School break update

JJ is on his second week back to school and so far so good.  He mentioned this morning that he is having a problem with a 5th grader being a bully to him on the play ground (all over who's snow hill it is) he says he has reported it to the teachers and nothing has been done. I guess I will have to go see the principle and get that worked out.  I find he has told me a couple of times that kids telling him they don't like him lately. I know how controlling he can be with friends, how he wants to play something "his" way all the time and when he is playing with kids his own age or a yr older, that type of control just doesn't work.  

I guess thats why most aspie kids tend to gravitate towards younger children to socialize with.  Writing this just made me think of our last two trips to Chrystal Palace during the summer holidays.  Both times he picked kids to ride the roller coaster with, they would get off and run for the front of the line to go again for 2 hours straight.  We watched, along with the other boys parents, we got talking about how well they were getting along.. turns out last yr and the yr before the child he picked to spend the day going on rides with.. both had ASD of one type or another.  One was autistic and not very verbal, the other had aspergers like JJ and more verbal.  I found it fascinating that out of all the kids there, he picked these two boys, was it just a coincidence or did he somehow feel by watching them, that they were similar to him?

Over this past Christmas holiday 2wk break it couldn't have gone better.  If you hear a note of surprise in my voice, your right.  Usually breaks and summer holidays are a nightmare for us, and I have been known to totally dread the words "snow day".  I have in the past had to use a schedule to get us through it because aspie kids need strict structure.  For some reason, he was calm, happy and content with out a schedule.  He played, read, and played his club penguin and roblox games on the computer.  I even said it out loud to my hubby that its been a month or more since it was daily meltdowns of some sort.  I was afraid to jinx it by saying it out loud, but I only said it to hubby not to JJ.  The last time I said to JJ something to the effect that he had been controlling himself very well, it all went to hell in a hand basket, so I've learned not to.  Instead to give him positive reinforcement I will hug him and tell him I love him more than usual which will get me an "oh Nannie" lol  and if I have the extra $20 as a special treat, I will buy him a game for the wii or ds, but since money is tight..that doesn't happen very often.  Since the household has been calm and meltdown free lately I feel less stress so that is a bonus for sure.

This past weekend they had an "elementary school" hockey night with the university team, that ment sections of the Arena was reserved for students from all the south side elementary schools and their parents.  We went and he had so much fun. Usually he will take his ds and play it while N and I watch the game.  This time he saw the boy from next door sitting behind us and we let him go sit with him and 3 other boys from his school.  He got to go to the canteen alone with them and was just smiling ear to ear all night long.  It felt good to see him having fun with kids his own age.  

I have found that each year he matures a little and is getting to manage himself better. I just hope it continues!