And our brains just stopped.’”

Dr. Barbara Firestone has touched the lives of thousands of families with special needs children. She handpicked these stories to create AUTISM HEROES. Firestone founded The Help Group, one of the largest, most innovative and comprehensive nonprofit organizations of its kind in the United States serving children with special needs. As part of their many services, The Help Group runs six specialized day schools in southern California for children with autism. All the royalties from AUTISM HEROES are being donated to The Help Group to support its efforts on behalf of children with autism spectrum disorders and their families.

With empathy and expertise, Dr. Firestone engages the families in candid, powerful and deeply affecting conversations about their lives, set against the backdrop of her insightful essays about dignity, hope, opportunity and love. Several of the families profiled in AUTISM HEROES are those of well-known celebrities (Gary Cole, John Schneider, Joe Mantegna, etc.). Others are parents simply willing to come forward and share their experiences. The stunning black-and-white photographs of Joe Buissink perfectly complement the intimate testimony of these families. A regular contributor to In Style magazine, Buissink’s award-winning work also appears in People, American Photo, Gourmet, LA Times, LA Weekly and Los Angeles Magazine.

The openness and honesty of the families, as elicited by Dr. Firestone, helps demystify and destigmatize autism. “Few have the combination of compassion, rigorous knowledge, passion for the field, and accomplishments in helping literally thousands of children as does Barbara Firestone,” writes Michael E. O’Hanlon, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, “She is also an extraordinary listener, and a great observer of people.”

Contact: Kim Bouchard (201)329-9636



Dr. Barbara Firestone’s intimate, bold, and inspiring book, Autism Heroes, provides a compelling account of the experiences of 38 families from different walks of life confronting the challenges of autism spectrum disorders. Their courage, tenacity and honesty give this trailblazing book a vibrancy and momentum that captures the hearts and souls of readers.

Dr. Firestone, founder and CEO of The Help Group, one of the largest non-profit organizations in the nation working with special needs children, will be visiting various east coast cities during November. Please join her at one of the following events:

North Arlington, NJ
DATE: Monday, November 12, 2007
TIME: 7:00 - 9:00 PM
LOCATION: North Arlington High School, 222 Ridge Road, North Arlington, New Jersey
FORMAT: Presentation & book signing

Freehold, NJ
DATE: Wednesday, November 14, 2007
TIME: 7:00 - 8:30 PM
LOCATION: Freehold Gardens Hotel, 50 Gibson Place, Freehold, New Jersey
Hosted by Friends Health Connection
Cost $15.00
To register, call: (800) 483-7436
FORMAT: Presentation & book signing

Peabody, MA
DATE: Thursday, November 15, 2007
TIME: 5:30 – 7:30 PM
LOCATION: Barnes & Noble, 210 Andover Road, Peabody, Massachusetts
For info. and directions: (978) 573-3261
FORMAT: Presentation & book signing

Philadelphia, PA
DATE: Friday, November 16, 2007
TIME: 6:00 – 8:00 PM
LOCATION: University of Pennsylvania, Logan Hall, Terrace Room, 249 South 36th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
FORMAT: Presentation & book signing

Alexandria, VA
DATE: Saturday, November 17, 2007
TIME: 2:00 – 4:00 PM
LOCATION: Barnes & Noble, 3651 Jefferson Davis Highway, Alexandria, Virginia
For info. and directions: (703) 299 – 9124
FORMAT: Presentation & book signing

If any of you have the opportunity to attend one of these functions or are able to obtain a copy soon, please email your opinions to me. Let's make sure good information gets around.

Is It Me?

Something I've been pondering the last several months has taken hold of my brain and won't let go. I notice it everywhere now, and I can't help but wonder if this is odd, or does everyone think this way. Let me go back a little and explain what "this" is.

If you have read Daniel Tammet's book, Born on a Blue Day, "this" won't be new to you. Daniel is a brilliant man who has Asperger's. He also has many unusual abilities, typically relating to prime numbers and calculating enormous sums. To Daniel, numbers have color and emotion associated with them. He is able to tell you on which day of the week any particular date in history or in the future will fall, for example. The quality of associating something completely separate with each number is what I have been thinking about - it is the "this" to which I referred.

Recall with me as well an earlier post in which I described my own ability to determine the color of an M&M candy by the way it feels on my tongue. Although I do not equate this freak show talent with anything as amazing as Mr. Tammet's capabilities, thinking about it made me realize that I, too, have always made certain associations with letters, numbers, and colors.

For me, the alphabet rests on a beam of light. It begins moderately light with A and slowly brightens and darkens as the letters progress from left to right in one straight line. Letters are masculine, feminine, or both - not in a reproductive sense, just a kind of personality trait. A is feminine and wears a dress; B is feminine but she's a real bitch, C is feminine and tough-skinned, like a pioneer woman; D is masculine; E is masculine in touch with his feelings; F is a male military general; G is masculine and reminds me of Pete Seeger. . .it goes on and on.

Numbers are also masculine or feminine. Instead of being part of a beam of light, they are grouped into overlapping families, kind of like a commune. The same for colors - each color has a gender, but shades of the same color can be the opposite gender. It's all very strange, and I have yet to find a reason for any of it.

The other day I realized my children attribute similar characteristics to numbers, colors, and objects. We were filling the Death Star pinata for Ian's party. There were parachuting alligators and space aliens of different colors. Each child would say "there he/she goes" as they would toss the plastic toys into the hole in the Death Star. I noticed that Ian used the masculine pronoun for certain colors and the feminine pronoun for others, and Ainsley did the same thing consistently. However, they each had a different vision of which colors went into each category.

For example, Ainsley is convinced that red is a girl. Ian swears red is a boy. This explains why Ainsley has always called Elmo (the lovable furry red monster on Sesame Street) a girl. Elmo is red and therefore must be female. Ian knows Elmo is a boy because Elmo is always referred to as a "he" on the program. But how do we really know? The voice could be either male or female for a 3 year-old, which is Elmo's age on Sesame Street. He wears no clothing. Elmo has no genitalia. Even if he did, it would be awfully creepy to check him out "down there" just for the sake of settling the score between my kids. [They were in the bathtub together recently, and Ian told Ainsley she was born with a penis but the doctor cut it off so she could be a girl. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhgggggggggg! No Freud allowed in my bathtub, o.k. guys?!]

So, I guess my question is three-fold:

1. Where does this association of numbers and colors and genders and whatever originate?

2. Is it a trait of Asperger's/autism to make such associations?

3. Does anyone else out there make these connections?

When I think about these things, I feel closer to my kids. It gives me some sense of how they think and feel. When someone says the number 8 makes them sad, I get it now. I feel as if I've been invited to tea on the planet of autism. How long they let me stay will probably depend on how open my mind is to parking diagonally in a parallel universe - or maybe it's parallel parking in a diagonal universe. Hmmmmmmmmm. . .think I'll go ponder the possibilities over a handful of M&Ms.

Jedi Training

My parents visited this weekend to see their grandchildren, to help me prepare for Ian's birthday party, and to celebrate my birthday. (Those are listed in order of importance, by the way ;-) ) Steve, Ian, and my dad made the Jedi light sabers, which will be used by Ian's friends at the party. They are constructed of the finest materials: rubber bicycle handle bar grips, flexible pvc pipe, and foam pool noodles cut in half. Naturally, each light saber underwent rigorous and extensive testing by our quality assurance department. Most of them passed. The red light saber, to be used by Darth Vader, is still in the design phase - which means we have not located a red pool noodle yet. They are hard to come by this time of year.

The party prep is going smoothly. Tomorrow I start baking R2-D2cake pieces in chocolate, white, and sparkle flavors. These will be stored in the freezer until decorating and assembly day. Thirteen days and counting.

Abandoning the Comfort Zone

Today, after more than two years of having plain peanut butter on bread sandwiches for lunch, Ian has opted to try something new! His new lunch entree of choice is colby-jack cheese on whole wheat double fiber bread with nothing else on the bread. Wooohoooo!