Ping, ping, ping.
There’s nothing quite like it—those rhythmic twirpings that say, “The food is microwaved.” Charlie having become quite proficient at making his own afterschool snacks thanks to this modern technological innovation (and the phenomenon of frozen food), it’s a sound heard often at out place around 3pm, every weekday.
Imagine the response to hearing 49 microwaves set to play Jingle Bells—-now that’s some holiday cheer.

My son’s toy preferences have always been straightforward and basic. Things made out of wood, with strong colors, minimal “special features,” certain textures, have all along been favored. Gizmos aren’t Charlie. While he’s been very glad to be in possession of two Leapsters (one beat up and not really working, the other still kind of newish), carrying them around and keeping them with him seems as or more important than pushing the buttons and looking at the little screen and playing the games.
So it makes sense to me that a stick was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. …read more

I’ve a couple of ideas for posts about topics like prenatal genetic testing, vaccines and more about vaccines, gestation and future health problems and the like but since it’s getting later in the evening (out here on the East Coast) I’m just going to reference an article from no less august a body than the Style section of last Sunday’s New York Times and specifically an article on how the economic crisis is affecting teens whose parents have never been able to say, no, you don’t need more Abercrombie. Given the near-constant talk about the “cost” of raising a special …read more

Yelling at Charlie is a 100% surefire guaranteed way to assure that he won’t do what I ask him (does it work with anyone, really?). He’s been so sound sensitive these past few months as it is, often putting his hands over his ears and, regardless of muggy June Jersey weather, snuggling the hood of his blue fleece (”summerweight”) sweatshirt over his head. So no buying a mom megaphone!

Something tells me that Charlie would find this cephalopod shaped sink mesmerizing. It also bears more than a little resemblance to the spiral water slide at the pool, and reminds me of what draws Sue Rubin to look at the water running from the faucet in the film Autism Is a World. Water is best.