In Good Company (of Girls) And Typical Peers

My sister is visiting from Colorado with her kids (my two nieces) and (call me a bad mother) I’m having Nick hang around with them as much as possible. He stayed with them all day Sunday, and I had him take off from school today—it was a half-day, anyway—to meet up with them, again, and have some fun out at Adventure Isle and then perhaps swimming later. Then on Friday I will pick him up early from school so that he can attend a fun-planned afternoon with the girls before they head back to Colorado.

You may think all this attention is for the sake of the girls—a sacrificial playmate while they’re in town and staying with my parents; but not really, the benefit is all Nick’s.

Next to social skills class (which he doesn’t have this quarter because there wasn’t another kid attending who was similar to him and his needs) and school, where he is hanging around with mostly special needs kids most of the day; I want him to socialize with these two girls who are not only close to his own age, but who are outgoing and not on the autism spectrum. It’s a rarity for him--all of his cousins who are close to his age, are out of state. Even though on Friday the planned event is actually an “afternoon tea party.” A girly-girl thing to do, but what the heck!! I will simply remind him that he once attended his cousin’s princess party many years ago (of which he remembers—because he never forgets) where he was the only young prince among a sea of pretty in pink, dainty princesses hosted by Princess Patty (of Princess Parties by Patty—something like that) and they, including one prince, were all having their, um, nails painted, um, pink. Even though, still to this day, he cannot stand to look at nail polish—a flash back? Oops!

But I will remind him that he likes tea and that the little mini (probably pink) pastries will be delicious. And if that doesn’t get through to him, then this easy-to-comprehend- deliverance-of-the-most-obscene-ever-uttered-by-a-parent: “I’m going to release you early from school so that you can attend,” certainly will!!

Oh, the sacrifice!